Vehicle-mounted devices

Abstract

To provide an on-vehicle device in which a movable member is self-locked when a main switch is ON, the self-locking is released to allow the moveable member to be manually moved when the main switch is OFF, and thereafter, the movable member can be moved with power of a motor.SOLUTION: If a drive rotor 60 rotates in a β1 direction and a detection slide surface 66a comes off from an actuator 75a of a detection switch 75, then, the drive rotor 60 further rotates in the β1 direction and the motor stops, and a movable member comes into a self-locking state. If a main switch becomes OFF, then, the drive rotor 60 is slightly moved in a β2 direction (opposite to the β1 direction), and the drive rotor 60 can be freely rotated by back-lash. When the movable member is pushed by a hand and the drive rotor 60 is moved by only a minute distance δ1, a detection switch 75 becomes ON, and the drive rotor 60 is driven in the β2 direction by the motor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an in-vehicle device in which a moving member having a display device or the like mounted thereon is moved by the power of a motor. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an invention relating to an in-vehicle display device. In this in-vehicle display device, an upper panel is rotatably supported on the top of the instrument panel via a shaft, and an arc-shaped rack support member is fixed to the upper panel on the front side of the shaft. A support convex portion provided on the top of the display member is rotatably supported by the rack support member, and a sliding protrusion portion provided on the bottom of the display member is slidably supported in a sliding groove formed in a side plate of the in-vehicle display device. The drive mechanism is provided with a drive motor and a group of transmission gears, and a final-stage transmission gear of the group of transmission gears meshes with a rack meshing portion of the rack support member. A worm is fixed to the output shaft of the drive motor, and a worm wheel that meshes with the worm is provided in the group of transmission gears.

[0003] When the ignition switch is OFF, the in-vehicle display device is in a storage position with the display member lowered. When the ignition switch is ON, the drive motor starts and the power is transmitted to the rack support member, causing the upper panel to rotate upward and the display member to rise. In this in-vehicle display device, the rotation position of the upper panel is set to two stages, and the display member is set to a first viewing position where a part of the display screen is directed into the vehicle cabin, and a second viewing position where the display screen can be displayed over a wide range. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-302715 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In an in-vehicle display device such as that shown in Patent Document 1, backlash occurs between the gears in the transmission gear group provided in the drive mechanism, and rattle also occurs in the connection between the display member and the upper panel, resulting in the problem that vehicle body vibrations cause the display member to rattle and generate noise.

[0006] In addition, when the ignition switch is turned off while the display member is in the first or second viewing position, the display member may be designed to stop at the respective viewing positions. In this case, if the display member is manually pushed downward to forcibly move to the stored position, the drive motor and transmission gear group provided in the drive mechanism become a load, making it difficult to move the display member to the stored position. In particular, if the power transmission path of the drive mechanism includes a meshing structure between a worm and a worm wheel as described in Patent Document 1, the reduction ratio is large, and therefore the load when manually moving the display member becomes excessive.

[0007] The present invention is devised to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and aims to provide an in-vehicle device that can prevent the movable member from rattling and can easily move the movable member when the main switch is OFF. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention provides an in-vehicle device having a moving member, a motor for moving the moving member, at least one detection switch for detecting the movement of the moving member, and a control unit for controlling the motor based on a detection output of the detection switch, a locking mechanism that locks the movable member when the control unit determines based on a detection output from the detection switch that the movable member has reached an end region in the moving direction, and releases the lock when the control unit determines that a main switch has been turned off; a motor driving unit that drives the motor to move the movable member when the control unit determines that the movable member has been moved again based on a detection output from the detection switch after the locking by the locking mechanism unit is released; and The present invention is characterized in that:

[0009] The in-vehicle device of the present invention comprises: a drive mechanism is provided that moves the moving member using the output of the motor; In the lock mechanism, When the movable member moves in a first direction and it is determined that the movable member has reached the end point region based on the detection output from the detection switch, the motor is driven in a direction to press the movable member in the first direction and then stopped, thereby Included in Self-locking by eliminating gear backlash in the power transmission path. When the main switch is turned off, a backlash is generated in the gear to release the self-lock. When the movable member moves in a state where the backlash is occurring, it is determined that the movable member has been moved again. It is constructed as something.

[0010] It is preferable that the in-vehicle device of the present invention is provided with a stopper that restricts movement of the movable member in a first direction, and that the locking mechanism eliminates backlash by pressing the movable member against the stopper using the power of the motor.

[0011] The in-vehicle device of the present invention comprises: In the lock mechanism, When the main switch is turned OFF, it is preferable to drive the motor for a short period of time in a rotational direction that moves the moving member in a second direction opposite to the first direction, thereby generating a backlash.

[0012] The in-vehicle device of the present invention comprises: It is preferable that the motor includes a meshing portion between a worm and a worm wheel provided on the output shaft of the motor.

[0013] The in-vehicle device of the present invention comprises: The locking mechanism may be an electromagnetic brake provided on a power transmission path from the motor to the moving member.

