JP2009006943A - Grip warming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a grip warming device capable of avoiding electrical deficiency when an operation position of an operation knob is detected, detecting the operation position of the operation knob at non-contact, reducing the number of parts, and reducing manufacturing cost. <P>SOLUTION: The grip warming device is provided with a warming means 1 for warming a grip G of a steering wheel by making a current from a battery flowing; and an operation means 3 capable of adjusting the current given to the warming means 1 according to a position of the operation knob 11. The warming device is provided with a magnet M formed on a part of the operation knob 11 and movable over a plurality of operation positions accompanying with action of the operation knob 11; and Hall IC (12a-12d) capable of being reacted to magnetic of the magnet M. The Hall IC (12a-12d) are formed between the operation positions of the adjacent magnets M and the operation position of the operation knob 11 is detected by detection of the Hall IC (12a-12d). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a grip warming device that is built in a handle grip at the tip of a handle bar provided in a vehicle and that heats the handle grip when a current flows from a battery.

  In a vehicle having a handle bar such as a two-wheeled vehicle, an ATV, or a snow vehicle, a handle grip that can be held by a driver is formed at the tip of the handle bar. Conventionally, such a handle grip has been proposed that incorporates a heating wire (heating means) that can flow current from a battery mounted on the vehicle so that it is warm when the driver grips it. Yes. Such a grip heating device is disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example.

  That is, heat is generated by passing an electric current from the battery to a heating wire (heating means), and the handle grip is heated, so that the driver can easily grip the handle grip in winter or in a cold region. It is. However, the conventional grip heating apparatus has an operation knob that can operate over a plurality of operation positions, and includes an operation means that can adjust the current applied to the heating means in accordance with the position of the operation knob. Was.

More specifically, a movable contact is provided on the operation knob, and a fixed contact that comes into contact with or separates from the movable contact in accordance with the operation of the operation knob is provided. Thus, it is possible to detect which operation position the operation knob is in. Thus, the current to be applied to the heating means can be adjusted according to the operation position of the operation knob, and the amount of heat to be applied to the handle grip (warmness of the handle grip) can be adjusted.
JP 2003-175874 A

  However, in the conventional grip heating apparatus, a predetermined electrical circuit is formed by moving or moving the movable contact to or from the fixed contact with the operation of the operation knob, and the operation position of the operation knob is detected. Therefore, for example, when rainwater or the like enters between the fixed contact and the movable contact, there is a problem that an electrical failure is highly likely to occur. In addition, it is conceivable to detect the operation position of the operation knob with a non-contact sensor, but in that case, it is necessary to dispose the same number of non-contact sensors as the operation position of the operation knob, which increases the number of parts. There was also a problem that the manufacturing cost increased.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and can avoid electrical problems when detecting the operation position of the operation knob, detect the operation position of the operation knob in a non-contact manner, and An object of the present invention is to provide a grip heating device that can reduce the number of parts and reduce the manufacturing cost.

  The invention according to claim 1 is incorporated in a handlebar grip at the end of a handlebar provided in the vehicle, and is heated over a plurality of operation positions, and a heating means for heating the handlebar grip when current from a battery flows. A grip heating apparatus having an operation knob capable of adjusting an electric current applied to the heating means according to a position of the operation knob, formed in a part of the operation knob. A magnet that can move over a plurality of operating positions in accordance with the operation of the operation knob, and a magnetic sensor that can react to the magnetism of the magnet, and the magnetic sensor between the operating positions of adjacent magnets. And the operation position of the operation knob is detected by detection of the magnetic sensor.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the grip heating apparatus according to the first aspect, the magnetic sensor comprises a Hall IC that is turned on / off with respect to the magnetism of the magnet. The operation position of the operation knob can be detected by turning it on when it is turned off and turning it off when it is separated.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the grip warming device according to the first or second aspect, the control unit is electrically connected to the magnetic sensor and can detect the operation position of the operation knob. It is characterized by comprising.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the grip heating apparatus according to the third aspect, the control unit is connected to an adjustment unit that can adjust the application of current to the heating unit in accordance with the state of the battery. It is characterized by.

