Light responsive switch structure for use in a motor vehicle or the like

• US 4,577,117 A
• Filed: 06/06/1983
• Issued: 03/18/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki-Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki-Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
• Inventors: Takeda, Nobuhiro, Hattori, Masaichi, Hanaki, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, J. R.
• Application Number:
  US06/501,493
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 200/12, 200/61.3, 200/153 J, 335/190, 335/164, 335/186-189, 340/942, 340/902, 340/904, 250/215, 307/10 LS, 315/82, 315/83, 315/149, 315/154, 315/155, 315/157, 315/159
• US Class Current: 307/10.8
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1423 Automatic dimming circuits, i.e. switching between high beam and low beam due to change of ambient light or light level in road traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1469 controlled by or attached to a single lever, e.g. steering column stalk switches
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/146 Abnormalities, e.g. fail-safe
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle

Abstract

A switch structure comprising an actuator reciprocally movably mounted on a casing so as to control a contact structure, a cardio-shaped grooved cam provided with the actuator, a wire spring secured at one end to the casing and disposed at other free end in the grooved cam, a locker structure which alternatively holds the actuator at a return position or at an operative position by selectively engaging the free end of the wire spring with the first or second engagement portions each provided with the grooved cam, and an electromagnetic solenoid which releases the free end of the wire spring from the second engagement portion.

Claims

1. A dimmer switch device for use with head lamps of an automotive vehicle for automatically changing the head lamps only from high beam to low beam comprising;

(1) manually operative means (16,39) disposed for reciprocal movement between a return position (N) and an operative position (C) by manual operation and always being urged in the direction of the return position by a spring member (19);

(2) a slider (2) is moved in the direction of an operative position from a return position by said manually operative means (16) against the force of a return spring (3) within a body (1);

(3) a locking structure (6) including a grooved cam (4) formed in a surface of the slider (2) and a cam follower (5), one end of said cam follower being secured to said body,

said grooved cam (4) defining an endless loop-shaped configuration and having a first engagement portion (a) for holding said manually operative means at the return position, and a second engagement portion (b) for holding said manually operative means at the operative position, each of said engagement portions being provided where the grooved cam (4) intersects with the direction of movement of said slider (2),

(4) said cam follower (5) including a spring means and a free end of which reiterates the movement around the groove of the grooved cam with the engagement with each of said engagement portions (a) and (b) and the disengagement therefrom each time said slider (2) reciprocally moves,

the free end (5b) of said cam follower (5) engaging the first engagement portion (a) of the grooved cam when the slider (2) occupies the return position and engaging the second engagement portion when the slider (2) occupies the operative position;

(5) a cancelling member (21) disposed for slidable movement at one side of the body (1), said cancelling member (21) engage part of the cam follower (5) with movement in a predetermined direction only when the free end (5b) thereof occupies the second engagement portion (b) and further to disengage said free end (5b) from the second engagement portion (b), whereby the slider (2) is allowed to move in the direction of the return position by means of the spring (3);

(6) an electromagnetic solenoid (24) which moves the cancelling member (21) in said return direction when energized;

(7) an electric circuit having a photo sensing means for detecting the light from an on-coming vehicle and thereby energizing the electromagnetic solenoid (24) in response to an output of the photo sensing means in order to move the manually operative means back to the return position; and

(8) a contact structure associated with said slider, said contact structure holding the head lamp (25) at the low-beam position when the slider (2) occupies the return position (a) and holding the head lamp (25) at the high-beam position when the slider (2) occupies the operative position (b).

2. A dimmer switch device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said spring means of said cam follower comprises a linear-shaped spring.

3. A dimmer switch device as set forth in claim 1, wherein;

said slider is disposed in said body and operatively associated with lighting control means which is moveable between an on position which activates the head lamp circuit and an off position which deactivates said head lamp circuit, and releasing said cam follower from said second engagement portion when said lighting control means is deactivated.

4. A dimmer switch device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said slider reciprocates longitudinally along an axis defined by said direction of movement of said actuator.

5. A dimmer switch device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first engagement portion and said second engagement portion are provided where said grooved cam intersects with said axis.

6. A dimmer switch device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said actuator is mounted for longitudinal reciprocation between said return position and said operative position.

7. A dimmer switch device for use with head lamps of an automotive vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising;

a lighting lever, an auxiliary cancelling member disposed for movement in association with said lighting lever, said auxiliary cancelling member engaging the cam follower when said lighting lever occupies a position (OFF) or (S L) to turn off the head lamp and to release the cam follower from the engagement with the second engagement portion.