JP4073736B2 - Combination switch - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a combination switch attached to a steering column of a vehicle.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, a combination switch is fixed to a steering column of an automobile, and a wiper can be moved by swinging an operation lever extending from the main body in one direction (a direction substantially parallel to the turning surface of the steering wheel). In addition to being able to be operated, the washer liquid can be sprayed onto the windshield if it is swung in another direction (a direction substantially perpendicular to the one direction).
[0003]
The operation lever is usually formed with an operation knob for operating a wiper provided on the rear glass of the automobile, an operation button for injecting washer liquid onto the rear glass, and the like. However, a switch related to the wiper operation of the automobile can be provided in one operation lever, and the operability during the wiper operation is improved.
[0004]
By the way, the operation of the air conditioner of the automobile is performed by, for example, an A / C switch for operating or stopping the air conditioner, a fan switch for operating or stopping the fan, and a temperature control device for controlling the temperature. Is generally arranged at or near the instrument panel of an automobile. Regarding air conditioners, in addition to manual air conditioners, auto air conditioners and semi-auto air conditioners have become widespread.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, since the operation switches for operating the air conditioner are disposed on the instrument panel or in the vicinity thereof, the line of sight must be lowered considerably during the operation while traveling, and the operation while traveling is not performed. There was a problem that it was difficult.
[0006]
On the other hand, since the operation switches of the rear wiper are provided in the combination switch, the operation can be performed without dropping the line of sight downward while driving. However, the operation switches of the rear wiper are the operation switches of the air conditioner. Compared to other types of vehicles, the frequency of use during traveling of automobiles is low, and the effect of being easy to operate during traveling cannot be fully exhibited.
[0007]
In addition, some vehicles do not have a rear wiper, and at the manufacturing site, it is necessary to prepare both the operation lever of the combination switch with the rear wiper operation part and the one without the rear wiper operation. There was a problem that the cost increased. On the other hand, the air conditioner has been installed in almost all models.
[0008]
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and is provided with operation switches of an air conditioner having a high operation frequency during traveling on an operation lever so that the operation during traveling can be facilitated and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. It is an object of the present invention to provide a combination switch that can be reduced.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a combination switch body that can be fixed to a steering column of a vehicle, an operation lever that is swingably attached to the combination switch body, and accompanying the swing of the operation lever with respect to the combination switch body. In the combination switch having a wiper switch for operating the wiper of the vehicle, an air conditioner operation unit for operating an air conditioner mounted on the vehicle is provided in the operation lever, and the air conditioner operation unit is provided at a protruding end of the operation lever. An A / C switch that is provided and operated when the pressing operation is performed to operate the air conditioner, and returns to the original state when the pressing operation is performed again, and around the axis of the operation lever. The fan attached to the air conditioner Integer or with stops, the fan switch moderation is obtained between each position, it rotates about the axis of the operating lever, to control the temperature of the passenger compartment by controlling the actuator associated with the air conditioning, multi-click the have a temperature control dial is moderation due to rotation is obtained, the fan switch is provided on the tip side of the operating lever, characterized in that it than the temperature control dial on the base end side is provided .
[0011]
According to a second aspect of the invention, the combination switch of claim 1, wherein the A / C switch is characterized in that to turn on the indicator disposed on a meter panel of the vehicle when the pressing state.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.
The combination switch according to the present embodiment is fixed to a steering column in a vehicle such as an automobile, and is for operating various electrical components mounted on the automobile. As shown in FIG. It is mainly composed of the lever 2.
[0013]
The combination switch main body 1 is provided with a through hole 1a substantially at the center, and a steering pipe (not shown) is inserted into the through hole 1a and fixed to a stay provided in the steering pipe with a bolt or the like. An operation lever 2 for operating a wiper-related operation of the vehicle is projected from the left side surface of the combination switch body 1 in the figure. Reference numeral 3 in the figure indicates an operation lever for operating a light-related operation of the vehicle.
[0014]
The operation lever 2 swings with respect to the combination switch body 1 in the direction of the arrow in the figure (a direction substantially parallel to the turning surface of the steering handle) and in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction (the front side in the figure). Attached to get. In particular, when the operating lever 2 is swung in the direction of an arrow, a wiper switch (not shown) is turned on in accordance with the swinging and the wiper of the vehicle is operated. When the operation lever 2 is pulled and swung to the front side, the washer liquid can be operated to be sprayed onto the windshield.
[0015]
Here, the control lever 2 is formed with an A / C switch 4, a fan switch 5, and a temperature control dial 6. These switches are air conditioner operating sections for operating an auto air conditioner mounted on the vehicle. Is configured. As shown in FIG. 5, the air conditioner operation unit is electrically connected to a vehicle control unit, and the control unit is electrically connected to a compressor, an actuator, a blower motor, and other sensors constituting the air conditioner. .
