Steering device for vehicles

Abstract

The invention relates to a steering device for vehicles, in particular forklifts, for carrying out a steering movement of the drivable vehicle on a surface by manual operation by a vehicle driver, wherein the steering device is attached to or in an armrest of a vehicle seat, wherein the steering device comprises at least one rotatable wheel element which can be at least partially grasped on the circumference by the fingers of a hand of the vehicle driver placed on the steering device and can be rotated about an axis of rotation for a steering movement.

Claims

1. A steering device for a vehicle, the steering device comprising: at least one rotatable wheel element, wherein a circumference of the rotatable wheel element can be at least partially grasped by fingers of a hand of a driver of the vehicle placed on the steering device, wherein the rotatable wheel element can be rotated about an axis of rotation, wherein an arm that includes a front region and a rear region connects the steering device to an armrest of a vehicle seat, wherein the rear region of the arm is disposed below the armrest and connects the arm to the armrest, wherein the steering device is disposed on a first side of the front region, wherein at least one of a distance of the steering device from an end of the armrest, a first angle of the axis of rotation of the steering device relative to a vertical axis, and a second angle of a longitudinal axis of the steering device relative to a longitudinal axis of the armrest can be varied, and wherein a first rotary component of the steering device is disposed at least partially within an interior of the front region of the arm.

2. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the axis of rotation is aligned vertically.

3. The steering device according to claim 1, further comprising: a head part, wherein the head part is arranged in a stationary manner relative to the armrest, and wherein the head part is arranged above the rotatable wheel element for the placement of a palm of the hand.

4. The steering device according to claim 3, wherein the head part is at least in part height-adjustable in order to space apart the fingers projecting downwards and the rotatable wheel element such that end regions of the fingers grasp the rotatable wheel element.

5. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein a base part is arranged below the rotatable wheel element in a stationary manner relative to the armrest, the base part having at least partially integrated first function keys.

6. The steering device according to claim 5, wherein second function keys are arranged on a head part, the first and second function keys being further vehicle functions, the further vehicle functions including at least one of light functions, turn signal functions, a parking function, and a horn function.

7. The steering device according to claim 5, wherein a head part, the base part and the rotatable wheel element have an at least partially circular design.

8. The steering device according to claim 5, wherein a head part and the base part are extended at a rear of the head part and the base part towards the armrest to support a palm of the hand.

9. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable wheel element has finger grooves on the circumference, and wherein the front region is disposed in front the armrest along a first direction of the longitudinal axis.

10. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable wheel element can perform a rotary movement by an angle of rotation of up to 180° in a clockwise direction or in a counterclockwise direction, and wherein the rear region of the arm includes rails that connect the arm to the armrest.

11. The steering device according to claim 10, wherein the rotary movement can be acted upon by a restoring force.

12. The steering device according to claim 10, wherein the angle of rotation is adapted to a current driving speed of the vehicle.

13. The steering device according to claim 10, wherein the rotary movement is acted upon by a damping force.

14. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the steering device is arranged in front of the armrest when viewed in a vehicle seat direction.

15. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable wheel element can perform a rotary movement by an angle of rotation of up to 40° in a clockwise direction or in a counterclockwise direction.

16. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the steering device further comprises a plurality of finger notches.

17. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the steering device includes a head part that is fixed relative to the armrest, and wherein the head part is disposed on the rotatable wheel element.

18. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable wheel element is mounted on a base part, and wherein the base part is connected to the front region of the arm.

19. The steering device according to claim 1, wherein a rotation of the rotatable wheel element actuates steering of the vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantageous embodiments result from the dependent claims and the drawings below. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat having a steering device according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a side view of an armrest with a steering device according to the invention;

(4) FIG. 3 is a plan view of the armrest with the steering device according to the invention;

(5) FIG. 4 is a side view of the steering device according to the invention;

(6) FIG. 5a is a front view of the steering device according to the invention;

(7) FIG. 5b is a rear view of the steering device according to the invention;

(8) FIG. 6a is a plan view of the steering device according to the invention;

(9) FIG. 6b is a lateral sectional view according to the section E-E from FIG. 6a of the steering device according to the invention;

(10) FIG. 6c is a detail view according to detail F from FIG. 6b of a detail of the steering device according to the invention;

(11) FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the individual components of the steering device according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(12) FIG. 1 is the perspective view of a vehicle seat having the steering device according to the invention. The vehicle seat 1 has a backrest 2 and a seat part 3. An armrest 4 is arranged on the left side and has a steering device 5 according to the invention fastened thereto in the front region thereof.

