JP2003178651A - Vehicular brake switch - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicular brake switch capable of reducing water intruding into a switch case and quickly draining water intruded in the switch case to the outside. <P>SOLUTION: A switch mechanism 10 to switch on and off a brake lamp and a slidable operating shaft 11 to open and close the switch mechanism 10 are disposed in a switch case 6. The operating shaft 11 passes through a shaft supporting hole 24 formed in the lower part of the switch case 6 and protrudes downward to be interlocked and linked with a brake pedal. A communicating groove 51 to make the inside of the switch case 6 communicate with the outside of the switch case is formed in either the shaft supporting hole 24 or the operating shaft 11. If the inside of the switch case 6 is partitioned to a switch storage chamber 20 and a spring storage chamber 22, an internal communicating groove 50 to have communication between the spring storage chamber 22 and the switch storage chamber 20 is formed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is mainly mounted on a vehicle such as a motorcycle, an all-terrain vehicle, or a multipurpose vehicle for work, and is for a vehicle that interlocks with a brake pedal to turn a brake lamp on and off. Brake switch.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of a conventional vehicle brake switch. A switch case 6 has a built-in switch mechanism 10 for turning on and off a brake lamp 15, and the switch mechanism 10 is also provided. An operation shaft 11 that opens and closes is supported slidably in the vertical direction.

The switch mechanism 10 is composed of a pair of fixed contacts 32 and a cylindrical movable contact 36.
2 is connected to a brake lamp 15 via a wiring 14.

The operation shaft 11 is slidably fitted in a shaft support hole 24 formed at the lower end of the switch case 6 and protrudes downward. The brake pedal is supported by a lower frame via a connecting spring 17. It is linked to 1. The upper part of the operating shaft 11 passes through the spring accommodating chamber 22 and extends into the switch accommodating chamber 20 for accommodating the switch mechanism 10, and holds the movable contact 36 through a pair of upper and lower insulating collars 34, 35. ing.

The lower insulating collar 35 is slidably fitted on the inner peripheral surface of the spring accommodating chamber 22.
A coil spring 39 is contracted between the lower end annular step portion 23 of the spring housing chamber 22, and the coil spring 39 biases the operation shaft 11 to the switch open position.

The state shown in FIG. 7 is a state in which the brake pedal 1 is not depressed, and the operating shaft 11 is positioned at the switch open position by the coil spring 39 as described above. By depressing the brake pedal 1 from this state, The operation shaft 11 is lowered, the movable contact 36 is brought into contact with both the fixed contacts 32, and the brake lamp 15 is turned on.

[0007]

In the conventional structure shown in FIG. 7, the operating shaft 11 is moved up and down, whereby the switch storage chamber 2 is moved.
0 and the volume of the spring accommodating chamber 22 change and the inside of the switch case 6 becomes negative pressure due to the pumping action, so that water can be easily sucked into the switch case 6.

That is, when the operating shaft 11 descends,
When the switch storage chamber 20 has a negative pressure due to an increase in the volume of the switch storage chamber 20 and the operating shaft 11 rises, the change amount is significantly smaller than the volume change amount of the switch storage chamber 20. The volume of the spring accommodating chamber 22 may increase, and the inside of the spring accommodating chamber 22 may become negative pressure. In the structure in which the negative pressure is generated in the switch case 6 as described above, the negative pressure phenomenon and the narrowness between the shaft support hole and the operation shaft are caused when traveling in the rain or traveling in a swamp or a water pool. Water easily enters the switch case due to the capillary phenomenon in the large gap.

As a measure for preventing water from entering, at present, a structure is adopted in which an O-ring (packing) 40 is arranged at the lower end of the spring accommodating chamber 22 or a seal is arranged also at the lower end of the shaft support hole 24 (not shown). However, it is difficult to completely prevent the intrusion of water due to the generation of the negative pressure, and it is also difficult to naturally discharge the once infiltrated water because the seal is provided. In addition, the number of parts increases and the number of assembling steps also increases, leading to an increase in cost.

[0010]

It is an object of the present invention to prevent water from intruding into the switch case from the outside without attaching a seal, and to drain water which inadvertently enters or is about to enter the switch case. The purpose is to facilitate.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 of the present application has a switch mechanism for turning on and off a brake lamp in a switch case, and a slidable mechanism for opening and closing the switch mechanism. Place the operation axis,
In the vehicle brake switch, the operation shaft projects downward through a shaft support hole formed in the lower portion of the switch case, and is connected to the brake pedal, at least one of the shaft support hole and the operation shaft, It is characterized in that a communication groove is formed to connect the inside of the switch case and the outside of the switch case.

