Ship Propulsion Lever Neutral Hold With Automatic Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ship propulsion remote control devices face difficulties in easily releasing the non-rotatable holding state of the lever from the neutral position, especially when the user's posture is not optimal or their fingers are numb, due to the requirement of pressing a release button which can be challenging in various steering postures and cold conditions.
Innovation Solution
The operation device includes a lever with a base portion and an operation portion that can be gripped and moved by hand, featuring a lever holding mechanism that automatically holds the lever at the neutral position and releases it when moved in a specific direction, allowing easy operation even in less-than-ideal conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a release button is provided to release the lever holding mechanism, then the lever can be held at the neutral position, but it becomes difficult to release the holding state when the user's posture is not optimal or fingers are numb
Solution Approach 1:
The lever holding mechanism is designed to be automatically released when the operation portion is moved from the neutral position, without requiring a separate release button operation. The mechanism self-regulates based on the lever position, eliminating the need for additional user actions to release the holding state.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever holding mechanism is configured to automatically engage when the lever reaches the neutral position, preparing the system in advance for potential neutral positioning needs. This preliminary engagement ensures the lever is securely held before any operation is initiated, while the automatic release feature ensures it's ready to be disengaged immediately when operation is needed.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the lever holding mechanism holds the lever firmly at the neutral position, then the lever stability is improved, but the ease of releasing the holding state deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The lever holding mechanism transitions between two states based on lever position: engaged (holding) when at neutral position, and disengaged (releasing) when moved from neutral position. This dynamic behavior allows the mechanism to provide firm stability when needed while automatically becoming easy to release when the lever is operated, adapting its characteristics based on operational requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
An operation device includes a lever, a holder rotatably supporting the lever, a rotation restriction mechanism restricting a rotation range of the lever to the rotation range including a forward movement operation range, a backward movement operation range, and a neutral position, and a lever holding mechanism holding the lever at the neutral position. The lever includes a base portion rotatable supported by the holder, and an operation portion being movably connected to the base portion with respect to the base portion in an extending direction of the operation portion. The lever holding mechanism holds the lever at the neutral position so as not to be rotatable when the operation portion moves toward one side in the extending direction, and brings the lever into a rotatable state from the neutral position when the operation portion moves toward the other side in the extending direction.