JPH0243789Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to a display device in which a display panel is provided on the upper side of a ring portion of a steering wheel of an automobile.

Various types of information such as vehicle speed and information are obtained from a sensor that detects the corresponding physical quantity, a display panel that displays information corresponding to the detected physical quantity, and a drive device that drives this. And the display panel is
Generally located on the instrument panel. Therefore, the driver may find it inconvenient to recognize the display. As an example, a vehicle speed display device will be described below.

Conventionally, in a vehicle speed display device that displays the speed of a vehicle, the speed display panel is provided on the instrument panel of the vehicle. Therefore, in order to check the vehicle speed by looking at the speed display panel, the driver must lower his or her forward gaze and look at the speed display panel. Therefore, there was a risk that the driver's attention would be concentrated on the road ahead and he would neglect to look at the speed display panel, or even if he did, he would not be able to concentrate his attention on it for a long time, leading to misperceptions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a display device that allows a driver to easily check the current speed and other information without lowering his or her line of sight while maintaining forward visibility.

That is, the present invention includes a sensor that detects a physical quantity as an electrical signal, a display panel provided on the upper side of the ring part of the steering wheel that is placed in the correct position when the car is running in a straight line, and an electrical signal output from the sensor. According to the present invention, the present invention relates to a display device comprising a drive control device for driving the display panel.

Here, sensors are used to obtain information necessary for driving such as vehicle speed, oil pressure, battery voltage, brake oil level, lamp out, radiator water level, brake light out, gasoline level, tire air pressure, rear obstacles, etc. , and detect the corresponding physical quantities. For example, various sensors such as a combination of a float, a potentiometer, a sliding resistor, or a differential transformer, a reed switch, a thermistor, a pressure-sensitive semiconductor element, etc. can be used depending on the physical quantity to be measured. These sensor outputs may be analog quantities or may output binary states of on and off.

In this way, the present invention displays various information by selecting a sensor according to the purpose. So below,
A display device for displaying vehicle speed will be explained. They are described in claims 2-4.

Here, the vehicle speed sensor is a sensor that detects the rotational speed of a propeller shaft or axle of a vehicle and outputs a signal proportional to the rotational speed as an electrical signal. For example, the rotation of the propeller shaft is extracted through a gear, the rotational force is transmitted through a speedometer cable, a magnet is rotated, and an eddy current is generated in the induction plate in proportion to the rotational speed of the magnet. A rotational force based on the Lorentz force proportional to the rotational speed is induced in the rotational speed, and the rotation angle of the guide plate is controlled by a potentiometer, photocoupler, etc., which rotates to a position balanced with the elastic force of the hairspring urged in the opposite direction. This is a sensor that outputs an electrical signal via a displacement detection means. In addition, a pulse signal proportional to the rotational speed is extracted from a gear-like gear provided on the propeller shaft and a pickup coil that is magnetically coupled to the gear, and after shaping the waveform, the number of pulses per unit time is counted. Depending on the vehicle speed, a sensor that outputs the vehicle speed as an electrical signal can be used.

The speed display panel displays the speed and informs the driver of this information. This speed display panel is provided on the upper side of the ring portion of the steering wheel, which is placed in the normal position when the vehicle is traveling in a straight line. Therefore, the driver can view the speed display panel while looking ahead without dropping his/her line of sight. This speed display panel is
As mentioned above as a preferred embodiment, this is a panel that determines the vehicle speed class to which the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor belongs, and performs color-coded display corresponding to the speed class. This color-coded display may be one in which light-emitting elements that emit light in a specific color are turned on in sequence for the number of colors, or one in which the luminescent color of one element is changed by modulating the magnitude of the applied voltage. . The former can be realized using light-emitting diodes, and the latter can be realized using color liquid crystals or electrochromic displays (ECDs). Furthermore, as mentioned as another desirable embodiment, the vehicle speed display panel may be capable of digital display. For example, a segment display type, a matrix display type liquid crystal display panel, or a light emitting diode display panel can be used. Other plasma displays, electroluminescence displays, etc. may also be used.

