JP2014201216A - Light device for bicycle having lighting control function with brake - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a light device for a bicycle that can turn on a position light easily when riding and travelling on a bicycle, can turn on the light quickly, and can be easily attached to a bicycle body, and that can be arbitrarily operated by a user so as to eliminate such a malfunction as in an automatic lighting device.SOLUTION: A light device 10 for a bicycle attached to a bicycle includes: a light turning-on switch 18 disposed to a moving member of a brake device so as to switch ON/OFF by operating the brake device; and a light turning-on circuit part 19 capable of turning on a position light when the light is turned ON/OFF with the light turning-on switch 18 by operating the brake device, and an operation time and the number of times of operations reach a set condition which provides for the operation time and the number of times of operations in the ON/OFF operation method of the light turning-on switch 18.

Description

The present invention relates to an improvement in a position light lighting function for a bicycle.

In general, when the cycling environment of a bicycle becomes dark, such as when entering a tunnel at night or in a tunnel, the position light is quickly turned on to inform other traveling vehicles of the presence of the bicycle and ensure safety. It is hoped that it can be lit.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a bicycle light device that uses a battery as a power source has a structure in which a position light is turned on or off by directly operating a manual switch disposed on a light body with a finger.

However, in the bicycle light device configured in this way, the light body is usually installed behind the bicycle riding position and below the handle, and the light body is away from the riding position, In the normal riding posture, it is difficult to operate the manual switch, and there is a problem that the position light cannot be quickly turned on while riding.

Conventionally, the following applications exist as such bicycle light devices.
A braking operation is performed by swinging a taillight, a power source for supplying current to the taillight, a manual switch for turning on or off the taillight as a position light, and a swing member swinging via a brake wire by operating a brake lever. And a brake light detecting means for detecting the operation of the brake. The brake light detecting means is a brake light composed of a lever-type contact microswitch that directly contacts a crank constituting the band brake. A bicycle light device having a function as described above has been proposed. (Patent Document 1)

  However, in the bicycle light device configured in this way, the brake light can turn on the light without taking your hand off the handle, but there is no function to turn it on or off as a position light. Separately from the switch for this purpose, a manual switch for turning on the position light is located near the handle handle. To operate such a manual switch, loosen the hand holding the handle. Therefore, it is necessary to move the hand to a manual switch near the handle, and it is difficult to maintain a normal riding posture. In addition, the brake light switch and the position light manual switch need to be individually arranged and fixed. It is very complicated to install and fix the above two types of switches and to install the electric wiring. Since a manual switch for the light is installed on the handle, a speedometer, navigation, etc. are currently mounted on the handle, and there is a problem that it is difficult to install due to a reduction in the installation space.

  In addition, a battery, a light bulb that is lit using the battery as a power source, a vibration sensor that detects vibration during traveling of the moving body such as a bicycle, and a detection signal that indicates the traveling state of the moving body based on the output of the vibration sensor A running detection unit that outputs, a light sensor that detects ambient brightness, and a brightness detection unit that outputs a detection signal when the ambient brightness falls below a certain level based on the output of the light sensor; A lighting control unit for controlling the connection between the battery and the light bulb to turn on the light bulb when receiving the detection signal of the running detection unit and the detection signal of the lightness detection unit; A battery-powered light having a function of turning on the light has been proposed. (Patent Document 2)

  However, the bicycle light constructed in this way has a function that the light sensor detects and turns on the light quickly when the driving environment of the bicycle becomes dark. There was a problem that safety could not be ensured due to the fact that the vibration sensor was not detected and the light was suddenly extinguished and no light was lit while waiting. In addition, there is a problem that the vibration sensor detects when an impact is applied during parking at night or in a dark place, and the light turns on when the bicycle is not used.

JP2011-37311A JP-A-7-164959

The present invention is for solving such a conventional problem, and the problem is that the position light can be easily turned on when riding a bicycle, can be turned on quickly, and can be easily attached to the bicycle body. It is another object of the present invention to provide a bicycle light device that can be operated arbitrarily by a user and can eliminate malfunctions such as an automatic lighting device.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bicycle light device that is mounted on a bicycle, and is turned on / off by operating the brake device on a movable member of the brake device. The light lighting switch and the ON / OFF operation method of the light lighting switch are provided with setting conditions for the operation time and the number of operations, and the light lighting switch is turned ON / OFF by the operation of the brake device. And a light lighting circuit unit that can turn on the position light when the operation time and the number of operations reach the set conditions.

