FI13505Y1 - Switch unit for reversing light control - Google Patents

Abstract

A reverse light control coupling unit (1), characterized in that it has couplings (101, 102) for receiving two direction indicator signals and a reverse light control coupling (103) (12), and in that the coupling unit (1) has arranged to control the operation of a reversing light (12) connected to the reverse light coupling (103) at least in response to a simultaneous reception of both direction indicator signals.

Description

SWITCH UNIT FOR CONTROLLING THE REVERSE LIGHTS

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

Most passenger car trailers used in Finland are designed in such a way that they do not have reversing lights that show a white light backwards. This feature hinders reversing in dim or dark conditions. In addition, poor visibility when reversing increases the chance of a collision. The cars have a white — reversing light, but they are weak in terms of the amount of light and their functionality is mainly limited to the fact that when approaching the car, it can be noticed that the car is moving backwards. The power of the car's reversing light is so low that it is difficult for the driver to see behind when reversing the car. In addition, the reversing light on the towing vehicle is of no use if the trailer blocks the light — from behind.

The car trailer has either a 7- or 13-pin connector, depending on its model. The 13-pole connector has a wire through which the white reversing light installed on the trailer gets its electricity when the car is reversing. There is no corresponding wire in the /-pole connector for — the reversing light. The reversing light can be connected to the 7-pin connector by adding, for example, a separate switch to be installed in the trailer to the wire from the headlight, from which the electricity for the reversing light is taken. The disadvantage of such an arrangement is that when reversing, you have to get out of the car and turn on the reversing lights. Only after this can you go — reverse with the reversing lights switched on. Similarly, you have to get out of the car again to turn off the light. An easier solution is needed.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention implements a switch unit for controlling the reversing lights, which follows the turn signal signals and controls the turning on of the reversing light based on them.

The basic idea of such a switch unit is that by connecting the wires of the car's turn signals to the switch unit, it is possible to receive user commands via the turn signal system and thus use the reverse lights without getting out of the car. —In one embodiment of the invention, the switch unit switches the reversing light on when detecting the emergency flasher signal, i.e. both turn signal signals are up at the same time, and off when detecting only one of the two turn signal signals.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The different implementations of the invention are illustrated below in this explanation — and in the accompanying figures, where figure 1 illustrates a switch unit according to one embodiment of the invention for controlling the reversing lights, figure 2 illustrates the way of connecting the switch unit to the trailer wires according to one embodiment of the invention, and figure 3 illustrates the connection diagram of the switch unit according to one embodiment of the invention.

The same reference numerals refer to the same elements in different figures.

Figure 1 illustrates the switch unit 1 according to one embodiment of the invention for controlling the reversing lights 12. According to the example in Figure 1, this embodiment has connections 101, 102 for receiving the car's two turn signal signals and connection 103 for controlling the reversing light 12. Figure 1 also shows the electric plug 5 of the trailer, the wire 6 of the first turn signal is connected to the first turn signal connection 102 of the switch unit, the wire 7 of the second turn signal is connected to the first turn signal connection of the switch unit

101, the negative wire 8 is connected to the negative connection 104 of the switch unit and the tail light wire 9 is connected to the operating voltage connection 105 of the switch unit. In addition, in Figure 1, the reversing light 12 is connected between the reversing light connection 103 and the negative wire. —In one embodiment of the invention, the switch unit is arranged to control the operation of the light connected to the reverse light connection in response to the simultaneous reception of at least both turn signal signals. In such an implementation, the switch unit monitors the turn signal signals, and if the control voltages of both the right and left turn signals are high at the same time, such as — in the case of emergency flashing, the switch unit controls the operation of the reversing light based on this information.

In one embodiment of the invention, the switch unit is arranged to switch on the reversing light in response to the simultaneous reception of both turn signal signals. In such an embodiment, the switch unit turns on the reversing light when it detects a hazard flasher situation.

In one embodiment of the invention, the switch unit is arranged to switch off the reversing light only in response to the reception of the second turn signal signal.

In such an embodiment, the switch unit switches off the reversing light when detecting the use of only the left or only the right turn signal.

