JPH0463737A - Warning lamp built-in type wheel cover - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To surely acknowledge a space with a vehicle traveling abreast in a night by providing a generator in the inner side of a wheel cover main body, relatively rotating a weight to the generator at the time of the acceleration and deceleration of a vehicle, and making a luminous part emit light by utilizing electromotive force generated in the generator. CONSTITUTION:The acceleration of a vehicle, for example, and the resultant acceleration condition of the rotation speed of a wheel cover main body l causes also the acceleration condition of a generator 4 mounted on the wheel cover main body l. At that time, since the weight 5 is made to keep a condition, where it is rotated and stopped together with the coil 12 of the generator 4, by its inertia force, it and the coil 12 relatively rotate to the magnet 13 of the generator 4 to make the generator 4 produce electromotive force. The electromotive force generated in the generator 4 is made full-wave rectification in a rectification circuit 21, is smoothed in a condenser 23 for storing electricity, and is flowed in a light emitting diode 18 to make it emit light. Concurrently electric charge is stored in the condenser 23 for storing electricity, and current is flowed in the light emitting diode 18 when the electromotive force is not produced in the generator 4.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a wheel cover attached to a wheel of a vehicle.

[Conventional technology]

Generally, a wheel cover is attached to the rim of a vehicle wheel in order to protect bolts for fixing the wheel located on the outer surface of the rim, improve the appearance, and so on.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

By the way, the wheel cover of the prior art described above is provided only to protect bolts for fixing the wheel, and does not have any other functions.

On the other hand, side marker lights of a vehicle are provided at the front and rear of the vehicle body, and are not provided on both sides of the middle portion of the vehicle body.

Therefore, when driving at night, when two vehicles are running side by side (in a parallel state) or when overtaking, lights are placed on the side of the vehicle. This poses a problem in that it is difficult to determine the distance between vehicles traveling adjacent to each other and is extremely dangerous due to poor visibility.

The present invention was made in view of the problems of the prior art described above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a wheel cover with a built-in warning light that improves safety during night driving.

[Means to solve the problem]

The configuration adopted by the present invention in order to solve the above problems includes a wheel cover body attached to a vehicle wheel, a generator attached to the inside of the wheel cover body and rotating together with the wheel cover body, and the generator. a weight that is attached to the wheel cover body and rotates relative to the wheel cover body as the wheel rotates to operate the generator; a weight that is attached to the wheel cover body facing outward and that operates the generator; It consists of a light emitting part that emits light using electric power.

[Effect]

With the above configuration, one generator rotates together with the wheel cover, and when the vehicle accelerates or decelerates, the rotation of the generator also accelerates or decelerates. On the other hand, a weight tries to maintain its current state by its inertial force. As a result, when the vehicle accelerates or decelerates, the weight rotates relative to the generator, and an electromotive force is generated in the generator. This electromotive force is used to cause the light emitting part to emit light, making it possible to reliably check the distance between the vehicle and a vehicle running parallel to the vehicle at night.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 1 to 4.

In the figure, 1 is a wheel cover body attached to the rim (not shown) of a vehicle wheel;
The entire wheel cover body 1 is formed into a dish shape, and a plurality of locking claws IA are provided on the peripheral edge of the wheel cover body 1 to attach and support the wheel cover body 1 to the rim. Furthermore, the inner surface IB of the wheel cover main body l (right side in Fig. 2)
is integrally provided with a cylindrical casing 2 located in the center thereof and housing a warning light 3 to be described later. The outer surface of the wheel cover body 1 of this cylindrical casing 2 IC (
An opening ID is provided on the left side (in FIG. 2).

Reference numeral 3 denotes a warning light built into the cylindrical casing 2. The warning light 3 is mainly connected to a generator 4 that is fixed inside the cylindrical casing 2 and rotates together with the wheel cover body 1, and a generator 4 that is connected to the generator 4. A weight 5 that is rotatably attached to a rotating shaft 11 (described later), a light emitting section 6 that is electrically connected to a generator 4 and emits light by the generator 4, and a light emitting section 6 and the generator 4. A power supply circuit 7 is provided between the power generator 4 and the power supply circuit 7, which rectifies the AC output from the generator 4, supplies power to the light emitting unit 6, and stores power.

Here, the generator 4 is fixed in the cylindrical casing 2, and has a rotor accommodating portion 8A therein, and a housing 8 having bearings 9 and 1° at both axial ends of the cylindrical casing 2.
a rotating shaft II inserted into the housing 8 and rotatably supported by each bearing 9, 10; a coil 12 serving as a rotor located within the rotor accommodating portion 8A and fixed to the rotating shaft 11; It is comprised of a magnet 13 as a stator provided at a position of the housing 8 facing the coil 12, and serves as an alternating current generator that outputs an alternating current voltage. 1
4.15 is a brush that takes out the AC voltage generated in the coil 12 via the commutator 12A, and each brush 14.
15 is electrically connected to the power supply circuit 7. In addition, the housing 8 is formed with a power feeding circuit accommodating portion 8B in which the power feeding circuit 7 is built in at the inner end of the cylindrical casing 2.
It is a closed space with a lid.

On the other hand, the aforementioned weight @5 is formed into a disk shape and is attached to the rotating shaft 11 of the generator 4 with its center of gravity aligned with the axis of the rotating shaft 11.

