Force-Sensing Shift Lever With Self-Locking Haptic Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing switching devices for controlling vehicle, machine, or system functions with pivotable shift levers are inflexible and require complex retrofitting or replacement to accommodate different functionalities, and they often lack reliable haptic feedback and user-adaptive settings.
Innovation Solution
A switching device with a self-locking drive mechanism and a force-measuring device connected to a control unit, allowing the actuator to adjust the shift lever based on user input, providing haptic feedback, and enabling programmable functionality through a database for various applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mechanical guides and pivot motion sensors are provided to accommodate specific pivoting movements, then the switching device can achieve reliable directional control, but the device complexity increases and adaptability to different functionalities decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical guides with a self-locking drive mechanism (worm gear) that provides directional control through its inherent mechanical locking property. The pivot motion sensors are replaced with a force measuring device that detects user input forces, and the control unit processes these forces to control the actuator, substituting mechanical directional constraints with a flexible software-based control system that can adapt to different functionalities through programming.
Solution Approach 2:
The switching device achieves multi-functionality through a universal actuator controlled by a programmable control unit. The force measuring device can detect forces in multiple directions, and the control unit can be programmed to interpret these forces according to different functional requirements, allowing the same hardware to serve multiple purposes without requiring mechanical reconfiguration.
2Manufacturing precision
If the switching device is designed with fixed mechanical guides for specific pivot directions, then the manufacturing precision can be maintained, but the ease of manufacture for different functionalities worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the switching device dynamic and adaptable by replacing fixed mechanical guides with a programmable control system. The control unit can be reprogrammed to change the functionality and pivot direction interpretations without any mechanical modifications, allowing the device to adapt to different applications while maintaining manufacturing precision through software control rather than mechanical reconfiguration.
3Ease of operation
If force-measuring devices and actuators are added to provide haptic feedback and adaptive control, then the user-dependent haptic feedback and adaptability are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by using a force measuring device to detect user input forces and using an actuator to provide haptic feedback to the user. The control unit processes the detected forces and controls the actuator accordingly, creating a closed-loop system that adapts to user interactions. This feedback mechanism improves ease of operation by providing intuitive haptic responses while the programmable control unit manages the complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a shifting device (1) for controlling vehicle, machine or system functions, comprising a shifting lever (2), which can be adjusted in a pivoting manner about at least one axis (4). The shifting device (1) has an actuator (8), which is kinematically connected to the shifting lever (2), via a self-locking drive, in order to pivot same, and therefore an adjustment of the shifting lever is only possible by means of the actuator (8). Furthermore, the shifting device (1) comprises a force measurement device (10, 11; 10.1, 11.1) for detecting the actuating force exerted on the shifting lever (2) by the user and a control unit (12), to which the signal of the force measurement device (10, 11; 10.1, 11.1) is applied, for evaluating the force measurement data and for controlling the actuator (8).