The drive control device is a device consisting of an electric circuit for processing signals from a vehicle speed sensor and displaying the speed on a speed display panel. This drive control device is
Depending on the selection of vehicle speed sensor and speed display panel,
The specific circuit contents are different.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail based on specific examples. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle speed display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This device mainly includes a vehicle speed sensor 10, a speed display panel 30, and a drive control device 20. The vehicle speed sensor 10 utilizes a speedometer that rotates a magnet attached to the tip of the speedometer cable 102 by the rotation of the speedometer cable 102 via a gear due to the rotation of the propeller shaft of the vehicle. A guide plate 104 surrounds the magnet.
is provided in a container-like shape. A reflection plate 106 is attached to a part of the guide plate 104, and a photocoupler 1 is installed at a spatial position facing the reflection plate 106.
08 and 110 are provided. The outputs of the photocouplers 108 and 110 are connected to the drive control device 20.
Enter. On the other hand, the guide plate 104
6, and its tip is directly connected to the speedometer pointer 112. Further, the speedometer pointer 112 rotates relative to the fixed dial plate 114 and displays the speed as an analog quantity.
An eddy current is generated in the guide plate 104, and due to the electromagnetic action of the eddy current and the magnet, the guide plate 104 receives a rotational force proportional to the rotational speed. However, since a hair spring 118 is attached to the pointer shaft 116, the guide plate 104 stops at a position where it is suspended by the elastic force of the spring. That is, the guide plate 104 rotates by a rotation angle proportional to the speed.
Therefore, as the guiding plate 104 rotates, the reflecting plate 1
Due to the action of 06, first, the photocoupler 110
Further, as the rotation angle increases, both photocouplers 110 and 108 optically couple; as the rotation angle increases further, only photocoupler 108 optically couples;
As the rotation angle increases, both photocouplers no longer form optical coupling. In this way, both photocouplers output speed classification signals to which the vehicle speed belongs. The drive control device 20 decodes the information and displays the display panel 30 in a color corresponding to the vehicle speed category.
send a signal to.

The display panel 30 is connected to the steering wheel 40
The ring portion 42 is provided on the upper side of the ring portion 42 . This speed display panel consists of three light emitting diodes that emit three different colors.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical circuit of the same embodiment. Photocoupler 1
01 consists of a light emitting diode 110a and a phototransistor 110b optically coupled thereto.
The collector of transistor 110C is connected to the inverting terminal of comparator 201. Further, the non-inverting input terminal of the comparator 201 is set to a reference potential V1 by resistance division. Similarly, the collector of the transistor 108C constituting the photocoupler 108 is connected to the inverting input terminal of the comparator 202, and the non-inverting input terminal of the comparator 202 is set to the reference potential V2 by resistance division. The output of the comparator 201 is connected to the base of a drive transistor 210 via an inverter 203 and an inverter 207. The collector of the drive transistor 210 is connected to the green light emitting diode 31. Similarly, the output of the comparator 202 is output from the inverter 204,
It is input to the base of the drive transistor 212 via the NAND circuit 206 and the inverter 209. The collector of the drive transistor 212 is connected to the red light emitting diode 33. Further, the output of the inverter 203 and the output of the comparator 202 are input to the NAND circuit 205, and the output is connected to the drive transistor 2 via the inverter 208.
I am inputting to the base of 11. The collector of the drive transistor 211 is connected to the yellow light emitting diode 32.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the device of this embodiment. The device of this embodiment has a vehicle speed of 0 to 40.
It is configured to emit green light when the speed is Km/h, yellow light when the speed is 40 to 80 Km/h, and red light when the speed is 80 Km/h or higher. When the vehicle speed is 0 to 40 km/h, the photocoupler 110 performs optical coupling, the transistor 110c becomes conductive, and the comparator 201
The inverting input terminal of the comparator 201 is grounded.
The output S1 of will be at a high level. Therefore, a high level signal is input to the drive transistor 210 via the inverters 203 and 207, turning the transistor 210 on, and only the light emitting diode 31 of the display panel emits light. The other drive transistors 211 and 212 pass the low level signal inverted by the inverter 203 to NAND circuits 205 and 203.
06, their base terminals are at a low level and the transistor is off. Therefore, the yellow and red diodes do not light up.

Next, when the vehicle speed increases from 40 km/h to 80 km/h, the output S2 of the comparator 202 becomes high level.
Further, the output S1 of the comparator 201 becomes a low level, and the output of the inverter 203 becomes a high level. Therefore, only the NAND circuit 205 becomes active, and the base end of only the transistor 211 becomes high level. Therefore, the yellow diode 32
Only the light emits light.

