JP4487828B2 - Wiper control device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a wiper control device for controlling the operation of a wiper for wiping windshield glass mainly by an operation of a lever switch in an automobile or the like.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, wiper control devices that switch the operation speed and operation interval of a wiper that wipes windshield glass by swinging a lever switch disposed in the vicinity of a steering wheel of an automobile or the like are widely used.

  Such a conventional wiper control device will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG.

  3 is a block circuit diagram of a conventional wiper control device, and FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view thereof. In FIG. 3, 1 is a substantially box-shaped case made of an insulating resin, and 2 is a lever made of an insulating resin. The lever 2 is mounted on the case 1 so as to be swingable in the vertical direction, and a plurality of switch contacts 3 are formed in the case 1.

  Reference numeral 2A denotes a moderation means comprising a moderation pin and an uneven cam crest that elastically contacts with the moderation pin, and the moderation means 2A holds the lever 2 at each of the four operation positions OFF, INT, LO, and HI. The lever switch 4 is formed so that the plurality of switch contacts 3 are electrically connected and separated according to each operation position.

  On the wiring board (not shown) in the case 1, electronic parts such as a microcomputer are mounted to form a control means 5, and the control means 5 is connected to the switch contact 3 and the signal input / output with the outside. The wiper control device 7 is configured by being connected to the connector 6 that performs the above.

  Further, the wiper control device 7 configured as described above is disposed behind a steering (not shown) in front of the passenger compartment, and the control means 5 is formed of a resistance element, a relay, and the like via a connector 6, The motor drive circuits 8 and 9 connected to the wiper drive motor 10 are connected.

  In the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 4, when the lever 2 is held at the upper OFF position, the switch contact 3 is OFF, and drive current is supplied from the motor drive circuits 8 and 9 to the motor 10. The wiper is stopped because it is not.

  For example, when the lever 2 is swung to the INT position when the vehicle is traveling at a relatively slow speed due to light rain, the switch contact 3 is electrically connected / disconnected in accordance with this operation, and the control means 5 When this is detected, a low-speed driving current is supplied from the low-speed motor drive circuit 8 to the motor 10 at predetermined time intervals, and the wiper operates intermittently at low speed after a predetermined time interval. Wiping is performed.

  When the rain is slightly heavy, when the lever 2 is swung to the LO position, the control means 5 detects the electrical contact / separation of the switch contact 3 according to this, and the motor drive circuit 8 Is continuously supplied to the motor 10, and the wiper is continuously driven at a low speed operation.

  Further, when the rain becomes intense or when traveling in the rain at high speed, if the lever 2 is swung to the HI position, the control means is controlled according to the electrical contact / separation of the switch contact 3. Reference numeral 5 denotes a motor driving circuit 9 for high-speed operation, which continuously supplies a driving current for high-speed to the motor 10, and the wiper is continuously driven at high-speed operation.

  That is, the lever 2 is swung to a predetermined operation position according to the intensity of rain and the traveling speed, and the control means 5 intermittently applies a low-speed or high-speed drive current from the motor drive circuit 8 or 9. By supplying the motor 10 to the motor 10 manually or continuously, the operation speed and interval of the wiper are switched, and the windshield glass is wiped by intermittent operation, low speed operation, or high speed operation.

For example, Patent Document 1 is known as prior art document information related to the invention of this application.
JP-A-8-282446

  However, in the above-described conventional wiper control device, since the operation speed of the wiper is only low speed and high speed, and the wiper cannot be operated by changing the speed between the low speed and the high speed, for example, although the amount of rain is small, the vehicle There is a problem that the field of view is insufficient when the wiper operates at low speed, such as when the traveling speed of the vehicle is fast or when the rainfall changes frequently, but it is difficult to use when the high speed operation is not required .

  The present invention solves such a conventional problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an easy-to-use wiper control device that can change the operation speed of the wiper in accordance with the amount of rain and the traveling state of the vehicle.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following configuration.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the lever of the lever switch is provided with variable means, and when the lever is at the high-speed operation position, the control means can change the operation speed of the wiper according to the operation of the variable means. By operating the lever variable means, the wiper's operating speed can be easily changed to a speed between low speed and high speed. It is possible to obtain an easy-to-use wiper control device.

  According to a second aspect of the invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the lever is provided with an intermittent operation position, and the control means is a wiper according to the operation of the variable means when the lever is in the intermittent operation position. Since the operation interval of the wiper can be varied by the variable means for changing the operation speed of the wiper, the operation time interval of the wiper can be changed during the intermittent operation. Has an effect.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to change the operation speed of the wiper and to obtain an advantageous effect that an easy-to-use wiper control device can be realized.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

(Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block circuit diagram of the wiper control device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view thereof, in which 11 is a substantially box-shaped case made of an insulating resin, and 12 is a lever made of an insulating resin. Thus, the lever 12 is mounted on the case 11 so as to be swingable in the vertical direction, and a plurality of switch contacts 13 are formed in the case 11.

  Reference numeral 12A denotes a moderation means including a moderation pin and an uneven cam mountain that elastically contacts the lever 12 and the moderation means 12A holds the lever 12 in each of four operation positions of OFF, INT, LO, and HI. The plurality of switch contacts 13 are formed so as to be electrically connected / separated according to each operation position.

  Further, 14 is a variable means such as a rotary operation type variable resistor, which is provided on the right end side of the lever 12, and an operation portion 14A of the variable means 14 is rotatably mounted on the outer periphery of the lever 12, and the lever switch 15 is Is formed.

