JP2018137148A - Failure detection unit and vehicle illumination device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a failure detection unit capable of achieving further power saving in a vehicle illumination device, and to provide a vehicle illumination device.SOLUTION: A failure detection unit of an illumination part having a light source includes a load part connected in parallel with the light source, and consuming a prescribed current, a changeover section capable of changing over to ON state where a current flows to the load part, and an OFF state where a current does not flow, and is set to ON state at least when the illumination part is lighted, and a failure detector for acquiring the current consumed in the illumination part, and detecting whether or not the light source is faulty according to the acquired current. When the failure detector detects failure of the light source while the illumination part is lighting, the changeover section is controlled to be changed over from ON state to OFF state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a failure detection unit capable of detecting a failure of a light source and a vehicle lighting device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a vehicle lighting device, one having a function of detecting a failure when any one of a plurality of light sources fails (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In such a vehicular lighting device, from the viewpoint of power saving, if the light source is changed to a light emitting diode, the power consumption is much smaller than that of the incandescent bulb, so even if multiple light sources are not broken, Will be falsely detected.

  For this reason, when a load unit composed of a dummy resistor or the like is provided and a plurality of light sources are turned on, a current equivalent to an incandescent bulb is caused to flow through the load unit, thereby suppressing erroneous detection of the failure.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-12471

  However, in the vehicular illumination device as described above, when the light source is turned on, a current flows through the load portion, so that further power saving has been required.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a failure detection unit and a vehicle lighting device that can achieve further power saving in the vehicle lighting device.

The failure detection unit according to the present invention is
A failure detection unit for an illumination unit having a light source,
A load unit connected in parallel to the light source and consuming a predetermined current;
A switching unit that is switchable between an on state in which current flows through the load unit and an off state in which no current flows, and that is set to the on state when at least the illumination unit is lit,
A failure detection unit that acquires current consumed by the illumination unit and detects whether or not the light source has failed according to the acquired current;
With
The switching unit is controlled to switch from the on state to the off state when the failure detection unit detects a failure of the light source while the illumination unit is turned on.

The vehicle lighting device according to the present invention is:
The failure detection unit described above;
An illumination unit having a light source;
A control unit that performs control to turn on the illumination unit;
Is provided.

  According to the present invention, further power saving can be achieved in the vehicular lighting device.

It is a figure which shows the illuminating device for vehicles which concerns on this Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation example of the lighting control of the illumination part in the illuminating device for vehicles.

  Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a vehicle lighting device 1 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicular lighting device 1 is applied to a lamp for a vehicle direction indicator or a hazard lamp, and includes a control unit 2, a left side lighting unit 3, a right side lighting unit 4, and a left / right switching unit. 5, a hazard switching unit 6, and a failure detection unit 100.

  The control unit 2 is connected to a power source and a ground, and turns on the left side illumination unit 3 and the right side illumination unit 4 by causing a current to flow through the wirings 2A and 2B connected to the circuits included therein. Specifically, the control unit 2 turns on the left illumination unit 3 and the right illumination unit 4 so as to blink.

  The illumination unit 3 on the left side and the illumination unit 4 on the right side are applied to a lamp for a direction indicator and a hazard lamp, and each have a plurality of light sources. The left illumination unit 3 is connected to the wiring 2A, and the right illumination unit 4 is connected to the wiring 2B.

  The left / right switching unit 5 is a switch that can be connected to one of the wirings 2 </ b> C and 2 </ b> D having one end connected to the ground and the other end connected to a circuit inside the control unit 2. For example, when the driver operates the direction indicator, the left / right switching unit 5 is connected to one of the wirings 2C and 2D, and one of the illumination units 3 and 4 is turned on.

  Specifically, when the left / right switching unit 5 is connected to the wiring 2C, the left illumination unit 3 is turned on via the control unit 2, and when the left / right switching unit 5 is connected to the wiring 2D, the control unit 2 is turned on. The right illumination unit 4 is turned on.

  The hazard switching unit 6 is a switch that can be connected to a wiring 2 </ b> E having one end connected to the ground and the other end connected to a circuit inside the control unit 2. For example, when the driver performs an operation of turning on the hazard lamp, the hazard switching unit 6 is connected to the wiring 2E, and the lighting units 3 and 4 are turned on.

  By the way, since each illumination part 3 and 4 has a some light source, respectively, either of a some light source may fail. Therefore, the control unit 2 has a function of detecting the current flowing through the wiring 2A and the wiring 2B, and when any of a plurality of light sources in the illuminating unit that has been lit has failed, the control unit 2 Detects fluctuations in the flowing current.

  Therefore, when the light source in each illumination part 3 and 4 is an incandescent lamp, since the electric current which flows into the wiring 2A and the wiring 2B differs in the case where it does not fail and the case where it fails, which of each light source It is possible to detect that the battery has failed.

