JP4448085B2 - Vehicle direction indication device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicular direction indicating device in which an operation lever and a bracket held at a direction indicating position of a vehicle are returned by a steering operation in a direction opposite to the instructed direction.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an operation lever is provided in the vicinity of a steering wheel in a vehicle, in particular, an automobile, and a direction of turning right or left of the vehicle is instructed by a user operating the operation lever. The operation lever is attached to the bracket, and the bracket is supported by the body of the vehicle direction indicator. Further, the body is formed with a moderation trough alternately with a plurality of moderation peaks, and the bracket is provided with a moderation piece urged toward the moderation peak and the moderation trough, and these moderation peaks and By the moderation mechanism composed of the moderation trough and the moderation piece, the operation lever together with the bracket is held in the neutral position as well as the direction indication position of the right / left turn. The operation lever and bracket held at the direction indicating position are returned by a steering operation in a direction opposite to the instructed direction (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-320595

  However, when the operating lever and bracket held at the vehicle direction indication position by the moderation mechanism as described above are returned by the steering operation in the direction opposite to the indicated direction, the moderation piece is given beyond the moderation peak. With the urging force still sliding down the slope, the self-propelled energy due to the weight of the operating lever is added to it, so that the operating lever and the bracket still move even when they reach the source position (neutral position). There was a possibility of flapping by going back beyond the source position and then returning to the opposite direction indicating position without returning and giving the opposite direction indication.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances. Therefore, the object of the present invention is to return the operation lever and the bracket held at the vehicle direction indication position by the moderation mechanism by the steering operation in the direction opposite to the indicated direction. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicular direction indicating device that can eliminate the flapping of an operation lever or prevent the operation lever from reaching the opposite direction indicating position.

  In order to achieve the above object, a vehicle direction indicating device of the present invention includes an operation lever operated by a user for indicating a vehicle direction, a bracket having the operation lever attached thereto, and the bracket as the operation lever. A body movably supported in the operation direction, a moderation valley formed alternately with a plurality of moderation peaks on the body, and a moderation piece urged from the bracket toward the moderation peak and the moderation valley And a moderation mechanism that holds the operation lever at a neutral position, a right turn direction indication position, and a left turn direction indication position by engaging a moderation piece with a moderation trough, and the right turn direction indication position and the left turn direction. The operation lever and the bracket held at the indicated position are returned by the steering operation in the direction opposite to the indicated direction. A second slope portion is formed which gradually increases in depth from the moderation peak portion on both sides of the moderation valley portion engaged at the neutral position of the operating lever to the moderation valley portion in a direction different from the operation direction of the operation lever. And a resistance that gives resistance to the operation of the bracket in the operation lever operation direction by contact with the mating member from the bracket side in a direction different from the operation direction of the operation lever whose second inclined surface portion is increased in depth. The provision means is provided.

  According to the above means, when the operation lever and bracket held at the vehicle direction indication position by the moderation mechanism are returned by the steering operation in the direction opposite to the instructed direction, the moderation piece is given beyond the moderation mountain portion. By sliding on the second slope while sliding down the slope while maintaining the biasing force, the bracket has a component force in a direction different from the operation direction of the operation lever in which the second slope is increased in depth. The resistance applying means effective in that direction gives resistance to the operation of the bracket in the operation lever operation direction. As a result, a braking force acts on the return of the operation lever, and even if the operation lever reaches the source position, it can be prevented from being advanced or reduced. As a result, the operation lever does not flutter or does not reach the opposite direction indication position.

Hereinafter, an example (one embodiment) of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
First, FIG. 2 shows the overall configuration of a direction indicating device for a vehicle, in particular, an automobile, and the body 1, particularly the body main body 1 a can be pivoted up and down around the shaft portion 2 a. I support it. The body 1 comprises the body main body 1a and the body cover 1b shown in FIG. An operating lever 3 is attached to the bracket 2, and this operating lever 3 is operated up and down (in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 1) by the user. The operation is for instructing the right turn direction of the vehicle and the upward operation is for instructing the left turn direction of the vehicle. Therefore, the bracket 2 is supported so as to be operable in the operation direction of the operation lever 3.

  A hole 4 is formed in the bracket 2 on the side opposite to the operation lever 3 side (left side in FIG. 2). A compression coil spring 5 is accommodated in the hole 4, and the moderation piece 6 is disposed at the tip of the spring 5. Is arranged. In this case, the moderation piece 6 has a spherical shape.

