Switch device for indicator lights on motorcycles and other vehicles

Abstract

The device has a housing (10) receiving a slider (30), which can be moved in two directions, and a contact base (40) holding electrical contacts (41, 42, 43, 44, 45) connected to the electrical system of the vehicle and to the indicator and hazard lights. An actuator rod (50) is coupled to the slider (30) and can be moved in a first direction, between non-operational and operational positions, wherein in each of said positions a contact bridge (31) of the slider (30) closes the electrical contacts (41, 42, 43) of the indicator lights and, in a second direction orthogonal to the first, between non-operational and operational positions, wherein in said latter position the contact bridge (31, 31a) of the slider (30) closes the electrical contacts (44, 45) for powering the hazard lights.

Description

“DEVICE FOR SWITCHING DIRECTION INDICATOR LAMPS ON MOTORCYCLES OR OTHER VEHICLES” Field of the invention

[0001] The invention relates to a switch device for providing, from a single command, the activation of lamps indicating a change in direction of movement, known as turn signals, or indicating an emergency condition, commonly known as "hazard lights," on motorcycles or other vehicles, generally two-wheeled and equipped with handlebars. Prior art

[0002] The well-known controls for direction indicator lamps and emergency condition indicator lamps on motorcycles and similar vehicles are defined by individual switch devices, separately mounted on the vehicle's handlebars, close to other control devices, such as the horn buttons, headlight switch, engine start button and other vehicle operating functions.

[0003] In the solutions available on the market, the switch device for the emergency function constitutes a component distinct from the other control devices and may be located on the vehicle's handlebars, on the same side as the turn signal lamp switch device or on the opposite side of the handlebars, with no standard for the location of said control devices for the vehicle's functions.

[0004] The individual construction and current arrangement of the direction indicator lamp switching devices and the lamp switching devices Emergency indicator lamps lead to inadequate operational ergonomics, making it difficult for the driver to physically locate the emergency indicator lamp switch when actuating it. The sporadic use of the emergency indicator lamp switch and the current ergonomics resulting from its individual design lead to operational difficulties in critical scenarios that may require a quick reaction time on the part of the driver, who then needs to search for the emergency indicator lamp switch when actuating it, diverting their attention from driving the vehicle. Summary of the invention

[0005] Due to the drawbacks related to current solutions, in which the turn signal lamp switch device and the emergency condition indicator lamp switch device are individual components and separately mounted on the same side or on opposite sides of the vehicle's direction of travel, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a switch device that allows integrating, in a single component, the functions of operating the lamps both to indicate a direction of movement and to indicate an emergency condition of the vehicle, allowing obtaining a better standardized location for operating the lamp switch device in the emergency condition, due to the latter being functionally integrated, by means of a unified command in a single button or handle, with the lamp switch device to indicate a direction of travel. vehicle movement and can also be positioned near other vehicle controls, such as the horn button. Brief description of the drawings

[0006] The invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0007] Figure 1 represents a horizontal longitudinal sectional view of the switching device, in an inoperative condition and constructed according to a first configuration in which the actuating rod is angularly displaceable, in a first direction, for energizing the movement direction indicator lamps and, in a second direction, orthogonal to the first, for energizing the emergency condition indicator lamps, and the actuating rod automatically returns to the inoperative position, when released by the driver, from either of its two operating positions for energizing the movement direction indicator lamps;

[0008] Figure 2 represents a horizontal longitudinal sectional view of the switching device of Figure 1, but with its actuating rod displaced, in the first direction, to one of the operating positions for energizing the movement direction indicator lamps, from which it is automatically returned to the inoperative position, when released by the driver;

[0009] Figure 3 is a view similar to that of Figure 2, but illustrating a construction of the device in which the actuating rod remains positioned, in either of its two operating positions, for energizing the direction of movement indicator lamps, until the driver moves it back to the inoperative position.

