JPH0119221B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to improvements in direction indicating devices for automobiles and the like.

Conventional direction indicating devices for automobiles and the like are closed when a lever of a direction indicating switch is manually rotated, and opened when the steering wheel is reversed and the lever is automatically returned to a neutral position. That is, in the conventional direction indicating device as described above, the operating lever of the direction indicating switch is mechanically released by rotating the handle and returned to the neutral position to control opening and closing of the direction indicating switch. The installation position of the direction indicator switch is limited to the area around the handlebar, and there is no flexibility in the installation position, and there is also a disadvantage in that there is less freedom in terms of design.

On the other hand, there is a need for innovation in the interior design of automobiles, and there is also a need to increase the degree of freedom in the installation position of direction indicators.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a direction indicating device that eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks. This is achieved by emitting an electric signal for direction indication by setting the direction.

The present invention will be explained below using examples.

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a direction indicating device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In Fig. 1, 1 is a direction indicating switch consisting of three momentary switches R, S, ₂ and L, and 2 is a direction indicating switch when the steering wheel is rotated clockwise, and when the steering _wheel is rotated to the left. Contacts S _L are rotational direction detection sensors that are turned on, and 3 and 4 are OR circuits. Further, 5 and 6 are latch circuits, and 7 and 8 are inverting amplifiers, which invert and amplify the outputs of the latch circuits 5 and 6, respectively, and drive relays 9 and 10. Reference numerals 11 and 12 denote a right turn signal lamp and a left turn signal lamp, which are turned on when the respective contacts of relays 9 and 10 are turned on, and 13 is a flasher unit for blinking the turn signal lamps 11 and 12.

The direction indicating switch 1 is constructed, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, which will be described later, and is disposed near the steering wheel so that it can be easily operated by the driver with his hand on the wheel.

Now, when the contact R of the direction indicating switch 1 is momentarily turned on, a signal is applied to the latch input terminal S of the latch circuit 5, and the signal is latched. There, a Q output of the latch circuit 5 is generated, and this signal is inverted and amplified by the inverting amplifier 7 to energize the relay 9. Then, the contact of the relay 9 is turned on, and the right turn signal lamp 11 blinks through the power supply B and the flasher unit 13. Therefore, the contact R of the direction indicator switch 1 is momentarily turned on and then returned to the off state, but the latch circuit 5 causes the right turn signal lamp 11 to continue blinking.

Next, in the above state, contact L of direction indicator switch 1
When turned on instantaneously, a signal is applied to the reset input terminal R of the latch circuit 5 through the OR circuit 3, the latch circuit 5 is reset, and the Q of the latch circuit 5 is
The output disappears and the left turn signal lamp 11
goes out. At the same time, the signal from the contact L is applied to the latch input terminal S of the latch circuit 6 and the signal is latched. Therefore, the Q output of the latch circuit 6 is generated, and in the same way as when the latch circuit 5 described above is set, the left turn signal lamp 12 is turned on.
flashes. The contact L of the direction indicator switch 1 is momentarily turned on and then turned off, but the latch circuit 6 causes the left turn signal lamp 12 to continue blinking.

Also, the right or left turn signal lamp 1
When contact _S2 of direction indicator switch 1 is momentarily turned on while 1 or 12 is flashing, the output of contact _S2 passes through OR circuits 3 and 4 and resets latch circuits 5 and 6. Therefore, the flashing right or left turn signal lamp 11 or 12 is turned off. This is the turn signal lamp 1 by mistake.
When 1 or 12 is blinking, it means that it can be used to turn off the turn signal lamp 11 or 12.

Next, a case will be described in which the vehicle turns to the right after operating the direction indicator switch 1 to flash the right turn signal lamp.

First, the contact R of the direction indicator switch 1 is momentarily turned on to activate the latch circuit 5 as described above, causing the right turn signal lamp 11 to blink. In this state, make a right turn. In this case, when the handle is turned to the right, the contact S _R of the rotation direction detection switch 2 is turned on several times depending on the number of rotations of the handle, but since the latch circuit 6 is in a reset state by the signal from the contact R, This does not affect the flashing of the right turn signal lamp 11. Of course, the latch circuit 5 is never reset. Next, after completing the right turn, the contact point of rotation direction detection switch 2 is activated by operating the reverse rotation handle.
S _L is turned on. Therefore, the signal that turns on the contact S _L passes through the OR circuit 3 and resets the latch circuit 5. Therefore, the right turn signal lamp 1
1 turns off.

