JP2006199246A - Tire direction indicating device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tire direction indicating device for a vehicle embodied in a simple and small construction at low cost, and designed as applicable, in particular even to an airbag equipped vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: The tire direction indicating device for the vehicle is furnished with a flat body, a groove-shaped passage formed in the body, and balls stored in the passage movably, and is arranged so that the balls on the passage can be viewed, at least from the obverse surface. The passage is positioned approximately parallel with the body bottom surface and extending symmetric to left and right from the center and curved spirally. The left and right portions of the passage should preferably be connecting smoothly so that the tangent to the center of the passage is single. It is preferable that the left and right portions of the passage are curving in a clothoid curve. The passage may be formed from a cylindrical pipe. The body should preferably have resilience, and an affixing means may be provided on the reverse surface of the body. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a device that simply displays the direction (orientation) of a tire that is steered by a handle in a vehicle such as an automobile.

  When driving a vehicle such as an automobile, large bus, tractor, special work vehicle, etc., it is very convenient for driving if the driver can recognize the direction of the wheel to be steered (usually the front wheel), and ease of handling when driving the vehicle. Certainty, safety, etc. can be improved.

  Especially when you park your car in parallel in the back, you may have to turn the steering wheel many times, and even if you think that the steering wheel is turned straight, the front wheels may not turn right. is there. Such an illusion may cause inconvenience when starting.

For this reason, various tire direction display devices have been developed (see Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 59-74169). Such a conventional vehicle tire direction display device is (a) a disk that is fixed to the center of the handle and rotates together with the handle, and (b) is rotatably supported by a central axis that is suspended from the disk. A pendulum that hangs under its own weight even when the handle rotates, (c) a pointer disk that is pivotally supported in parallel and coaxially with the disk, and indicates the direction of the front wheel in conjunction with the rotation of the disk, (d) the disk And a plurality of gears which are incorporated between the pointer discs and transmit the rotation of the discs at a reduced speed in accordance with the steering reduction ratio, and (e) a cylindrical case for storing these gears.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No.59-74169

  Since the conventional vehicle tire direction display device includes a plurality of disks, a pendulum, a plurality of gears, a case, and other members as described above, the structure is relatively complicated. Absent. In addition, the size of the vehicle fits in the center of the steering wheel, but it is relatively large, and there is a risk that the design of the interior space of the automobile (particularly around the steering wheel) may be reduced.

  In addition, air bags are widely used today for the purpose of improving the safety of automobiles. Since such an air bag is mounted at the center of the steering wheel, it is virtually impossible to attach the conventional vehicle tire direction display device to an air bag mounted vehicle.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above inconveniences, and has a simple structure, which is greatly promoted in size reduction, weight reduction, and price reduction, and is particularly suitable for a vehicle tire mounted on an air bag equipped vehicle. The object is to provide a display device.

The invention made to solve the above problems comprises a flat main body, a groove-like passage formed in the main body, and a ball movably accommodated in the passage.
The ball position on the passage is visible at least from the surface side,
In the vehicular tire direction display device, the passage is positioned substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the main body and extends from the center so as to be bilaterally symmetric (line symmetric) and curved in a spiral shape.

  In the vehicle tire direction display device, the axis of symmetry of the passage substantially coincides with the maximum tilt line of the steering wheel in a state in which the steering wheel (generally, the front wheel) of the vehicle is directed straight ahead (the front-rear direction of the vehicle). In addition, it is used by sticking it to the center of the handle so that the center of the passage is downward. In such a use state, the ball is located in the center of the passage when the steering wheel of the vehicle faces the straight traveling direction due to its own weight, and moves in the left-right direction of the passage as the handle rotates. Therefore, the vehicle tire direction display device can indicate the rotation direction of the steering wheel and its angle, and hence the direction of the steering wheel, by the ball position on the passage visually recognized by the driver of the vehicle from the front side. Further, the vehicle tire direction display device can easily display the position of one or more rotations of the steering wheel because the passage extends spirally on both the left and right sides.

  The left side portion and the right side portion of the passage may be smoothly connected so that the central tangent line of the passage is single. By smoothly connecting the left and right portions of the passage in this way, the radius of curvature at the center portion of the passage is increased, and the state in which the angle of the steering wheel in the left-right direction is small is displayed with high sensitivity. Can do.

