JP4614452B2 - Stop lamp lighting control device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a stop lamp lighting control device for a vehicle such as an automobile, and more particularly to a stop lamp lighting control device capable of “automatic flashing control” of a stop lamp.

  According to the “Safety Standard for Road Vehicles” (Ministry of Transportation Ordinance No. 67 of July 28, 1951), the rear of the vehicle, such as an automobile, is followed by the operation status of the braking device of the vehicle. It is said that a display device (red light) for displaying on a car or the like must be equipped. Specifically, two-wheeled vehicles and motorbikes have one brake light on the rear surface, and in vehicles such as a ride, one (two) on the left and right of the rear surface. The brake light and one auxiliary brake light must be installed at a predetermined height position in the center of the rear surface. In general, the brake light is called a brake lamp or a stop lamp, and the auxiliary brake light is called a high-mount stop lamp. In this specification, these (the brake light and the auxiliary brake light) are distinguished. Instead, they are collectively referred to as “stop lamps”.

  The stop lamp is normally off, and lights up in red when a braking operation is performed by the driver. However, such a binary operation (extinguishing and lighting) has a drawback that the amount of information to the following vehicle is small. This is because the braking operation includes not only gentle braking for deceleration (hereinafter referred to as slow braking) but also rapid braking for avoiding danger (hereinafter referred to as sudden braking). If possible, a device capable of displaying three types of states that combine these two braking modes and a normal state (non-braking state) is desirable.

  Now, one of the empirically performed brake operations is an operation of depressing the brake pedal intermittently. When this operation is performed, the stop lamp repeatedly turns on and off, so that it looks as if it is blinking, and a strong attention can be drawn to the following vehicle. Therefore, if this operation is used in combination, the above three types of status display can be realized.

  By the way, it can be said that the above-mentioned operation (intermittent depression of the brake pedal) corresponds to a so-called pumping brake on a slippery road surface such as a frozen road. However, immediately performing an emergency pumping brake in an emergency requires a great deal of experience and experience and is not easy for anyone. Moreover, since many of today's vehicles are equipped with a device for preventing wheel lock during braking (for example, ABS: anti-lock brake system), the opportunity for pumping braking itself has decreased. In the first place, it has been pointed out that the compatibility between ABS and pumping brakes is poor (the braking distance becomes long), so in consideration of the above operation (intermittent depression of the brake pedal), It is impossible to distinguish and display the three states of “braking state”, “slow braking state”, and “rapid braking state” with a stop lamp.

  Therefore, there is a need for an automated technique that replaces the above-described operation (intermittent depression of the brake pedal), that is, a technique that can automatically blink the stop lamp without artificially depressing the brake pedal. The current law “Safety standards for road transport vehicles (Article 39)” has a provision that “the brake light is not an automatic flashing structure”. The present invention is intended to automatically flash a brake light (stop lamp), but does not encourage violations of laws and regulations. In recent years, there is a movement to relax such regulations (ECE Reg48 revision proposal), so we are going to make prior disclosure of socially useful technology in accordance with the movement.

  As a prior art regarding automatic flashing of a brake light (stop lamp), for example, a “stop lamp flashing device” described in Patent Document 1 below is known.

  FIG. 8A is a schematic configuration diagram of the prior art. However, this figure is a part of the prior art that has been revised to make it easier to see. In this figure, a brake switch 1 is a switch that is turned on when a braking operation is performed by a driver. For example, a switch attached to the brake pedal corresponds to that. When the brake switch 1 is turned on, the battery voltage Vb is supplied to the timer 2 and the flashing circuit 3 via the brake switch 1.

  A relay 4 is connected to the timer 2, and the timer 2 excites the relay 4 for a predetermined time immediately after the supply of the battery voltage Vb. The relay 4 has a normally closed terminal 4a (normally closed contact or simply contact; hereinafter the same) and a normal open terminal 4b (normally open contact or simply contact; hereinafter the same), and is not excited. The battery voltage Vb is supplied to the stop lamp 5 through the normally closed terminal 4a while the brake switch 1 is in the ON state, and the normally open terminal is in the excited state and while the brake switch 1 is ON. The drive voltage Vc from the flashing circuit 3 is supplied to the stop lamp 5 via 4b.

  Here, while the battery voltage Vb is supplied via the brake switch 1, the blinking circuit 3 generates a drive voltage Vc that repeatedly turns on and off at a predetermined cycle.

  Therefore, according to this configuration, the drive voltage Vc from the blinking circuit 3 is supplied to the stop lamp 5 via the normally open terminal 4b of the relay 4 for a predetermined time immediately after the brake operation is performed by the driver. Therefore, during that period, the stop lamp 5 is repeatedly turned on and off in accordance with the ON / OFF cycle of the drive voltage Vc, and the stop lamp 5 can be automatically blinked. After a predetermined time has elapsed, the relay 4 is de-energized (if the brake switch 1 is still on), and the battery voltage Vb is supplied to the stop lamp 5 via the normal close terminal 4a. The stop lamp 5 can be always lit.

  However, in the prior art, since the stop lamp 5 is always automatically flashed for a predetermined time immediately after braking, the following vehicle or the like may be bothered. For example, it is a case where frequent braking operations are performed in a congested vehicle train. From the viewpoint of the occupant of the following vehicle, repeated blinking of the stop lamp in front of the eyes disturbs the nerves and is bothersome. This is because the timer 2 is used.

  FIG. 8B is a schematic configuration diagram of the prior art improved so as not to use the timer. In this figure, the battery voltage Vb is always supplied to the lighting control circuit 6 and the relay 7. A transistor switch 8 is inserted between the relay 7 and the ground, and this transistor switch 8 is set to either “OFF state” or “ON / OFF repeated state” according to the control signal Vd from the lighting control circuit 6. Take. Between the battery voltage Vb and the stop lamp 9, a brake switch 10 and a normally closed terminal 7a of the relay 7 are inserted in series.

  When the sudden braking state is determined by the sudden braking determination circuit 11, the lighting control circuit 6 receives a sudden braking determination signal indicating that fact. The determination of the sudden braking state can be made based on, for example, the depression speed of the brake pedal. This is because the speed increases during sudden braking. The lighting control circuit 6 generates a control signal Vd for maintaining the transistor switch 8 in the “off state” when the sudden braking determination signal is not input, while when the sudden braking determination signal is input, the transistor switch 8 A control signal Vd is generated to turn 8 into an “on / off state” at a predetermined cycle.

