VEHICLE SWITCH ARRANGEMENT STRUCTURE

• US 20100194136A1
• Filed: 12/11/2009
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Inoue, Masahiro, Yashiro, Tomohiko, SHIRATORI, Kenichi, Yamamoto, Sho
• Granted Patent: US 8,240,738 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0076 Switches therefor B60Q1/1446, B60Q1/343, B60Q1/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 6/16 Arrangement of switches

Abstract

A switch box includes an optical-axis-changeover switch for headlamps, an on/off-changeover switch for the headlamps and a starter switch arranged on the same operation board. A main switch can turn on and off a main electric source of an MUV 1 in cooperation with a portable key. The switch box and the main switch are arranged on the instrument panel. The switch box is partially or fully disposed in a projective area of the steering wheel in a driver'"'"'s eyesight. The starter switch is made to be of a push-type, whereas the optical-axis-changeover switch and the on/off-changeover switch for the headlamps are made to be of a seesaw-type. A segment display of a meter device includes a unit indication member for switchably indicating kilometer indication and mile indication by displaying only an arbitrary display element of a plurality of display elements arranged adjacently to each other in a horizontal direction.

Claims

1. A vehicle switch arrangement structure applied to a vehicle including a vehicle body panel, the vehicle body panel being composed of a steering wheel column covering a steering shaft of a steering wheel and an instrument panel on which the steering wheel column is installed to be erected upright, in which a starter switch adapted to start an engine by being operated when a main electric source of the vehicle is turned on, and a main switch adapted to changeover on/off of the main electric source of the vehicle in cooperation with a portable key are arranged on the vehicle body panel, the vehicle switch arrangement structure comprising:

at least one lamp switch adapted to switch an operating state of a lamp; and

a switch box having an operation board and the lamp switch and the starter switch arranged on the operation board;

wherein the switch box is independent of the main switch and is disposed on the vehicle body panel in the vicinity of the main switch.

2. The vehicle switch arrangement structure according to claim 1, wherein the switch box and the main switch are arranged on the instrument panel.

3. The vehicle switch arrangement structure according to claim 1, wherein the switch box is disposed to partially or fully fit in a projective area of the steering wheel in a driver'"'"'s eyesight.

4. The vehicle switch arrangement structure according to claim 2, wherein the switch box is disposed to partially or fully fit in a projective area of the steering wheel in a driver'"'"'s eyesight.

5. The vehicle switch arrangement structure according to claim 1, wherein the lamp switch and the starter switch are shaped differently from each other.

6. The vehicle switch arrangement structure according to claim 2, wherein the lamp switch and the starter switch are shaped differently from each other.

7. The vehicle switch arrangement structure according to claim 3, wherein the lamp switch and the starter switch are shaped differently from each other.

8. The vehicle switch arrangement structure according to claim 5,

wherein the starter switch is composed of a push-type switch, and

the lamp switch is composed of a plurality of seesaw-type switches which are arranged adjacent to each other to have respective longitudinal sides opposed to each other.

9. The vehicle switch arrangement structure according to claim 8,

wherein the lamp switch is composed of a headlamp optical-axis-changeover switch and a headlamp on/off-changeover switch, and

an erecting member is provided to surround one of the headlamp optical-axis-changeover switch and the headlamp on/off-changeover switch.

10. The vehicle switch arrangement structure according to claim 1,

wherein the switch box is configured such that the starter switch is disposed below the headlamp switch, and

the main switch is disposed adjacently to and below the switch box.

11. The vehicle switch arrangement structure according to claim 2,

wherein the switch box is configured such that the starter switch is disposed below the headlamp switch, and

the main switch is disposed adjacently to and below the switch box.

12. The vehicle switch arrangement structure according to claim 3,

wherein the switch box is configured such that the starter switch is disposed below the headlamp switch, and

the main switch is disposed adjacently to and below the switch box.

13. The vehicle switch arrangement structure according to claim 5,

wherein the switch box is configured such that the starter switch is disposed below the headlamp switch, and

the main switch is disposed adjacently to and below the switch box.

14. The vehicle switch arrangement structure according to claim 8,

wherein the switch box is configured such that the starter switch is disposed below the headlamp switch, and

the main switch is disposed adjacently to and below the switch box.

15. The vehicle switch arrangement structure according to claim 9,

wherein the switch box is configured such that the starter switch is disposed below the headlamp switch, and

the main switch is disposed adjacently to and below the switch box.

16. The vehicle switch arrangement structure according to claim 1,

wherein a fluorescent coating is applied to the lamp switch and the starter switch.

17. A vehicle switch arrangement structure according to claim 1 and further including a meter device comprising:

unit indication means including a plurality of display elements each producing a display in a predetermined range; and

display control means for switchably displaying one of or the other of units by displaying only an arbitrary display element of the plurality of display elements;

wherein the plurality of display elements are arranged adjacent to each other in a horizontal direction; and

the unit indication means includes at least one common display element repeatedly displayed even if any of the one of or the other of units is displayed.

18. The vehicle switch arrangement structure according to claim 17,

wherein the unit indication means is a speed-unit indication means disposed on the right of numeral indication to indicate speed-unit;

the vehicle meter device includes input means for performing selection between kilometer indication and mile indication;

the speed-unit indication means includes a first display element visually recognized as a shape of a “

k,”

a second indication means disposed right next to the first display element and visually recognized as a shape of a “

m,”

a third display element disposed right next to the second indication element and visually recognized as a shape of a straight line, a fourth display element disposed right next to the third display element and visually recognized as a shape of a circular arc, and a fifth display element disposed right next to the fourth display element and visually recognized as a shape of a “

h;

”

the third display element and the fourth display element are arranged to be visually recognized as a shape of a “

p”

when both are displayed simultaneously; and

the display control section is configured to display the first display element, the second display element, the third display element and the fifth display element when the kilometer indication is selected based on a selection signal from the input means and to display the second display element, the third display element and the fourth display element and the fifth display element when the mile indication is selected.

19. The vehicle switch arrangement structure according to claim 17,

wherein the unit indication means is distance-unit indication means disposed on the right of numeral indication to indicate distance-unit;

the meter device includes input means for performing selection between kilometer indication and mile indication;

the distance-unit indication means includes a first display element visually recognized as a shape of a “

k,”

a second display element disposed right next to the first display element and visually recognized as a shape of a “

m,”

a third display element disposed right next to the second display element and visually recognized as a shape of an “

i,”

a fourth display element disposed right next to the third display element and visually recognized as a shape of a “

l,” and

a fifth display element disposed right next to the fourth display element and visually recognized as a shape of an “

e;

” and

the display control section is configured to display the first display element and the second display element when the kilometer indication is selected based on a selection signal from the input means and to display the second display element, the third display element and the fourth display element and the fifth display element when the mile indication is selected.

20. The vehicle switch arrangement structure according to claim 19,

wherein the time-unit indication means is disposed above or below the distance-unit indication means and visually recognized as a shape of a “

h,” and

the display control means is configured to switchably display the distance-unit indication means and the time-unit indication means.