[0014] The in-vehicle device of the present invention comprises: For example, the main switch is an accessory switch of an automobile. Effect of the Invention

[0015] In the in-vehicle device of the present invention, when the moving member reaches the end region, the power transmission in the drive mechanism is locked, so that the occurrence of rattling of the moving member when the vehicle body is subjected to vibration can be prevented. For example, even if the display device provided on the moving member is large and the mass of the moving member is large, it becomes possible to prevent the occurrence of noise due to rattling while the vehicle is running.

[0016] In addition, when a main switch, such as an accessory switch of an automobile, is turned OFF, the locked state of the power transmission is released, so that the moving member can be manually moved again a small distance with minimal load to operate the detection switch, and the motor can be driven based on the detection output of the detection switch to move the moving member toward the other end area. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the in-vehicle device according to the embodiment of the present invention is installed on a panel in a vehicle cabin and a movable member is moved in a closing direction (a first direction); [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the vehicle-mounted device according to the embodiment of the present invention is installed on a panel in a vehicle cabin and the movable member is moved in an opening direction (a second direction); [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an overall structure of the in-vehicle device in which the movable member has moved in a closing direction (first direction); [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a structure of a main part of the in-vehicle device shown in FIG. 3; [Diagram 5]FIG. 2 is a right side view showing the overall structure of the in-vehicle device in which the movable member has moved in a closing direction (first direction); [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a right side view showing the overall structure of the in-vehicle device in which the movable member has moved in the opening direction (second direction); [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a partial right side view showing a part of the drive mechanism when the movable member is moving in the closing direction (first direction); [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a partial right side view showing a part of the drive mechanism when the movable member is moving in the opening direction (second direction); [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view showing a motor and a reduction gear group provided in the drive mechanism; [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a circuit block diagram of an in-vehicle device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 11] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a part of the operation of the in-vehicle device according to an embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] (Overall structure of the in-vehicle device 10) 1 and 2 show a panel 1 in the passenger compartment of an automobile. The panel 1 is an instrument panel or a dashboard located at the front of the passenger compartment. As shown in Fig. 2, the panel 1 is formed with a panel opening 2 that opens toward the passenger compartment.

[0019] An in-vehicle device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed inside the panel 1. The X1 side of the in-vehicle device 10 is the left side, and the X2 side is the right side. The in-vehicle device 10 has a main body 20 and a moving member 30 supported on the main body 20 so as to be freely movable. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the moving member 30 is supported on the main body 20 so as to be movable in a first direction (i) which is a closing direction and a second direction (ii) which is an opening direction. As shown in Figs. 1 and 5, when the moving member 30 stops at the "movement end point" in the first direction (i), the moving member 30 is in a first position (A) which is a closed position, and as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, when the moving member stops at the "movement end point" in the second direction (ii), the moving member 30 is in a second position (B) which is an open position.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3, the moving member 30 has a moving housing 31 and a display device 32 held by the moving housing 31. The display device 32 is composed of a color liquid crystal display panel and a backlight panel arranged on the back of the panel. Alternatively, the display device 32 may have an electroluminescence display panel. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a display screen 33 of the display device 32 appears in a wide area on the surface of the moving housing 31. The display screen 33 is provided with a capacitive touch panel or a resistive touch sensor. In addition, the moving housing 31 is provided with an operation button on the front side at a position away from the display screen 33. As shown in FIG. 1, when the moving member 30 is stopped in a first position (A) which is a closed position, the opening 2 of the panel 1 is blocked by the moving member 30. At this time, the display screen 33 of the moving member 30 is set to a position that is easily visible from the front of the panel, i.e., from inside the vehicle cabin.

[0021] 2, when the movable member 30 stops in the second position (B), which is the open position, the movable member 30 is positioned above the opening 2, and the opening 2 is released. A storage space (R) is formed inside the main body 20 of the in-vehicle device 10, and when the movable member 30 is in the second position (B), the storage space (R) appears inside the opening 2 of the panel 1. This storage space (R) is used as a storage space for small items, etc. Alternatively, a disk drive device, a memory mounting device, etc. may be mounted in the main body, and when the movable member 30 is in the second position (B), these devices may appear in the opening 2.

[0022] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the main body 20 of the in-vehicle device 10 has a metal main body housing 21. The main body housing 21 has a left side plate 21a on the left side (X1 side), a right side plate 21b on the right side (X2 side), and a front connecting portion 21c that connects the left side plate 21a and the right side plate 21b at the front. As shown in Figure 3, the main body housing 21 is provided with an upper plate 21d that connects the left side plate 21a and the right side plate 21b at the top. However, in Figure 4, the upper plate 21d is removed.