  According to this configuration, in the normal state (non-braking state) and in the slow braking state, that is, when the sudden braking determination signal is not input from the sudden braking determination circuit 11 to the lighting control circuit 6, the transistor switch 8 is Since it is in the “off state”, the relay 7 is de-energized and the normally closed terminal 7a maintains the normal state (closed). The difference between the non-braking state and the slow braking state is whether or not the brake switch 10 is turned on. Since the brake switch 10 is turned on in the slow braking state, the battery voltage Vb is supplied to the stop lamp 9 via the brake switch 10 and the normally closed terminal 7a in the closed state, and the stop lamp 9 is lit. Since the brake switch 10 remains off during the non-braking state, the stop lamp 9 does not light up.

  On the other hand, since the transistor switch 8 repeats the “on / off state” in the sudden braking state, the relay 7 repeats the non-excitation and excitation, and the normal close terminal 7a repeats the closed state and the open state. In this sudden braking state, since the brake switch 10 is on, the stop lamp 9 is turned on when the normally closed terminal 7a is closed, and is turned off when the normally closed terminal 7a is opened. , Will continue (thus, the stop lamp 9 will blink).

  As described above, according to this improved example, the stop lamp 9 can be turned on as usual during slow braking, while it can be turned off and on repeatedly during sudden braking. Since the stop lamp 9 blinks only in an unavoidable situation, unnecessary blinking can be avoided and the inconveniences of the above-described prior art (making the following vehicle feel annoying) can be solved.

JP 2000-52857 A

  The above improvement example has room for further improvement in the following points.

  Since the blinking speed of the stop lamp 9 that is too slow impairs the effect of notification to the following vehicle and the like and cannot achieve the original purpose (indication of an emergency situation), the blinking speed of the lamp must be sufficiently high. Now, assuming that the appropriate blinking speed is F times per second, in order to achieve this F in the above-described improved example, the relay 7 may be opened and closed (on / off) at the same speed (F times per second). However, on the other hand, from the viewpoint of the durability (life) of the relay, it is desirable that the number of times of opening and closing is as small as possible. For example, if the maximum number of switching times is 2 million times and the blinking speed F (relay opening / closing speed) of the stop lamp 9 is 10 times / second, the total emergency braking time per day is 5 minutes (= 300 seconds) for convenience. ), The total number of times of opening and closing per day is 300 seconds × 10 times = 3000 times, 2 million times / 3000 times≈666 days, and therefore the limit number (2 million times) is reached in about 1.8 years. This is because the life of this level is short for an in-vehicle relay, in particular.

  If the switching speed of the relay can be reduced to F / n times per second, the life is calculated to be increased n times. For example, if n = 2, the lifetime of the private car is about 3.7 years, which exceeds the initial vehicle inspection period (3 years), and it can be said that the level can be generally compromised. However, in the above-described improved example, “the opening / closing speed of the relay 7 = the blinking speed of the stop lamp 9”, the stop lamp 9 is too slow with such a simple countermeasure (F times per second → F / n times per second). Since it causes blinking, impairing the effect of notifying the following vehicle and the like, the original purpose (emergency display) cannot be achieved, so it is not possible to simply reduce the switching speed of the relay.

  Incidentally, the maximum number of switching times of the relay varies greatly depending on the use conditions, and variation of each relay is unavoidable. However, although it is rare, the lifetime may be exhausted before the maximum number of switching times is reached. The symptoms of relays that have reached the end of their life vary. For example, taking contact damage (conductivity failure) as an example, in this case, in the above-described improved example, not only the stop lamp 9 blinks automatically, but also normal lighting is impossible. This is because even if the normally closed terminal 7a of the relay 7 becomes defective in conduction and the brake switch 10 is turned on, the battery voltage Vb can no longer be supplied to the stop lamp 9. Such troubles can have very serious consequences for traffic safety, so the number of relays that should be opened and closed should be as small as possible.

  As described above, in the above improvement example, if importance is attached to alerting the following vehicle, the durability of the relay 7 is impaired, while if the durability of the relay 7 is emphasized, the notification effect to the following vehicle is impaired. As a result, it is impossible to achieve both the alerting of the following vehicle and the durability improvement of the relay 7 after all.

  Therefore, the present invention increases the number of times the stop lamp blinks to increase the effect of alerting the following vehicle, etc., while reducing the number of times the relay is opened and closed to improve the durability of the relay. An object of the present invention is to provide a stop lamp lighting control device that can be achieved.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a braking detection switch element that is turned on when the vehicle is braked, a first relay and a first three-terminal switch element connected in series between the battery voltage and the ground, the battery voltage and the ground. A second relay and a second three-terminal switch element connected in series between, a common terminal of the first relay is connected to a battery voltage via the brake detection switch element, and a common of the second relay The terminal is connected to the ground via a stop lamp, the normally closed terminals of the first and second relays are connected to the ground via a stop lamp, and the normally open terminals of the first and second relays are connected to each other. This is a stop lamp lighting control device.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided first control means for controlling on / off of the first three-terminal switch element, and second control means for controlling on-off of the second three-terminal switch element, The first control means and the second control means generate the first and second control signals having the same period and out of phase to generate the first three-terminal switch element and the second three-terminal switch element, respectively. The stop lamp lighting control device according to claim 1 , wherein the on / off control is performed.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first and second control signals, the first half of one cycle length of the first control signal or the second control signal is set to one logic state, and the latter half is set to another logic state. a signal for, and the phase difference between the first and second control signals, claims, characterized in that corresponding to a quarter cycle of one period length of the first control signal or the second control signal 2. The stop lamp lighting control device according to 2 .

