Device for transmitting through an optical coupling data issuing from a steering wheel to an element mounted on a vehicle

• US 4,678,906 A
• Filed: 11/22/1985
• Issued: 07/07/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ECIA - Equipements et Composants Pour L'Industrie Automobile
• Original Assignee: Aciers et Outillage Peugeot
• Inventors: Bertot, Maurice, Rudi, Alain
• Primary Examiner(s): LaRoche, Eugene R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MIS, DAVID C
• Application Number:
  US06/800,871
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 250/227, 250/551, 455/602
• US Class Current: 250/227.32
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/027 between relatively movable parts of the vehicle, e.g. between steering wheel and column devices for measuring, signalling or controlling tyre pressure or temperature specially adapted for mounting on vehicles B60C23/00

Abstract

This device for transmitting data, coming from a plurality of control elements (8 to 11) mounted on a steering wheel of a motor vehicle, to a system recognizing the data and also mounted on the vehicle, comprises light sources (12 to 15) mounted on the steering wheel and respectively connected to the control elements. The light sources are disposed in such manner as to cooperate with annular means (16 to 19) coaxial with the steering wheel for transmitting light to photosensitive detectors (30 to 33) mounted on the vehicle and adapted to actuate loads corresponding to the actuated control elements, irrespective of the position of the light sources relative to the photosensitive detectors.

Claims

1. A device, in combination with a plurality of control elements which are mounted on a steering wheel of a motor vehicle and which emit data and a system recognizing said data and mounted on the vehicle, for transmitting said data from said control elements to said system, said device comprising a plurality of light sources mounted on the steering wheel and respectively connected to said control elements, annular means coaxial with the steering wheel, photosensitive detectors mounted on the vehicle and corresponding to said light sources, said light sources being disposed in such manner as to cooperate with said annular means so as to transmit light to said corresponding detectors irrespective of the position of each photosensitive detector relative to the light source with which it is coupled, said photosensitive detectors being adapted to actuate loads corresponding to the actuated ones of said control elements, each of the light transmitting annular means comprising a planar side disposed in confronting relation to the corresponding photosensitive detector and in which side is formed at least one notch, and a side for reflecting the light propagated in said annular means in which reflecting side is provided at least one recess in which at least one light source is disposed, and wherein said rereflecting side corresponds in projection, when viewed from a side, to two straight lines defining a wide V-shaped recess.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein inner and outer cylindrical sides of the annular means are covered with a layer of opaque material.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said photosensitive detectors are disposed on a side of a double-sided printed circuit board and devices for processing and amplifying output signals of said photosensitive detectors are disposed on an opposite side of said board.

4. A device, in combination with (1) a plurality of control elements which are mounted on a steering wheel of a motor vehicle and which emit data and (2) a system recognizing said data and mounted on the vehicle, for transmitting said data from said control elements to said system, said device comprising a plurality of light sources mounted on the steering wheel and respectively connected to said control elements, annular means coaxial with the steering wheel, photosensitive detectors mounted on the vehicle and corresponding to said light sources, said light sources being disposed in such manner as to cooperate with said annular means so as to transmit light to said corresponding detectors irrespective of the position of each photosensitive detector relative to the light source with which it is coupled, said photosensitive detectors being adapted to actuate loads corresponding to the actuated ones of said control elements, each of the light transmitting annular means comprising a planar side disposed in confronting relation to the corresponding photosensitive detector and in which side is formed at least one notch, and a side for reflecting the light propagated in said annular means in which reflecting side is provided at least one recess in which at least one light source is disposed, and wherein inner and outer cylindrical sides of the annular means are covered with a layer of opaque material.

5. A device, in combination with (1) a plurality of control elements which are mounted on a steering wheel of a motor vehicle and which emit data and (2) a system recognizing said data and mounted on the vehicle, for transmitting said data from said control elements to said system, said device comprising a plurality of light sources mounted on the steering wheel and respectively connected to said control elements, annular means coaxial with the steering wheel, photosensitive detectors mounted on the vehicle and corresponding to said light sources, said light sources being disposed in such manner as to cooperate with said annular means so as to transmit light to said corresponding detectors irrespective of the position of each photosensitive detector relative to the light source with which it is coupled, said photosensitive detectors being adapted to actuate loads corresponding to the actuated ones of said control elements, wherein said photosensitive detectors are disposed on a side of a double-sided printed circuit board and devices for processing and amplifying output signals of said photosensitive detectors are disposed on an opposite side of said board.