[0023] The in-vehicle device 10 is provided with rotating arms 34 on the left side (X1 side) and the right side (X2 side). The pair of left and right rotating arms 34 are symmetrical in the left-right direction (X1-X2 direction). As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the right side of the movable housing 31 of the movable member 30 is fixed to the rotating side tip 34a of the rotating arm 34 by a screw, and the left side of the movable housing 31 is also fixed to the rotating side tip 34a of the rotating arm 34 by a screw.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 4, Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the left side plate 21a and the right side plate 21b of the main body housing 21 are both formed with the support shaft 22 and the long arc guide hole 23 along a circular locus centered on the support shaft 22. The left side plate 21a and the right side plate 21b have a structure in which the support shaft 22 and the long arc guide hole 23 are symmetrical in the left-right direction. As shown in Fig. 4, a support hole 34c is opened in the support side base 34b of the rotating arm 34, and as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the support hole 34c is rotatably attached to the support shaft 22. As shown in Fig. 4, the sliding shaft 24 is slidably inserted into the long arc guide hole 23 formed in each of the left side plate 21a and the right side plate 21b, and as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the sliding shaft 24 is fixed to the shaft fixing hole 34d formed in the rotating arm 34.

[0025] On the left side plate 21a and the right side plate 21b of the main body housing 21, the pivot arm 34 is guided by the arc guide long hole 23 and pivots about the support shaft 22, thereby moving the movable member 30 between a first position (A) shown in FIG. 5 and a second position (B) shown in FIG. 6.

[0026] (Structure of drive mechanism 50) As shown in FIG. 4, a drive mechanism 50 for driving the moving member 30 and the rotating arm 34 is provided between the left side plate 21a and the right side plate 21b of the main body housing 21. The drive mechanism 50 is composed of a transmission shaft 51 provided between the left side plate 21a and the right side plate 21b, a motor drive unit 52 provided inside the left side plate 21a, a rotation drive unit 53 provided outside the right side plate 21b, and a drive rotor 60 driven by the rotation drive unit 53. The transmission shaft 51 is rotatably supported by the left side plate 21a and the right side plate 21b. A rotation drive unit 53 is also provided outside the left side plate 21a, and the rotation drive unit 53 on the outside of the left side plate 21a and the rotation drive unit 53 on the outside of the right side plate 21b are structured to be plane-symmetrical in the left-right direction (X1-X2 direction).

[0027] As shown in Fig. 4, drive bracket 25 is fixed to the inside of left side plate 21a, and motor drive unit 52 is provided between left side plate 21a and drive bracket 25. Fig. 9 shows motor drive unit 52 in an enlarged view with drive bracket 25 removed. Motor drive unit 52 is provided with motor M. Motor M is fixed to drive bracket 25.

[0028] 9, in the motor drive unit 52, a worm 54 is fixed to the output shaft Ma of the motor M, and a double gear 55 is rotatably supported by the drive bracket 25. The double gear 55 is an integral combination of a worm wheel 55a and a small diameter spur gear 55b, and the worm 54 meshes with the worm wheel 55a. A spur gear 56 is fixed to the transmission shaft 51, and the small diameter spur gear 55b meshes with the spur gear 56. The diameter of the pitch circle of the small diameter spur gear 55b is smaller than the diameter of the pitch circle of the worm wheel 55a, and the diameter of the pitch circle of the spur gear 56 is larger than the diameter of the pitch circle of the small diameter spur gear 55b.

[0029] 4, 5, and 6 show the rotation drive unit 53 provided on the outside of the right side plate 21b. The drive bracket 26 is fixed to the outside of the right side plate 21b, and the rotation drive unit 53 is disposed between the outer surface of the right side plate 21b and the drive bracket 26. In the rotation drive unit 53, the right end of the transmission shaft 51 protrudes to the outside of the right side plate 21b, and a transmission small gear 57 is fixed to the right end of the transmission shaft 51. A pinion gear 58 is rotatably supported by the drive bracket 26, and the transmission small gear 57 and the pinion gear 58 mesh with each other. The diameter of the pitch circle of the transmission small gear 57 is smaller than the diameter of the pitch circle of the pinion gear 58.

[0030] In the drive mechanism 50, the power transmission path from the worm 54 of the motor drive unit 52 to the spur gear 56 is a reduction gear train, and further, the power transmission path from the transmission small gear 57 of the rotary drive unit 53 to the pinion gear 58 is also a reduction gear train. When the motor M starts and the output shaft Ma rotates, the transmission shaft 51 rotates together with the spur gear 56 at a reduced speed, and further, via the transmission small gear 57, the pinion gear 58 rotates at a reduced speed.

[0031] 5 and 6, in the rotation drive unit 53, a detection gear 59 is rotatably supported by the drive bracket 26, and the detection gear 59 meshes with the pinion gear 58. The diameter of the pitch circle of the detection gear 59 is shorter than the diameter of the pitch circle of the pinion gear 58. Therefore, the rotation of the pinion gear 58 is accelerated and transmitted to the detection gear 59. A detection board 28 is fixed to the right side plate 21b, and a detection element that detects the rotation direction and rotation speed of the detection gear 59 is mounted on the detection board.

[0032] 4, a support bracket 27 is fixed to the right side plate 21b, and the support shaft 22 is fixed between the right side plate 21b and the support bracket 27. Between the right side plate 21b and the support bracket 27, a support hole 34c formed in a support side base portion 34b of the rotating arm 34 is rotatably supported by the support shaft 22.