[0010] Figure 4 represents a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the switching device of Figure 1, with its actuating rod maintained in the inoperative position for de-energizing the emergency condition indicator lamps;

[0011] Figure 5 represents a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the switching device of figures 1 and 4, but with its actuating rod moved downwards and in the second direction, to the operating position for energizing the emergency condition indicator lamps and in which it remains positioned until the driver moves it back to the inoperative position;

[0012] Figure 6 represents a perspective view of a positioning element in which a first and a second cam surface are previously formed, developed in orthogonal and concordant planes, according to the first configuration of the invention, with the return of the actuation rod, to the inoperative position, being carried out by the actuation of the vehicle driver;

[0013] Figure 7 represents a front view of the contact base used in the first configuration of the switch device, fitted and retained inside the housing and provided with the energizing contacts of the movement direction indicator lamps and the contacts of the emergency condition indicator lamps;

[0014] Figure 8 represents a horizontal longitudinal sectional view of the interrupter device, in an inoperative condition and constructed according to a second configuration in which the actuating rod is angularly displaceable, in a first direction, for energizing the movement direction indicator lamps, with automatic return to the inoperative position and, in a second direction, axial and orthogonal to the first, for energizing the emergency condition indicator lamps, with the actuating rod automatically returning to the inoperative position, when released by the driver, from either of its two operating positions for energizing the movement direction indicator lamps;

[0015] Figure 9 represents the switch device of figure 8, but with its actuating rod angularly displaced, in the first direction, to one of the operating positions for energizing the movement direction indicator lamps, from which it is automatically returned to the inoperative position, when released by the driver;

[0016] Figure 10 represents the switch device of figure 9, but with its actuating rod angularly displaced, in the first direction, to one of the operating positions for energizing the movement direction indicator lamps and in which it remains positioned until the driver moves it back to the inoperative position;

[0017] Figure 11 represents a horizontal longitudinal sectional view of the switching device of Figure 10, but with its actuating rod displaced, axially and in the second direction, to the operating position for energizing the emergency condition indicator lamps and having its automatic return to the inoperative position; and

[0018] Figure 12 represents a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the switching device of figure 8, with its actuating rod held in the inoperative position, with the emergency condition indicator lamps de-energized. Description of the invention

[0019] As previously mentioned, the invention relates to a switch device for direction indicator lights on vehicles in general and, more specifically, on vehicles with two or more wheels and whose steering is in the form of a handlebar on which various vehicle operating controls are provided, as is the case with motorcycles.

[0020] According to the invention, the interrupter device in question comprises a housing 10 made of a non-conductive material, suitable for outdoor installation and to be fixed to the vehicle, in a location accessible to the driver, generally on the handlebars. A bearing 20, made of any suitable material, generally a polymer, is mounted, by snap-on or other means, in an internal and open front region of the housing 10, facing the driver of the vehicle.

[0021] A slider 30, generally in the form of a parallelepiped block of electrically non-conductive material, is mounted inside the housing 10, being displaceable in two orthogonal directions to each other and carrying at least one electrical contact bridge 31, 31a (figures 1 to 5, 9, 10 and 12). In the construction illustrated in figures 1 to 5, the slider 30 has a rear face provided with at least a pair of recesses 32, each housing and retaining an inner end of a spring 33 that has an outer end fixing a respective terminal 34 of the electrical contact bridge 31. In the construction illustrated in figures 8 to 12, the slider 30 has an upper face provided with another contact bridge 31aa, generally defined by a pair of electrical contacts 35, whose function will be explained later forward.

[0022] Inside an internal rear region of the housing 10, a contact base 40 is fixed, made of electrically non-conductive material and carrying pairs of electrical contacts 41-42; 41-43; 44-44; 45-45 connected to the vehicle's electrical system in a known manner and to the right and left direction indicator lamps and emergency condition lamps, respectively, not illustrated here due to the fact that they do not present particular characteristics.

[0023] The switch device also comprises an actuating rod 50 having an end, external to the housing 10, provided with a grip button 51, a median region carried by the bearing 20 and an internal end coupled to the cursor 30, to move it in two orthogonal directions, that is, in orthogonal planes in the first configuration and in the same plane in the second configuration.

[0024] According to the basic structural arrangement considered here, the actuating rod 50 is movable by the grip button 51 and moderately loaded by the bearing 20 in two mutually orthogonal directions.