In one embodiment of the invention, the emergency flasher function can also be used to switch off the reversing light, in which case the car driver can turn on the reversing light by flashing the emergency flasher, and later turn off the reversing light by flashing the emergency flasher again. In such an embodiment, when the reversing light is on, the switch unit is arranged to switch off the reversing light in response to the simultaneous reception of both turn signal signals.

In one embodiment of the invention, switching off the reversing light can be done both with the emergency flasher function and with one of the turn signals alone.

Figure 2 shows the connection of the switch unit (1) according to one embodiment of the invention to the cables of the trailer (2). The embodiment in Figure 2 is only one example of inventive embodiments, and the invention is not limited to the details according to the example in Figure 2. The clutch unit (1) is installed, for example, in the rear part of the body (3) of a car trailer (2) in a place where the switch (4) in the clutch unit is easy to use to switch it on or off. This is because if the emergency flashers (15), (16) have to be used after the car breaks down or for some other reason, the reversing lights (12) will not light up and thus disturb other traffic. The device has a total of six control and power cables (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11). The wires are connected — to the wires coming from the electric plug (5) of the trailer (2) as shown in figure 1.

The wire of the left turn signal (6) is connected to screw 2 of the screw terminal J2 of the switch unit.

The wire of the right turn signal (7) is connected to screw 1 of screw terminal J2 of the switch unit.

However, the order of the wires (6), (7) coming to the direction indicators (15), (16) is not important in terms of — the operation of the switch unit.

The minus wire (8) of the trailer, which is usually the ground wire on the same frame (3), is connected to screw 1 of the screw terminal J1 of the clutch unit (1).

The wire (9) of the constantly burning right Taillight is connected to screw 1 of the switch unit — screw terminal J3. Alternatively, the wire can be connected to the left taillight (17).

The remaining two wires (10), (11) are connected between the lamp (12) or lamps (12) in such a way that the tip (14) of the relay (13) closes the circuit connected in series, which consists of — minus (8) and plus wires (6) , (7) from the tips (14) of the relay (13), and from the lamp (12) or lamps (12).

The switch unit switches on when using the emergency flashers, so that both the right flasher (15) and the left flasher (16) light up at the same time and the relay (13) in the switch unit (1) pulls, connecting its tips (14). At the same time, the circuit formed by the reversing lights (12) connected between the taillight wire (9), (17) and the minus wire (8) closes and the light comes on. Switching off is done using either the left flasher (15) or the right flasher (16).

Figure 2 illustrates the embodiment of the invention, where the unit (1) is connected to the trailer. However, this is only one example of the ways of using different implementations of the invention. In one embodiment of the invention, the clutch unit can also be used without a trailer by connecting the clutch unit 5 — directly to the connector of the car's tow hook and installing the reversing lights on a bracket that is attached to the car's tow hook. This type of implementation has the advantage that it can be used to easily connect extra, strong reversing lights to the car if necessary, which are also easy to remove from the car.

Figure 3 shows the connection diagram of the switch unit (1) according to one embodiment of the invention, and the following describes the structure of this exemplary embodiment in more detail. The operation of the switch unit (1) is based on the voltage obtained from the direction indicators, which is used to control the switch unit (1). The clutch unit (1) gets its operating voltage from the constantly lit light (9), (17) of the trailer (2).

The functionality of the switch unit (1) is implemented with 5 volt regulators (U1), (U2), (U3), (U4) and /4HC08 AND gate circuit (U5), and NE555 timer circuit (U6). In addition, the device has some passive components and control diodes. — Regulators U1, U2, U3 and U4 lower the trailer's 12 Volt voltage to a suitable 5 Volt voltage for microcircuits (U5), (UB). When the direction indicators (15), (16) of the trailer light up simultaneously, the output of microcircuit 74HC08 (U5) port A on pin 3 changes from "0" state to "1" state as it receives voltage through regulators U2 and U3. At the same time, also the B port of the 74HC08 circuit (U5) at pin 6 changes from the state "O" to the state "1", because the pin 5 of the same port is in the state "1" when it receives a voltage of 5 volts through the regulator U4. Pin 6 of the microcircuit 74HC08 (U5) drives transistor Q1, which grounds the trigger of the NE555 timer circuit (U6) at pin 2, which causes the FLIP-FLOP circuit inside the NE555 microcircuit (U6) at pin 3 to change to state “1”.