Here, in common with the inventions described in the claims, a vehicle brake switch can be used as the brake detection switch element, and a transistor switch is used as the first and second three-terminal switch elements. can do.
In addition, a conductive line or simply a line is a power supply path that is formed by a combination of electrical wiring, printed wiring, or other electrical components, and is mainly used to supply power from a DC voltage source to an arbitrary load. Or a power supply path.
Further, the battery voltage refers to an in-vehicle power supply voltage supplied via an ignition switch. Specifically, it refers to an electrical wiring for distributing the voltage, a distribution board, or an electrical component corresponding thereto. .
Further, one logical state refers to one logical state (for example, high level) in binary logic, and the other logical state refers to a logical state opposite to one logical state (for example, low level). These logical states may be represented by potential levels, or may be represented by other physical quantities.
One cycle length means a distance or time between two adjacent points showing the same change in logical state. A period represented by a fraction (for example, a quarter period) refers to a period length (distance or time) corresponding to the number of numerators obtained by dividing one period length by the denominator.
The stop lamp refers to a brake light, an auxiliary brake light, or a lamp corresponding to the safety light specified in “Safety standards for road transport vehicles”.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when (A1) the brake detection switch element is turned on and the first and second three-terminal switch elements are “off-controlled together”, the first and second Both relays are de-energized and the battery voltage is supplied to the stop lamp via the normally closed terminals of these two relays. For this reason, the stop lamp lights up. The conductive line at this time is referred to as “A line” in accordance with the description of the embodiment. Alternatively, (B1) the same applies even if both the first and second three-terminal switch elements are “on-controlled” when the brake detection switch element is on. Since both the first and second relays are excited and the battery voltage is supplied to the stop lamp via the normally open terminals of the two relays, the stop lamp is lit again. The conductive line at this time is referred to as “B line” in accordance with the description of the embodiment. On the other hand, if (C1) “one of the first and second three-terminal switch elements is on-controlled” when the brake detection switch element is on, one of the first and second relays is non-switched. In this case, both the “A line” and the “A line” are cut off, and the battery voltage is not supplied to the stop lamp, so that the stop lamp does not light up. Therefore, by sequentially executing (A1) → (C1) → (B1) → (C1) → (A1) →..., The operation of the stop lamp is turned on → off → on → off → on →→ Can be repeated and the stop lamp can be blinked.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the first three-terminal switch element and the second three-terminal switch are generated by generating first and second control signals having the same period and shifted phases. Since the elements are controlled on and off, the "A line" and the "B line" can be alternately formed, and the formation period of these A and B lines is made to correspond to the phase difference between the first and second control signals. be able to. Therefore, two automatic flashes can be performed within one cycle (one period) of the first and second control signals, and the first and second relays are switched in accordance with the cycles of the first and second control signals. Both can be opened and closed, and the conflicting proposition of reducing the number of times the relay is opened and closed can be achieved while increasing the number of automatic flashes.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the stop lamp can be blinked at a time interval corresponding to a quarter cycle of one cycle length of the first control signal or the second control signal .

  According to the present invention, it is possible to achieve both conflicting propositions of increasing the number of blinking stop lamps and decreasing the number of times the relay is opened and closed. Accordingly, the blinking speed of the stop lamp can be optimized to obtain a sufficient notification effect for the following vehicle and the like, and the durability of the relay can be improved.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the specific details or examples in the following description and the illustrations of numerical values, character strings, and other symbols are only for reference in order to clarify the idea of the present invention, and the present invention may be used in whole or in part. Obviously, the idea of the invention is not limited. In addition, a well-known technique, a well-known procedure, a well-known architecture, a well-known circuit configuration, and the like (hereinafter, “well-known matter”) are not described in detail, but this is also to simplify the description. Not all or part of the matter is intentionally excluded. Such well-known matters are known to those skilled in the art at the time of filing of the present invention, and are naturally included in the following description.

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a stop lamp lighting control device according to the first embodiment. In this figure, the stop lamp lighting control device 20 includes a first relay 21, a second relay 22, a first transistor switch 23, a second transistor switch 24, a brake switch 25, a stop lamp 26, a braking state determination circuit 27, a lighting control. A circuit 28 and a failure determination circuit 29 are provided.

  One end of the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 is connected to the battery voltage Vb, and the other end of the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 is connected to the collectors of the first transistor switch 23 and the second transistor switch 24, respectively. Has been. The emitters of the first transistor switch 23 and the second transistor switch 24 are both connected to the ground. Further, a first lighting control signal V1 from the lighting control circuit 28 is inputted to the base of the first transistor switch 23, and a base from the lighting control circuit 28 is inputted to the base of the second transistor switch 24. The second lighting control signal V2 is input.

  The first transistor switch 23 and the second transistor switch 24 operate as a “three-terminal switching element” that connects or disconnects between the switching terminals (collector and emitter) corresponding to the potential of the control terminal (base).

  In the concept of the invention, any operation may be used as long as such an operation (three-terminal switching element) can be realized. That is, it is not limited to the illustrated bipolar transistor, and may be, for example, an FET switch or a mechanical switch such as a relay. An appropriate one may be selected in consideration of power consumption, cost, durability, response performance, and the like.

  The first relay 21 and the second relay 22 both have normally closed terminals 21a, 22a and normally open terminals 21b, 22b, and between the normally closed terminals 21a, 22a and the common terminals 21c, 22c in a non-excited state. In the excited state, the normally open terminals 21b and 22b and the common terminals 21c and 22c are connected.

  The common terminal 21c of the first relay 21 is connected to the battery voltage Vb via the brake switch 25, and the common terminal 22c of the second relay 22 is connected to the ground via the stop lamp 26. The normally closed terminals 21a and 22a of the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 are connected to each other, and similarly, the normally open terminals 21b and 22b of the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 are also connected to each other.

  That is, each contact (normally closed terminal 21a and normally open terminal 21b) of the first relay 21 and each contact (normally closed terminal 22a and normally open terminal 22b) of the second relay 22 are connected in series. Hereinafter, the conductive path formed by each of the normally closed terminals 21a and 22a is referred to as “A line”, and the conductive path formed by each of the normally open terminals 21b and 22b is referred to as “B line”.

  Next, the configuration of the braking state determination circuit 27, the lighting control circuit 28, and the failure determination circuit 29 will be described. In the following description, each circuit is described as being configured by semiconductor logic. However, this is a convenient example for facilitating the understanding of the operation of each circuit, and the outer edge of the present invention can be understood from these specific examples. should not be done. Any mode is possible as long as the operation of each circuit can be realized. For example, the mode may be realized by software using a microprocessor.

  First, the braking state determination circuit 27 includes a sudden braking determination unit 27a, a slip determination unit 27b, and an OR gate 27c that takes a logical sum of the determination results of these determination units. The sudden braking determination unit 27a determines the sudden deceleration state of the vehicle. The sudden deceleration state can be determined from, for example, the degree of decrease in vehicle speed or the degree of change in brake depression speed. When the sudden braking determination unit 27a determines the sudden deceleration state of the vehicle, it outputs a high-level sudden deceleration state determination signal H1.

  The slip determination unit 27b determines a slip state of the vehicle (sliding state of driving wheels or the like), and this slip state can be determined from, for example, an ABS signal. When the slip determination unit 27b determines the slip state of the vehicle, the slip determination unit 27b outputs a high level slip state determination signal H2.

  The OR gate 27c outputs a logical sum signal H3 of the rapid deceleration state determination signal H1 and the slip state determination signal H2. That is, when the sudden braking determination unit 27a determines that the vehicle is suddenly decelerated, or when the slip determination unit 27b determines that the vehicle is slipping, the high-level OR signal H3 is output.

  Next, the lighting control circuit 28 includes one AND gate 28a and two signal generation circuits (a first signal generation circuit 28b and a second signal generation circuit 28c). The AND gate 28a outputs a logical product signal H4 of the logical sum signal H3 and a failure detection signal ALM described later.

  As will be described later, the failure detection signal ALM is a signal that is at a high level when there is no failure in the stop lamp lighting control device 20 (hereinafter, normal), but is at a low level when a failure occurs. For this reason, the AND gate 28a outputs a logical product signal H4 having the same logic as the logical sum signal H3 in this normal state, and outputs a logical product signal H4 fixed at a low level when a failure occurs.