  On the other hand, the moderation valley portions 7, 8, and 9 are formed in the body main body 1a so as to be arranged in the vertical direction at the portion facing the moderation piece 6. Between each of the moderation valleys 7, 8, and 9 is a moderation peak 10 and 11, and therefore, the moderation valleys 7, 8, and 9 are a plurality (in this case, two) of the moderation peaks 10 and 11 and They are formed alternately. The moderation piece 6 is urged in the direction of the moderation valleys 7, 8, 9 and the moderation ridges 10, 11 by the elastic force of the spring 5, and one of the moderation valleys (illustration is shown) by the urging force. In the solid line example, the moderation piece 6 is pressed and engaged with the central moderation valley portion 8), and the moderation mechanism is formed by the moderation valley portions 7, 8, 9 and the moderation mountain portions 10, 11, the moderation piece 6 and the spring 5. 12 is composed.

  Here, each moderation mountain portion 10, 11 of the moderation mechanism 12 to each moderation valley portion 7, 8, 9 is a slope (first slope portion), and among these, the central moderation valley From the moderation peak portions 10 and 11 on both sides of the portion 8 to the central moderation valley portion 8 is a direction different from the operation direction of the operation lever 3, in this case, toward the front orthogonal to the paper surface of FIG. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 1, a second slope portion 13 that gradually increases in depth is formed.

  1 is formed on the upper surface of the bracket 2 on the side opposite to the operation lever 3 side in front of the second inclined surface portion 13 increasing in depth. The inner and lower surfaces of 1b are abutted against each other.

  In addition, although not shown, the body body 1a of the body 1 is provided with a switch for instructing a right turn direction or a left turn direction of the vehicle according to the operation of the operation lever 3, Although not shown in the figure, the bracket 2 is provided with a ratchet that is a cancel receiving member, and a tip end of the ratchet protrudes outside the body main body 1a (particularly leftward in FIG. 2). Corresponding to a cancel cam (also not shown) which is a cancel member that rotates integrally.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described.
When the moderation piece 6 of the moderation mechanism 12 is in the state shown by the solid line in FIG. 2 in which the moderation piece 6 is pressed and engaged with the central moderation valley portion 8 by the elastic force of the spring 5, the operation lever 3 is held in the neutral position. .

  When the user operates the operation lever 3 downward from the neutral position, the bracket 2 rotates clockwise about the shaft portion 2a. At this time, in the moderation mechanism 12, the moderation piece 6 engaged with the central moderation valley portion 8 moves to the upper moderation valley portion 7 beyond the upper moderation mountain portion 10 adjacent to the rotation direction at this time. The moderation valley portion 7 is pressed and engaged. As a result, the operating lever 3 is held at the right turn direction indicating position indicated by a two-dot chain line in the lower part of FIG. Accordingly, in the body main body 1a, a switch for instructing the right turn direction of the vehicle responds, and the right turn direction of the vehicle is instructed.

  On the other hand, when the user operates the operation lever 3 upward from the neutral position, the bracket 2 rotates counterclockwise around the shaft portion 2a. At this time, in the moderation mechanism 12, the moderation piece 6 engaged with the central moderation valley portion 8 moves to the lower moderation valley portion 9 beyond the lower moderation mountain portion 11 adjacent to the rotation direction at this time. Then, the moderation valley portion 9 is pressed and engaged. Thus, the operation lever 3 is held at the left turn direction indicating position indicated by a two-dot chain line in the upper part of FIG. Accordingly, in the body main body 1a, the switch for instructing the left turn direction of the vehicle is responsive to instruct the left turn direction of the vehicle.

  Now, when the operation lever 3 is held in the right turn direction indicating position or the left turn direction indicating position as described above, when the steering wheel is rotated in the direction opposite to the indicated direction, the steering wheel is integrated with the steering wheel. The bracket 2 and the operating lever 3 are returned to the neutral position in response to the ratchet being operated by the cancel cam that rotates in the forward direction.

  At this time, the moderation piece 6 crosses the moderation peak portion 10 or the moderation peak portion 11 and remains in the urging force applied by the spring 5 as indicated by a one-dot chain line locus R in FIG. Slid down the slope from the moderation trough 8 to the moderation trough 8 or from the moderation trough 11 to the moderation trough 8, but simultaneously sliding the second slope 13 while receiving the biasing force F (see FIG. 1) by the spring 5 To do.

