JP5214406B2 - Direction indicator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a direction indicating device.

  Conventionally, when a turn lever provided in the vicinity of a steering wheel is operated on a vehicle, blinking direction indicator lamps provided at the front and rear of the vehicle, for example, when turning right or left or changing to a lane In some cases, a direction indicating device that indicates the traveling direction of the vehicle intended by the driver to the surroundings is provided.

  The direction indicating device includes a turn switch that activates a direction indicating lamp in a traveling direction when the turn lever is operated in a direction corresponding to the traveling direction of the vehicle, and a steering wheel that has a predetermined direction opposite to the operating direction of the turn lever. In many cases, it is provided with a release mechanism that returns the turn lever to its original position when it returns to its original position after being rotated by an angle of the angle or more, and automatically releases the direction indication. In such a direction indicating device, when the operation switch is actuated in a direction corresponding to the traveling direction of the vehicle, the direction indicating lamp in the traveling direction blinks. When the turn of the vehicle is completed and the steering wheel is returned to the straight traveling position, the turn lever is returned to the original position by the release mechanism, and the direction indicator lamp is turned off.

  On the other hand, the vehicle includes a direction indication lamp that informs the steering direction of the vehicle, direction indication means that turns on the direction indication lamp by an input operation, and a turn-off means that turns off the lighted direction indication lamp. A first turn-off means for detecting a steering direction and outputting a turn-off signal to turn off the direction indication lamp when the steering direction is opposite to the direction input by the direction instruction means; There has been proposed a vehicular direction indicating device that includes a second extinguishing unit that outputs an extinguishing signal after a predetermined time has elapsed to extinguish a direction indicating lamp (see Patent Document 1). And as this direction indicating means, a vehicle direction indicating device having a structure (momentary switch) that automatically returns to a neutral state after tilting to the left or right by an input operation of a turn lever has been proposed.

According to the direction indicating device of Patent Document 1 shown above, since the direction indicating means is configured to automatically return, an operation for manually returning the direction indicating means is unnecessary, and the operator's operation is saved. It is said that the driving operation can be performed safely.
JP 2000-355246 A

  However, according to the direction indicating device of Patent Document 1, since it automatically returns to the neutral state after tilting to the left or right by the input operation of the turn lever, even when the auto turn cancel function works, it is difficult for the driver to understand. In particular, there was a problem that it was difficult to understand when changing lanes.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a direction in which a driver can easily recognize that a turn signal of a vehicle equipped with an auto turn cancel function is automatically canceled when the direction indicating device is constituted by a momentary switch. It is to provide a pointing device.

[1] The present invention provides a turn switch that generates a turn signal that informs a traveling direction of a vehicle, a turn lever that operates the turn switch by a swing operation, and automatically returns to a neutral position after the swing operation; after generation of the turn signal by tilting operation of the turn lever, when the turn signal control section for automatic release of the turn signal by determining a predetermined condition, automatic release of the turn signal has been performed, the turn There is provided a direction indication device comprising: a notification unit that notifies the release operation by changing a rhythm of a relay sound (flasher sound) synchronized with a signal .

  According to the present invention, when the direction indicating device is constituted by a momentary switch, the driver can easily recognize that the turn signal of the vehicle equipped with the auto turn cancel function is automatically canceled. Can be provided.

(Embodiment of the present invention)
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a direction indicating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of the turn lever mounted on the back side of the steering wheel as seen from the driver side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the inside of the vehicle showing an example of mounting the notification unit 40. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a notification operation at the time of auto-turn cancellation.

  A direction indication device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a turn switch 10 that generates a turn signal for notifying a traveling direction of a vehicle to be driven, a turn switch 10 that is operated by a swing operation, and a neutral position after the swing operation. A turn lever 20 that automatically returns to the position; a turn signal control unit 30 that automatically releases the turn signal by judging a predetermined condition after the turn signal is generated by the swinging operation of the turn lever 20; When the release is performed, the notification unit 40 is configured to notify the release operation by sound or light.

  The direction indicating device 1 performs a direction indicating operation for informing a driver or the like of the other vehicle of the traveling direction of the vehicle to be driven by blinking a pair of left and right turn lamps 50 provided respectively in front and rear of the vehicle.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the direction indicating device 1 is operated through a turn lever 20 provided in a steering column 101 of a vehicle. The turn lever 20 is disposed on the back side of the steering wheel 102 indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2 when viewed from the driver. The base end portion of the turn lever 20 is cantilevered inside the steering column 101, and the turn lever 20 protrudes outside the steering column 101. The base end portion of the turn lever 20 can swing by a predetermined angle in a direction along the rotation direction of the steering wheel 102 around the rotation axis of the turn lever 20 (not shown) disposed inside the turn column 20 with respect to the steering column 101. It is supported by.

