Vehicle Control Lever with Conical Return Surface
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle control systems with directional wheels suffer from aging-related deformations due to non-use, leading to precision and perception issues, and current solutions involving noble materials or reduced forces have not provided an acceptable solution, especially as the market demands more affordable and reliable systems.
Innovation Solution
A mechanical control system with a lever and elastic return device featuring a truncated cone action surface that reduces forces in neutral positions and increases them during manipulation, allowing for precise and pleasant handling while minimizing wear and tear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If noble materials are used to prevent deformations, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the return spring by introducing a conical action surface. The cone angle and surface geometry modify the spring's stress distribution and force characteristics, enabling the use of standard materials while achieving precise, deformation-free operation. This transforms the problem from material selection to geometric parameter optimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The conical action surface creates localized variations in the spring's mechanical properties. The cone geometry concentrates or distributes forces at specific regions of the spring, creating local quality differences that prevent uniform deformation and improve precision without requiring noble materials throughout the entire component.
2Reliability
If forces are reduced to prevent wear, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The conical action surface transforms the static force application into a dynamic system. As the control element moves, the contact point on the conical surface changes, continuously varying the leverage and force distribution on the return spring. This dynamic adaptation reduces peak forces and wear while maintaining control precision through geometric constraints.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively reduces forces in neutral positions, maintaining precision and user comfort while preventing deformations, thus enhancing the reliability and affordability of directional wheel controls.
Implementation Method 1
The return device comprises an elastic means cooperating, in an active zone, with an action surface integral with the lever
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
Figure 6
AI summary
Control system (10) intended for choosing and selecting functions in a vehicle, the system (10) comprising a housing (14), a lever extending along a main axis from a first end, pivot-mounted about a pivot axis (L, T) as far as a second end which is fitted with an actuating knob (12), it being possible for the lever to turn about the main axis, and an elastic return device that returns the lever to a neutral position comprising an axisymmetric cone-frustum-shaped operating surface, the axis of which is the main axis and, as the lever pivots, the active zone travels along a generatrix of the cone towards the vertex, the elastic means becoming more highly stressed than it is in the neutral position.