MXPA99004606A - Housing with a testing apparatus or with an indicator and control board of a testing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a housing having a testing apparatus or an indicator and control board of a testing apparatus for on-board diagnosis in the cockpit area of a motor vehicle, wherein the housing (1) comprises a fastening device to detachably fasten said housing in the cockpit of the motor vehicle, preferably on the rim of a steering wheel (2). Said embodiment of the housing makes it possible to securely prevent accidents or hazards to users, specially as a result of unintentional activation of an air bag during on-board diagnosis.

Description

ACCOMMODATION WITH A TEST APPARATUS OR WITH A TABLE INDICATOR AND CONTROL OF A TEST APPARATUS DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a housing having a test set or having a display and control panel of an on-board diagnostic test set in the driver's area of motor vehicles. Modern motor vehicles are equipped with facilities for data interrogation, for diagnosis of various functional units as well as for carrying out adjustment tasks. A connection to a test set is made via a multiple pole plug connection and various motor data, data in relation to the driving operation and the driving system and other values provided by the motor vehicle itself which can be requested. Such test sets, as well as other test sets that use externally measured data such as exhaust gas test set, in some cases are manual units or have a separate display and control panel which can be held in the hand. Specifically, when using the test sets for on-board diagnostics at the manufacturer's facilities or in workshops, it is REF .: 30246 necessary to occupy the driver's seat in order to verify the control elements in the motor vehicle, for example to allow the behavior of the motor vehicle to be tested under various operating conditions in a facility with roller floor , while at the same time the control and display panel is at hand. In order to have the display and control panel of the diagnostic unit, or a corresponding panel, in the field of vision while on the other hand the hands are free to operate the motor vehicle, the unit should normally be placed in the central compartment of the steering wheel during the test. However, the most modern motor vehicles are equipped with an airbag, at least on the driver's side. The driver's air pocket is located on the steering column. If the airbag is now inadvertently activated during on-board diagnostics, as may happen in some circumstances in a test phase during which manipulations are carried out on the vehicle or the vehicle is subjected to vibration, the test set on The display and control panel located there represents a greater risk for the operator. The activation of the airbag can lead to the unit being thrown towards the operator with a great acceleration, which results in a risk of extremely serious damage to the operator.

The invention is based on the object of specifying a solution for a unit of the type initially mentioned, by means of which accidents and hazards to the operator resulting from the inadvertent activation of an airbag during diagnosis can be safely avoided during diagnosis. board. According to the invention, the objective is obtained in such a way that the housing of the test assembly of the display and control panel is provided with a joining device by means of which it can be attached, detachably, to the driver's area of the vehicle of motor. The test assembly or the display and control panel having the attachment device according to the invention is placed in the field of vision of the operator so that the area or areas of the air bag remain free, preventing any damage resulting from inadvertent activation of an airbag. For this purpose, the housing is advantageously designed so that the attachment device and possibly the shape of the housing are made to coincide with the shape of the proposed attachment point, leaving the air bag area or areas free. The connecting device preferably interacts with the steering wheel of a steering wheel in which case the upper part, or the part that is oriented towards the center of the vehicle of the steering wheel or the steering wheel is particularly suitable, for reasons of space. Other points in the driver's area, for example the junction towards or on the board, are equally suitable, in which case it is necessary to use suitable matching shapes, for example coupling in an instrument cover to avoid the possibility of joining in an area of airbag. In a preferred manner according to the invention, the joining device can be a holding device. It can be designed to form a curved retention groove, which keeps the wheel of the steering wheel on the side of the housing that faces the steering wheel. The normal leaflets have a virtually identical shape and a virtually identical radius and cross section, so that the retaining groove can be sized so that the housing of the test assembly of the display and control panel can be placed in a large amount. of flyers of different manufacturers of motor vehicles. The fact that the retaining groove follows the radius of the handwheel results in contact over a large area, which holds the housing so that it can not be turned over, even if the shape of the retaining groove does not correspond exactly to the shape of the handwheel . If necessary, it is also possible to provide fastening springs - S - which are coupled to or mounted on the wheel of the steering wheel, or fastening parts provided with detachable fasteners. The shape of the housing can be designed so that it can match the shape of the steering wheel, that is, follow its curvature. However, in general, the unit must be shaped so that the steering wheel does not lock into place when the unit joins, since the steering wheel must be able to carry out small steering movements, for example during the operation of the vehicle. test in an installation with roller floor. The invention will be explained in more detail in the following test with reference to an exemplary embodiment. In the associated drawings, Figure 1 shows a plan view of the joint, according to the invention, of a housing of a display and control panel to a steering wheel, Figure 2 shows a side view of the illustration as shown in FIG. shown in Figure 1, and Figure 3 shows an illustration similar to that of Figure 2, but with the retention slot in a different position. The housing 1 of the display and control panel, which has a central LCD display area (indicated in the drawing) and other specific screens and a control keyboard, is shown in figure 1. In general, its basic shape it coincides with the radius of the steering wheel 2. In the central compartment 3 there is an air pocket in the steering wheel 2. The housing 1 of the display and control panel is provided in its lower part with a curved slot 4 whose width corresponds to the normal wheel diameter of a steering wheel. The display and control panel is simply attached by placing it on the upper flywheel wheel of the steering wheel 2 until the housing 1 is in contact with the wheel of the steering wheel. The curvature of the flywheel 2 as well as the corresponding curvature of the groove 4 result in the bonding over a large area, so that the display and control panel is firmly lodged so that it can not be flipped. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the curved slot 4 is provided in the rear region of the housing 1, such that, when placed, the greater part of the housing is located when viewed from the driver's position in the front of the handwheel 2. Moreover, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the curved slot 4 is provided in the front region of the housing 1, so that when placed, the greater part of the housing is located as seen from the position of the driver behind the steering wheel 2.

If the driver's airbag is inadvertently activated, there is no impediment to its deployment. Therefore, this avoids any damage to the operator from the parts accelerated by the airbag. It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known by * the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is that which is clear from the present description of the invention.

Claims (9)

CLAIMS Having described the invention as above, the content of the following claims is claimed as property:

1. A housing having a test assembly or having a display and control panel of an on-board diagnostic test set in the driver's area of motor vehicles, characterized in that the housing is provided with a connecting device by means of from which it can be attached, detachably, to the area of the driver of the motor vehicle. The housing according to claim 1, characterized in that the attachment device and, possibly, the shape of the housing coincide with the shape of the proposed attachment point, leaving the area or the air bag areas free. The housing according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the connecting device interacts with the wheel of the steering wheel of a steering wheel. The housing according to claim 3, characterized in that the connecting device interacts with the upper part of the wheel of the steering wheel. The housing according to claim 3, characterized in that the connecting device interacts with the part of the wheel of the steering wheel which faces the center of the vehicle. The housing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connection device is a holding device. The housing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connection device is a curved holding groove, which keeps the wheel of the steering wheel on the side of the housing facing the steering wheel. The housing according to one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that the connecting device has holding springs which interact with the wheel of the steering wheel of the steering wheel. 9. The housing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shape of the housing follows the radius of the wheel of the steering wheel.