Joystick Ship Handling Device with Mode Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
In ship handling systems, operators face difficulties in controlling the thruster independently without an additional controller, leading to cumbersome operations.
Innovation Solution
A ship handling device with a joystick lever that can be inclined to control both forward-backward propellers and thrusters, featuring a mode switching mechanism to enable thruster single-driven mode, allowing the thruster to be controlled solely using the joystick lever, and adjusting thrust based on the lever's operation amount.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a separate controller is provided for thruster control, then the thruster can be controlled independently, but the device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the thruster control function into the existing joystick lever system by adding a mode switching mechanism. The joystick lever can switch between normal mode (controlling both propeller and thruster) and thruster single-driven mode (controlling only the thruster), eliminating the need for a separate thruster controller while maintaining independent thruster control capability
Solution Approach 2:
The joystick lever is designed to perform multiple functions: in normal mode it controls both the propeller and thruster together, while in thruster single-driven mode it controls only the thruster. This multi-functionality allows a single device to replace what would traditionally require separate controllers, reducing overall system complexity
2Ease of operation
If a separate controller is provided for thruster control, then the thruster can be controlled independently, but the space occupation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control functions are merged into a single joystick lever interface. By integrating the thruster control capability into the existing joystick system through mode switching, the patent eliminates the need for additional separate controllers, thereby reducing the space occupied by control devices in the ship's bridge or control room
Solution Approach 2:
The joystick lever serves as a universal control device that can operate both the propeller-thruster combination in normal mode and the thruster alone in thruster single-driven mode. This multi-functional design consolidates control functions into one device, minimizing the space required for control equipment
3Device complexity
If the joystick lever controls both propeller and thruster in normal mode, then the operation is simplified, but the thruster cannot be controlled independently when needed
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is made dynamic through the mode switching mechanism. The joystick lever can switch between normal mode (controlling both propeller and thruster) and thruster single-driven mode (controlling only the thruster) based on operational needs. This dynamic adaptability allows the system to change its control characteristics in real-time, providing both simplicity when needed and independence when required
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes its operational parameters through mode switching. In normal mode, the joystick lever controls both propeller and thruster with a certain distribution of control authority. In thruster single-driven mode, the control parameters are changed so that the joystick lever exclusively controls the thruster. This parameter change enables the system to adapt to different operational requirements while using the same physical control device
Data Source
AI summary
A ship handling device including a joystick lever configured to be inclined in a desired direction at a desired angle, and a ship handling control device configured to control driving of a forward-backward propeller generating a thrust in a front-and-rear direction of a ship body and a thruster generating a thrust in a left-and-right direction of the ship body. The ship handling control device has a normal mode in which driving of the forward-backward propeller and the thruster is controlled according to an input signal from the joystick lever, and a thruster single-driven mode in which driving of only the thruster is controlled according to an input signal from the joystick lever, and the ship handling control device is connected to a mode changing switch with which a switchover between the normal mode and the thruster single-driven mode is performed.