[0016]
That is, when the driver operates the A / C switch 4, the fan switch 5, and the temperature control dial 6 provided on the operation lever 2, an electric signal is sent to the control unit, and control suitable for the operation of each switch and the like is performed. Is done. The actuator is configured to operate a temperature adjusting damper or the like, and the blower motor is configured to adjust the amount of air sent into the vehicle. The control unit may be a program added to the control unit of the current air conditioner or may be newly added.
[0017]
The A / C switch 4 is provided at the protruding end of the operation lever 2, and when pressed, the pressed state is maintained to operate the air conditioner, and when pressed again, returns to the original state and stops the air conditioner. Is. More specifically, the A / C switch 4 can be turned on and off by a mechanical latch mechanism. As shown in FIG. 3, the A / C switch 4 includes a button 7, a spring 8, an action piece 9, and a holder 10. It is configured.
[0018]
The button 7 is urged leftward by a spring 8 so as to be disposed with a predetermined dimension protruding from the protruding end of the operating lever 2. A stopper S is provided on the right side of the button 7 with a predetermined dimension from the button 7 to restrict movement when the button 7 is pressed, and a movable contact ( (Not shown) is formed.
[0019]
On the other hand, in the operation lever 2, a fixed contact that can come into contact with the movable contact formed on the end surface of the button 7 in a state where the button 7 is in contact with the stopper S is formed. Are in contact with each other and the energized state is maintained, whereby the control unit is configured to drive the air conditioner. Such an energized state (that is, a pressed state) is maintained by a latch mechanism that includes a holder 10 and an action piece 9 that can rotate about the axis of the holder 10.
[0020]
The action piece 9 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and a cam groove (not shown) is formed on the outer peripheral wall thereof. A projection extending from the button 7 is fitted in the cam groove, and the action piece 9 rotates as the button 7 is pressed and slid, and the button 7 is moved to the stopper S. At the abutting position, the protrusion is locked by the cam groove, and the button 7 is kept in the pressed state and is energized by contact of the contact.
[0021]
When the pressed button 7 is pressed once again, the protrusion of the cam groove is released, and the button 7 is returned to its original position by the urging force of the spring 8. As a result, the contacts are separated from each other and power is not supplied, and the compressor is stopped via the control unit.
[0022]
Further, in the present embodiment, when the button 7 is in the pressed state, as shown in FIG. 6, the indicator 11 disposed on the meter panel P of the vehicle is turned on via the control unit. The indicator 11 is formed of, for example, LEDs of a predetermined color, and indicates to the driver that the air conditioner is driven by lighting.
[0023]
The fan switch 5 rotates around the axis of the operation lever 2 to adjust or stop the operation of the fan (blower motor) associated with the air conditioner. As shown in FIG. 3, the knob 13, the terminal block 14, The roller 15 is mainly composed. The roller 15 can be rotated together with the knob 13, and a tension ball (not shown) is disposed therein. When the knob 13 is rotated, a moderation by a tension ball is obtained between the positions.
[0024]
A movable contact 15a is formed on the roller 15, and is slidable with a fixed contact (not shown) formed on the left end surface of the terminal block 14 in the figure. That is, when the roller 15 rotates with the rotation of the knob 13, contact between the contacts according to the position is obtained, and the blower motor is driven according to the position of the knob 13 through the control unit. Thereby, for example, the air blow from the air conditioner can be adjusted to an arbitrary amount (1 to 3 steps or the like) or stopped (the air volume is 0).
[0025]
Similar to the fan switch 5, the temperature control dial 6 rotates around the axis of the operation lever 2 and controls the temperature of the passenger compartment by controlling an actuator attached to the air conditioner. It is mainly composed. A ring 16 fixed to the operation lever 2 is formed between the knob 13 of the fan switch 5 and the knob 17 of the temperature control dial 6, and the fan 16 by the fan switch 5 is formed on the surface of the ring 16. A number indicating the adjustment stage of (blower motor) is printed or the like (see FIG. 2).
[0026]
A tension ball (not shown) is disposed in the knob 17 and constitutes a multi-stage click that can obtain the moderation associated with the rotation of the knob 17. Further, a movable contact is formed on the right end surface in FIG. 3 of the knob 17 so that it can slide on a circuit 19 (see FIG. 4) formed on the left end surface of the terminal 18 in the same figure. The circuit 19 formed on the terminal 18 is formed of a circuit having a predetermined resistance value as shown in FIG. 4, and the resistance value changes depending on the position of the movable contact.
