JPH03276834A - Winker switch gear for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reconcile improvement in operatability of a winker switch in a high speed running state and prevention of any misoperation in running on an urban area by constituting the winker switch to be set to a high speed position in the high speed running state of a vehicle, and to be set to a low speed position in a low speed running state. CONSTITUTION:A winker switch 4 makes its lever body 5 displaceable in front and in the rear by means of a driving mechanism 7 which is composed of a motor 8, a reduction mechanism 9 related to an output shaft of this motor 8, a gear 10 installed in an output gear 9a of this reduction mechanism 9, a rack 11 in mesh with this gear 10, and a guide roller 12 guiding this rack 11. In addition, each signal out of a car speed sensor 13 and a position sensor 14 is inputted into a control unit U for the driving mechanism 7. Moreover, a control signal is outputted to the motor 8 from the control unit U, and according to car speed, the lever body 5 is constituted so as to alternatively select a low speed position T (a full-line position as shown in illustration) nearer to an instrument panel and a high speed position H (a virtual line position shown in illustration) nearer to a handle 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a turn signal switch device for a vehicle that turns on and off a turn signal.

(Prior art) As seen in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-234761, a turn signal switch that turns on and off a turn signal is
-M-like, it is a lever type and is placed near the handle. More specifically, a lever-type turn signal switch is placed on the opposite side of the steering wheel from the driver; When you open your clasped hands,
It is said to be a place far enough away from the steering wheel that your fingertips can barely touch it. This arrangement of the turn signal switch is based on the consideration that the driver will not accidentally touch the turn signal switch while turning the steering wheel.

On the other hand, recently, vehicles with blinker switches attached to the steering wheel body have been developed and are beginning to be put into practical use. The turn signal switch attached to the handle body is of a push button type, and when the driver presses the right turn button or left turn button, a right turn or left turn turn signal is turned on.

(Technical problem to be solved by the invention) By the way, turn signals are not only needed when turning right or left when driving in the city (they are also needed when changing lanes when driving at high speeds). Ru.

However, when considering the operability of the above-mentioned lever type or push button type turn signal switches, the lever type has problems when driving at high speeds, while the push button type has problems when driving in urban areas. .

To explain the problems with lever-type blinker switches,
To operate the blinker switch when changing lanes when driving at extremely high speeds, for example at speeds of 150 km/h to 200 km/h, where you must firmly grip the steering wheel to ensure safety. It is undesirable from the point of view of driving safety to have to spread out the hand that is gripping the steering wheel.

On the other hand, push-button type turn signal switches are preferable in terms of operability, but this also means that drivers may accidentally turn on the turn signal switch while turning the steering wheel while driving around town. There is evil in the act of touching something.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a turn signal switch device for a vehicle that is capable of improving the operability of the turn signal switch during high-speed driving and preventing erroneous operation when driving around town.

(Means for Achieving the Technical Problem) In order to achieve the above technical problem, the first invention of the present invention provides a lever type that is disposed near the handle and turns on and off the turn signal. a turn signal switch, a driving state determining means for determining whether the vehicle is in a high-speed driving state or a low-speed driving state, and a low-speed position away from the driver and a high-speed position close to the driver, with the steering wheel in between. and a driving means for displacing the turn signal switch; and depending on the driving condition of the vehicle, the turn signal switch is alternatively set to the high speed position when the vehicle is in a high speed driving condition and is set to the high speed position when the vehicle is in a low speed driving condition. and control means for setting the blinker switch to the low speed position when the vehicle is in the low speed position.

According to the first invention, when driving at high speed, the lever-type turn signal switch is closer to the driver as seen from the driver, so the driver operates the turn signal switch without having to widen his/her hand on the steering wheel. becomes possible. On the other hand, in driving situations where the steering wheel must be turned significantly at low speeds, such as when driving in a city, the lever-type blinker switch is located far away from the driver, so the steering wheel must be turned in the same manner as before. It is possible to prevent erroneous operations such as accidentally touching the blinker switch during operation.

Further, in the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lever-type first turn signal switch that is disposed near the handle and turns on and off the turn signal; and a lever-type first blinker switch that is attached to the handle body and turns on the turn signal. , a push-button type second turn signal switch that turns off; a driving state determining means that determines whether the vehicle is in a high-speed driving state or a low-speed driving state; When the vehicle is running at high speed, the first turn signal switch is prohibited from controlling the turn signal on and off, and when the vehicle is running at low speed, the second blinker switch is prohibited from controlling the turn signal on and off. and a switching control means for prohibiting the switching.

According to the second invention, the first
The first turn signal switch and the second turn signal switch will be used properly. That is, when the vehicle is running at high speed, the turn signal is turned on and off by the second turn signal switch, which is easy to operate, that is, the turn signal switch attached to the handlebar body. It turns out. On the other hand, when driving at low speeds, the first turn signal is activated to prevent erroneous operation.
The turn signal is turned on and off by a switch, that is, a lever-type blinker switch.

