Steering Wheel Hub Console for In-Reach Cleaning Controls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Operators of industrial cleaning machines face challenges in efficiently controlling scrubbing and sweeping operations while steering, as they need to adjust settings and monitor machine parameters during the cleaning process, which can be cumbersome and require shifting hands from the steering wheel.
Innovation Solution
A hub console assembly mounted within the steering wheel's perimeter, featuring touch control buttons and active displays, such as LED and LCD elements, allows operators to control and monitor cleaning operations without removing their hands from the steering wheel, with buttons strategically placed for easy access and displays providing essential information on machine settings and status.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional control panels are mounted separately from the steering wheel, then operators can access control buttons, but operators must shift hands from the steering wheel to operate controls
Solution Approach 1:
The control panel is integrated into the steering wheel hub, merging the steering function and control functions into a single unified structure. This allows operators to access control buttons while maintaining hand contact with the steering wheel, eliminating the need to shift hands between steering and control operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The control panel is positioned in the central hub area of the steering wheel, utilizing the radial dimension of the steering wheel structure. This spatial arrangement places controls within easy reach of the operator's thumb or finger while the hand remains on the steering wheel rim, solving the accessibility issue without compromising steering control.
2Ease of operation
If control buttons are placed within reach of the operator, then operators can control functions without shifting hands, but the steering wheel design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The steering wheel hub serves multiple functions: it provides the structural center for steering control and simultaneously houses the control panel with buttons and displays. This multi-functional design integrates control functions into the existing steering wheel structure without requiring separate control panels or additional complex mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The control panel is nested within the central hub of the steering wheel, utilizing the existing structural space. This nesting approach allows the control functions to be embedded within the steering wheel structure rather than added as external components, minimizing overall structural complexity.
3Loss of information
If the control panel remains stationary while the steering wheel rotates, then displays remain readable, but the mounting structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of rotating the display with the steering wheel, the display is mounted stationary in the hub while the steering wheel rotates around it. This inverted approach makes the display the stationary element and the steering wheel the rotating element, ensuring display readability without requiring complex rotating display mechanisms.
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
Enhances operational efficiency by allowing operators to control cleaning functions and monitor machine parameters without hand movement, improving the effectiveness and quality of floor cleaning operations.
Implementation Method 1
the active displays are formed by one or more LED elements of the electronics module that illuminate portions of the panel
Implementation Method 2
by one or more LCD display elements of the electronics module that are integrated into the panel
Data Source
AI summary
A floor surface maintenance vehicle, and methods of using a floor surface maintenance vehicle, the vehicle including a frame, a plurality of wheels, a cleaning component extending from an underside of the frame, a steering wheel having a central aperture and rotatable about a central axis, and a steering wheel hub located within the central aperture of the steering wheel and having a panel, wherein the panel is stationary relative to the central axis. Buttons are provided on the panel, including a first button that is C-shaped and extends around a portion of a periphery of the panel. The C-shaped button may be used to control frequently used functions such as cleaning functions or operation of a horn, for example.