[0025] In a first direction, the actuating rod 50 is movable between an inoperative position and two operating positions, and in each of these last positions the cursor 30 is moved to the right or to the left, with its contact bridge 31 closing the electrical contacts 41-42 or 41-43 (figures 7 and 12) of the respective movement direction indicator lamps.

[0026] In a second direction, orthogonal to the first, the drive rod 50 is displaceable between an inoperative position and an operative position, in which the slider 30 has its contact bridge 31 or 31a (figures 5 and 11) closing the electrical contacts 44-44 or 45-45 for energizing the lamps indicating an emergency condition (figures 7 and 12).

[0027] Without departing from the constructive and operational concept described above, the switch device in question may have the actuating rod 50 angularly displaceable in two directions orthogonal to each other, to provide selective energization of the right and left direction indicator lamps, in a first direction of displacement of the actuating rod 50, and also the energization of the lamps in an emergency condition, in a second direction of displacement of the actuating rod 50. Another possibility is that the actuating rod 50 is axially displaceable in the second direction of displacement, to provide, in a first axial movement, the selective energization of the lamps indicating an emergency condition and, in a subsequent axial displacement, the switching off of the lamps indicating an emergency condition.

[0028] In a constructive arrangement, described later, the axial displacement of the actuating rod 50, in the second axial direction, can provide for the switching off of the right and left direction indicator lamps, which are still energized at the end of a vehicle direction change maneuver and with the actuating rod 50 already automatically returned to the inoperative position.

[0029] In the first configuration, illustrated in figures 1 to 7 and which uses angular displacements in two orthogonal directions, the switching device comprises a positioning element 60, formed in any non-electrically conductive material, fixed in an internal median region of the housing 10 and presenting a first cam surface 61, which extends in a first direction of displacement of the cursor 30 to the right and to the left, and a second cam surface 62 (figure 6), concordant with the first cam surface 61 and which extends in a second direction orthogonal to the first and in a downward and / or upward direction.

[0030] In this construction, the drive rod 50 carries, in an inner extreme region, a cam follower 70 (Figs. 1 to 5) that is held elastically pressed against the first and second cam surfaces 61, 62, defining, with the latter, the inoperative and operative positions of the drive rod 50, in which the slider 30 opens and closes, respectively, the electrical contacts 41, 42; 41, 43 of the respective lamps indicating the direction of movement and the electrical contacts 44, 44 for energizing the lamps indicating an emergency condition. In the construction illustrated in Fig. 7, the two electrical contacts 44-44 are joined into a single oblong contact.

[0031] In said first configuration, using two angular and mutually orthogonal displacements of the drive rod 50, the first cam surface 61 can be smooth and arched, in a concave manner, as illustrated in figures 1 and 2, so as to force the drive rod 50 to return to its inoperative position for de-energizing the lamps under the conditions of indicating the direction of movement, when the vehicle driver ceases to act on the drive rod 50.

[0032] In the operation considered above, of automatic return of the actuating rod 50 to the inoperative position, the energization of the lamps, under the indication conditions of direction of movement, will remain maintained by the vehicle's electrical control module until the driver presses and axially displaces the drive rod 50, closing the electrical contacts 44-44, so that the vehicle's electrical control module interrupts the energization of the direction of movement indicator lamps. In this construction, the automatic return of the drive rod 50 to the inoperative position occurs only in relation to the first direction of angular displacement relative to the operation of the direction of movement indicator lamps, with the displacement of the drive rod 50 in the second direction, between the operating and inoperative positions, being carried out by manual actuation by the vehicle driver. In this case, the second cam surface 62, concavely arched in a vertical plane, is provided with at least one recess 62a, illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 6, to retain the cam follower 70 of the drive rod 50 in the latter's operating position.

[0033] Still according to a variant of the first configuration, using two angular displacements of the drive rod 50, the first and second cam surfaces 61, 62 are concavely arched and provided with generally concave recesses 61a, 62a, as illustrated in figures 3 and 6, in which the cam follower 70 is seated and retained when the drive rod 50 is brought, by the driver of the vehicle, to the inoperative and operative positions, in which the slider 30 opens and closes, respectively, the electrical contacts 41-42; 41-43 of the direction of movement indicator lamps and the electrical contacts 44-44 for energizing the lamps indicating an emergency condition, the cam follower 70 and the actuating rod 50 held in the position defined by a respective recess 61a or 62a, as long as there is no action by the conductor on the actuating rod 50.

