Patent Application
20080079207
Embodiments of the present invention will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. To facilitate this description, like reference numerals designate like structural elements. Embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout, and in which is shown by way of illustration embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of embodiments in accordance with the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Various operations may be described as multiple discrete operations in turn, in a manner that may be helpful in understanding embodiments of the present invention; however, the order of description should not be construed to imply that these operations are order dependent.
The description may use perspective-based descriptions such as up/down, back/front, and top/bottom. Such descriptions are merely used to facilitate the discussion and are not intended to restrict the application of embodiments of the present invention.
For the purposes of the present invention, the phrase “A/B” means A or B. For the purposes of the present invention, the phrase “A and/or B” means “(A), (B), or (A and B)”. For the purposes of the present invention, the phrase “at least one of A, B, and C” means “(A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and C), or (A, B and C)”. For the purposes of the present invention, the phrase “(A)B” means “(B) or (AB)” that is, A is an optional element.
The description may use the phrases “in an embodiment,” or “in embodiments,” which may each refer to one or more of the same or different embodiments. Furthermore, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like, as used with respect to embodiments of the present invention, are synonymous.
The terms “coupled” and “connected,” along with their derivatives, may be used. It should be understood that these terms are not intended as synonyms for each other. Rather, in particular embodiments, “connected” may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact with each other. “Coupled” may mean that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact. However, “coupled” may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other, but yet still cooperate or interact with each other.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a rotary based hand control that provides hysteresis to an operator.
Referring to
In one embodiment, as illustrated in
In one embodiment, a rotor 116 may be positioned adjacent to the spring elements and adapted to selectively engage the spring elements. An O-ring 118 may be provided between the rotor 116 and the cover plate 108. Similarly, an O-ring 120 may be placed between the sensor 104 and the body 102.
In one embodiment, the rotor may be coupled to the lever via a cooperative mating structure, such that manipulation of the lever causes manipulation of the rotor 116. As an example, in
The cover plate 108 may be coupled to the body 102 via suitable means such as, for example, retainers 130. Additionally, the sensor may be coupled to the body via suitable means such as, for example, two screws 132. Finally, the lever may be coupled to the rotor via a suitable coupling device such as, for example, a screw 134. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, a washer 136 may be placed between the lever and the screw.
In one embodiment, as illustrated in
In one embodiment, the rotor may include three protruded portions 142 (only two are shown in
In one embodiment, the engagement between the spring elements and the protruded portions of the rotor may cause enough holding resistance to resist further advancement or reverse movement of the lever, even in light of external influences, such as vibration, inadvertent contact, and the like.
In one embodiment, the protruded portion may be non-symmetrically configured such that as the lever further causes rotational movement of the edge portions 150 of the rotor, the engagement with the spring elements may get progressively greater and render movement of the lever more difficult (i.e. the resistance increases). Thus, resistance to movement is provided through the lever to the operator. In other embodiments the spring configuration may be altered to achieve a similar result.
Thus, in operation, the lever may be used to control at least one parameter of a device, such as, for example, an engine. In one embodiment, by moving the lever 106, the rotor 116 may be caused to move or rotate relative to the spring elements 110, 112 and 114. The engagement between the spring elements 110, 112 and 114 and the protruded portions 142 may cause the rotor to hold a desired position, until the lever is further manipulated by an operator. Such movement may also cause the sensor to sense the amount of rotation of the rotor due to the cooperative mating structure coupling it to the rotor. The sensor then provides this information to a control system. The control system uses this to control at least one parameter. As an example, this information may be used to control the speed of an engine. Further, the lever may be any one of a variety of input controls, including, but not limited to, hand controls, foot controls and the like.
As noted, the flexing of the spring elements helps generate feedback felt by an operator that is applying force to the lever. This also helps to ensure a constant application of force to the lever despite external vibrations and other factors that may be occurring.
Those skilled in the art will understand that only one or two spring elements may be used if desired and that more than three spring elements may be used if desired. Though the illustrated embodiment shows a rotor having an equal number of spring elements and protruded portions, this need not be the case. In various embodiments, the number of flat or recessed portions, the number of protruded portions, and/or the number of spring elements may all be varied in order to achieve the desired feed back and hold characteristics. Additionally, the rotor may be configured with flexible sides and the body may be configured with the protrusions, thereby reversing the spring and protrusion arrangement.
Although certain embodiments have been illustrated and described herein for purposes of description of the preferred embodiment, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a wide variety of alternate and/or equivalent embodiments or implementations calculated to achieve the same purposes may be substituted for the embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention. Those with skill in the art will readily appreciate that embodiments in accordance with the present invention may be implemented in a very wide variety of ways. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that embodiments in accordance with the present invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.
