JP7445033B1 - Steering member - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a yoke type steering having a more effective low grip structure. [Solution] A steering member 1 fixed to the tip of a steering shaft for an occupant to rotate the steering shaft, a hub 2 fixed to the tip of the steering shaft, and a steering member 1 that is symmetrical from the hub 2. Spokes 3 extending laterally when the vehicle is running straight, and grips connected to the tips of each of the spokes 3 and having a non-yoke shape, a non-approximately yoke shape, a non-perfect circular shape, and a non-approximate circular shape. The left and right grip bars 4 extend slightly from the tips of the spokes 3 downward and toward the center line 6 when the vehicle is running straight, and then: It is possible to start turning the steering member 1 by pressing the palm from below and hooking it up, without having to grip it with the fingers, by adding a curve of an appropriate angle over a length that fits in the spread palm. A steering member 1 characterized by: [Selection diagram] Figure 1

Description

This invention relates to steering as a controller for modern automobiles and simulation software.

Yoke type steering has become popular in recent years, and the present invention follows this trend.

JP2020-055448 JP2019-196041 US Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0012175 JP 11-342819 JP2021-138253 International Publication No. 2021/053982 JP 11-59434

A yoke-type steering wheel has a structure that grips the bottom part of the steering wheel. Therefore, the challenge is to construct a steering system with a more effective low-grip structure.

A steering wheel having the following steering member 1 is constructed.

In a vehicle where the steering shaft and the turning axis of the steering wheel are not directly connected and the rotation of the steering shaft is decelerated to rotate the steering wheel around the turning axis, or in a simulator of such a vehicle, the occupant A steering member 1 is fixed to the tip of the steering shaft in order to rotate the steering shaft, and includes a hub 2 fixed to the tip of the steering shaft, and a steering member 1 that is symmetrically connected to the hub 2 when the vehicle is running straight. The grip bar 4 is provided with spokes 3 extending in the lateral direction, and grip bars 4 connected to the ends of each of the spokes 3 and having a non-yoke shape, a non-approximately yoke shape, a non-perfect circular shape, and a non-approximate circular shape. When the vehicle is running straight, the left and right grip bars 4 extend slightly downward from the tips of the spokes 3 toward the center line 6, and then extend until they fit into the palm of your hand. By adding a curve of an appropriate angle over the length of the vehicle, it is possible to start turning the steering member 1 by pressing the palm of the hand from below and hooking it up (Fig. 2 top) without gripping with fingers. After passing through the grip position 5 which protrudes downward or at least slightly downward when the vehicle is running straight, the position of the grip bar is located at the maximum horizontal distance from the center line 6 passing through the hub center 7 in the lateral direction when the vehicle is running straight. They are joined in a straight line 11 directly below the center of the hub at a distance 10 to the grip bar, which is clearly shorter than the distance 9 to the spokes 3 and the hub 2 (FIG. 6), and the vehicle moves straighter than the spokes 3 and the hub 2. The steering member 1 is characterized in that there is no place on the upper part where it can be gripped.

The steering member 1 is a part that corresponds to a steering wheel in modern general automobiles, but since the present invention is not in the form of a wheel, it has been named this way. "Steering" may also mean "steering member."

In the present invention, there are various definitions of distances between parts, and the distance to each part is defined as the distance to the center of the part.

In the present invention, the direction and direction of the steering member 1 are basically assumed to be when the vehicle is traveling straight unless there is a particular instruction.

The location 8 of the grip bar with the greatest horizontal distance laterally lies on the horizontal line 12 passing through the center of the hub in this example, but this may not be the case in other inventions, as shown in FIG.

In the present invention, the yoke type, yoke shape, yoke type, etc. are vertical or nearly vertical bar-shaped, and the positional relationship is parallel or approximately parallel, like the left and right grips of an airplane's yoke type control stick. , take the form.

Since the gripping area of the present invention is mainly below the horizontal line 12 passing through the hub center 6, such a steering member is generally referred to as low grip steering.

= Regarding non-perfect circular shape and non-approximate circular shape =
A perfect circular grip bar is the steering wheel of a general automobile.
The approximately perfect circular grip bar 15 (upper part of FIG. 3) is defined as a grip bar having a shape that includes one perfect circular arc 16 at the center, even if the shape has some irregularities.
Further, although the non-approximately circular grip bar 17 includes a part of the arc 16 of the perfect circle, most of the portion protrudes from the grip bar 17.

=Effect of low grip=

Figure 4 shows a comparison of the rotation range of the right hand, which plays an important role when turning left, without changing hands.

When rotated from the conventional grip position 18 to the left and rotated to the rotation stop position 19, the rotation range is A.
shall be.

