GB2344410A

GB2344410A - Device for controlling electrical circuits

Info

Publication number: GB2344410A
Application number: GB9925214A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Niebuhr
Original assignee: Jungheinrich AG
Current assignee: Jungheinrich AG
Priority date: 1998-10-26
Filing date: 1999-10-25
Publication date: 2000-06-07
Anticipated expiration: 2019-10-25
Also published as: GB9925214D0; DE19849235A1; GB2344410B; DE19849235B4

Abstract

A device for controlling electrical circuits, in particular electrical steering circuits of an electrically driven vehicle, comprises a support device 4 for at least parts of the wrist and the palm of a hand 14 of a user; and a rotary element 6 which can be actuated with the thumb 16 or a finger of the hand 14 supported on the support device 4. The support device may be adjustable to suit users with differently sized hands.

Description

2344410 DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS Control devices in the

form of hand wheels and steering wheels are widely known for use with electrical 5 steering circuits of electrically driven vehicles. - Large steering wheels permit a good conversion of steering commands, but take up much operating space and are suitable mainly for sitting operation. The smaller the diameter of the steering wheel, the more difficult it is to simultaneously steer precisely (for example to keep travelling exactly straight ahead) and to permit a quick execution of large steering movements (for example right angled turning).

An improvement, according to the state of the art, are small steering wheels which are provided with a steering knob and are combined with an underarm support, but the support limits the room for manoeuvre on operation and movements of the whole underarm with a heavily reduced diameter are found to be unpleasant.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device, in particular for controlling electrically driven vehicles, which can be precisely operated and is space saving, the term control including actuation and vice versa.

According to the present invention, a device for controlling electrical circuits, in particular electrical steering circuits of electrically driven vehicles, comprises:

a support device for at least parts of the wrist and the palm of a hand of a user; and an actuation element which is rotatable with respect to the support device and which can be actuated with the thumb or with a finger of the hand supported on the support device.

Preferably, the actuation element is actuatable in its rotatability at least with the thumb, and preferably also with at least one of the fingers of the supported hand.

2 The actuation element is preferably disk-shaped, wherein the disk is aligned to the support device in a manner such that the thumb may actuate the disk edge and/or the disk side facing the thumb.

The actuation element may alternatively be crank shaped.

Preferably the actuation element has a corrugated edge so that the actuating finger/thumb may grip the edge better. Preferably the actuation element outside its rotational axis comprises a depression for receiving a finger/thumb tip. The depression is preferably rotatably mounted on the actuation element itself such that the rotational axis of the depression preferably runs substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the is actuation element. In order to improve the adhesion of the finger/thumb tip in the depression, or on another actuated surface of the actuation element, the corresponding surface may comprise a structure assisting the adhesion. This may preferably be a surface of rubber, which for example is provided with naps.

The support device may also comprise such a surface.

one formation is advantageous in which the rotational axis of the actuation element runs through the root of the thumb. This simplifies the actuation of the actuation element since as such the thumb need only be rotated about the thumb root, whilst the thumb tip grips into the actuation element, for example in the depression. Alternatively the rotational axis may also for example run through the distal thumb joint, by which means then on actuation a movement in all joints of the thumb takes place.

Alternatively, or as a supplement to the depression, the actuation element in the disk side facing the thumb may comprise a groove running radially through the rotational axis for accommodating a finger/thumb tip. This formation has the advantage that the finger/thumb tip is positionable in the groove at various distances to the rotational axis 3 of the actuation element; close to the rotational axis for a quick, broad turning or further to the outside for slow precise steering movements.

The support device for supporting the hand is preferably a grip or knob which can be grasped by the hand.

Unwanted steering movements which for example may be created by way of shaking of the user during travelling are by way of this advantageously not conveyed further to the actuation element. The position of the grip or knob with respect to the actuation element may be adjustable.

The support device may comprise at least one further actuation element which can be actuated with a finger of the supported hand - preferably, there are a plurality of said further actuation elements formed as buttons and/or switches which carry out further control functions.

The actuation element may be connected to an electrical sensor, preferably a potentiometer or a stepper motor which by way of the rotation of the actuation element is itself rotated, which leads to known electrical functions.

Particularly advantageous is a control system for steering electrically driven vehicles, wherein the system comprises the control device, control electronics which process the signals from the control device, and steering motorics preferably with a servo-motor or a hydraulic drive. Devices in accordance with the present invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:30 Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a control device according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows a partly sectioned plan view of the device according to Fig. 1 with the hand of the user; Fig. 3 shows plan views of two embodiment examples of the integration of the device according to Fig. 1 in a vehicle cockpit; and 4 Figs. 4 to 6 show alternative embodiment forms of the device according to Fig. 1.

In the accompanying drawings, Figs. 1 and 2 show a device 2 for actuating and controlling electrical circuits, which here are described for controlling an electrically driven vehicle. The device 2 comprises a support device in the form of a knob 4 and a disk-shaped actuation element 6. The actuation element 6 is rotatably mounted on a housing 8 on which the knob 4 is also fastened. The housing 8 for this is L-shaped with a vertical section 10 and a horizontal section 12. The knob 4 is attached to the end of the horizontal section 12. The actuation element 6 is attached to the vertical section 10 on the side facing the knob 4.