[0033] As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a sector-shaped driving rotor 60 is rotatably supported by the support shaft 22 between the right side plate 21b and the rotating arm 34. The driving rotor 60 constitutes a part of the driving mechanism 50. A sector gear part 61 is formed on the driving rotor 60, and the sector gear part 61 meshes with the pinion gear 58. As shown in Fig. 4, a connecting shaft 62 is fixed to the driving rotor 60. In the rotating arm 34, a connecting fixing hole 34e is formed between the support hole 34c and the shaft fixing hole 34d, and as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the connecting shaft 62 is fixed to the connecting fixing hole 34e. The driving rotor 60 and the rotating arm 34 are rotatably supported by the common support shaft 22, and the driving rotor 60 and the rotating arm 34 are connected to each other by the connecting shaft 62 and rotate together.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 7, a wound portion of a torsion spring 65 is attached to the support shaft 22 supporting the rotating arm 34 between the driving rotor 60 and the support bracket 27. One arm 65a of the torsion spring 65 is hung on the connecting shaft 62. The other arm 65b of the torsion spring 65 is fixed to a fixed plate (not shown) disposed outside and on the further right side (X2 side) of the right side plate 21b. The driving rotor 60 is biased in the counterclockwise direction (β1 direction) by the elastic force of the torsion spring 65. This biasing force prevents rattling and noise caused by backlash at the meshing portions of the gears when the driving mechanism 50 is operating.

[0035] As described above, the rotating arm 34, the rotation drive unit 53, and the driving rotor 60 are also provided on the outer side (X1 side) of the left side plate 21a. When the motor M of the motor drive unit 52 shown in Fig. 9 starts, its power is transmitted to the transmission shaft 51, and the rotation drive unit 53 provided on the outer side (X1 side) of the left side plate 21a and the rotation drive unit 53 provided on the outer side (X2 side) of the right side plate 21b operate in synchronization. Then, the driving rotor 60 and the rotating arm 34 are rotated together on the outer side of the left side plate 21a and the outer side of the right side plate 21b, and the moving member 30 is rotated (moved) in the first direction (i) and the second direction (ii).

[0036] As shown in Fig. 4, a first stopper 71 is provided on the first direction (i) side and a second stopper 72 is provided on the second direction (ii) side at the upper portion of each of the left side plate 21a and the right side plate 21b of the main body housing 21. As shown in Fig. 5, when the moving member 30 reaches the "movement end point" in the first direction (i), the rotating arms 34 provided on both sides in the left and right directions (X1-X2 directions) hit the first stopper 71, the rotation of the rotating arms 34 stops, and the moving member 30 takes the first posture (A). As shown in Fig. 6, when the moving member 30 reaches the "movement end point" in the second direction (ii), each rotating arm 34 hits the second stopper 72, the rotation of the rotating arms 34 stops, and the moving member 30 takes the second posture (B).

[0037] (Detection mechanism structure) As shown in FIG. 4, a detection operation part 66 is integrally formed on the sector-shaped driving rotor 60 provided on the outside of the right side plate 21b. FIGS. 7 and 8 show the cross-sectional shape of the driving rotor 60. The outer peripheral surface of the detection operation part 66 is a detection sliding surface 66a. The detection sliding surface 66a is a part of a cylindrical surface centered on the support shaft 22 that supports the driving rotor 60. The end of the detection sliding surface 66a on the second direction (ii) side is a first detection end 66b, and the end of the detection sliding surface 66a on the first direction (i) side is a second detection side end 66c.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 4, a detection board 74 is fixed to the outside (X2 side) of the right side plate 21b, and a detection switch 75 is provided on this detection board 74. The detection mechanism is made up of the detection operation unit 66 and the detection switch 75. As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the detection switch 75 is a push-type switch having contacts that mechanically open and close, and has an actuator 75a. When no external force is acting on the actuator 75a, the contacts are open and the detection switch 75 is OFF, and when the actuator 75a is pressed in, the contacts are closed and the detection switch 75 is turned ON.

[0039] In Fig. 5 and Fig. 7, the rotating arm 34 abuts against the first stopper 71, and the moving member 30 is located at the "movement end point" in the first direction (i). At this time, the actuator 75a is displaced from the first detection end 66b of the detection operation unit 66, and the detection switch 75 is OFF. In Fig. 6 and Fig. 8, the rotating arm 34 abuts against the second stopper 72, and the moving member 30 is located at the "movement end point" in the second direction (ii). At this time, the actuator 75a is displaced from the second detection end 66c, and the detection switch 75 is OFF. While the rotating arm 34 and the driving rotor 60 are rotating, the actuator 75a is pushed in by the detection sliding surface 66a of the detection operation unit 66, and the detection switch 75 is turned ON.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 7, when the driving rotor 60 hits the first stopper 71 and is located at the "movement end point" in the first direction (i), a minute distance δ1 is provided between the first detection end 66b and the actuator 75a. The detection switch is OFF while the driving rotor 60 is rotating within the range of this minute distance δ1. When the driving rotor 60 is located within the rotation range of this minute distance δ1, the rotating arm 34 and the moving member 30 are defined as being located in the "end point region" in the first direction (i). That is, when the driving rotor 60 hits the first stopper 71 by rotating in the β1 direction and the actuator 75a is disengaged from the first detection end 66b and the detection switch 75 is turned OFF, the driving rotor 60, the rotating arm 34, and the moving member 30 reach the "end point region", and further rotate in the β1 direction within this "end point region", which is the "movement end point".

