Rally-oriented meter device for motorcycles

• US 4,740,905 A
• Filed: 03/04/1985
• Issued: 04/26/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Takano, Kiyoshi, Murakami, Hiroshi, Ogawa, Sumitaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Lall, Parshotam S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dixon, Joseph L.
• Application Number:
  US06/708,122
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424, 364/446, 364/449, 364/561, 364/565, 364/569, 364/571, 434/61, 272/73, 340/323 R, 235/95 R, 324/166
• US Class Current: 702/96
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/002 for cycles
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/10 using counting means or digital clocks

Abstract

A rally-oriented meter device for motorcycles, includes a meter unit, a fixing assembly for fixing the meter unit in the vicinity of a handle bar of the motorcycle, and a sensor for detecting the number of revolutions of a front wheel of the motorcycle. The meter unit has an internal electric circuit, a display section, and an operational section. The internal electric circuit comprises an integration circuitry for an integration of a travel distance of the motor cycle. A correction circuitry provides the integration circuitry with a correction signal representing a correlation factor. The operational section comprises a calibration switch system for providing a control signal for commanding the correction circuitry to start and stop an action thereof to determine the correction factor. The display section comprises a first display element for displaying the travel distance in a predetermined unit, and a second display element for displaying the travel distance in a unit smaller than the predetermined unit. The fixing assembly is to detachably attach the meter unit in the vicinity of the handle bar. The sensor is secured to a front fork of the motor cycle and disconnectably connected through a connector to the internal electric circuit. The display section and the operational section are both provided in an upper face of the meter unit. The calibration switch system comprises a calibration switch. The calibration switch has a lower height than a top face of the display section.

Claims

1. A rally-oriented meter device for a motorcycle having a handle bar and a road wheel, comprising:

a meter;

a fixing means for detachably fixing said meter in the vicinity of said handle bar wherein said fixing means includes

a projected part projected from said meter,

a flanged part circumferentially formed on said projected part,

a cushioning member formed with an opening for inserting therethrough said flanged part, and fitted on said projected part,

a stay member formed with an opening for inserting therethrough said flanged part, and secured to said handle bar, and

a clip member to be inserted between said flanged part and said stay member, as said cushioning member is fitted on said projected part and said flanged part is inserted through said opening of said stay member;

a speed sensor for detecting a number of revolutions of said road wheel;

internal circuit means built in said meter for receiving an output signal from said speed sensor, said speed sensor is fixed in the vicinity of the upper part of a front fork of said motorcycle, and said speed sensor is disconnectably connected through a connector means to said internal circuit means in said meter;

power source means for supplying electric power to said internal circuit means;

display means disposed on the outside of said meter for receiving an output signal from said internal circuit means and for displaying at least a travel distance of said motorcycle;

switch means disposed on the outside of said meter and connected to said internal circuit means to provide a control signal to said internal circuit means;

said internal circuit means including

travel distance integration circuit means for receiving said output signal from said speed sensor to execute an integration of said travel distance and for providing a drive signal which is a value of said integration of said travel distance to be displayed on said display means; and

correction signal providing circuit means for providing a correction signal which is a correction factor for correcting said output signal from said speed sensor which is input to said travel distance integration means; and

said switch means including calibration switch means for providing said control signal indicating a starting of and a stopping of an action to determine said correction factor to said correction signal providing circuit means.

2. A rally-oriented meter device according to claim 1, wherein:

said internal circuit means further includes selection circuit means connected to said calibration switch means; and

said selection circuit means provides, when said calibration switch means is kept operated for a first predetermined time, said control signal to said correction signal providing circuit means.

3. A rally-oriented meter device according to claim 2, wherein:

said travel distance integration circuit means comprises;

a correction circuit for receiving said output signal from said speed sensor and said correction signal from said correction signal providing circuit means and for producing a predetermined signal each time when said motorcycle has travelled a predetermined unit distance;

a distance integration circuit for receiving said predetermined signal from said correction circuit to integrate said travel distance of said motorcycle; and

a memory circuit for storing said content of said integration of said distance integration circuit.

4. A rally-oriented meter device according to claim 3, wherein:

when siad calibration switch means is operated for a second predetermined time longer than said first predetermined time, said selection circuit means produces a select signal and provides said select signal to said travel distance integration circuit means;

said control signal produced by said calibration switch means is further provided to said distance integration circuit;

when said distance integration circuit is given said select signal for the first time after an application of said electric power, said distance integration circuit clears out said current value of said integration and, when given said select signal thereafter, said distance integration circuit sends said current value of said integration to said memory circuit before clearing the same; and

when said distance integration circuit is given said control signal two times after having once received select signal said distance integration circuit adds a current value of a memory as stored in said memory circuit to said value of said integration.