  When detecting any failure of each light source, the control unit 2 performs control to increase the number of blinks in the illumination unit. Thereby, a driver | operator etc. can identify the failure in an illumination part easily.

  However, from the viewpoint of power saving, when a plurality of light sources are changed to light emitting diodes, power consumption is remarkably small compared to a configuration having an incandescent bulb. Therefore, even if any of the plurality of light sources does not fail, the current flowing through the wirings 2A and 2B becomes smaller than when the failure occurs in the incandescent bulb. Misdetected as a failure.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the failure detection unit 100 accurately detects that any of the plurality of light sources has failed even when the plurality of light sources are light emitting diodes. Hereinafter, the failure detection unit 100 will be described in detail.

  The failure detection unit 100 is a portion that detects whether any of a plurality of light sources has failed, and includes a current acquisition unit 110, a failure detection unit 120, and a false detection prevention unit 130.

  The current acquisition unit 110 is provided in each of the wirings 2A and 2B, and acquires a current flowing in the wirings 2A and 2B, more specifically a current flowing in each of the illumination units 3 and 4, by an internal circuit. The current acquisition unit 110 outputs the acquired current to the failure detection unit 120.

  The failure detection unit 120 is connected to the power source and the ground, and detects whether any of the plurality of light sources has failed according to the current acquired by the current acquisition unit 110. When each of the lighting units 3 and 4 is turned on, the failure detection unit 120 controls the energization state of a coil unit 134B described later when detecting that any of the plurality of light sources has failed.

  The erroneous detection prevention unit 130 is a part for preventing the control unit 2 from erroneously detecting that any of the plurality of light sources has failed, and includes two diodes 131 and 132, a load unit 133, And a relay unit 134.

  The load unit 133 is a resistor having one end connected to the cathodes of the two diodes 131 and 132 and the other end connected to the ground via the relay unit 134. Further, the anodes of the two diodes 131 and 132 are connected to the wirings 2A and 2B, respectively. By being connected in this way, the load part 133 is connected to the wirings 2A and 2B so as to be in parallel with each of the illumination parts 3 and 4.

  The relay unit 134 includes a switch unit 134A and a coil unit 134B. The switch unit 134A is a switch that can be switched between an on state in which a current flows through the load unit 133 and an off state in which no current flows. The switch unit 134A corresponds to the “switching unit” of the present invention.

  The switch unit 134A is turned on by energizing the coil unit 134B. When the switch unit 134A is turned on, when a current flows through at least one of the wirings 2A and 2B, a plurality of light sources are incandescent bulbs in the load unit 133 due to at least one of the two diodes 131 and 132 A predetermined current corresponding to. Therefore, even when the plurality of light sources are light emitting diodes, it is possible to prevent the controller 2 from erroneously detecting a failure due to the low current of the light emitting diodes.

  The coil unit 134B is connected to the failure detection unit 120, and the failure detection unit 120 performs control to switch between an energized state and a non-energized state. The coil part 134B is energized so that the switch part 134A is turned on when at least one of the illumination parts 3 and 4 is lit.

  By the way, when a plurality of light sources are light-emitting diodes, if any of the plurality of light sources fails, and the switch unit 134A is turned on, a current corresponding to the case where the light source is an incandescent bulb generates a load unit. Since the current flows to 133, the control unit 2 cannot recognize that any of the plurality of light sources has failed.

  However, in the present embodiment, the failure detection unit 120 changes the switch unit 134A from the on state to the off state by setting the coil unit 134B to the non-energized state. As a result, no current flows through the load unit 133, and the control unit 2 detects only the current flowing through the illumination units 3 and 4. Therefore, the control unit 2 can detect only the current corresponding to the light emitting diode, and can easily identify that a failure has occurred based on the current.

  And when a failure occurs, current does not flow through the load unit 133, so that the power consumption of the entire vehicle lighting device 1 can be reduced.

  Moreover, the control part 2 will light each illumination part 3 and 4 corresponding to a hazard lamp, if the hazard switch part 6 is connected to the wiring 2E. As for the hazard lamp, it is not necessary to increase the number of times the light source blinks even if any of the plurality of light sources breaks down as stipulated in the law. Therefore, the control unit 2 does not perform control to increase the number of blinks in each of the illumination units 3 and 4. That is, the control unit 2 does not detect a failure when the vehicle is in a hazard state.

  In this case, the failure detection unit 120 switches the switch unit 134A from the on state to the off state. Thereby, when the vehicle is in a hazard state, current does not flow through the load unit 133, so that power consumption in the entire vehicle lighting device 1 can be reduced.

  In the present embodiment, since the wiring 2E is connected to a circuit inside the failure detection unit 120, the failure detection unit 120 can detect whether or not the vehicle is in a hazard state. The failure detection unit 120 corresponds to the “hazard state detection unit” of the present invention.

