Coupled Rotary And Weight-Shift Steering for Children’s Vehicles
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing children's vehicles with either weight-shift or rotary steering mechanisms do not effectively cater to the varying abilities of children, as a standing child may find weight-shift steering easier while a sitting child may prefer rotary steering, and there is no incentive to combine these mechanisms in a single steering system.
Innovation Solution
A mechanical constraint steering system couples weight-shift and rotary steering mechanisms, ensuring that isolated actuation of one steering is not possible without the other, thereby integrating the benefits of both steering types into a single system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single steering mechanism (weight-shift or rotary) is used in children's vehicles, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved for specific user positions, but adaptability to different child abilities and positions is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines weight-shift steering and rotary steering mechanisms into a single integrated steering system. The weight-shift steering component allows children to steer by shifting their body weight, while the rotary steering component allows steering through rotational movement of a handlebar or wheel. This merging of two different steering principles enables the vehicle to accommodate both standing and sitting children, as well as children with different motor abilities, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of operation for specific positions and adaptability to different user positions.
2Ease of operation
If weight-shift steering is used, then standing children can operate it easily, but sitting children find it difficult to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The steering system is designed to perform multiple functions through the integration of weight-shift and rotary steering mechanisms. The weight-shift steering component serves standing children who can lean and shift their weight to steer the vehicle, while the rotary steering component serves sitting children who can rotate a handlebar or wheel to change the wheel angle. This multi-functionality allows a single steering system to effectively serve children in different positions and with different operational capabilities.
3Ease of operation
If rotary steering is used, then sitting children can operate it easily, but standing children find it difficult to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges rotary steering with weight-shift steering mechanisms, allowing the system to accommodate both sitting and standing children. The rotary steering component provides easy operation for sitting children through handlebar rotation, while the integrated weight-shift steering component enables standing children to steer by shifting their body weight. This combination resolves the limitation of rotary steering alone, which cannot be easily operated by standing children.
4Adaptability or versatility
If separate steering mechanisms are provided for different user positions, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines weight-shift steering and rotary steering mechanisms into a single integrated steering system. Rather than providing completely separate steering mechanisms for standing and sitting children, the design merges the two principles so that they work together in a unified system. This integration achieves adaptability to different user positions while avoiding the excessive complexity that would result from having entirely separate steering systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The steering system is designed to perform multiple functions through the integration of weight-shift and rotary steering mechanisms. The weight-shift steering component serves standing children who can lean and shift their body weight to steer the vehicle, while the rotary steering component serves sitting children who can rotate a handlebar or wheel to change the wheel angle. This multi-functionality allows a single steering system to effectively serve children in different positions and with different operational capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A children's vehicle including a chassis and at least two adjustable wheels, wherein at least one wheel is connected to the chassis via a weight-shift steering mechanism and, upon actuation of the weight-shift steering mechanism, can be adjusted in a curve direction, wherein the wheels are mounted on at least one wheel-suspension element such that they can be rotated about a respective wheel axle, which wheel-suspension element is mounted on the chassis such that it can be rotated about at least one wheel-suspension axis of rotation, which wheel-suspension axis of rotation is inclined by a degree of inclination in relation to the vertical, and the at least one wheel can be adjusted in the curve direction by means of a rotary steering mechanism, wherein a handlebar is coupled to the wheel-suspension element via a coupling system.