5. A rally-oriented meter device according to claim 4, wherein:

said value of said memory circuit is cleared when said power source means is put in service.

6. A rally-oriented meter device according to claim 3, wherein:

said display means comprises a travel distance display part having a first display element for displaying said travel distance of said motorcycle in said predetermined unit by a first predetermined number of figures, and a second display element for displaying said travel distance in a unit smaller by one place than said predetermined unit by a second predetermined number of figures; and

said internal circuit means further includes referential distance integration circuit means for receiving said output signal from said speed sensor and said correction signal from said correction signal providing circuit means for providing a drive signal to said second display element.

7. A rally-oriented meter device according to claim 6, wherein:

said first display element is different in display color from said second display element.

8. A rally-oriented meter device according to claim 1, wherein:

said display means comprises a clock display part and a vehicle speed display part; and

said internal circuit means further includes clock circuit means for a time integration and to provide a display drive signal to said clock display part, and a vehicle speed calculation circuit means connected to said speed sensor and to said clock circuit means and to provide a display drive signal to said vehicle speed display part.

9. A rally-oriented meter device according to claim 1, wherein:

said stay member is secured to said handle bar, so as to frontwardly extend therefrom; and

said projected part is formed at the bottom of said meter proper.

10. A rally-oriented meter device according to claim 9, wherein:

said clip member is inserted, at the front of said meter proper, between said flanged part and said stay member.

11. A rally-oriented meter device according to claim 10, wherein:

said motorcycle has a cover member to be disposed in close vicinity to, while covering, the front part of said meter as fixed to said stay member, and to be detachably attached to a body part of said motorcycle.

12. A rally-oriented meter device according to claim 11, wherein:

said cover member comprises a racing number plate detachably attached to said front fork.

13. A rally-oriented meter device according to claim 1, wherein:

said opening of said cushioning member is substantially equal in size to said projected part.

14. A rally-oriented meter device according to claim 1, wherein:

said fixing means is for fixing said meter in front of a substantially central part of said handle bar of said motorcycle;

said display means and said switch means on said meter comprises a display section provided in an upper face of said meter and a switch group disposed in an operational section provided in said upper face of said meter;

said upper face of said meter has between said display section and said operational section a stepped portion for making a top face of said display section higher than said operational section;

said switch group comprises at least a calibration switch constituting said calibration switch means; and

said calibration switch comprises a press-on type switch projecting from said operational section to have a top face thereof lower than said top face of said display section.

15. A rally-oriented meter device according to claim 14, wherein:

said display section is provided on said upper face of said meter proper, at the far side thereof from said handle bar;

said operational section is provided on said upper face of said meter proper, at the near side thereof to said handle bar; and

said switch group is connected to said travel distance integration circuit means, and further comprises at least one correction switch for correcting said content of said integration of said travel distance integration circuit means.

16. A rally-oriented meter device according to claim 15, wherein

said correction switch comprises a seesaw type switch, when said correction switch is tilted to be operated to the left, and then to the right, said correction switch exhibits a given function thereof;

and

said operational section has a protection member disposed between said display section and said correction switch and formed to be higher at the upper end thereof than the upper end of said correction switch.

17. A rally-oriented meter device according to claim 15, wherein:

said correction switch comprises a seesaw type switch to, when tilted to be operated to the left and then right, exhibit a given function thereof;

said display section is provided with a cover glass extending over the entire area of said display section; and

said cover glass has along the rear edge thereof a rib formed, integrally therewith, to be higher at the upper edge thereof than the upper end of said seesaw type switch.

18. A rally-oriented meter device according to claim 15, wherein:

said correction switch comprises a seesaw type switch to, when frontwardly and rearwardly tilted to be operated, exhibit a given function thereof.

19. A rally-oriented meter device according to claim 15, wherein:

said correction switch comprises a rocking type switch to, when rocked to be operated to the left and then right, exhibit a given function thereof; and

said rocking type switch is lower at the upper end thereof than said top face of said display section.

20. A rally-oriented meter device according to claim 14, wherein:

said meter has on a side wall thereof a power switch serving for said power source; and

said power switch being a push-button switch which extends into and projects out of a recess in said meter to, when turned on, become flushed with said side wall of said meter.

21. A rally-oriented meter device according to claim 20, wherein:

said power switch is configured to be of a cylindrical form with a diameter not exceeding approximately 18 mm.