In the invention according to claim 2, the bicycle light device operates the brake device, and turns on / off the light lighting switch a plurality of times shorter than a brake operation in which the bicycle normally decelerates or stops. It is characterized by repeated operation as an operation signal,
In the operation signal, a time and number of times are set in the light lighting circuit unit, and a light lighting circuit unit that can turn on or off a position light installed in the light body by detecting the condition as the operation signal. It is characterized by comprising.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the bicycle light device operates the brake device and turns on / off the light lighting switch a plurality of times shorter than a brake operation in which the bicycle normally decelerates or stops. It is characterized by repeated operation as an operation signal,
In the operation signal, only the number of operations is set to a different time in the same time as the ON / OFF time set by the lighting or extinguishing function according to claim 2, and by detecting the operation signal, It is characterized by having a lighting pattern in which lighting or blinking of a position light installed in the light main body or a light intensity or color is changed, and a lighting lighting circuit section which can select this lighting pattern.

  According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in the bicycle light device, the light lighting circuit unit is set to monitor the time when the light lighting switch is OFF, and the position light is lit. The brake device has a function that can be turned off when there is no operation for a certain period of time and the OFF state of the light lighting switch exceeds the time set by the light lighting circuit unit. And

In the bicycle light device according to the first to third aspects of the present invention, a light lighting switch disposed so as to be turned on / off by operating the brake device of the bicycle and moving the brake is usually provided. It is turned on / off depending on the operation time and the number of operations that are not performed in the braking operation to be used, and it has a function to control with the light lighting circuit part using this ON / OFF signal as a condition of the operation signal. By enabling complex lighting operations such as pattern selection only by operating the brakes, you can quickly turn on the position light without breaking your riding posture without taking your hand off the steering wheel when riding the bicycle. It is possible to provide a bicycle light device that can be used.

In the first aspect of the present invention, it is only necessary to dispose the light lighting switch so as to be turned ON / OFF by moving the brake to the movable member of the brake device. Thus, it is easy to attach the bicycle to the bicycle body, and it is not necessary to attach a light lighting switch to the steering wheel. Therefore, it is possible to provide a bicycle light device that can secure a space for attaching a speedometer, navigation, and the like.

In the first and second aspects of the invention, since the lighting operation can be arbitrarily performed, the bicycle can be parked at night or in a dark place like a light having a function of automatically lighting by a light sensor and a vibration sensor at night. A bicycle light device can be provided in which a vibration sensor detects when an impact is applied and there is no malfunction in which the light is turned on when the bicycle is not in use.

In the invention according to claim 4, when the position light is on and the brake device is not operated for a certain period of time and the light lighting switch continues to be in the OFF state, the OFF state is indicated as the light lighting circuit unit. With the function to turn off when the time set in step 6 is exceeded, the position light can be turned off automatically even if you forget to turn off the position light after you stop using the bicycle.
Therefore, the brake device is operated at the time of a temporary stop by the above function and continues to be lit. Therefore, it is necessary to wait for a signal while driving at night, such as a light with a function of automatically turning on light sensor and vibration sensor at night. Thus, there can be provided a bicycle light device that does not malfunction by suddenly turning off the light when the vibration sensor is not detected by the temporary stop.

It is an electric circuit diagram which shows one Embodiment of the electric circuit used for the light apparatus for bicycles concerning this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows one Embodiment of the light apparatus for bicycles which concerns on this invention. It is a side conceptual diagram which shows one Embodiment of the light main body used for the light apparatus for bicycles concerning this invention.

Hereinafter, a bicycle light device according to the present invention will be described in detail based on an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.
1 to 3 show a case where the present invention is applied to a bicycle with respect to the bicycle light device 10 according to the present embodiment.
In the present embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, the light main body 11 is fixed to a seat stay 21 that is a bicycle frame by a light main body fixing tool 25 provided on the light main body, and the light lighting switch 18 is The brake device 12 is disposed on or near the movable member of the brake device 12 so as to be turned on / off when the brake device 12 is operated, and the ON / OFF operation method of the light lighting switch 18 has setting conditions for the operation time and the number of operations. When the switch 18 for lighting the light is turned on / off by the operation of the brake device 12 and the operation time and the number of operations reach preset setting conditions, power is supplied from the battery 17 to the LED lamp 20, and the LED lamp And a light lighting circuit unit 19 having a lighting control function by a microcomputer 24 capable of lighting 20.

In the present embodiment, in the normal lighting operation in which the light lighting switch 18 does not satisfy the setting conditions, the light lighting circuit unit 19 turns on the LED lamp 20 for example by turning on the light lighting switch 18. It is also configured to function as a brake light that illuminates at a higher brightness than the position light.

The light lighting circuit unit 19 includes a microcomputer 24. When an ON / OFF signal is input from the light lighting switch 18, several conditions are set for the input ON / OFF signal. The physical electric circuit is configured by software so that complicated lighting control of the LED lamp 20 can be performed by changing the conditions of the several ON / OFF signals. The control is configured such that the function of turning on and off and the LED lamp 20 can be turned on and blinking or can be turned on in a complicated manner that changes the light intensity.
In the above embodiment, the light lighting circuit unit 19 uses software for a physical electric circuit provided with a function of detecting the time and frequency of the input signal and controlling the LED lamp 20. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, a timer relay, a counter relay, or the like may be provided to configure only a physical electric circuit.

