JPH0216255Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field] The present invention relates to automobiles, and more particularly to a steering switching angle detection device capable of detecting the steering switching angle at any time.

[Technical background]

When driving a car, it may be difficult to understand the switching angle of the front wheels just by looking at the rotational position of the steering wheel. For example, if the driver is forced to stop on a rough road, he or she may have to get out of the vehicle to determine the direction of the front wheels. Also, while driving, such as pulling over or parking,
I sometimes get confused about which direction to turn the steering wheel because I don't know which direction the front wheels are facing. Especially if you are a beginner, you will often encounter situations like this.

[Purpose of this invention]

This invention was developed based on the above technical background, and aims to improve drivability by making it possible to detect the steering switching angle and knowing the direction of the front wheels while driving. The object of the present invention is to provide a steering switching angle detection device for an automobile.

[Structure of the present invention]

The steering switching angle detection device for an automobile according to the present invention is provided with a cancel cam having a cancel drive section for returning a direction indicator lever to a neutral position, and a drive rotating body located in a recess of a case. and an engagement portion in which the steering wheel is fixed to a steering shaft that passes through the driving rotary body, the cancel cam and the steering wheel are engaged so that they can rotate together, and the cancel cam and the driving rotary body are also engaged in the rotational direction. A spring is interposed between the cancel cam and the driving rotating body to press the cancel cam toward the steering wheel and pressing the driving rotating body against the bottom surface of the recess of the case. The case is further provided with a driven rotating body rotated by the driving rotating body, and a rotary encoder driven by the driven rotating body.

In the present invention, when the steering wheel rotates, the cancel cam rotates together with the steering wheel, and the drive rotating body that is engaged with the cancel cam also rotates. The driven rotary body is driven by this driving rotary body, and a steering angle detection signal is output from the rotary encoder. This detection output is displayed on the instrument panel inside the car, allowing the driver to confirm the direction of the front wheels.

[Example of the present invention]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the mounting part of the steering switching angle detection device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the assembled state.

(Configuration of Example) Reference numeral 1 in the figure is a steering shaft.
The lower end of the steering shaft 1 in the drawing is connected to a steering mechanism of an automobile, and by rotating the steering shaft 1, the direction of the front wheels can be changed. A male thread 1a is formed at the tip of the steering shaft 1, and a keyway 1b extending in the axial direction is formed in the male thread 1a.

On the other hand, reference numeral 2 shown in FIG. 2 is a frame that constitutes a part of the vehicle body, and a case 3 is fixed onto this frame 2. The case 3 has brackets 3a on both sides thereof.
By the bolt 4 inserted in a and the nut 5 (shown only in FIG. 2) screwed onto it,
The case 3 is fixed on the frame 2. A hole 2a is bored in the frame 2,
On the bottom of the case 3, there is a hole 3b that communicates with this hole 2a.
is drilled. Also, case 3 has this hole 3.
A storage chamber 3c continuous to b is formed in a concave shape.

The storage chamber 3c accommodates the drive rotary body 10, the coil spring 6 above it, and the cancel cam 7 placed over the drive rotary body 10. The steering shaft 1 has a hole 2a in the frame 2.
It also passes through the hole 3a of the case 3 and enters the storage chamber 3.
It is inserted into the driving rotary body 10, the coil spring 6, and the center hole 7a of the cancell cam 7 in c. As shown in FIG. 2, the tip of the steering shaft 1 protrudes from the cancel cam 7, and a steering wheel 8 is attached to this male thread 1a. A mounting hole 8 is located further in the center of the center portion 8a of the steering wheel 8.
b is formed, and a key 8c extending in the axial direction of the hole is integrally formed on the circumferential surface of this mounting hole 8b. The mounting hole 8b of the steering wheel 8 is fitted into the male thread 1a at the tip of the steering shaft 1, and at this time the key 8c is inserted into the key groove 1b formed in the male thread 1a. And mounting hole 8b
A nut 9 is screwed onto the tip of the male screw 1a that further protrudes from the shaft, and the steering shaft 1 and the steering wheel 8 are integrally connected by this nut 9. Moreover, the key 8c and the keyway 1b
By fitting the steering shaft 1 and the steering wheel 8, the steering shaft 1 and the steering wheel 8 are fixed so as to rotate together. Further, a protrusion 7c is integrally formed on the upper flange 7b formed at the upper end of the cancel cam 7, and a recess 8d is formed in the steering wheel 8 at a position opposite to the protrusion 7c.
In the assembled state, the protrusion 7c is fitted into the recess 7d. Inside the storage chamber 3c of the case 3, the coil spring 6 presses the cancel cam 7 toward the steering wheel 8, so that the above-mentioned protrusion 7
The fitting between c and the recess 8d becomes reliable. Therefore, the cancel cam 7 rotates together with the steering wheel 8 from beginning to end.

