JP2003158821A - Load controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a load controller capable of commonly using a fuse for a plurality of loads. SOLUTION: This device includes a first load 5 which is supplied with a current by a power supply 1 through the fuse 2, a second load 7 which is supplied with current by the power supply 1 through the fuse 2, a first opening/ closing means 4 connected between the fuse 2 and the first load 5, a second opening/closing means 6 connected between the fuse 2 and the second load 7, a first switch 9 for designating the control of the first load 5, a second switch 10 for designating the control of the second load 7, and a control means 8 for controlling so that the first opening/closing means 4 is closed during the first period based on the designation of the first switch 9 and controlling so that the second opening/closing means 6 is closed during the second period different from the first period based on the designation of the second switch 10. The control means 8 controls so that either of the first or second opening/ closing means 4, 6 is closed ahead of the other when the first and second periods are overlapped, and the other is changed from close control to open control only during that time.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a load control device, and more particularly to a load control device that controls driving of a plurality of loads.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a load control circuit for controlling a load such as a headlight of a vehicle, even if the load rarely drives,
It is necessary to separately prepare a drive circuit, which tends to increase the cost. On the contrary, there are cases in which the number of drive loads must be reduced due to problems of cost and the number of parts.

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a conventional load control circuit. In FIG. 3, a relay 4 and a headlamp washer motor 5 are connected to a vehicle battery 1 via a fuse 2. A relay 6 and a rear defroster 7 are connected to the battery 1 via a fuse 3.

The exciting coil 4b of the relay 4 has one end connected to the battery 1 and the other end connected to the output port P4 of the CPU 8 functioning as a system controller. The exciting coil 6b of the relay 6 has one end connected to the battery 1 and the other end connected to the output port P5 of the CPU 8.

The power port P1 of the CPU 8 is connected to the battery 1, the input port P2 is connected to the headlamp washer switch 9, and the input port P2 is connected to the rear defroster switch 10.

In the above-mentioned structure, when the headlamp washer switch 9 is turned on, the CPU 8 outputs the output signal from the output port P4 for a certain period T as shown in FIG. 4 (A).
Since the drive signal is controlled to output a low level for 1 (for example, several seconds), a current flows through the exciting coil 4b of the relay 4 during this period T1, the relay contact 4a is turned on, and the head lamp is turned on. Current flows from the battery 1 to the washer motor 5 via the fuse 2 and the relay contact 4a, and the headlamp washer motor 5 is rotationally driven. As a result, a headlamp washer wiper blade (not shown) attached to the headlamp is driven by the headlamp washer motor 5 to remove dirt from the headlamp.

On the other hand, when the rear defroster switch 10 is turned on, the CPU 8, as shown in FIG.
Since the output port P5 is controlled so as to output a drive signal that becomes a low level for a certain period T2 (for example, ten or more minutes), a current flows through the exciting coil 6b of the relay 6 during this period T2, and The rear defroster 7 including the heating wire provided in the rear window of the vehicle when the contact 6a is turned on.
An electric current flows from the battery 1 through the fuse 3 and the relay contact 6a to heat the rear window and eliminate the fog on the rear window.

[0008]

In the load control circuit having the above structure, the headlamp washer and the rear defroster are separate and independent circuits, so that the headlamp washer switch 9 and the rear defroster 9 are in different periods. Not only when they are operated, but when both are operated at the same time, their respective functions are fulfilled.
The fuse 2 for the headlamp washer and the fuse 3 for the rear defroster must be provided, which causes a problem of high cost.

Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a load control device capable of sharing a fuse with a plurality of loads.