As shown in FIG. 3, the light body 11 is formed in a box shape, and a light lighting circuit unit 19 is provided in the center of the inside, and a battery 17 serving as a power source sandwiching the light lighting circuit unit 19, here two dry cells are arranged On the opposite side, four LED lamps 20 are continuously arranged in a straight line here, and are lit to indicate the existence of the bicycle when the running environment of the bicycle becomes dark, such as at night or entering a tunnel. .

In the light lighting switch 18 shown in FIG. 1, when the switch is operated, the circuit is closed to energize the light lighting circuit unit 19 from the battery 17 and is turned on. When the switch is released, the circuit is opened. The battery 17 and the light lighting circuit unit 19 are cut off and are in an OFF state. The ON state and OFF state become the ON signal and OFF signal input to the light lighting circuit unit 19.
In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the light lighting switch 18 is configured to be in the ON state when the circuit is closed and in the OFF state when the circuit is opened. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, a piezoelectric element may be provided, and pressure may be applied to the piezoelectric element by a brake operation to generate electric power, thereby turning on / off.

The light lighting switch 18 is disposed on or near the movable member of the brake device 12 so as to be turned on / off when the brake device 12 is operated.

The movable member of the brake device 12 includes a brake lever 13, a brake wire 14, a rear wheel brake caliper 15, and a front wheel brake caliper 16.

In the embodiment described above, the form in which the light lighting switch 18 is disposed is not limited, and satisfies the function of turning on / off the light lighting switch 18 by moving the movable member of the brake device 12. If it is, it may be disposed at any position of the movable member of the brake device 12.

Hereinafter, the first operation of the bicycle light device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described.
When the bicycle light device 10 according to the present embodiment is mounted and the vehicle is traveling without operating the brake, the brake device 12 shown in FIG. 2 does not operate, so the light lighting switch 18 shown in FIG. Is not turned ON / OFF, the lighting control function of the light lighting circuit unit 19 is not activated, and the LED lamp 20 is not lit.

On the other hand, it becomes necessary to turn on the position light while the bicycle is running, and the driver holds the brake lever 13 disposed on the handle 23 shown in FIG. 1 is turned ON, and the light lighting switch 18 shown in FIG. 1 is turned on. When this ON state is within 0.2 seconds to 0.5 seconds, for example, the brake lever 13 is released, the brake device 12 is released, and the light is turned on. A stage in which the ON switch is turned on, for example, three times by turning on the switch 18 for lighting, and the OFF state is again within the range of, for example, 0.2 seconds to 0.5 seconds, and the ON state is repeated again for the same time. Then, the brake device 12 is released, and an operation for continuing the OFF state for 0.5 seconds or more is performed.

The ON / OFF signal of a series of operations from the ON start performed above to the OFF state being continued for 0.5 seconds or more is a setting condition for lighting the light of the light lighting circuit unit 19, and the ON / OFF signal A signal is input to the light lighting circuit unit 19.

As a result, power is supplied from the battery 17 under the control of the light lighting circuit unit 19, and the four LED lamps 20 are lit, and the light body 11 functions as a position light.

After that, it is necessary to stop using the bicycle or to turn off the position light because the driving environment becomes bright, and the driver turns on the light by performing the same operation as turning on the position light for turning off the light. The setting conditions for turning off the circuit unit 19 are the same as the setting conditions for the lighting operation, and the supply of power from the battery 17 is cut off by the control of the light lighting circuit unit 19 and the four LED lamps 20 are turned off. The light body 11 stops the position light function.

Hereinafter, the second operation of the bicycle light device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described.
In the lighting function of the bicycle light device 10 according to the present embodiment, the four LED lamps 20 are lit, flashed, luminosity, or color according to the environment in which the bicycle is used or the driver's preference. It becomes necessary to select the changed lighting pattern, and the brake lever 13 disposed on the handle 23 shown in FIG. 2 is gripped, the brake device 12 is operated, and the light lighting switch 18 shown in FIG. When the state is, for example, 0.2 seconds or more and 0.5 seconds or less, the brake lever 13 is released, the brake device 12 is released, and the light lighting switch 18 is turned off. Within 5 seconds, a series of operations to turn on again for the same time again, the ON state exceeds 5 times the number of operations set in the first action, for example, 5 times In repeated stage, to release the brake device 12 performs an operation to continue the OFF state, for example, 0.5 seconds or more.