When the vehicle speed exceeds 80km/h, comparator 2
The outputs of 01 and 202 are both at low level. Therefore, only the NAND circuit 206 input via inverters 203 and 204 becomes active.
Therefore, the transistor 212 is turned on and only the red light emitting diode 33 is lit. In this way, it is possible to display the information by changing colors depending on the vehicle speed category.

It goes without saying that the number of display colors is not limited to three and that many colors can be used. Further, if one element is used, for example, an electrochromic display, the color of the emitted light can be changed by controlling the voltage.

Fig. 4 is a configuration diagram of a steering wheel equipped with a speed display panel, Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the pad part B-B' in Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is a diagram showing A in Fig. 4.
-A′ arrow direction sectional view. A speed display panel 30 is provided on the upper side of the ring portion 42. The ring portion consists of an iron core 44 and a urethane covering portion 46 covering it. The electrical wiring cable 60 to the speed display panel 30 passes through the internal hole of the hollow iron core 44, is collected in the boss part 54 via the ring part 48, is connected from the boss part 54 to the slip ring 56, and is connected to the other slip ring. It is wired to the vehicle body via a contact 58. On the front of the speed display panel,
A lens 301 is provided.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an electric circuit of a speed display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle speed sensor 10 consists of a gear 120 connected to the rotating shaft of the propeller shaft, and a pick-up coil 122 that detects this rotation. One end of the pickup coil 122 is grounded, and the other end is connected to an inverting input terminal of an inverting amplifier 230. The output of inverting amplifier 230 is input to the inverting input terminal of comparator 232. A reference voltage is set to the non-inverting input terminal by resistance division. The output of the comparator 232 therefore has a pulse-like waveform synchronized with the rotation of the gear 120. Its output is
It is input to an AND circuit 236 via an inverter 234. On the other hand, the AND circuit 236
The Q terminal output of a monostable multivibrator 254, which is driven by receiving pulses of a constant period from 52, is input. That is, the monostable multivibrator 25
4 gives time to count the number of pulses. The gate of the AND circuit 236 is opened by the high level signal of the monostable multivibrator 254, and the number of pulse signals during that time is counted by the counter 238. The value input to the counter 238 is input to the buffer register 240 in synchronization with the inversion of the monostable multivibrator 254. Further, the buffer register 240 further inputs data to a decoder/driver 242 to drive a three-digit liquid crystal display panel 35 to display the speed. on the other hand,
Key switch 248 is connected to the positive terminal of vehicle battery 250 and sends a signal to initial set circuit 244 . Initial set circuit 244 is a circuit for initially resetting counter 238 and buffer register 240. A power supply control circuit 246 is also connected to a key switch 248 to supply power to predetermined active circuits. Power supply lines are not shown.

As described above, the present invention can also be displayed using a digital display method.

In summary, the present invention is a display device that is most easily visible to the driver while driving and allows the driver to obtain speed information, various other physical quantity information, warning information, etc. without dropping his/her line of sight while looking ahead. Since the display panel is provided on the upper side of the ring portion of the steering wheel, the driver can easily obtain various information while driving without dropping his/her line of sight.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a speed display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical circuit of the device of this embodiment. Third
The figure is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the device of the same embodiment. FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a steering wheel provided with a speed display panel. Figure 5 is B-
It is a sectional view in the direction of arrow B′. Figure 6 is A-
It is a sectional view in the direction of arrow A'. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an electric circuit of a speed display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 10... Vehicle speed sensor, 20... Drive control device,
30...Vehicle speed display panel.

Claims (1)

[Scope of claim for utility model registration] (1) A sensor that detects a physical quantity as an electrical signal;
It consists of a display panel provided on the upper side of the ring part of the steering wheel that is placed in the correct position when the car is running in a straight line, and a drive control device that drives the display panel in accordance with the electrical signal output from the sensor. Display device. (2) The display device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle, and the display panel is a speed display panel that displays the vehicle speed. . (3) A utility model registration request characterized in that the speed display panel is displayed in different colors by the drive control device according to the vehicle speed category to which the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor belongs. The display device according to item 2 of the range. (4) The speed display panel is configured to digitally display the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor by the drive control device, as set forth in claim 2 of the utility model registration claim. display device.