Switch device and vehicle

Abstract

To provide a switch device capable of reducing a working or economical manufacturing burden by simplifying or miniaturizing a constitution.SOLUTION: The switch device 100 includes a substrate 101 and a case side ASSY150. The substrate 101 is constituted by a multilayer double-sided printed circuit board formed in a rectangular shape in a plan view, and includes a switch unit 102,106,108, a main control unit 110, an inter-control unit wire 111, and a substrate input / output unit 140. Each switch unit 102106108 includes two manual switches 103a to 103f, two light emitting elements 104a to 104f, and one switch control unit 105107109. In these switch units 102,106,108, the respective switch control units 105,107,109 are connected in parallel to the main control unit 110 via wires 111 between the control units.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a switch device and a vehicle equipped with the switch device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there have been switch devices provided with a plurality of switches for operating various devices provided in a vehicle. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a collective switch device provided with a plurality of switches for operating various devices provided in a work vehicle. In this case, each switch provided in the collective switch device is directly connected to a control unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019 / 064387

[0004] However, in the switch device described in Patent Document 1, multiple switches are directly connected to a control unit for each switch, which increases the number of wires, making the configuration more complex or larger, and also increasing the labor and economic burden of manufacturing.

[0005] The present invention has been made to address the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a switch device that can be simplified in configuration or made smaller, thereby reducing the operational and economic burden of manufacturing.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is characterized in that it provides a switch device comprising one substrate, a switch section including a manual switch that outputs an operation signal, which is an electrical signal in response to manual operation, and a switch control section that inputs the operation signal, a main control section that controls the operation of the switch control section and acquires information related to the operation signal, and control section wiring that electrically connects the main control section and the switch control section, wherein a plurality of switch sections are provided on the substrate, and each switch control section is connected in parallel to the main control section via the control section wiring, and the main control section is provided on the substrate and acquires information related to the operation signal from the switch control section of one of the plurality of switch sections via the control section wiring.

[0007] According to the features of the present invention configured in this manner, the switch device has a plurality of switch units connected in parallel to a main control unit via inter-controller wiring on the same substrate, and the main control unit selectively connects to one of the plurality of switch units to obtain information about the operation signal from the switch control unit in the connected switch unit. This eliminates the need for wiring to connect each switch unit to the main control unit, thereby simplifying or miniaturizing the configuration of the switch device and reducing the operational and economic burden of manufacturing.

[0008] Another feature of the present invention is that in the switch device, at least one of the plurality of switch sections has a switch control section to which a plurality of manual switches are connected.

[0009] According to the features of the present invention configured in this manner, the switch section in the switch device has multiple manual switches connected to the switch control section, so that multiple manual switches can be connected to the main control section via one switch control section, thereby simplifying or miniaturizing the configuration and reducing the operational and economic manufacturing burden.

[0010] Another feature of the present invention is that in the switch device, the switch section having a plurality of manual switches has a switch control section disposed between at least two manual switches on the substrate.

[0011] According to the features of the present invention configured as described above, the switch device is configured such that a switch section having a plurality of manual switches is provided with a switch control section between at least two manual switches on a substrate. This allows the switch device to reduce the number of manual switch operation errors by arranging the two manual switches at positions spaced apart from each other. Furthermore, by arranging the switch control section between the two manual switches on the substrate, the switch device can effectively utilize the area on the substrate, thereby miniaturizing the configuration and reducing the operational and economic burden of manufacturing.

[0012] Another feature of the present invention is that in the switch device, the main control unit is disposed between at least two manual switches provided on the substrate.

[0013] According to the features of the present invention configured as described above, in the switch device, the main control unit is disposed between at least two manual switches provided on the board, and by disposing the two manual switches at positions spaced apart from each other, it is possible to reduce the number of manual switch operation errors. Furthermore, by disposing the main control unit between the two manual switches on the board, the switch device can make effective use of the area on the board, thereby achieving a compact configuration and reducing the operational and economic burden of manufacturing.

[0014] Another feature of the present invention is that in the switch device, the switch section is provided on one of the two surfaces of the substrate, and the main control section is provided on the other of the two surfaces of the substrate.

[0015] According to the feature of the present invention configured as described above, the switch device has the switch unit provided on one of the two surfaces of the substrate, and the main control unit provided on the other of the two surfaces of the substrate, which allows the switch unit and the main control unit to be attached using both surfaces of the substrate, thereby achieving a compact configuration and reducing the operational and economic burden of manufacturing.

[0016] Another feature of the present invention is that in the switch device, at least one of the plurality of switch sections further includes a light-emitting element that emits light or changes the color of light emitted in response to manual operation of the manual switch.

[0017] According to the feature of the present invention configured as above, the switch device has a light-emitting element whose switch part emits light or whose light color changes in response to manual operation of the manual switch, so that the operator can easily recognize the operating state of the manual switch when manually operating it. Here, the light-emitting color is the color of light emitted by the light-emitting element, and various colors such as white, yellow, orange, red, purple, blue, and green can be used.

[0018] Another feature of the present invention is that in the switch device, the wiring between the control units includes primary parallel wiring connected directly in parallel to the main control unit and secondary parallel wiring branching from the primary parallel wiring and having multiple parallel wirings, and the multiple switch units are provided on the primary parallel wiring and the secondary parallel wiring, respectively.

[0019] According to the feature of the present invention configured in this manner, the switch device has a plurality of switch sections each provided on the hierarchical wiring between the control sections, so that the wiring of the primary parallel wiring is prevented from becoming complicated and the layout configuration of a larger number of switch sections can be easily grasped.

[0020] Furthermore, the present invention can be embodied not only as a switch device invention but also as a vehicle invention.

[0021] Specifically, the vehicle is provided with a switch device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

[0022] According to the feature of the present invention configured in this way, the vehicle can be expected to have the same effects as the switch device invention.

[0023] Here, the term "vehicle" is not limited to passenger cars for passengers, but also includes work vehicles equipped with implements for various tasks such as farming, cargo handling, civil engineering, and snow removal. For example, work vehicles for farming include agricultural tractors, combine harvesters, and rice transplanters. Work vehicles for cargo handling or civil engineering include tanker trucks, concrete mixer trucks, hydraulic excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders, and forklifts. Work vehicles for snow removal include snowplows. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of a switch device according to the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of the switch device shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a switch unit shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 2 is a plan view showing the outline of the external configuration of a substrate that constitutes the switch device shown in FIG. 1; FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is a bottom view showing the outline of the external configuration of the substrate shown in FIG. 4 as seen from the bottom. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of the internal configuration of the switch device as seen from line 6-6 shown in FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is a perspective view showing the outline of the external configuration when an extension switch unit is attached to the switch device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 8] 1. FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of a modified example of the switch device shown in FIG. [Figure 9]9 is a partially enlarged plan view showing the external configuration of a substrate of the switch device on which the electric circuit shown in FIG. 8 is formed. FIG. [Figure 10] 2 is a perspective view showing the outline of the external configuration when a switch unit is externally attached to the switch device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 11] 1. FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of a modified example of the switch device shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] A first embodiment of a switch device according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of a switch device 100 according to the present invention. Fig. 2 is a circuit diagram of the switch device 100 shown in Fig. 1. Furthermore, the drawings referred to in this specification may be schematic, with some components exaggerated to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and therefore the dimensions and ratios between the components may differ.