[0034] In the operation considered above, the energization of the lamps, in the conditions of indicating the direction of movement and emergency, will remain maintained by the vehicle's electrical control module, as long as the vehicle driver does not act on the actuation rod 50, causing it to return to the inoperative position in which the de-energization of the direction of movement and emergency indicator lamps will occur.

[0035] In the construction related to the first configuration, in which two angular displacements of the drive rod 50 are used, the latter is provided, in its inner extreme region, with a blind axial hole 52 in which one end of a spring 53 is mounted and retained, having an opposite end fixing the cam follower 70 that can be defined by a ball head 71 partially housed in the blind axial hole 52 and that is kept seated and pressed against the first and second cam surfaces 61, 62 of the positioning element 60.

[0036] The second cam surface 62 may be provided with one or two recesses 62a. If only one recess 62a is provided, as illustrated in Figure 6, the lamps are activated in an emergency by moving the button 51 in only one direction from the central inoperative position. If two recesses 62a are provided, a condition not illustrated, the lamps are activated in an emergency by moving the button 51 in either direction from the central inoperative position.

[0037] Still according to the first embodiment, the bearing 20 defines a universal joint for mounting the median region of the drive rod 50, to allow the latter to be angularly displaced, mounted on said bearing 20, in two mutually orthogonal directions and contained in mutually orthogonal planes, one generally horizontal and the other generally vertical. In the illustrated construction, the bearing 20 is longitudinally hollow and carries, below, a vertical shaft 21 that is rotatably mounted in a recess 11 provided in the housing 10, the bearing 20 being provided with side walls each presenting a slot 22, oblong in the longitudinal direction of the drive rod 50, to bear the opposite end regions of a horizontal shaft 23 transversely fixed to the drive rod 50.The sizing of the slots 22 is done to allow the drive rod 50 to be moved axially into the housing 10, by the conductor, when the energization of the movement direction indicator lamps is interrupted, when the drive rod 50 has already returned automatically to the inoperative position.

[0038] In the first configuration, in which the cursor 30 is displaced in two orthogonal and coplanar directions, parallel and next to the contact base 40, the cursor 30 has a rear face provided with at least one pair of recesses 32, each housing and retaining an internal end of a spring 33 having an external end fixing a respective terminal 34 of the electrical contact bridge 31, and the contact base 40 has a front face, facing the rear face of the cursor 30 and carrying the electrical contacts 41-42;41- 43;44-44 to be selectively opened and closed by the electrical contact bridge 31 depending on the positioning of the cursor 30.

[0039] In the second embodiment, the actuating rod 50 is angularly displaceable in a first direction to energize the direction of travel indicator lamps and axially displaceable in a second direction to provide selective energization of the indicator lamps in an emergency condition.

[0040] According to the second embodiment, illustrated in Figures 8 to 12, a positioning element 60 is provided fixed in an inner median region of the housing 10 and presenting a single cam surface 61, which extends in the direction of displacement of the slider 30 to the right and to the left. In this case, the drive rod 50 carries, in an inner extreme region, a cam follower 70 which is held elastically pressed against the cam surface 61, defining, with the latter, the inoperative and operative positions of the drive rod 50, in which the slider 30 opens and closes, respectively, the electrical contacts 41-42; 41-43 of the respective movement direction indicator lamps.

[0041] In this construction of the second embodiment of the invention, the drive rod 50 is axially displaceable, elastically compressing the cam follower 70 against the cam surface 61 of the positioning element 60, from an inoperative position to an operative position in which the slider 30 is displaced against the contact base 40, so that electrical contacts 35 of another electrical contact bridge 31a, provided on an upper face of the slider 30, close the contacts electrical 45,45 (figures 8 to 12) for energizing the lamps indicating an emergency condition, which is maintained by the vehicle's electrical control module until a new axial displacement of the actuation rod 50 to the operating position, when the electrical control module then interrupts energizing the lamps indicating an emergency condition.

