JP2001056221A - Inclination sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To detect an inclination condition of a vehicle with satisfactory response property without performing complicated adjustment and being affected by the vibration during running of the vehicle. SOLUTION: A movement 2 is supported on a case so as to turn freely, and the turn of the movement 2 by an angle exceeding a prescribed angle is detected by a photointerrpter 5. Moreover, a time constant circuit consisting of a capacitor and a resistor is provided in a detection circuit outputting a detection signal when the photointerrupter 5 detects a turn condition of the movement 2 by an angle exceeding the prescribed angle and a switch is turned on. This inclination sensor does not respond to an instantaneous turning on of the switch of the photointerrupter 5 with in a time determined by the time constant.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tilt sensor for detecting a tilt state of a vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a tilt sensor is used to detect a fall of a two-wheeled vehicle or a rollover of a four-wheeled vehicle, and to take various safety measures such as an emergency stop of an engine.

Conventionally, as a tilt sensor of this type, a reed switch operates when a balance weight that rotates in accordance with a tilt state of a vehicle turns more than a predetermined amount to detect a tilt state of the vehicle that is higher than a predetermined value. There is something that was made. Then, in order to prevent the balance weight from being erroneously detected by the instantaneous rotation of the balance weight due to vibration during vehicle running, the balance weight is immersed in relatively viscous oil to provide an oil damper function, or The weight is provided with a magnetic damper function for applying a magnetic braking force by a permanent magnet.

[0004]

The problem to be solved is that in the case of the conventional tilt sensor, the case must have an oil-sealed hermetic structure in order to have an oil damper function, which increases the number of parts and man-hours. , It takes time to manufacture. In addition, since the oil damper function is provided, the response time of the detection of the tilting state changes depending on the temperature of the operating environment and the viscosity of the oil. In addition, if the magnetic damper function is provided, it is difficult to adjust the magnetic force because there is variation in the magnetic force, and the magnetic flux from the permanent magnet affects the surrounding electric and electronic components, and it is necessary to take magnetic shielding measures. It is becoming.

Further, in the conventional tilt sensor, it is difficult to make an adjustment so that the reed switch is turned on in accordance with the turning state of the balance weight at the time when the vehicle is tilted more than a predetermined amount. That is, there is a tendency that the detection accuracy varies depending on the tilt angle for each product.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The tilt sensor according to the present invention does not have any damper function, and can detect the tilting state of the vehicle with good responsiveness without complicated adjustment. To this end, the movement is rotatably supported on the case so that the movement of the movement by a predetermined angle or more is detected by a photo interrupter.

A detection circuit is configured to output a detection signal when the photo-interrupter is turned on by detecting a rotation state of the movement at a predetermined angle or more. By providing a time constant circuit composed of a capacitor and a resistor and not responding to an instantaneous switch-on of the photointerrupter within a time determined by the time constant, the vehicle is not affected by the traveling vibration of the vehicle. I have to.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In a tilt sensor according to the present invention, as shown in FIGS.
Are rotatably supported by the shaft 3.

In the case 1, the upper portion of the lower case 11 to which the movement 2 is attached is fitted into the upper case 12 via an O-ring 4 for sealing, and the fitted portion is hooked at a plurality of places. , So as to have a waterproof structure. In the figure, reference numeral 14 denotes a hook engaging portion.

The movement 2 is provided inside the upper case 12.
The photo interrupter 5 detects a rotation state of a predetermined angle or more, and a circuit board 6 on which a detection circuit configured to output a detection signal when the photo interrupter 5 is turned on is mounted. . In the drawing, reference numeral 7 denotes a mounting screw.

As shown in FIG. 3, a power supply Vcc from the circuit board 6 and a ground GND are provided in the upper case 12.
Further, a socket portion 8 from which each terminal of the detection output OUT is drawn out is formed integrally.

The upper case 12 is provided with a mounting seat 10 for attaching the upper case 12 to the vehicle body via a rubber bush 9 for absorbing vibration.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the movement 2 is provided with a horizontal rotating shaft 3 at the center of the circle. A cutout portion 21 having a predetermined opening angle α (for example, 70 °) is provided at an upper portion thereof so as to be symmetrical with respect to the reference position O, and a reference position O is vertically arranged at a lower portion thereof. Is provided with a weight portion 22 for balancing.

The photo interrupter 5 attached to the circuit board 6 is arranged on a reference position O of the movement 2. When the movement 2 is in the balanced state, the light of the photointerrupter 5 is not interrupted by the cutout portion 21 and the output side is switched off, and the movement 2 is turned to the left and right by an angle of more than α / 2. When the light of the photointerrupter 5 moves and is interrupted by the movement 2, the output side is switched on.

However, since the notch 21 is provided in the upper part of the movement 2 and the weight 22 is provided in the lower part thereof, the weight distribution is more sufficient in the lower part than in the upper part of the rotating shaft 3. It becomes heavy, and a large moment is required to rotate the movement 2, and the movement 2 becomes difficult to rotate due to vibration during running of the vehicle.

The notch 21 is provided at the upper portion of the movement 2 with a relatively large opening angle α so that the reference position O for rotation is located at the center. Even if 2 swings within the range of the opening angle α, the photo interrupter 5 does not respond. Therefore, the photointerrupter 5 is switched on only when the vehicle is tilted at a predetermined angle or more without being erroneously detected due to the vibration during traveling of the vehicle.