[0026] (Configuration of the switch device 100) This switch device 100 is an input device for manually issuing two or more types of instructions to various devices that operate by inputting electrical signals. In this embodiment, the switch device 100 is provided in an armrest located on the side of the driver's seat or in an instrument panel located in front of the driver's seat of an agricultural tractor (not shown), which is a work vehicle for tilling fields, and functions as an input device for an operator to instruct the agricultural tractor to start or stop various functions. This switch device 100 mainly includes a board 101 and a case assembly 150.

[0027] The board 101 is an electronic circuit board that supports the switch sections 102, 106, and 108 and the main control section 110 and has printed wiring that electrically connects them. In this embodiment, the board 101 is configured as a multi-layer double-sided printed circuit board that is rectangular in plan view. In this case, the board 101 is formed to a size that allows it to be attached to the armrest or instrument panel of the work vehicle when housed in the case assembly 150. Specifically, the board 101 is formed to have long sides of approximately 70 mm, short sides of approximately 34 mm, and a thickness of approximately 1.6 mm.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 2, this board 101 is mainly configured to include switch sections 102, 106, 108, a main control section 110, wiring between the control sections 111, and a board input / output section 140.

[0029] The switch units 102, 106, and 108 are devices that accept manual operations by an operator and output the results of the operations to the main control unit 110. In this embodiment, the switch units 102, 106, and 108 have the same configuration, so only the switch unit 102 will be described and descriptions of the switch units 106 and 108 will be omitted as appropriate.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 3, the switch section 102 mainly includes two manual switches 103a and 103b, two light emitting elements 104a and 104b, and one switch control section 105.

[0031] The manual switches 103a and 103b are input devices that output operation signals (ON-OFF signals) according to manual operation by the operator, and are configured as push buttons. In this embodiment, the manual switches 103a and 103b are assigned to various functions (for example, driving or raising and lowering a rotary that digs up soil) of the agricultural tractor on which the switch device 100 is mounted, and function as input devices for starting or stopping the operation of each function.

[0032] These manual switches 103a and 103b are connected in parallel to the switch control unit 105. In this embodiment, the manual switches 103a and 103b are each composed of two metal dome switches. Furthermore, these two manual switches 103a and 103b are arranged on both sides of the switch control unit 105 on the substrate 101, sandwiching the switch control unit 105 therebetween, as shown in FIG.

[0033] The light emitting elements 104a, 104b are display devices that display the pressed state (ON / OFF state) of the manual switches 103a, 103b, i.e., the operating states of various functions of the agricultural tractor, by flashing light and the color of the light (hereinafter also referred to as "emission color"). In this embodiment, the light emitting elements 104a, 104b are configured by two LED light emitting elements (Light Emitting Diodes) each connected in parallel to the switch control unit 105. In this embodiment, the light emitting elements 104a, 104b selectively emit white light or orange light.

[0034] These light-emitting elements 104a and 104b are arranged in a state where they are inserted into through-holes (not shown) formed in the central parts of the manual switches 103a and 103b on the substrate 101 from the back surface of the substrate 101. In other words, the light-emitting elements 104a and 104b are arranged so that light is emitted from the through-holes formed in the central parts of the manual switches 103a and 103b, which are made up of metal dome switches, making it easy for an operator to visually recognize the light-emitting state.

[0035] The switch control unit 105 is an IC element that inputs operation signals output from the manual switches 103a and 103b, outputs information about these operation signals to the main control unit 110, and controls the turning on and off of the light-emitting elements 104a and 104b. Here, the information about the operation signals (hereinafter referred to as "operation signal information") is information about the pressed state of each of the manual switches 103a and 103b.

[0036] This switch control unit 105 is configured by a single microcomputer including a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and its operation is controlled by the main control unit 110. Specifically, the switch control unit 105 outputs the operating states of the manual switches 103a and 103b to the main control unit 110 as operation signal information in accordance with instructions from the main control unit 110, and also controls the turning on and off of the light emitting elements 104a and 104b, including the light emission color, in accordance with instructions from the main control unit 110. This switch control unit 105 is disposed on the front surface side of the substrate 101.

[0037] As described above, the switch units 106 and 108 are configured in the same manner as the switch unit 102. That is, the switch unit 106 is configured to include two manual switches 103c and 103d, two light-emitting elements 104c and 104d, and one switch control unit 107, which correspond to the manual switches 103a and 103b, the light-emitting elements 104a and 104b, and the switch control unit 105 in the switch unit 102, respectively. The switch unit 108 is configured to include two manual switches 103e and 103f, two light-emitting elements 104e and 104f, and one switch control unit 109, which correspond to the manual switches 103a and 103b, the light-emitting elements 104a and 104b, and the switch control unit 105 in the switch unit 102, respectively.

[0038] These switch sections 102, 106, and 108 are respectively arranged in the lower left area, upper left area, and lower right area of ​​the substrate 101, which is formed in a rectangular shape in a plan view.

[0039] The main control unit 110 is configured by a microcomputer including a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and executes a control program pre-stored in a storage device such as a ROM to comprehensively control the overall operation of the switch device 100. More specifically, the main control unit 110 is controlled by an ECU 200 that controls the operation of the agricultural tractor on which the switch device 100 is mounted, and acquires each piece of operation signal information from the switch control units 105, 107, 109, and outputs the acquired operation signal information to the ECU 200.

[0040] In this case, the main control unit 110 inputs and outputs data to and from the ECU 200 via CAN (Controller Area Network) communication, which is an in-vehicle LAN for agricultural tractors. In this case, since CAN communication is a well-known technology, detailed explanation will be omitted, but the main control unit 110 converts the acquired operation signal information into a voltage conforming to the CAN communication method via a CAN transceiver (not shown) and outputs it to the ECU 200. In addition, the main control unit 110 controls the operation of each of the switch control units 105, 107, and 109 in accordance with instructions from the ECU 200 to control the turning on and off of each of the light emitting elements 104a to 104f.

[0041] Switch control units 105, 107, and 109 are connected in parallel to this main control unit 110 via inter-control unit wiring 111 on the substrate 101, and a clock oscillator 110a is also electrically connected to the main control unit 110. In this case, in this embodiment, the main control unit 110 is attached to a portion on the back side of the substrate 101 that corresponds to the attachment position of the switch control unit 105, as shown in FIG.

[0042] The clock oscillator 110a is an electronic circuit for generating a clock signal for operating the main control unit 110. In this embodiment, the clock oscillator 110a is provided adjacent to the main control unit 110 provided on the back side of the substrate 101.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 2, the inter-controller wiring 111 is wiring for connecting the main control unit 110 and each of the switch control units 105, 107, and 109 in each of the switch units 102, 106, and 108 in parallel, and is formed by printed wiring formed on the substrate 101. This inter-controller wiring 111 is composed of four wires: a power line (VCC) for supplying power, a data line for transmitting and receiving data, a clock line for transmitting a clock signal, and a reference potential wire (GND) for determining the reference potential for the entire circuit. In this case, the data lines constituting the inter-controller wiring 111 transmit signals via I2C (Inter Integrated Circuit) communication. This inter-controller wiring 111 is composed of a primary parallel wiring 112, two secondary parallel wirings 113 and 114, and a tertiary parallel wiring 115.