From this output, the voltage is taken from pin 3 of the NE555 microcircuit (U6) via resistor R10 — to the base of transistor 03, as a result of which 03 starts to conduct, causing relay K1 to pull connecting the screws of connector J3, causing the reversing lights (12) to switch on.

When the direction indicators (15), (16) are lit at the same time, transistor 04 is activated via pin 3 of the A port of the 74HC08 microcircuit (U5), receiving a base current through the resistor R5, in which case pin 10 of the C port of the 74LS08 microcircuit (US) is in the "O" state, so that the C port also remains in "O" mode.

When you want to turn off the reversing light, the voltage from the right turn signal (15) or the left turn signal (16) is directed through the regulator U2 or U3 through the diodes D1 or D2 to port C of 74LS08 (U5), which changes to state 1", because the second of port C the input at pin 9 is connected to a voltage of 5 Volts. The output of port C is at pin 8 of the microcircuit 7/4HC08 (U5), from which the voltage is directed via resistor R6 to the base of transistor 02, whereby the "reset" pin 4 of the timer circuit NE555 (U6) is grounded. This causes — the output of the NE555 circuit (UB) 3 to change back to the "O" state, causing the transistor 03 to stop conducting and the relay (K1) to pull to the zero position, causing the screws of the connector J3 to disengage and the reverse light (12) or lights (12) to turn off.

Resistor R14 lowers the voltage coming to regulator U1, reducing the — power loss generated by U1. Resistors R1, R2 and R3 act as pull-down resistors, keeping the gates they control grounded and basically in the "0" state. Resistors R8 and R9 act as pull-up resistors, keeping the pin they control in state "1". Resistors R4, R5, R6, R7,

R10, R11, R12 and R13 act as voltage limiters, changing the voltage to suit the component they control. Capacitors C1, C2 and C3 work — as filters, keeping the voltage they receive constant while preventing disturbances caused by voltage fluctuations. Via connectors J1, J2 and J3, the device is connected with wires to the trailer's own wires (2), as described above.

A splash-proof switch (4) is connected to pin 1 of connector J1, which functions as a power switch (4) outside the housing of the switch unit (1), which can be used to switch the device on or off. Diode D3 protects transistor 03 from the voltage spike generated by the relay. D4 protects the regulator U1 from reverse voltage. 74L S08 microcircuit (U5) port

D is not used. To reduce interference, pins 12 and 13 of port D are connected directly to ground. Similarly, pin 11 of the microcircuit /4HC08 (U5) and pin 7 of the NE555 microcircuit (U6) are not used.

The embodiment shown in Figure 3 described above is only one example of a possible implementation of the invention. The invention is in no way limited to the structure according to figure 3. The invention can be implemented in many other ways,

for example by means of a programmable microcontroller, as the person skilled in the art knows well.

Above, the invention has been explained with reference to some of its preferred forms of application, but it is clear to a person skilled in the art that the invention can be modified in many different ways in accordance with the inventive idea defined by the accompanying protection requirements.

Claims (5)

Protection requirements 1. A reverse light control switch unit (1), characterized in that it has switches (101, 102) for receiving two direction indicator signals and a — switch (103) for reverse light control (12), and that the switch unit ( 1) has been arranged to control the operation of a reversing light (12) connected to the reverse light coupling (103) at least in response to a simultaneous reception of both direction indicator signals. 2. The coupling unit (1) according to protection claim 1, characterized in that the coupling unit (1) has been arranged to - switch on the reversing light (12) in response to a simultaneous reception of both direction indicator signals and - - to switch off the reversing light (12) in response to the reception of only one of turn signal signals. 3. The switching unit (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that — the switching unit (1) is arranged to turn off the reverse light (12) in response to the reception of only one of the direction indicator signals. 4. The switching unit (1) according to protection claim 1, characterized in that — the switching unit (1) is arranged to turn off the reversing light (12) in response to a simultaneous reception of both direction indicator signals when the reversing light (12) is on. 5. The coupling unit (1) according to protection claim 1, characterized in that the coupling unit (1) has been arranged to turn on the reversing light (12) in response to a simultaneous reception of both direction indicator signals.