Pedal misapplication accident suppression device

Abstract

To provide a device for suppressing a stepping error accident, which is easily attached to a vehicle.SOLUTION: The erroneous accident-suppressing device 1 is provided with a speaker 4 for converting a pulse generated at a positive electrode 13a of an on-vehicle battery 13 connected to an ignition coil 12 in the vehicle 10 into a voice.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pedal misapplication accident prevention device for preventing accidents caused by misapplication of the accelerator and brake pedals. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, with the increase in elderly drivers, there has been an increase in accidents caused by drivers confusing the accelerator with the brake. In order to prevent such accidents caused by the mistaken accelerator pedal, devices that can suppress sudden acceleration of a vehicle have been developed (for example, Non-Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0003] [Non-Patent Document 1] “Retrofit sudden acceleration prevention and accelerator / brake stepping error prevention device – A thorough comparison of all 7 products,” [online], Seibii Co., Ltd., Internet <URL: https: / / seibii.co.jp / blog / contents / products-comparison-of-acceleration-and-brake-stepping-error-prevention> Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the devices disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1 all have a complex structure, and installation in a vehicle requires the services of a specialized contractor, which results in a problem of relatively high costs.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a pedal misapplication accident prevention device that can be easily installed in a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention includes the following aspects. Section 1. A pedal misapplication accident prevention device attached to a vehicle, The device for preventing pedal misapplication accidents is equipped with a speaker that converts pulses generated at the positive terminal of the vehicle battery connected to the ignition coil into sound. Section 2. Item 1. The pedal misapplication accident prevention device according to item 1, further comprising a filter for removing noise components from the pulse. Section 3. an amplifier for amplifying the pulse; Item 3. The pedal misapplication accident prevention device described in item 1 or 2, wherein the speaker converts the pulses amplified by the amplifier into sound. Section 4. Item 4. The pedal misapplication accident prevention device according to item 3, further comprising a DC / DC converter that converts the voltage supplied from the vehicle battery into the operating voltage of the amplifier. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a pedal misapplication accident prevention device that is easy to install in a vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a pedal misapplication accident prevention device according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a pedal misapplication accident prevention device according to Application Example 1. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a pedal misapplication accident prevention device according to Application Example 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0010] (Basic configuration) 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a pedal misapplication accident prevention device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The pedal misapplication accident prevention device 1 is a small in-vehicle accessory, and in this embodiment, can be used by inserting a cigarette lighter plug 1a into a cigarette lighter socket 11 of a vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 is a light truck, but is not limited to this.

[0011] The pedal misapplication accident prevention device 1 mainly includes an amplifier 2, a filter 3, a speaker 4, and a DC / DC converter 5.

[0012] The amplifier 2 is a circuit that amplifies a pulse generated at a positive terminal 13a of an in-vehicle battery 13 that is connected to an ignition coil 12 of the vehicle 10. The amplifier 2 may be a conventionally known amplifier, such as a low-voltage amplifier (JRC2073) manufactured by New Japan Radio Co., Ltd.

[0013] The ignition coil 12 is a device that generates high voltage to operate the spark plug, and one terminal is connected to the positive terminal 13a of the vehicle battery 13, and the other terminal is connected to the negative terminal 13b of the vehicle battery 13 via a timing switch 14. The timing switch 14 may be a transistor or a contact switch.

[0014] When the timing switch 14 is turned ON to start the engine, a high-frequency pulse is generated at the positive terminal 13a (the primary side of the ignition coil 12) of the vehicle battery 13. After the engine ignition, the mutual induction of the ignition coil 12 continues to generate pulses with a frequency proportional to the engine rotation. The pulses are supplied to the pedal misapplication accident prevention device 1 via the fuse 15 and the positive terminal of the cigarette lighter socket 11, and then passed through the filter 3 and input to the positive input terminal 2a of the amplifier 2.

[0015] The filter 3 is a circuit that removes low-frequency components from the pulse, and includes a resistor R1 and two capacitors C1 and C2, thereby removing noise superimposed on the pulse.