  According to the first aspect of the invention, since the operation position of the operation knob is detected by the detection of the magnetic sensor, it is possible to avoid an electrical failure when detecting the operation position of the operation knob, and the operation position of the operation knob is not set. It can detect by contact, and can reduce a manufacturing cost by reducing the number of parts.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the magnetic sensor is composed of a Hall IC that is turned on / off with respect to the magnetism of the magnet. Since the operation position of the knob can be detected, the operation position of the operation knob can be detected easily and reliably.

  According to the invention of claim 3, since the control unit that is electrically connected to the magnetic sensor and can detect the operation position of the operation knob is provided, the operation position of the operation knob is more reliably detected. be able to.

  According to the invention of claim 4, since the control unit is connected to the adjusting unit that can adjust the application of current to the heating unit in accordance with the state of the battery, the control unit is used as the heating unit in consideration of the life of the battery. An electric current can be applied.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the grip warming device according to the present embodiment warms a front handle grip G (left and right grip grips gripped by a driver) in a handle bar H of a two-wheeled vehicle (vehicle). As shown in FIG. 3, the heating means 1 that heats the handle grip G when a current from a battery (not shown) flows, and the current to the heating means 1 according to the state of the battery Is mainly composed of a control means 2 for controlling the application of the power and an operation means 3 fixed to the handlebar H.

  The heating means 1 includes heating means 1a and 1b such as heating wires that generate heat when energized from a battery, and is built in the handle grip G to heat the handle grip G. The heating means 1 is electrically connected to the control means 2, and energization or stop of energization of the heating means 1 a, 1 b or adjustment of the current value at the time of energization is performed by the control means 2. It is like that.

  The control unit 2 includes a power supply unit 4, a control unit 5 having a load applying unit 7 and a comparison calculation unit 8, a voltage detection unit 6, an adjustment unit 9, and a PWM unit 10. . Among them, the control unit 5 is composed of a microcomputer, and is electrically connected to the Hall ICs 12a to 12d of the operation unit 3 in addition to the voltage detection unit 6, the adjustment unit 9 and the PWM unit 10, and the operation knob 11 is operated. Accordingly, the amount of heat generated by the heating means 1a and 1b in the heating means 1 can be adjusted.

  The operation means 3 has an operation knob 11 operable over a plurality of operation positions, and can adjust a current applied to the heating means 1 in accordance with the position of the operation knob 11. 2, the case C fixed near the handlebar grip G in the handlebar H is formed as a casing. The surface of the case C (surface facing the driver) is formed in an arc shape, and the operation knob 11 can be operated along the groove 3a (see FIGS. 1 and 6) formed on the front surface. It is like that.

  Note that a fixing portion 15 is formed in the case C, and the fixing portion 15 can be fixed to the handle bar H. Further, each position (operation position) of the operation knob 11 is displayed on the surface of the case C. In this embodiment, “OFF”, “L”, “LH”, “M”, “HI”, and “MAX” are displayed. There are five stages of operation positions (positions). However, the operation knob 11 is configured to be at each operation position indicated by “OFF” and “L” “LH” “M” “HI” “MAX”.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the operation knob 11 is formed with a magnet M in a part thereof, and a spring 13 and a ball 14 are disposed therein so that a predetermined moderation is imparted. ing. Then, when the driver operates the operation knob 11, the ball 14 slides on the surface formed inside the case C, while the operation portion 11a at the tip can move along the surface of the case C, Along with the operation of the operation knob 11, the magnet M is movable over a plurality of operating positions P1 to P6 (see FIG. 5).

  Thus, when the operation knob 11 is set to the “OFF” position, the heating means 1 a and 1 b of the heating means 1 are not energized and stopped, and “L”, “LH”, “M”, “HI” are stopped. If it is in any position of “MAX”, the heating means 1a, 1b of the heating means 1 is energized, and the handle grip G is heated. When the operation knob 11 is slid in the “MAX” direction from “L”, the current applied to the heating means 1 is gradually increased, and the heat generation amounts of the heat generating means 1a and 1b are sequentially increased. On the other hand, when the operation knob 11 is slid in the “L” direction from “MAX”, the current applied to the heating means 1 is gradually reduced so that the heat generation amounts of the heat generating means 1a and 1b are sequentially reduced. Is set.

