JPH0466344A - Direction indicator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To unnecessitate a current detecting circuit and a generating circuit at the time of detecting disconnection by detecting a current flowing to winker lamps, and judging the disconnection of the winker lamps when this current does not reach the specified current, thereby changing the flash cycle of reverse signals from a microcomputer. CONSTITUTION:When the movable element 15a of a winker-on switch 15 is moved either to the right or left so as to provide a built-in microcomputer 19 with a winker-on signal, H-L level signals are alternately outputted at a fixed cycle to the output terminal of the microcomputer 19, and the contact 13b of a relay 13 is turned on-off through a transistor 21. Winker lamps 17a, 17b or winker lamps 18a, 18b are thereby flashed. At this time, voltage appearing on both ends of a resistor 22 at the time of setting the output terminal to an H-level is compared to reference voltage, and when this voltage is lower than the reference voltage, these winker lamps are judged to be disconnected, so that the cycle of flash signals outputted from the output terminal C is changed, and the disconnection of the winker lamps is warned.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a direction indicator used in a motorcycle, etc.
In particular, the present invention relates to a direction indicator equipped with an automatic blinker canceling device using a microcomputer with a built-in analog-to-digital converter (hereinafter referred to as a built-in microcomputer).

[Prior Art] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of a conventional direction indicator.

The turn signal switch 36 has a left front turn signal lamp (
LP) 37a, left rear turn signal lamp (]=R) 37
b, a right front blinker lamp (RF) 38a and a right rear blinker lamp (RR) 38b are connected, and a predetermined blinker lamp is selected based on a command signal from the automatic blinker canceling device 33. Ru.

If any of these blinker lamps is disconnected, the current detection circuit 39 connected to the blinker switch 36 detects this and detects the oscillation frequency of the oscillation circuit 34 connected via the relay 35. change, blinker
Warnings are issued by changing the flashing cycle of the lamp. In the normal blinking operation of the blinker lamp, when the blinker switch 36 is turned on and a predetermined blinker lamp is selected, the automatic blinker canceling device 33 sends an oscillation start signal to the oscillation circuit 34, and the oscillation circuit 34 starts oscillating. The output activates the relay 35 and turns the blinker switch 3
The blinker lamp selected by 6 is made to blink. The current detection circuit 39 detects the current when the blinker lamp is turned on and changes the current.

The automatic blinker canceling device 33 causes the oscillation circuit 34 to stop oscillation when the blinker switch 36 is turned off or when a certain condition is reached based on information from the potentiometer 31 and three vehicle speed sensors connected to it. A signal is sent to stop the operation of the relay 35, causing the blinker lamp to stop flashing.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional system, a current detection circuit and an oscillation circuit are required to detect a break in the turn signal lamp, which not only complicates the circuit configuration of the turn signal but also increases the cost. Moreover, there was a problem that the shape and dimensions became large.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and detects a break in a turn signal lamp and outputs a break warning signal without requiring a current detection circuit and an oscillation circuit unlike conventional systems. The purpose is to provide a direction indicator that can

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides a direction indicator equipped with an automatic blinker canceling device that blinks and stops the blinker lamp, and includes means for outputting a blinking signal for the blinker lamp;
The automatic blinker canceling device incorporates a microcomputer equipped with means for detecting breakage of the blinker lamp and means for changing the period of the flashing signal when the breakage is detected.

[Operations] Because of the above structure, when a break in the blinker lamp is detected, the blinking signal, which was previously output at a predetermined cycle, is output with the cycle changed.

Since all of these operations are automatically performed by the built-in microcomputer, there is no need to newly provide a current detection circuit and an oscillation circuit.

[Example] FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a system configuration of a direction indicator according to the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the direction indicator includes an automatic blinker canceling device HA, a potentiometer 11, and a vehicle speed sensor 12.
, relay 13, blinker switch 14, blinker on switch 15, blinker off switch 16
and blinker lamps 17 and 18. The blinker lamp 17 is the left front blinker lamp (
LF) 17a and left rear blinker lamp (LR) 17b
The turn signal lamp 18 is a right front turn signal.
Lamp (RF) 18a and right rear turn signal lamp (RR)
) 18b.

The outputs from the potentiometer 11, the vehicle speed sensor 12, the turn signal on switch 15, and the turn signal off switch 16 are taken into the device A as input signals of the automatic turn signal canceling device MA, and the output from the automatic turn signal canceling device A is relayed. Sent on 13th.

One end of the movable contact 13b of the relay 13 is connected to the power supply terminal B, and the other end is connected to the blinker switch 14 via a current detection resistor 22.

The blinker switch 14 is selectively connected to blinker lamps 17a, 17b, 18a, and 18b via a movable member 14a. Both ends of the current detection resistor 22 are connected to a built-in microcomputer 19 built into the automatic blinker canceling device A. A positive electrode of a battery (not shown) is connected to terminal B, and the battery voltage is applied to automatic blinker canceling device A and relay 13.

When the mover 15a of the blinker-on switch 15 moves to the left or right and the built-in microcomputer 19 receives a blinker-on signal from the blinker-on switch 15, the built-in microcomputer 19 outputs an H signal to its output terminal C at a constant cycle. (high)
Alternately outputs level and L (low) level signals. Since the output terminal C is connected 1 m to the base of the transistor 21 via the resistor 20, the transistor 21 is turned on when the output terminal C is at H level, and turned off when it is at L level.

Furthermore, since the operating coil 13a of the relay 13 is connected to the collector of the transistor 21, the transistor 21
1, the contact 13b of the relay 13 is also turned on and off. This operation of the relay 13 causes one of the blinker lamps 17a and 17b or the blinker lamps 18a and 18b to blink. Which blinker lamp blinks is determined by the moving direction of the mover 14a of the blinker switch 14.

When the output terminal C is set to H level, the voltage that appears across the resistor 22 is compared with the reference voltage by the A/D converter in the built-in microcomputer 19, and if it is less than the reference voltage, the voltage is applied to either the front or rear side. It is determined that the blinker lamp is disconnected, and the cycle of the blinking signal consisting of H level and L level outputted from output terminal C changes. This gives a warning that the blinker lamp is disconnected.

E Effects of the Invention As described above in detail based on the embodiments, the present invention incorporates a microcomputer in the automatic turn signal canceling device, inverts the output terminal under this control, and uses the signal to cancel the turn signal. -The lamp is blinking.

Then, the current flowing through the blinker lamp is detected,
When this current does not reach the specified @ current, the blinker
It determines that the lamp is disconnected and changes the blinking cycle of the inverted signal output from the built-in microcomputer, so the conventional oscillation circuit for blinking the turn signal lamp and the conventional oscillation circuit for detecting disconnection are used. There is no need to provide a separate current detection circuit.

Therefore, there are advantages in that the circuit configuration of the direction indicator is simplified, and at the same time, cost reduction and size reduction can be realized.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing an embodiment of a direction indicator according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of a conventional direction indicator. In the figure, A... automatic blinker canceling device, 13... relay, 14... blinker
Switch, 17.17a, 17b, 18.18a, 18
b... Turn signal lamp, 15... Turn signal on switch, 16... Turn signal off switch 19... Built-in microcomputer. Patent applicant: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. Agent: Takashi Kumagai (1 other person)

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A direction indicator equipped with an automatic turn signal canceling device that blinks and stops a turn signal lamp, comprising: a first means for outputting a blinking signal for the turn signal lamp; and a first means for detecting disconnection of the turn signal lamp. 2. A direction indicator, characterized in that a microcomputer is built into the automatic turn signal canceling device, and includes a third means for changing the cycle of the flashing signal when a disconnection is detected.