The output signal (logical product signal H4) of the AND gate 28a takes one of the following three states.
(State 1) When normal and when neither a sudden deceleration state nor a slip state is determined: logical product signal H4 → low level.
(State 2) When normal and sudden deceleration state or slip state is determined: logical product signal H4 → high level.
(State 3) At failure: AND signal H4 → low level.

  The first signal generation circuit 28b and the second signal generation circuit 28c repeat the high level and the low level at a predetermined cycle while the logical product signal H4 is at a high level, that is, in the above (state 2). A rectangular lighting first lighting control signal V1 and a second lighting control signal V2 are generated. Although details will be described later, in the present embodiment, the first lighting control signal V1 and the second lighting control signal V2 have the same cycle, and only the phase is shifted by 90 degrees (corresponding to a quarter cycle).

  Finally, the failure determination circuit 29 includes two EOR gates (first EOR gate 29a and second EOR gate 29c), one inverter gate 29c, and one failure detection signal generation circuit 29d.

  The first EOR gate 29a takes the exclusive OR of the first lighting control signal V1 and the second lighting control signal V2 and outputs the exclusive OR signal H5, and the inverter gate 29c inverts the exclusive OR signal H5. The signal H6 is output. The second EOR gate 29a takes the exclusive OR of the applied voltage Ve of the stop lamp 26 and the inverted signal H6 and outputs the exclusive OR signal H7.

  The exclusive OR means that the output is true when only one of the two logical inputs is true (true), and the output is false when both of the two logical inputs are true or false (false). A logical operation. That is, when the inputs A and B and the output C are considered, it means a logical operation in which C = low level (false) when A = B and C = high level (true) when A ≠ B. .

  Although the details will be described later, the exclusive OR signal H7 output from the second EOR gate 29a is basically obtained by obtaining the applied voltage Ve of the stop lamp 26 from the combination of the first lighting control signal V1 and the second lighting control signal V2. It is a signal which shows whether it is in agreement with the blinking period of the same stop lamp 26. During the match, the exclusive OR signal H7 is at a low level, and when it does not match, it is at a high level.

  The failure detection signal generation circuit 29d outputs a high level failure detection signal ALM during normal times (while the exclusive OR signal H7 is at low level), and at the time of failure (when the exclusive OR signal H7 becomes high level). The low level failure detection signal ALM is output. The failure detection signal generation circuit 29d is configured to output the low level failure detection signal ALM at the time of failure determination and then maintain (latch) the state (low level failure detection signal ALM). desirable.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an operation waveform and a timing chart of the stop lamp lighting control device 20. In this operation waveform and timing chart, the stop lamp 25 is turned on (that is, the braking operation is performed by the driver), and the sudden braking state is determined by the sudden braking determination unit 27a or the slip determination unit 27b. Or when the slip state is determined.

  In this figure, the uppermost waveform shows the waveform of the first lighting control signal V1, and the next waveform shows the waveform of the second lighting control signal V2. The length L1 from the rising edge to the rising edge (or from the falling edge to the falling edge) of the first lighting control signal V1 is one cycle length of the first lighting control signal V1, and similarly the rising edge of the second lighting control signal V2. The length L2 from the start to the rise (or from the fall to the fall) is one cycle length of the second lighting control signal V2.

  Here, L1 and L2 are equal (L1 = L2), and the phases of V1 and V2 are shifted by 90 degrees (corresponding to a quarter cycle).

  The 3rd and 4th horizontal oblong bands from the top schematically show the operation of the first relay 21 and the second relay 22, respectively. The hatched ON period represents an excited state, and the white part OFF period represents a non-excited state.

  When the operations of the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 are compared with the waveforms of the first lighting control signal V1 and the second lighting control signal V2, the waveform of the first lighting control signal V1 and the first relay 21 are compared. Are synchronized, the waveform of the second lighting control signal V2 and the operation of the second relay 22 are synchronized, and the ON period (excitation period) of the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 is the respective waveform (first The waveform of the lighting control signal V1 and the second lighting control signal V2) coincides with the high level period, and the OFF period (non-excitation period) coincides with the low level period of the same waveform.

  This is because the first transistor switch 23 is turned on and off according to the first lighting control signal V1, and the first relay 21 repeats excitation / de-energization in synchronization with the on / off, and similarly, according to the second lighting control signal V2. This is because the second transistor switch 24 is turned on and off, and the second relay 22 repeats excitation / de-excitation in synchronization with the on / off.

  The fifth horizontally long rectangular band from the top schematically shows the operation of the stop lamp 26. A blank “turn-off” period represents a light-off state, and a hatched “dot” period represents a light-on state.

  Comparing the operation of the stop lamp 26 with the operation of the first relay 21 and the second relay 22, when both the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 are in the ON period (excited state), The stop lamp 26 is turned on when both the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 are in the OFF period (de-energized state), and the stop lamp 26 is turned off during other periods.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the common terminal 21c of the first relay 21 is connected to the battery voltage Vb via the brake switch 25, and the common terminal 22c of the second relay 22 is connected to the ground via the stop lamp 26. This is because the normally closed terminals 21a and 22a of the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 are connected to each other. Similarly, the normally open terminals 21b and 22b of the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 are also connected. This is because they are connected to each other.

  With this configuration, when both the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 are in the OFF period (non-excited state), the battery voltage Vb is applied to the stop lamp 26 via the “A line” in FIG. The stop lamp 26 can be lit, and when both the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 are in the ON period (excited state), the stop lamp 26 is connected via the “B line” in FIG. The stop lamp 26 can be turned on by supplying the battery voltage Vb. Further, when one of the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 is in the OFF period (non-excitation state) and the other is in the ON period (excitation state), both the “A line” and the “B line” in FIG. , The supply of the battery voltage Vb to the stop lamp 26 is cut off, and the stop lamp 26 can be turned off.

  Therefore, ON / OFF of the first relay 21 is controlled by the first lighting control signal V1, and ON / OFF of the second relay 22 is controlled by the second lighting control signal V2, so that the first lighting control signal V1 is eventually obtained. The stop lamp 26 can be automatically blinked at a short interval corresponding to a quarter of the one cycle length L1 (or one cycle length L2 of the second lighting control signal V2).

  Here, as described at the beginning, the problem of the present invention is that “the number of blinking stop lamps is increased to increase the effect of alerting the following vehicle, etc., while the number of times the relay is opened and closed is reduced. It is to provide a stop lamp lighting control device capable of achieving both conflicting propositions of improving durability. The blinking of the stop lamp of the first embodiment is performed at a short interval corresponding to a quarter cycle of the one cycle length L1 of the first lighting control signal V1 (or the one cycle length L2 of the second lighting control signal V2). In this embodiment, the stop lamp 26 can be blinked twice per the same period length L1 (L2).