Thereafter, the light lighting circuit unit 19 switches to a function capable of selecting a lighting pattern, and the LED lamp 20 starts lighting with a basic lighting pattern. Several lighting patterns are set in advance in the light lighting circuit unit 19. From this state, each time the brake device 12 is operated and the light lighting switch 18 is repeatedly turned on, the lighting pattern is switched and the lighting to be selected is selected. If the light lighting switch 18 is kept in the ON state for 2 seconds or longer at the stage of the pattern, the LED lamp 20 is turned off and the lighting pattern is determined.

As a result, the selected lighting pattern is switched within the lighting control function of the light lighting circuit unit 19, and when the lighting operation of the position light, which is the first action, is performed thereafter, the selected lighting pattern is turned on. To do.

A series of operation methods from the start of turning on of the light lighting switch 18, which is an input signal of the light lighting circuit unit 19 to the OFF state for 0.5 seconds or more, by the first action and the second action are as follows. Since this is a special operation that is different from the normal braking operation, the input signal can be distinguished from the normal braking operation. It is characterized by being able to operate the position light.

Hereinafter, the third operation of the bicycle light device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described.
The lighting function of the bicycle light device 10 according to the present embodiment includes the lighting of a light when the driver forgets to turn off the lit position light after stopping using the bicycle, for example, by parking the bicycle. The circuit unit 19 has a control function for automatically turning off the light. In this control function, when the brake device 12 is not operated and the light lighting switch 18 is kept in the OFF state for 30 minutes or more, for example, the light lighting circuit. The power supply from the battery 17 is cut off by the control of the unit 19, the four LED lamps 20 are turned off, and the light body 11 stops the position light function.

In each of the above embodiments, the specific operation time and the number of operations have been described for the ON / OFF signal input to the light lighting circuit unit 19 as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. Depending on how the bicycle is used, the operation time may be shorter or longer than the operation time described above. Further, the number of operations may be reduced or increased.

In each of the above embodiments, the light main body 11 is fixed to the seat stay 21 that is a bicycle frame by the light main body fixing tool 25 provided on the light main body 11, and the light main body 11 is made to exist with respect to the rear. As described above, the light body fixing tool 25 is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be fixed to various members of the bicycle. For example, the light body 11 is installed on the front fork 22 shown in FIG. May be informed of the existence.

In each of the above embodiments, four LED lamps 20 are continuously arranged in a straight line on the light body 11, and are configured to be lit in several lighting patterns by the operation of the second action. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and for example, a plurality of liquid crystal displays or LED lamps may be arranged side by side to form a complex lighting display such as characters, illustrations, still images, and moving images. In addition, the specific configuration of each of the above embodiments is not limited.

  Since the present invention can be widely applied to a bicycle light device, it has industrial applicability.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Bicycle light apparatus 11 Light body 12 Brake apparatus 13 Brake lever 14 Brake wire 15 Rear wheel brake caliper 16 Front wheel brake caliper 17 Battery (dry cell)
18 Light lighting switch 19 Light lighting circuit section 20 LED lamp 21 Seat stay 22 Front fork 23 Handle 24 Microcomputer 25 Light body fixture

Claims (4)

  A light device for a bicycle mounted on a bicycle, wherein a light lighting switch is disposed on a movable member of the brake device so as to be turned on and off by operating the brake device, and the light lighting switch is turned on. The / OFF operation method has setting conditions for the operation time and the number of operations. When the light lighting switch is turned ON / OFF by the operation of the brake device, the operation time and the number of operations reach the setting conditions. A bicycle light device comprising: a light lighting circuit unit capable of lighting a position light. The bicycle light device is characterized in that an operation signal is an operation in which the brake device is operated and the light lighting switch is repeatedly turned on and off for a plurality of times shorter than a brake operation in which the bicycle normally decelerates or stops. ,
In the operation signal, a time and number of times are set in the light lighting circuit unit, and a light lighting circuit unit that can turn on or off a position light installed in the light body by detecting the condition as the operation signal. The bicycle light device according to claim 1, further comprising: The bicycle light device is characterized in that an operation signal is an operation in which the brake device is operated and the light lighting switch is repeatedly turned on and off for a plurality of times shorter than a brake operation in which the bicycle normally decelerates or stops. ,
In the operation signal, the ON / OFF time set by the lighting or extinguishing function according to claim 2 is the same as the ON / OFF time, and only the number of operations is different from the number of times set by lighting or extinguishing according to claim 2. It is set, and by detecting the operation signal, it has a lighting pattern that turns on and blinks the position light installed in the light body or changes the light intensity and color, and a light lighting circuit part that can select this lighting pattern The bicycle light device according to claim 1, further comprising: In the bicycle light device, the light lighting circuit unit is set to monitor the time when the light lighting switch is OFF, and in the state where the position light is lit, the brake device has a constant value. 2. The bicycle light device according to claim 1, further comprising a function capable of turning off the light when a time operation is not performed and an OFF state of the light lighting switch exceeds a time set by the light lighting circuit unit. .

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