If, with reference to Fig. 2, the hand 14 of the user grips the knob 4, the thumb 16 of the hand 14 may reach the actuation element 6 and rotate it about a rotational axis 18 which runs through the thumb root 20. The thumb 16 carries out a movement which is indicated by the positions of the thumb 16 which are shown dashed.

In order to ensure the described functions, it is essential that the positioning of the knob 4 with respect to the actuation element 6 corresponds to the anatomy of the hand 14. Thus the knob 4 may have adjusting devices (not shown) which permit the position of the knob 4 with respect to the actuation element 6 to be adjustable for users with differently sized hands in order to permit an actuation as ergonomically as possible.

In order to permit as comfortable as possible actuation of the actuation element 6 with the thumb 16, the actuation element 6 has a depression 22 for the tip of the thumb, with naps 24 on the floor of the depression 22. The depression 22 is mounted outside the rotational axis 18 of the actuation element 6 rotatably about a rotational axis which runs substantially parallel to the rotational axis 18 of the actuation element 6. The depression 22 with the naps 24 thus offers a comfortably reachable gripping point for the thumb tip for actuation of the rotation of the actuation element 6 about its rotational axis.

The rotation of the actuation element 6 is transmitted by a shaft 26 to a potentiometer 28 which produces electrical control signals which are transferred further by a cable 30 to control electronics (not shown).

Fig. 3 shows the integration of the device 2 according to Figs. 1 and 2 into the cockpit of an electrically driven vehicle. The two embodiment examples according to Fig. 3 show a cockpit in which the user 36 sits (Figure 3 to the left) and a cockpit in which the user 36 stands (Fig. 3 to the right). In both cases it can be recognised that the device 2 is positioned such that the user 36 sitting or standing as usual may reach it with his left hand 14 as described, in an anatomically more favourable position. The device 2 for this comprises adjusting devices (not shown) by which the position of the device 2 in the cockpit is individually adjustable by the user 36. The adjusting devices may be screws in elongate holes, quick closures, tension closures, Velcro-type (RTM) connections or any other releasable connections between the knob 4 and the housing 8.

The control devices according to Figs. 4 to 6 differ from the control device according to Fig. 1 only by the shaping of the actuation element.

The actuation element 6a according to the device 2a of Fig. 4 has a corrugated edge 32 in order to support the gripping of the actuation element Ga also with the other fingers of the hand. With this although it is accepted that the support of the hand is temporarily given up, this however with a slower travelling may not be required in its whole scope, whilst an even more precise actuation of the actuation element 6a with several fingers is just then necessary.

The device 2b of Fig. 5 has an actuation element 6b of crank-shape. Here one end of the crank lies in the region of the rotational axis of the actuation element, whilst the 6 other end of the crank comprises the depression for the thumb tip.

Fig. 6 shows a preferred device 2c, in which a diskshaped actuation element 6c comprises a radially running groove 34 in the disk side, which faces the knob 4 and therefore the thumb 16 of the hand 14. In the groove 34 the thumb tip may be placed close to the rotational axis for quick wide steerings, or further outside for slow precise steering movements. Additional to the groove 34, the disk- shaped actuation device 6c may comprise a depression corresponding to the depression of Figs. 1, 2, 4 or 5.

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Claims

1. A device for controlling electrical circuits, in particular electrical steering circuits of electrically driven vehicles, comprising:

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the actuation element is diskshaped and can be actuated at least in the region of the disk edge and/or the disk side.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the actuation element is crankshaped.

4. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the actuation element has a corrugated edge.

5. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the actuation element outside its rotational axis comprises a depression for accommodating a tip of a finger or thumb.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the depression is rotatably mounted on the actuation element such that the rotational axis of the depression is substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the actuation element.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein the surface of the actuation element and/or the depression comprises a structure enhancing the adhesion of the tip of the finger or thumb.

8 8. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the actuation element in an actuatable outer surface comprises a groove running radially through the rotational axis for accommodating a tip of a finger or 5 thumb.

9. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the rotational axis of the actuation element runs through the root of the thumb or of the respective f inger of the supported hand.

10. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the support device is a grip or a knob.

11. A device according to claim 10, wherein the position of the grip or knob with respect to the actuation element is adjustable.

12. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the 20 support device can be grasped with the hand.

13. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the support device comprises at least one further actuation element which can be actuated with a finger of the 25 supported hand.

14. A device according to claim 13, wherein said at least one further actuation element is a button or a switch.

15. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the actuation element actuates an electrical sensor.

16. A device according to claim 15, wherein said electrical sensor is a potentiometer or a stepper motor.

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17. A device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, or any one of Figures 4 to 6, of the accompanying drawings.

18. A control system for steering electrically driven vehicles comprising:

- a control device according to any preceding claim, - control electronics, and - steering motorics with a servo-motor or a hydraulic 10 cylinder drive.