  It is preferable that the left and right portions of the passage are curved in a clothoid curve. In this way, the left and right portions of the passage are curved in a clothoid curve, so that the radius of curvature decreases according to the distance from the center of the passage. For this reason, for example, when the steering wheel is cut during traveling, centrifugal force acts on the vehicle according to the rotation angle of the steering wheel to the left and right, but since the radius of curvature of the passage decreases according to the rotation angle of the steering wheel, the centrifugal force Thus, the adverse effect of the ball moving to the left and right can be reduced. Further, according to the means, a predetermined interval can be formed in the spiral shape of the passage, and the ball position can be easily seen.

  The passage can be formed by a cylindrical pipe. By using a cylindrical pipe in this way, it is possible to easily form a path curved symmetrically and spirally.

  The main body may have elasticity. Thus, since the main body has elasticity, it can be safely attached to the central portion of the handle equipped with the airbag.

  The vehicle tire direction display device may further include an adhesive layer laminated on the back surface of the main body and a release sheet laminated on the back surface of the adhesive layer. By providing the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and the release sheet in this manner, the release sheet can be peeled off, and the vehicle tire direction display device can be easily and reliably attached to the center portion of the handle by the exposed pressure-sensitive adhesive layer. it can.

  As described above, the vehicle tire direction display device of the present invention displays the rotation state of the steering wheel, and allows the driver to recognize the direction of the steered wheel from the rotation state of the steering wheel. In addition, the vehicle tire direction display device has a simple structure in which a spirally curved passage is formed in the main body and the ball is accommodated in the passage. Therefore, the vehicle tire direction display device is reduced in size, weight, and cost. As a result, the deterioration of the design of the interior of automobiles and the like is reduced. Furthermore, the tire direction display device for a vehicle can be applied to a vehicle equipped with an air bag that is widely used today.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. FIG. 1A is a schematic plan view showing a vehicle tire direction display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the vehicle tire direction display device shown in FIG. (Cut line; AA), FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b) are schematic diagrams for explaining a use state of the vehicle tire direction display device of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 (a) is a vehicle tire direction of FIG. FIG. 3B is a schematic plan view showing a vehicle tire direction display device according to a different form from the display device, and FIG. 3B is a schematic cross-sectional view (cut line; B−) of the vehicle tire direction display device shown in FIG. B).

  A vehicle tire direction display device 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a flat rectangular plate-shaped main body 2, a groove-shaped passage 3 formed in the main body 2, and a ball 4 movably accommodated in the passage 3. And the sticking means 5 laminated | stacked on the bottom face of the main body 2 is provided.

  The main body 2 is a laminated structure including a back plate 6, a groove forming plate 7, and a front plate 8, and is laminated in this order from the back side.

  The back plate 6 is a rectangular plate-like body. The material constituting the back plate 6 is not particularly limited, and synthetic resin, wood, metal or the like is used. In view of weight reduction, price reduction, ease of processing, compatibility with an airbag-equipped vehicle, and the like of the vehicle tire direction display device, a synthetic resin is preferable as the material for the back plate 6. The synthetic resin used for the material of the back plate 6 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, acrylic resin, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyolefin, cellulose acetate, weather resistant vinyl chloride and the like. It is done.

  The groove forming plate 7 is a plate-like body having the same surface shape as the back plate 6. The groove forming plate 7 is formed with a through groove for forming the passage 3. The through-groove forming means is not particularly limited, and known means such as punching and mold forming are employed. In addition, as a material which comprises the groove | channel formation board 7, the thing similar to the said back board 6 is used.

  The front plate 8 is a plate-like body having the same surface shape as the back plate 6. As the material constituting the front plate 8, the same material as that of the back plate 6 is used.

  The main body 2 is configured such that at least the front plate 8 is transparent (including translucent, colored and transparent), and the position of the ball 4 on the passage 3 is visible from the surface side. Further, the strength of the main body 2 is sufficient as long as the passage 3 is not crushed and the movement of the ball 4 is not disturbed, and it is preferable to use a soft material as much as possible in consideration of compatibility with a vehicle equipped with an airbag. The material constituting the main body 2 includes, for example, a fine inorganic filler, a curing agent, a plasticizer, a dispersant, various leveling agents, an ultraviolet absorber, an antioxidant, a viscosity modifier, a lubricant, and a light stabilizer. Etc. may be appropriately blended.

