Wrist Right by Art and Design at The University of Chester

Proposal

Research

Discovery

Define

Develop

Bibliography

Proposal

[1]

[2]

Some sports specific injuries can be difficult to recover from and can affect your future in playing sport. Is there a way that these specific sports injuries could be avoided or treated in an efficient way? There are a number of sports injury’s that are caused by insufficient equipment. When designing a product for this project there will be a challenge in making a specific design believable. When designing a product to avoid sports injury, there will be a number of processes and materials that I will not be able to access. For example, if I was to design a new bike helmet, then I couldn’t physically make it, as the processes and materials involved would not be available in university. I would need to explore a number of existing materials and processes that can be accessed so that I can replicate a certain product as best as I can. This particular topic is a one that I am very enthusiastic about and feel I have enough knowledge and skills to be able to start it. I have played a number of sports throughout my life and have experienced some injuries along the way. I know how they can affect you and how frustrating It is to not be playing sport for a certain amount of time. This is the reason I am passionate about creating a product that enables someone to play a specific sport without getting injured. Designing sports equipment is something that I have been passionate about from a small age and would make sure that I can gather enough information and research so that I can create a product to the very best of standards.

Research

[3]

Incorrect posture leaning forward putting body weight on your hands and wrists

Saddle is too high throwing weight forward onto your wrists

Handle bars are too low which means you are resting your weight on your wrsist Gripping too tight A long top tube can leave you stretched out and putting weight on your wrist

Arthritis

Finger dislocation

Hand fractures

Sprained wrist

Broken wrist

Comfort

Versitality

Leverage

Aerodynamics

Control

Flat Bars

Butterfly Bars

Riser Bars

Aero Bars

Bull Horns

Drop Bars

[3]

Cycling can put a great amount of pressure on a number of joint and limbs - especially the wrists. This can lead to continous or even permenant injury. If your bike isnt set up to the correct position, the angle of your body whilst rifing will change and increase the amount of pressure on your wrists. When injured or suffering from a certain ailment cycling can beocme increasingly harder.

I aim to design an innovative set of handle bars that reduce the amount of stress for a cyclist whether it be commuting or competing This product should be suitable for a wide range of users and ages both in its appearance and its function I aim to create a product that will prevent any wrist sprains or other wrist or hand injuries from happening This should also provide assistance and support for users who already suffer from certain wrist or hand issues

Discovery

Direction 1 straight wrist steering

This concept prevents the side movement of your wrist and provides a new way of controlling your bike. By using the straight wrist steering handlebars, your arms and wrists will constantly stay in line whilst pushing and pulling each handlebar to steer. This mechanism requires just one pivot point on each of the bars allowing each bar to rotate on the spot. When developing this design, brakes and ergonomic handles bars will be in place and make the whole experience comfortbale and enjoyable.

Direction 2 wrist rest

This set of concepts allows you to use your normal handlebars with an additional attachment. This attachment is a simple wrist rest that takes away most pressure on your lower wrist. This particular concept can be designed and made in a number of different ways and could also be made to fit a specific person. When developing this design, ergonomics would be a key factor to creating a succesful product. This design could also be incoporated into direction 1 on the previous page. This would mean that you can steer with straight wrists whilst resting them on the provided attacment.

Direction 3 electrical

When using electric brakes, a minimum amount of pressure and force is needed to trigger the mechanism which is why they would be suitable for this project. Not having to use as much force when applying the brake means that people with weaker wrists and hands do not need to worry about stopping in time. This concept can be incorporated into almost any of the designs and could become a key feature when it comes to finalising the product. This also means that although there will be cables, they will be inside of the handlebar instead of outside which may be seen as an obstruction.

Define

By combining two concepts together (straight wrist steering and electrical). this completely opened up the project and allowed a number of experimentations to take place. At this particular stage, the most important features are the electrical brake and the positioning of the handlebars. By keeping the pivot point in the same place, a number of ideas were generated when concentrating on the overall form of the handlebars and how they were extended from the main bars.