[0044] The primary parallel wiring 112 is a parallel wiring in which a plurality of wires are directly connected in parallel to the main control unit 110. In this embodiment, the primary parallel wiring 112 extends from the main control unit 110 to the switch unit 102 and four wire-to-wire connection units 116a, 116b, 116c, and 116d, and each is connected in parallel to the main control unit 110.

[0045] The secondary parallel wirings 113 and 114 are parallel wirings in which a plurality of wirings branch off from the primary parallel wiring 112 and are directly connected in parallel to the primary parallel wiring 112. In this embodiment, the secondary parallel wiring 113 is formed around the switch unit 106 on the substrate 101 so as to connect the switch unit 106 and four inter-wiring connection units 117a, 117b, 117c, and 117d to the primary parallel wiring 112 in parallel.

[0046] Secondary parallel wiring 114 is formed around switch section 108 on substrate 101 so as to connect switch section 108 and four inter-wire connection sections 118a, 118b, 118c, and 118d to primary parallel wiring 112 in parallel.

[0047] Tertiary parallel wiring 115 is a parallel wiring that branches off from secondary parallel wiring 113 or secondary parallel wiring 114 and allows a plurality of wirings to be directly connected in parallel to this secondary parallel wiring 113 or secondary parallel wiring 114. In this embodiment, tertiary parallel wiring 115 is formed around switch unit spare port 131 so as to connect switch unit spare port 131 and four inter-wire connection units 130a, 130b, 130c, and 130d in parallel to secondary parallel wiring 113 or secondary parallel wiring 114, respectively.

[0048] Inter-wire connection portions 116a, 116b, 116c, and 116d are portions for connecting secondary parallel wiring 113, 114 or extensions of primary parallel wiring (not shown) that may become necessary in the future and / or other secondary parallel wiring (not shown) to primary parallel wiring 112, and are connection terminals made of copper foil exposed on the surface of substrate 101. In this case, each of inter-wire connection portions 116a, 116b, 116c, and 116d is made up of four terminals corresponding to the four wires (power line, data line, clock line, and reference potential line) that make up inter-controller wiring 111.

[0049] 4, the wiring connection portion 116a is provided on the substrate 101 at a position closer to the switch portion 106 than the main control portion 110 so as to facilitate connection of the switch portion 106 to the primary parallel wiring 112. The wiring connection portion 116a is connected to the wiring connection portion 117a, which is connected to the secondary parallel wiring 113, via a jumper wire 120 made of a copper rod.

[0050] Inter-wire connection portion 116b is provided on substrate 101 at a position closer to switch portion 108 than main control portion 110 so as to facilitate connection of switch portion 108 to primary parallel wiring 112. Inter-wire connection portion 116b is connected to inter-wire connection portion 118a, which is connected to secondary parallel wiring 114, via jumper wire 121 made of a copper rod.

[0051] The wiring connection portions 116c and 116d are terminals for providing for future extension of the primary parallel wiring 112 and / or connection of other secondary parallel wiring to the primary parallel wiring 112. These wiring connection portions 116c and 116d are formed on the edge portions of the substrate 101 on the opposite sides of the wiring connection portions 116a and 116b with respect to the main control unit 110 on the substrate 101, respectively.

[0052] Inter-wire connection portions 117a, 117b, 117c, and 117d are portions for connecting primary parallel wiring 112 or an extension of secondary parallel wiring 113 that may become necessary in the future, tertiary parallel wiring 115, or other tertiary parallel wiring (not shown) to secondary parallel wiring 113, and are connection terminals made of copper foil exposed on the surface of substrate 101. In this case, each of inter-wire connection portions 117a, 117b, 117c, and 117d is made up of four terminals corresponding to the four wires (power line, data line, clock line, and reference potential line) that make up inter-controller wiring 111.

[0053] The wiring connection portion 117a is provided on the substrate 101 at a position closer to the main control portion 110 than the switch control portion 107 so as to facilitate connection of the primary parallel wiring 112 to the switch portion 106. As described above, the wiring connection portion 117a is connected to the wiring connection portion 116a connected to the primary parallel wiring 112 via the jumper wire 120 made of a copper rod.

[0054] The wiring connection portion 117b is provided at a position on the substrate 101 on the side of the switch unit spare port 131 with respect to the switch control portion 107 so that the tertiary parallel wiring 115 can be easily connected to the secondary parallel wiring 113 in the future.

[0055] Inter-wiring connection portions 117c and 117d are terminals for providing for future extension of secondary parallel wiring 113 and / or connection of other tertiary parallel wiring to secondary parallel wiring 113. These inter-wiring connection portions 117c and 117d are formed on the edge portions of substrate 101 on the opposite sides of inter-wiring connection portions 117a and 117b with respect to switch control portion 107 on substrate 101, respectively.

[0056] Inter-wire connection portions 118a, 118b, 118c, and 118d are portions for connecting primary parallel wiring 112 or an extension of secondary parallel wiring 114 that may become necessary in the future, tertiary parallel wiring 115, or other tertiary parallel wiring (not shown) to secondary parallel wiring 114, and are connection terminals made of copper foil exposed on the surface of substrate 101. In this case, inter-wire connection portions 118a, 118b, 118c, and 118d each include four terminals corresponding to the four wires (power line, data line, clock line, and reference potential line) that make up inter-controller wiring 111.

[0057] Inter-wire connection portion 118a is provided at a position on substrate 101 on the main control portion 110 side relative to switch control portion 109 so as to facilitate connection of primary parallel wiring 112 to switch portion 108. As described above, inter-wire connection portion 118a is connected to inter-wire connection portion 116b connected to primary parallel wiring 112 via jumper wire 121 made of a copper rod.

[0058] The wiring connection portion 118b is provided at a position on the substrate 101 on the side of the switch unit spare port 131 with respect to the switch control portion 109 so that the tertiary parallel wiring 115 can be easily connected to the secondary parallel wiring 114 in the future.

[0059] Inter-wiring connection portions 118c and 118d are terminals for providing for future extension of secondary parallel wiring 114 and / or connection of other tertiary parallel wiring to secondary parallel wiring 114. These inter-wiring connection portions 118c and 118d are formed on the edge portions of substrate 101 on the opposite sides of inter-wiring connection portions 118a and 118b with respect to switch control portion 109 on substrate 101, respectively.

[0060] Inter-wiring connection parts 130a, 130b, 130c, and 130d are parts for extending tertiary parallel wiring 115 and connecting secondary parallel wiring 113 or secondary parallel wiring 114 if a need arises in the future, and are connection terminals made of copper foil exposed on the surface of substrate 101. In this case, each of inter-wiring connection parts 130a, 130b, 130c, and 130d is made up of four terminals corresponding to the four wirings (power line, data line, clock line, and reference potential line) that make up inter-controller wiring 111.