22. A rally-oriented meter device for a motorcycle having a handle bar and a road wheel, comprising:

a meter;

fixing means for fixing said meter in the vicinity of said handle bar;

a speed sensor for detaching a number of revolutions of said road wheel;

internal circuit means built in said meter for receiving an output signal from said speed sensor;

power source means for supplying electric power to said internal circuit means;

display means disposed on the outside of said meter for receiving an output signal from said internal circuit means and for displaying at least a travel distance of said motorcycle;

switch means disposed on the outside of said meter and connected to said internal circuit means to provide a control signal to said internal circuit means;

said internal circuit means including;

travel distance integration circuit means for receiving said output signal from said speed sensor to execute an integration of said travel distance and for providing a drive signal representing a value of said integration of said travel distance to be displayed on said display means; and

correction signal providing circuit means for providing a correction signal representing a correction factor for correcting said output signal from said speed sensor which is input to said travel distance integration circuit means; and

said switch means including calibration switch means for providing said control signal indicating a starting of and a stopping of an action to determine said correction factor to said correction signal providing circuit means;

said travel distance integration circuit means comprises

a correction circuit for receiving said output signal from said speed sensor and said correction signal from said correction signal providing circuit means and for producing a predetermined signal each time when said motorcycle has traveled a predetermined unit distance,

a distance integration circuit for receiving said predetermined signal from said correction circuit to integrate said travel distance of said motorcycle, and

a memory circuit for storing said value to said integration of said distance integration circuit;

said internal circuit means further includes selection circuit means connected to said calibration switch means; and

said selection circuit means provides, when said calibration switch means is operated for a first predetermined time, said control signal to said correction signal providing circuit means;

when said calibration switch means is operated to a second predetermined time longer than said first predetermined time, said selection circuit means produces a select signal and provides said select signal to said travel distance integration circuit means;

said control signal produced by said calibration switch means is further provided to said distance integration circuit;

when said distance integration circuit is given said select signal for the first time after an application of said electric power, said distance integration circuit clears out said current value of said integration and, when given said select signal thereafter, said distance integration circuit sends said current value of said integration of said memory circuit before clearing the same; and

when said distance integration circuit is given said control signal two times after having once received said select signal, said distance interpretation circuit adds a current value of a memory as stored in said memory circuit to said value of said integration; and

said correction signal providing circuit means comprises

an actual distance integration circuit for receiving said output signal from said speed sensor and said control signal, when said actual distance integration circuit is given said control signal for an odd-numbered time after said application of said electric power, said actual distance integration circuit clears a current value of integration and, thereafter, integrates said travel distance of said motorcycle on the basis of said output signal from said speed sensor and, when said actual distance information circuit is given said control signal for the even-numbered time subsequent to said odd-numbered time, said actual distance integration circuit fixes said current value of integration and produces a distance integration signal representing said value of integration,

a reference distance memory circuit for storing a predetermined reference distance and to outpout a reference distance signal which is a current value of memory as stored, and

a correction factor calculation circuit for receiving said distance integration signal and said reference distance signal to calculate a correction factor and for providing said correction signal representing said correction factor to said correction circuit of said travel distance integration circuit means.

23. A rally-oriented meter device according to claim 22, wherein:

said correction factor calculation circuit is to, just after said application of said electric power, output said correction signal, having set said correction factor at a one-to-one ratio, and, when given said distance integration signal representing said value of integration of said actual distance integration circuit, said value of integration not lying within a predetermined proportion of said predetermined reference distance signal as represented by said reference distance signal, said correction factor calculation circuit stops a calculation of said correction factor and, thereafter, outputs said correction signal, having set said correction factor at one-to-one.

24. A rally-oriented meter device according to claim 23, wherein:

said predetermined proportion is substantially within a range of 90% to 110%.

25. A rally-oriented meter device according to claim 22, wherein:

said display means has a calibration indicator for indicating an execution of a calibration to determine said correction factor of said correction signal providing circuit means; and

said calibration indicator is for receiving said control signal from said calibration switch means, when given said control signal for an odd-numbered time after said application of said electric power said indicator being activated and, when given said control signal for the even-numbered time subsequent to said odd-numbered time said indicator being deactivated.

