Education and demonstration – Vehicle operator instruction or testing – Flight vehicle
Patent
1991-01-28
1992-06-30
Apley, Richard J.
Education and demonstration
Vehicle operator instruction or testing
Flight vehicle
434 61, G09B 908
Patent
active
051258439
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a control device for computers or other data processing apparatus and is applicable particularly, but not exclusively, to a control device for providing control signals to a computer simulating a vehicle being driven.
According to the present invention, there is provided a control device for data processing apparatus, said device including a handlebar comprising a first handlebar shaft extending outwardly from one side of a column and a second handlebar shaft extending outwardly from a second side of said column, said handlebar being rotatably mounted to said column for rotation about a first axis such that manual rotation of said handlebar about said axis produces a first electrical control signal for transmission to said data processing apparatus, said column being further manually rotatable about a second axis which is inclined to said first axis and displaced therefrom, and arranged such that rotation of said column abut said second axis produces a second electrical control signal for transmission to the data processing apparatus, each of said handlebar shafts having, at the respective end thereof, a hand grip portion obliquely pivoted to the respective handlebar shaft in such a way that in a first disposition said hand grip is substantially aligned with the respective handlebar shaft and in a second disposition said hand grip extends away from said second axis.
Each hand grip is obliquely pivoted to the respective handlebar shaft typically in such a way that in the first disposition the hand grip is substantially aligned with the shaft so as to simulate handlebars of a motor cycle, and in the second disposition the hand grip extends away from the second axis or is generally tangential to the first axis, so as to simulate a joystick of an aircraft, wherein the shafts represent spokes and the outer handgrips are generally parallel to one another.
Preferably, the control device includes a hand wheel to simulate a steering wheel of a car or the like, the hand wheel being adapted to attach onto the hand grips when the latter are in the second disposition (that is, simulating an aircraft joystick).
Preferably the first and second control signals are produced by first and second potentiometers controlled by movement of the handlebar and the column about the first and second axis respectively. The potentiometers may be rotary types each mounted co-axially with the respective first and second axis.
Conveniently the control device is adapted to be operated by an operator, with the first axis aligned in a direction generally towards and away from the operator and with the second axis below the first axis and transverse to the operator and in front of him.
Preferably the first and second handlebar shafts (which may be integral such that one is a continuation of the other) lie in or close to a plane displaced from and below the first axis, the hand grips being provided on the ends of the respectively shafts, the longitudinal axis of the hand grips intersecting on or near the first axis. The hand grips may be slightly curved.
Preferably, the control device includes a base to which the lower end of the column is rotatably mounted for rotation about the second axis, the handlebar being mounted on the upper end of the column for rotation about the first axis.
The column may be lockable to the base, so that the first axis can be set near vertical to simulate the steering head angle of a motorcycle, or near horizontal to simulate the steering column angle of a car or the like, and the column may be allowed limited angular rotational movement about the second axis to simulate fore-and-aft movement of an aircraft joystick.
The control device according to the invention may also include a further manually operable lever, movable to produce another electrical signal to the data processing apparatus, to simulate a throttle or power control of an aircraft. The control device may further include foot-operable control means operable to produce a further electrical signal to the data processing apparatus
REFERENCES:
patent: 4265047 (1981-05-01), Meyer et al.
patent: 4512567 (1985-04-01), Phillips
patent: 4542897 (1985-09-01), Melton et al.
patent: 4659313 (1987-04-01), Kuster et al.
patent: 4709917 (1987-12-01), Yang
patent: 4978300 (1990-12-01), Letovsky et al.
Apley Richard J.
Konix Products Limited
Richman Glenn E.
Schindler Edwin D.
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