[0027]
That is, since the voltage of the current flowing through the circuit 19 varies according to the position of the knob 17, this voltage value is compared with the voltage value output from the actuator that operates the temperature control flap, and the rotation direction and position are determined by the control unit. The actuator is operated in conjunction with the position of the knob 17 by controlling at. Such control is always performed while power is supplied to the control unit (generally, the vehicle engine is being driven).
[0028]
Note that if the preset temperature is changed by turning the knob 17 while the vehicle engine is stopped (that is, when no power is supplied to the control unit), comparison control with the preset temperature is not possible. Since it becomes accurate, it is preferable that the voltage change due to the position of the knob 17 is detected every time the engine is started, and the actuator is always interlocked with the set position.
[0029]
According to the combination switch having the above configuration, since the air conditioner operation unit for operating the air conditioner mounted on the vehicle is formed on the operation lever 2, the line of sight is lowered too much when the driver operates the vehicle while traveling. There is no need to drop it, and the operation during traveling can be facilitated. In addition, as described above, since the switches for operating the air conditioner are used in place of the switches for operating the rear wiper that are conventionally provided, the manufacturing cost of the combination switch can be reduced.
[0030]
In other words, depending on the type of automobile, there is a car that does not have a rear wiper. Therefore, on the manufacturing site, a combination switch that has conventionally been provided with operation switches for the rear wiper and a switch that is not provided are prepared separately. On the other hand, since air conditioners are installed in almost all models, it is sufficient to prepare a single combination switch with or without a rear wiper. Can be reduced.
[0031]
Furthermore, since the indicator 11 that lights up in conjunction with the A / C switch 4 is provided on the meter panel P, the line of sight is much lower when traveling compared to a conventional instrument panel or its vicinity. Therefore, it is possible to confirm the driving of the air conditioner without dropping it, and the safety can be improved.
[0032]
Although the present embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the air conditioner operated by the air conditioner operation unit may be an auto or semiautomatic air conditioner.
[0033]
Further, in this embodiment, the indicator 11 is provided on the meter panel P for allowing the driver to confirm the driving of the air conditioner, but this display means is installed on the instrument panel or in the vicinity thereof as in the prior art. You may make it do. Furthermore, it is also possible to form other operation switch, etc. for operating the air conditioners to the combination switch.
[0034]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the operation levers of the air conditioner having a high operation frequency during traveling are provided on the operation lever, the operation during traveling can be facilitated and the manufacturing cost of the combination switch can be reduced. Can be made. In addition, since the A / C switch, fan switch, and temperature control dial are provided on the operation lever, almost all operation switches that are generally required by air conditioners can be provided on the operation lever, so that the line of sight does not drop too much downward. Can fully operate the air conditioner.
[0036]
According to the invention of claim 2 , since the indicator arranged on the meter panel of the vehicle is turned on when the A / C switch is in the pressed state, compared to the conventional instrument panel or the vicinity thereof, It is possible to confirm the operation or stop of the air conditioner without dropping much of the line of sight during driving.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic top view illustrating a combination switch according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an operation lever of the combination switch according to the embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a wiring state of the combination switch according to the embodiment of the present invention. Schematic diagram showing temperature setting display means 【Explanation of symbols】
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Combination switch body 2 ... Operation lever 3 ... (for light) Operation lever 4 ... A / C switch 5 ... Fan switch 6 ... Temperature control dial 7 ... Button 8 ... Spring 9 ... Action piece 10 ... Holder 11 ... Indicator 13 ... Knob 14 ... Terminal block 15 ... Roller 16 ... Ring 17 ... Knob 18 ... Terminal P ... Meter panel S ... Stopper

Claims (2)

A combination switch body that can be fixed to the steering column of the vehicle;
An operation lever swingably attached to the combination switch body;
A wiper switch for operating the wiper of the vehicle in accordance with the swing of the operation lever with respect to the combination switch body;
In combination switch equipped with
An air conditioner operation unit for operating an air conditioner mounted on the vehicle is provided on the operation lever, and the air conditioner operation unit is
An A / C switch that is provided at the projecting end of the operation lever, holds the pressed state when operated by pressing and operates the air conditioner, and returns to the original state and stops the air conditioner when pressed again;
A fan switch that rotates about the axis of the operation lever, adjusts or stops the operation of the fan associated with the air conditioner, and obtains moderation between each position ;
Rotates about the axis of the operating lever, to control the temperature of the passenger compartment by controlling the actuator associated with the air conditioner, a temperature control dial moderation due to rotation by a multistage click is obtained,
Have a, the fan switch is provided on the tip side of the operating lever, combination switch, characterized in that it than the temperature control dial on the base end side is provided.   The combination switch according to claim 1, wherein an indicator disposed on a meter panel of a vehicle is turned on when the A / C switch is in a pressed state.

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