The drive rotary body 10 consists of a pedestal 10a (shown only in FIG. 2) and a gear portion 10b above the pedestal 10a. The coil spring 6 presses the cancel cam 7 in the direction of the steering wheel 8, and also presses the drive rotating body 10 against the bottom surface of the storage chamber 3c. Therefore, this drive rotating body 1
0 is positioned so as not to move in the axial direction with respect to the steering shaft 1. Further, a pair of locking pieces 10c are formed on the driving rotor 10, and a pair of notches 7f are formed in the lower flange 7d of the cancel cam 7, and the locking pieces 10c engage with the notches 7f. has been done. Therefore, the drive rotary body 10 rotates together with the cancel cam 7.

On the other hand, a detection chamber 3d is formed in the case 3 along with the storage chamber 3c, and a rotary encoder 11 is installed inside the detection chamber 3d. A mounting hole 11a is bored in the upper part of the rotary encoder 11, and the rotary encoder 11 is fixed in the detection chamber 3d by a screw 11c inserted into the mounting hole 11a. At the top of this rotary encoder 11 is a driven gear (driven rotating body) 1.
1b is provided, and this driven gear 11b is meshed with the gear portion 10b of the drive rotor 10. In this rotary encoder 11, the rotation angle of the driven gear 11b is outputted based on a change in resistance value or the like. Further, the rotary encoder 11 may be of a magnetic detection type or an optical detection type.

Reference numeral 12 in the figure is a direction indicating lever. This direction indicating lever 12 is provided with a support hole 12a. This support hole 12a is the support post 1 on the case 3.
3, the direction indicating lever 12 can be moved in directions A and B in FIG. Further, a ring 14 is attached to the tip of the column 13 to prevent the direction indicating lever 12 from coming off. The right side of the direction indicator lever 12 in the figure is the operation part 12b.
The steering wheel 8 extends to a position where it can be operated by the hand holding the steering wheel 8. Further, the left side portion of the direction indicating lever 12 in the figure is a cancel mechanism portion 12c, and the left end thereof is a switch operating portion 12d. A hole 12e is formed in the center of the cancel mechanism portion 12c, and in the assembled state, the center portion of the cancel cam 7 is located within this hole 12e. A pair of claws 12f and 12g are formed on the circumferential surface of the hole 12e so as to be elastically deformable. On the other hand, a cancell drive protrusion 7e extending in the axial direction is integrally formed in the center of the cancell cam 7. As shown in FIG. 2, two grooves 12h and 12i are provided on the lower surface of the switch operating portion 12d.
is formed. Ball 1 is in one groove 12h.
5 and a coil spring 16 for compressing it are installed inside. On the other hand, there are three sets of V on the top surface of case 3.
Shape-shaped locking grooves 3e, 3f, and 3g are formed. When the direction indicating lever 12 rotates in the A direction, the ball 15 fits into the locking groove 3f, and when the direction indicating lever 12 rotates in the B direction, the ball 15 fits into the locking groove 3g, and the direction indicating lever When the lever 12 is in the center position, the ball 15 fits into the locking groove 3e, allowing the direction indicating lever 12 to be lightly locked. Furthermore, stoppers 3h and 3i are formed on the upper surface side of the case 3, and when the direction indicating lever 12 is rotated in the A direction or the B direction, the switch operating portion 12 is
Both sides of d come into contact with this stopper 3h or 3i. Further, a movable contact 17 and a coil spring 18 for biasing the movable contact 17 are housed in another hole 12i on the lower surface of the switch operating portion 12d. On the other hand, a common contact 19 and direction indicating contacts 20 and 21 located on both sides of the common contact 19 are fixedly provided on the upper surface of the case 3.

(effect) Next, the effect of the above configuration will be explained.

When the steering wheel 8 is rotated, the steering shaft 1, which is integrally connected to the steering wheel 8, is rotated.
rotate together, and a steering mechanism connected to the steering shaft 1 switches the direction of the front wheels of the vehicle. Furthermore, when the steering wheel 8 is rotated, the cancel cam 7 connected by the projection 7c also rotates. This rotation of the cancel cam 7 is transmitted to the drive rotary body 10 by the engagement between the notch 7f and the locking piece 10c. Then, the gear portion 10b of the driving rotary body 10 rotates the driven gear 11b, and the rotation angle is read by the change in resistance value within the rotary encoder 11. Therefore, the output from the rotary encoder 11 causes the steering wheel 8 to
This means that the angle of rotation can be recognized. If the switching angle of the front wheels is displayed graphically or digitally on the instrument panel inside the vehicle based on this detection output, the driver can confirm the steering switching state, that is, the direction of the front wheels at any time.

Next, the operation of the cancel cam 7 will be explained.