  That is, the light is turned off and turned on once in the first half cycle of the first lighting control signal V1 (or the half cycle of the second lighting control signal V2), and the second half cycle of the first lighting control signal V1 (or the second lighting control signal V2). It is possible to turn off and turn on once in the second half cycle).

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to obtain a specific effect that the stop lamp 26 can be blinked at a frequency twice that of the first lighting control signal V1 (or the second lighting control signal V2). Since the control signal V1 and the second lighting control signal V2 are signals for controlling the opening / closing (excitation / non-excitation) of the first relay 21 and the second relay 22, the number of blinks of the stop lamp 26 is eventually determined by the relay (first The number of times the relay 21 and the second relay 22) can be opened and closed can be doubled, and the number of times the stop lamp blinks can be increased to increase the effect of alerting the following vehicle, while the number of times the relay is opened and closed. It is possible to achieve the conflicting proposition of reducing the durability of the relay and reducing it together.

  Note that the four waveforms at the lower stage of FIG. That is, the fourth waveform from the bottom is one input signal (inverted signal H6) of the second EOR gate 29a, and the third waveform from the bottom is the other input signal of the second EOR gate 29a (the applied voltage Ve of the stop lamp 26). The second waveform from the bottom is the output signal (exclusive OR signal H7) of the second EOR gate 29a, and the bottom waveform is the output signal (failure detection signal ALM) of the failure detection signal generation circuit 29d. is there.

  When there is no failure in the stop lamp lighting control device 20, that is, when there is no abnormality such as wear at the contact points of the first relay 21 and the second relay 22, the brake switch 25 is on and a sudden braking state or slip If the state is determined, the battery voltage Vb is periodically applied to the stop lamp 26 via the contact point (“A line” or “B line”) of the brake switch 25 and the first relay 21 and the second relay 22.

  At this time, one input signal (the applied voltage Ve of the stop lamp 26) of the second EOR gate 29a has a waveform in the third stage from the bottom in FIG. That is, a high level potential corresponding to a high level when turned on and a low level potential corresponding to a low level when turned off. On the other hand, the other input signal (inverted signal H6) of the second EOR gate 29a at this time has a waveform in the fourth stage from the bottom of FIG. 2, so that these two signals are exclusive during normal operation. The logical sum (H7) is maintained at a low level as in the second waveform from the bottom, and the failure detection signal ALM also maintains a high level indicating a normal state.

  Therefore, in this case (normally), the operation of the first signal generation circuit 28b and the second signal generation circuit 28c is permitted by the high-level failure detection signal ALM, and the same cycle length and phase are shifted by 14 / cycle. The 1 lighting control signal V1 and the 2nd lighting control signal V2 are produced without trouble.

  Now, assume that a failure has occurred in the stop lamp lighting control device 20. For example, it is assumed that the normally closed terminal 21a of the first relay 21 (the contact that constitutes the “A line”) is worn and the conduction is completely lost. In this case, since the “A line” in FIG. 1 is not formed, the applied voltage Ve of the stop lamp 26 becomes zero voltage (or a considerably low voltage) at the formation timing of the “A line”. The dotted line portion (a) of the applied voltage Ve shown in the third row from the bottom in FIG. 1 represents the zero voltage at the same timing.

  Since the second EOR gate 29c takes an exclusive OR of H6 and Ve and outputs the result as an exclusive OR signal H7, Ve becomes a zero voltage (that is, a logic state corresponding to a low level). When the exclusive OR is defined (C = high level when A ≠ B), the exclusive OR signal H7 becomes high level (see the dotted line portion (a)), and eventually the failure detection signal ALM is at low level. The operation of the first signal generation circuit 28b and the second signal generation circuit 28c is stopped, and the open / close control of the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 is stopped (automatic flashing). Stop). In the example shown in the figure, the low level is maintained after the failure detection signal ALM becomes the low level (see the dotted line portion (c)), which indicates that the failure has been latched.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an operation flowchart of the stop lamp lighting control device according to the first embodiment. In this flowchart, first, it is determined whether or not the brake switch 25 is turned on, that is, whether or not a braking operation is being performed by the driver (step S1). If the braking operation is not performed, step S1 is repeated until the braking operation is performed. If the braking operation is performed, the subsequent processing is executed.

  That is, it is determined whether or not the blinking condition of the stop lamp 26 is satisfied (step S2). The “flashing condition” is a driving situation where it is considered necessary to cause the stop lamp 26 to flash automatically, for example, when the vehicle slips due to sudden braking or braking. These conditions are detected by the braking state determination circuit 27 (the sudden braking determination unit 27a and the slip determination unit 27b) in FIG.

  When the blinking condition is not satisfied (when the determination result of step S2 is “NO”), the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 are left in a non-excited state (step S3). That is, the output signals (first lighting control signal V1 and second lighting control signal V2) of the first signal generation circuit 28b and the second signal generation circuit 28c are fixed at a low level, and the first transistor switch 23 and the second transistor switch 24 is out of service. As a result, the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 can be kept in a non-excited state, and the “A line” in FIG. 1 can be kept formed. In this way, the battery voltage Vb can be supplied to the stop lamp 26 via the brake switch 25 and the “A line”, and the stop lamp 26 can be lit as usual. I can let you know.

  On the other hand, when the blinking condition is satisfied (when the determination result of step S2 is “YES”), it is first determined whether or not there is a failure (step S4). This determination is performed by the failure determination circuit 29. As described above, the failure determination circuit 29 determines whether the applied voltage Ve of the stop lamp 26 matches the blinking cycle of the stop lamp 26 obtained from the combination of the first lighting control signal V1 and the second lighting control signal V2. It is determined whether or not a failure has occurred.

  At the time of failure determination (when the determination result of step S4 is “YES”), the process proceeds to step S3, and for example, the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 are left in a non-excited state. That is, the output signals (first lighting control signal V1 and second lighting control signal V2) of the first signal generation circuit 28b and the second signal generation circuit 28c are fixed at a low level, and the first transistor switch 23 and the second transistor switch 24 is out of service. As a result, the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 can be kept in a non-excited state, and the “A line” in FIG. 1 can be kept formed.

  In this way, when a failure occurs, the battery voltage Vb can be supplied to the stop lamp 26 via the brake switch 25 and the “A line”, and automatic flashing is impossible, but at least the stop lamp 26 is turned on. It can be lit to notify that the following vehicle has been braked, and there is no inconvenience in traffic safety.