(13) The steering device 5 is fastened thereto with an arm-like component 6 in front of and below the armrest 4.

(14) In FIG. 2, the steering device according to the invention is shown together with an armrest in a side view. This view clearly shows that an arm-like component 6 is fastened with a front region 6a in the rear region thereof below the armrest 4. An adjustment wheel 7 and a fastening element 8 serve to move or change the height of the armrest together with the steering device 5 according to the invention relative to the vehicle seat part.

(15) The steering device 5 has a wheel element 9 which can be rotated about an axis of rotation 12. Above the wheel element 9, which can also be viewed as a steering disc, a knob-like head part 10 is arranged in a stationary manner relative to the rest of the steering device. This cannot be rotated about the axis of rotation 12.

(16) Likewise, the base part 11 arranged therebelow cannot be rotated relative to an axis of rotation 12. Only the wheel element 9 is designed to be rotatable. This is described in more detail later.

(17) All three parts 9, 10 and 11 are fixedly arranged on the arm-like boom 6 above a front portion 6a of said arm-like boom.

(18) In FIG. 3, the armrest and the steering device according to the invention according to FIG. 2 are shown in a plan view. From this view, it can again be seen that the steering device is arranged in front of the armrest 4. It should be noted in this case that the steering device 5 is pivoted outwards at a slight angle, preferably relative to a longitudinal axis 4a of the armrest. This can be seen from a comparison of the longitudinal axis 4a of the armrest and a longitudinal axis 5a of the steering device. An angle β between the two axes reflects this pivoting or rotary position. This rotary position can advantageously have the effect that the operator can operate the steering device even more comfortably with the forearm placed on the armrest.

(19) In FIG. 4, the steering device according to the invention is shown in a side view without further armrest. It can be seen from this view that the steering device not only comprises the wheel element 9 which is rotatable about the axis 12, the wheel element having finger notches 13 arranged thereon, in which finger notches the fingers can comfortably in their in the end regions thereof in order to rotate the wheel element 9. Rather, the stationary base part 11 having additional operating switches 15a, 15b and indicator lights 16 arranged therebelow can also be seen. The operating switches 15a and 15b can, for example, be operated with the thumb of the left hand in order to assume a parking position or to activate or deactivate a parking brake. For this purpose, it is not necessary for the remaining fingers of the left hand to be removed from the wheel element 9.

(20) The head part 10 also has a second function display and function-actuating elements. For example, a turn signal of the vehicle can be actuated by actuating elements 14a and 14b. However, these actuating elements can also be used to move the vehicle forwards and backwards. A neutral position would then be possible with the actuating element 14c by actuating it.

(21) In FIG. 5a, the steering device is shown in a front view. This view clearly shows that, in accordance with the angle γ, there is a pivoting of the steering device between an axis of rotation 12 of the steering device and a vertical axis 18 in order to allow the even more ergonomic operation of the steering device by means of a person's hand. It has been shown that a more relaxed operation of the steering device with the wheel element to be rotated is thus possible in the case of a slight inwards turn of the hand towards the vehicle seat.

(22) Preferably 4 or even 5 fingers can be placed on the wheel element at the same time in order to operate the wheel element with a corresponding sensitivity.

(23) A top cover region 10a or a cover 10a of the head part 10 can be used to allow the wheel element to be shifted up and down separately in order to set an optimal distance between the fingers projecting downwards and the palm placed on the head part 10 in such a way that only the end regions of the fingers rest on the wheel element. Of course, this depends on the finger length of an individual person.

(24) Further indicator lights 16 can be seen on the base part 11.

(25) In FIG. 5b, the same steering device is shown from the rear. This rear side of the steering device, which can easily be viewed by an operator of the steering device, shows that a horn-actuating element 19 and the extension 11 thereof are incorporated in the head part as a rocker component. This horn-actuating element 19 can thus be actuated simply and easily with the ball of the palm of the resting hand or an adjacent region without having to remove the rest of the hand from the steering device.