[0061] Inter-wire connection portion 130a is provided at a position adjacent to inter-wire connection portion 117b on substrate 101 so as to facilitate connection of secondary parallel wiring 113 to tertiary parallel wiring 115.

[0062] Inter-wire connection portion 130b is provided at a position adjacent to inter-wire connection portion 118b on substrate 101 so as to facilitate connection of secondary parallel wiring 114 to tertiary parallel wiring 115.

[0063] The inter-wiring connection portions 130c and 130d are terminals for providing for future extension of the tertiary parallel wiring 115 and / or connection of another quaternary parallel wiring (not shown) to the tertiary parallel wiring 115. These inter-wiring connection portions 130c and 130d are formed on the edge portions of the substrate 101 on the opposite sides of the inter-wiring connection portions 130a and 130b from the switch unit spare port 131 on the substrate 101, respectively.

[0064] The switch unit spare port 131 is a portion that provides installation space for a manual switch, a light-emitting element, and a switch control unit in preparation for future addition of a switch unit, and is formed in the upper right region of the substrate 101, which is rectangular in plan view. The switch unit spare port 131 includes two switch arrangement sections 132a and 132b, two light-emitting element arrangement sections 133a and 133b, and one switch control unit arrangement section 134.

[0065] The switch arrangement sections 132a and 132b are sections for installing manual switches (not shown) having the same configuration as the manual switches 103a to 103f, and are each composed of four copper foil terminals exposed on the surface of the substrate 101. The switch arrangement sections 132a and 132b are formed on both sides of the switch control section arrangement section 134 so as to sandwich the switch control section arrangement section 134 while being electrically connected to the switch control section arrangement section 134.

[0066] The light emitting element arrangement sections 133a and 133b are sections for installing light emitting elements (not shown) having the same configuration as the light emitting elements 104a to 104f, and are configured with copper foil terminals exposed around through holes that penetrate the substrate 101. These light emitting element arrangement sections 133a and 133b are formed in the center parts of the four copper foil terminals that make up the switch arrangement sections 132a and 132b, while being electrically connected to the switch control section arrangement section 134.

[0067] The switch control unit arrangement section 134 is a section for installing a switch control unit (not shown) having the same configuration as the switch control units 105, 107, and 109, and is composed of 16 copper foil terminals exposed on the surface of the substrate 101 for installing IC elements that make up the switch control unit on the substrate 101. In this case, the switch control unit arrangement section 134 is electrically connected to the tertiary parallel wiring 115 described above.

[0068] The board input / output unit 140 is a part for electrically connecting the main control unit 110 to connection pins 152a (described later). This board input / output unit 140 is composed of a plurality of through holes formed in the board 101, and each through hole is electrically connected to the main control unit 110. In this embodiment, the board input / output unit 140 is composed of four through holes, two on each side in the longitudinal direction of the main control unit 110 in the width direction. In this case, the connection pins 152a are inserted into the board input / output unit 140 from the back side of the board 101 and are electrically connected. The board 101 configured in this manner is housed in a case assembly 150.

[0069] The case assembly 150 is a component that houses and protects the circuit board 101 and also forms the outer surface of the switch device 100. As shown in FIG. 6, the case assembly 150 is mainly composed of a case main body 151, a switch knob 153, and a main body cover 155.

[0070] The case body 151 is a component that houses the circuit board 101 and connects the circuit board 101 to the ECU 200 of the agricultural tractor. The case body 151 is formed in the shape of a rectangular tray in a plan view with raised edges, and is made primarily of a resin material. In this case, the case body 151 has a connector section 152 that is integrally molded on the bottom surface. In addition, the case body 151 has a plurality of convex protrusions formed on the outer surfaces of the raised edges for attaching a body cover 155.

[0071] The connector portion 152 is a portion for electrically connecting the substrate 101 to the ECU 200. The connector portion 152 is configured to include a connection pin 152a inside a cylindrical body extending downward from the bottom surface of the case main body 151.

[0072] The connection pins 152a are wiring for inputting drive power and transmitting and receiving data between the ECU 200 and the main control unit 110, and are composed of multiple rod-shaped bodies formed from thin copper rods. In this embodiment, the connection pins 152a are integrally provided within the connector unit 152, extending vertically, with their upper ends projecting upward from the case body 151. The connection pins 152a are composed of four rod-shaped bodies corresponding to four wires: a power line (VCC) for supplying power, two data lines for transmitting data, and a reference potential line (GND) for determining the reference potential for the entire circuit. In this case, the two data lines constituting the connection pins 152a transmit data using two types of differential signals (High and Low) with different voltages in accordance with the CAN communication method. The upper ends of the connection pins 152a are connected to the board input / output unit 140 by soldering, and the lower ends are connected to a connector (not shown) on the agricultural tractor side.

[0073] The switch knob 153 is a part that covers and protects the circuit board 101 from above and receives manual operation of the manual switches 103a to 103f by an operator, and is made of an elastically deformable rubber material or elastomer material. In this embodiment, the switch knob 153 is configured in the shape of a rectangular sheet that is large enough to cover the circuit board 101 in a plan view. Each of the switch knobs 153 is formed with six depression portions 154 that protrude upward in a convex shape.

[0074] The push-down portions 154 are portions that directly receive the operator's push-down operation on the manual switches 103a to 103f. In this embodiment, the push-down portions 154 are configured as convex portions made of an elastically deformable light-transmitting rubber or elastomer material that protrude upward in a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape. These six push-down portions 154 are formed in portions of the switch knob 153 that correspond to the mounting positions of the manual switches 103a to 103f. The switch knob 153 configured as described above is fixed to the case body 151 by a body cover 155.

[0075] Body cover 155 is a component for fixing switch knob 153 onto case body 151, and is made of a resin material formed into a plate shape. In this case, body cover 155 has six through holes formed at positions corresponding to six manual switches 103a to 103f, respectively, to expose the six depression portions 154 of switch knob 153. Body cover 155 also has fitting portions that fit onto the plurality of protrusions formed on case body 151 and hang down from the outer edge of body cover 155.

[0076] The ECU 200 (Engine Control Unit) is configured by a microcomputer including a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and comprehensively controls the operation of the entire agricultural tractor vehicle, including the operation of the switch device 100, in accordance with a control program (not shown) that is pre-stored in the ROM, etc. The ECU 200 is connected to various devices required to start or stop the operation of various functions of the agricultural tractor in accordance with the operation signal information output from the switch device 100.

[0077] (Operation of the switch device 100) Next, we will explain the operation of the switch device 100 configured as described above. This switch device 100 is provided in an armrest or instrument panel on the side of the driver's seat of an agricultural tractor (not shown) as an input device for instructing the start or stop of various functions of the agricultural tractor.

[0078] In this case, ECU 200 starts the operation of main control unit 110 in switch device 100 at the same time as ECU 200 itself starts up. As a result, main control unit 110 starts operation by executing a control program pre-stored in a storage device such as ROM, and goes into a standby state waiting for an instruction from ECU 200. Also, main control unit 110 starts operation of switch control units 105, 107, and 109 by executing the control program. As a result, switch control units 105, 107, and 109 start operation by executing a control program pre-stored in a storage device such as ROM, and goes into a standby state waiting for an instruction from main control unit 110.

