Motion control device for controlling a vehicle
A motion control device may have a main body having a right grip and a left grip fixed to the main body, wherein the right grip and the left grip are separated by the main body. The right grip and the left grip may be configured to be grasped by a hand and/or one or more fingers of a vehicle occupant to control the rotation of the motion control device about an axis. A right paddle and a left paddle mounted to the main body may be actuatable by one or more fingers of the vehicle occupant between a first position and a second position to control acceleration, friction braking, regenerative braking, or other vehicle functions.
1 . A motion control device for controlling a vehicle, comprising:
a main body, a right grip connected to the main body by a first right bridge and a second right bridge, a left grip connected to the main body by a first left bridge and a second left bridge, the right grip and the left grip are each spaced from the main body, and the right grip and the left grip are configured to be grasped by a hand and/or one or more fingers of a vehicle occupant, wherein the second right bridge is connected to the right grip between an upper end of the right grip and a lower end of the right grip and at or closer to a midpoint of the right grip than the lower end of the right grip, where the midpoint of the right grip is midway between the upper end and the lower end, and the right grip is not connected to the main body between the lower end and the second right bridge, and wherein the second left bridge is connected to the left grip between an upper end of the left grip and a lower end of the left grip and at or closer to a midpoint of the left grip than the lower end of the left grip, where the midpoint of the left grip is midway between the upper end of the left grip and the lower end of the left grip, and the left grip is not connected to the main body between the lower end of the left grip and the second left bridge;
a right paddle pivotably mounted to the main body and located behind the right grip, and a left paddle pivotably mounted to the main body and located behind the left grip, the right paddle and the left paddle being movable relative to the main body between a first position and a second position, wherein an upper edge of the right paddle is vertically below a lower surface of the first right bridge and vertically above an upper surface of the second right bridge, and wherein an upper edge of the left paddle is vertically below a lower surface of the first left bridge and vertically above an upper surface of the second left bridge;
a first right gap defined between the main body, the right grip, the first right bridge and the second right bridge, wherein the first right gap, the right grip, and the right paddle are configured to simultaneously receive one or more fingers, or surfaces of a hand of the vehicle occupant;
a first left gap defined between the main body, the left grip, the first left bridge, and the second left bridge, wherein the first left gap, the left grip, and the left paddle are configured to simultaneously receive one or more fingers, or surfaces of a hand of the vehicle occupant;
a second right gap defined between the main body, the right grip, and the second right bridge, wherein the second right gap, the right grip, and the right paddle are configured to simultaneously receive one or more fingers or surfaces of a hand of the vehicle occupant; and
a second left gap partially defined between the main body, the left grip, and the second left bridge, wherein the second left gap, the left grip, and the left paddle are configured to simultaneously receive one or more fingers or surfaces of a hand of the vehicle occupant.
2 . The motion control device of claim 1 , wherein the right grip extends beyond a top surface of the main body and has a right knob with an upper surface and one or more peripheral side surfaces;
the upper surface, the one or more peripheral side surfaces, the right grip, and the right paddle are configured to simultaneously contact one or more fingers or surfaces of a hand of the vehicle occupant, and wherein the upper edge of the right paddle is within 46 mm of the upper surface of the right knob, and wherein the left grip extends beyond the top surface of the main body and has a left knob, the left knob has an upper surface and one or more peripheral side surfaces, and wherein the upper edge of the left paddle is within 46 mm of the upper surface of the left knob.
3 . The motion control device of claim 2 , wherein the right knob and the left knob each has a surface area between 550 mm 2 and 650 mm 2 and each of the right knob and the left knob is raised from the top surface of the main body by up to 40 mm.
4 . The motion control device of claim 1 , wherein the upper edge of the right paddle is vertically closer to the second right bridge than to the first right bride, and the upper edge of the left paddle is vertically closer to the second left bridge than to the first left bridge.
5 . The motion control device of claim 1 wherein, the right paddle has a front side and a back side wherein, the back side has a right inner grip surface at a different angle or elevation relative to a back surface of the main body, wherein the main body is positioned in use so that the back surface faces away from the vehicle occupant.
6 . The motion control device of claim 1 wherein, the left paddle has a front side and a back side wherein, the back side has a left inner grip surface at a different angle or elevation relative to a back surface of the main body, wherein the main body is positioned in use so that the back surface faces away from the vehicle occupant.
7 . The motion control device of claim 1 wherein, the left paddle is coupled to the main body by a left mount at a location closer to a lower edge of the left paddle than the upper edge of the left paddle, and the right paddle is connected to the main body by a right mount at a location closer to a lower edge of the right paddle than the upper edge of the right paddle, and the left paddle extends from the left mount towards the left grip, and the right paddle extends from the right mount towards the right grip.
8 . The motion control device of claim 1 wherein, the right paddle and the left paddle are mechanically biased towards the first position, and the right paddle is farther from the right grip in the first position than in the second position and the left paddle is farther from the left grip in the first position than in the second position.
9 . The motion control device of claim 1 wherein, the left paddle includes a left outer grip surface that is elevated from a back side of the left paddle that faces away from the left grip, and the right paddle includes a right outer grip surface that is elevated from a back side of the right paddle that faces away from the right grip.