  The passage 3 is formed in the main body 2 by sandwiching a groove forming plate 7 having a through groove between the back plate 6 and the front plate 8. The passage 3 is elongated and has the same cross-sectional shape, and is positioned substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the main body 2. The surface shape of the passage 3 is formed symmetrically with respect to an axis of symmetry X passing through the center, and the left and right portions are respectively curved in a spiral shape. That is, the surface shape of the passage 3 has a smaller radius of curvature toward both ends, and the radius of curvature gradually increases toward the center. Moreover, the left side part and the right side part of the channel | path 3 are smoothly connected so that the center tangent in the surface shape of the channel | path 3 may become single. The number of spiral turns in the left and right portions of the passage 3 may be adjusted to the number of left and right handles that can be rotated in the left and right direction, and generally about 1.25 turns.

  The ball 4 is housed in the passage 3 and is configured to be freely movable in the left-right direction of the passage 3. The material constituting the ball 4 is not particularly limited, and for example, synthetic resin, metal, ceramics or the like is used. The ball 4 may be colored in a conspicuous color in consideration of visibility.

  The sticking means 5 sticks the main body 2 to the handle of a vehicle such as an automobile, and the adhesive layer 9 laminated on the back surface of the back plate 6 and the release layer laminated on the back surface of the adhesive layer 9. A mold sheet 10 is provided.

  The pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 9 is formed by laminating a pressure-sensitive adhesive (including an adhesive) on the center of the back surface of the back plate 6 by means such as coating. As the pressure-sensitive adhesive used, various known ones can be used. Generally, a tackifier and a plasticizer are added to a thermoplastic resin. Specifically, a solvent-based pressure-sensitive adhesive is used. And emulsion adhesives.

  The release sheet 10 is a sheet having a release function (function for facilitating peeling from the adhesive layer 9) on the surface of the adhesive layer 9, and a paper material or a synthetic resin film is used. By laminating this release sheet 10 on the back surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 9, the adhesiveness of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 9 is shielded. In addition, the said mold release function is expressed by coating or impregnating a mold release agent on the surface. Examples of such release agents include (a) fluorine-based, (b) silicon-based, (c) hydrocarbons such as paraffin and polyethylene wax, (d) fatty acids such as higher fatty acids, (e) alkylene bis-fatty acid amide, etc. (F) an ester system such as a fatty acid lower alcohol ester, and (g) an alcohol system such as a polyhydric alcohol.

  Next, the function of the vehicle tire direction display device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b). In the vehicle tire direction display device 1, the release sheet 10 is peeled off and attached to the center portion 21 of the vehicle handle 20 by the exposed adhesive layer 9. At this time, the axis of symmetry X of the passage 3 (center line of the passage 3) substantially coincides with the maximum inclination line Y of the handle 20 in a state where the steering wheel of the vehicle is directed in the straight traveling direction, and the center of the passage 3 is downward Attached so that it is located in Thus, if it sticks on the handle | steering-wheel 20, the ball | bowl 4 of the said tire direction display apparatus 1 for vehicles will be located in the lowest part of the channel | path 3 with the dead weight. Therefore, in the state where the steering wheel of the vehicle faces the straight traveling direction (the state in which the handle 20 is not cut), the vehicle is positioned at the center of the passage 3 as shown in FIG. On the other hand, when the handle 20 is rotated (the handle 20 is turned off), as shown in FIG. 2 (b), the handle 20 moves in the left-right direction (the direction in which the handle 20 is cut) as the handle 20 rotates. To do. Further, when the handle 20 is rotated once, the passage 3 is positioned at a position 22 where the passage 3 is wound left and right. Therefore, the vehicle tire direction display device 1 indicates the rotation direction and the angle of the handle 20 according to the position of the ball 4 on the passage 3 visually recognized by the driver of the vehicle from the front side, and indicates the steering wheel to the driver. The direction can be recognized. Although the vehicle tire direction display device 1 in FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b) is shown larger than the handle 20 for convenience of explanation, it can be made smaller in nature.

  The vehicle tire direction display device 1 has a simple structure in which a spirally curved passage 3 is formed in a main body 2 and a ball 4 is accommodated in the passage 3. And cost reduction are greatly promoted, and the loss of the design of the interior of automobiles and the like is reduced. Further, the vehicle tire direction display device 1 can be applied to an airbag-equipped vehicle that is popular today due to the downsizing and weight reduction. Further, in the vehicle tire direction display device 1, since the left side portion and the right side portion of the passage are smoothly connected so that the tangent at the center of the passage 3 is single, the radius of curvature at the center portion of the passage 3 is small. The display sensitivity can be increased in a state in which the angle of the steered wheel is increased and the angle to the left and right directions is small.

