New handle design

[zdayton]

I have been working on a new handle design. Can be molded in two pieces. What does everyone think?

[jeruw]

What is the orientation of the handle? I'm presuming that the flat angled cut is where your left thumb would rest? Possibly a good location for a hat?

The design looks good. I'm a bit sad to see the old design change to a more traditional throttle handle. I like the triangular handle aesthetically. Were there issues with the design for an injection molding process? The only "complaints" I have with the old design is it's a bit undersized (I was going to try to scale it and cut a larger version if I can heal the drill holes for mounting on the model) and it's unclear where good button positions would be at first. I'm still trying to sort that out myself, my feeling is that if the handle is scaled slightly and perhaps raised up (lengthen the cylinder for mounting) that good button placement would be on the bottom curve of the handle in the front.

Anyway. It looks like a nice design. Just curious as to why the change?

[zdayton]

I like the aesthetic of the triangular handle as well, but i decided to change for a couple reasons. Having a single flat plane to mount all the buttons is good to keep a professional look. Basically they need to all be soldered down to a PCBs behind the plastic, and PCBs are flat, the the buttons all need to sit on a mostly flat plane. So I can do 3 buttons and a hat switch probably for that handle. I also felt the hand position for the old handle was a little awkward. This is probably mostly because it is too small but I felt like my hand was cramping up just a little after long term use. This is a bit more traditional so I hope it is more comfortable. I will print it out and use it for a while though just to be sure.

[SC-Maik]

Can you provide rough dimensions of new handle?

I believe it should have a width of at least 10cm (4") to be comfortable.
Added bonus : Holes for tall tactile switches (show pic), which can be embedded behind flat surface.

[jeruw]

I think you actually want a switch with a plunger that will accept a snap on cap. Those caps would need to be designed to fit whatever cutouts are put in place, but it would allow for more design in the cap and likely a cleaner installation. So something like this?



Really with something like that you'd probably design a recess in the handle at the button placement to match whatever profile you were designing for the button cap. At the center point of the recess would be a hole to allow the snap for the cap to pop in and pop on the button plunger. Take a look at your mouse or joystick to get an idea of how that might work. The alternative would be just simple holes and a longer button post like what you linked. It'd work, it just wouldn't be as clean (but would require a hell of a lot less complicated part design).

The handle makes sense for production and professional button placement. Having the flats to mount a circuit board behind makes a lot of sense for a mass produced product. That'd be hard to accomplish with the original handle design. I had given that a little bit of thought, but not much. I hadn't considered a circuit board in there to mount the buttons to, but I had thought about a plastic insert that would slip over the posts for the screw assembly of the two handle pieces, with spots along it's front edge to glue the buttons. Sort of a plastic web thing. *shrug*. That might make sense for the DIY printer design, less so for a production version.

[zdayton]

Haha taking apart my joystick was pretty much the first thing I did. I have it all figured out I think, I just need to design the pcb. But basically there will be injection molded buttons with surface mount tactile buttons underneath. I might have to break the handle into three pieces, we will see.

[oijando]

I like the look of the new handle. The T-Shape lends itself to having a good grip for all directions of movement.

Finding locations for the buttons and not having a good way to securely mount them were my biggest complaints with the old design. As long as there is room for a thumb hat and two to three buttons on the front, that works for me. Button caps will also make this look and feel more polished as well. Great job so far! I'll queue up one of the new handles and associated buttons/mounts for printing as soon as a design is finalized.

[Thovthe]

I like that you made the handle bigger but have you considered adding a bit of a palm swell? It might drive up production costs but it would also make it a lot more comfortable in extended use and less fatiguing to do the side to side movements.

[shaneaus]

I would second the request for a large handle (4" diameter) with a palm swell... Personally, I can't really use hat switches well at all... So, hoping you just give us the option for the handle and we can install whatever toggle switches (or, hat switches/mini joysticks/whatever) we want ourselves...

I'm thinking I'm going to start trying to build a delta throttle soon... Especially, if you work out this new handle into something I can use or I can figure out how to make it myself!

[mrjester]

What about a design for right-hand use?