[0079] Next, the main control unit 110 controls the operation of each of the switch control units 105, 107, and 109 in accordance with the instructions output by the ECU 200 to cause each of the light emitting elements 104a to 104f to emit light. As a result, the light emitting elements 104a to 104f indicate to the operator the operating status of various functions of the agricultural tractor using light colors. In this embodiment, the light colors are white and orange, with white light indicating that the corresponding function is stopped and orange light indicating that the corresponding function is operating.

[0080] Specifically, the main control unit 110 receives instructions output from the ECU 200 via the board input / output unit 140 and the connection pins 152a. In accordance with these instructions, the main control unit 110 outputs instructions to the switch control units 105, 107, and 109, respectively, via the I2C communication method, to cause the light emitting elements 104a to 104f to emit white light. In this case, the main control unit 110 selectively connects to one of the switch control units 105, 107, and 109 connected in parallel to the main control unit 110, thereby controlling the operation of the connected switch control unit.

[0081] Specifically, the main control unit 110 (master) outputs a signal to start communication to all of the switch control units 105, 107, and 109 (slaves) connected in parallel. Subsequently, the main control unit 110 outputs a signal to all of the switch control units 105, 107, and 109 to select an object (for example, the switch control unit 105) with which to perform one-to-one communication. In response to this signal, the switch control unit 105 outputs an ASK signal (acknowledge signal) indicating that communication is possible to the main control unit 110. This allows the main control unit 110 to select an object with which to perform one-to-one communication from among the multiple switch control units connected in parallel, and transmit data.

[0082] Having received the ASK signal, main control unit 110 outputs to switch control unit 105 an instruction to cause light emitting element 104a and light emitting element 104b to emit white light. After that, when the transmission of the instruction is completed, main control unit 110 outputs a signal to switch control unit 105 to indicate an end of communication, and ends the one-to-one communication with switch control unit 105. Note that until the one-to-one communication between main control unit 110 and switch control unit 105 is completed, the other switch control units 107 and 109 are in a standby state.

[0083] Next, main control unit 110 sequentially performs one-to-one communication with each of switch control units 107 and 109, similar to the one-to-one communication in switch control unit 105. That is, after outputting a signal to start communication, main control unit 110 selects switch control unit 107 as the target for one-to-one communication and outputs an instruction to cause light-emitting element 104c and light-emitting element 104b to emit white light, respectively. Thereafter, after outputting a signal to start communication, main control unit 110 selects switch control unit 109 as the target for one-to-one communication and outputs an instruction to cause light-emitting element 104e and light-emitting element 104f to emit white light, respectively.

[0084] When the switch control sections 105, 107, 109 receive a light emission instruction from the main control section 110, they immediately control the operation of each of the light emitting elements 104a to 104f to emit white light. In this case, the white light emitted from the light emitting elements 104a to 104f is emitted to the outside via the depression section 154 of the switch knob 153. This allows the switch device 100 to indicate to the operator the operating status of various functions of the agricultural tractor, or in this embodiment, the stopped status of each function of the agricultural tractor.

[0085] Next, the ECU 200 executes a process of detecting whether or not an operator has manually operated the switch device 100. Specifically, the ECU 200 instructs the main control unit 110 to output operation signal information regarding whether or not an operator has pressed down any of the manual switches 103a to 103f. In response to this instruction, the main control unit 110 controls the operation of each of the switch control units 105, 107, and 109 to repeatedly acquire each piece of operation signal information at predetermined time intervals, and outputs the acquired operation signal information to the ECU 200.

[0086] For example, when an operator presses down the depression part 154 corresponding to the manual switch 103a, the manual switch 103a outputs an operation signal to the switch control part 105. The switch control part 105 receives and stores the operation signal output from the manual switch 103a.

[0087] Meanwhile, the main control unit 110 instructs the switch control units 105, 107, and 109 to repeatedly output the operation states of the manual switches 103a to 103f connected thereto at predetermined time intervals in accordance with an instruction from the ECU 200. In response to this instruction, the switch control unit 105 outputs operation signal information indicating the operation states of the manual switch 103a and the manual switch 103b (specifically, that the manual switch 103a is in the ON state and the manual switch 103b is in the OFF state) to the main control unit 110.

[0088] In response to an instruction from the main control unit 110, the switch control units 107 and 109 output to the main control unit 110 operation signal information indicating the operating state (OFF state) of each of the manual switches 103c to 103f.

[0089] In this case, signals are transmitted and received between the main control unit 110 and the switch control units 105, 107, and 109 using the I2C communication described above. Specifically, the main control unit 110 outputs a signal to start communication and then selects one of the switch control units 105, 107, and 109 as a target for one-to-one communication. For example, the selected switch control unit 105 outputs an ASK signal to the main control unit 110 and then outputs operation signal information to the main control unit 110. Thereafter, when the transmission of the operation signal information is completed, the main control unit 110 outputs a signal to end communication to the switch control unit 105, thereby ending the one-to-one communication with the switch control unit 105. The main control unit 110 also obtains each piece of operation signal information from the switch control units 107 and 109 using this communication method.

[0090] When the main control unit 110 receives each piece of operation signal information from the switch control units 105, 107, and 109, it immediately outputs the operation signal information to the ECU 200. In this case, the main control unit 110 converts the acquired signals of each piece of operation signal information into voltages conforming to the CAN communication method via a CAN transceiver (not shown) and outputs the converted voltages to the ECU 200. As a result, the ECU 200 can input each piece of operation signal information repeatedly output from the main control unit 110 at predetermined time intervals and constantly detect whether or not an operator is pressing down any of the manual switches 103a to 103f.

[0091] Next, the ECU 200 controls the operation of each of the various devices provided in the agricultural tractor in response to the detected manual operation, causing the devices to start operating. Specifically, the ECU 200 instructs each device of the agricultural tractor associated with the manual switch 103a to start operating in response to the operation signal information output by the switch control unit 105.

[0092] Furthermore, the ECU 200 causes the light emitting elements 104a-104f corresponding to the manual switches 103a-103f to emit white or orange light in accordance with the operation signal information output by the switch control units 105, 107, and 109. Specifically, the ECU 200 outputs to the main control unit 110 an instruction to cause the light emitting element 104a to emit orange light in accordance with the operation signal information of the switch control unit 105 (information indicating that the manual switch 103a is in the ON state). The ECU 200 also outputs to the main control unit 110 an instruction to cause the light emitting elements 104b-104f to emit white light in accordance with the operation signal information of the switch control units 107 and 109 (information indicating that the manual switches 103b-103f are in the OFF state).

[0093] In response to these instructions, the main control unit 110 controls the operation of the switch control unit 105 to cause the light emitting element 104a to emit orange light, and controls the operation of each of the switch control units 105, 107, and 109 to cause the light emitting elements 104b to 104f to emit white light. In this case, the light emitting process by the main control unit 110 is the same as the light emitting process that caused the light emitting elements 104a to 104f to emit white light. In this way, the switch device 100 can inform the operator that only the function of the agricultural tractor corresponding to the manual switch 103a is in operation.

[0094] Then, the main control unit 110 repeatedly executes this series of processes in accordance with instructions from the ECU 200.