At this time, in particular, the notch 2 of the movement 2
When the photo interrupter 5 is turned off by the edge portion in FIG. 1, a tilt state of the left or right set angle α / 2 or more around the reference position O of the vehicle is detected. The positioning of the state detection can be easily and accurately performed.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a detection circuit for detecting the tilting state of the vehicle in accordance with the switching state on the output side of the photo interrupter 5.

Here, a circuit is configured to output a high-level detection signal when the photo-interrupter 5 detects a rotation state of the movement 2 at a predetermined angle or more and is turned on, and then outputs a high-level detection signal. A time constant circuit including capacitors C1 and C2 and a resistor R4 is provided in the detection circuit so as not to respond to an instantaneous switch-on of the photointerrupter 5 within a time determined by the time constant.

That is, when the photointerrupter 5 is in the normal state in which the photointerrupter 5 is in the switch-off state, that is, when the output signal DS of the photointerrupter IC 5 'shown in FIG. 6 is at the high level, the capacitors C1 and C2 are in the charged state. , The output transistor Q4 is turned on, and the voltage of the output terminal OUT is at the low level. And
When the vehicle is tilted and the photo-interrupter 5 is turned on (the output signal DS of the photo-interrupter IC 5 'shown in FIG. 6 becomes low), the capacitor C
The discharge circuit of C1 and C2 is formed, and after a predetermined time, the output transistor Q4 is turned off, and the voltage of the output terminal OUT switches to the high level.

Therefore, when the movement 2 is instantaneously rotated by a predetermined angle or more due to the running vibration of the vehicle, erroneous detection of the tilted state is prevented.

At this time, the movement of the movement 2 is large, and the movement 2 faces the photointerrupter 5 and is turned on for a time longer than the time set by the time constants of the capacitors C1 and C2 and the resistor R4. As shown in FIG. 4, the peripheral surface of the movement 2 is provided by providing a slit 23 having an opening angle β centered on the reference position O as shown in FIG. The movement is divided equally so that the movement 2 does not face the photointerrupter 5 for a set time or more.

In this detection circuit, a zener diode ZD is provided to make the power supply constant, and a collector current of a constant current is always supplied through the resistor R7 when the transistor Q2 is turned on, so that the battery power supply (Vcc ) Fluctuations.

That is, when the constant current circuit including the Zener diode ZD and the resistor R7 is not provided, when the battery power supply (Vcc) fluctuates, the collector current of the transistor Q2 changes accordingly and the switching timing changes. , The response time determined by the capacitors C1 and C2 and the resistor R4 fluctuates.

Further, in this detection circuit, for example, even when the two-wheeled vehicle starts up in a normal state after tilting, the safety measures such as fuel cut are continuously performed. R5, R6, capacitor C
3 and a transistor Q1 for holding a tilt state.

That is, when the tilting state of the vehicle is detected and the output transistor Q4 is turned off and the voltage at the output terminal OUT goes high, the transistor Q1 is turned on, thereby keeping the output transistor Q4 in the off state. Is done. This holding state is released by turning off the ignition switch of the vehicle and cutting off the power.

[0027]

As described above, in the tilt sensor according to the present invention, the movement is pivotally supported on the case so that the photo interrupter detects that the movement has rotated by a predetermined angle or more. Thus, there is an advantage that the detection of the tilting state of the vehicle can be performed with high responsiveness and high accuracy without complicated adjustment.

Further, in the tilt sensor according to the present invention, a detection circuit is arranged to output a detection signal when the photo-interrupter is turned on by detecting a rotation state of a movement of a predetermined angle or more and the switch is turned on. A time-constant circuit consisting of a capacitor and a resistor is provided inside the vehicle so that it does not respond to the instantaneous switch-on of the photo-interrupter within the time determined by the time constant. There is an advantage that erroneous detection due to rotation of the movement due to running vibration can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of a tilt sensor according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the tilt sensor in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a socket terminal portion of the tilt sensor according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing a movement of the tilt sensor in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the movement.

FIG. 6 is an electric circuit diagram showing a detection circuit for detecting a tilting state of the vehicle.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 case 11 lower case 12 upper case 2 movement 3 axis 4 O-ring 5 photo interrupter 6 circuit board

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Kenji Ikuta 1053 Otagaya, Tsurugashima-shi, Saitama F-term (reference) 2F065 AA37 AA39 BB01 BB05 BB16 CC00 CC11 DD00 DD14 FF02 GG12 HH13 HH15 JJ01 JJ09 LL30 NN20 QQ23 5F089 BA10 BB04 BC11 CA21 FA10

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A tilt sensor in which a movement is pivotally supported on a case and a photo interrupter detects that the movement has rotated by a predetermined angle or more. 2. A detection circuit configured to output a detection signal when a photo-interrupter detects a rotation state of a movement of a predetermined angle or more and is turned on, and the detection circuit includes: 2. The tilt sensor according to claim 1, wherein a time constant circuit comprising a capacitor and a resistor is provided so as not to respond to an instantaneous switch-on of the photointerrupter within a time determined by the time constant.