  When a failure is not determined (when the determination result of step S4 is “NO”), the phase is 90 degrees in a predetermined cycle using the first lighting control signal V1 and the second lighting control signal V2. The first relay 21 and the second relay 22 are alternately controlled to be excited / de-energized while shifting (1/4 cycle) (step S5). That is, the first relay 21 is controlled to be excited / de-energized at a constant cycle (L1) by V1 and the second relay 22 is excited at the same cycle (L2) with a phase shift of 90 degrees (1/4 cycle) by V2. / De-energized control.

  In this way, the first transistor switch 23 is turned on during the high level period of the first lighting control signal V1 and the first relay 21 is excited, and the first transistor switch 23 is excited during the low level period of the first lighting control signal V1. Becomes non-conductive and the first relay 21 is de-energized. Similarly, the second transistor switch 24 is turned on during the high level period of the second lighting control signal V2 and the second relay 22 is excited, and the second transistor switch 24 is non-switched during the low level period of the second lighting control signal V2. It becomes conductive and the second relay 22 is de-energized.

  As described above, since the phases of V1 and V2 are accurately shifted by 90 degrees (corresponding to a quarter period), the excitation period of the first relay 21 and the excitation period of the second relay 22 overlap each other by a quarter period, Similarly, the non-excitation period of the first relay 21 and the non-excitation period of the second relay 22 overlap each other by a quarter period.

  Therefore, when both the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 are in a non-excited state, the “A line” in FIG. 1 is used, and when both the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 are in an excited state, Since the “B line” in FIG. 1 is formed, the battery voltage Vb can be supplied to the stop lamp 26 via the “A line” or “A line” to turn on, and otherwise During this period, the “A line” and the “A line” can be cut off and the stop lamp 26 can be turned off. As a result, the stop lamp 26 can be automatically blinked at a short interval corresponding to ¼ period of the one cycle length L1 of the first lighting control signal V1 (or one cycle length L2 of the second lighting control signal V2).

  It should be noted that the above countermeasure when a failure occurs (proceeding to step 3 to bring the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 into a non-excited state) is not complete but merely an example. If the content of the failure is damage to the normally closed terminals 21a and 22a of the first relay 21 or the second relay 22, the above measures cause inconvenience.

  Needless to say, the content of the failure varies. There may be a trouble related to the contact of the first relay 21 or the second relay as described above, or a trouble such as winding damage (burnout or disconnection) of the relay. Further, the brake switch 25 fails, or the stop lamp 26 is disconnected, the first transistor switch 23 or the second transistor switch 24 malfunctions, or an electronic circuit (braking state determination circuit 27, lighting control circuit 28 and failure). There may also be a malfunction of the decision circuit 29).

Hereinafter, preferable measures for typical troubles will be exemplified.
Contact failure of the first relay 21 and the second relay:
In the present embodiment, the “A line” is formed by the normally closed terminals 21 a and 22 a of the first relay 21 and the second relay 22, and the “B line” is formed by the normally open terminals 21 b and 22 b of the first relay 21 and the second relay 22. Is formed.

  Considering the contact failure of the normally closed terminal 21 a of the first relay 21, this terminal belongs to “A line”, and in this case, it is sufficient to switch to the “B line” on the normal side. Alternatively, considering the contact failure of the normally open terminal 21 b of the first relay 21, this terminal belongs to “B line”, and in this case, it may be switched to the “A line” on the normal side. In this way, the battery voltage Vb can be supplied to the stop lamp 26 via the normal line without any trouble, and at least the lighting function of the stop lamp 26 can be secured.

  The same applies to the other contacts. In short, it is sufficient to stop using the line to which the fault contact belongs and switch to the normal line.

Relay winding damage:
In this case, since the contact of the relay whose winding is damaged is fixed to the normally closed state, the contact of the other relay may be switched to the normally closed state. That is, both the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 may be de-energized and the “A line” may be selected.

Failure of brake switch 25:
As a countermeasure in this case, for example, it is also a proposal to have the brake switch 25 in a multiple configuration (a plurality of parallel connections). Even if one brake switch 25 becomes poor in contact, it can be covered with the remaining brake switches. Even if multiple brake switches 25 are configured, when one brake switch 25 remains on (contact fixation), the other brake switches are not useful at all, but even in this case, the stop lamp Since 26 remains lit, it is not a major disadvantage at least in terms of traffic safety.

Disconnection of stop lamp 26:
The configuration of the above-described embodiment (FIG. 1) is not preferable in terms of determining the disconnection of the stop lamp 26. In the configuration of FIG. 1, the applied voltage Ve = battery voltage Ve is fixed when the stop lamp 26 is disconnected. In this case, Ve = high level and the output signal of the second EOR gate 29a (exclusive This is because the logical sum signal H7) is fixed at a low level indicating a normal state. Therefore, in order to determine the disconnection of the stop lamp 26, it is desirable to do the following.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a main part of FIG. The difference from FIG. 1 is that a resistor 29e is inserted in parallel with the stop lamp 26, that there is a binarization circuit 29f that binarizes the applied voltage Ve ′ of the stop lamp 29, and this binarization. The inverter gate 29g for inverting the output logic of the circuit is provided, and the output logic of the inverter gate 29g is input to the second EOR gate 29c as the applied voltage Ve in the above embodiment.

  Here, the value of the resistor 29e is Rz. Rz is much larger than the resistance value Re of the stop lamp 26 (the resistance value of the filament when not broken). When the stop lamp 26 is not disconnected, most of the current ie supplied through the contacts of the brake switch 25 and the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 flows into the stop lamp 26 on the small resistance (Re) side. Therefore, the applied voltage Ve ′ in this case (when not disconnected) is approximately equal to the product of ie and Re. Hereinafter, the applied voltage Ve when there is no disconnection is assumed to be “Ve_normal”.

  On the other hand, since all of the current ie flows into the resistor 29e when the stop lamp 26 is disconnected, the applied voltage Ve ′ in this case (when disconnected) is equal to the product of ie and Rz. Hereinafter, the applied voltage Ve at the time of disconnection is referred to as “Ve_err”.

  As described above, since Re << Rz, Ve_normal is much smaller than Ve_err, and therefore, a relationship of “Ve_normal << Ve_err” is established.

  The binarization circuit 29f binarizes the applied voltage Ve ′ using a predetermined threshold value (threshold value larger than Ve_normal and smaller than Ve_err), and the inverter gate 29g inverts the binarization logic. Thus, the applied voltage Ve is input to the second EOR gate 29c.

  That is, the applied voltage Ve ′ becomes Ve_normal when the stop lamp 26 is not disconnected, becomes Ve_err when the stop lamp 26 is disconnected, Ve_normal is smaller than a predetermined threshold, and Ve_err is larger than the predetermined threshold. The output of the conversion circuit 29f is low level when the stop lamp 26 is not disconnected, and is high level when the stop lamp 26 is disconnected, and the inverted logic signal (when disconnected is Ve = high level, when disconnected: Ve = low level) is output from the inverter gate 29g. It is output to the second EOR gate 29c. Accordingly, the second EOR gate 29c receives the logic (low level) of Ve at the time of disconnection and outputs a high level exclusive OR signal H7 indicating a failure state, so that the disconnection of the stop lamp 26 can be detected. Become.