[0095] (Use of spare port 131 on the switch) In the switch device 100 of this embodiment, a spare switch port 131 is provided in case an additional switch unit becomes necessary at a later date. An operator who adds a switch unit to the switch device 100 first prepares a new switch unit (hereinafter referred to as an "additional switch unit") (not shown) to be added. In this embodiment, the additional switch unit has the same configuration as the switch unit 102.

[0096] That is, the expansion switch section is configured to include two expansion manual switches, two expansion light emitting elements, and one expansion switch control section, which respectively correspond to the manual switches 103a and 103b, the light emitting elements 104a and 104b, and the switch control section 105. Therefore, in this embodiment, the worker prepares two expansion manual switches, two expansion light emitting elements, and one expansion switch control section.

[0097] Next, the worker installs the two additional manual switches, two additional light-emitting elements, and one additional switch control unit that have been prepared for the switch unit spare port 131 in the switch device 100. In this case, the worker removes the board 101 from the case ASSY 150 in advance. In this case, the worker solders and electrically connects the two additional manual switches, two additional light-emitting elements, and one additional switch control unit to the switch arrangement sections 132a and 132b, the light-emitting element arrangement sections 133a and 133b, and the switch control unit arrangement section 134 on the removed board 101, respectively.

[0098] Next, the worker electrically connects the expansion switch unit arranged on board 101 to secondary parallel wiring 113 or secondary parallel wiring 114 through these operations. When connecting to secondary parallel wiring 113, the worker electrically connects inter-wire connection part 117b and inter-wire connection part 130a formed on board 101 by soldering via a jumper wire. As a result, in switch device 100, the expansion switch unit is attached to board 101 and tertiary parallel wiring 115 is connected to secondary parallel wiring 113.

[0099] Furthermore, when connecting to secondary parallel wiring 114, the worker electrically connects inter-wire connection portion 118b and inter-wire connection portion 130b formed on substrate 101 by soldering via a jumper wire. As a result, in switch device 100, the expansion switch unit is attached to substrate 101, and tertiary parallel wiring 115 is connected to secondary parallel wiring 114. The expansion switch control unit attached by these operations is controlled by main control unit 110 and operates in the same manner as switch control units 105, 107, and 109.

[0100] Next, the worker prepares an expansion switch knob 163 and an expansion main body cover 165 corresponding to the switch device 100 in which the expansion switch unit is provided, and then attaches the expansion switch knob 163 and the expansion main body cover 165 to the case main body 151 in place of the switch knob 153 and the main body cover 155, respectively, as shown in Figure 7.

[0101] This additional switch knob 163 is configured by forming two new push-down portions 164 in portions of the switch knob 153 that correspond to the switch arrangement portions 132a and 132b. Furthermore, the additional main body cover 165 is configured by forming two through holes in portions of the main body cover 155 that correspond to the two new push-down portions 164. As a result, the switch device 100 provided with an additional switch section can be used in the same way as the switch device 100. Note that in FIG. 7, in order to clearly identify the additional switch arrangement portions 132a and 132b, the push-down portions 164 corresponding to the additional switch arrangement portions 132a and 132b are shown together with the reference numerals of the switch arrangement portions 132a and 132b.

[0102] (external switch) In the switch device 100 of this embodiment, in preparation for the case where it becomes necessary to attach a switch section externally to the substrate 101 at a later date, inter-wire connection sections 116c, 116d, 117c, 117d, 118c, 118d, 130c, and 130d are provided.

[0103] Here, externally attaching a switch unit means connecting a new board separate from board 101 to board 101 when a switch unit is to be added when there are no available spare switch unit ports 131 or when a switch unit is to be added to a location other than spare switch unit ports 131. In this case, an operator can connect the separate board to board 101 by extending inter-controller wiring 111 provided on board 101 and / or connecting other parallel wiring to inter-controller wiring 111.

[0104] Here, the work of extending the inter-controller wiring 111 and the work of connecting other parallel wiring to the inter-controller wiring 111 are the same work regardless of whether the wiring to be extended or connected to other parallel wiring is the primary parallel wiring 112, the secondary parallel wirings 113 and 114, or the tertiary parallel wiring 115. Therefore, in this embodiment, the work of extending the inter-controller wiring 111 will be described in the case of extending the primary parallel wiring 112, and a description of the secondary parallel wirings 113 and 114 or the tertiary parallel wiring 115 will be omitted.

[0105] First, the worker prepares a new additional board 301 on which extended primary parallel wiring is formed. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, this additional board 301 is configured to include switch units 302 and 306, extended primary parallel wiring 312, and connecting tertiary parallel wiring 315. Similar to board 101, this additional board 301 is configured as a multilayer double-sided printed circuit board, and is formed to the same size as the left half of board 101 shown in Figure 4.

[0106] The switch sections 302 and 306 are configured similarly to the switch sections 102 and 106. That is, the switch sections 302 and 306 are configured to include manual switches 303a to 303d, light emitting elements 304a to 304d, and switch control sections 305 and 307, respectively, which correspond to the manual switches 103a to 103d, light emitting elements 104a to 104d, and switch control sections 105 and 107. These switch sections 302 and 306 are arranged in the lower and upper regions of the additional substrate 301 shown in FIG. 8, respectively.

[0107] The extended primary parallel wiring 312 is a wiring for extending the primary parallel wiring 112 provided on the substrate 101, and is a series wiring extending from the inter-wiring connection part 316 to the switch control part 305. Like the primary parallel wiring 112, the extended primary parallel wiring 312 is composed of four wirings (a power line, a clock line, a data line, and a reference potential line).

[0108] Inter-wire connection portion 316 is a portion for connecting extended primary parallel wiring 312 to primary parallel wiring 112, and, like inter-wire connection portions 116a to 116d, is composed of four terminals made of copper foil exposed from additional substrate 301. Inter-wire connection portion 316 is formed at one end portion of additional substrate 301 extending in the width direction.

[0109] Connection tertiary parallel wiring 315 is wiring for connecting switch control unit 307 in parallel to secondary parallel wiring 113, and is parallel wiring extending from inter-wire connection portion 317a to switch control unit 307 and two inter-wire connection portions 317c and 317d. Inter-wire connection portion 317a is a portion for connecting connection tertiary parallel wiring 315 to secondary parallel wiring 113, and is configured by forming four terminals at one end portion on additional substrate 301, similar to inter-wire connection portion 316.

[0110] Inter-wire connection parts 317c, 317d are parts for extending connection tertiary parallel wiring 315 and / or connecting other quaternary parallel wiring (not shown) to connection tertiary parallel wiring 315 in the future if such becomes necessary, and are configured with connection terminals similar to those of inter-wire connection parts 116c, 116d. These inter-wire connection parts 317c, 317d are formed on additional substrate 301 at the upper end and the left end in the figure with respect to switch control part 307, respectively.

[0111] Next, the worker connects the switch unit 302 provided on the additional board 301 to the board 101. Specifically, after removing the board 101 from the case ASSY 150, the worker electrically connects the inter-wire connection portion 116d connected to the primary parallel wiring 112 formed on the board 101 to the inter-wire connection portion 316 connected to the extended primary parallel wiring 312 formed on the additional board 301 via the jumper wire 320. In this way, the worker can connect the extended primary parallel wiring 312 to the primary parallel wiring 112 and externally attach the switch unit 302 to the board 101.

