US3925758A - Direction indicator control circuit - Google Patents

Direction indicator control circuit Download PDF

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Publication number
US3925758A
US3925758A US471716A US47171674A US3925758A US 3925758 A US3925758 A US 3925758A US 471716 A US471716 A US 471716A US 47171674 A US47171674 A US 47171674A US 3925758 A US3925758 A US 3925758A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
switch
circuit
serving
latching mechanism
contact
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US471716A
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English (en)
Inventor
William David Holt
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Lucas Electrical Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Lucas Electrical Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Lucas Electrical Co Ltd filed Critical Lucas Electrical Co Ltd
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Publication of US3925758A publication Critical patent/US3925758A/en
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q1/00—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor
    • B60Q1/26—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
    • B60Q1/34—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating change of drive direction
    • B60Q1/40—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating change of drive direction having mechanical, electric or electronic automatic return to inoperative position

Definitions

  • a direction indicator control circuit for a vehicle has [30] Foreign Application Priority Data a manually operable switch biased open and an elec- Ma 1 9 1973 United Kin dom 23961, tromagnetic bistable latching arrangement which is y g operated when the switch is closed momentarily.
  • the latching arrangement closes a contact coupling a (5 figfhit gz flasher unit to a flasher lamp, and a further momen- [58] Fieid /73q55 80q8l R tary closure of the switch'will operate the latching lsl F, a i 5 mechanism again to open the contact.
  • the latching mechanism is oper- [56] Reierences Cited ated to open the contact.
  • a circuit according to the invention includes a manually operable switch biased to an open position, an electromagnetic bistable latching mechanism which is operated when the switch is closed momentarily and serves to close a contact coupling a flasher unit to a flasher lamp, a further momentary closure of the switch serving to operate the latching mechanism again to open the contact, and means operable upon completion of a turn for operating the latching mechanism to open the contact.
  • positive and negative supply lines 101, 102 the line 102 being earthed and the line 101 being connected to the battery of a road vehicle either directly or through the ignition switch of the vehicle.
  • the circuit further includes a permanent magnet latching relay having a winding 103 and three contacts 104, 105, 106. If the winding 103 is energised by connecting its lower end to a positive supply line and its upper end to earth, then it moves the contacts from the positions shown to their alternative positions, and the contacts are held in their alternative positions by the permanent magnet, even when the winding 103 is deenergized. If the winding 103 is then energised again, this time by connecting its upper end to the positive supply and its lower end to earth, the contacts 104, 105, 106 are moved back to the positions shown. The position of the contacts 104, 105, 106 indicated in the drawing will be referred to as the normal position, and the alternative position as the energised position.
  • the contact 106 serves when in its energised position to complete a circuit between the lines 101, 102, the circuit including a flasher unit 107 and the direction indicator lamps 108 on one side of the vehicle. Connected in parallel with the lamps 108 is a pilot lamp 109 which flashes at the same time as the lamps 108.
  • the contact 105 serves in its normal position to connect the upper end of the winding 103 to the line 102 through a manually operable push button switch 110, and when the contact 105 is in its energised position it connects the lower end of the winding 103 to the line 102 through the switch 110.
  • the upper and lower ends of the winding 103 are connected to the line 101 through capacitors 111, 112 respectively, the capacitors 111, 112 being bridged by resistors 113, 114 respectively.
  • the vehicle includes a steering column indicated diagrammatically at 116, and on the steering column is a permanent magnet 117.
  • the magnet 117 closes a pair of reed switches 118, 119, in turn.
  • the contact 104 when in its energised position completes a circuit from the line 101 by way of the contact 104, the switch 119 and a diode 121 to a supply line 122 which is coupled to the line 102 through a capacitor 123.
  • the line 122 is connected to the collectors of a pair of transistors 124, 125
  • the drive momentarily presses the switch 110, and current flows by way of the contact to charge the capacitor 111 rapidly, and to'charge the capacitor 112 by way of the winding 103, thereby energising the winding 103.