10 . The motion control device of claim 1 wherein the main body has a top surface and a bottom surface spaced apart in a vertical direction, a left side and a right side spaced apart in a lateral direction, and a front surface and a back surface spaced apart in a longitudinal direction, and wherein the right grip is spaced from the right paddle in the longitudinal direction, and the right grip vertically and laterally overlaps the right paddle.
11 . A vehicle, comprising:
a propulsion system having a prime mover that provides power to propel the vehicle;
a braking system having one or more brake assemblies configured to slow and stop the vehicle;
a steering system configured to control a steering angle of the vehicle; and
a motion control device, including:
a main body that has a front surface, a back surface, a top surface, a bottom surface, a right side, and a left side, the main body is rotatable about an axis to actuate the steering system and change the steering angle;
a right paddle mounted to the back surface by a right mount, wherein the right paddle is actuatable between a first position and a second position to cause an output used to control one of the braking system or the propulsion system;
a right paddle sensor capable of determining the instantaneous position of the right paddle between the first position and the second position;
a right grip extended from the right side, wherein the right grip is received in front of the right paddle;
a right knob extending from the right grip and vertically elevated from the top surface of the main body;
a left paddle mounted to the back surface by a left mount, wherein the left paddle is actuatable between a first position and a second position to cause an output used to control the other one of the braking system or the propulsion system that is not associated with the right paddle;
a left paddle sensor capable of determining the instantaneous position of the left paddle between the first position and the second position;
a left grip extended from the left side, wherein the left grip is received in front of the left paddle;
a left knob extending from the left grip and vertically elevated from the top surface of the main body;
a first right gap circumferentially surrounded by the main body, the right grip, and a first right bridge that connects the main body and the right grip;
a second right gap partially circumferentially surrounded by the main body, the right grip, and a second right bridge;
a first left gap circumferentially surrounded by the main body, the left grip, and a first left bridge that connects the main body and the left grip; and
a second left gap partially circumferentially surrounded by the main body, the left grip, and a second left bridge, wherein the top surface and the bottom surface are spaced apart in a vertical direction, the left side and the right side are spaced apart in a lateral direction, and the front surface and the back surface are spaced apart in a longitudinal direction, the right knob has a peripheral side surface that extends vertically to an upper surface, the upper surface is above the top surface of the main body, and the right knob has a front surface that is offset from and forward of the front surface of the main body, and wherein an upper edge of the right paddle is vertically below a lower surface of the first right bridge and vertically above an upper surface of the second right bridge, and wherein an upper edge of the left paddle is vertically below a lower surface of the first left bridge and vertically above an upper surface of the second left bridge.
12 . The vehicle of claim 11 wherein, the right grip and the left grip each have a front surface that is offset and forward of the front surface of the main body.
13 . The vehicle of claim 11 which also includes one or more electric actuators positioned on or within the main body or the right mount or the left mount and arranged to provide a force on either or both of the right paddle and left paddle.
14 . The vehicle of claim 11 wherein, the main body has a range of rotation about the axis, the range of rotation is adjustable based on one or more vehicle conditions including instantaneous speed of the vehicle, historical speed of the vehicle, instantaneous vehicle turning radius, historical vehicle turning radius, instantaneous rate of rotation of the main body, and historical rate of rotation of the main body.
15 . The vehicle of claim 11 which also includes a control system coupled to the propulsion system, the brake system, the steering system and the motion control device, the control system includes one or more processors, memory and instruction by which the control system controls operation of the propulsion system as a function of movement of one of the right paddle or the left paddle, and controls operation of the braking system as a function of movement of the other one of the right paddle or the left paddle, and controls the steering system as a function of the rotation of the main body.
16 . The vehicle of claim 15 wherein the steering system is a steer by wire system in which rotation of the main body results in the control system actuating one or more steering actuators to change the steering angle, and wherein rotation of less than 180 degrees about the axis causes the steering system to provide a maximum steering angle of the vehicle.
17 . The vehicle of claim 11 wherein the top surface and the bottom surface are spaced apart in the vertical direction, the left side and the right side are spaced apart in the lateral direction, and the front surface and the back surface are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, and wherein the right grip is spaced from the right paddle in the longitudinal direction, and the right grip vertically and laterally overlaps the right paddle.
18 . The vehicle of claim 11 wherein the second right bridge is connected to the right grip between an upper end and a lower end of the right grip and at or closer to a midpoint of the right grip than the lower end of the right grip, where the midpoint of the right grip is midway between the upper end and the lower end, and the not connected to the main body between the lower end and the second right bridge.
19 . The vehicle of claim 11 wherein the first right gap and the right paddle are arranged so that at least one finger of user's hand can be received in the first right gap spaced from the right paddle, and a different finger than said at least one finger can engage and actuate the right paddle.
20 . The vehicle of claim 11 wherein the right knob and the right paddle are arranged so that the right paddle can be actuated by a finger of a user while a palm of a hand of the user that includes the finger is received on a top surface of the knob, or wherein the right knob and the right paddle are arranged so that the right paddle can be actuated by a finger of a user while a thumb of a hand of the user that includes the finger is in contact with a peripheral side surface of the knob.