Combining Concepts electrical and non twist

Through the development of this concept, a number of details were added such as the on/off button and the charge indicator for the electric brake system. Alongside this development, a decision was made to add a mechanism which would alter the angle of the handlebars. This means that the user can rotate the ends of the handlbars to their desired position. By doing so, the user will be able to find a more natural postion for there hands and wrists, preventing any wrist pressure and pain. Problems relating to this concept include wasted material and running a flexible wire through the bars along to the electrical mechanism

Due to a number of design faults with the previuos concept, a number of discussions took place and the bearing concept was developed. This tackles the problem of having sharp, wasted material by having a more user friendly form containing both the electrical brake and the straight wrist steering mechanism. By using a bearing and pivot point placed in the centre of each circle bar, this will allow the user to steer the bike by simply pushing and pulling. The problem with this particular design is that the handlebars may not allow the bike to turn as much as it could as the main frame may come into contact with them.

Bearing Concept

Size Adjustment

This concept has reverted back to the pivot mechanism but has a number of changes. This problem with the previous pivot concept (takes up too much space) has been tackled by placing smaller, more efficient handlebars on top of the main bar. This means that all of the mechanism is in one place and is not as much of a jump when considering learning a new steering style. Being able to rotate the angle of the handlebars also means that the user can ride their bike using the bars in their desired position and be as comfortable as possible. When experimenting, it became clear that the vertical handlebar is more comfortable and natural than the horizontal bar.

After a number of concepts all evolving around wrist pain and comfort, it became clear that ergonomics would play a large part in reducing pressure and pain on the user’s wrists and hands. Sketching and developing a number of ergonomic handles meant that more knowledge and understanding was gathered to create a handlebar that suited someone’s hand and position best. These sketches will become the base layer when developing any of the concepts on CAD and will play a huge part in creating a product that is suitable for all ages and hand shapes. Ergonomics is something that hasn’t been covered a huge amount in the past which is why it is important to focus on it as early in the project as possible.

Ergonomics

Combining Concepts electrical and non twist

After a collection of work on ergonomics and different angles of the handlebars, a decision was made to design a new concept that incorporated the electrical element and the nontwist mechanism. This particular concept includes a new set of handlebars that include a number of different angles and possible hand positions. The reason behind creating this particular handlebar was so that the bar angle didn’t have to be changed as all of the desired angles were present. Including two brakes on each bar means that the user doesn’t have to move back down to the horizontal bar to brake in an emergency and can break from the top of the bar as well.

After critically analysing the product. A decision was made to elevate the bars and create a pivot/screw mechanism that can attached. The reason for elevating the bars is so that the user can get full grip of the horizontal bar. This also means that it becomes easier to manoeuvre the bars. The shape of the vertical part of the bars has been altered so that it is more user friendly and provides more hand positions.

Design Meeting 06/04/2020

Taking part in a design meeting with a cyclist that has both wrist pain when cycling and a good eye for design meant that a range of comments and feedback was collected to disucss this particular concept. - Are the bars unstable? - Would prefer to change the angle with a button - Butterfly bars are best (multiple positions) and can also be used as wrist rests - Electric brakes are a good idea - Make main bar thinner (carbon fibre TT bikes) gives more suspension and absorbs shock - Try modelling in metal to get a better feel for the product and how stable it feels - The more hand positions the better

After this detailed design meeting, a new concept was created (left) which means that the horizontal bar stays at the same angle whilst the small buttons at the ends of each bar can be pushed and trigger a locking mechanism that allows the user to change the angle of the vertical bars. This concept also includes a thin, yet strong, carbon fibre bar that adds strength and suspension to the bars. This then means that the majority of the shock coming from the surface is absorbed by this feature. The collection of images on the right-hand side are snapshots from a number of different bikes used by the cyclist, showing a various grips and fixings that I may take into consideration when developing my concept.

