Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Indication or control of braking – acceleration – or deceleration
Reexamination Certificate
2004-03-26
2004-11-09
Camby, Richard M. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Indication or control of braking, acceleration, or deceleration
C701S036000, C180S065100, C180S065800
Reexamination Certificate
active
06816770
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a control device for a motor vehicle, more particularly to a control device that employs a magnetic sensor to control direction and speed of a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electric motor vehicle usually has a control device mounted proximate to a handle thereof for controlling its moving direction and speed. As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
, the control device
2
is mounted on a rear side of the handle
11
of the motor vehicle, and is coupled to a control rod
12
.
The known control device
2
, which has an operating principle based on that of a potentiometer, includes a case body
21
fixed to the handle
11
via an L-shaped bracket
111
, a circuit board
22
mounted horizontally in the case body
21
and formed with a pair of arc-shaped resistive traces
221
, and a slider assembly formed from a pivot axle
23
that is mounted rotatably on the case body
21
, a contact carrier
24
that is disposed in the case body
21
and that is coupled co-rotatably to the pivot axle
23
, and a pair of contact members
25
that are mounted on the contact carrier
24
for sliding along the resistive traces
221
. A torsion spring
26
biases the pivot axle
23
to an initial position. A cover
27
is provided to close a top open side of the case body
21
.
One end of the pivot axle
23
extends downwardly through the case body
21
, and is coupled to the control rod
12
. As such, the control rod
12
is operable to rotate the pivot axle
23
by a desired angle in a selected one of advancing and reversing directions.
When no external force is exerted on the pivot axle
23
, the pivot axle
23
is disposed at the initial position due to the biasing action of the torsion spring
26
. The contact members
25
are disposed at middle portions of the resistive traces
221
at this time.
Thereafter, when it is desired to move the motor vehicle in one of an advancing direction and a reversing direction, the control rod
12
is operated to rotate the pivot axle
23
in a corresponding one of a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction. As a result, the contact members
25
are displaced along the resistive traces
221
. Since the operating principle of the control device
2
is based on that of a potentiometer, displacement of the contact members
25
along the resistive traces
221
will result in a control output having a voltage magnitude corresponding to movement of the control device
2
in the desired direction. That is, the larger the angle of rotation of the pivot axle
23
, the faster will be the moving speed of the motor vehicle in the desired direction.
While the aforementioned conventional control device
2
can achieve its intended purpose, the following drawbacks are encountered during use:
1. The resistive traces
221
are likely to wear out due to friction contact with the contact members
25
. As such, the service life of the control device
2
is relatively short.
2. The legs of the torsion spring
26
are likely to break due to stress after a period of use, thereby resulting in the inability to restore the pivot axle to the initial position. Hence, an unintended control output for driving movement of the motor vehicle is likely to be generated, which is hazardous.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a direction and speed control device that can overcome the aforesaid drawbacks associated with the prior art.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a direction and speed control device that comprises a casing, a sensing unit, and a magnet assembly. The casing is adapted to be mounted fixedly on a motor vehicle. The sensing unit is mounted in the casing, and includes a magnetic sensor. The magnet assembly includes a pivot axle, and first and second magnets. The pivot axle is mounted rotatably on the casing, and has a magnet carrying portion extending into the casing, and a driven portion extending from the magnet carrying portion and disposed outwardly of the casing. The first and second magnets are mounted on the magnet carrying portion of the pivot axle, and are disposed on opposite sides of the magnetic sensor. The driven portion of the pivot axle is operable externally of the casing for driving rotation of the pivot axle relative to the casing so as to move one of the first and second magnets toward the magnetic sensor and so as to move the other one of the first and second magnets away from the magnetic sensor. The sensing unit is adapted to generate a control output for controlling movement of the motor vehicle in one of an advancing direction and a reversing direction and for controlling moving speed of the motor vehicle in said one of the advancing and reversing directions in accordance with displacement of the first and second magnets relative to the magnetic sensor.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5222572 (1993-06-01), Yamagiwa et al.
patent: 5406154 (1995-04-01), Kawaguchi et al.
patent: 5552988 (1996-09-01), Kawaguchi et al.
Camby Richard M.
McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC
Sattizahn Brian T.
Sunpex Technology Co., Ltd.
LandOfFree
Direction and speed control device for a motor vehicle does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Direction and speed control device for a motor vehicle, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Direction and speed control device for a motor vehicle will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3357851