[0042] In the second configuration, the cam surface 61 is smooth and arched, in a concave manner, forcing the actuating rod 50 to return to its inoperative position for de-energizing the lamps in the condition of indicating the direction of movement, when the vehicle driver ceases to act on the actuating rod 50.

[0043] In said second configuration, with the automatic return of the actuating rod to the inoperative position, according to the first direction of angular movement, the interruption of the energization of the movement direction indicator lamps is obtained by the axial displacement of the actuating rod 50 to its operating position, as described above in relation to the actuation of the electrical contacts 35, provided on the upper face of the cursor 30, against the electrical contacts 45-45 provided in an upper region of the contact base 40.

[0044] In a variant of the second embodiment, the cam surface 61 is concavely arched and provided with recesses 61a in which the cam follower 70 is seated and retained when the drive rod 50 is moved by the vehicle driver to the inoperative and operative positions, in which the slider 30 opens and closes, respectively, the electrical contacts 41-42; 41-43 of the movement direction indicator lamps, the cam follower 70 and the drive rod 50 being held in the position defined by a respective recess 61a, as long as there is no actuation of the conductor on the drive rod 50.

[0045] Still according to the second configuration, the drive rod 50 is provided, in its inner extreme region, with a blind axial hole 52 in which one end of a spring 53 is mounted and retained, having an opposite end fixing the cam follower 70 with ball head 71 partially housed in the blind axial hole 52 and which is kept seated against the cam surface 61 of the positioning element 60, the spring 53 being compressed upon axial displacement of the drive rod 50 to the operating position for energizing the lamps indicating an emergency condition or to cause the interruption of the energization of the lamps indicating the direction of movement, upon automatic return of the drive rod 50 to the inoperative position.

[0046] In order for the drive rod 50 to have angular and axial movements, the bearing 20 is incorporated into the median region of the drive rod 50 and provided with a slot 55, oblong and longitudinal in relation to the drive rod 50 and through which a vertical shaft 21 is arranged, which is lowerly mounted in a recess 11 provided in the housing 10, to allow the drive rod 50, by means of its bearing 20, to be moved angularly, to the right and to the left, around the vertical shaft 21, to the operating positions for energizing the movement direction indicator lamps, and also axially, along the slot 55, between the inoperative position and the operating position. energizing the lamps indicating an emergency condition or interrupting the energizing of the lamps indicating the direction of movement, when the drive rod 50 automatically returns to the inoperative position.

[0047] In order for the energization of the emergency condition indicator lamps to occur with the axial displacement of the actuating rod 50 and the cursor 30 against the contact base 40, the cursor 30 has a rear face provided with the elements already described related to the first configuration and which are defined by at least one pair of recesses 32, each housing and retaining an internal end of a spring 33 having an external end fixing a respective terminal 34 of the electrical contact bridge 31, the contact base 40 having a front face, facing the rear face of the cursor 30 and superficially carrying electrical contacts 41-42; 41-43 to be selectively opened and closed by the electrical contact bridge 31 as a function of the displacement of the cursor 30 to the right and to the left, between the inoperative position and the operative positions for energizing the movement direction indicator lamps.

[0048] In the construction of the second configuration, the upper region of the contact base 40 is also provided with electrical contacts 45, 45 (figures 8 to 12) to be selectively opened and closed, by the electrical contacts 35 of another electrical contact bridge 31a, provided on an upper face of the cursor 30, as a function of the approach and the distance of the latter in relation to the contact base 40, by the axial displacement of the actuation rod 50, between the inoperative position and the operative position of energization of the lamps indicating an emergency condition or actuation of the control module. electrical control of the vehicle.

[0049] As can be seen, the integrated switch device in question allows easy activation of the “emergency” function which is integrated, in the same housing, with the controls for activating the direction indicator lamps.

[0050] In addition to the advantage mentioned above and related to the easy activation of the “emergency” function in a standardized position, the switch device allows, in the first configuration, that the driver has a tactile indication that the “emergency” function has in fact been activated when the ball head 71 of the cam follower 70 is seated in a respective recess 62a of a second cam surface 62 of the positioning element 60.

