Operating switch and parking brake control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10399553-B2
Application number	US-201615755316-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2016
Priority date	Aug 31, 2015
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

An operating switch for commanding actuation of an electric parking brake mechanism includes two input terminals and two output terminals, a pair of two wirings for each input-terminal/output-terminal pair of the two input terminals and the two output terminals, each of the wirings being located between the input terminals and the two output terminals, a first switch element provided for the input terminals or the output terminals, and configured to switch connections to the two wirings, according to a command for the actuation, and a second switch element connected to one wiring of the two wirings that connects the input terminals and the output terminals when the command for the actuation given to the first switch element is set to a mode of non-operation. The second switch element is configured to switch connections to the two output terminals or the two input terminals, according to the command for the actuation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An operating switch for commanding an actuation of an electric parking brake mechanism, comprising:
two input terminals and two output terminals;
a pair of two wirings for each input-terminal/output-terminal pair of the two input terminals and the two output terminals, each of the wirings being located between the input terminals and two output terminals;
a first switch element provided for the input terminals or the output terminals, and configured to switch connections to the two wirings, according to a command for the actuation; and
a second switch element connected to one wiring of the two wirings that connects the input terminals and the output terminals when the command for the actuation given to the first switch element is set to a mode of non-operation, the second switch element being configured to switch connections to the two output terminals or the two input terminals, according to the command for the actuation, wherein
of the pair of two wirings, at least either the one wiring or the other wiring other than the one wiring is provided with resistances that differ in value from each other.

2. The operating switch according to claim 1 , wherein:
the two input terminals and the two output terminals are such that one of the input terminals and one of the output terminals form an electrically associated pair; and
of the two wirings, the other wiring is connected to the one of the output terminals or the one of the input terminals, which is paired up with the one of the input terminals or the one of the output terminals.

3. An operating switch for commanding a mode of non-operation, a mode of brake actuation, and a mode of brake release, as actuations of an electric parking brake mechanism, the operating switch comprising:
two input terminals;
two output terminals;
four resistance wires provided between the two input terminals and the two output terminals and respectively including resistance elements that differ in value from each other;
a first switch element configured to simultaneously switch connections between the two input terminals, and two first resistance wires and the other two second resistance wires, of the four resistance wires, which first and second resistance wires are connected to the respective output terminals, and on the other, according to a mode command indicative of any of the mode of non-operation, the mode of brake actuation, and the mode of brake release; and
a second switch element configured to simultaneously switch connections between the two first resistance wires and the two respective output terminals, according to the mode command, wherein
the two output terminals are configured to output respective signals that differ from each other, according to the mode command.

4. The operating switch according to claim 1 , wherein a vehicle electric power source is connected to the two input terminals.

5. The operating switch according to claim 1 , wherein the two input terminals are supplied with respective voltages that differ from each other.

6. The operating switch according to claim 2 , wherein a vehicle electric power source is connected to the two input terminals.

7. The operating switch according to claim 2 , wherein the two input terminals are supplied with respective voltages that differ from each other.

8. The operating switch according to claim 3 , wherein a vehicle electric power source is connected to the two input terminals.

9. The operating switch according to claim 3 , wherein the two input terminals are supplied with respective voltages that differ from each other.

10. A parking brake control device for applying voltage to an operating switch for commanding an actuation of an electric parking brake mechanism to detect operation modes of non-operation, actuation command, and release command, wherein:
the operating switch comprises two output terminals configured to output respective signals that differ from each other, according to the operation modes, using resistance elements disposed in the operating switch,
the parking brake control device comprising:
a detection unit configured to detect the operation modes and any switch failure, from output values from the two output terminals when voltage is applied to contacts of the operating switch, wherein
notices are respectively issued by different informing units, based on a result detected by the detection unit.

11. The parking brake control device according to claim 10 , wherein a vehicle electric power source is connected to the two output terminals.

12. The parking brake control device according to claim 10 , wherein the two output terminals are supplied with respective voltages that differ from each other.

13. The parking brake control device according to claim 10 , wherein the informing unit configured to inform the switch failure is a failure informing unit configured to inform any failure of another vehicle device.

14. The parking brake control device according to claim 10 , wherein the informing unit when the operation of the operating switch is detected by the detection unit while the failure notice is being issued is an actuation-state informing unit configured to inform an actuation state of the parking brake mechanism.

15. A parking brake control device for applying voltage to an operating switch for commanding an actuation of an electric parking brake mechanism to detect operation modes of non-operation, actuation command, and release command, wherein:
the operating switch comprises two output terminals configured to output respective signals that differ from each other, according to the operation modes, using resistance elements disposed in the operating switch,
the parking brake control device comprising:
a detection unit configured to detect the operation modes and any switch failure, from output values from the two output terminals when voltage is applied to contacts of the operating switch, wherein
a failure notice is issued upon detection of switch failure by the detection unit, and if an operation of the operating switch is detected by the detection unit while the failure notice is being issued, an informing unit other than failure informing unit informs that the operation cannot be accepted.

16. The operating switch according to claim 15 , wherein a vehicle electric power source is connected to the two input terminals.

17. The operating switch according to claim 15 , wherein the two input terminals are supplied with respective voltages that differ from each other.

18. The parking brake control device according to claim 15 , wherein the informing unit configured to inform the switch failure is a failure informing unit configured to inform any failure of another vehicle device.

19. The parking brake control device according to claim 15 , wherein the informing unit when the operation of the operating switch is detected by the detection unit while the failure notice is being issued is an actuation-state informing unit configured to inform an actuation state of the parking brake mechanism.

Assignees

• Hitachi Automotive Systems Ltd

Inventors

• Kawai Hiroaki
• Matsubara Kenichiro

Classifications

• B60T7/14

  operated upon collapse of driver (deadman's devices for electrically propelled vehicles B60L3/02) · CPC title

• B60T7/085

  by electrical means, e.g. travel, force sensors · CPC title

• B60T17/22 Primary

  Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices · CPC title

• B60T7/042 Primary

  by electrical means, e.g. using travel or force sensors · CPC title

• B60T8/885

  using electrical circuitry · CPC title