[0016] The speaker 4 converts the pulses amplified by the amplifier 2 into sound. The waveform of the pulses generated at the positive terminal 13a of the vehicle battery 13 is nearly synchronized with the waveform of the engine sound, so the sound generated by the speaker 4 resembles the engine sound.

[0017] The DC / DC converter 5 is a circuit that converts the voltage supplied from the vehicle battery 13 into the operating voltage of the amplifier 2. In this embodiment, the voltage supplied from the vehicle battery 13 is 12 V, and the operating voltage of the amplifier 2 is 3.3 V. A conventionally known DC / DC converter can be used as the DC / DC converter 5, and for example, a low-saturation regulator (NJU72233) manufactured by Nisshinbo Microdevices Inc. can be used.

[0018] The voltage supplied from the vehicle battery 13 is supplied to the pedal misapplication accident prevention device 1 via the positive terminal of the cigarette lighter socket 11, and is then applied to the input terminal 5b of the DC / DC converter 5 via a resistor R2. The DC / DC converter 5 converts the applied voltage to a voltage of 3.3 V and outputs the voltage from the output terminal 5a. The output voltage is applied to the positive power supply terminal 2c of the amplifier 2. The ground terminal 5c of the DC / DC converter 5, as well as the negative input terminal 2b and negative power supply terminal 2d of the amplifier 2, are connected to ground potential.

[0019] (effect) With the above configuration, in the pedal misapplication accident prevention device 1 according to this embodiment, the pulse generated at the positive terminal 13a of the vehicle battery 13 is amplified by the amplifier 2, and the speaker 4 converts the amplified pulse into sound, causing the speaker 4 to emit an electronic sound similar to the sound of an engine. As a result, when the driver of the vehicle 10 steps on the accelerator, a pseudo engine sound is generated in addition to the engine sound, allowing the driver to immediately know that the accelerator has been pressed. Therefore, even if the driver accidentally presses the accelerator when they should have pressed the brake, the driver can immediately realize that they have pressed the accelerator, thereby preventing accidents caused by pedal misapplication.

[0020] Furthermore, the pedal misapplication accident prevention device 1 can be connected to the electrical circuit of the vehicle 10 simply by inserting it into the cigarette lighter socket 11, and therefore is easy to install in the vehicle 10, unlike the conventional device disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1. Furthermore, the pedal misapplication accident prevention device 1 is inexpensive because its structure is not as complicated as that of conventional devices.

[0021] In addition to the above, the pedal misapplication accident prevention device 1 has the following advantages. By using a variable gain amplifier for Amplifier 2, the volume of the simulated engine sound can be freely adjusted, just like an audio system. The simulated engine sound is electronic, so you can drive comfortably while driving. - By increasing the volume of the simulated engine sound, you can prevent drowsiness while driving. Since no false engine noise is generated when the engine is malfunctioning, the pedal misapplication accident prevention device 1 can be used to detect engine operation. By superimposing a simulated engine sound onto the actual engine sound, the sound heard by the driver is louder than the engine sound at the actual driving speed (for example, even if the actual driving speed is 40 km / h, the sound will sound like the vehicle is driving at 80 km / h), which helps to discourage speeding and leads to safer driving. Even if the vehicle 10 is not a turbo vehicle, it can produce a sound like a turbo engine.

[0022] As described above, pedal misapplication accident prevention device 1 utilizes the principle that pulses synchronized with the engine sound are always generated at positive terminal 13a of on-board battery 13, and alerts the driver that the accelerator has been pressed by converting the pulses into sound using speaker 4. This prevents accidents caused by pressing the accelerator by mistake, and because pedal misapplication accident prevention device 1 can be made into an in-car accessory with a simple structure, the driver can easily install it in vehicle 10 without having to ask a professional.

[0023] (Application example 1) FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a pedal misapplication accident suppression device 1′ according to Application Example 1. The pedal misapplication accident suppression device 1′ further includes a PNP transistor T1, two resistors R3 and R4, and an electrolytic capacitor C3 in addition to the components of the pedal misapplication accident suppression device 1 shown in FIG. 1. The base of the PNP transistor T1 is connected to the filter 3 and one end of the resistor R3. The emitter of the PNP transistor T1 is connected to the positive electrode of the electrolytic capacitor C3 and one end of the resistor R4. The collector of the PNP transistor T1 is connected to the other end of the resistor R3 and the positive input terminal 2a of the amplifier 2. The negative terminal of the electrolytic capacitor C3 is connected to ground potential, and the other end of the resistor R4 is connected to the output terminal 5a of the DC / DC converter 5 and the positive power supply terminal 2c of the amplifier 2.

