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US 6,681,880 B2Granted
Control lever
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsGerd Bernhardt, Sergiy Fedotov, Ruslan Rudik, Nicolai Tarasinski, Heinz Weiss, Matthias Lang, Jurgen Elser
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AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsGerd Bernhardt, Sergiy Fedotov, Ruslan Rudik, Nicolai Tarasinski, Heinz Weiss, Matthias Lang, Jurgen Elser
Estimating the term…
A control lever controls movement of a system to be controlled. The control lever includes a manually operable handgrip attached to a platform. At least six connecting elements are arranged between the platform and a fixed console. Length sensors sense the length of the connecting elements, and/or force sensors sense forces acting on the connecting elements. A control unit evaluates the sensor signals and generates a control signal for controlling movement of the system. The connecting elements are be arranged in the form of a hexapod. The connecting elements may be telescoping members or rigid fixed length members.
A control lever for controlling movement of a system to be controlled, the control lever comprising:
A control lever for controlling movement of a system to be controlled, the control lever comprising:
A control lever for controlling movement of a system to be controlled, the control lever comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
In which movement in two or more ways can occur simultaneously: the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks
The controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks: with six degrees of freedom
Multiple controlled elements: control moves in two planes
Multiple controlling elements for single controlled element: interconnected
Term ended 24 Feb 2022 (estimated)
The invention relates to a control element or control lever for the manual control of the movements of a system to be controlled.
It is known to use a control lever in the control of a mechanism or system, such as a lever or a joystick which may be pivoted about one or two axes. Such control levers permit a control of a mechanism with two degrees of freedom. For example, EP-A-0 981 078 describes a control lever in the form of a joystick which can be moved by means of a universal joint in two directions, to the front and the rear as well as to the left and the right. On the grip of the control lever there are two electric push-button switches for generating further control signals.
Additional control elements, such as rollers or electrical push-button switches can be integrated into a control lever for the control of the movement in more than two degrees of freedom, such as in a spatial dimension. But the operation may become complicated and ergonomically less than optimal.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a control lever of the present invention, mounted on a vehicle console.
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of a tractor with an implement attachment interface and a control lever according to the invention.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the control lever of the present invention, mounted on an attachment plate.
According to FIG. 1, a joystick-like control lever 12 is fastened to a platform 10, and is shown in its non-actuated rest position. The control lever 12 has a first leg 14 which extends generally perpendicular to the platform 10 and a second leg 16 which extends upwardly and generally perpendicular to leg 14. The second leg 16 is an ergonomically configured operating handgrip and permits comfortable operation.
The platform 10 is shaped generally as an equilateral triangle, with one corner directed upward. Near each corner of the triangle are pivotally coupled the first ends of two telescoping legs 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28. Each of the other ends of the telescoping legs 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 are pivotally coupled to a vehicle console 30 (shown only partially). The coupling points of the second ends are also arranged generally in an equilateral triangle, which is rotated 60 degrees relative to the platform triangle, so that one corner of this triangle lies downward. The connecting joints between the telescoping legs 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 and the platform 10 and the console 30 permit the legs 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 to be pivoted in all directions.
The legs 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 are arranged in a hexapod between the platform 10 and the console 30. Each leg 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 includes two telescoping rods that can be shifted axially relative to each other. Each leg also includes a length sensor 23 which detects the length of the leg 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 and transmits a corresponding length signal to a control unit 32.