[0112] Next, a case where another parallel wiring is connected to the inter-controller wiring 111 will be described. In this embodiment, a case where another tertiary parallel wiring is connected to the secondary parallel wiring 113 will be described, and descriptions of the primary parallel wiring 112, the secondary parallel wiring 114, and the tertiary parallel wiring 115 will be omitted.

[0113] The worker connects switch unit 306 provided on additional board 301 to removed board 101. Specifically, the worker electrically connects inter-wire connection portion 117d connected to secondary parallel wiring 113 formed on board 101 to inter-wire connection portion 317a connected to connecting tertiary parallel wiring 315 formed on additional board 301 via jumper wire 321. In this way, the worker can connect another tertiary parallel wiring (connecting tertiary parallel wiring 315) to secondary parallel wiring 113, thereby externally attaching switch unit 306 to board 101. Switch control units 305 and 307 connected in parallel to main control unit 110 by these external attachment operations are operation-controlled by main control unit 110 and operate in the same manner as switch control units 105 and 107.

[0114] Next, the worker prepares case assembly 350 for accommodating board 101 connected to additional board 301, and then accommodates board 101 and additional board 301 in case assembly 350 to configure switch device 300. This case assembly 350 is a component that accommodates and protects board 101 and additional board 301, and also configures the outer surface of switch device 300 that includes board 101 connected to additional board 301. As shown in FIG. 10 , this case assembly 350 is primarily configured to include a case main body 351, a switch knob 353, and a main body cover 355.

[0115] These case body 351, switch knob 353, and body cover 355 are configured in the same manner as the switch knob 153 and body cover 155. That is, the case body 351 is formed in the shape of a rectangular tray in plan view with raised edges. Also, the switch knob 353 is formed in the shape of a rectangular sheet large enough to cover the board 101 and additional board 301 in plan view, and eight depression portions 354 are formed on each of the switch knobs 353, each of which protrudes upward in a convex manner.

[0116] These depression portions 354 are configured similarly to the depression portion 154, and are formed in portions of the switch knob 353 that correspond to the mounting positions of the manual switches 303a to 303d. Furthermore, the main body cover 355 is formed in a plate shape large enough to cover the switch knob 353, and eight through holes are formed in each of the plate so that the depression portions 354 of the switch knob 353 protrude upward when the switch device 300 is attached to the case main body 351. As a result, the switch device 300 can be used in the same way as the switch device 100.

[0117] In this case, in the switch device 300, the additional board 301 is disposed adjacent to the board 101 on the left side in the figure, and the switch units 302 and 306 are disposed adjacent to the longitudinal outer sides of the switch units 102 and 106. In Fig. 10, in order to clarify the added manual switches 303a to 303d, the symbols of the manual switches 303a to 303d are also written on the push-down parts 354 corresponding to the added manual switches 303a to 303d.

[0118] As can be understood from the above description of operation, according to the above embodiment, the switch device 100 has a plurality of switch units 102, 106, and 108 connected in parallel to the main control unit 110 via inter-control unit wiring 111 on the same substrate 101, and the main control unit 110 selectively connects to one of the plurality of switch units 102, 106, and 108 to obtain information about the operation signal from the switch control unit in the connected switch unit. This eliminates the need for wiring to connect each of the switch units 102, 106, and 108 to the main control unit 110, making it possible to simplify or miniaturize the configuration and reduce the operational and economic burden of manufacturing.

[0119] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. In the modifications described below, the same components as those of the switch device 100 in the above-described embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0120] For example, in the above embodiment, the switch device 100 is configured as an input device for manually instructing various devices equipped in an agricultural tractor to start or stop various functions. However, the switch device 100 is not limited to an in-vehicle device equipped in various vehicles such as an agricultural tractor, and can be configured as an input device for manually issuing two or more types of instructions to various devices. For example, the switch device 100 can be used as an input device for a crane or various machine tools used outdoors or indoors.

[0121] In the above embodiment, the manual switches 103a to 103f of the switch device 100 are configured as push button switches. However, the manual switches 103a to 103f may be any input device that outputs operation signals (ON-OFF signals) in response to manual operation by an operator, and are not limited to this embodiment. For example, the manual switches 103a to 103f may be configured as slide switches, toggle switches, rocker switches, tact switches, DIP switches, or rotary switches (dials).

[0122] In the above embodiment, the switch device 100 is configured such that two manual switches (manual switches 103a and 103b, manual switches 103c and 103d, and manual switches 103e and 103f) are connected to each of the switch control units 105, 107, and 109. However, the switch device 100 can connect a different number of manual switches to each of the switch control units 105, 107, and 109. For example, the switch device 100 can be configured such that one manual switch is connected to each of the switch control units 105 and 107, and three manual switches are connected to each of the switch control units 109.

[0123] In the above embodiment, the switch device 100 is configured by connecting two manual switches (manual switches 103a and 103b, manual switches 103c and 103d, and manual switches 103e and 103f) to each of the switch control sections 105, 107, and 109. In this manner, since the switch device 100 has a plurality of manual switches connected to one switch control section, the plurality of manual switches can be connected to the main control section 110 via one switch control section, thereby simplifying or miniaturizing the configuration and reducing the operational and economic burden of manufacturing.

[0124] However, the switch device 100 only needs to have at least one manual switch connected to each of the switch control units 105, 107, and 109. Therefore, the switch device 100 can be configured by omitting the manual switches 103b, 103d, and 103f and connecting one manual switch (manual switch 103a, manual switch 103c, manual switch 103e) to each of the switch control units 105, 107, and 109.

[0125] In the above embodiment, the switch device 100 has the switch control units 105, 107, and 109 disposed on the substrate 101 between two manual switches (manual switches 103a and 103b, manual switches 103c and 103d, and manual switches 103e and 103f).

[0126] According to this, the switch device 100 can reduce the erroneous operation of the manual switches 103a to 103f by arranging the two manual switches (manual switches 103a and 103b, manual switches 103c and 103d, and manual switches 103e and 103f) at positions spaced apart from each other. Also, the switch device 100 can effectively utilize the area on the substrate 101 to reduce the size of the configuration and reduce the operational and economic burden of manufacturing by arranging the switch control units 105, 107, and 109 between the two manual switches (manual switches 103a and 103b, manual switches 103c and 103d, and manual switches 103e and 103f) on the substrate 101. However, the switch device 100 can arrange the switch control units 105, 107, and 109 at any positions on the substrate 101.

[0127] In the above embodiment, the switch device 100 has the main control unit 110 disposed between the two manual switches 103a and 103b on the substrate 101. This arrangement reduces the number of manual switches 103a and 103b that are operated incorrectly by disposing the two manual switches 103a and 103b at positions spaced apart from each other. Furthermore, by disposing the main control unit 110 between the two manual switches 103a and 103b on the substrate 101, the switch device 100 can effectively utilize the area on the substrate 101 to reduce the size of the configuration and reduce the operational and economic burden of manufacturing.