(26) In FIG. 6a, the steering device according to the invention is shown in a plan view. This view again shows the horn-actuating element 19 as well as the finger notches 13 in the wheel element 9 and various indicator lights in the base element 11. According to a section E-E, a cross-sectional view is shown in FIG. 6b in accordance with this FIG. 6a. This view shows the complex internal structure of an innovative steering device of this type. It can be seen that the wheel element 9 can be rotated according to a rotary movement 21 about the axis of rotation 12. For this purpose, the wheel element is arranged around a centrally arranged rotary part 20, which in turn drives a further rotary part 35, for example by means of gear transmission, and this in turn drives further rotating parts 36. In this way, the rotary position or steering position can be passed on on the basis of electronic scanning. A resilient bearing 20 of the wheel element 9 is provided.

(27) The component 20 is rotatably mounted on the upper side by means of a bearing element 24 arranged in the head part 10, as is the wheel element 9.

(28) A horn-actuating element 19 is designed as part 25 of the head part hood so that it engages in a corresponding counterpart 26 of the head part hood in a flange-like manner, so that this horn-actuating element can only be pressed inwards when there is a higher pressure load, thereby compressing a spring element arranged behind it and triggering a horn signal. This is shown again as detail F in FIG. 6c.

(29) In FIG. 7, the components of the steering device are shown again in an exploded view. On an armrest 4, the holding arm or the arm-like component 6 of the steering device is arranged displaceably from bottom to top having, for example, two rail-like elements 27 on the front side. The correspondingly complemented counterparts are shown with reference sign 28 on the front of the armrest.

(30) The head part 10, like the base part 11, has a kind of extension in the structure thereof at the rear, i.e. towards the armrest. This extension 33, 34 is used for better placement of the ball of the palm and the entire inner surface of the hand.

(31) Pressable or actuatable actuating elements 29a, 29b are arranged within corresponding recesses of the head part 10 of complementary design.

(32) A cone-like component 30 is provided for a corresponding bearing between the wheel element 9 and the head part 10.

(33) The wheel element 9 can be force-loaded by means of an annular spring 31 so that it resets by itself, for example. For this purpose, the spring 31 is arranged on an axis 32 which is connected to corresponding sensors and rotating components 36 within the base part.

(34) The base part 11 is inserted into the arm-like component 6 for fixed anchoring via an intermediate piece 37, which has a plurality of feet on the underside.

(35) All features disclosed in the application documents are claimed as being substantial to the invention, provided that they are, individually or in combination, novel over the prior art.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(36) Vehicle seat

(37) 2 Backrest

(38) 3 Seat part

(39) 4 Armrest

(40) 4a Longitudinal axis

(41) 5 Steering device

(42) 5a Longitudinal axis

(43) 6 Arm-like boom

(44) 6a Front portion, front region

(45) 7 Adjustment wheel

(46) 8 Fastening element

(47) 9 Wheel element

(48) 10 Knob-like head part, head part

(49) 10a Top cover region, cover of the head part

(50) 11 Base part, stationary base part, extension

(51) 12 Axis of rotation, axis

(52) 13 Finger notches

(53) 14a Actuating element

(54) 14b Actuating element

(55) 14c Actuating element

(56) 15a Operating switch

(57) 15b Operating switch

(58) 16 Indicator lights

(59) 18 Vertical axis

(60) 19 Horn-actuating element

(61) 20 Resilient bearing, centrally arranged rotary part, component

(62) 21 Rotary movement

(63) 24 Bearing element

(64) 35 Part of the head part hood

(65) 26 Counterpart

(66) 27 Rail-like elements

(67) 28 Complemented counterparts

(68) 29a Actuating element

(69) 29b Actuating element

(70) 30 Cone-like component

(71) 31 Coil spring, spring

(72) 32 Axis

(73) 33 Extension

(74) 34 Extension

(75) 35 Rotary part

(76) 36 Rotating components

(77) 37 Intermediate piece

(78) E-E Section

(79) β Angle

(80) γ Angle