Steering Wheel Thumb Accelerator With Axial Sliding Travel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing driver assistance systems for physically impaired individuals with lower limb disorders face difficulties in secure accelerator operation due to interference with the steering wheel, leading to steep acceleration characteristics and degraded operability.
Innovation Solution
A driver assistance system with an operation member that slides along the steering wheel's rotational axis, supported by a spoke-based structure, allowing for a larger displacement range without interference, enabling easy manual acceleration by the driver while grasping the steering wheel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the initial position of the operation section is set close to the steering holding section, then the movement range is limited, but the operability is improved
Solution Approach 1:
The operation section is disposed along the steering holding section in the rotation shaft direction (axial dimension) rather than radially outward, utilizing the axial space to achieve sufficient movement range while maintaining close proximity to the steering wheel for easy thumb operation
Solution Approach 2:
The operation section is configured to slide along the rotation shaft direction with a defined movable range, allowing dynamic adjustment between initial and pressed positions while maintaining both accessibility and sufficient travel distance for stable acceleration control
2Length of moving object
If the initial position of the operation section is set far from the steering holding section, then the movement range is secured, but the operability is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The operation section utilizes the axial dimension along the rotation shaft rather than radial distance, allowing sufficient movement range to be achieved within a compact axial space that remains accessible to the driver's thumb while maintaining close proximity to the steering wheel
3Ease of operation
If the operation section is pressed near the steering holding section, then the operability is improved, but interference with the steering holding section occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The operation section is disposed and moves along the rotation shaft axial direction rather than radially inward toward the steering wheel center, allowing the pressing operation to occur in the axial dimension without interfering with the radial structure of the steering holding section
Solution Approach 2:
The operation section is separated from the steering holding section into an independent slidable component that moves axially, allowing the pressing operation to be performed independently without mechanical interference with the steering wheel structure
Data Source
AI summary
A driver assistance system is provided that allows a driver to easily perform an accelerator operation by a finger of his/her hand while grasping a steering holding section. The driver assistance system includes an operation member near a steering wheel held by a driver, which rotates about a rotation shaft in a vehicle front-rear direction and thereby steers the vehicle. The operation member has an operation section that the driver can manually operate to accelerate/decelerate the vehicle, and includes a support member on the steering wheel, the support member supporting the operation member in a slidingly displaceable manner along a steering axial direction. The operation section is disposed near a radially inner side of a rim section of the steering wheel, and the operation section and the rim section overlap in the steering axial direction within a movable range of the operation member along the steering axial direction.