[0010]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 is characterized in that a first load to which a current is supplied from a power source through a fuse and a power source through the fuse. A second load to which a current is supplied, a first opening / closing means connected between the fuse and the first load, and a second load connected between the fuse and the second load. An opening / closing means, a first switch for instructing control of the first load, a second switch for instructing control of the second load, and a first period based on the instruction of the first switch. Control means for controlling the closing of the first opening / closing means during a period of time, and for controlling the closing of the second opening / closing means during a second period different from the first period based on an instruction from the second switch. And the control means is configured such that the first and second periods overlap. If, one of the first and second switching means preferentially closing control resides in a load control device and changes the opening control from closing control only during the other.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the load control device includes a first load to which a current is supplied from the power source through the fuse and a second load which is supplied from the power source through the fuse. A first opening / closing means connected between the fuse and the first load, a second opening / closing means connected between the fuse and the second load, and a first instruction for controlling the first load. The switch, the second switch for instructing control of the second load, and the first opening / closing means for the first period based on the instruction of the first switch. A control means for controlling the second opening / closing means to be closed during a second period different from the first period based on the instruction, wherein the control means controls the first and second periods when the first and second periods overlap. One of the second opening / closing means is preferentially controlled to be closed, and the other is controlled to be closed only during that time. To change the control.

As a result, one fuse can be shared by a plurality of loads, and the cost can be reduced.

The invention according to claim 2 made to solve the above-mentioned problems resides in the load control device according to claim 1 characterized in that the first and second opening / closing means are relays.

According to another aspect of the invention, the first and second opening / closing means are relays. Thereby, it is possible to open and close surely.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 3 is that one of the first and second loads is a load having a relatively short driving period, and the other is
The load control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the load is driven for a relatively long period of time, and it is a load that cannot be visually recognized to be operating.

According to another aspect of the present invention, one of the first and second loads is a load having a relatively short driving period, and the other is a relatively long driving period.
It is a load that cannot be visually confirmed whether or not it is operating.

As a result, the influence on the user can be reduced.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that the one load is a headlamp washer and the other load is a rear defroster. It exists in the load control device.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, one load is a headlamp washer and the other load is a rear defroster. Accordingly, one fuse can be shared by the headlamp washer and the rear defroster.

[0020]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing an embodiment of a load control device according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, a battery 1 as a power source of a vehicle is connected via a fuse 2 to a relay 4 as a first opening / closing means and a headlamp washer motor 5 as a first load. A relay 6 as a second opening / closing means and a rear defroster 7 as a second load are connected to the battery 1 via a fuse 2.

The exciting coil 4b of the relay 4 has one end connected to the battery 1 and the other end which is an output port P4 of the CPU 8 as a control means functioning as a system controller.
It is connected to the. The exciting coil 6b of the relay 6 has one end connected to the battery 1 and the other end connected to the output port P5 of the CPU 8.

The power port P1 of the CPU 8 is connected to the battery 1, the input port P2 is connected to the headlamp washer switch 9 as the first switch, and the input port P2 is the rear defroster switch 10 as the second switch. It is connected to the.

In the above structure, when the rear defroster switch 10 is turned on, the CPU 8 causes the CPU 8 of FIG.
As shown in (B), the output port P5 is kept at T2 for a certain period.
Since it is controlled so as to output a drive signal that becomes a low level for (for example, ten or more minutes), a current flows through the exciting coil 6b of the relay 6 during this period T2, and the relay contact 6a
Is turned on, current flows from the battery 1 through the fuse 3 and the relay contact 6a to the rear defroster 7 formed of a heating wire provided in the rear window of the vehicle, the rear window is heated, and the fogging of the rear window is eliminated. It

On the other hand, when the headlamp washer switch 9 is turned on during a period other than the period in which the rear defroster 7 is functioning (that is, T2), the CPU 8 is turned on.
4A controls the output port P4 so as to output a drive signal that is at a low level for a certain period T1 (for example, several seconds), as shown in FIG. A current flows through the exciting coil 4b, and the relay contact 4
a is turned on, current flows from the battery 1 to the headlamp washer motor 5 through the fuse 2 and the relay contact 4a, and the headlamp washer motor 5 is rotationally driven. As a result, a headlamp washer wiper blade (not shown) attached to the headlamp is driven by the headlamp washer motor 5,
The headlamp is cleaned.

Next, when the headlamp washer switch 9 is turned on during the period in which the rear defroster 7 is functioning (that is, T2), the CPU 8 causes the CPU 8, as shown in FIG. Output port P4 for a certain period T1
Since it is controlled to be at a low level for (for example, several seconds), as described above, the headlamp washer motor 5
Is driven to rotate.