This concept shows a selection of the varoius angles in which the bars can be set when using the twist and lock mechanism. These bars are shaped to provide as many hand positions as possible but may not include the users desired angle. Changing the form of the handlebars could create a number of new positions and may also make the grip more comfortable.

Mechanism twist and lock

After the design meeting, a number of ideas for the angle adjusting mechanism had come into action. The twist and lock mechanism means that the user can adjust their bars to any of the angles shown on this page. This mechanism is simple and could potentially work on the final concept although their are a number of design faults. Firstly, the amount of varoius angles is not sufficient enough and may not include every desired angle. Secondly, this mechanism must securley lock and persude the user that they can safely ride the bike without the mechanism unlocking.

Mechansim which is best?

After a certain amount of sketching (left), it was clear that a number of mechanisms could be used on this particular product. The problem faced was that only one could be selected and used. The mechanism on the handlebars of this new product is the most important feature and must be as efficient as possible. At this point in the project, modelling becomes a priority; being able to model a concept means that you can understand the scale, how it works and where the problems lie.

The first mechanism that was modelled includes a pinch action on the ends of each handlebar that interlocks with a number of holes within the main bar. These holes determine the angles of the handlebars which is why it is important to have as many as possible. This pinch action mechanism is easy to activate but becomes a problem when rotating the bars more than 90 degrees causing uncomfortable wrist postions.

Mechanism

modelling

Mechanism clip

The clip mechanism is something that has been used on a number of products before and can also be found on most bikes. The advantage of this mechanism is being able to position your handlebars to any angle. Although this is the case, using this mechanism also means that the user must securely tighten the clip which in some cases may not be possible. As the whole project is based on tackling wrist pain, this mechanism may not be as succesful as some of the others. If this concept was to be carried forward, a number of adjustments would be made such as, adding a small grip to the end of clip and reducing the amount of force needed to lock the bar in place.

Mechanism spring loaded

The spring loaded mechanism contains a small yet strong spring that is activated by the user when pulling on the mechanisms handle. This particular mechanism is situated in the centre of the bars which means that it controls both handlebars. When stationary, the mechanisms handle can be lifted allowing the user to rotate the bars to a certain angle. These angles are determined by the holes placed inside the main bar. Although this concept dosn’t include every angle, it securley locks the bars in place and allows the user to confidently carry on riding without it coming out of place. One of the problems that may be faced is that the spring inside may break which may be difficult to replace. Assembly of the product is something that must be user friendly and must allow the user to replace or fix any part within the mechanism.

Mechanism worm gear

The worm gear mechanism includes a small circular knob that can be twisted by the user which then activates the two gears inside the handle bars to turn, resulting in the handlebars being turned to the desired angle. This may be a slow process but is secure and can even be used safely whilst cycling. When developing this concept, the knob of the mechanim can be adjusted in size to suit the user. As this mechanism has no locking system, the work gear must be precisley in place and must not move at any give time as the handlebars may come out of position and cause the rider to lose control.

Defining Mechanisms worm gear

The development of the worm gear means that it must securley fix to the bar that rotates the handlebars. By creating anumber of slots and grooves in the main bar, this allows the gear to slot in securley without any latural movement. By doing so, the main bar will then rotate when ever the worm gear is activated. The strength of the overall mechanism must be taken into consideration as the handlebars may contain a reasonable amount of weight. To tackle this problem, this concept must be made using strong and durable material such as metal. This material can then be coated in rubber to provide comfort and improve the ergonomics.

