Switch device for vehicle-speed control

An operation lever is mounted on a base for mounting a turn-signal switch provided to a steering column and is elongated in the radius direction of the steering column, the operation lever being capable of being operated from a neutral position selectively to a resume position or a coast position. A vehicle-speed controlling circuit is actuated to set a vehicle-speed according to the operation of the operation lever.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a vehicle-speed controlling device, 
forming so-called resume circuit and coast circuit. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
A switch device for vehicle-speed control in an automobile functions in 
such a manner that, even if a driver releases his foot from an accelerator 
pedal, the vehicle-speed of the automobile is able to be kept in a fixed 
value set by him. 
The switch device for vehicle-speed control is constructed such that 
according to an operation of a control switch by the driver such a driving 
force as an engine negative pressure or the like is added to an actuator 
and an engine throttle valve is maintained in a predetermined opening 
angle. The control switch is provided with a set switch for setting a 
vehicle-speed, a resume switch for restoring the set vehicle-speed when 
the vehicle-speed is lowered below the set vehicle-speed and the like. 
In the prior art, for example U.S. Pat. No. 3,481,422, the switch for the 
switch device for vehicle-speed control is mounted on a lever of a 
turn-signal switch provided on a steering column for signalling the change 
of an advance course of the automobile. That is, a turn-signal lever 
operating the turn-signal switch is elongated from the steering column to 
a right angle thereto and the switch for the vehicle-speed controlling 
device is mounted on the turn-signal lever. 
In such a structure, however, a plurality of wires and a switch mechanism 
for the vehicle-speed controlling switch is assembled in the turn-signal 
lever, for which the design and manufacture of the turn-signal lever are 
made complicated. In addition thereto, it is not preferable, in view of 
the reliability of operations, that the vehicle-speed controlling switch 
to which sufficiently careful operations are required for safety drive is 
mounted on the turn-signal lever. These points have to be sufficiently 
taken into consideration in recent automobiles tending to mount a wipper 
switch and the other switches on the turn-signal switch. Furthermore, the 
vehicle-speed controlling device is an option part mounted on the 
automobile according to requirement of customers and, therefore, it causes 
the complication of the design, manufacture and assembly that the 
turn-signal levers being mounted with the vehicle-speed controlling switch 
and being not are produced separately of each other. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention has been developed in view of the above-described 
facts and has as its object the provision of a switch device for 
vehicle-speed control, making it possible to be simply and reliably 
operated without causing any operation mistakes by a driver. 
In the switch device for vehicle-speed control according to the present 
invention, an operation lever for actuating a resume circuit and a coast 
circuit which are vehicle-speed control circuits in a switch device for 
vehicle-speed control of an automobile is elongated from a steering column 
separately of a turn-signal lever whereby the design and manufacture of 
the operation lever and the turn-signal lever are made easy and the 
operations of the levers by the driver are also made simple and secure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
A steering column, not shown, in an automobile is provided with a 
turn-signal switch base 1 where a turn-signal lever 2 is rotatably 
supported and therewith a turn-signal switch mechanism SW1 operated by the 
turn-signal lever 2 is provided. 
In the turn-signal switch mechanism SW1, as shown in FIG. 2, a steering 
column tube SC1 is inserted into a cylindrical portion 1A of the 
turn-signal switch base 1 and the cylindrical portion 1A is securely 
clamped to the steering column tube SC1. A bracket SC3 is pivotally 
supported to a hollow support shaft SC2 projected in parallel with a 
steering shaft SS1. A turn-signal lever 2 is elongated from the bracket 
SC3 in a radius direction of the steering shaft SS1 and a turn-signal 
switch, not shown, is turned on by rotating the turn-signal lever 2 about 
the support shaft SC2 from a neutral position to either of the operating 
positions so that turn-signal lamps are actuated to signal a change of an 
advance course of an automobile. 
Now, mounted and supported on the turn-signal switch base 1 through screws 
4, 5 is a switch unit 3 applied for switch device for vehicle-speed 
control. 
An insulator 6 is formed with fitting holes 6a, 6b (refer to FIG. 5) where 
the screws 4, 5 are inserted, a switch body 7 is fixed to the insulator 6 
in a form covering it and a receiving space 8 having an opening left on 
FIG. 3 is formed between the insulator 6 and the switch body 7. An 
operation lever 9 is provided at the side of the base 1 integrally with 
projections 10, 10 and a holder member 11 positioned in the receiving 
space 8 and is supported between the insulator 6 and the switch body 7 
through the projections 10, 10 so as to be made rotatable in up and down 
directions between a resume position R and a coast position C. An 
automatic restoring mechanism 12 always forces the operation lever to a 
neutral position OFF situated between the resume position R and the coast 
position C (refer to FIG. 1) and comprises a V-shaped guide portion 13 
formed on a bottom of the receiving space 8 especially in the switch body 
7, a detent ball 14 supported in a blind hole 11a formed on a forward end 
of the holder member 11 and a spring 15 positioned in the blind hole 11a 
and forcing the ball 14 to the V-shaped guide portion 13. The automatic 
restoring mechanism 12 is constructed in such a manner that the operation 
lever 9 is positioned in the neutral position OFF when the ball 14 is 
positioned in the center of the V-shaped guide portion 13. 
