Handle Protection Cover for Mobility Controls and Cold Weather
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Solution Overview
Problem
Personal mobility devices, such as electric kickboards and bicycles, face damage to brake levers and operation switches due to their placement on handle members, and users are exposed to cold weather, making them inconvenient for use in winter.
Innovation Solution
A handle protection device with a first and second protection member, a protection cover, and a coupling end portion, made of metal with magnets, that encloses and protects the grip portion and components, providing a foldable design for storage and incorporating a heater or sterilization lamp for user comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If brake lever and operation switch are provided at opposite end portions of handle member, then operation convenience is improved, but vulnerability to damage when personal mobility falls is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The handle member is segmented into a grip portion and a component mounting portion. The brake lever and operation switch are mounted on the grip portion rather than at the extreme ends, distributing the components along the handle structure to reduce vulnerability to impact damage while maintaining operational accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
A protection cover is introduced as an intermediary structure that encloses the brake lever and operation switch. This cover protects the components from direct impact during falls while allowing users to operate the controls through the covered area, thus resolving the contradiction between accessibility and protection.
2Ease of operation
If hands are exposed to operate personal mobility, then operation convenience is improved, but exposure to cold outside air causes discomfort in winter
Solution Approach 1:
A protection cover made of flexible or semi-rigid material is used to enclose the user's hand while operating the personal mobility. This cover acts as a thermal barrier against cold outside air while allowing the user to maintain contact with and operate the controls, thus providing warmth without sacrificing operational convenience.
3Reliability
If protection cover is made long to protect components, then component protection is improved, but storage convenience is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The protection cover is designed with dynamic characteristics, allowing it to be extended when needed for component protection and retracted or folded for convenient storage. This dynamic structure enables the cover to adapt between its protective function during operation and a compact form for storage, resolving the contradiction between protection length and storage convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The protection cover is designed to nest within or fold around the handle member structure when not in use. This nesting capability allows the cover to be stored in a compact form integrated with the handle assembly, eliminating the storage inconvenience caused by a long protective cover.
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 device effectively safeguards components and user hands from injury and cold, ensuring continued functionality and comfort across various weather conditions while being convenient to store.
Implementation Method 1
The coupling end portion may include a magnet ring selectively attachable to the first protection member or the second protection member
Implementation Method 2
The coupling end portion may include a plurality of magnet projections protruding toward an external surface of the protection cover
Implementation Method 3
The handle protection device may further include a heater provided the first protection member to heat an internal space of the protection cover
Implementation Method 4
The handle protection device may further include at least a sterilization lamp provided in the first protection member to sterilize an internal space of the protection cover
Data Source
AI summary
A handle protection device configured for a personal mobility, which is mounted on an upper end portion of a steering shaft may include a handle member disposed with a grip portion at opposite sides of the handle member, includes a first protection member mounted on an external surface of the handle member between the grip portion and the steering shaft, a protection cover configured to enclose and accommodate the grip portion and one or more components provided on the grip portion and including a coupling end portion at a first end portion of the protection cover and detachably coupled to the first protection member and an opening through which a hand of a user enters and exits, and a second protection member fixed to a second end portion of the protection cover opposite to the coupling end portion.