Bicycle Shift Lever Cover With Buffering for Hand Fit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing human-powered vehicle operating devices often fail to provide a comfortable and secure fit for the user's hand, leading to reduced operability and stability during use.
Innovation Solution
The operating device features a base with a pivotally coupled operating member, a cover made of elastic material, and a design that includes gentle curved surfaces and a buffering part to enhance hand fit and stability, along with a coupling mechanism for secure attachment to the vehicle's tubular part.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid base structure is used for the operating device, then structural strength and stability are improved, but user comfort and hand fit are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by covering the rigid base with a flexible cover made of elastic material. The cover includes a buffering part that can be elastically deformed when contacted by the user's hand, providing comfort while the rigid base maintains structural strength. This resolves the contradiction by separating the structural support function (rigid base) from the user contact function (flexible cover).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by combining a rigid base structure with a flexible elastic cover material. The base provides structural strength and stability, while the elastic cover material provides comfort and hand fit. This composite approach allows both requirements to be satisfied simultaneously in different parts of the operating device.
2Ease of operation
If the operating device is designed with complex curved surfaces for better hand fit, then user comfort is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of manufacturing complex curved surfaces in the rigid base, the patent uses a flexible cover that can be molded into ergonomic shapes. The elastic material allows the cover to conform to hand shapes through its flexibility, achieving good hand fit without requiring complex machining or forming operations on the base structure itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from rigid to elastic for the cover portion, allowing the same geometric shape to provide both structural integrity and comfort. The elastic properties enable the cover to deform and adapt to different hand sizes and shapes, achieving versatility without increasing manufacturing complexity.
3Ease of operation
If a buffering part is added to the cover for enhanced comfort, then user comfort is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The buffering part is integrated directly into the elastic cover material itself, utilizing the inherent elasticity of the material rather than adding separate buffering components. This approach provides comfort through the material properties of the cover while avoiding additional structural elements that would increase device complexity.
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 design provides improved hand fit, stability, and operability by ensuring a secure grip and enhanced user comfort, thereby enhancing the overall performance and usability of the human-powered vehicle.
Implementation Method 1
The cover is made of elastic material
Data Source
AI summary
An operating device includes a base and an operating member. The operating member is pivotally coupled to the base about a pivot axis. The base includes a base body and a cover. The cover includes a cover body and a buffering part. The cover body includes an upper outer surface, a first lateral outer surface, a second lateral outer surface, a first shoulder, and a second shoulder. The first shoulder is provided between the upper outer surface and the first lateral outer surface. The second shoulder is provided between the upper outer surface and the second lateral outer surface. The buffering part is in contact with the base body when the cover is deformed by force applied from a user's hand.