Furthermore, the operation when the contact point L of the direction indicating switch 1 is turned on and the steering wheel is reversely rotated after completing a left turn is the same as the operation when turning to the right. In this case, the OR circuit 4 is activated and the latch circuit 6 is reset.

Next, a switch suitable for use in a direction indicating switch will be explained.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the structure of an example of a switch that can be used in the direction indicating device of the present invention.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 21 denotes a hollow cylindrical switch case made of an insulator and sealed at one end, and a recessed groove 22 along the circumference of the switch case 21 is provided at one end side of the switch case 21. 23 is a shaft made of a hollow insulator, and a support disc 24 is fixed to the middle of the shaft 23;
The shaft 23 is provided with protrusions 25 concentrically with the outer periphery of the disc 24 at equal intervals, and the shaft 23 is provided with protrusions 25 concentrically with the outer periphery of the disc 24.
Projections 26a and 26b are integrally fixed on both sides of the housing so that the envelope surfaces thereof are semispherical. A hole 27 is provided in one end surface of the switch case 21, and the hole 27 is inserted through the hole 27 to connect the end surface of the hole 27 of the switch case 21 to the protrusion 26.
The shaft 23 is inserted into the switch case 21 so that the movable ring 47 comes into contact with the protrusion 25.

On the other hand, 31 is a knob made of an insulator with one end formed into a skirt shape, and the tip of the skirt portion 32 of the knob 31 is inserted into the groove 22 of the switch case 21 to support the knob 31 in a swingable manner. At the same time, there is also a shaft 23 in the center of one end of the knob 31.
The knob 31 has a support portion 35 having a protrusion 34 that fits into a groove 33 provided in the knob 31, and a push button 36 for pushing the shaft 23 at the tip is slidably provided on the knob 31.

On the other hand, a holder housing 28 made of an insulator is inserted into the switch case 21, and the tip thereof is formed so as to come into contact with the protrusion 26b forming a hemispherical surface, and a spring 29 is inserted between the movable ring 47 and the holder housing 28. After insertion, the shaft 23 is set to be in the upright position when the knob 31 is in the neutral position.

A contact holder 30 made of an insulator is inserted into the holder housing 28, and a knob 31 is inserted into a predetermined position on the contact surface of the holder housing 28 through a protrusion 48 provided on the upper end surface of the contact holder 30. A groove 37 is provided which allows the contact holder 30 to move through the shaft 23 in the opposite direction to the direction in which the knob is swung when swung in the directions T _R and _TL .

Further, an electrode rod 39 is inserted into the shaft 23 and has an electrode 38 fixed thereto constituting a contact portion at one end thereof.

Reference numeral 40 designates the bottom plate of the switch case 21, which has a fixed contact provided on an insulator by printed wiring, and an electrode portion is provided at the tip between the bottom plate 40 and a conductor disk 41 fixed to the electrode rod 39. The contact plate 44 having protrusions 42 and 43 and a protrusion 45 (not shown) is attached to the contact holder 3.
A spring 46 is provided between the disc 41 and the contact plate 44 to constantly press the contact plate 44 toward the bottom plate 40. Also, the spring 46 pushes the electrode rod 39 onto the button 36.
By pressing the button 36, the electrode 38 and the bottom plate 40 are always kept apart, and at the same time, the electrode 38 is brought into contact with the bottom plate 40 by pressing the push button 36, and at the same time, the electrode 38 is always kept in contact with a fixed contact provided on the bottom plate 40. It functions to supply current from the protruding portion 45 to the electrode 38.

Further, on the surface of the bottom plate 40 facing the electrode 38 side, there is a position facing the electrode 38 and a knob 31.
When the knob 31 is swung toward the T _R side and when the knob 31 is swung toward the T _L side, the pattern formed through the positions where the contacts R and L of the direction indicating switch 1 shown in FIG. 1 are in the ON state, respectively. It has printed wiring. For example, if the protrusion 45 is the common point on the ground side of the direction switch 1, the push button 36
When pressed, common ground on the ground side by printed wiring → protrusion 45 → contact plate 44 → spring 4
6 → Conductor disk 41 → The circuit of electrode 38 and the fixed electrode S ₂ on the printed wiring are connected, and the knob 31 is turned.
When the knob 3 is swung toward the T _R side, the protrusion 42 and the fixed electrode R on the printed wiring are connected, and the knob 3
1 is swung toward the T _L side, the protruding portion 43 and the fixed electrode L on the printed wiring are in a connected state.