Accordingly, when the operation lever 9 is operated and rotated to the 
respective resume position R or coast position C, the ball 14 is rolled on 
the V-shaped guide portion 13 while compressing and deforming the spring 
15, and thereafter when the rotating operation of the operation lever 9 is 
released, the ball 14 is restored to the beginning position due to the 
restoring force of the spring 15, that is the operation lever 9 is 
returned back to the neutral position OFF. 
A switch mechanism 16 comprises a movable contact 17 supported on the 
holder member 11 and three fixed contacts 18a, 18b, 18c arranged on the 
insulator 6 (refer to FIG. 6). 
In the switch mechanism 16 the movable contact 17 bridges the fixed 
contacts 18a and 18b when the operation lever 9 is rotated to the resume 
position R, it bridges the fixed contacts 18b and 18c when the operation 
lever 9 is rotated to the coast position C and the fixed contacts 18a, 18b 
and 18c are put in an open condition when the operation lever 9 is 
positioned in the neutral position OFF. 
In addition, when the operation lever 9 is rotated to the resume position R 
a resume circuit in a vehicle-speed controlling device is formed through 
the fixed contacts 18a and 18b bridged corresponding to the rotation, and 
when the operation lever 9 is rotated to the coast position C a coast 
circuit in the vehicle-speed controlling device is formed through the 
fixed contacts 18b and 18c bridged corresponding to the rotation. 
As shown in FIG. 5, the respective fixed contacts 18a, 18b and 18c are 
integrally provided with terminals 19a, 19b and 19c which are projected 
through the insulator 6. 
A set switch 20 of the switch device for vehicle-speed control is 
constructed as follows. 
Received and fixed into the operation lever 9 is a switch base 21, near the 
left end of which a vertical wall 23 provided with a through-hole 22 is 
formed. A movable contact 24 consists of curved portion 24a formed in a 
semi-circle and left and right side portions 24b, 24c extended and formed 
from both the ends of the curved portion 24a to be formed in a U shape. 
Also, formed on the right side portion 24c is a fixing portion 24d which 
is fixed to the switch base 21 and opposed to the vertical wall 23 is the 
left side portion 24b. Furthermore, the left side portion 24b as being a 
free end of the movable contact 24 is expanded to form a contact 
projection 25. The movable contact 24 is made of such an elastic material 
as a phospher bronze plate. 
Formed on the switch base 21 are a pair of detent projections 26, 26 which 
are positioned in such a manner that the portion of the right side portion 
24c close to the curved portion 24a is put between the detent projections 
26 and 26 through a slight gap formed therebetween. 
Fixed to the switch base 21 is a fixed contact 27 which are positioned 
between the left and right side portions 24b, 24c, being opposed to the 
contact projection 25. 
Movably mounted on the end portion of the operation lever 9 in a direction 
of the axis thereof is a push button 28 formed with a stopper preventing 
it from falling out in the axis direction of the operation lever 9 and 
always forced to the projecting direction thereof by a compression spring 
29 positioned between the inside of the push button 28 and the vertical 
wall 23. 
Formed on the inside of the push button 28 in the direction of the movable 
contact 24 is a pressing projection 30 which is opposed to the left side 
portion 24b of the movable contact 24 with a predetermined gap 
therebetween through the through-hole 22 of the vertical wall 23. 
In the set switch 20 thus constructed when the push button 28 is subjected 
to a pushing-in operation it is moved in the right direction on FIG. 7 
against the spring force of the compression spring 29 to cause the 
pressing projection 30 to abut to the left side portion 24b so that the 
movable contact 24 is pressed in the right direction on FIG. 7. At this 
time the right side portion 24c of the movable contact 24 is caused to 
abut to the detect projection 26 so that the right side portion 24c of the 
movable contact 24 is prevented from an additional deformation and, 
therefore, the curved portion 24a and the left side portion 24b are 
elastically deformed mainly whereby the contact projection 25 of the left 
side portion 24 is slidably contacted slightly to the fixed contact 27 so 
as to make the set switch on. Thus, when the set switch is made on a set 
circuit is formed in the switch device for vehicle-speed control. 
On the other hand, fixed on the switch base 21 is a light-emission diode 
(LED) 31, arranged above the LED 31 is a lens member 32 and attached on 
the surface of the lens member 32 is a mark plate 33 on which respective 
words RESUME, COAST and SET are represented. 
In addition, inserted and passed through the operation lever 9 are lead 
wires 34, 35 and 36, respective one ends of which are connected to 
terminals 37, 38 and 19b projected through the insulator 6, the other ends 
thereof being connected respectively to the fixing portion 24d of the 
movable contact 24, one end of the LED 31 and a common contact connected 
in common to the other end of the LED 31 and the fixed contact 27. 
