JPS6261464B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an automatic turn signal canceling device.

More specifically, like a motorcycle, the steering wheel turning angle when changing direction differs depending on the vehicle speed. Specifically, the higher the vehicle speed, the smaller the steering wheel turning angle when changing direction, and the way the steering wheel is turned at low speeds becomes smaller. This system detects the state of change in the turning angle of the steering wheel and compares it with a predetermined setting angle, which is installed on vehicles that generally have the characteristic that the turning angle becomes larger than that at high speeds. In an automatic cancellation device that causes automatic cancellation, when a steering wheel is turned back, the set angle that is compared with the turning angle of the steering wheel and used as a reference for generating a turn signal cancel signal is variable depending on the vehicle speed, and the set angle is set at a low vehicle speed. This invention relates to an automatic turn signal canceling device configured to be smaller when the vehicle is at high speed than when the vehicle is moving at high speed.

The present applicant has so far proposed various electric circuits related to automatic turn signal canceling devices using a steering wheel turning angle detection method, which are mainly suitable for vehicles such as motorcycles. The method of detecting the turning angle of the steering wheel is that since steering wheel operation is always required when changing the direction of travel of the vehicle when changing direction, it is possible to detect a predetermined change in the steering wheel by checking whether or not the steering wheel is being operated. This method attempts to cancel the activated turn signal based on the following. This method is
In vehicles with a steering wheel, such as a four-wheeled vehicle, the steering wheel has a sufficient steering angle and return angle when changing direction, so it is technically possible to realize the device configuration relatively easily. In a vehicle having a bar handle such as a motorcycle, it is generally not possible to take a sufficient amount of change in the handle as the amount of displacement, making it difficult to realize an automatic turn signal canceling device. That is, due to the inherent characteristics and running characteristics of motorcycles, the turning angle and return angle of the steering wheel that occur are relatively small, and it is impossible to realize an automatic turn signal canceling device like a four-wheeled vehicle by means of a mere mechanical structure. It is not possible.

In view of the above-mentioned problems with vehicles such as motorcycles, the present applicant has proposed that by using electrical means, changes in the turning angle and return angle of the steering wheel can be used as a reference for the operation of an automatic turn signal canceling device. We have proposed several methods and achieved the realization of this type of automatic turn signal canceling device. However, there are still some technical problems with the automatic turn signal cancel device, and a series of technological developments are continuing in search of further improvements.

The technical problems on which the present invention was made possible will be described below.

When we look at the driving characteristics of motorcycles, we discover the following characteristics. First of all, in motorcycles, in addition to changing direction, the steering wheel is often turned to the left or right in order to balance the vehicle body, and this condition often occurs at relatively low speeds. Second, when turning with a curve of the same size, the steering wheel turning angle is smaller in a high-speed state than in a low-speed state due to the use of banking. Third, there is a possibility that the steering wheel may be turned even when the vehicle is stopped.

Based on the characteristics of the motorcycle as described above, the following problem arises regarding how to determine the above-mentioned setting angle. The set angle is generally determined based on a change in direction due to high speed conditions. If it is determined based on low speed conditions, the turning angle of the steering wheel will be larger at low speeds than at high speeds, so in order to cancel at the appropriate timing, the set angle must be set large. Since the corner is small, the turn signal operation cannot be canceled. However, if the setting angle is determined based on high-speed conditions, the setting angle will be small, making it more sensitive in low-speed conditions, and the turn signal will be canceled earlier.
It's inconvenient. Furthermore, as mentioned above, in low-speed states including stopped states, the steering wheel generally frequently turns slightly (or sharply when stopped).
In such a case at low speeds, the activated turn signal will turn off prematurely, and there is room for improvement in this respect.

It is thought that the cause of the above problem is that the set angle is fixed (unchangeable) based on high-speed turning. Conventionally,
The way to solve this type of problem is to eliminate the problem by combining elements that generate other judgment criteria, such as measuring time separately or detecting vehicle speed. Although methods have been considered to do this, they are not sufficient in terms of performance to fully eliminate the problem.

Therefore, the present inventor focused on making the set angle variable according to the vehicle speed, and created the present invention in order to effectively solve the above problems.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a circuit for detecting a steering wheel turning angle when changing direction, a circuit for comparing the detected steering wheel turning angle with a predetermined set angle, and a circuit for detecting a steering wheel turning angle when the steering wheel turns back to a predetermined setting angle. and a circuit configured to output a signal to cancel the operation of the turn signal on the condition that the turn signal becomes smaller than the set angle, the set angle is variable according to the vehicle speed, and the set angle is set to To provide an automatic blinker canceling device configured to be smaller at high vehicle speeds.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to cancel the turn signal operation at an appropriate timing even when the direction is changed at any vehicle speed, since the set angle can be appropriately determined by changing the set angle according to the vehicle speed. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an automatic turn signal canceling device that can perform the following functions.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In FIG. 1, A is a circuit for generating a voltage depending on the vehicle speed. That is, it is a vehicle speed-voltage converter. Reference numeral 1 denotes a reed switch, which is generally installed in a vehicle and is used to measure travel distance by turning on and off the reed switch 1. The on/off operation of reed switch 1 is performed by reed switch 1.
This is caused by the action of a circular magnet 2 that is placed close to the wheel and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the wheel. Therefore, based on the operation of the reed switch 1, a periodic pulse corresponding to the vehicle speed is generated as a signal state related to the potential at point a. While the vehicle is stopped, the magnet 2 can be either on or off depending on the position of the magnet 2.