As a result, it is possible to suppress the negative pressure inside the switch case during the braking operation, and it is less likely that moisture is sucked into the switch case from the outside by the negative pressure. Further, by providing the communication groove, it is possible to reduce the capillary phenomenon in the gap between the shaft support hole and the operation shaft, and this also reduces the infiltration of water into the switch case.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the switch case accommodates a switch accommodating chamber for accommodating the switch mechanism and a spring for urging the operation shaft upward to the switch open position. It is divided into a spring storage room,
An internal communication groove that communicates between the spring storage chamber and the switch storage chamber is formed in at least one of the switch case and the operation shaft side member.

As a result, the pressure in each chamber partitioned within the switch case can be made uniform, and even if the switch case is divided into a plurality of compartments, the generation of negative pressure in the switch case can be suppressed. .

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a bellows boot that covers the downward protruding portion of the operating shaft is attached to the lower portion of the switch case, the lower end of the bellows boot is fixed to the operating shaft, and the interior of the bellows boot is the atmosphere. Has a small hole communicating with.

As a result, the surface of the operating shaft can be prevented from being scratched or water can be prevented from adhering to it, and the operating shaft can be protected. Further, since the small hole is formed at the lower end portion, water in the bellows boot can be discharged, and air can be secured in the switch case.

[0017]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [Overall External Structure] FIG. 1 shows an external view and a mounting structure of a vehicle brake switch according to the present invention. The vehicle brake switch is installed in, for example, a motorcycle or the like. , The same parts as those in FIG. 7 are denoted by the same reference numerals. A lock nut 3 having a flexible wedge-shaped engaging claw 3a is fixed to a vehicle body frame (or bracket) 2 located above the brake pedal 1, and the lock nut 3 has a switch case capable of vertical position adjustment. The male screw 6a of 6 is screwed. Reference numeral O1 is the axis of the switch case 6 and the operation shaft 11, and is in a substantially upright posture.

A switch mechanism 10 for turning on and off the brake lamp 15 is built in the switch case 6, and the operation shaft 11 for opening and closing the switch mechanism 10 is arranged so as to be movable in the vertical direction. . The switch mechanism 10 includes a brake lamp 1 via a pair of wires 14.
5, the lower end of the operating shaft 11 projects downward from the lower end of the switch case 6, and is linked to the brake pedal 1 via a connecting spring 17.

A rubber bellows boot 18 is fitted to the lower end of the switch case 6, and the bellows boot 18 covers about the upper half of the downward projecting portion of the operating shaft 11.
The lower end of the bellows boot 18 is fixed to the operating shaft 11 and is configured to expand and contract in the vertical direction as the operating shaft 11 moves up and down.

The operating shaft 11 is normally raised to the switch open position as in the state of FIG. 1, and when the brake pedal 1 is depressed, it is lowered to the switch closed position via the connecting spring 17.

[Internal Structure] FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the brake switch. The contact type switch mechanism 10 and the basic structure for opening and closing the switch mechanism 10 by the operating shaft 11 are the same as those in FIG. Parts having the same names as are given the same reference numerals.

In FIG. 2, a switch storage chamber 20 having a large volume is formed in an upper portion of the switch case 6, and the switch storage chamber 20 has a pair of leaf spring-shaped fixed contacts 32 and a movable contact 36. The mechanism 10 is stored. A small-diameter spring accommodating chamber 22 for accommodating the coil spring 39 is formed below the switch accommodating chamber 20 via an annular step portion 21, and a smaller-diameter shaft support hole 24 is annularly formed under the spring accommodating chamber 22. It is formed via the step portion 23. The lower end of the shaft support hole 24 opens downward at the lower end position of the switch case 6.

A holding table 33 for fixing the two fixed contacts 32 is fitted on the upper end of the switch storage chamber 20, and the upper ends of the fixed contacts 32 fixed by the holding table 33 are each wiring 14. The lower end of the leaf spring shape is inclined toward the case axis O1 side. A waterproof cover 30 is fitted on the outer periphery of the upper end of the switch case 6 to cover the holding table 33, the wiring 14, and the like.

The operation shaft 11 is slidably fitted in the shaft support hole 24, the upper part of the operation shaft 11 passes upward in the spring storage chamber 22 and projects into the switch storage chamber 20, and the upper end portion 11a is held by the above-mentioned holding. It opposes the lower surface of the table 33 so that it can freely abut. A tubular upper insulating collar 34 and a tubular lower insulating collar 35 are fitted to the upper half of the operating shaft 11, and both insulating collars 3
The tubular movable contact 36 is sandwiched between the four and 35. The lower insulating collar 35 extends downward into the spring accommodating chamber 22 and is slidably fitted to the inner surface of the spring accommodating chamber 22.