[0041] 8, when the driving rotor 60 hits the second stopper 72 and stops at the "movement end point" in the second direction (ii), an infinitesimal distance δ2 is formed between the second detection end 66c and the actuator 75a. The detection switch is OFF within the range in which the driving rotor 60 rotates by this infinitesimal distance δ2. When the driving rotor 60 is located within the rotation range of this infinitesimal distance δ2, it is defined that the rotating arm 34 and the moving member 30 are located in the "end point region" in the second direction (ii).

[0042] (Circuit block description) FIG. 10 shows a circuit block diagram of the in-vehicle device 10. As shown in FIG. The in-vehicle device 10 includes a main body 20 having the drive mechanism 50 including the motor M, the detection switch 75, and the like, and a main circuit board 100.

[0043] The main circuit board 100 is provided with a control unit 103. The control unit 103 is configured with a microcomputer having a CPU and various memories. A control unit power supply (power supply circuit unit of the microcomputer) 104 is attached to the control unit 103. Power is supplied to the control unit power supply 104 from a battery B mounted on the automobile, and 3.3V DC power 114 is converted by the control unit power supply 104 and provided to the control unit 103.

[0044] A motor drive circuit (motor drive unit) 105 is mounted on the main circuit board 100. The power source for the motor drive circuit 105 is a battery B mounted on the vehicle. When a drive command 111 is given from the control unit 103 to the motor drive circuit 105, the motor drive circuit 105 gives drive power to the motor M of the motor drive unit 52. A vehicle-side switching unit 107 is provided on the main circuit board 100. An accessory switch 106 of the vehicle is the main switch, and when a switching signal 113 of the accessory switch 106 is given to the vehicle-side switching unit 107, a start-up signal (wake-up signal) 112 is given from the vehicle-side switching unit 107 to the control unit.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 10, a first switch circuit 101 and a second switch circuit 102 are provided on a main circuit board 100. The first switch section 101 has a diode 101a and a transistor 101b. A switch power 117 of 3.3V is supplied to the emitter of the transistor 101b from a control section power supply 104, and a bias resistor 101c is connected to the collector. The second switch circuit 102 has a diode 102a and a transistor 102b. Power is supplied to the emitter of the transistor 102b from a battery B of the vehicle, and a bias resistor 102c is connected to the collector.

[0046] (Operation when the main switch, accessory switch 106, is ON) Next, the operation of the in-vehicle device 10 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 11. In the flowchart, "steps" of control executed by the control unit 103 are represented by "ST".

[0047] 11, when the accessory switch 106, which is the main switch, is ON, the operation of the in-vehicle device 10 is as follows: The accessory switch 106 is ON in ST1 when the car is running, for example. In the circuit block diagram of Fig. 10, when the accessory switch 106, which is the main switch, is ON, a start signal 112 is provided from the vehicle-side switching unit 107 to the control unit 103, and DC power 114 is provided from the control unit power supply 104, enabling the control unit 103 to perform control operations. At this time, an enable signal 115 from the control unit 103 is OFF, and a switching signal 116 from the second switch circuit 102 is ignored. In the first switch circuit 101, switching power 117 is provided from the control unit power supply 104 to the emitter of the transistor 101b, and the first switch circuit 101 can be operated by the detection switch 75. When the accessory switch 106 is ON and the contact of the detection switch 75 of the main body 20 is closed, an ON switching signal 118 is provided from the first switch circuit 101 to the control unit 103.

[0048] ST2 and the following steps shown in FIG. 11 show processing operations based on the time when the moving member 30 is stopped in the second posture (open posture) (B) as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 6. When the moving member 30 is stopped in the second posture (B), the second detection end 66c of the detection operation unit 66 provided on the driving rotor 60 is disengaged from the actuator 75a as shown in FIG. 8. Therefore, the contact of the detection switch 75 is in an open state, and the switching signal 118 given to the control unit 103 from the first switch circuit 101 is OFF. In this specification, when the switching signals 116, 118 are OFF, it is described as "the detection switch 75 is OFF," and when the switching signals 116, 118 are ON, it is described as "the detection switch 75 is ON."

[0049] In ST2 of Fig. 11, when an operation is performed to shift the movable member 30 to the first position (closed position) (A) by, for example, pressing an operation button provided on the movable member 30, a drive command 111 is given from the control unit 103 to the motor drive circuit (motor drive unit) 105, and in ST3, the motor M shown in Fig. 9 is started, and the output shaft Ma starts to rotate in the α2 direction. In the drive mechanism 50, the rotation output of the motor M is transmitted via the transmission shaft 51 to the rotary drive unit 53 disposed on the outside of each of the left side plate 21a and the right side plate 21b. As shown in Fig. 8, the rotational force of the pinion gear 58 is transmitted to the sector gear unit 61 of the drive rotor 60, and the drive rotor 60 is driven in the counterclockwise direction (β1 direction) in Fig. 8.