The signal state occurring at point a is transmitted via capacitor 5.
It is input to NOT circuit 3. The output of the NOT circuit 3 is a pulse generated at point a which is shaped by a resistor 4 and a capacitor 5 to become a one-shot pulse output.
The output of the NOT circuit 3 is input to the base of the transistor 6 via an AND circuit 4a, a -input of a counter 26 to be described later, and a resistor 5a. The transistor 6 is switched by the output of the NOT circuit 3, and has the function of discharging the charge stored in the capacitor 7 in its on state. The capacitor 7 is always charged from a battery terminal 9 via a resistor 8. Resistor 8 and capacitor 7
A point b between the two is connected to the + terminal of the operational amplifier 10. Also, a resistor 11 is connected to the negative terminal of the amplifier 10.
The voltage set by 12 is input.
The potential at point b is determined by the charging and discharging action of the transistor 6 by turning it on and off. The higher the vehicle speed becomes due to the on/off operation of the reed switch 1 and the action of the resistor 4 and capacitor 5, the more times the transistor 6 is turned on, so the potential at point b becomes lower as the speed increases.

In the above, the operation of circuit A is as follows. When the vehicle is stopped, reed switch 1
is in the on or off state, thereby
The input of NOT circuit 3 remains high, so its output remains low. Therefore, since transistor 6 is in an off state, the potential at point b, which is the upper terminal of capacitor 7, also becomes high, the output of amplifier 10 becomes high level, and the potential at point c also becomes approximately equal to the power supply voltage.

When the vehicle travels at low speed, the transistor 6 repeatedly turns on and off, thereby causing the capacitor 7 to repeatedly charge and discharge. Transistor 6 is turned off to start charging capacitor 7, and thereafter the output of amplifier 10 is maintained at a low level until the potential at point b reaches the set terminal voltage of resistor 12. The time that this low level state is maintained is constant. The potential at point c decreases to a predetermined value depending on the rate at which low level and high level states occur in the output of the amplifier 10 over time.

As the vehicle speed increases, the number of times the transistor 6 is turned on increases, so the time the amplifier is at the high level becomes progressively shorter. Since the time it takes for the charge stored in the capacitor 7 to be discharged and then charged to reach the terminal voltage of the resistor 12 is constant, the ratio of the time at the low level to the time at the high level increases. The potential at the point further decreases.

The potential at point c is applied as an input to one terminal of the comparison amplifier 25, and the potential at point c functions as a set angle that should be the reference for the end of a turn, which is compared with the turning angle that occurs when changing direction. As is clear from the above description of the operation, the circuit is designed so that the potential at point c, which is the set angle, is large at low speeds and becomes smaller as the speed increases, so the set angle is provided as a variable set angle. The variable characteristic of the setting angle is
As shown in the figure.

In Figure 2, at the critical point P ₁ on the high speed side, the speed is 50
The set angle is 1 to 1.5 degrees at ~60 km/h, and this value is determined by the time constant determined by the resistor 8 and capacitor 7, so if the time constant is changed, the critical point _P1 can also be changed. The critical point _P2 on the low speed side is set at a set angle of about 10 degrees at a speed of 5 km/h, and this can also be set as appropriate by changing the design.

Reference numeral 13 denotes a turn signal switch, and when the turn signal switch 13 is operated by the driver, one of the left and right turn signal lamps 14 blinks. The blinking of the lamp 14 is caused by the action of the turn signal relay 15. When the turn signal switch 13 operates in either the left or right direction, the switch 16 also turns on in the same direction in conjunction with the turn signal switch 13, so a low level signal is input to the other input of the AND circuit 4a through the NOT circuit 4b. . When the switch 16 is turned on, a high level signal is input to one input of the NAND circuit 17.

Reference numeral 18 denotes a potentiometer that is interposed between the vehicle body and the steering wheel and extracts the turning angle of the steering wheel (substantially the amount that determines the position of the steering wheel) as a voltage signal, and the signal from the potentiometer 18 is a voltage signal. The signal is inputted via the amplifier 19 to the - terminal and + terminal of the semiconductor switch 20 and differential operational amplifiers 21 and 22 for comparison, respectively.

The semiconductor switch 20 has its opening/closing operation controlled by the output state of the AND circuit 4a, and operates so that it is turned on when the output of the AND circuit 4a is at a high level and turned off when it is at a low level. The state of the output of the AND circuit 4a, ie, the ratio of occurrence of high level and low level, is determined by the ratio of occurrence of high level and low level of the output of the NOT circuit 3.
Therefore, as the speed increases, the rate at which the output of the NOT circuit 3 is at a high level increases, and the frequency at which the semiconductor switch 20 is turned on increases.When the speed decreases, the rate at which the output of the NOT circuit 3 goes to a low level increases, so the semiconductor switch 20 turns on at a higher rate. The frequency with which the switch 20 is turned off increases.

