Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60Q1/00—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor
  • B60Q1/26—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
  • B60Q1/44—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating braking action or preparation for braking, e.g. by detection of the foot approaching the brake pedal

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a device for controlling aver ⁇ weaving lights on a motor vehicle, comprising a propulsion engine, at least one brake warning light, a first electrical supply circuit for this light and a braking contactor disposed on this first circuit. It also relates to the use of this device-
• All motor vehicles are fitted at the rear with lights which light up when the driver actuates the brake pedal, in order to inform the following motorist of braking and thus avoid collisions by the back.
• the present invention aims to provide a device capable of activating at least one warning device at the rear of a vehicle, by detecting the decelerations operated without the aid of the brakes. It also aims to implement this device to reduce the fuel consumption of the vehicle.
• the device according to the invention is characterized in that it comprises a second circuit for supplying the brake warning light in parallel with the first circuit, and a sensor connected to this second circuit and capable of closing this circuit when the engine is driven by the wheels of the vehicle.
• warning light 5 At the rear of the vehicle, represented diagrammatically by a warning light 5.
• a second circuit 10 for the electrical supply of the warning light 5 is represented in the central part of
• This circuit firstly includes a sensor 11 equipped with an in ⁇ switch and arranged to detect the operating phases during which the vehicle engine is restrained, that is to say is driven in rotation by the wheels of the vehicle.
• the sensor i l can take various forms, in which it detects different parameters.
• the senor 11 is of the vacuum type and it is connected to an air intake manifold com ⁇ burant so as to cause the closure of the second supply circuit 10 when, in this air suction pipe, the vacuum exceeds
• This limit value must be higher than the vacuum prevailing in the suction pipe when the engine is idling.
• the throttle valve of the carburetor is .fer ⁇
• the switch integrated into the sensor 11 is closed.
• the switch detects a slowdown, it opens the switch.
• the output of the sensor 11 is electrically connected to a detection member 12 which is mounted in a housing 13.
• This detection member has several outputs I2a, 12b and 12c which are only supplied when the sensor 11 does not deliver voltage at the detection device.
• the output 12a feeds a witness 1 placed under the driver's eyes to signal a deceleration.
• This indicator 14 is preferably light and it can be constituted by a lamp, a light-emitting diode or any other display device.
• the output 12b is connected following the second supply circuit 10.
• the output 12c is connected to a member which will be described later.
• the detection member 12 is connected to a timing element 15 used to delay for a short time the closing of the second supply circuit 10 relative to the start of the slowdown. In fact, it is a question of preventing the inadvertent lighting of the warning light 5 during a very short duration deceleration, for example during a gear change.
• the output of the timer element 15 is connected to a voltage reducing element 16, in order to reduce the effective voltage delivered to the warning light 5 by the second supply circuit 10.
• the full light intensity of the lamp is therefore obtained.
• the reducing element 16 delivers the reduced voltage intended for the warning light 5 on an output 16a. It also delivers a voltage on an output 16b to supply a witness 17 placed under the eyes of the driver. This control is similar to control 1 described above.
• the output 16a of the voltage reducing element is connected to a unidirectional current element constituted by a diode bridge 18 which comprises two outputs 18a and 18b, the output 18a being connected to the brake warning light 5 via a terminal 1a which is common to the first and to the second supply circuit of the warning light.
• the senor 11 can be mounted directly on an air intake manifold. It can also be connected to an element of the carburetor in which there is a vacuum equal to that of the suction pipe. It will be noted that, according to another variant, the sensor 11 can be - installed in the housing 13 which contains the electronic organs, and be connected by a small pipe to a pressure socket on the carburetor.
• the second supply circuit 10 is connected, at the output of the sensor 11, to a solenoid valve 19 which is mounted on a fuel supply duct, for example on the carburetor idle.
• the sensor 11 is able to control the closing of the solenoid valve 19 when it cuts its electrical supply, that is to say when the vehicle is retained by the engine. This results in significant fuel savings during the vehicle's deceleration phases.
• the constituent elements of the device described above allow it to fulfill another function with a view to saving fuel.
• this command can be easily carried out by closing or opening the excitation circuit of the alternator according to the operation of the vehicle.
• the excitation circuit 29a of the alternator 29 is controlled by three parallel circuits, namely the first circuit 1 described above, on which the brake switch 4 is located, part of the second circuit 10 described above, comprising the sensor 11 which detects the operating phases in engine brake, and a third circuit 20 intended to control the loading of the accumulator in any operating mode, if this accumulator is no longer sufficiently charged.
• the third circuit 20 includes a voltage threshold detector 21, which is connected to the two terminals of the accumulator and which closes the third circuit when the voltage at the terminals is less than a predetermined threshold, for example 11 V for a battery with a nominal voltage of 12 V.
• the output of the detector 21 is connected to a holding element 22 preferably housed in the housing 13 of the device.
