Lateral Sliding Steering Console for Flexible Cockpit Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current steering systems in vehicles are limited in adjusting the position of the steering wheel to accommodate occupants of different physiques, making it difficult to enhance driving convenience, especially in diversified cockpit structures.
Innovation Solution
A steering apparatus with a console unit that can be switched left and right between the driver's and front passenger seats, featuring a handle unit connected to the console and a rail unit for lateral movement, allowing the position of the console unit to be adjusted, and incorporating a position sensor to restrict rotation control in specific sections for enhanced safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the steering wheel position is adjusted upward or downward according to occupant physique, then driving comfort is improved, but the ability to accommodate different seating positions (driver vs. front passenger) is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The steering apparatus transitions from a fixed vertical adjustment mechanism to a dynamic system that can laterally move between driver and front passenger positions. The console unit with handle unit is mounted on a rail unit, enabling it to slide horizontally along the vehicle's width, thus adapting to different seating positions while maintaining vertical adjustability for comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The steering apparatus is designed to serve multiple functions: it can be positioned for driver operation, front passenger operation, or stored in a storage space. The console unit's ability to move laterally along the rail unit and be positioned at different locations makes it a universal control system that accommodates various user positions and vehicle configurations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the console unit is allowed to move freely left and right, then adaptability to different positions is improved, but safety is compromised due to unrestricted rotation control during movement
Solution Approach 1:
A position sensor is integrated into the rail unit to detect the console unit's position during lateral movement. This position information is fed back to a control unit, which automatically restricts rotation control of the handle unit when the sensor detects that the console unit is in the movement process, thereby preventing unsafe rotation during position transitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit acts as an intermediary between the position sensor and the rotation control mechanism. When the position sensor detects that the console unit is moving, the control unit mediates by disabling or restricting rotation control, ensuring safety during the transition process while allowing normal operation when positioned.
3Device complexity
If a fixed cockpit structure is used, then structural simplicity is maintained, but driving convenience is limited for occupants of different physiques and positions
Solution Approach 1:
The cockpit structure transitions from a fixed configuration to a dynamic one where the console unit can be repositioned. The rail unit enables the console unit to slide laterally, and the vertical adjustment mechanism allows height customization, creating a flexible cockpit that adapts to different occupant needs while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The steering apparatus is segmented into independent adjustable components: the console unit that can move laterally, the handle unit with vertical adjustment capability, and the rail unit providing the movement path. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while working together to provide both structural simplicity and operational convenience.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a steering apparatus. The steering apparatus includes a console unit allowed to be switched left and right in front of a driver's seat and a front passenger seat in a vehicle, a handle unit connected to the console unit and configured to steer the vehicle, and a rail unit disposed on a bottom surface of the console unit and configured to provide a path through which a position of the console unit is switched left and right.