Next, if B is the rotation range when turning the steering wheel 20 from the low grip position 22 located below the hub center 21 to the same rotation stop position 20, then A<B, and the steering wheel can be turned without changing hands. The rotation range B of the low grip is much larger than the conventional rotation range A.

In other words, low grip is suitable for quick, delicate, and bold control while gripping the steering wheel (steering member), so it is ideal for racing steering.

=Beanbag style grip=
The bean bag grip method involves placing a bean bag on your palm facing upwards and using the snap force of your wrist to imitate the motion of throwing the ball upwards to achieve low grip control.

For this reason, it makes sense to make the shape of the low grip so that it protrudes downward so that it can be lifted up by applying it with the palm of the hand.

=Identification of appropriate grip position=(Figure 5)
If the grip position location 23 is too close to the center line 7, the distribution amount of the pushing up force 24 to the force 25 acting in the rotational direction will be small, so it is possible to obtain an appropriate force 25 acting in the rotational direction and a natural It is a good idea to maintain a certain distance that matches the width of your left and right arms so that you can grip the ball in a straight line, and to specify the grip position 23 with these two things in mind.

For example, if the entire grip bar has a similar grip position, it is difficult to instantly determine where to grip most effectively, so such steering is different from a low-grip type.

= Bean bag grip method = ~ Low grip steering control method

FIG. 7 shows a low-grip steering control method that can be applied not only to the steering of the present invention but also to general steering.

By mastering the following control method, it becomes possible to operate the present invention more effectively.

1 When turning left with a low grip, there is no room for the right hand to turn clockwise, but there is plenty of room for the right hand to turn counterclockwise. Therefore, when making a left turn 26, I mainly use my right hand 27, and when making a right turn 28, I mainly use my left hand 29. This gives a sense of control similar to the movement you get when pushing an object in front of you with your palm to move it from side to side.

2. When turning left, the left hand only needs to assist the grip by releasing the grip when the car is about to cross, and to complete the cornering, the right hand can return to the original grip position while keeping the grip. There will be less confusion between the left and right hands.

3. Even if you are unable to maintain your right-hand grip due to a large left turn, etc., you can make adjustments by simply pressing your right hand against the steering wheel, and even if you turn the steering wheel more than once, the right hand that is gripping Continue to keep the location.

4 = Example of preparing for a left turn = When a left turn approaches during normal driving 30 (FIG. 8), move the grip area 32 of your left hand onto the steering wheel to prepare for stable cornering.

Part 1
Driving with low grip is easier than with yoke type steering.

Part 2
Since the distance 10 from the center of the hub to the grip bar directly below is short, the overall size is smaller, resulting in lighter weight and a smarter design.

Part 3
The short distance 10 from the center of the hub to the grip bar directly below makes it difficult to use a yoke type grip, allowing you to concentrate on a low grip without worrying about how to grip.

Part 4
Since there are no parts above the horizontal line 12 passing through the hub center 7 when the vehicle is running straight, forward visibility is improved.

Part 5
Since there is a grip section at the bottom of the passenger operation member 1, there is no need to raise your arms unnecessarily when traveling straight, and you can control the vehicle by keeping your arms relaxed and lowered, so you can pay more attention to the road ahead. You'll have the leeway to take care of yourself.

Part 6
Since the lower part of the occupant operation member 1 is gripped during normal driving, troubles when the airbag is activated can be minimized.

This will be explained below in comparison with the prior art.

Comparison with Patent Document 1 JP 2020-055448.

There is also a left bar 83, a right bar 84, and an upper bar 81 that can be gripped above the spokes 6 and 7, but there is no gripping area above the spokes 3 of the present invention.
However, the present invention is very different from Patent Document 1.

Comparison with Patent Document 2 JP 2019-196041 There is an upper bar 22a that can be gripped above the hub when the vehicle is running straight, but there is a grip above the hub when the vehicle is running straight compared to the hub 2 of the present invention. Since there is no place to do so, Patent Document 2 is a different invention with a structure different from the present invention.

Comparison with Patent Document 3 US Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0012175

Although the left and right grip portions of Patent Document 3 are in the form of a yoke, the left and right grip bars 4 of the present invention are not in the form of a yoke, and are therefore different inventions.

Comparison with Patent Document 4 JP-A-11-342819

The grip parts 5L and 5R of Patent Document 4 have a yoke type in which the vertical grips are in a parallel relationship, but the grip of the present invention does not have a yoke type.

However, unlike Patent Document 4 and the present invention, they are not the same.

Comparison with Patent Document 5 JP2021-138253

The grip bar connected to the tip of the spoke in Patent Document 5 begins to extend downward and outward from the center line passing through the center of the bubble, but the grip bar of the present invention extends toward the center line.

However, Patent Document 5 and the present invention are different.