(Example) Examples of the present invention will be described below based on the attached drawings.

lUpper Crossing (Figures 1 to 3) In Figure 1, reference numeral 1 is a steering wheel for steering the vehicle;
The handle l is connected to a steering mechanism (not shown) via a handle shaft 2, and an instrument panel 3 in which various instruments such as a speedometer are arranged is arranged in front of the handle l. A lever-type blinker switch 4 is arranged nearby.

To specifically explain the arrangement of this lever-type turn signal switch 4, the turn signal switch 4 is placed on the handle l
It is located on the opposite side of the driver from the driver, that is, in front of the steering wheel l. The turn signal switch 4 has a lever main body 5 that can vibrate up and down centering on the base end,
The driver presses the lever body 5 with the fingertip 6 of the hand that grips the steering wheel 1.
When the tip of the lever body 5 is lifted up, a turn signal for a left turn flashes, and when the tip of the lever body 5 is pushed down with the fingertip 6, a turn signal for a right turn is flashed. The specific configuration of this turn signal blinking control mechanism is conventionally known, so its explanation will be omitted.

The blinker switch 4 has a lever main body 5 that is in the second position.
A drive mechanism 7 shown in the figure allows for forward and backward displacement. The drive mechanism 7 includes a motor 8, a deceleration mechanism 9 linked to the output shaft of the motor 8, a gear 10 provided on the output shaft 9a of the deceleration mechanism 9, and a rack 11 that meshes with the gear IO. Guide roller 12 that guides the rack 11
As shown by the arrow in FIG. 2, the rack 11 is movable in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and in the direction approaching the handle shaft 2 as it moves rearward. The base end of the lever main body 5 is connected to the rear end of this rack 11, and the lever main body 5 can vibrate up and down centering on the base end 5a, as in the conventional case, and lifts the lever main body 5 upward. When the lever body 5 is pushed down, the turn signal for a left turn flashes, and when the lever body 5 is pushed down, the turn signal for a right turn flashes.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral U indicates a control unit for the drive mechanism 7. Signals from the vehicle speed sensor 13 and position sensor 14 are input to this control unit U, and control signals are output from the control unit U to the motor 8. Then, depending on the vehicle speed, the lever body 5 is moved to a low speed position T near the instrument panel (solid line position shown in FIG. 2) and a high speed position H near the steering wheel l (imaginary line position shown in FIG. 2). can be taken as an alternative. Here, the above low speed position T
is the same position as before, that is, a position where the driver's fingertips can touch the lever body 5 when the driver holds the handle 1 with his/her hand spread out, and the high speed position H is as shown in FIG. The lever body 5 is located at a position where the driver can touch the lever body 5 by slightly extending his/her fingertips 6 while holding the steering wheel l. In addition, the position sensor 14
is for detecting whether the lever body 5 (specifically, the rack 11) is in the low speed position.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing specific control contents.

First, after starting the engine, in step Sl, it is determined whether the lever main body 5 is located at the low speed position T, and
When it is O, the process proceeds to step S2, where the lever main body 5 is moved to the low speed position T. Thereafter, after the vehicle starts running, when it is determined that the vehicle speed has become higher than the predetermined vehicle speed (Vl) (step S3), the process proceeds to step S4, and the lever main body 5 is moved to the high speed position H.

After that, when it is determined that the vehicle speed has become smaller than the predetermined vehicle speed (■2) (step S5),
In step S6, the lever body 5 is moved to the low speed position T. Here, both of the above predetermined vehicle speeds V, V2 is V,
>V2, and a dead zone is defined between vehicle speed v1 and ■2.

In the above first embodiment, when the lever body 5 of the blinker switch 4 moves obliquely and assumes the high speed position H,
Since the lever body 5 is located close to the handle shaft 2, the tip of the lever body 5 is located exactly near the fingertips of the hand gripping the handle 1, making it possible to further improve its operability. .

Second Embodiment (FIGS. 4 and 5) In the description of this embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same elements as in the first embodiment, and the explanation thereof will be omitted. We will only explain the characteristic parts of.

In this embodiment, in addition to the lever-type turn signal switch 4, a second turn signal switch 20 is attached to the handle 1, and a changeover switch 2I is attached to the handle 1, so that the lever type shown in FIG. The blinker switch 4 of this type is fixedly placed in one place as in the conventional case. In other words, the lever-type turn signal switch is defined as:
The lever body 5 is fixed at a position where the driver's fingertips can touch the lever body 5 when the driver spreads his/her hand holding the steering wheel l.

The second blinker switch 20 is of a push-button type and is located at a position where the driver can operate it by simply moving his right thumb while holding the steering wheel l. still,
Reference numeral 20a indicates a push button for turning right, and reference numeral 20b indicates a push button for turning left. When the driver presses the push button 20a for turning right, the turn signal for turning right flashes, and conversely, the push button 20b for turning left flashes. By pressing , the left turn signal will flash. Turn signal attached to this handle 1
Since the specific configuration of the flashing control 1 mechanism of the switch 20 is known, its explanation will be omitted.

