APPARATUS FOR REMOVING A JOYSTICK GRIP

• US 20190294195A1
• Filed: 03/20/2018
• Published: 09/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensata Technologies Incorporated (Sensata Technologies Holding Plc)
• Original Assignee: Sensata Technologies Incorporated (Sensata Technologies Holding Plc)
• Inventors: Stoffers, Michael, Gillmann, Uwe, Koschke, Henning, Meyer-Quade, Joachim
• Granted Patent: US 10,642,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/06 Details of their grip parts G05G1/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04

Abstract

A joystick includes a mechanism for facilitating the changing of a grip assembly. An actuation mechanism moves a ram into a position where the operator can press down on a locking pin to release the grip assembly. The ram will be in a default position that does not interfere with the operations of the joystick during normal operation. A relatively low amount of force is used to place the ram into position as the force needed to press down on the locking pin comes from the operator. A small electromagnetic that does not interfere with the joystick operations can be used in the actuation mechanism.

Claims

1. A joystick apparatus, comprising:

a ram; and

a positioning mechanism, coupled to the ram, configured to move the ram from a first predetermined position to a second predetermined position,

wherein the second predetermined position is selected such that a spring-loaded locking pin extending from within a grip column of a grip assembly mounted on a receiving column can be depressed against a surface of the ram and decoupled from a locking pin opening of the receiving column.

2. The joystick apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a ram guide,

wherein the ram is positioned within the ram guide.

3. The joystick apparatus of claim 2, wherein the positioning mechanism is further configured to linearly move the ram along the ram guide from the first predetermined position to the second predetermined position.

4. The joystick apparatus of claim 1, wherein the positioning mechanism comprises an electromagnet.

5. The joystick apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an actuator coupling the positioning mechanism to the ram.

6. The joystick apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ram comprises a cylinder.

7. The joystick apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined position is a default position when no power is applied to the positioning mechanism.

8. The joystick apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first portion of the ram is located adjacent a preset location on a joystick frame when the ram is at the first predetermined position and a second portion of the ram is located at the preset frame location when the ram is at the second predetermined position.

9-12. -12. (canceled)

13. A joystick apparatus, comprising:

a joystick base, comprising;

a receiving column having a groove and a locking pin opening defined therein;

a grip assembly, disposed in the receiving column, comprising;

a grip column;

a guide post disposed on, and extending from, a surface of the grip column; and

a spring-loaded locking pin extending from within the grip column,

wherein the spring-loaded locking pin is releasably coupled with the locking pin opening and the guide post is disposed in the groove of the receiving column;

a ram; and

a positioning mechanism, coupled to the ram, configured to move the ram from a first predetermined position to a second predetermined position,

wherein the second predetermined position is selected such that the spring-loaded locking pin can be depressed against a surface of the ram and decoupled from the locking pin opening of the receiving column.

14. The joystick apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

a ram guide,

wherein the ram is positioned within the ram guide.

15. The joystick apparatus of claim 14, wherein the positioning mechanism is further configured to linearly move the ram along the ram guide from the first predetermined position to the second predetermined position.

16. The joystick apparatus of claim 13, wherein the positioning mechanism comprises an electromagnet.

17. The joystick apparatus of claim 13, further comprising an actuator coupling the positioning mechanism to the ram.

18. The joystick apparatus of claim 13, wherein the ram comprises a cylinder.

19. The joystick apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first predetermined position is a default position when no power is applied to the positioning mechanism.

20. The joystick apparatus of claim 13, wherein a first portion of the ram is located adjacent a preset location on a joystick frame when the ram is at the first predetermined position and a second portion of the ram is located at the preset frame location when the ram is at the second predetermined position.