In addition, the rotation of the knob 31 to the T _R side and T _L side is as follows.
Swinging in other directions is restricted by the groove 37 provided in the holder housing 28 and the protrusion 48 of the contact holder 30, and normally the knob 31 cannot be swung by force.

Further, when no force is applied to the push button 36 or the knob 31, the electrode 38 is connected to the bottom plate 40.
and the knob 31 is in the neutral position,
Since the protrusions 42 and 43 do not touch any pattern of the printed wiring, in this state, the first
The contacts are in the state shown in the figure.

Next, another example of a switch that can be used in the direction indicating device of the present invention will be explained.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the structure of another example of a switch that can be used in the direction indicating device of the present invention. Third
In the figure, the same components as in FIG. 2 are designated by the same reference numerals.

In the switch of this example, the push button 36 is removed as shown in FIG. 26b so that it does not come into contact with the second
The electrode rod 39 shown in the figure and the shaft 23 are integrated to form the shaft 23 shown in FIG. 3. Other than that, it is the same as the switch shown in FIG.

By pressing the knob 31, the shaft 23 is pressed down, producing an effect equivalent to pressing the push button 36 in FIG. The effect when the knob 31 is swung is the same as that of the switch shown in FIG.

As explained above, by using the switch shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 as the direction indicating switch 1, its operation becomes easy.

Of course, three momentary switches may be used as the direction indicating switch 1, and the three momentary switches may be arranged in parallel.

Further, the direction indicating device of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 can also be used for a power window.

In this case, the flasher unit 13 is removed, a short circuit is made between them, and the turn signal lamp 11
In place of the turn signal lamp 12, the contact signal of the relay 9 is trusted as a signal for raising the power window motor, and in place of the turn signal lamp 12, the contact of the relay 10 is used as a signal for lowering the _power window motor. Use a signal that turns on momentarily only when the glass reaches the end of its rise, and contact S _R
It is sufficient to use a signal that is momentarily turned on only when the window glass reaches the lower end. For example, the overload of the motor may be detected and the upper end or lower end signal may be used.

As explained above, according to the present invention, a momentary contact structure can be used as a direction indicating switch, and the direction indicating switch and the contact of the rotational direction detection sensor are electrically connected, so that mechanical coupling is particularly unnecessary. do not need. Therefore, the installation position of the direction indicating switch can be arbitrarily selected, and the degree of freedom in setting the installation position is improved. Furthermore, in the present invention, once a direction indication operation is performed, it is latched by a holding circuit that holds it until it is reset, so it is not canceled in the middle of the operation, and furthermore, the latch circuit is Since a signal for latching the latch circuit on the opposite side is used as the reset signal, it has the effect that the left and right lamps are not turned on at the same time.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of one embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views showing one example and another example of a switch that can be used in the present invention. 1...Direction indicator switch, 2...Rotation direction detection sensor, 3 and 4...OR circuit, 5 and 6
... Latch circuit, 7 and 8 ... Inverting amplifier, 9
and 10... relay, 11 and 12... right and left turn signal lamps, 13... flasher unit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. Installed around or apart from the steering rod, one right turn signal momentary switch, one left turn signal momentary switch, and one turn cancell momentary switch. a rotation direction detection sensor comprising: a direction indicating switch; a first sensor for detecting leftward rotation of the steering rod; and a second sensor for detecting rightward rotation of the steering rod; and the right turn signal. a first holding circuit that receives an electrical signal from the momentary switch and holds it; a second holding circuit that receives an electrical signal from the right turn signal momentary switch and holds it; a first OR circuit that receives a signal from a right turn cancel momentary switch and a signal from a second sensor that detects the right return rotation and is connected to a reset input of the second holding circuit; A signal from the left turn signal momentary switch and a signal from a second sensor that detects leftward return rotation from the turn canceller momentary switch are input, and are output to the reset input of the first holding circuit. A direction indicating device comprising: a second logical sum circuit;