  The center axis of the turn lever 20 is held at the operation neutral position CL indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. When the turn lever 20 is swung in the counterclockwise direction indicated by the A direction while being held at the operation neutral position CL, the turn lever 20 is turned to the left indicated by the alternate long and short dash line about the rotation axis of the turn lever 20 (not shown). Swings to the operating position LP. Thereby, the left turn lamps 50 respectively provided on the front and rear of the vehicle blink. When the operation force in the direction of arrow A is released, the turn lever 20 automatically returns to the operation neutral position CP by the action of a return mechanism (not shown). Even after the turn lever 20 returns to the operation neutral position CP, the blinking display of the left turn lamp 50 is continued. Similarly, when the turn lever 20 is swung in the clockwise direction indicated by the B direction while being held at the operation neutral position CP, the turn lever 20 is indicated by a one-dot chain line about the rotation axis of the turn lever 20 (not shown). Swings to the right turn operation position RP. Thereby, the right turn lamps 50 respectively provided on the front and rear of the vehicle blink. When the operation force in the arrow B direction is released, the turn lever 20 automatically returns to the operation neutral position CP by the action of a return mechanism (not shown). Even after the turn lever 20 returns to the operation neutral position CP, the right turn lamp 50 continues to blink.

  The return mechanism (not shown) can be realized by a mechanism that applies a restoring force to return the turn lever 20 to the neutral position CP by a spring or the like, and a moderation mechanism that does not lock to the left turn operation position LP and the right turn operation position RP is provided. You can also. Thereby, it is possible to confirm with a sense of moderation (click feeling) that the left turn operation or the right turn operation has been reliably performed in the operation of the turn lever 20.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the turn switch 10 that performs a switch operation by swinging the turn lever 20 is connected to a turn signal control unit 30. The turn signal control unit 30 has a control unit for controlling blinking of the left turn lamp and the right turn lamp 50 as turn signals based on the switch operation of the turn switch 10 by the left turn operation or the right turn operation of the turn lever 20. Further, the turn signal control unit 30 has an automatic turn cancellation determination ECU (Electric Control Unit) 60 that automatically releases the turn signal by determining a predetermined condition after the turn signal is generated by the swinging operation of the turn lever 20. Have. A vehicle speed sensor 70, a steering angle sensor 71, and a yaw rate sensor 72 are connected to the auto turn cancellation determination ECU 60.

  The vehicle speed sensor 70 detects the traveling speed of the vehicle to be driven and outputs a vehicle speed detection signal corresponding to the detected speed to the turn signal control unit 30.

  The steering angle sensor 71 detects a steering angle (steering angle) that is a rotation angle when the steering wheel 102 is rotated by the driver, and turns a steering angle detection signal according to the detected steering angle. Output to the signal control unit 30. In other words, the steering angle sensor 71 detects whether the steering wheel 102 is rotated in the left or right direction with respect to the steering angle midpoint (the steering angle when the vehicle 1 goes straight) as a reference. The steering angle information having a positive value with the steering angle midpoint as a reference is output as a steering angle detection signal. The steering angle information includes steering direction information indicating whether the steering wheel 102 is steered in the left or right direction.

  The yaw rate sensor 72 detects, for example, the yaw rate (behavior in the rotational direction of the vehicle) when the driving vehicle turns right or left or changes lanes, and outputs a yaw rate detection signal corresponding to the detected yaw rate to the turn signal control unit 30. Output to.

(Operation of direction indicator)
When the turn signal control unit 30 detects the switch operation of the turn switch 10 by the swinging operation of the turn lever 20, the turn signal control unit 30 outputs an instruction start signal to start a direction indicating operation to signal the traveling direction of the driving vehicle to the surroundings. To turn the turn lamp 50 on and off.

  On the other hand, the auto turn cancellation determination ECU 60 provided in the turn signal control unit 30 determines the traveling state of the vehicle based on the elapsed time from the starting time, the traveling speed of the vehicle, the steering angle, the yaw rate, and the like when the direction instruction operation is started. Based on the detected traveling state, an auto turn cancel determination is made to end the direction indicating operation of the direction indicating device 1. Based on this auto turn cancel determination, the direction indicating operation by blinking of the turn lamp 50 is automatically terminated.

