Ignition Switch Key Guide Groove for Tactile Insertion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ignition switch devices in industrial machines are often difficult to operate by feel, especially when a shutter is present, as the key hole is hard to visually observe and inserting the ignition key becomes challenging due to the need to grope for it.
Innovation Solution
The ignition switch device features a main guide shape with a V-shaped groove on the case surface guiding the ignition key into the key hole, accompanied by an auxiliary guide shape on the shutter's contour edge and a cutout that helps rotate the shutter to an open position, facilitating key insertion even when not visually observed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a shutter is provided to prevent muddy water and dust from entering the key hole, then protection against contaminants is improved, but the insertion operation of the ignition key becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The groove is formed in advance on the case surface to guide the ignition key tip toward the key hole before the key actually reaches the insertion point. This preliminary guidance action occurs as the key is being inserted, automatically aligning it with the correct path even when the shutter is closed and the key hole is not visually observable.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove acts as an intermediary element between the ignition key and the key hole. It provides a physical pathway that mediates the interaction, guiding the key tip through the contour of the shutter and into the key hole, thereby facilitating insertion while the shutter remains closed for protection.
2Device complexity
If the ignition switch device is disposed in a position that is hard to be visually observed by a driver, then space utilization is improved, but the insertion operation of the ignition key becomes extremely difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The groove is pre-formed on the case surface to provide tactile guidance. When the driver gropes for the key hole in the dark or hard-to-observe position, the groove's contour immediately guides the ignition key tip along the correct path, compensating for the lack of visual observation and making insertion feasible by feel alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves from visual observation (2D surface perception) to tactile guidance (3D contour following). The groove creates a physical dimension of guidance that the driver can feel with their fingers, allowing them to locate and insert the key by touch rather than sight, thus resolving the contradiction between hidden placement and ease of operation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the key hole is provided with a shutter to prevent contaminants from entering, then protection is improved, but groping to open the shutter makes key insertion more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The groove is designed to merge with the shutter's contour, creating a continuous guiding path that leads the ignition key tip directly to the key hole while following the shutter's edge. This integration allows the key to be guided along the shutter's contour and into the key hole in a single smooth motion, eliminating the need for separate groping actions to locate and open the shutter.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove provides preliminary alignment and guidance of the ignition key tip along the shutter's contour before the key reaches the key hole. This preliminary action ensures the key is properly positioned and oriented as it approaches the opening, making the entire insertion process smoother and reducing the difficulty caused by the shutter's presence.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
An ignition switch device 1 is provided with a switching means 2 having a key hole 2a allowing a regular ignition key K to be inserted thereinto, and capable of being rotationally operated in a predetermined direction with the ignition key K inserted to start and stop an engine of an industrial machine, a case 3 covering the switching means 2 and formed with an insertion hole 3b allowing the key hole 2a to face the outside, and a main guide shape 5 composed of a groove having a V-shaped cross-section, which is formed on the surface 3a of the case 3, and extending toward the insertion hole 3b to allow the tip Ka of the ignition key K to be guided to the key hole 2a.