[0050] When the driving rotors 60 located on both the left and right sides rotate counterclockwise (β1 direction), the rotating arm 34 rotates counterclockwise together with the driving rotors 60, and the moving member 30 supported by the rotating arm 34 moves in the first direction (i). As soon as the driving rotors 60 start to rotate counterclockwise, the actuator 75a of the detection switch 75 is pressed by the detection sliding surface 66a of the detection operation unit 66, the contacts of the detection switch 75 are closed, and a switch-on switching signal 118 is provided to the control unit 103 from the first switch circuit 101 shown in FIG.

[0051] In ST4 in FIG. 11, the control unit 103 monitors a change in the switching signal 118. In addition, the direction and distance of movement of the moving member 30 can be grasped by a signal from a detection element mounted on the detection board 28. When the driving rotor 60 rotates in the β1 direction and the first detection end 66b of the detection operation unit 66 is disengaged from the actuator 75 of the detection switch 75 as shown in FIG. 7, the switching signal 118 given to the control unit 103 from the first switch circuit 101 is switched from ON to OFF. At this time, the control unit 103 determines that the moving member 30 has reached the "end point region" of the first direction (i). In this "end point region", after the detection switch 75 is turned OFF, the driving rotor 60 has a rotational margin of a small distance (small angle) δ1 shown in FIG. 7.

[0052] In ST5, immediately after the detection switch 75 is turned OFF, the control unit 103 gives a drive command 111 to the motor drive circuit 105, and the motor M shown in Fig. 9 is further driven in the α2 direction for a short time, and the drive rotor 60 is driven slightly in the β1 direction. At this time, the rotation angle of the detection gear 59 is detected by the detection element mounted on the detection board 28, and the motor M is stopped when it is determined that the rotating arm 34 is pressed against the first stopper 71, as shown in Fig. 5. When the rotating arm 34 is pressed against the first stopper 71 and the motor M is stopped, in the drive mechanism 50, the teeth are pressed against each other at the meshing portion of the gears from the worm 54 to the sector gear portion 61, eliminating backlash between the gears.

[0053] By eliminating backlash in the power transmission section of the drive mechanism 50, it is possible to restrict rattling of the drive rotor 60, and to put the pivot arm 34 and the moving member 30 into a self-locking state in which rattling does not occur. Even if the moving member 30 is mounted with a display device 32 having a relatively large screen and has a large mass, it is possible to suppress rattling noise of the moving member 30 caused by vehicle body vibration.

[0054] When the accessory switch is ON, the movement control from ST2 to ST5 is performed when the moving member 30 is moved from the first posture (A) shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 5 to the second posture (B) shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 6. That is, when the operation button is pressed while the moving member 30 is in the first posture (A), the output shaft Ma of the motor M shown in Fig. 9 rotates in the α1 direction, the driving rotor 60 and the rotating arm 34 are driven in the clockwise direction (β2 direction), and the moving member 30 is moved in the second direction (ii). When the detection switch 75 is turned OFF and it is determined that the moving member 30 has reached the "end point region" of the second direction (ii), the motor M further operates in the β1 direction for a short time, and as shown in Fig. 6, the rotating arm 34 is pressed against the second stopper 72 and the motor M is stopped. Thus, the moving member 30 is in a self-locked state in the second posture (B).

[0055] In the in-vehicle device 10 of the first embodiment, a part of the drive mechanism 50 functions as a "lock mechanism" that self-locks the moving member 30 between the first position (A) and the second position (B). That is, in the drive mechanism 50, the power transmission path from the motor M to the rotating arm 34 and the moving member 30 functions as the "lock mechanism."

[0056] (Operation when the main switch, accessory switch 106, is OFF) Next, in ST1, the control operation when the accessory switch 106 is OFF is as follows. 1 and 5, if the accessory switch 106, which is the main switch, is turned OFF in ST1, the control unit 103 checks in ST6 whether the detection switch 75 is OFF, i.e., whether the moving member 30 is located in the first position (A). If the detection switch 75 is OFF, the process proceeds to ST7, where the "lock mechanism" in the drive mechanism 50 releases the self-lock.

[0057] The self-lock release in ST7 is performed by rotating the motor M shown in FIG. 9 back by a small angle in the α1 direction in the state of FIG. 5 and FIG. 7. This small angle is an angle that releases the force pressing the pivot arm 34 against the first stopper 71 and generates backlash between the gears in the power transmission path from the worm 54 to the sector gear part 61 of the driving rotor 60. The backlash generated between the gears allows the driving rotor 60 to rotate freely by a distance slightly longer than the small distance δ1 shown in FIG. 7. At this time, the rotation angle of the detection gear 59 is monitored by the detection element mounted on the detection board 28, and the slight drive time of the motor M is controlled so that the detection switch 75 is not switched ON by the rotation back in the α1 direction of the motor M, the self-lock is released, and the driving rotor 60 can rotate freely within the range of the small distance δ1.

