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US 7,600,482 B2Granted
Steering wheel for boat rudder
AssigneePaolo Sartori
InventorGiancarlo Brun
Life of this patent
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AssigneePaolo Sartori
InventorGiancarlo Brun
Estimating the term…
A steering wheel for a boat rudder, which can be mounted on a rudder actuating shaft, comprising a substantially circular body (2) with an external peripheral edge (3) for gripping by a user and a central hub (4) defining an axis of rotation (L), characterized in that the body (2) is formed by a plurality of circle portions (5) which are movable with respect to each other, so as to pass selectively from an open operative configuration, where the circle portions (5) are adjacent and contained in a main plane of extension, to a closed rest configuration, where the circle portions (5) are at least partly superimposed so as to limit the volume in the main plane of extension, and vice versa. Owing to this particular arrangement it will be possible to increase the available space on-board the boat when the rudder is not used and, in so doing, facilitate the movements of the crew.
A steering wheel for a boat rudder, which can be mounted on a rudder actuating shaft, comprising a substantially circular body with an external peripheral edge for gripping by a user and a central hub defining an axis of rotation, wherein said body is formed by a plurality of circle portions which are movable with respect to each other by means of a translation along a direction substantially parallel to the rotation axis, and a rotation around the rotation axis, so as to pass selectively from an open operative configuration, where said circle portions are adjacent and contained in a main plane of extension, to a closed rest configuration, where said circle portions are at least partly superimposed so as to limit the volume in said main plane of extension, and vice versa.
A method for reducing the volume of a circular steering wheel in which the wheel comprises a substantially circular body formed of a plurality of circle portions and a central hub defining an axis of rotation, the hub comprising a plurality of constraining elements, one of which is fixed on the rudder actuating shaft and the other constraining elements being movable with respect to the fixed constraining element, comprising the steps initially subjecting the constraining elements to a sequence of rotational and translatory movements with respect to the fixed constraining element, said translatory movements occurring in a direction substantially parallel to said axis of rotation, so as to bring the wheel into a closed rest configuration, substantially symmetrical with respect to said axis of rotation, and locking the constraining elements with respect to the fixed constraining element in said closed rest configuration, and wherein the succession of rotational and translatory movements comprises a first series of axial translatory movements of the movable constraining elements with respect to the fixed constraining element, followed by a second series of rotations of the movable constraining elements with respect to the fixed constraining element.
A method for reducing the volume of a circular steering wheel in which the wheel comprises a substantially circular body formed of a plurality of circle portions and a central hub defining an axis of rotation, the hub comprising a plurality of constraining elements, one of which is fixed on the rudder actuating shaft and the other constraining elements being movable with respect to the fixed constraining element, comprising the steps initially subjecting the constraining elements to a sequence of rotational and translatory movements with respect to the fixed constraining element, said translatory movements occurring in a direction substantially parallel to said axis of rotation, so as to bring the wheel into a closed rest configuration, substantially symmetrical with respect to said axis of rotation, and locking the constraining elements with respect to the fixed constraining element in said closed rest configuration, wherein the succession of rotational and translatory movements comprises one or more translatory movements alternating with one or more rotations of each of said movable constraining elements.
A method for reducing the volume of a circular steering wheel in which the wheel comprises a substantially circular body formed of a plurality of circle portions and a central hub defining an axis of rotation, the hub comprising a plurality of constraining elements, one of which is fixed on the rudder actuating shaft and the other constraining elements being movable with respect to the fixed constraining element, comprising the steps initially subjecting the constraining elements to a sequence of rotational and translatory movements with respect to the fixed constraining element, said translatory movements occurring in a direction substantially parallel to said axis of rotation, so as to bring the wheel into a closed rest configuration, substantially symmetrical with respect to said axis of rotation, and locking the constraining elements with respect to the fixed constraining element in said closed rest configuration, wherein the succession of rotational translatory movements comprises a plurality of helical movements of the movable constraining elements with respect to the fixed constraining element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.