Due to the above action, the vehicle is generally maintained in a straight-line state at high speeds, so the semiconductor switch 2
0, an integrating circuit consisting of a resistor 23 and a capacitor 24 generates a voltage at point d, which is the center of the steering angle, which should always serve as a reference for determining the steering wheel turning angle, and this is applied to the + input of the amplifier 21 and the - input of the amplifier 22.
entered into the input. Since the continuously changing voltage taken out from the potentiometer 18 is input to the negative input of the amplifier 21 and the positive input of the amplifier 22, the turning angle of the steering wheel that occurs when turning right or left is output from the amplifiers 21 and 22. Generated as voltage. The outputs of the amplifiers 21 and 22 are input to the +input of the comparison amplifier 25.

In the amplifier 25, the set angle that changes depending on the vehicle speed is input as a voltage to the negative input terminal of the amplifier 25, as described above, so the steering wheel turning angle that is input to the positive input terminal is compared with the set angle, and the steering wheel is adjusted. Outputs a high level output when the turning angle becomes larger than the set angle. This output is input to the NAND circuit 17.

When the turn signal switch 13 is turned on, the NAND circuit 17's - input becomes high level, and when a direction change is started and the steering wheel turning angle becomes larger than the set angle at that vehicle speed, the other inputs of the NAND circuit become high level. The output of the NAND circuit 17 becomes low level. The low level output of the NAND circuit sets the counter 26 and flips the flip-flop 2.
7 maintains the previous state (low level).

The set counter 26 counts the pulses output from the NOT circuit 3, and after counting a predetermined number of pulses, outputs a high level output to set the flip-flop 27. When flip-flop 27 is set, its output causes resistor 2 to
8. Capacitor 30 is charged through diode 29. Thereafter, when the turning angle of the steering wheel becomes less than the set angle, the output of the amplifier 25 becomes low level and the output of the NAND circuit 17 becomes high level, resetting the counter 26 and the flip-flop 27. When flip-flop 27 is reset, capacitor 30 to transistor 31,
Current flows through resistor 28 and transistor 31
turns on, which turns on the transistor 32, energizes the solenoid 33, and turns on the switch 1.
3 and 16 are returned to their old neutral positions. In this way, the operation of the turn signal 14 is automatically canceled. When switch 16 is turned off,
The states of the AND circuit 4 and the NAND circuit 17 return to the state before the turn signal switch 13 was activated.

As described above, in the turn signal cancel device of this embodiment, the set angle for detecting the steering wheel turning angle is made variable according to the vehicle speed, and the set angle is made smaller at high vehicle speeds than at low vehicle speeds. In addition, after the vehicle has traveled a predetermined distance after the steering wheel turning angle becomes equal to or greater than the set angle, the steering wheel returns to its original position, and the turn signal operation is automatically canceled after the steering wheel turning angle becomes smaller than the set angle. It consists of Conversely, if the vehicle does not travel a predetermined distance before the steering wheel turning angle exceeds the set angle and falls below the set angle again, the automatic cancel device will not operate.

In Fig. 2, when the vehicle speed becomes greater than the position of point _P1 , the set angle becomes the minimum value and becomes constant, but this means that the transistor 6 is turned on longer than the time determined by the resistors 8, 11, 12 and the capacitor 7. This is because the period during which the signal is applied becomes shorter, the output of the comparator amplifier 10 is held at a low level, and the potential at point c takes the minimum value determined by the resistors 34 and 35.

Also, when the vehicle speed becomes smaller than the position of point _P2 , the set angle becomes approximately constant, but this is because the period in which transistor 6 is turned on becomes extremely long, and the potential at point b becomes approximately constant. This is because the potential generated at the point also reaches a maximum and becomes approximately constant.

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention,
The set angle, which is the standard for determining the steering wheel turning angle, is made smaller as the vehicle speed increases, and increases as the vehicle speed decreases, so the turn signal is automatically activated under appropriate conditions when changing direction depending on the vehicle speed. can be canceled,
This also brings about effects such as being able to obtain an automatic turn signal canceling device that is more suitable for driving conditions.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of an automatic turn signal canceling device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing changes in the set angle. In the drawing, 1 is a reed switch, 13 is a turn signal switch, 15 is a turn signal relay, 18 is a potentiometer, 25 is a comparison amplifier, 26 is a counter, 33 is a solenoid, and A is a vehicle speed-voltage converter.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A circuit for detecting a steering wheel turning angle when changing direction, a circuit for comparing the detected steering wheel turning angle with a predetermined setting angle, and a circuit for detecting a turning angle of the steering wheel when the steering wheel turns back.
a circuit configured to output a signal for canceling the operation of the turn signal on the condition that the steering wheel turning angle becomes smaller than a set angle, the set angle being variable according to the vehicle speed, and the set angle being variable according to the vehicle speed; An automatic turn signal cancel device characterized in that the angle is configured to be smaller at high vehicle speeds than at low vehicle speeds.