Projectionally formed on the insulator 6 integrally therewith in such a 
manner as surrounding the terminals 19a, 19b, 19c, 37 and 38 is a 
connector receiver 39 to which a connector member 40 is inserted and 
connected. The connector member 40 is led from the switch device for 
vehicle-speed control and an earth terminal, not shown. In this case the 
terminals 19a, 19c and 37 are connected to the switch device for 
vehicle-speed control and the terminal 19b is connected to the earth 
terminal, the terminal 38 being connected to a positive terminal of a 
battery through a light switch of an automobile. 
The switch unit 3 constructed as set forth above is integrated to one set 
in advance and, thereafter, is mounted on the turn-signal base 1. 
Description will be given of operation of the present embodiment. 
When the push button 28 of the set switch 20 is subjected to a pushing-in 
operation during the automobile running, the set switch 20 is switched on 
to form the set circuit of the switch device for vehicle-speed control and 
a set vehicle-speed, or velocity, in the switch device for vehicle-speed 
control is increased at a constant rate from the running vehicle-speed of 
the automobile at that time, the set vehicle-speed being represented on a 
dashpanel or the like. Furthermore, when the push button 28 is released, 
the set switch 20 is switched off whereby the set vehicle-speed in the 
switch device for vehicle-speed control device is stopped to rise and, 
thereafter, the automobile is kept running at the set vehicle-speed, even 
if an accelerator pedal is released. Also, when the set switch 20 is 
instantaneously switched on during the automobile running, the set 
vehicle-speed in the switch device for vehicle-speed control is set to the 
running vehicle-speed of the automobile at that time. In this condition 
when the operation lever 9 is subjected to a rotating operation in the 
direction of the coast position C the coast circuit is formed in the 
switch device for vehicle-speed control, and the set vehicle-speed is 
reduced at a constant rate in the switch device for vehicle-speed control, 
the vehicle-speed being represented on the dashpanel or the like. 
As described above, while a fixed vehicle-speed is set and the switch 
device for vehicle-speed control is worked, the automobile is kept running 
at the fixed vehicle-speed, but when the accelerator pedal, a brake pedal 
or a clutch pedal is operated for necessity of acceleration or 
deceleration, the switch device for vehicle-speed control is released 
immediately so that the fixed vehicle-speed is made invalid. After that, 
however, when the operation lever 9 is rotated to the resume position R, 
the resume circuit is formed in the switch device for vehicle-speed 
control and the device is restore so that the fixed vehicle-speed at the 
time of the release is made valid, again. 
In the present embodiment the switch unit 3 where the operation lever 9, 
the automatic restoring mechanism, the switch mechanism 16, the set switch 
20 and the like are integrated is prepared in advance and is mounted on 
the turn-signal switch base 1. Accordingly, the present embodiment is able 
to be enhanced in assembly workability as compared with such a case that 
the operation lever, the automatic restoring mechanism, the switch 
mechanism and the like are mounted individually on the turn-signal switch 
base. 
In addition, the present embodiment is constructed such that the electrical 
connection of the switch unit 3 is conducted through the connector 
receiver 39 formed thereon. Therefore, the present embodiment is made 
simpler in handling than the case that long lead wires are led from the 
switch unit 3. From this point of view, it is also recognized that, the 
present embodiment is able to be improved in assembly workability. 
Furthermore, the present invention is constructed such that a selective 
operation between the resume circuit and the coast circuit is carried out 
by the rotating operation of the operation lever 9 elongated from the 
turn-signal switch base 9 so that the selective operation can be easily 
and securely conducted. 
In the above-described embodiment the set switch 20 is constructed so as to 
be switched on according to the pushing-in operation of the push button 
28. However, the present invention is not restricted to the set switch 
thus constructed. For example, the present invention may be provided with 
a set switch constructed so as to be switched on by the rotating operation 
of the operation lever 9 in a direction crossing the rotating direction 
about the projections 10, 10 at a right angle or a set switch constructed 
so as to be switched on by the pushing-in operation of the operation lever 
9 itself in the axis direction thereof. 
Also, in the present embodiment the operation lever 9 is constructed so as 
to be moved to the resume position R or the coast position C by rotating 
the operation lever 9 in the upper or lower direction on FIG. 1 but the 
present invention is not restricted to the operation lever so constructed. 
That is, in the present invention the operation lever 9 may be constructed 
so as to be moved to the resume position R or the coast position C by 
rotating the same in the forward or back direction on FIG. 1 In this case 
a set switch 20 switched on by rotating the operation lever 9 upwardly or 
downwardly on FIG. 1 can be provided on the switch unit 3. 
As has been described hereinabove, in the switch device for vehicle-speed 
control according to the present invention the assembly workability is 
improved and the reliability of operation is enhanced.