[0058] When the accessory switch 106 is turned OFF and the self-locking effected by the "locking mechanism" that is part of the drive mechanism 50 is released in ST7, the control unit 103 then goes into a sleep state.

[0059] When the accessory switch 106 is OFF, if the movable member 30 in the first position (A) shown in Figures 1 and 5 is pushed up by hand in the second direction (ii), the driving rotor 60 is rotated in the β2 direction a small distance δ1 or slightly longer than δ1 within the range of free rotation due to backlash of the driving mechanism 50, and the actuator 75a of the detection switch 75 is pressed by the detection sliding surface 66a of the detection operating unit 66, and the detection switch 75 is turned ON in ST8.

[0060] When the accessory switch 106 is OFF, if the contacts of the detection switch 75 are closed, the second switch circuit 102 powered by battery B operates, a switching signal 116 is provided to the control unit power supply 104, enabling the control unit power supply 104 to operate, DC power 114 is provided from the control unit power supply 104 to the control unit 103, starting up the control unit 103 and enabling control operation. Since switch power 117 is provided from the control unit power supply 104 to the first switch circuit 101, when the contacts of the detection switch 75 are closed, the first switch circuit 101 operates and an ON switching signal 118 is provided to the control unit 103.

[0061] When the detection switch 75 is turned ON in ST8, the control unit 103 determines that the moving member 30 has been forcibly moved again in the (ii) direction, and proceeds to ST9, where a drive command 111 is given to the motor drive circuit (motor drive unit) 105 to start the motor M. The output shaft Ma of the motor M is driven in the α1 direction, and the driving rotor 60 is rotated in the β2 direction. The rotating arm 34 rotates in the β2 direction together with the driving rotor 60, and the moving member 30 moves toward the second direction (ii), which is the opening direction. When the moving member 30 moves to the "end point area" in the second direction (ii) and the second detection end 66c of the detection operation unit 66 leaves the actuator 75a of the detection switch 75 as shown in FIG. 8, the detection switch 75 is confirmed to be OFF in ST10, and the motor M is stopped in ST11. In ST12, the start signal 112 of the accessory switch 106 is confirmed, and if the accessory switch 106 is ON, the process proceeds to ST13, where the output shaft Ma of the motor M is rotated by a small angle in the α1 direction, and the motor M is stopped with the rotating arm 34 pressed against the second stopper 72. This causes the moving member 30 to enter a self-locked state in the second posture (B).

[0062] When the movable member 30 is self-locked in the second position (B), if the accessory switch 106 is turned OFF, the output shaft Ma of the motor M also rotates back by a small angle in the α2 direction, causing backlash in the gear train of the "lock mechanism" in the drive mechanism 50, and the self-lock is released. Therefore, when the movable member 30 is pushed by hand in the first direction (i), the drive rotor 60 rotates due to the backlash, and the detection switch 75 is turned ON. At this time, it is determined that the movable member 30 has been forcibly moved again in the (i) direction, and the motor M is started, and the movable member 30 is moved in the first direction (i) to the first position (A), which is the closed position.

[0063] In the in-vehicle device 10 of the embodiment, when the accessory switch 106 is ON, the moving member 30 is in a self-locked state in the first position (A) which is a closed position or the second position (B) which is an open position, so that it is possible to prevent the moving member 30 from rattling when the vehicle body is subjected to vibration. Also, when the accessory switch 106 is OFF, the self-lock of the moving member 30 is released, so that the moving member 30 can be freely moved by the backlash of the drive mechanism 50. In other words, the moving member 30 can be moved with a light load to turn on the detection switch 75, and thereafter the moving member 30 can be moved by the power of the motor M.

[0064] In the in-vehicle device 10 of the embodiment, when the self-lock is released when the moving member 30 is in the first position (A) shown in Fig. 5, it is preferable that the driving rotor 60 can be moved a small distance δ1 shown in Fig. 7 or a distance greater than this by only the backlash of the gear train of the drive mechanism 50, and the detection switch 75 is switched ON by only the free rotation due to the backlash of the driving rotor 60. By configuring in this way, when the accessory switch 106 is turned OFF, the moving member 30 in the first position (A) or the second position (B) can be moved automatically by the force of the motor M by only moving the moving member 30 slightly with a light force.

