Handlebar Thumb Throttle Assembly With Curved Trigger Travel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional throttle assemblies for vehicles with handlebars, such as 'twist' and 'lever' styles, face challenges in maintaining consistent operation and accessibility across different driving positions, leading to undesired acceleration, deceleration, and increased strain on the driver's hands and wrists, while also being costly and bulky to manufacture.
Innovation Solution
A throttle assembly with a housing, link, and track mechanism that allows a thumb trigger to move between positions independently of the grip's rotation, using a curvilinear path to guide the link and restrict rotation, enabling consistent operation and reduced strain across various positions without requiring adjustments in hand position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a 'twist' style throttle assembly is used, then the driver can simultaneously control steering and acceleration, but excessive vehicle movement causes undesired acceleration or deceleration due to grip rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The throttle control function is separated from the steering grip function. The throttle assembly includes a trigger mechanism that is independent of the grip rotation, allowing throttle control without requiring grip rotation. This segmentation eliminates the coupling between steering input and throttle input that causes undesired acceleration in twist-style assemblies.
Solution Approach 2:
The throttle actuation mechanism is extracted from the grip structure itself. Instead of using grip rotation to control the throttle, the patent uses a separate trigger assembly with a link and track mechanism that operates independently. This extraction removes the source of the problem where grip rotation causes unintended throttle changes.
2Reliability
If a 'lever' style throttle assembly is used, then position changes cause less undesired acceleration, but the driver experiences increased strain on wrists, hands, and fingers
Solution Approach 1:
The track mechanism uses a curved or arc-shaped path instead of a linear movement path. This curvature allows the trigger to move along a natural arc that accommodates wrist rotation when the driver changes positions between seated and standing. The curved track reduces the mechanical strain on the driver's hand and wrist by aligning the movement path with natural anatomical motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The throttle assembly incorporates dynamic adjustment capabilities through the curved track mechanism that adapts to different driver positions. The trigger can move along different portions of the curved track depending on the driver's orientation, providing consistent operability whether the driver is seated or standing without requiring fixed lever positions that strain the driver.
3Ease of operation
If large levers are used in 'lever' style throttle assemblies, then accessibility is improved for different positions, but the assembly becomes bulky, expensive to manufacture, and difficult to adjust
Solution Approach 1:
The throttle assembly components are nested within a compact housing structure. The trigger, link, and track mechanism are arranged in a space-efficient configuration where components are integrated and nested within each other. This nesting allows the assembly to provide full throttle travel and adjustment range without requiring large external dimensions, reducing bulk while maintaining accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The throttle mechanism uses a curved or arc-shaped track instead of linear movement, effectively utilizing two-dimensional space rather than requiring extended linear travel. This dimensional approach allows the trigger to achieve sufficient movement range for full throttle control within a compact footprint, avoiding the need for large levers while maintaining accessibility in different driver positions.
Data Source
AI summary
A throttle assembly (26) for a vehicle (20) having a handlebar (22) with a grip (36) extending along a grip axis (GA). A housing (42) is adapted for attachment to the handlebar (22) adjacent to the grip (36) and defines a housing axis (UA) adapted to be substantially parallel to the grip axis (GA). A link (48) is slidably supported by the housing (42) between a first link end (48A) and a second link end (48B). A thumb trigger (44) is coupled to the first link end (48A) and moves with the link (48) between first and second trigger positions (44A, 44B). A track mechanism (50) operatively attached to the housing (42) and to the second link end (48B) of the link (48) guides the link (48) along a curvilinear path (54A) such that movement of the thumb trigger (44) to the second trigger position (44B) slides the thumb trigger (44) away from the housing (42) with the thumb trigger (44) traversing the housing axis (UA) during at least a portion of the movement between the first and second trigger positions (44A, 44B).