  Here, on the substrate k fixed in the case C, Hall ICs (12a to 12d) are formed according to each operation position (position) of the operation knob 11, and the position of the operation knob 11 is detected. Configured to get. These Hall ICs (12a to 12d) are turned on / off with respect to the strength of magnetism of the magnet M, and are turned on when the magnet M approaches, while turning off when the magnet M is separated, thereby changing the position of the operation knob 11. It can be detected.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, when the operation knob 11 is in the “OFF”, “L”, “LH”, “M”, “HI”, and “MAX” operation positions, the magnet M is in the operation positions P1 to P6. Between the operating position P2 and the operating position P3 (12a), between the operating position P3 and the operating position P4 (12b), between the operating position P4 and the operating position P5 (12c), In addition, Hall ICs (12a to 12d) as magnetic sensors are respectively installed between the operating position P5 and the operating position P6 (12d). That is, the magnetic sensors (12a to 12d) are formed between the operating positions of the adjacent magnets M.

  When the operating knob 11 is in the “L” operating position, the magnet M is in the operating position P2, so that the Hall IC (12a) is turned on and the Hall ICs (12b to 12d) are turned off. Is in the “LH” operating position, the magnet M is in the operating position P3, so that the Hall ICs (12a, 12b) are turned on and the Hall ICs (12c, 12d) are turned off. When the operation knob 11 is in the “M” operation position, the magnet M is in the operation position P4, so that the Hall ICs (12b, 12c) are turned on and the Hall ICs (12a, 12d) are turned off. When the knob 11 is in the “HI” operating position, the magnet M is in the operating position P5, so that the Hall ICs (12c, 12d) are turned on and the Hall ICs (12a, 12b) are turned off.

  Further, when the operation knob 11 is in the “MAX” operation position, the magnet M is in the operation position P4, so that the Hall IC (12d) is turned on and the Hall ICs (12a to 12c) are turned off. When the operation knob 11 is in the “OFF” operation position, the magnet M is in the operation position P1, and therefore, any Hall IC (12a to 12d) is turned off. Therefore, if the on / off state of the Hall IC (12 to 12d) is detected, it is possible to grasp which operation position the operation knob 11 is in.

  That is, in this embodiment, magnetic sensors (12a to 12d) are formed between the operating positions of adjacent magnets M, and the operating position of the operating knob 11 is detected by the combination of the magnetic sensors that detect the magnets M. It can be done. Therefore, since the operation position of the operation knob 11 is detected by the detection of the magnetic sensor, it is possible to avoid an electrical failure when detecting the operation position of the operation knob 11 and to detect the operation position of the operation knob in a non-contact manner. In addition, the manufacturing cost can be reduced by reducing the number of parts.

  The magnetic sensor is composed of a Hall IC (12a to 12d) that is turned on / off depending on the strength of magnetism of the magnet M. The magnetic sensor is turned on when the magnet M is close to the magnetic sensor and is turned off when the magnet M is separated. Since the operation position of the knob 11 can be detected, the operation position of the operation knob can be detected easily and reliably.

  However, the control unit 5 grasps the operation position of the operation knob 11 from the on / off state of the Hall IC (12 to 12d) and applies it to the heating means 1a and 1b of the heating means 1 accordingly. The current to be controlled can be controlled. By the way, in this embodiment, the voltage detection means 6 and the adjustment means 9 are connected to the control unit 5, and the load applying means 7 and the comparison calculation means 8 are formed.

  The load applying means 7 can instantaneously apply the current from the battery to the heating means 1. The voltage detection means 6 detects the voltage of the unloaded battery that does not apply current to the heating means 1 and instantaneously applies current to the heating means 1 by the load application means 7. The voltage of the battery at the time of being detected is detected. The comparison calculation means 8 is capable of calculating the difference between the voltage in the no-load state detected by the voltage detection means 6 and the voltage when the current is instantaneously applied.

  That is, since the voltage fluctuation between the state where the heating means 1 is energized (a state where a load is applied) and the state where no current is energized (a state where there is no load) can be obtained by the comparison operation means 8, the output of the alternator is small. Even in the case of an old vehicle or a vehicle equipped with a battery that is near the end of its life, it can be determined whether or not the heating means 1 can be energized in consideration of the life of the alternator and the battery. .