The light emitting section 6 includes a resin substrate 17 that is fitted and fixed to an enlarged diameter stepped section 2A formed on the outer surface lc side of the cylindrical casing 2.
A plurality of light emitting diodes 18, 18 . . . are embedded in the substrate 17 at equal intervals. . . . and the enlarged diameter stepped portion 2
A transparent plate 19 for protecting the light emitting part 6 is attached to the outer surface of the light emitting part 6 in A. Furthermore, the light emitting section 6 is electrically connected to the power supply circuit 7 via wiring 20.20.

On the other hand, the power supply circuit 7 is configured as follows. That is, 21 is a rectifier circuit that full-wave rectifies the AC output (electromotive force) from the generator 4, and 22 is a rectifier circuit that performs full-wave rectification to prevent high voltage from being applied to the light emitting diode 18 (only one is shown in FIG. 3). A potential difference adjusting resistor 23 provided at the output end of the circuit 21 serves as a rectifying resistor 22.
24 is a discharge amount adjustment resistor that adjusts the amount of discharge from the power storage capacitor 23 to the light emitting diode 18; 25 is a power storage capacitor provided in parallel with each light emitting diode 18;
This is a current adjustment resistor.

The wheel cover with a built-in warning light according to this embodiment is constructed as described above, and its function will be explained next with reference to FIG. 4.

When the vehicle starts from a stopped state, the vehicle accelerates as shown by the solid line 26 in FIG.
The generator 4 attached to the wheel cover main body 1 is also accelerated. On the other hand, the weight 5 attempts to maintain a stopped rotation state together with the coil 12 of the generator 4 due to its inertial force. Therefore, the weight 5 and the coil 12 are connected to the generator 4.
The generator 4 rotates relative to the magnet 13, and generates an electromotive force in the generator 4, as shown by a dotted line 27 in the figure. Also, while driving, when driving on straight roads or curved roads,
When overtaking a vehicle in front, etc., the vehicle repeatedly accelerates and decelerates (area B in the diagram). During acceleration, the generator 4 generates an electromotive force due to the above-mentioned action, and even during deceleration, the rotational speed of the magnet 13 of the generator 4 attached to the wheel cover body 1 decreases, while the generator 4 generates an electromotive force. Since the weight 5 and the coil 12 of the generator 4 try to maintain a constant rotational speed state by their inertia, the weight 5 and the coil 12 of the generator 4
It rotates relative to the magnet 13 and generates an electromotive force.

Furthermore, when the vehicle needs to be stopped (or decelerated (region C in the figure)), the same effect as described above occurs during deceleration.
The generator 4 generates an electromotive force.

The electromotive force generated in the generator 4 is full-wave rectified by the rectifier circuit 21, smoothed by the power storage capacitor 23, and flows to the light emitting diode 18, causing the light emitting diode 18 to emit light. At the same time, charge is stored in the power storage capacitor 23, and current flows through the light emitting diode 18 when the generator 4 does not generate an electromotive force. That is, the generator 4 that generates power intermittently
On the other hand, the power storage capacitor 23 causes the light emitting diode 18 to stably emit light. Further, even when the vehicle is stopped, the light emitting diode 18 continues to emit light until the electricity storage capacitor 23 is completely discharged.

As a result, the light emitting diode 18 is always on while the vehicle is running, and even when two vehicles are running parallel to each other during nighttime driving or when passing in parallel, the light emitting diode 18 remains lit when the vehicle faces the side of the vehicle. Since the wheel cover lights up, it is possible to reliably check the distance between vehicles, greatly improving safety while driving.

Moreover, since the wheel cover main body 1 is formed with the light emitting part 6, the range of designs can be expanded, and an excellent design can be provided, and the external appearance is further improved.

[Effects of the Invention] As detailed above, according to the present invention, there is a generator inside the wheel cover main body that rotates together with the wheel cover main body, a weight that operates the generator, and an electromotive force generated by the generator. The light emitting part is equipped with a light emitting part, and while the vehicle is running, a generator is activated by a weight to turn on the light emitting part, so when the vehicle is running at night, when two vehicles are running side by side or when overtaking. Even when vehicles are running side by side, the wheel cover facing the side of the vehicle lights up, making it possible to reliably check the distance between vehicles, greatly improving safety while the vehicle is running.

Moreover, since the wheel cover is formed with a light emitting part, the range of designs can be expanded, and an excellent design can be provided, and the appearance of the wheel cover is further improved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figures 1 to 4 relate to embodiments of the present invention, in which Figure 1 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of main parts showing a warning light of a wheel cover with a built-in warning light, and Figure 2 is an overall view of the wheel cover with a built-in warning light. A vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration, Figure 3 is a circuit diagram showing the power supply circuit built into the wheel cover with a built-in warning light, and Figure 4 is a characteristic diagram showing the relationship between changes in vehicle speed and electromotive force generated by the generator. It is. l... Wheel cover body, 4... Generator, 5...
- Weight, 6... light emitting part. Patent Applicant Japan Electronics Co., Ltd. Agent Patent Attorney Kazuhiko Hirose

Claims (1)

[Claims] A wheel cover body that is attached to a vehicle wheel;
a generator that is attached to the inside of the wheel cover body and rotates together with the wheel cover body; and a generator that is attached to the generator and rotates relative to the wheel cover body by rotation of the wheel to operate the generator; A wheel cover with a built-in warning light, comprising a weight that causes the wheel cover to move, and a light emitting part that is attached to the wheel cover body facing outward and emits light by the electromotive force of the generator.