On the other hand, the changeover switch 21 is also of the push button type, and is arranged at a position where the driver can operate it by simply moving his left thumb while holding the steering wheel 1. This changeover switch 2
1 is connected to the control unit U, and by turning on and off the changeover switch 21, a lever-type blinker switch (
The first blinker switch 4 and the second blinker switch 20 provided on the handle 1 can be used selectively.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of control over the use of the changeover switch 21.

First, in step SIO, when it is determined that the changeover switch 21 has been pressed and turned on, the process proceeds to step Sll, where the second turn signal switch (handle switch) 20 is turned on, that is, the switch for right or left turns is turned on. When it is determined that either 20a or 20b has been pressed and turned on, a corresponding turn signal is flashed (step 512). The flashing of this turn signal continues for a predetermined time (for example, 2 to 3 seconds as the time required for lane change) through steps S13 and S14, and then the changeover switch 21 and the second
The Wika switches 2o are both turned off (step 51
5).

On the other hand, when the changeover switch 21 is not operated,
The process proceeds from step SIO to 316, where the turn signal is flashed based on the operation of the lever-type first blinker switch 4.

The flowcharts shown from FIG. 6 onwards show modifications of the second embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 6, the step 510 (fifth
Depending on the vehicle speed, the first blinker switch 4 can be
and the second blinker switch 20. That is, when driving at high speed, the turn signal switch 2 attached to the steering wheel 1 is activated.
0 causes the turn signal to flash, and when driving at low speed, the lever-type turn signal switch 4 is activated.
The turn signal will flash.

Note that in FIG. 6, step S18 replaces step 515 (FIG. 5).

In the control shown in FIG. 7, when the auto cruise switch in the constant speed driving device is turned on (step 5
19), blinker switch 2 attached to handle 1
0 causes the turn signal to flash.

In the control shown in FIG. 8, step 3 in FIG.
13. Instead of S14, the steering angle of the steering wheel 1 is used, and when the steering wheel 1 is slightly steered for a lane change while driving at high speed (step 520), and then the steering wheel 1 is returned to the neutral position. (Step 5)
21) The blinking of the turn signal is ended (step 518).

The present invention has been described in detail above. For example, in the first embodiment, the lever body 5 of the blinker switch 4 is moved back and forth by the changeover switch 21, as in the second embodiment and its modifications. It's okay.

(Effects of the Invention) As is clear from the above description, according to the first aspect of the present invention, by displacing the lever-type blinker switch back and forth, it is possible to prevent erroneous operation when driving in the city and improve operability when driving at high speed. This makes it possible to achieve both improvement in performance and ensure driving safety, especially at high speeds.

Further, according to the second invention, by properly using the lever-type turn signal switch and the turn signal switch attached to the steering wheel, it is possible to prevent erroneous operation when driving in the city and improve operability when driving at high speed. It becomes possible. This is particularly effective in ensuring the prevention of erroneous operation when driving in urban areas.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figures 1 to 3 show the first embodiment. Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of the handle, Figure 2 is a diagram showing the drive mechanism of the lever-type blinker switch, and Figure 3 is a diagram showing the control mechanism. It is a flowchart showing an example. 4 to 5 show the second embodiment, FIG. 4 is a front view of the handle, FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of control, and FIGS. 6 to 8 show modified examples of control. FIG. 1... Handle 4... Lever type blinker switch (first blinker switch) 5... Lever body 7... Lever body drive mechanism 8... Motor 10... Gear 11. ... Rack 13 ... Vehicle speed sensor 20 ... Turn signal switch attached to the steering wheel (
2nd blinker switch) 21... Changeover switch U... Control unit Fig. 2 Fig. 6 Fig. 1t Fig. 5 Fig. 6 Fig. 7 Fig. 8

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A lever-type turn signal switch disposed near the steering wheel that turns on and off the turn signal; a driving state determining means for determining whether the vehicle is running at high speed or low speed; and the steering wheel. a driving means for displacing the turn signal switch between a low speed position away from the driver and a high speed position close to the driver with the vehicle in between; A turn signal switch device for a vehicle, comprising: control means for setting the turn signal switch to the high speed position when the vehicle is in a high speed driving state, and setting the turn signal switch to the low speed position when the vehicle is driving at a low speed. (2) A first lever-type turn signal switch located near the steering wheel that turns the turn signal on and off, and a push-button second turn signal switch that is attached to the handle body and turns the turn signal on and off. and a driving state determining means for determining whether the vehicle is in a high-speed traveling state or a low-speed traveling state; Switching control means for prohibiting turn signal ON/OFF control by the blinker switch and prohibiting turn signal ON/OFF control by the second blinker switch when the vehicle is in a low speed driving state. Turn signal switch device for vehicles.