  The adjustment means 9 adjusts the current to be applied from the battery to the heating means 1 according to the difference between the voltage in the no-load state calculated by the comparison calculation means 8 and the voltage when the current is instantaneously applied, or The power supply is stopped. Thereby, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not current can be applied to the heating means 1. That is, in this embodiment, since the case where the load is applied to the heating means 1 is dynamically monitored, whether or not current can be applied to the heating means 1 even when the battery is near the end of its life. In addition to being able to make an accurate determination, stable operation can be expected even when applied to an old vehicle, and attachment to many vehicles on the market becomes easy.

  Further, the control means 2 intermittently performs instantaneous application of current to the heating means 1 by the load applying means 7, detection of voltage by the voltage detection means 6, and comparison / calculation by the comparison calculation means 8 at a constant cycle. Configured to get. That is, for example, when the ignition switch of the vehicle is on, the above control (immediate application of current to the heating unit 1 by the load applying unit 7, detection of the voltage by the voltage detecting unit 6, and comparison by the comparison calculating unit 8) By repeatedly performing (calculation), it is possible to continuously determine whether or not current can be applied to the heating means 1.

  According to the present embodiment, since the control unit 5 that is electrically connected to the Hall IC (12a to 12d) as the magnetic sensor and can detect the operation position of the operation knob 11 is provided, it is more reliable. In addition, the operation position of the operation knob 11 can be detected. Moreover, since the control part 5 was connected with the adjustment means 9 which can adjust the provision of the electric current with respect to the heating means 1 according to the state of a battery, an electric current is provided to the heating means 1 considering the lifetime of a battery, etc. can do.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment which concerns on this invention was described, this invention is not limited to this, For example, Hall IC (12a-12d) of the operation means 3 is made into the magnetic sensor (part of operation knob) of another form. It is also possible to detect the magnetism of the magnet formed in the above. In the above embodiment, the operation knob 11 can be operated over the operation positions of “OFF”, “L”, “LH”, “M”, “HI”, and “MAX”. A plurality of different operation positions may be set. In addition, in this embodiment, although applied to what heats the handlebar grip of a two-wheeled vehicle, you may apply to other vehicles (vehicles provided with a handlebar, such as an ATV and a snow vehicle).

  An operating position of an adjacent magnet comprising a magnet formed in a part of the operating knob and movable over a plurality of operating positions in accordance with the operation of the operating knob, and a magnetic sensor capable of detecting the magnetism of the magnet As long as the grip heating apparatus detects the operation position of the operation knob based on the detection of the magnetic sensor, it can be applied to a device with a different external shape or with other functions added. Can be applied.

The front view which shows the external appearance of the grip heating apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention The perspective view which shows the external appearance of the operation means in the grip heating apparatus Block diagram showing the grip heating device IV-IV line sectional view in FIG. VV sectional view in FIG. Sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Heating means 2 Control means 3 Operation means 4 Power supply part 5 Control part 6 Voltage detection means 7 Load provision means 8 Comparison calculation means 9 Adjustment means 10 PWM part 11 Operation knob 12a-12d Hall IC
13 Spring 14 Ball 15 Fixed part G Handle grip H Handle bar

Claims (4)

A heating means built in a handlebar grip at the tip of a handlebar provided in the vehicle, and heating the handlebar grip when current from a battery flows;
An operation means having an operation knob operable over a plurality of operation positions, and capable of adjusting a current applied to the heating means according to the position of the operation knob;
In the grip heating device with
A magnet formed on a part of the operation knob and movable over a plurality of operating positions in accordance with the operation of the operation knob;
A magnetic sensor capable of detecting the magnetism of the magnet;
The grip heating apparatus is characterized in that the magnetic sensor is formed between the operation positions of the adjacent magnets, and the operation position of the operation knob is detected by detection of the magnetic sensor.   The magnetic sensor is composed of a Hall IC that turns on and off depending on the magnetism of the magnet, and detects the operation position of the operation knob by turning on when the magnet is close and turning off when the magnet is separated. The grip warming device according to claim 1, wherein   The grip heating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a control unit that is electrically connected to the magnetic sensor and capable of detecting in which operating position the operating knob is located.   The grip heating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit is connected to an adjustment unit that can adjust application of current to the heating unit in accordance with a state of the battery.

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