  On the wiring board (not shown) in the case 11, electronic parts such as a microcomputer are mounted to form a control means 16, and this control means 16 is connected to the switch contact 13, the variable means 14, and external signals. The wiper control device 18 is configured by being connected to a connector 17 or the like that performs the input / output of.

  Further, the wiper control device 18 configured as described above is disposed behind a steering (not shown) in front of the passenger compartment, and the control means 16 is connected to the wiper driving motor 21 via the connector 17. The motor drive circuits 19 and 20 are connected.

  The motor drive circuit 19 for low speed operation is formed by a resistance element or a relay, and the motor drive circuit 20 for high speed operation is formed by an electronic component such as a transistor or a power IC.

  In the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 2, when the lever 12 is held at the upper OFF position, the switch contact 13 is OFF, and drive current is supplied from the motor drive circuits 19 and 20 to the motor 21. The wiper is stopped because it is not.

  For example, when the lever 12 is swung to the INT position when the vehicle is traveling at a relatively slow speed due to light rain, the switch contact 13 is electrically connected / disconnected in accordance with this operation, and the control means 16 is operated. This switch signal is detected and a control signal is output. A low-speed drive current is supplied from the low-speed motor drive circuit 19 to the motor 21 at a predetermined time interval, and the wiper is intermittent at a low speed after a predetermined time interval. In operation, the windshield glass is wiped off.

  At this time, if it is desired to change the operation interval of the intermittent operation due to a change in the rain condition, for example, the rainfall becomes slightly strong, the variable means 14 is operated by rotating the operation portion 14A of the variable means 14 such as a variable resistor. The control means 16 detects this.

  When the control means 16 detects from the switch signal of the switch contact 13 that the lever 12 is operated to the intermittent operation INT position, when the variable means 14 is operated in this way, According to the operation of the variable means 14, the control means 16 varies the time interval of the drive current from the motor drive circuit 19 and supplies it to the motor 21 so that the operation interval of the intermittent operation of the wiper is changed. Yes.

  When the rain is slightly heavy, when the lever 12 is swung to the LO position, the control means 16 detects the electrical contact / separation of the switch contact 13 according to this, and the motor drive circuit 19 Is continuously supplied to the motor 21, and the wiper is continuously driven at a low speed operation.

  Further, when the rain becomes heavy or when traveling in the rain at a high speed, if the lever 12 is swung to the HI position, the control means is controlled according to the electrical contact / separation of the switch contact 13. Reference numeral 16 denotes a motor driving circuit 20 for high-speed operation that continuously supplies a driving current for high-speed to the motor 21, and the wiper is continuously driven at high-speed operation.

  When the lever 12 is operated to the HI position for high speed operation, if the operating portion 14A of the variable means 14 is rotated, the control means 16 detects a change in the resistance value of the variable means 14, and the variable means 14 The control means 16 varies the drive current from the motor drive circuit 20 according to the operation and supplies it to the motor 21.

  That is, for example, when the wiper has low visibility but does not require high-speed operation, such as when the amount of rain is low but the vehicle travels fast, or when the rainfall changes frequently, the lever 12 By operating the variable means 14 in a state in which is operated to the high speed operation HI position, the wiper can be continuously operated at a predetermined operation speed between the low speed and the high speed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the variable means 14 is provided on the lever 12 of the lever switch 15, and the control means 16 is operated in accordance with the operation of the variable means 14 when the lever 12 is at the high speed operation position. By changing the operation speed of the wiper, the operation speed of the wiper can be easily changed to a speed between the low speed and the high speed simply by operating the variable means 14 mounted on the outer periphery of the lever 12 on the right end side. It is possible to change the operation speed of the wiper according to the traveling situation, and to obtain an easy-to-use wiper control device.

  As described above, when the lever 12 is in the intermittent operation position, the control unit 16 varies the wiper operation interval in accordance with the operation of the variable unit 14, thereby varying the operation speed of the wiper during high-speed operation. Since the variable means 14 can be used to change the interval of the operation time of the wiper during the intermittent operation, more various and easy-to-use wiper operations can be performed.

  In the above description, the configuration in which the motor drive circuits 19 and 20 are provided separately from the wiper control device 18 has been described. However, the motor drive circuits 19 and 20 are formed together with the control means 16 on the wiring board in the case 11. The present invention can be implemented even when the drive current is output from the connector 17 to the motor 21.

  Further, as described above, the variable means 14 is a rotary operation type variable resistor in which the resistance value is changed by the rotation operation, as well as a rotary operation type in which the electrical contact / separation of the switch is output in a pulse waveform according to the operation. The present invention can also be implemented by using various variable means such as an encoder or a push switch that is electrically connected and separated by a pressing operation.

  The wiper control device according to the present invention can change the operation speed of the wiper, can realize an easy-to-use device, and is mainly useful for controlling a wiper of an automobile.

1 is a block circuit diagram of a wiper control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Partial sectional view of the same Block diagram of a conventional wiper control device Partial sectional view of the same

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Case 12 Lever 13 Switch contact 14 Variable means 14A Operation part 15 Lever switch 16 Control means 17 Connector 18 Wiper control apparatus 19, 20 Motor drive circuit 21 Motor

Claims (2)

The lever includes a lever switch that can be swung to a plurality of operation positions, and a control unit that switches the wiper between a high speed operation and a low speed operation according to the operation position of the lever. A wiper control device in which the control means changes the operation speed of the wiper in response to an operation of the variable means at an operation position for high speed operation. The wiper control device according to claim 1, wherein the lever is provided with an intermittent operation position, and the control means varies the wiper operation interval in accordance with the operation of the variable means when the lever is in the intermittent operation position.

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