Defining Mechanisms

When developing the spring mechanism, it became clear that the normal spring would not be strong enough and may be ahr d to replace. Due to this problem, a leaf spring took its place. This spring allows control and tension when activating the machanism and also has a good amount of durability. Due to this small change, the overall design of the mechanism was adjusted. As shown in the sketches, the leaf spring is contained inside a small box that allows the pin the retract from the small holes to allow the user to rotate the handlebars. The form of the handle has also been adjusted ergonomically and allows the user to get a better grip when using the mechanism

Develop

Developing Mechansim

leaf spring

This leaf spring mechanism was chosen as it had alot of scope and had plenty of room for development. By having the spring above the trigger means that the overall size of the mechanism has been reduced and also takes away any wasted space. The form of the trigger has changed dramatically and dosnt require as much force to be activated. Originally, the pin would run down the centre of the mechanism. This could be seen as an obstruction which is why a decision was made to run two pins, one down each side (as seen on oppsite page). This means the mechanism is completely hidden and the user can only see what they need to. At this stage, the mechanism dosnt fit the overall look of the bike which is why the form must be changed accordingly.

[4]

Ergonomics

The ergonomics of this product play a huge part in creating a succesful design. This particular set of handlebars include a number of forms that suit the hand alongside small rubber grips that improve grip, stability and comfort. The reason for designing handle bars that progressivly get larger in diameter is because when gripping something, one side of the hand has a larger space than the other. The overall form of the handle bar has been designed to allow as many hand postitions as possible. The ciclindrical bar can rotated to various angles providing an endless amount of psotions. Whilst holding the horizontal bar is comfortbale for most users, the diagonal bars are a more natural position for the wrists to sit. When developing this design further, more grips must be added to make the hole bar comfortable.

Ergonomics

Adding an extra grip to the handlebar provides an extra position for the hand and provides more grip when adjusting the angle of the handlebars. Alongside the new grip, brakes and gears have been added to the design to make the product more realsitic. This allows someone to get a better sense of scale and how they look in a real life situation. The gears are simple triggers that can be easily activated with a small amount of force. The overall form of the mechanisms trigger has been adjusted by creating a more ergonomic shape for the user. This particular form clearly shows that you must pull the trigger using two fingers. Although this form is successful, the overall shape of the mechanism dosnt mathc the rest of product and should be adjusted to do so.

Bar Adjustment Below is an example of the way in which the mechanism is activated by simply using two fingers with a minimum amount of force. By placing a figure on the bike, this allows me to evaluate the various angles that the cyclist will be in when using these handlebars. Depending on how the user wants to ride their bike. these handlebars provide all the necessary positions whilst still obtaining a good posture and comfortable grip.

After considering the overall look of the meachnism, it was decided that it should be altered to fit the whole product. Changing the angle of the mechanism by 45 degrees means that it is more comfortable for the user to rest their plam on the surface of the mechanism and pull the trigger. This also means that the user will be more persuaded to stop and use the mechanism rather than trying to use it whilst cycling. The assembly of the product has alos been taken into consideration whihc is why a number of bolts have been added to show how the product has been put together

Improving the mechanism Assembling the product is something that isnt a priority but is something that can add to the overall look of the prduct in terms of making it look as realsitic as possible. This mechanism simply comes in two seprate parts which then get bolted together containing the main bar and the handlebar adjusting bar. This technique of bolting is used comonly in bikes and would be easy for most cyclists to undertsand when assembling and disassembling the product.

When developing this product in the future, there are a number of alterations that could be added. Most importantly, this product could include electric brakes, reducing the amount of force need to brake. Other additions include a front light, powered by the same electric source as the brake, and could also include branding on the product itself to sell the product to other cyclists when in use.

Bibliography [1] https://www.clipartmax.com/middle/ m2i8N4G6N4K9K9m2_cycling-png-clipart-person-ridingbike-png/ [2] https://www.businessfirstonline.co.uk/advice/shouldbusinesses-encourage-workers-to-cycle/ [3] http://diginfo.ru/ru/cycling_rus/posadka-navelosipede-naklon-spinyi-i-vyisota-rulya/ [4] https://ya-webdesign.com/explore/person-on-bikepng/