Operation failure of the first transistor switch 23 and the second transistor switch 24:
This countermeasure is the same as the countermeasure against the “relay winding damage” described above. That is, when one of the first transistor switch 23 and the second transistor switch 24 malfunctions, the contact of the relay corresponding to the defective transistor is fixed normally closed, so the relay corresponding to the normal transistor It is sufficient to switch the contact point to normally closed. That is, “A line” may be selected. The battery voltage Vb can be supplied to the stop lamp 26 via the “A line” without any trouble, and at least the lighting function of the stop lamp 26 can be secured.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, for example, when the contact failure of the first relay 21 or the second relay 22 or the winding winding of the relay occurs, a necessary measure can be taken. Although the automatic flashing function of the stop lamp 26 is lost, at least the normal lighting function of the stop lamp 26 is not lost, so that the safety is not impaired. Further, it is possible to detect a disconnection failure of the stop lamp 26, and it is possible to take necessary measures such as notification to the driver or the like.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and includes various developments and modifications within the scope of the technical idea. For example, the following may be used.

<Second Embodiment>
FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a stop lamp lighting control device according to the second embodiment. In this figure, the difference from the previous embodiment (first embodiment) is that (a) the contacts of the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 (normally closed terminals 21a, 22a, normally open terminals 21b, 22b, and The connection relationship between the common terminals 21c and 22c) is different, and (b) the periods of the first lighting control signal V1 and the second lighting control signal V2 are different.

  First, the difference (a) will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, the common terminal 21 c of the first relay 21 is connected to the battery voltage Vb via the brake switch 25 and is also connected to the common terminal 22 c of the second relay 22, and the first relay 21. And the normally closed terminals 21a and 22a of the second relay 22 are connected to each other, and the normally closed terminals 21a and 22a are connected to the ground via a stop lamp 26. In the present embodiment, the normally open terminals 21b and 22b of the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 are unused (not connected anywhere).

  Here, the normally closed terminal 21a of the first relay 21 forms an "A line", and the normally closed terminal 22a of the second relay 22 forms a "B line".

  Next, the difference (b), that is, the point that the periods of the first lighting control signal V1 and the second lighting control signal V2 are different will be described.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an operation waveform and a timing chart of the stop lamp lighting control device 20 in the second embodiment. In this operation waveform and timing chart, the stop lamp 25 is turned on (that is, the braking operation is performed by the driver), and the sudden braking state is determined by the sudden braking determination unit 27a or the slip determination unit 27b. Or when the slip state is determined.

  In this figure, the uppermost waveform shows the waveform of the first lighting control signal V1, and the next waveform shows the waveform of the second lighting control signal V2. The length L1 from the rising edge to the rising edge (or from the falling edge to the falling edge) of the first lighting control signal V1 is one cycle length of the first lighting control signal V1, and similarly the rising edge of the second lighting control signal V2. The length L2 from the start to the rise (or from the fall to the fall) is one cycle length of the second lighting control signal V2.

  The point where L1 and L2 are equal (L1 = L2) is the same as that in the first embodiment, but differs in that the phases of V1 and V2 are shifted by 180 degrees (corresponding to 1/2 period) (first embodiment). The embodiment is different in that the phase difference is 90 degrees), the high level period of V1 and V2 is 3/4 period, and the low level period of V1 and V2 is 1/4 period (first embodiment). Then, both the high level and low level periods are ½ cycle).

  The 3rd and 4th horizontal oblong bands from the top schematically show the operation of the first relay 21 and the second relay 22, respectively. The ON period of the white portion represents the excited state, and the OFF period with hatching represents the non-excited state. It should be noted that hatching positions are different from those of the first embodiment. That is, in the first embodiment, hatching → ON period, but in this embodiment, hatching → OFF period.

  When the operations of the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 are compared with the waveforms of the first lighting control signal V1 and the second lighting control signal V2, the waveform of the first lighting control signal V1 and the first relay 21 are compared. Are synchronized, the waveform of the second lighting control signal V2 and the operation of the second relay 22 are synchronized, and the ON period (excitation period) of the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 is the respective waveform (first The waveform of the lighting control signal V1 and the second lighting control signal V2) coincides with the high level period, and the OFF period (non-excitation period) coincides with the low level period of the same waveform.

  This is because the first transistor switch 23 is turned on and off according to the first lighting control signal V1, and the first relay 21 repeats excitation / de-energization in synchronization with the on / off, and similarly, according to the second lighting control signal V2. This is because the second transistor switch 24 is turned on and off, and the second relay 22 repeats excitation / de-excitation in synchronization with the on / off.

  The fifth horizontally long rectangular band from the top schematically shows the operation of the stop lamp 26. A blank “turn-off” period represents a light-off state, and a hatched “dot” period represents a light-on state.

  Comparing the operation of the stop lamp 26 with the operations of the first relay 21 and the second relay 22, when either the first relay 21 or the second relay 22 is in the OFF period (de-energized state) The stop lamp 26 is turned on, and the stop lamp 26 is turned off during other periods.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the common terminal 21c of the first relay 21 is connected to the battery voltage Vb via the brake switch 25, and is also connected to the common terminal 22c of the second relay 22, and the first This is because the normally closed terminals 21a and 22a of the relay 21 and the second relay 22 are connected to each other, and the normally closed terminals 21a and 22a are connected to the ground via the stop lamp 26. This is because the normally closed terminal 21 a (A line) of the relay 21 and the normally closed terminal 22 a (B line) of the second relay 22 are connected in parallel between the battery voltage Vb and the stop lamp 26.

  With such a configuration, when the first relay 21 is in the OFF period (non-excited state), the battery voltage Vb can be supplied to the stop lamp 26 via the “B line” to be in the lighting state. In addition, when the second relay 22 is in the OFF period (non-excited state), the battery voltage Vb can be supplied to the stop lamp 26 via the “A line” to turn on, and the first relay 21 or When both of the second relays 22 are in the ON period (excitation state), both the “A line” and the “B line” can be cut off, and the stop lamp 26 can be turned off.

  Therefore, also in this embodiment, it is possible to turn off and turn on twice during one cycle of the first lighting control signal V1 (or during one cycle of the second lighting control signal V2), and eventually the first lighting control signal The stop lamp 26 can be automatically blinked at a short interval corresponding to a quarter cycle of the cycle length L1 of V1 (or the cycle length L2 of the second lighting control signal V2).