At this time, the CPU 8 controls the drive signal from the output port 5 so that the drive signal is at the high level only during the overlap of the periods T1. Therefore, during this period T1,
No current flows through the rear defroster 7, but after that, the drive signal from the output changes from the high level to the low level again, so that the current flows through the rear defroster 7 for the remaining period.

As described above, when a plurality of loads having different operation periods, for example, a headlamp washer and a rear defroster are operated so that both of them operate at substantially the same time, and the periods T1 and T2 overlap, CP
U8 gives priority to the operation of one of the loads (in this embodiment, the headlamp washer) and controls it so that the relay contact 4a of the relay 4 is closed, and the other (in this embodiment, the rear contact). The control is changed so that the relay contact 6a of the relay 6 on the defroster side is closed to open only during that time so that both are not simultaneously driven. In general, the CPU 8 can perform control so that the load having the shorter operation period is prioritized.

Therefore, one fuse 2 can be shared by a plurality of loads, for example, a headlamp washer requires a 20 ampere (A) fuse and a rear defroster requires a 20 A fuse. If the headlamp washer requires a fuse of 20 amperes (A) and the rear defroster requires a fuse of 10 A, the current capacity should be 20 A. You can

In addition, a load that is rarely driven and has a relatively short operation period and a load that is visually unrecognized even if it is driven for a short time are "not driven at the same time. The fuse can be shared under the condition ". For example, the headlamp washer in this embodiment corresponds to a load that is rarely driven and has a relatively short operating period, and whether the rear defroster is visually operating even after being driven for a short time. It corresponds to the load that is unknown.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications and applications are possible.

For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the relay is used as the first and second opening / closing means, but the present invention is not limited to this, and other devices such as a semiconductor element may be used.

[0032]

According to the first aspect of the invention, one fuse can be shared by a plurality of loads, and the cost can be reduced.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the opening and closing can be surely performed.

According to the third aspect of the invention, it is possible to reduce the influence on the user.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, one fuse can be shared by the headlamp washer and the rear defroster.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing an embodiment of a load control device according to the present invention.

2 (A) and (B) are diagrams showing drive signals in the load control device of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a conventional load control device.

4A and 4B are diagrams showing drive signals in the load control device of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Battery (Power Supply) 2 Fuse 4 Relay (First Opening / Closing Means) 5 Headlamp Washer Motor (First Load) 6 Relay (Second Opening / Closing Means) 7 Rear Defroster (Second Load) 8 CPU (Control Means) ) 9 Headlamp washer switch (first switch) 10 Rear defroster switch (second switch)

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued Front Page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification Code FI Theme Coat (Reference) G05F 1/10 G05F 1/10 AF Term (Reference) 3D025 AA04 AB01 AC01 AD12 AE57 AG48 AG70 AG77 AG78 5G004 AA04 AB02 BA04 DC06 EA03 5H410 CC02 DD05 EA28 EA37 EB25

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A first load to which a current is supplied from a power supply through a fuse, a second load to which a current is supplied from the power supply through the fuse, and a fuse and the first load. First opening / closing means connected between them; second opening / closing means connected between the fuse and the second load; a first switch for instructing control of the first load; A second switch for instructing control of the second load, and closing the first opening / closing means for a first period based on the instruction of the first switch, and instructing the second switch. And a control means for controlling the second opening / closing means to be closed during a second period different from the first period, based on the above, the control means, when the first and second periods overlap, One of the first and second opening / closing means is preferentially closed and the other is closed. Load controller and changes the opening control of only closing control during the. 2. The load control device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second switching means are relays. 3. One of the first and second loads is a load that is driven for a relatively short period, and the other is
The load control device according to claim 1, wherein the load is a drive for a relatively long period of time, and it is a load that cannot be visually recognized to be operating. 4. The load control device according to claim 3, wherein the one load is a headlamp washer and the other load is a rear defroster.