Tactile Key Height and Shape for Driver Morphology Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing tactile key in railway vehicle driving manipulators is not suitable for all driver morphologies, leading to difficulty in activation and deactivation, causing physical fatigue and musculoskeletal disorders due to unnatural thumb positioning.
Innovation Solution
A tactile key with a significant height extending over all possible hand widths, positioned between 60mm and 95mm, and an elliptical shape extending along the major axis, ensuring the thumb is opposite the key regardless of morphology, reducing the need for unnatural thumb movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a small localized tactile key is used on the manipulator, then the control device is compact and ergonomic for the manipulator structure, but the key becomes difficult to reach for drivers with certain hand morphologies, causing unnatural thumb positioning and physical fatigue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the key's dimensional parameters, specifically increasing its height from a small localized size to a significant height of 60-95mm, and modifies its shape to an elliptical form extending along the major axis. This parameter change allows the key to accommodate various hand widths and thumb positions, making it accessible to drivers with different hand morphologies without requiring unnatural positioning
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a small two-dimensional localized key to a three-dimensional extended key structure with significant height (60-95mm) along the vertical axis. This dimensional expansion creates a larger target area that can be reached by thumbs at different heights, effectively solving the accessibility problem for various hand morphologies
2Device complexity
If the tactile key is positioned at a fixed location on the handle, then the manipulator structure is simple, but the key may not be facing the driver's thumb for all hand morphologies, requiring unnatural thumb extension or movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the key's height parameter to 60-95mm and its shape to an elliptical form, creating a structure that naturally accommodates various thumb positions. This allows the key to be effectively positioned at multiple heights simultaneously, eliminating the need for complex adjustable mechanisms while maintaining natural thumb positioning for diverse hand morphologies
3Area of stationary object
If a small diameter circular key is used, then the key occupies minimal space on the handle, but the reduced surface area makes it difficult to activate for drivers with larger hand widths
Solution Approach 1:
The patent fundamentally changes the key's dimensional parameters, increasing its height to 60-95mm and shaping it as an ellipse extending along the major axis. This creates a vertically elongated key surface that can accommodate various hand widths, allowing drivers with different morphologies to naturally contact the key with their thumbs without requiring excessive hand or thumb movement
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
The solution allows for easy and natural activation of the automatic standby control, reducing physical and mental fatigue across various hand morphologies, ensuring the thumb can activate the key without effort, thus minimizing fatigue and improving ergonomics.
Implementation Method 1
a tactile key electrically connected to the automatic standby processing device by maintaining pressure control
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
The controller (1) has a handle (8) including a touch-sensitive button (20) electrically connected to a dead man's switch processing device (30) by maintenance support control functions. The button is located on a side face (18) of the handle. The button extends between a lower edge (22) arranged at a height (Hinf) separating a support element (2) and the lower edge, where the height is in range of 52 mm and 82 mm and an upper edge (24) arranged at a height (hsup) separating the support element and the upper edge, where the height is in range of 88 mm and 118 mm.