[0024] In the above configuration, the pulse that passes through the filter 3 flows from the base to the collector of the PNP transistor T1 and is amplified. This allows the speaker 4 to emit a pseudo engine sound with a sufficiently loud volume even if the gain of the amplifier 2 is low.

[0025] (Application example 2) FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a pedal misapplication accident prevention device 1" according to application example 2. The pedal misapplication accident prevention device 1" is configured by further including a light-emitting diode D1 and a resistor R5 in addition to the pedal misapplication accident prevention device 1' shown in FIG. 2. The anode of the light-emitting diode D1 is connected to the other end of the resistor R4, the output terminal 5a of the DC / DC converter 5, and the positive power supply terminal 2c of the amplifier 2. The cathode of the light-emitting diode D1 is connected to one end of the resistor R5. The other end of the resistor R5 is connected to ground potential.

[0026] In the above configuration, when power is supplied to the pedal misapplication accident prevention device 1", the power is input to the input terminal 5b of the DC / DC converter 5, and current is supplied from the output terminal 5a of the DC / DC converter 5 to the light-emitting diode D1. As a result, the light-emitting diode D1 is always lit while the pedal misapplication accident prevention device 1" is operating. In other words, the light-emitting diode D1 functions as a pilot lamp.

[0027] (Additional notes) Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0028] 1 to 3 is not essential to the present invention. If a pseudo engine sound of a volume loud enough to draw the driver's attention can be generated from speaker 4 by directly inputting pulses from vehicle battery 13 to speaker 4, amplifier 2 may be omitted.

[0029] 1 to 3 is not essential to the present invention. If the noise superimposed on the pseudo engine sound is small enough for the driver to sense that the accelerator pedal has been depressed, filter 3 may be omitted.

[0030] 1 to 3 is not essential to the present invention. If the operating voltage of amplifier 2 is the same as the voltage supplied from vehicle battery 13, DC / DC converter 5 may be omitted. [Industrial Applicability]

[0031] The present invention is not limited to light trucks, but can be applied to any vehicle equipped with an accelerator, such as passenger cars, large trucks, buses, motorcycles, etc. The present invention is particularly suitable for vehicles with quiet engine noise, where it is difficult for the driver to notice that the accelerator has been depressed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 1. Device to prevent pedal misapplication accidents 1) Device to prevent pedal misapplication accidents 1" Accident prevention device for pedal misapplication 1a cigarette lighter plug 2 Amplifier 2a positive input terminal 2b Negative input terminal 2c Positive power supply terminal 2d negative power supply terminal 3. Filters 4 speakers 5 DC / DC converter 5a output terminal 5b input terminal 5c ground terminal 10 vehicles 11 Cigarette lighter socket 12 Ignition coil 13. Car battery 13a positive terminal 13b Negative terminal 14 Timing switch 15. Fuse C1 capacitor C2 capacitor C3 electrolytic capacitor D1 Light-emitting diode R1 Resistor R2 resistance R3 resistance R4 resistance R5 resistance T1 PNP transistor

Claims

1. A pedal misapplication accident prevention device attached to a vehicle, The device for preventing pedal misapplication accidents is equipped with a speaker that converts pulses generated at the positive terminal of the vehicle battery connected to the ignition coil into sound.

2. The pedal misapplication accident prevention device according to claim 1 , further comprising a filter for removing noise components from the pulse.

3. an amplifier for amplifying the pulse; 3. The pedal misapplication accident prevention device according to claim 1, wherein the speaker converts the pulses amplified by the amplifier into sound.

4. 4. The pedal misapplication accident prevention device according to claim 3, further comprising a DC / DC converter that converts the voltage supplied from the vehicle battery into an operating voltage for the amplifier.

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