Just pick up one of these German made kids ride and you can discover that children can get a ride that steers almost as well as a real car! (To convince yourself further, look for tons of online videos showing even adults zooming about on these cars with so much ease.) So, why does the Bobby Car steer so well? How is this important?
It is common for ordinary kids ride-ons to employ a "turn-table" style steering. Basically, the steering wheel just rotates the front wheels directly for turning left and right. But in this type of design, the wheels inside and outside during a turn need to trace circles of different radius. The wheels in this case can slip, and that could dampen the child's mobility and freedom to steer confidently.
Meanwhile, Bobby Cars employ the Ackermann steering system; giving them realistic and smooth steering control. The Ackermann geometry was intended to help cars steer better, and kids ride-ons deserve this ease of steering because it gives the children the confidence to go where they want in the manner they instinctively expect. Thus, promoting the development of hand-eye-feet coordination with no disruptions.
The Bobby Car's steering is certainly easy and smooth.
 |
| The Ackermann steering geometry is why the Bobby Car steers so smoothly. |
 |
| The Ackermann steering mechanism is distinctively seen from the side of the Bobby Car. |
[Reference: Ackermann steering geometry. (2012, June 11). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 07:30, July 11, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ackermann_steering_geometry&oldid=497125081]
 |
| Ordinary "turn-table" style steering example. [Picture used for explanation of steering only.] |
NOTES:
"BOBBY CAR" is a protected trademark of the maker BIG. This post is written as a reference, and the author does not own the rights to the trademark.
Opinions expressed are personal.
Ackermann steering is a patented design by its patent owner.
No comments:
Post a Comment