When the operating portion 12b of the direction indicating lever 12 is pushed in the A direction, the direction indicating lever 12 rotates in the A direction (counterclockwise) using the support 13 as a fulcrum. In the neutral state, the ball 15 fitted in the locking groove 3e is
As the direction indicating lever 12 rotates, it comes to fit into the locking groove 3f, and at that position, the direction indicating lever 1 is rotated.
2 is lightly locked. At this time, the movable contact 17
contacts the common contact 19 and the direction indicating contact 20 to short-circuit both fixed contacts. If this contact is shorted, the left turn signal installed on the vehicle will flash. Further, when the direction indicating lever 12 rotates in the direction A, the claw 12f formed in the hole 12e
moves to a position approaching the cancel cam 7.

When the steering wheel 8 is rotated counterclockwise to turn the vehicle body toward the left, the cancel cam 7 is also rotated in the same direction together with the steering wheel 8. Then, the cancel driving protrusion 7e provided on the cancel cam 7 comes into contact with the pawl 12f, and drives the direction indicating lever 12 to return to the neutral position.

In addition, the operating portion 12b of the direction indicating lever 12 is
The operation is the same as above when pressing in the direction to flash the right turn signal.

(Modified Example) In the illustrated embodiment, power is transmitted between the driving rotary body 10 and the driven rotary body 11b through a gear connection, but as another example, the driving rotary body 10 and the driven rotary body 11b may be The body 11b may be interlocked with the body 11b through roller contact or a belt.

[Effects of this invention]

As described above, according to the present invention, the following effects can be achieved.

(1) A drive rotating body that rotates together with the steering wheel is provided, and the rotation angle of the steering wheel can be detected by a rotary encoder driven by this.The output from this rotary encoder can be used to control the instrumentation in the car By displaying the steering angle on the front panel, the driver can always know the direction of the front wheels. Therefore, even when the driver stops on a rough road due to the steering wheel being turned off, the direction of the front wheels can be determined, and optimal countermeasures can be taken without having to get out of the vehicle and check. Additionally, when driving alongside or parking in a garage, you can directly grasp the position of the front wheels and perform appropriate steering operations. This is especially effective for novice drivers.

(2) Since the cancel cam is pressed against the steering wheel by the spring and the driving rotor is pressed against the bottom surface of the recess of the case, not only can the cancel cam and the steering wheel be reliably engaged, but also the driving rotor can be pressed against the steering wheel. can be positioned on the bottom surface of the recess of the case, and the driving rotor can be reliably positioned at a position where it engages with the driven rotor. Therefore, unlike the case where the driving rotary body is provided integrally with the steering wheel or the steering shaft, there is no error in the mounting position of the driving rotary body due to parts precision. Furthermore, since the driving rotary body is located within the recess of the case, and the driven rotary body and rotary encoder are provided in the case, the device for detecting the steering angle does not protrude to the outside.

(3) Since the drive rotor rotates together with the steering wheel, and the rotary encoder is rotated by the drive rotor, this differs from systems in which an optically detected part such as a perforated plate is provided directly on the steering wheel. , assembly errors of the steering wheel section do not directly affect the detection output of the rotation angle. In other words, the steering angle can be output with high accuracy by the rotary encoder, regardless of the assembly accuracy of the rotation support part of the steering wheel, the direction indicating mechanism, etc.

(4) A driving rotating body is provided on the steering shaft,
Since the rotary encoder is driven by this, if this steering switching angle detection device is made optional, it is sufficient to remove the rotary encoder and provide only the driving rotating body such as a gear as in the standard model. become. Therefore, even if the angle detection device is removed, if only the driving rotary body is installed, the price will not increase and the space will not be reduced.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention.
The figure is an exploded perspective view showing the steering switching angle detection device for an automobile together with its surrounding mechanisms, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the assembled state. 1... Steering shaft, 3... Case,
6...Coil spring, 7...Cancel cam, 7e
... Cancel drive projection, 8 ... Steering wheel, 10 ... Drive rotary body, 11 ... Rotary encoder, 11b ... Followed rotary body, 12 ...
Direction indicator lever, 17...Movable contact, 19,2
0, 21...Fixed contact.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A cancel cam having a cancel driving part for returning the direction indicator lever to a neutral position and a driving rotary body located in a recess of the case are provided, and a steering wheel is attached to a steering shaft passing through the cancel cam and the driving rotary body. is fixed, the cancel cam and the steering wheel are engaged so that they can rotate together, and the cancel cam and the driving rotating body are also engaged so that they can rotate together through an engaging part that engages in the rotational direction. A spring is interposed between the cancel cam and the driving rotary body to press the cancel cam toward the steering wheel and press the driving rotary body against the bottom surface of the recess of the case. A steering switching angle detection device for an automobile comprising a driven rotary body rotated by a driving rotary body and a rotary encoder driven by the driven rotary body.