  Thus, also in the present embodiment, the stop lamp 26 can be blinked at a frequency twice that of the first lighting control signal V1 (or the second lighting control signal V2), and the number of blinks of the stop lamp 26 is increased. Thus, the number of times of opening and closing the first relay 21 and the second relay 22 can be reduced.

<Principle of the invention>
Here, the essence of the present invention will be clarified. First, as described above, the subject of the present invention is “to increase the number of times the stop lamp blinks and increase the effect of alerting the following vehicle, etc., while reducing the number of times the relay is opened and closed to improve the durability of the relay. It is to provide a stop lamp lighting control device capable of achieving both of the conflicting propositions of improvement. Since this problem is the reverse of the problem of the prior art (the improvement example described at the beginning: FIG. 8B), attention is paid to the configuration of the prior art.

  In FIG. 8 (b), the stop lamp 9 is connected to the battery voltage Vb via two switch elements (the normally closed terminal 7a of the relay 7 and the brake switch 10). Of these two switch elements, the stop lamp 9 Only the “normally closed terminal 7a of the relay 7” is involved in the blinking control of the lamp 9. In short, the configuration of FIG. 8B is a single line (battery voltage Vb → brake switch 10 → normally closed terminal). 7a → stop lamp 9) is only connected periodically. Therefore, it is natural that “the opening / closing speed of the relay 7 = the blinking speed of the stop lamp 9”.

  If so, the problem of the present invention can be solved by providing a plurality of these lines in parallel and sequentially connecting and disconnecting each line so as not to overlap.

  FIG. 7 is a principle diagram of the present invention. In this figure, a brake switch 101 and a parallel circuit 102 are placed in series between the battery voltage Vb and the stop lamp 100. The parallel circuit 102 includes m lines (first line 102_1, second line 102_2,..., M-th line 102_m), and each line has a normally closed type switch element (first switch element 103_1, 2nd switch element 103_2, ..., m-th switch element 103_m) is inserted. These m switch elements 103_1 to 103_m are individually controlled to be opened and closed by the control means 104.

  In such a configuration, the normally closed type m switch elements 103_1 to 103_m are normally closed, and when the brake switch 101 is turned on in this state, the stop lamps are passed through the m switch elements 103_1 to 103_m. Since the battery voltage Vb is supplied to 100, the stop lamp 100 is lit. On the other hand, when all the m switch elements 103_1 to 103_m are opened by the control from the control means 104, the stop lamp 100 is not turned on.

  The blinking of the stop lamp 100 can be realized by combining these two states. That is, all the m switch elements 103_1 to 103_m need to be opened to obtain the turn-off period, and any one of the m switch elements 103_1 to 103_m is closed to obtain the turn-on period. Therefore, the stop lamp 100 can be blinked by sequentially closing the m switch elements 103_1 to 103_m with a light extinction period in between.

  Here, when the number of blinks of the stop lamp 100 is 1, the number of opening and closing of the switch elements 103_1 to 103_m is at most 1 / m. Therefore, if the m switch elements 103_1 to 103_m are replaced with the normally closed terminals of the m relays, according to this principle configuration, “the number of times the stop lamp blinks is increased to alert the following vehicle, etc. On the other hand, it is possible to achieve the conflicting proposition of improving the durability of the relay by reducing the number of times the relay is opened and closed while enhancing the effect. "

  From the above, the present invention includes at least the configuration as shown in FIG. 7, that is, the brake switch 101 and the parallel circuit 102 placed in series between the battery voltage Vb and the stop lamp 100, and the parallel circuit 102. Has m lines (first line 102_1, second line 102_2,..., M-th line 102_m), and each line has a normally closed switch element (first switch element 103_1, second switch). .., M-th switch element 103_m) may be inserted, and control means 104 for individually controlling the opening and closing of these m switch elements 103_1 to 103_m may be provided.

  m is a number of 2 or 2 or more. In order to improve the durability of the relay, m is preferably as large as possible. However, too large m causes an increase in the size, weight, power consumption, etc. of the device, so in practice it is preferably about 2 to 3. Incidentally, m in the first embodiment and the second embodiment is 2. This is because both form two lines (A line and B line).

It is a block diagram of the stop lamp lighting control apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the operation waveform and timing chart of the stop lamp lighting control apparatus. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement flowchart of the stop lamp lighting control apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the principal part of FIG. It is a block diagram of the stop lamp lighting control apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement waveform and timing chart of the stop lamp lighting control apparatus 20 in 2nd Embodiment. It is a principle diagram of the present invention. It is the schematic block diagram (a) of a prior art, and the schematic block diagram (b) of the prior art improved so that it may not utilize a timer.

Explanation of symbols

L1 1 cycle length L2 1 cycle length V1 1st lighting control signal (1st control signal)
V2 Second lighting control signal (second control signal)
Vb battery voltage 21 first relay 21a normally closed terminal 21b normally open terminal 21c common terminal 22 second relay 22a normally closed terminal 22b normal open terminal 22c common terminal 23 first transistor switch (first three-terminal switch element)
24 Second transistor switch (second three-terminal switch element)
25 Brake switch (braking detection switch element)
26 Stop lamp 28b First signal generating circuit (first control means)
28c First signal generating circuit (second control means)
100 Stop lamp 101 Brake switch (braking detection switch element)
102 parallel circuit 102_1 first line (m lines)
102_2 2nd line (m lines)
102_m mth line (m lines)
103_1 First switch element (normally closed switch element)
103_2 Second switch element (normally closed switch element)
103_m mth switch element (normally closed type switch element)
104 Control means

Claims (3)

A brake detection switch element that is turned on when the vehicle is braked;
A first relay and a first three-terminal switch element connected in series between the battery voltage and ground;
A second relay and a second three-terminal switch element connected in series between the battery voltage and ground;
Connecting a common terminal of the first relay to a battery voltage via the braking detection switch element;
Connecting the common terminal of the second relay to the ground via a stop lamp;
The normally closed terminals of the first and second relays are connected to the ground via a stop lamp,
Connect the normally open terminals of the first and second relays together.
A stop lamp lighting control device characterized by that. First control means for on / off controlling the first three-terminal switch element;
Second control means for controlling on / off of the second three-terminal switch element,
The first control means and the second control means are:
Claim respectively, characterized in that on and off and control the first and second control signals to generate the said first three-terminal switching elements second three-terminal switching element whose phases are shifted at the same period The stop lamp lighting control device according to 1. The first and second control signals are signals in which the first half of one cycle length of the first control signal or the second control signal is set to one logic state and the second half is set to another logic state,
3. The stop lamp according to claim 2 , wherein the phase difference between the first and second control signals corresponds to a quarter period of one period length of the first control signal or the second control signal. Lighting control device.

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