The lower portion of the operating shaft passes through the shaft supporting hole 24 and projects downward, and a shaft mounting hole 18b formed at the lower end of the bellows boot 18 is provided in the middle of the downward projecting portion of the operating shaft 11. It is fitted under the pressure of. A plurality of small holes 53 are formed in the lower end of the bellows boot 18 for passing air and water. For example, two small holes 53 are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, are formed in parallel with the case axis O1, and are formed so as to have a taper whose diameter becomes smaller as it goes downward. An inward annular protrusion 18a is formed on the upper end of the bellows boot 18, and the annular protrusion 18a is fitted into an annular groove 54 formed on the lower end of the switch case 6.

A coil spring 39 is contracted between the lower end annular step 23 of the spring accommodating chamber 22 and the lower end surface of the lower insulating collar 35, and the coil spring 39 causes the insulating covers 34, 35,
The movable contact 36 and the operation shaft 11 are integrally biased upward. In this way, the operation shaft 11 and the like are held in the switch open position by urging the operation shaft 11 and the like upward by the coil spring 39 and locking the rod upper end 11a with the lower surface of the holding table 33. In the switch open position, the movable contact 36
Is separated from both fixed contacts 32 and is in a non-contact state, and the lower insulating cover 35 is in contact with the fixed contacts 32. From the switch open position, move the operating shaft 11 etc. to the coil spring 39.
When the movable contact 36 comes in contact with the fixed contact 32, the switch is closed and the brake lamp 15 is turned on.

On the inner peripheral surface of the spring accommodating chamber 22, as shown in FIG. 4, an internal communication groove 50 for communicating the spring accommodating chamber 22 with the switch accommodating chamber 20 is formed in parallel with the case axis O1. The inner peripheral surface of the shaft support hole 24 communicates with the spring accommodating chamber 22 and the outside (lower outside) of the switch case 51.
Are formed parallel to the case axis O1.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the switch case alone, showing the internal communication groove 5 formed in the inner peripheral surface of the spring accommodating chamber 22.
0 and two communication grooves 51 formed in the shaft support hole 24 are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.
In this embodiment, both communication grooves 50 and 51 are arranged in the same phase.

FIG. 5 is an exploded vertical sectional view of both insulating collars 34 and 35 fitted to the operating shaft 11, and shows the upper insulating collar 34.
Of the lower insulating collar 35 and the upper end of the lower insulating collar 35 are formed with small diameter portions 34a and 35a via step portions 34b and 35b, respectively, and the tubular movable contact 36 has both small diameter portions 34a and 3a.
It is fitted to the outer periphery of 5a and is sandwiched by both step portions 34a and 35a, whereby the movable contact 36 and the operating shaft 11 are electrically disconnected.

[0030]

In FIG. 1, when the brake pedal 1 is not depressed, the operating shaft 11 is raised to the switch open position,
The switch mechanism 10 is off and the brake lamp 15 is off. When the brake pedal 1 is depressed, the brake begins to operate, the operation shaft 11 descends to the switch closed position, the switch mechanism 10 turns on, and the brake lamp 15 lights up. After depressing the brake, the brake pedal 1 is returned to the original position, whereby the operating shaft 11 is again raised to the switch open position, and the switch mechanism 10 is turned off.

In the braking operation as described above, when the operating shaft 11 is lowered, the volume of the switch storage chamber 20 in FIG. 2 increases and at the same time the volume of the spring storage chamber 22 decreases, but the volume of the switch storage chamber 20 changes. The amount is spring storage room 2
Since the volume change amount is significantly larger than the volume change amount of 2, the volume of the switch case 6 as a whole increases. However, since the two chambers 20 and 22 communicate with each other through the internal communication groove 50, the pressures of the two chambers 20 and 22 are equalized, and the spring storage chamber 22 communicates with the atmosphere through the communication groove 51. As a result, the inside of the switch case 6 is consequently maintained at substantially atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the switch case 6
It is possible to suppress the generation of negative pressure inside, and to reduce the phenomenon of water suction due to negative pressure.

A communication groove 51 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the shaft support hole 24.
Since the shaft supporting hole 24 and the operating shaft 11 are formed,
Capillary phenomena in the annular gap can be reduced, which also reduces water ingress.

Even if water infiltrates into the switch case 6 unintentionally, the bellows boot 1 is passed through the communication grooves 50 and 51.
It can be discharged to the outside through the small hole 53 at the lower end of the bellows boot 18.

Further, since the downward projecting portion of the operating shaft 11 is covered with the bellows boot 18, even if mud or water is splashed up from below, the operating shaft 11 is dirty or water is left on the surface of the operating shaft 11. It does not adhere and water is not dragged into the switch case 6 when the operating shaft 11 rises.

Since the small hole 53 of the bellows boot 18 is formed in a taper whose diameter becomes smaller as it goes downward, it is difficult for water to enter from the outside (below), and on the other hand, drainage from the inside can be performed quickly. .