[0065] When the self-lock of the moving member 30 is released in the first posture (A), the angle by which the driving rotor 60 can freely rotate in the β2 direction due to backlash may be shorter than the infinitesimal distance δ1. In this case, even if the driving rotor 60 is rotated in the β1 direction within the range of the backlash after the self-lock is released, the first detection end 66b of the detection operation unit 66 cannot press the actuator 75a of the detection switch 75. However, following the free movement due to the backlash, the detection switch 75 can be switched ON by further pushing the moving member 30 in the second direction (ii) against the load of the drive mechanism 50. When the moving member 30 is pushed by hand in the second direction (ii), it can rotate freely at first due to the backlash, so that the moving member 30 can be further moved against the load of the drive mechanism 50 with the same momentum, and therefore the detection switch 75 can be turned ON without feeling a large burden.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the drive mechanism 50 includes an engagement portion between the worm 54 and the worm wheel 55a. In ST5, when the rotating arm 34 is pressed against the first stopper 71 and the motor M is stopped to enter a self-locked state, a force that tends to rotate the worm wheel 55a in a clockwise direction is applied by the pressing reaction force from the first stopper 71. However, an extremely large force is required to rotate the worm 54 in the α1 direction by the worm wheel 55a, and the worm 54 does not easily rotate in the α1 direction. Therefore, if the motor M is stopped with the rotating arm 34 pressed against the first stopper 71, the drive mechanism 50 can self-lock with a strong force. Also, if the worm 54 is rotated back by a small angle in the α2 direction and the pressing force of the rotating arm 34 against the first stopper 71 is released, a backlash occurs at the engagement portion of the multiple gears.

[0067] (Modification) In addition, in the drive mechanism 50, an electromagnetic brake may be used as a "lock mechanism" to lock the drive mechanism 50 when the moving member 30 is in the first position (A) or the second position (B). The electromagnetic brake may be built into the motor M, or may be provided at any point in the power transmission path of the drive mechanism 50. When the accessory switch 106 is ON, when the rotating arm 34 is pressed against the first stopper 71 or the second stopper 72 and the moving member 30 stops in the first position (A) or the second position (B), the motor M is stopped and the electromagnetic brake is operated to apply a braking force to the power transmission, thereby locking the drive rotor 60 so that it does not rotate easily. When the accessory switch 106 is turned OFF, the operation of the electromagnetic brake is released to eliminate the braking force. By releasing the brake, the drive rotor 60 can freely rotate by a small distance δ1 or δ2 due to backlash in the gear train of the drive mechanism 50.

[0068] As shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, in the in-vehicle device 10 of the embodiment, a single detection switch 75 detects all of the following: (a) whether the moving member 30 has reached the "end point area" in the (i) direction; (b) whether the moving member 30 has been moved again in the (ii) direction after the lock has been released in the "end point area" in the (i) direction; (c) whether the moving member 30 has reached the "end point area" in the (ii) direction; and (d) whether the moving member 30 has been moved again in the (i) direction after the lock has been released in the "end point area" in the (ii) direction. Therefore, there is no need to provide a plurality of detection switches 75. However, in the present invention, a configuration is possible in which a plurality of detection switches are used to detect (a), (b), (c), and (d) by separate detection switches. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] (i) First direction (ii) Second Direction (A) First posture (B) Second posture Medium motor 1 Panel 2 Opening 10 In-vehicle equipment 20 Main body 21 Main unit housing 30 Moving parts 31 Mobile enclosure 32 Display device 33 Display screen 34 Rotating Arm 50 Drive mechanism 51 Transmission shaft 52 Motor drive unit 53 Rotation drive unit 54 Worm 55a Worm Wheel 58 Pinion Gear 60 Drive Rotor 61 Fan gear section 66 Detection operation unit 66a Detection sliding surface 66b First detection end 66c Second detection end 71 First stopper 72 Second stopper 75 Detection Switch 103 Control section 106 Accessory switch (main switch)

Claims

1. An in-vehicle device having a moving member, a motor for moving the moving member, at least one detection switch for detecting the movement of the moving member, and a control unit for controlling the motor based on a detection output of the detection switch, a locking mechanism that locks the movable member when the control unit determines based on a detection output from the detection switch that the movable member has reached an end region in the moving direction, and releases the lock when the control unit determines that a main switch has been turned off; a motor driving unit that drives the motor to move the movable member when the control unit determines that the movable member has been moved again based on a detection output from the detection switch after the locking by the locking mechanism unit is released; and An in-vehicle device comprising:

2. A drive mechanism is provided that moves the moving member using the output of the motor, In the lock mechanism, When the movable member moves in a first direction and it is determined that the movable member has reached the end point region based on a detection output from the detection switch, the motor is driven in a direction to press the movable member in the first direction and then stopped, thereby eliminating backlash in gears of a power transmission path included in the drive mechanism and self-locking; When the main switch is turned off, a backlash is generated in the gear to release the self-lock. When the movable member moves in a state where the backlash is occurring, it is determined that the movable member has been moved again.

2. The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 1.

3. a stopper is provided to restrict the movement of the movable member in a first direction, and the lock mechanism presses the movable member against the stopper by the power of the motor to eliminate backlash; The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 2.

4. In the lock mechanism, 4. The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein when a main switch is turned OFF, the motor is driven for a short period of time in a rotational direction that moves the moving member in a second direction opposite to the first direction, thereby generating backlash.

5. 5. The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 2, further comprising a meshing portion between a worm provided on an output shaft of the motor and a worm wheel.

6. 2. The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 1, wherein the lock mechanism is an electromagnetic brake provided in a power transmission path from the motor to the moving member.

7. 7. The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 1, wherein the main switch is an accessory switch of the vehicle.

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