  • Energisation of the winding 103 moves the contacts 104, 105, 106 to their energised positions, and as previously explained the contacts remain in their energised positions after the switch is opened.
  • the flasher unit 107 operates to cause flashing of the lamps 108.
  • the line 122 is connected by way of the switch 119 and the contact 104 to the line 101, so that the capacitor 130 charges through the resistors 127, 126, and the capacitor 128 charges by way of the resistors 120, 127 and the switch 118.
  • the components are so selected that the capacitor 128 becomes charged before the capacitor 130, and when the capacitor 128 is charged, the transistor 125 turns on so that when the capacitor is charged, the transistor 124 does not turn on because of the normal action of the bistable circuit. Further movement of the steering wheel opens contact 118, and then contact 119, and the capacitor 130 discharges through the base-emitter of the transistor 124, and the capacitor 128 discharges through the resistor 129.
  • the switch 119 closes and the capacitor 130 charges.
  • the capacitor 128 does not charge because the switch 118 is open. Because the capacitor 130 is charging, the transistor 124 is off, and current flowing through the resistors 120, 127 turns on the transistor 125, so that once the capacitor 130 has charged, the bistable action holds off the transistor 124. Further movement of the steering wheel closes the switch 118 as well as the switch 119, and now the capacitor 128 can charge. Charging of the capacitor 128 reduces the base potential of the transistor 125, and so the circuit switch is to its alternative state with the transistor 124 on and the.
  • the transistor 125 off.
  • the transistors 131, 132 which previously were held off by virtue of conduction of the transistor 125, now turn on, and the lower end of the winding 103 is connected through the transistor 132 to earth.
  • the capacitor 111 now charges rapidly, and the capacitor 112 charges through the winding 103, moving the contacts I04, 105, 106 to their normal positions so that the flasher unit 107 no longer operates.
  • the overall action of the bistable circuit is to ensure that the transistors 131, 132 remain off until the switch 118 closes on the return movement of the steering wheel.
  • the transistors 131, 132 are held off initially by virtue of the capacitor 130, which when it is charging removes base current from the transistors 13], I32, and then later the conduction of the transistor I25 holds off the transistors 131, 132.
  • the transistor 125 again conducts to hold off the transistors 13], 132, and finally the transistor 125 is turned off, and at this stage the capacitor [30 is charged so that base current can flow through the resistor 127 to the transistors 13], 132.
  • Closing of the switch 110 has exactly the same effect as conduction of the transistors 131 and 132, because it connects the upper end of the winding 103 to the line 102. This provision is particularly useful when a driver is changing lanes, because the movement of the steering wheel may then not be sufficient to close the switches 118, 119.
  • a diode 120 is provided for connecting the upper end of the winding 103 to the line 102 by way of the switch 110a.
  • An equivalent diode 12011 is provided for de-energising the flasher unit associated with the right-hand circuits of the vehicle whenever the switch is closed.
  • a direction indicator control circuit for a road vehicle including a manually operable switch biased to an open position, an electromagnetic bistable latching mechanism which is operated when the switch is closed momentarily and serves to close a contact coupling a flasher unit to a flasher lamp, a further momentary closure of the switch serving to operate the latching mechanism again to open the contact, and means operable upon completion of a turn for operating the latching mechanism to open the contact.
  • a circuit as claimed in claim 3 in which the magnetically operable means includes first and second normally open switches operated by a permanent magnet on the steering column of the vehicle, movement of the steering column to negotiate a turn serving in sequence to close the first switch alone, then the first and second switches, then the second switch alone, and then neither switch, and return movement of the steering column serving to close the second switch alone, the second and first switches, the first switch alone and then neither switch, the second switch serving when it is closed to provide power to the bistable circuit provided that the flasher unit is coupled to the flasher lamp, and also serving to drive the bistable circuit to a first state, and closing of the first switch on return movement of the steering column while the second switch is still closed serving to drive the bistable circuit to its alternative state, the bistable circuit when in its alternative state providing an input to the latching mechanism.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Lighting Device Outwards From Vehicle And Optical Signal (AREA)
  • Manipulation Of Pulses (AREA)
US471716A 1973-05-19 1974-05-20 Direction indicator control circuit Expired - Lifetime US3925758A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB2396173A GB1470387A (ro) 1973-05-19 1973-05-19