[0036]

Other Embodiments of the Invention (1) In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, an internal communication groove 5 is formed in the inner peripheral surface of the spring accommodating chamber 22.
0 and the communication groove 51 formed in the shaft support hole 24 are arranged with a phase difference of 90 ° from each other.

(2) It is possible to form a communication groove 51 for communicating the spring accommodating chamber 22 with the outside on the surface of the operating shaft 11, and also in both the shaft supporting hole 24 and the operating shaft 11. Is also possible.

(3) Spring storage chamber 22 and switch storage chamber 2
It is also possible to form the internal communication groove 50 that communicates 0 with the outer peripheral surface of the lower insulating sleeve 35 as shown in FIG. 5, and both the lower insulating sleeve 35 and the inner peripheral surface of the spring accommodating chamber 22. It is also possible to form it.

(4) Even in a switch case which is not divided into a spring storage chamber and a switch storage chamber, the present invention
According to the invention described above, a communication groove may be formed in the shaft support hole or the like for communicating the inside of the switch case with the outside.

(5) The vehicle brake switch according to the present application is suitable for an off-road motorcycle that often travels in a muddy area, a water pool, etc., but is a riding type four-wheeled vehicle for running on uneven terrain or on-road. Of course, it can also be applied to motorcycles for automobiles.

[0041]

As described above, according to the present invention,
(1) Since the inside of the switch case 6 whose volume changes due to the sliding motion of the operation shaft 11 is communicated with the outside by the communication groove 51 formed in at least one of the shaft support hole 24 and the operation shaft 11, during the braking operation. It is possible to suppress the negative pressure inside the switch case 6 due to the pumping action, and to reduce the intrusion of water into the switch case 6 due to the negative pressure.

(2) Since the communication groove is formed in the fitting portion of the shaft support hole formed at the lower end of the switch case and the operation shaft, the capillary phenomenon in the gap between the shaft support hole and the operation shaft is reduced. It is also possible to reduce the infiltration of water into the switch case.

(3) In the structure in which the inside of the switch case is divided into the switch storage chamber for storing the switch mechanism and the spring storage chamber, when the spring storage chamber and the switch storage chamber are connected by the internal communication groove, the switch case It is possible to equalize the pressure of each chamber inside and to suppress the generation of negative pressure in the switch case even if the switch case has a structure in which the inside is divided into a plurality of sections.

(4) A bellows boot that covers the downward projecting portion of the operating shaft is attached to the lower part of the switch case, and the lower end of the bellows boot is fixed to the operating shaft and a small hole communicating with the atmosphere in the bellows boot. By having scratches on the surface of the operating shaft or preventing water from adhering, the operating shaft can be protected, and the water in the bellows boot is discharged through the small holes. In addition, it is possible to secure the flow of air into the switch case.

(5) By forming the communication groove and the internal communication groove as described above, it is possible to suppress the negative pressure in the switch case, suppress the capillary phenomenon in the fitting portion of the shaft support hole, and reduce the small hole. By providing the bellows boot having the above, it is possible to sufficiently prevent water from being accumulated in the switch case without using a seal member as in the conventional case, and it is possible to reduce the component cost and the assembly cost.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the external appearance of a vehicle brake switch to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the vehicle brake switch of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a single switch case.

4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of FIG.

FIG. 5 is an exploded vertical sectional view of an operating shaft assembly.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a switch case alone showing another embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 brake pedal 6 switch case 10 switch mechanism 11 Operation axis 15 brake lights 18 bellows boots 20 switch storage room 22 Spring storage room 24 shaft support hole 32 fixed contacts 35 Lower insulation collar 36 Moving contact 39 coil spring 50 Internal communication groove 51 communication groove 53 small holes

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    F-term (reference) 3K039 LA06 LA07 NA02                 5G019 AA03 CX54 KK11 KK23 SY01

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A switch mechanism for turning on and off a brake lamp and a slidable operation shaft for opening and closing the switch mechanism are arranged in a switch case, and the operation shaft is a shaft support formed at a lower portion of the switch case. In a vehicle brake switch that protrudes downward through the hole and is linked to the brake pedal, a communication groove that connects the inside of the switch case and the outside of the switch case to at least one of the shaft support hole and the operation shaft. A brake switch for vehicles characterized by being formed. 2. The switch case is divided into a switch storage chamber for storing a switch mechanism and a spring storage chamber for storing a spring for urging the operating shaft to an upper switch open position. The internal communication groove for communicating between the switch storage chambers is formed in at least one of the switch case and the operation shaft side member.
Brake switch for vehicle described. 3. A bellows boot that covers a downward protruding portion of the operating shaft is attached to a lower portion of the switch case, and a lower end of the bellows boot is fixed to the operating shaft and has a small hole communicating with the atmosphere in the bellows boot. The vehicle brake switch according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it has.