  Next, an operation example of lighting control of the lighting units 3 and 4 in the vehicle lighting device 1 will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation example of lighting control of each of the lighting units 3 and 4 in the vehicle lighting device 1. The process in FIG. 2 is appropriately executed, for example, while the vehicle is traveling.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 2 determines whether or not the left / right switching unit 5 is connected to either the wiring 2C or 2D (step S101). As a result of the determination, when the left / right switching unit 5 is not connected to any of the wirings 2C and 2D (step S101, NO), the process transitions to step S105.

  On the other hand, when the left / right switching unit 5 is connected to one of the wirings 2C and 2D (step S101, YES), the control unit 2 determines whether any current of the wirings 2A and 2B is a current equivalent to a light emitting diode. Is determined (step S102).

  As a result of the determination, when one of the currents of the wirings 2A and 2B is not a current corresponding to the light emitting diode (NO in step S102), the control unit 2 sets the number of blinks of each of the illumination units 3 and 4 to the first number. (Step S103). On the other hand, when the current of any of the wirings 2A and 2B is a current equivalent to a light emitting diode (step S102, YES), the control unit 2 sets the number of blinks of each lighting unit 3 and 4 to a second number greater than the first number. (Step S104).

  After steps S103 and S104, the control unit 2 determines whether or not the hazard switching unit 6 is connected to the wiring 2E (step S105). As a result of the determination, when the hazard switching unit 6 is not connected to the wiring 2E (step S105, NO), this control ends.

  On the other hand, when the hazard switching unit 6 is connected to the wiring 2E (step S105, YES), the control unit 2 sets the number of blinks of each of the lighting units 3 and 4 to the first number (step S106). Thereafter, this control ends.

  According to the present embodiment configured as described above, when a failure occurs, current does not flow through the load unit 133, so that power consumption in the entire vehicle lighting device 1 can be reduced.

  Further, when the vehicle is in a hazard state, no current flows through the load unit 133, so that power consumption in the entire vehicle lighting device 1 can be reduced.

  That is, according to the present embodiment, further power saving can be achieved in the vehicular lighting device 1.

  Further, since the failure detection unit 100 can detect a failure when the light source is a light emitting diode, the control unit 2 can be shared with the one used for the incandescent power source. Therefore, an incandescent bulb and a light emitting diode can be appropriately selected according to the user's intention.

  When using an incandescent light bulb, for example, the switch unit 134A may be controlled to be in an OFF state, or the failure detection unit 100 may not be connected to the wirings 2A and 2B.

  Moreover, since the control part 2 controls the lighting state in several light sources according to the electric current state which flows into the failure detection unit 100, a driver | operator etc. identify a failure of each illumination part 3 and 4 easily at the time of failure. can do.

  In the above-described embodiment, the switch unit 134A is switched by the failure detection unit 120. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the control unit 2 may perform switching control of the switch unit 134A.

  In addition, each of the above-described embodiments is merely an example of actualization in carrying out the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited thereto. That is, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist or the main features thereof.

  The failure detection unit of the present disclosure is useful as a failure detection unit and a vehicle illumination device that can achieve further power saving in the vehicle illumination device.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle lighting device 2 Control part 3 Left side illumination part 4 Right side illumination part 5 Right / left switching part 6 Hazard switching part 100 Failure detection unit 110 Current acquisition part 120 Failure detection part 130 False detection prevention part 133 Load part 134 Relay part 134A Switch part 134B Coil part

Claims (6)

A failure detection unit for an illumination unit having a light source,
A load unit connected in parallel to the light source and consuming a predetermined current;
A switching unit that is switchable between an on state in which current flows through the load unit and an off state in which no current flows, and that is set to the on state when at least the illumination unit is lit,
A failure detection unit that acquires current consumed by the illumination unit and detects whether or not the light source has failed according to the acquired current;
With
The switching unit is controlled to switch from the on state to the off state when the failure detection unit detects a failure of the light source during lighting of the illumination unit.
Fault detection unit. The illumination unit includes a hazard lamp,
A hazard state detection unit that detects whether or not the vehicle is in a hazard state,
The switching unit is controlled to switch from the on state to the off state when the hazard state detection unit detects that the vehicle is in the hazard state.
The failure detection unit according to claim 1. The illumination unit includes a lamp for a vehicle direction indicator,
The failure detection unit according to claim 1 or 2. The light source is a light emitting diode;
The failure detection unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The failure detection unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
An illumination unit having a light source;
A control unit that performs control to turn on the illumination unit;
A vehicle lighting device comprising: The control unit controls a lighting state in the light source according to a current state flowing through the failure detection unit.
The vehicle lighting device according to claim 5.

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