Trapezoidal Steering Wheel With Finger Levers for Intuitive Driving
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle steering systems impose a high burden on drivers, particularly due to the need for non-intuitive operations and prolonged use of joysticks or thumb-based controls, leading to discomfort and difficulty in long drives.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle steering handle with a trapezoidal steering wheel, accelerator and brake levers attached to leg portions, allowing intuitive operation by gripping the leg portions for steering, accelerating, and decelerating, with adjustable force and amount through rotational mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a joystick is used in place of a handle, accelerator, and brake, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to non-intuitive operations and high driver burden during long drives
Solution Approach 1:
The steering handle is segmented into distinct functional components: a steering wheel for directional control and separate levers (accelerator lever and brake lever) for speed control. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, improving intuitiveness while maintaining operational simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from one-dimensional joystick operation (pushing/pulling in one axis) to two-dimensional control by adding lateral lever movement capability. The levers can move not only forward and backward but also laterally, providing more natural hand positioning and reducing wrist strain during prolonged use
2Device complexity
If the brake operation is performed with the thumb and accelerator operation with a finger other than the thumb, then the device complexity is simplified, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to non-intuitive operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional thumb-based control scheme by enabling operation with fingers other than the thumb. The lever design allows index, middle, and ring fingers to comfortably operate the controls, which aligns better with natural hand anatomy and improves intuitiveness without complicating the device structure
3Manufacturing precision
If the leg portions are vertical, then the manufacturing precision is simplified, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to increased wrist bending angle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the geometric parameters of the leg portions by introducing an inclination angle (10-30 degrees from vertical). This parameter change optimizes the wrist bending angle during steering operations, reducing strain on the driver's wrist while remaining within acceptable manufacturing tolerances
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle steering handle, comprising: a steering wheel that is an isosceles trapezoidal annular body composed of an upper bottom portion, a lower bottom portion longer than the upper bottom portion, and left and right leg portions; an accelerator lever attached to the right leg portion; and a brake lever attached to the left leg portion and the right leg portion.