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3925758A true US3925758A (en) 1975-12-09

Family

ID=10204166

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US471716A Expired - Lifetime US3925758A (en) 1973-05-19 1974-05-20 Direction indicator control circuit

Country Status (13)

Country Link
US (1) US3925758A (ro)
JP (1) JPS5020695A (ro)
AR (1) AR216278A1 (ro)
CS (1) CS172884B4 (ro)
DE (1) DE2424244A1 (ro)
ES (1) ES426437A1 (ro)
FR (1) FR2229578B1 (ro)
GB (1) GB1470387A (ro)
HU (1) HU168814B (ro)
IN (1) IN141735B (ro)
IT (1) IT1011446B (ro)
RO (1) RO80735A (ro)
YU (1) YU123474A (ro)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4275379A (en) * 1978-05-01 1981-06-23 Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho Traffic indicator
US5581235A (en) * 1994-08-11 1996-12-03 Deere & Company Turn signal control system

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2460918C2 (de) * 1974-12-21 1983-06-01 Robert Bosch Gmbh, 7000 Stuttgart Einrichtung zum Ausschalten eines Fahrtrichtungsanzeigers bei einem Kraftfahrzeug nach einer Kurvenfahrt
DE2608865C2 (de) * 1976-03-04 1984-03-01 Robert Bosch Gmbh, 7000 Stuttgart Einrichtung zum Ausschalten eines Fahrtrichtungsanzeigers bei einem Kraftfahrzeug nach einer Kurvenfahrt
GB2210519A (en) * 1987-10-02 1989-06-07 Peter Brian Blythe Relay-controlled electrical flasher unit
GB2250646B (en) * 1990-12-05 1995-07-05 Pathi Thirumala Surendar Direction indicator control device
DE19508426C2 (de) * 1995-03-09 1997-10-23 Fritz Hetzer Schaltung zum automatischen Abschalten eines KFZ-Blinksignalgebers

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3308428A (en) * 1963-09-10 1967-03-07 Lehigh Valley Ind Inc Automatic timing arrangement for automotive turn signalling system
US3588812A (en) * 1966-11-10 1971-06-28 Richard A Wheelock Vehicle turn signal

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS4713693U (ro) * 1971-03-13 1972-10-18

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3308428A (en) * 1963-09-10 1967-03-07 Lehigh Valley Ind Inc Automatic timing arrangement for automotive turn signalling system
US3588812A (en) * 1966-11-10 1971-06-28 Richard A Wheelock Vehicle turn signal

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4275379A (en) * 1978-05-01 1981-06-23 Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho Traffic indicator
US5581235A (en) * 1994-08-11 1996-12-03 Deere & Company Turn signal control system

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
RO80735A (ro) 1983-06-01
FR2229578B1 (ro) 1977-09-30
FR2229578A1 (ro) 1974-12-13
HU168814B (ro) 1976-07-28
AU6844274A (en) 1975-11-06
CS172884B4 (ro) 1977-01-28
YU123474A (en) 1982-02-28
DE2424244A1 (de) 1974-12-05
IT1011446B (it) 1977-01-20
JPS5020695A (ro) 1975-03-05
ES426437A1 (es) 1976-07-01
AR216278A1 (es) 1979-12-14
GB1470387A (ro) 1977-04-14
RO80735B (ro) 1983-05-30
IN141735B (ro) 1977-04-09

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