  The auto turn cancel determination ECU 60 counts an elapsed time after the turn lamp 50 blinks by a timer provided therein. After the start of the direction indicating operation, a certain time elapses beyond the normally assumed direction indicating operation duration in a state where the steering wheel 102 is not operated and the vehicle is traveling at a certain speed or higher. In this case, the auto turn cancel determination ECU 60 determines that the condition for ending the direction indicating operation (auto turn cancel condition) is satisfied, and performs the auto turn cancel determination to perform the auto turn cancel. Based on the auto turn cancel determination, the turn signal control unit 30 outputs a signal to end the direction indicating operation, stops the supply of the drive current to the turn lamp 50, and turns off.

  In addition, the ROM connected to the auto turn cancel determination ECU 60 stores a cancel preparation angle θ1 and a cancel angle θ2 smaller than the cancel preparation angle θ1. The auto turn cancel determination ECU 60 detects a change in the steering angle θ of the steering wheel 102 through the steering angle sensor 71 after the start of the direction indicating operation. When the steering angle θ reaches the cancel preparation angle θ1 (θ> θ1) and falls within the range of the cancel angle θ2 (θ <θ2), the auto-turn cancel determination ECU 60 determines that the auto-turn cancel condition is satisfied. The determination is made to end the direction indicating operation of the turn lamp 50. As a result, the steering wheel 102 falls within the range of the cancel angle θ2 after the steering wheel 102 reaches the cancel preparation angle θ1 in the direction indicated by the turn ramp 50, for example, when the vehicle turns straight after turning right or left at an intersection. When the vehicle is returned inward, an auto turn cancel determination is made based on the steering angle θ, and the direction indicating operation is automatically terminated.

  The auto-turn cancel determination ECU 60 detects a change in yaw rate (a change amount per unit time of the rotation angle in the turning direction of the vehicle) based on a yaw rate detection signal from the yaw rate sensor 72 after the turn lamp 50 blinks. In the ROM of the auto turn cancel determination ECU 60, a determination reference value that is a reference for the auto turn cancel determination is stored for each speed region of the vehicle. Usually, the yaw rate changes so that the vehicle takes a maximum value and a minimum value from the start to the end of a course change such as a left / right turn or a lane change. The auto-turn cancel determination ECU 60 determines that the auto-turn cancel condition is satisfied when the yaw rate is below the determination reference value after taking the maximum value or when the yaw rate exceeds the determination reference value after taking the minimum value.

  The auto turn cancel determination ECU 60 detects (calculates) a change amount of the steering angle θ based on the steering angle detection signal of the steering angle sensor 71. In the ROM of the auto turn cancel determination ECU 60, a determination reference value that is a determination reference for performing the auto turn cancel determination is stored for each speed region of the vehicle. Normally, the steering angle θ changes so as to take the maximum value and the minimum value during the period from when the vehicle starts to change the course to when it ends, like the yaw rate. The auto turn cancel determination ECU 60 determines that the auto turn cancel condition is satisfied when the steering angle θ is below the determination reference value after taking the maximum value or when the steering angle θ exceeds the determination reference value after taking the minimum value. . The auto turn cancel determination ECU 60 determines that the direction indicating operation of the turn lamp 50 is to be terminated when either the auto turn cancel condition based on the yaw rate or the auto turn cancel condition based on the steering angle θ is satisfied. I do.

  As a result, even when the steering angle θ of the steering wheel 102 in the direction indicated by the turn lamp 50 is small and does not reach the cancel preparation angle θ1, as in the case of changing the lane to an adjacent lane, for example, based on the change in the yaw rate. Auto turn cancel decision is made. That is, even if the auto turn cancel condition based on the steering angle θ described above is not satisfied, if the auto turn cancel condition based on the yaw rate is satisfied, the auto turn cancel determination of the direction indicating operation is made, and only when turning right or left at an intersection or the like For example, even when the lane is changed to an adjacent lane, the direction indicating operation is automatically terminated.

(Notification part)
The alerting | reporting part 40 is connected to the turn signal control part 30, as shown in FIG. The notification unit 40 outputs a drive signal from the turn signal control unit 30 to the notification unit 40 for a predetermined time when the automatic turn cancellation condition by the automatic turn cancellation determination ECU 60 is satisfied. The notification unit 40 notifies the driver by sound or light so that the driver can easily recognize that the turn signal is automatically canceled after the turn signal is generated by the swinging operation of the turn lever 20. is there.