26. A rally-oriented meter device for a motorcycle having a handle bar and a road wheel, comprising:

a meter;

fixing means for fixing said meter in the vicinity of said handle bar;

a speed sensor for detecting a number of revolutions of said road wheel;

internal circuit means built in said meter for receiving an output signal from said speed sensor;

power source means for supplying an electric power to said internal circuit means;

display means disposed on the outside of said meter for receiving an output signal from said internal circuit means and for displaying at least a travel distance of said motorcycle;

switch means disposed on the outside of said meter and connected to said internal circuit means to provide a control signal to said internal circuit means;

said internal circuit means including

travel distance integration circuit means for receiving said output signal from said speed sensor to execute an integration of said travel distance and for providing a drive signal representing a value of said integration of said travel distance to be displayed on said display means; and

correction signal providing circuit means for providing a correction signal representing a correction factor for correcting said output signal from said speed sensor which is input to said travel distance integration circuit means; and

said switch means including calibration switch means for providing said control signal indicating a starting of and a stopping of an action to determine said correction factor to said correction signal providing circuit means;

said travel distance integration circuit means comprises

a correction circuit for receiving said output signal from said speed sensor and said correction signal from said correction signal providing circuit means and for producing a predetermined signal each time when said motorcycle has traveled a predetermined unit distance,

a distance integration circuit for receiving said predetermined signal from said correction circuit to integrate said travel distance of said motorcycle, and

a memory circuit for storing said value of said integration of said distance integration circuit;

said internal circuit means further includes selection circuit means connected to said calibration switch means, said selection circuit means provides, when said calibration switch means is operated for a first predetermined time, said control signal to said correction signal providing circuit means;

wherein

said display means comprises a travel distance display part having a first display element for displaying said travel distance of said motorcycle in said predetermined unit by a first predetermined number of figures, and a second display element for displaying said travel distance in a unit smaller by one place than said predetermined unit by a second predetermined number of figures;

said internal circuit means further includes referential distance integration circuit means for receiving said output signal from said speed sensor and said correction signal from said correction signal providing circuit means and for providing a drive signal to said second display element;

said referential distance integration circuit means comprises

a division circuit for receiving said correction signal, and to divide said correction factor represented by said correction signal by a ratio between said predetermined unit and said unit lower by one place to determine a second correction factor and output a second correction signal representing said second correction factor,

a correction circuit for receiving said output signal from said speed sensor and said second correction signal from said division circuit, and to, each time when the motorcycle travels a distance in said unit lower by one place than said predetermined unit, produce a second predetermined signal, and

an assistant integration circuit for receiving said second predetermined signal to execute an integration of said travel distance of said motorcycle, and for providing a drive signal representing a value of said integration to said second display element.

27. A rally-oriented meter device according to claim 26, wherein:

said second display element comprises a single indication element for indicating one figure of the lowest place of said travel distance in said unit lower by one place than said predetermined unit.

28. A rally-oriented meter device according to claim 27, wherein:

said single indication element constituting said second display element is smaller in size than each of indication elements representing figures of respective places of said first display element.

29. A rally-oriented meter device according to claim 28, wherein:

said single indication element constituting said second display element is disposed in close vicinity to said first display element.

30. A rally-oriented meter device according to claim 29, wherein:

said single indication element constituting said second display element is substantially 2/3 in both height and width dimensions of each of said indication elements representing said figures of said respective places of said first display element.

31. A rally-oriented meter device for a motorcycle having a handle bar and a road wheel, comprising:

a meter;

fixing means for fixing said meter in the vicinity of said handle bar;

a speed sensor for detecting a number of revolutions of said road wheel;

internal circuit means built in said meter for receiving an output signal from said speed sensor;

power source means for supplying electric power to said internal circuit means;

display means disposed on the outside of said meter for receiving an output signal from said internal circuit means and for displaying at least a travel distance of said motorcycle;

switch means disposed on the outside of said meter and connected to said internal circuit means to provide a control signal to said internal circuit means;

said internal circuit means including;

travel distance integration circuit means for receiving said output signal from said speed sensor to execute an integration of said travel distance and for providing a drive signal representing a value of said integration of said travel distance to be displayed on said display means; and

correction signal providing circuit means for providing a correction signal representing a correction factor for correcting said output signal from said speed sensor which is input to said travel distance integration circuit means; and

said switch means including calibration switch means for providing said control signal indicating a starting of and a stopping of an action to determine said correction factor to said correction signal providing circuit means, wherein said correction signal providing circuit means comprises a means for determing whether or not a value of said drive signal falls within a predetermined range, a center value of said range being a reference value, said correction signal providing circuit means also comprising a means for fixing said correction factor at a one-to-one ratio when said value of said drive signal does not fall within said range, whereby a correction does not occur due to the correction factor being one-to-one.