Pivoting Steering Handle Cable Routing to Prevent Snagging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing steering devices for ships have electrical cables that are exposed and prone to being caught by external objects, leading to potential damage.
Innovation Solution
A steering device design that includes a steering handle with a pivotable shaft portion and a handle bracket, featuring internal communication passages for the electrical cable, ensuring it is fully covered and protected from external interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the cable is drawn out to the outside of the steering handle at a front portion of the rear end portion and passes through the air without being covered, then the cable routing is simple and easy to implement, but the cable may be caught by objects present outside the steering handle and the outboard motor, causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical cable is nested within the steering handle structure by routing it through the hollow interior space of the bar portion. The cable extends from the signal output portion inside the bar portion to the outside through a carefully positioned exit point, ensuring the cable is protected by the bar portion's outer wall throughout its length, eliminating exposure to external objects while maintaining routing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable routing transitions from a three-dimensional external path (passing through air) to a two-dimensional internal path (through the hollow cross-section of the bar portion). This dimensional change allows the cable to be protected by the bar portion's outer wall while still achieving efficient connection between the steering handle and outboard motor.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the rear end portion of the steering handle is attached to the outboard motor so as to be pivotable about an axis extending in the left-right direction, then the height position of the grip can be changed according to ship maneuvering posture, but the cable routing must avoid the pivot mechanism, requiring the cable to pass through air without coverage
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical cable is nested within the hollow interior of the bar portion, using the bar portion's own structure as protection. This nesting approach allows the cable to remain protected even when the steering handle pivots, as the bar portion's outer wall continuously shields the cable from external objects throughout the range of motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow interior of the bar portion serves as an intermediary protective channel for the electrical cable. This intermediate space allows the cable to transition from being exposed to external objects to being protected by the bar portion's structure, while still maintaining electrical connection functionality.
3Volume of moving object
If the cable is routed externally without coverage, then the device structure remains simple and compact, but the cable may be caught by external objects leading to potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical cable is nested within the hollow cross-section of the bar portion, utilizing the existing structural space of the steering handle. This nesting approach protects the cable from external objects while maintaining device compactness, as no additional external cable conduits or protective housings are required.
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow interior of the bar portion serves multiple functions: it provides structural strength to the steering handle, defines the outer shape of the device, and simultaneously serves as a protective conduit for the electrical cable. This multi-functionality protects the cable while maintaining device compactness and simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
A steering device includes a steering handle and a handle bracket, the steering handle includes a bar portion, a grip, a rotation amount sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to a rotation amount of the grip, and an electrical cable that transmits the signal output from the rotation amount sensor, a rear end portion of the bar portion is provided with a shaft portion pivotally supported on the handle bracket, the shaft portion is provided with a handle-side communication passage inside, the handle bracket is provided with a bracket-side communication passage, and the electrical cable extends to the inside of the handle bracket through the inside of the bar portion, the handle-side communication passage, and the bracket-side communication passage.