  The notification unit 40 is, for example, a sound blowing unit 41 that emits an electronic sound or a sound by announcement, and a light emitting unit 42 that emits light such as an LED or a lamp. Other than this, any means capable of recognizing the turn signal auto-turn cancellation by the driver may be used. For example, the display may be a vibration, a character, a graphic, or the like.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the inside of the vehicle showing an example of mounting the notification unit 40. The sound blowing unit 41 by sound, electronic sound, or announcement is, for example, a speaker 43 mounted on a driver's seat side door, and can be shared with a speaker used in an in-vehicle audio apparatus.

  Further, as an example of the light notification unit 40, there is a light emitting unit 44 provided in the A-pillar of the vehicle as shown in FIG. The light emitting unit 44 is configured by, for example, an LED, a lamp, and the like, and is mounted on an A pillar that can be easily recognized by the driver. To inform that the turn signal has been cancelled.

(Notification operation when auto-turn cancels)
FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a notification operation at the time of auto-turn cancellation. When the vehicle is in a driving state, the auto turn cancellation determination ECU 60 constantly monitors whether or not the turn lamp 50 is lit at predetermined time intervals (Step 1). If it is determined that the turn lamp 50 is turned on, the process proceeds to Step 2, and if it is not determined that the turn lamp 50 is turned on, Step 1 is repeated.

  The auto turn cancel determination ECU 60 is based on the detection signal from the vehicle speed sensor 70, the steering angle sensor 71, or the yaw rate sensor 72, and terminates the direction indicating operation of the turn lamp 50 according to the auto turn cancel determination criterion as described above. (Auto turn cancel condition) is determined (Step 2). When the auto turn cancel condition is satisfied and the turn lamp 50 is turned off, the process proceeds to Step 3, and when it is not determined that the turn lamp 50 is turned on, Step 2 is repeated.

  When the auto turn cancel is performed, the turn signal control unit 30 controls the turn lamp 50 to be turned off, and the sound blowing unit 41 or the light emitting unit 42 is driven to perform sound blowing, lamp lighting, etc. Signal auto-turn cancellation is notified (Step 3).

(Effect of the embodiment of the present invention)
The embodiment of the present invention has the following effects.
(1) As shown in the series of flowcharts above, after the turn signal is generated by the swing operation of the turn lever 20 by the notification operation at the time of auto turn cancellation, the driver is notified that the turn signal has been auto-turn canceled. It is possible to reliably notify. In particular, when a momentary switch mechanism that always returns to the neutral position as the turn lever 20 is employed, there is an effect that the driver can be surely notified that the auto turn has been canceled.
(2) In the case where an electronic sound or an announcement sound is used as the notification unit 40 for allowing the driver to recognize auto-turn cancellation of the turn signal, the sound blowing unit 41 is shared with the speaker used in the in-vehicle audio apparatus. can do. Thereby, the sound blowing part 41 can be comprised without an additional component. Further, various notification methods such as notification by changing the rhythm of the relay sound (flasher sound) synchronized with the current turn signal can be performed.
(3) As the notification unit 40, a light emitting unit 44 is provided in a place where it is easy to enter the driver's field of view, and the turn signal is automatically cancelled to the driver by controlling the lighting and blinking of LED light and the like. Can be notified. In particular, by providing the light emitting unit 44 in the A-pillar of the vehicle, it is easy to enter the driver's field of view when changing lanes, and it is possible to reliably notify the driver that the turn signal has been auto-turn canceled.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to said embodiment, It is possible to implement in a various aspect in the range which does not deviate from the summary.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a direction indicating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of the turn lever mounted on the back side of the steering wheel as seen from the driver side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the inside of the vehicle showing an example of mounting the notification unit 40. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a notification operation at the time of auto-turn cancellation.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Direction indication apparatus, 10 ... Turn switch, 20 ... Turn lever, 30 ... Turn signal control part, 40 ... Notification part, 41 ... Sound blowing part, 42 ... Light emission part, 43 ... Speaker, 44 ... Light emission part, 50 ... Turn lamp, 60 ... Auto turn cancel determination ECU, 70 ... Vehicle speed sensor, 71 ... Steering angle sensor, 72 ... Yaw rate sensor, 101 ... Steering column, 102 ... Steering wheel

Claims (1)

A turn switch for generating a turn signal for informing the traveling direction of the vehicle;
A turn lever that operates the turn switch by a swinging operation and automatically returns to a neutral position after the swinging operation;
A turn signal control unit for automatically releasing the turn signal by determining a predetermined condition after generation of the turn signal by the swing operation of the turn lever;
When the turn signal is automatically released, a notification unit that notifies the release operation by changing a rhythm of a relay sound (flasher sound) synchronized with the turn signal ;
A direction indicating device characterized by comprising:

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