  The second slope 13 gradually increases in depth as it goes in a direction different from the operation direction of the operation lever 3 (upward in FIGS. 3 and 1), and the moderation piece 6 slides on the second slope 13. The bracket 2 has a component force F ′ (see FIG. 1) in a direction different from the operation direction of the operation lever 3 in which the second inclined surface portion 13 is increased in depth. The portion 14 comes into slidable contact with the inner and lower surfaces of the body cover 1b more strongly than before, and the friction force gives resistance to the operation of the bracket 2 in the operation direction of the operation lever 3 at this time.

  Accordingly, the convex portion 14 of the bracket 2 is between the body cover 1b and the body cover that is the counterpart member from the bracket 2 side in a direction different from the operation direction of the operation lever 3 in which the second inclined surface portion 13 is increased in depth. The contact lever 1b functions as a resistance imparting means that gives resistance to the operation of the bracket 2 in the operation direction of the operation lever 3. Thus, a braking force acts on the return of the operation lever 3, and the operation lever 3 is moved to the source position. Even if it reaches the (neutral position), it is no longer possible to proceed or less. As a result, the operation lever 3 does not flutter or does not reach the opposite direction indication position.

  As described above, in this configuration, the operation lever extends from the moderation peak portions 10 and 11 on both sides of the moderation valley portion 8 to which the moderation piece 6 of the moderation mechanism 12 engages at the neutral position of the operation lever 3 to the moderation valley portion 8. The second inclined surface portion 13 that gradually increases in depth as it goes in a direction different from the operation direction 3 is formed, and the second inclined surface portion 13 is different from the operation direction of the operation lever 3 in which the depth is increased. By providing resistance applying means for giving resistance to the operation of the operating direction of the operating lever 3 of the bracket 2 by contact with the body cover 1b which is a mating member from the bracket 2 side, the moderation mechanism 12 is connected to the direction indicating position of the vehicle. When the stopped operation lever 3 is returned by the steering operation in the direction opposite to the direction instructed, the flapping can be eliminated, or the opposite direction indicating position is not reached. Been able to be so as not to reverse direction indication will be made.

Further, rattling at the neutral position of the operation lever 3 can be eliminated by the resistance force of the resistance applying means.
In addition, the direction in which the second slope portion on which the resistance applying unit functions increases in depth may be the rear (lower in FIGS. 3 and 1) orthogonal to the paper surface of FIG. In this case, the resistance applying means may be provided at a location ahead in that direction.
In addition, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, and can be implemented with appropriate modifications without departing from the scope of the invention.

Sectional drawing of the principal part in alignment with the XX line of FIG. 2 which shows one Example of this invention Overall cutaway front view of a vehicle directional support device The perspective view of the 2nd slope part

Explanation of symbols

In the drawings, 1 is a body, 1b is a body cover (a mating member), 2 is a bracket, 3 is an operation lever, 5 is a spring (biasing means), 6 is a moderation piece, 7-9 are moderation troughs, 10 and 11 are A moderation mountain portion, 12 is a moderation mechanism, 13 is a second slope portion, and 14 is a convex portion (resistance applying means).

Claims (1)

An operation lever operated by a user to indicate the direction of the vehicle;
A bracket with this control lever attached,
A body that supports the bracket so as to be operable in the operation direction of the operation lever;
The body comprises a moderation valley formed alternately with a plurality of moderation peaks, and a moderation piece urged from the bracket toward the moderation peak and the moderation valley, and the moderation piece is associated with the moderation valley. And a moderation mechanism for holding the operation lever at a neutral position, a right turn direction indication position, and a left turn direction indication position by
The operation lever and bracket held at the right turn direction indication position and the left turn direction indication position are returned by a steering operation in the direction opposite to the indicated direction.
A second depth is gradually increased from the moderation peak portion on both sides of the moderation valley portion where the moderation piece engages at the neutral position of the operation lever to the moderation valley portion in a direction different from the operation direction of the operation lever. While forming the slope part,
Resistance applying means for imparting resistance to the operation of the bracket in the operation lever operation direction by contact with the mating member from the bracket side in a direction different from the operation direction of the operation lever with the second inclined surface portion increased in depth A vehicle direction indicator device characterized by comprising:

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