[0128] However, in the switch device 100, the main control unit 110 can be placed at any position on the substrate 101. In this case, the substrate input / output unit 140 connected to the main control unit 110 can be placed at any position on the substrate 101 as long as it is electrically connected to at least the main control unit 110.

[0129] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the switch device 100 is configured such that the main control unit 110 is provided on the back surface of the substrate 101, opposite the front surface on which the switch units 102, 106, and 108 are provided. This allows the switch units 102, 106, and 108 and the main control unit 110 to be attached on both surfaces of the substrate 101, thereby enabling the switch device 100 to be compact and reducing the operational and economic burden of manufacturing. However, the switch device 100 can also be configured such that the switch units 102, 106, and 108 and the main control unit 110 are provided on the same surface of both surfaces of the substrate 101.

[0130] In the above embodiment, the switch device 100 is configured such that each of the switch sections 102, 106, and 108 includes two light-emitting elements (light-emitting elements 104a and 104b, light-emitting elements 104c and 104d, and light-emitting elements 104e and 104f) that emit light in white or orange. However, the light-emitting colors of the light-emitting elements 104a to 104f are not limited to white and orange in the present embodiment, and any color can be selected.

[0131] In the above embodiment, the switch device 100 is configured such that each of the switch units 102, 106, and 108 includes two light-emitting elements (light-emitting elements 104a and 104b, light-emitting elements 104c and 104d, and light-emitting elements 104e and 104f). This configuration allows the switch units 102, 106, and 108 of the switch device 100 to include the light-emitting elements 104a to 104f that emit light in response to manual operation of the manual switches 103a to 103f. Therefore, the operator can easily recognize the operating states of the manual switches 103a to 103f when manually operating them. However, each of the switch units 102, 106, and 108 may be configured without the light-emitting elements 104a to 104f, or may include electrical and electronic components other than light-emitting elements (for example, speakers or various sensors).

[0132] In the above embodiment, the switch device 100 is configured to transmit signals by the I2C communication method on the data lines constituting the inter-controller wiring 111. However, the switch device 100 can also transmit signals by a communication method other than I2C communication on the data lines. Specifically, the switch device 100 can use clock-synchronized serial communication such as SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) or Microwire on the data lines.

[0133] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the switch device 100 is configured such that the inter-controller wiring 111 includes the primary parallel wiring 112, the secondary parallel wiring 113, 114, and the tertiary parallel wiring 115. According to this, in the switch device 100, the multiple switch units 102, 106, 108 and the switch unit spare port 131 are respectively connected to the hierarchical inter-controller wiring 111, and therefore, the wiring of the primary parallel wiring 112 is prevented from becoming complicated, and the arrangement configuration of more switch units can be provided in an easy-to-understand manner.

[0134] However, it is sufficient that the inter-controller wiring 111 is configured to include at least primary parallel wiring 112 directly connected in parallel to the main control unit 110. Therefore, for example, the inter-controller wiring 111 can be configured to include only primary parallel wiring 112, omitting secondary parallel wiring 113, 114 and tertiary parallel wiring 115, as shown in Fig. 11. In this case, the primary parallel wiring 112 can be configured to be wiring extending from the main control unit 110 to the switch units 102, 106, and 108, the switch unit spare port 131, and the four inter-wire connection units 116a, 116b, 116c, and 116d, each of which is connected in parallel to the main control unit 110.

[0135] In the above embodiment, the substrate 101 is configured to include the tertiary parallel wiring 115, the eight inter-wire connections 116c, 116d, 117b-117d, 118b-118d, the switch unit spare port 131, and the four inter-wire connections 130a-130d. However, the substrate 101 can be configured without the tertiary parallel wiring 115, the eight inter-wire connections 116c, 116d, 117b-117d, 118b-118d, the switch unit spare port 131, and the four inter-wire connections 130a-130d. [Explanation of symbols]

[0136] 100...switch device, 101...substrate, 102, 106, 108...switch unit, 103a to 103f... manual switches, 104a to 104f... light-emitting elements, 105, 107, 109...switch control unit, 110...main control unit, 110a...clock oscillator, 111...wiring between control units, 112...primary parallel wiring, 113,114...Secondary parallel wiring, 115...Tertiary parallel wiring, 116a to 116d...inter-wiring connection portions, 117a to 117d...inter-wiring connection portions, 118a to 118d... wiring connection portion, 120... jumper wire, 121... jumper wire, 130a to 130d... wiring connection portion, 131... switch portion spare port, 132a, 132b...switch arrangement section, 133a, 133b...light emitting element arrangement section, 134...switch control unit arrangement section, 140...board input / output section, 150...Case ASSY, 151...Case body, 152...Connector portion, 152a...connection pin, 153...switch knob, 154...depression part, 155...main body cover, 163... Expansion switch knob, 164... Depression part, 165... Expansion main body cover, 200...ECU, 300...switch device, 301...additional board, 302...switch unit, 303a to 303d... manual switches, 304a to 304d... light-emitting elements, 305...switch control unit, 306...switch unit, 307...switch control unit, 312...extension primary parallel wiring, 315...connection tertiary parallel wiring, 316...inter-wiring connection portion, 317a...inter-wiring connection portion, 317c...inter-wiring connection portion, 317d...inter-wiring connection portion, 320...Jumper wire, 321...Jumper wire, 350...Case ASSY, 351...case body, 353...switch knob, 354...pressing portion, 355...body cover.

Claims

1. One substrate; a switch unit including a manual switch that outputs an operation signal, which is an electrical signal in response to a manual operation, and a switch control unit that receives the operation signal; a main control unit that controls the operation of the switch control unit and acquires information about the operation signal; A switch device including an inter-controller wiring that electrically connects the main controller and the switch controller, The switch unit A plurality of the switch control units are provided on the substrate, and each of the switch control units is connected in parallel to the main control unit via the inter-controller wiring, The main control unit A switch device provided on the substrate, characterized in that it acquires information about the operation signal from the switch control unit in one of the plurality of switch units via the inter-control unit wiring.

2. 2. The switch device according to claim 1, At least one of the plurality of switch units A switch device, wherein a plurality of the manual switches are connected to the switch control section.

3. 3. The switch device according to claim 2, The switch unit having the plurality of manual switches includes: The switch device is characterized in that the switch control section is disposed between at least two of the manual switches on the substrate.

4. 3. The switch device according to claim 2, The main control unit A switch device disposed between at least two of the manual switches provided on the substrate.

5. 2. The switch device according to claim 1, The switch unit provided on one of the two surfaces of the substrate, The main control unit A switch device provided on the other of the two surfaces of the substrate.

6. The switch device according to claim 1, further comprising: At least one of the plurality of switch units A switch device comprising a light-emitting element that emits light or changes the color of light emitted in response to the manual operation of the manual switch.

7. 2. The switch device according to claim 1, The wiring between the control units is a primary parallel wiring connected directly in parallel to the main control unit; a secondary parallel wiring branching from the primary parallel wiring and having a plurality of parallel wirings; The plurality of switch units include: A switch device provided on each of the primary parallel wiring and the secondary parallel wiring.

8. A vehicle comprising the switch device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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