[0051] Although only the construction configurations illustrated in the drawings have been presented, it should be understood that the integrated switch in question may present changes in the shapes of the component parts involved, as long as they are contained within the scope defined by the claims accompanying this descriptive report.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Device for switching direction indicator lamps on motorcycles or other vehicles provided with an electrical control module, characterized in that it comprises: a housing (10) housing a bearing (20), a cursor (30) movable in two orthogonal directions and carrying at least one electrical contact bridge (31, 31a), a contact base (40) carrying pairs of electrical contacts (41-42; 41-43; 44-44; 45-45) connected to the electrical control module of the vehicle and to the right and left direction indicator lamps and emergency condition lamps, respectively;and a drive rod (50) having an outer end provided with a grip button (51), a median region carried by the bearing (20) and an inner end coupled to the cursor (30) to move it in two orthogonal directions, and being displaceable: a) in a first direction, between an inoperative position and two operating positions, in each of the latter the cursor (30) is moved to the right or to the left, with its contact bridge (31) closing the electrical contacts (41-42; 41-43) of the respective movement direction indicator lamps; and b) in a second direction orthogonal to the first, between an inoperative position and an operating position, in which case the cursor (30) has its contact bridge (31, 31a) closing the electrical contacts (44-44;45-45) of energizing the lamps indicating an emergency condition or of interrupting the energizing of the lamps indicating the direction of movement.

2. Device, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that it comprises an element; 2 / 7 positioner (60) fixed in an internal median region of the housing (10) and presenting a first cam surface (61), which extends in a first direction of displacement of the cursor (30) to the right and to the left, and a second cam surface (62), concordant with the first cam surface (61) and which extends in a second direction orthogonal to the first and in a descending and / or ascending direction, the drive rod (50) carrying, in an extreme internal region, a cam follower (70) which is kept elastically pressed against the first and second cam surfaces (61, 62), defining, with the latter, the inoperative and operative positions of the drive rod (50), in which the cursor (30) opens and closes, respectively, the electrical contacts (41, 42; 41, 43) of the respective lamps indicating the direction of movement and the electrical contacts (44, 44) for energizing the lamps indicating an emergency condition. 3.Device, according to claim 2, characterized by the fact that the first cam surface (61) is smooth and arched, in a concave manner, forcing the actuating rod (50) to return to its inoperative position of interruption of the energization of the lamps in the condition of indication of direction of movement, when the action of the vehicle driver on the actuating rod (50) ceases, and the axial displacement of the actuating rod (50) in the second axial direction causes the turning off of the direction indicator lamps that are still energized at the end of a maneuver of change of direction of the vehicle, with the actuating rod (50) already automatically returned to the inoperative position. 3 / 7 4. Device according to either of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that the second cam surface (62) is concavely arched in a vertical plane and provided with a recess (62a) in which the cam follower (70) of the drive rod (50) is retained in the operating position of the latter. 5.Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the first and second cam surfaces (61, 62) are concavely arched and provided with recesses (61a, 62a) in which the cam follower (70) is seated and retained when the drive rod (50) is brought, by the driver of the vehicle, to the inoperative and operative positions, in which the slider (30) opens and closes, respectively, the electrical contacts (41-42; 41-43) of the lamps indicating the direction of movement and the electrical contacts (44-44) of the lamps indicating an emergency condition, the cam follower (70) and the drive rod (50) being held in the position defined by a respective recess (61a, 62a), as long as there is no action by the driver on the drive rod (50). 6.Device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the drive rod (50) is provided, in its inner extreme region, with a blind axial hole (52) in which one end of a spring (53) is mounted and retained, having an opposite end fixing the cam follower (70) defined by a ball head (71) partially housed in the blind axial hole (52) and which is kept seated and pressed against the first and second cam surfaces (61, 62) of the positioning element (60).

7. Device according to any one of claims. 4 / 7 claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the bearing (20) defines a universal articulation joint for mounting the median region of the drive rod (50).

