Patent ID: 9150149
Filing Date: 2015-10-06
Classification: B60Q

Abstract:
1. A direction indicating apparatus, comprising: a pulse signal generating part that generates a pulse signal; a first switching element having a first end to which a power supply voltage is supplied, a control terminal to which the pulse signal is supplied and a second end at which a driving current having a magnitude corresponding to an amplitude of the pulse signal is output; a direction indicating switch that has a first terminal, a second terminal and a third terminal and is capable of switching among a state where the first terminal and the second terminal are electrically connected to each other, a state where the first terminal and the third terminal are electrically connected to each other and a state where the first terminal, the second terminal and the third terminal are electrically disconnected from each other, the first terminal being connected to the second end of the first switching element; a first direction indicating lamp unit that includes a first LED element, is connected to the second terminal at a first end thereof and to a ground at a second end thereof, and lights up when a current flows therethrough; a second direction indicating lamp unit that includes a second LED element, is connected to the third terminal at a first end thereof and to the ground at a second end thereof, and lights up when a current flows therethrough; a break detecting part that makes the pulse signal generating part change a period of the pulse signal when the driving current corresponding to a pulse wave of the pulse signal is equal to or lower than a predetermined break detection value; a lighting state detecting part that detects a lighting state of the first direction indicating lamp unit and the second direction indicating lamp unit; an indicator part having one or a plurality of indicators that light up when a current flows therethrough; and an indicator driving part that drives the one indicator and makes the one indicator light up in response to the lighting state detected by the lighting state detecting part or drives at least any of the plurality of indicators and makes the indicator light up in response to the lighting state; wherein the indicator part has a first indicator and a second indicator; and the indicator driving part drives the first indicator and makes the first indicator light up in a first light-up period in which the first direction indicating lamp unit lights up and does not drive the first indicator and does not make the first indicator light up in a first light-off period in which the first direction indicating lamp unit does not light up, and the indicator driving part drives the second indicator and makes the second indicator light up in a second light-up period in which the second direction indicating lamp unit lights up and does not drive the second indicator and does not make the second indicator light up in a second light-off period in which the second direction indicating lamp unit does not light up; and wherein the lighting state detecting part detects that the first direction indicating lamp unit lights up if a voltage at the first end of the first direction indicating lamp unit is equal to or higher than a predetermined first threshold voltage and detects that the first direction indicating lamp unit does not light up if the voltage at the first end of the first direction indicating lamp unit is lower than the first threshold voltage, and the lighting state detecting part detects that the second direction indicating lamp unit lights up if a voltage at the first end of the second direction indicating lamp unit is equal to or higher than a predetermined second threshold voltage and detects that the second direction indicating lamp unit does not light up if the voltage at the first end of the second direction indicating lamp unit is lower than the second threshold voltage.