  In the vehicle tire direction display device 1, the left and right portions of the passage 3 are preferably curved in a clothoid curve. In this way, the left and right portions of the passage 3 are curved in a clothoid curve, so that the radius of curvature decreases according to the distance from the center of the passage 3. For example, when the steering wheel is turned during traveling, centrifugal force acts on the vehicle according to the rotation angle of the steering wheel to the left and right, but according to the means, the radius of curvature of the passage is reduced according to the rotation angle of the steering wheel. In addition, it is possible to reduce the adverse effect of the ball moving left and right due to centrifugal force. Moreover, the space | interval of the spiral of the channel | path 3 is made and visibility is increased.

  The vehicle tire direction display device 31 shown in FIG. 3 includes a flat main body 32, a groove-shaped passage 33 formed in the main body 32, and a ball 34 movably accommodated in the passage 33. Yes. The vehicular tire direction display device 31 may also be provided with a sticking means similar to the vehicular tire direction display device 1.

  The main body 32 includes a back sheet 35 and a front sheet 36 formed in a substantially heart shape or the like. The back sheet 35 and the front sheet 36 are hermetically joined at the outer edges of each other, and gas is sealed between them. A synthetic resin sheet is used as the back sheet 35 and the front sheet 36, and a synthetic resin sheet harder than the front sheet 36 is used for the back sheet 35 in order to ensure the flatness of the bottom surface. Therefore, the main body 32 has a dome-shaped space inside, and has elasticity particularly on the surface side.

  The passage 33 is easily formed by bending a single cylindrical pipe 37. The pipe 37 is disposed on the surface of the back sheet 35 in the dome-shaped space of the main body 32. The pipe 37 is transparent and is preferably made of a synthetic resin in view of ease of molding. The passage 33 has the same surface shape as the passage 3 of the vehicle tire direction display device 1. The ball 34 is the same as the ball 4 of the vehicle tire direction display device 1.

  Similar to the vehicle tire direction display device 1, the vehicle tire direction display device 31 can also display the rotation state of the steering wheel with a simple structure, which promotes downsizing, cost reduction, weight reduction, and the like. The In addition, since the vehicle tire direction display device 31 has elasticity, the inconvenience of causing harm to the driver when the airbag ruptures is reduced, and the applicability to an airbag-equipped vehicle is reduced. Promoted.

  In addition, the vehicle tire direction display device of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and for example, the back plate 6 and the groove forming plate 7 may be integrated.

  As described above, the vehicle tire direction display device of the present invention is useful for enhancing the ease of maneuvering of vehicles such as automobiles, large buses, and special work vehicles, and is particularly suitable for automobile accessory products.

(A) is a typical top view which shows the tire direction display apparatus for vehicles which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, (b) is typical sectional drawing (cut line; A-) of the vehicle tire direction display apparatus of (a) A). It is a schematic diagram explaining the use condition of the tire direction display apparatus for vehicles of FIG. 1, Comprising: (a) is a schematic diagram which shows a straight drive state, (b) is a schematic diagram which shows the state which cut the handle | steering-wheel. (A) is a typical top view which shows the vehicle tire direction display apparatus which concerns on the form different from the vehicle tire direction display apparatus of FIG. 1, (b) is typical sectional drawing of the vehicle tire direction display apparatus of (a). It is a figure (cutting line; BB).

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle tire direction display apparatus 2 Main body 3 Passage 4 Ball 5 Adhering means 6 Back plate 7 Groove formation plate 8 Front plate 9 Adhesive layer 10 Release sheet 20 Handle 21 Central part 22 Ball position in which handle is rotated once 31 Tire direction display device for vehicle 32 Body 33 Passage 34 Ball 35 Back seat 36 Front seat 37 Pipe X Axis of symmetry Y Maximum inclination line

Claims (6)

A flat main body, a groove-shaped passage formed in the main body, and a ball movably accommodated in the passage;
The ball position on the passage is visible at least from the surface side,
A vehicle tire direction display device in which the passage is positioned substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the main body and extends symmetrically and spirally from the center.   2. The vehicle tire direction display device according to claim 1, wherein a left side portion and a right side portion of the passage are smoothly connected so that a central tangent of the passage is single.   The vehicle tire direction display device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein left and right portions of the passage are curved in a clothoid curve.   4. The vehicle tire direction display device according to claim 1, wherein the passage is formed by a cylindrical pipe.   The vehicle tire direction display device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the main body has elasticity. An adhesive layer laminated on the back surface of the main body,
The vehicle tire direction display device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a release sheet laminated on a back surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer.

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