Comparison with Patent Document 6 International Publication No. 2021/053982

In contrast to the grip bar connected to the tip of the spoke in Patent Document 6, which is curved over the entire length, the grip bar connected to the tip of the spoke in the present invention curves from the tip of the spoke 3 to the straight-ahead state of the vehicle. There are curves only in the part that extends slightly downward and toward the center line 6, and in the part beyond that that extends long enough to fit in the palm of your hand.

Patent Document 6 is different from the present invention because the shape of the grip bar is different.

Comparison with Patent Document 7 JP-A-11-59434

Each of the left and right grip bars in Patent Document 7 has a portion long enough to be gripped in a yoke style, and also has a substantially vertical portion that can be gripped in a manner similar to gripping a vertical portion, and is approximately parallel to each other. There is also a substantially parallel part that can be gripped in a form similar to that of a steering member, and it is a steering member that has a roughly yoke-shaped grip bar that can be gripped like a yoke.
The grip bar of the present invention is both non-yoke-shaped and non-yoke-shaped, so it is a different invention from Patent Document 7.

Front view of the steering member 1 in a straight-ahead state of the vehicle of Example 1 When turning left, the top image shows you hook the car in the direction of the arrow with your right palm and push it up to rotate, and the bottom image shows you gripping it. Explanatory diagram of approximately perfect circle and non-approximately perfect circle Illustration of the effect of low grip Illustrative diagram of locating proper grip position Explanatory diagram regarding the distance from the center of the hub to the grip bar directly below Diagram showing how to use a bean bag grip Explanatory diagram for preparing when approaching a left turn using the bean bag grip method Front view of the steering member 1 in a straight-ahead state of the vehicle according to the second embodiment

Various embodiments are presented below.

In a vehicle where the steering shaft and the turning axis of the steering wheel are not directly connected and the rotation of the steering shaft is decelerated to rotate the steering wheel around the turning axis, or in a simulator of such a vehicle, the occupant FIG. 1 shows a front view of a steering member 1 fixed to the tip of a steering shaft in order to rotate the steering shaft.

The steering member 1 includes a hub 2 fixed to the tip of a steering shaft, spokes 3 extending laterally from the hub 2 in a symmetrical state in which the vehicle is traveling straight, and connected to the ends of each of the spokes 3. The grip bar 4 is also provided with a non-yoke shape, a non-substantially yoke shape, a non-perfect circular shape, and a non-substantially perfect circular shape.

The left and right grip bars 4 extend slightly downward from the tip of the spokes 3 when the vehicle is running straight and toward the center line 6, and at the end are long enough to fit in the palm of your hand. By adding a curve of an appropriate angle over the length of the vehicle, the vehicle is in a straight-ahead state in which the steering member 1 can be started turning by pressing the palm from below and hooking it up (Fig. 2 top) without gripping with the fingers. There is a grip position 5 that protrudes downward, or at least slightly downward.

After the left and right grip bars 4 pass through the grip position 5, the distance 9 from the center line 6 passing through the hub center 7 to the grip bar location 8, which is the maximum horizontal distance in the lateral direction when the vehicle is traveling straight (Fig. 6 ) are connected in a straight line form directly below the center of the hub at a distance 10 to the grip bar.

In order to grip in a yoke style, it is necessary to extend the grip bar connected to the tips of the spokes downward or upward, at least as long as the palm of your hand, and to secure a place where you can stably grip in a yoke style.

At the same time, when the vehicle is traveling straight, the direction in which the grip bars extend is vertical or at least approximately vertical, and the left and right grip bars are required to be parallel or at least approximately parallel.

Note that the substantially vertical form refers to the form of the grip bar when the gripping hand is gripping a mathematically perpendicular grip bar, even if the grip bar is not mathematically perpendicular.

Furthermore, a substantially parallel relationship refers to the shape of the grip bars when the gripping hand is gripping a mathematically parallel grip bar, even if the grip bars are not in a mathematically parallel relationship. do.

Similarly, "approximately yoke-shaped" refers to a grip bar that is gripped in a manner similar to gripping a typical yoke-shaped grip bar, even if the grip bar is not a typical yoke-shaped grip bar. The shape is as follows.

Now, after the grip bar 4 connected to the tips of the spokes 3 of the present invention extends downward a little, the angle is too large for a yoke style grip, but it is at an appropriate angle for a low grip. Since the grip position 5 with a curve is installed, the location 33 where you want to grip in a yoke type has sufficient length of the grip bar downward for a stable grip in a yoke type. However , both the left and right locations 33 are neither vertically nor substantially vertically, nor are they parallel or substantially parallel.

That is, since there is no place on the grip bar 4 that can be gripped in a yoke type, the grip bar 4 is neither a yoke type nor a substantially yoke type.