• the function of this element of 'holding 22 is to maintain for a predeter- mined period, for example 30 seconds, the action initiated by the detector 21.
• the closing of the excitation circuit 29a of the alternator is controlled by a contactor 23, comprising three inputs 23a, 23b and 23c which are connected respectively to the three aforementioned circuits. In the presence of a voltage on any one of these three inputs, the contactor 23 closes the excitation circuit 29a.
• the input 23a is connected to the output 18b of the diode bridge 18.
• the input 23b is connected to the output 12c of the detection member 12 placed upstream of the timer element on the second circuit 10. In Indeed, it is not a problem to control the operation of the alternator even during a brief slowdown.
• the input 23c is connected to the holding element 22 of the third circuit.
• the diode bridge 18 described above is arranged so as to allow the current to flow on these various inputs and outputs in the directions indicated by the arrows in the figure.
• the voltage of the accumulator reaches the switch 23 by the first circuit 1, the terminal la and the diode bridge 18, which controls the charging of the accumulator by the alternator.
• the sensor acts on the organ detection 12, which delivers a voltage to the input 23b of the contactor to cause without delay the charging of the accumulator by the alternator.
• the detector 21 and the holding element 22 control its charging for a predetermined duration fixed for example at 30 seconds.
• the alternator is energized, the voltage across the battery rises above 12 V and the detector 21 is triggered. However, its action is maintained by the element 22 for a loading time of 30 seconds. Then, if the driver is not braking or slowing down, the excitation of the alternator is interrupted and the voltage across the terminals of the accumulator only depends on its electromotive force. If the voltage is still below the set threshold, the detector 21 starts a new charging cycle of 30 seconds.
• the housing 13 can easily be combined with the charge regulator of the accumulator.
• the device according to the invention has a double advantageous aspect. From the point of view of traffic safety, it makes it possible to warn the drivers who follow of any notable slowdown of the vehicle, and to signal these slowdowns by means of two different intensities of the warning lights, depending on whether they are carried out by means of the brakes or the engine brake. In terms of fuel economy, the device makes it possible to save a substantial part of the energy usually absorbed by the electric generator of the vehicle, thanks to the fact that this generator is only put into action when it is really necessary or when it is driven by the kinetic energy of the vehicle.
• the driver has means of controlling the operation of the device, thanks to the warning light 14 which signals a deceleration and to the warning light 17 which signals the activation of the brake warning lights with the reduced intensity.
• These two indicators can advantageously be grouped in a common box 30 which can be added to the dashboard of the vehicle when the latter is retrofitted with a device according to the invention.
• the device as shown diagrammatically in the figure can be produced with various types of components, electrical or electronic. On the other hand, it can be modified to adapt to an engine without carburetor, for example a diesel engine.
• the senor 11 is replaced by a detection device comprising on the one hand a contact on the accelerator pedal to detect the released position of this pedal and, on the other hand, a motion detector asso ⁇ linked for example to a differential or gearbox pinion, to detect whether the vehicle is in motion or stopped. If the vehicle is traveling at a speed greater than a certain threshold and that, simultaneously, the accelerator pedal is released, this device signals a phase of deceleration to the detection member 12 in the same way as the sensor 11 .
• a detection device comprising on the one hand a contact on the accelerator pedal to detect the released position of this pedal and, on the other hand, a motion detector asso ⁇ linked for example to a differential or gearbox pinion, to detect whether the vehicle is in motion or stopped. If the vehicle is traveling at a speed greater than a certain threshold and that, simultaneously, the accelerator pedal is released, this device signals a phase of deceleration to the detection member 12 in the same way as the sensor 11 .
• the Solenoid 19 E * described above may be replaced by a device - electromechanical or electronic which intersects the flow of the pump injec ⁇ tion.
• the device according to the invention is perfectly suited to the control of the brake warning lights un * an electrically propelled vehicle.
• the senor 11 can be supplemented or replaced by other sensors arranged to signal an action tending to slow down the vehicle, for example the activation of an electric retarder, or a compression control on a diesel engine.
• Another possible application of the device according to the invention lies in the electrical control of the braking of a trailer, in parallel with the control of the brake warning lights.
• the trailer's braking system “can thus receive different signals depending on whether the tractor vehicle is slowed down by the brakes or by the engine, and it can be arranged to measure the braking according to these signals.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Lighting Device Outwards From Vehicle And Optical Signal (AREA)
• Valves And Accessory Devices For Braking Systems (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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ID=4216627

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Family Cites Families (2)

• 1985
  • 1985-04-03 EP EP19850901337 patent/EP0175720A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1985-04-03 WO PCT/CH1985/000053 patent/WO1985004626A1/fr unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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