8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the bearing (20) is longitudinally hollow and carries, at the bottom, a vertical shaft (21) that is rotatably mounted in a recess (11) provided in the housing 10, the bearing (20) being provided with side walls each presenting a slot (22), oblong in the longitudinal direction of the drive rod (50), for bearing the opposite end regions of a horizontal shaft (23) transversely fixed to the drive rod (50). 9.Device according to any one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that the cursor (30) has a rear face provided with at least one pair of recesses (32), each housing and retaining an internal end of a spring (33) having an external end fixing a respective terminal (34) of the electrical contact bridge (31), the contact base (40) having a front face, facing the rear face of the cursor (30) and carrying the electrical contacts (41-42; 41-43; 44-44) to be selectively opened and closed by the electrical contact bridge (31) depending on the positioning of the cursor (30). 10.Device, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that it comprises a positioning element (60) fixed in an internal median region of the housing (10) and presenting a cam surface (61), which extends in the direction of displacement of the cursor (30) to the right and to the left, the drive rod (50) carrying, in an extreme internal region, a follower. 5 / 7 cam (70) which is held elastically pressed against the cam surface (61), defining, with the latter, the inoperative and operative positions of the actuating rod (50), in which the cursor (30) opens and closes, respectively, the electrical contacts (41-42; 41-43) of the respective lamps indicating the direction of movement, the actuating rod (50) being displaceable axially, compressing the cam follower (70) against the cam surface (61) of the positioning element (60), from an inoperative position to an operative position in which the cursor (30) is displaced against the contact base (40), closing the electrical contacts (45, 45) for energizing the lamps indicating an emergency condition. 11.Device, according to claim 10, characterized by the fact that the cam surface (61) is smooth and arched, in a concave manner, forcing the actuation rod (50) to return to its inoperative position of de-energizing the lamps in the condition of indicating the direction of movement, when the vehicle driver ceases to act on the actuation rod (50).

12. Device according to claim 10, characterized in that the cam surface (61) is concavely arched and provided with recesses (61a) in which the cam follower (70) is seated and retained when the drive rod (50) is moved by the vehicle driver to the inoperative and operating positions, in which the cursor (30) opens and closes, respectively, the electrical contacts (41-42; 41-43) of the movement direction indicator lamps, the cam follower (70) and the drive rod (50) being held in the position defined by one. 6 / 7 respective recess (61a), as long as there is no action of the conductor on the actuating rod (50).

13. Device, according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized by the fact that the actuating rod (50) is provided, in its extreme internal region, with a blind axial hole (52) in which one end of a spring (53) is mounted and retained, having an opposite end fixing the cam follower (70) defined by a ball head (71) partially housed in the blind axial hole (52) and which is kept seated and pressed against the cam surface (61) of the positioning element (60), the spring (53) being compressed upon axial displacement of the actuating rod (50) to the operating position for energizing the lamps indicating an emergency condition. 14.Device according to any one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the bearing (20) is incorporated into the median region of the drive rod (50) and provided with a slot (55), oblong and longitudinal in relation to the drive rod (50) and through which a vertical shaft (21) is arranged which is mounted below in a recess (11) provided in the housing (10), the drive rod (50) being displaceable, angularly and by means of its bearing (20), to the right and to the left, around the vertical axis (21), to the operating positions for energizing the lamps indicating the direction of movement, and also axially, along its slot (55), between the inoperative position and the operating position for energizing the lamps indicating an emergency condition or interruption of the energization of the lamps indicating the direction of movement, upon automatic return of the rod. 7 / 7 actuation (50) to the inoperative position.

15. Device according to any one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that the cursor (30) has a rear face provided with at least one pair of recesses (32), each housing and retaining an internal end of a spring (33) having an external end fixing a respective terminal (34) of the electrical contact bridge (31), the contact base (40) having a front face, facing the rear face of the cursor (30) and superficially carrying electrical contacts (41-42;41- 43) to be selectively opened and closed by the electrical contact bridge (31) depending on the displacement of the cursor (30) to the right and to the left, between the inoperative position and the operating positions for energizing the lamps indicating the direction of movement, the cursor (30) having an upper face provided with another contact bridge (31a) with electrical contacts (35) that open and close electrical contacts (45-45) provided in an upper region of the contact base (40), depending on the approach and distance of the cursor (30) in relation to the contact base (40), by the axial displacement of the actuation rod (50), between the inoperative position and the operating position for energizing the lamps indicating an emergency condition or actuation of the vehicle's electrical control module.;

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