The only curved parts of the grip bar 4 are the part that extends slightly downward from the tip of the spoke 3 and the grip position 5, which is long enough to fit in the palm of your hand. 5 is a straight line.

Approximately half or more of the distance between the left and right ``grip bar locations 8 that have the maximum distance in the lateral direction'' is the distance of the linear portion of the grip bars between the left and right grip positions 5. ing.

In the case of a low grip, you basically hook the steering wheel up from below, so if the grip bar happens to have a curved part and that part is too long to fit in your palm, you can hook it with your palm. It is a gentle, large curve with no parts, and it is difficult to instantly judge the optimal low grip position, and it is difficult to use the palm of your hand from below to hook it up and start turning the steering member without gripping it with your fingers. Such an invention is different from low grip steering.

Furthermore, the distance between the left and right grip bars 4 from the center line 7 passing through the hub center 6 to the grip bar location 8, which is the maximum horizontal distance in the lateral direction when the vehicle is traveling straight, is clearer than the distance 9 (bottom of FIG. 6). The reason why they are joined at a short distance 11 directly below the hub center is because if the distance 10 from the hub center to the grip bar directly below is the distance 9 to the location of the grip bar that is the maximum horizontal distance in the lateral direction. If the grip bar 4 is too large, the shape of the grip bar 4 will approach the arc of a perfect circle, making it impossible to secure a grip position with a curve at an appropriate angle for a low grip.

There is no grip area above the spokes 3 and hub 2 when the vehicle is running straight.

Note that the convex portion 34 is so small that it cannot be gripped with the palm of the hand and functions as a non-slip portion when gripping, but this portion may be made smaller or may be deleted.

FIG. 12 shows an embodiment of the present invention in which the central column 36 of the first embodiment is omitted.

1 Steering member 2 Hub center 3 Spoke 4 Grip bar 5 Grip position 6 Hub center 7 Center line, vertical line passing through the hub center, vertical line passing through the hub center when the vehicle is running straight, vertical line passing through the hub center 8 Lateral direction Grip bar location with maximum horizontal distance to 9 Distance, distance to grip bar location with maximum horizontal distance in the lateral direction 10 Distance, distance to grip bar, distance from hub center to grip bar directly below 11 Directly below the center of the hub, where the left and right grip bars join, location of the grip bar directly below the center of the hub 12 Horizontal line, horizontal line passing through the center of the hub 13 Right hand 14 Conventional steering member 15 Grip bar, approximately circular grip bar 16 Arc of a perfect circle 17 Grip bar, non-approximately circular grip bar 18 Conventional grip position 19 Rotation end position 20 Steering wheel 21 Hub center 22 Low grip position 23 Grip position location 24 Pushing up force 25 Force acting in the direction of rotation 26 Left turn 27 Right hand, right hand grip position 28 Right turn 29 Left hand, left hand grip position 30 Normal driving 31 Left turn cornering, preparation for cornering 32 Left hand grip place 33 Place to grip in a yoke style, place 34 Convex part

A Conventional rotation range B Rotation range of low grip

Claims (1)

In a vehicle where the steering shaft and the turning axis of the steering wheel are not directly connected and the rotation of the steering shaft is decelerated to rotate the steering wheel around the turning axis, or in a simulator of such a vehicle, the occupant A steering member 1 is fixed to the tip of the steering shaft in order to rotate the steering shaft, and includes a hub 2 fixed to the tip of the steering shaft, and a steering member 1 that is symmetrically connected to the hub 2 when the vehicle is running straight. The grip bar 4 is provided with spokes 3 extending in the lateral direction, and grip bars 4 connected to the ends of each of the spokes 3 and having a non-yoke shape, a non-approximately yoke shape, a non-perfect circular shape, and a non-approximate circular shape. When the vehicle is running straight, the left and right grip bars 4 extend slightly downward from the tips of the spokes 3 toward the center line 6, and then extend until they fit into the palm of your hand. The grip is made by adding a curve of an appropriate angle along its length, and it is possible to start turning the steering member 1 by pressing the palm from below and hooking it up (Fig. 2, top) without having to grip with the fingers . After passing through the grip position 5, which has a shape that protrudes outward from the arc 16 of an imaginary perfect circle along the top of the bar 4, the grip position 5 moves outward from the center line 6 passing through the hub center 7 to the maximum horizontal direction when the vehicle is traveling straight. The spokes 3 and 3 are connected in a straight line 11 directly below the center of the hub at a distance 10 to the grip bar which is clearly shorter than the horizontal distance 9 to the grip bar location 8 (FIG. 6). The grip position 5 is centered on the grip position 5, which is characterized in that there is no place to grip above the hub 2 when the vehicle is running straight, and there is also no place where it can be stably gripped in a yoke type or substantially yoke type. A steering member 1 configured as shown in FIG.