US-12617484-B2 - Straddle vehicle

US12617484B2US 12617484 B2US12617484 B2US 12617484B2US-12617484-B2

Abstract

A motorcycle includes a brake lamp, a brake operation unit, a first switching unit, a second switching unit, and a brake controller. The first switching unit switches a circuit state so that a driving current is supplied to the brake lamp while the brake operation is being performed. The second switching unit switches the circuit state between a closed state in which the driving current is supplied to the brake lamp regardless of the brake operation and an opened state in which the second switching unit is not electrically connected with the brake lamp. The brake controller controls to actuate the brake and switches the second switching unit from the opened state to the closed state when the brake activation condition is met.

Inventors

Hiroaki Amano
Tomoaki Saio
Gen Okuzuka

Assignees

KAWASAKI MOTORS, LTD.
ROBERT BOSCH GMBH

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20221109
Priority Date: 20211110

Claims (9)

1 . A straddle vehicle, comprising: a brake lamp configured to be turned on by supply of a driving current; a brake operation unit configured to receive a brake operation; a first switching unit configured to switch a circuit state so that the driving current is supplied to the brake lamp while the brake operation is performed; a second switching unit configured to switch a circuit state between a closed state in which the driving current is supplied to the brake lamp regardless of the brake operation and an opened state in which the second switching unit is not electrically connected with the brake lamp; a brake controller configured to control a brake actuation and switching of the second switching unit from the opened state to the closed state when a condition of the brake activation is met; a first circuit connecting from the first switching unit to the brake lamp; and a second circuit connecting from the second switching unit to the brake lamp, the first and second circuits being independent, wherein the brake controller performs a turning on check process in which the brake controller switches the second switching unit from the opened state to the closed state in order to check whether a function of turning on the brake lamp by the brake controller is normal or not.
2 . The straddle vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the second switching unit is a relay, and wherein the brake controller switches the circuit state of the second switching unit by supplying a current to the second switching unit.
3 . The straddle vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the straddle vehicle performs an adaptive cruise control that is a control for automatically adjusting a distance between the straddle vehicle and a preceding vehicle and wherein the condition of the brake activation includes a condition in which the distance between the straddle vehicle and the preceding vehicle in the adaptive cruise control is equal to or less than a threshold.
4 . The straddle vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the brake controller automatically performs the turning on check process when an electrical system is started.
5 . The straddle vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising: a third switching unit configured to switch a circuit state between a closed state in which the driving current is supplied to the brake lamp by the brake operation and an opened state in which the driving current is not supplied to the brake lamp even if the brake operation is performed, wherein the brake controller turns off the brake lamp by switching the third switching unit from the closed state to the opened state when the brake controller determines a turning off condition is met.
6 . The straddle vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising: a third switching unit configured to switch a circuit state between a closed state in which the driving current is supplied to the brake lamp by the brake operation and an opened state in which the driving current is not supplied to the brake lamp even if the brake operation is performed, wherein the brake controller performs a turning on check process in which the brake controller switches the second switching unit from the opened state to the closed state in order to check whether a function of turning on the brake lamp by the brake controller is normal or not, and wherein the brake controller performs a turning off check process in which the brake controller switches the third switching unit from the closed state to the opened state in order to check whether a function of turning off the brake lamp by the brake controller is normal or not.
7 . The straddle vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein after the brake controller performs the turning off check process by switching the third switching unit to the opened state during the brake operation is performed, the brake controller performs the turning on check process by switching the second switching unit from the opened state to the closed state while maintaining the opened state of the third switching unit.
8 . A straddle vehicle, comprising: a brake lamp configured to be turned on by supply of a driving current; a brake operation unit configured to receive a brake operation; a first switching unit configured to switch a circuit state so that the driving current is supplied to the brake lamp while the brake operation is performed; a second switching unit configured to switch a circuit state between a closed state in which the driving current is supplied to the brake lamp regardless of the brake operation and an opened state in which the second switching unit is not electrically connected with the brake lamp; a brake controller configured to control a brake actuation and switching of the second switching unit from the opened state to the closed state when a condition of the brake activation is met; a first circuit connecting from the first switching unit to the brake lamp; a second circuit connecting from the second switching unit to the brake lamp, the first and second circuits being independent; and a third switching unit configured to switch a circuit state between a closed state in which the driving current is supplied to the brake lamp by the brake operation and an opened state in which the driving current is not supplied to the brake lamp even if the brake operation is performed, wherein the brake controller turns off the brake lamp by switching the third switching unit from the closed state to the opened state when the brake controller determines a turning off condition is met, and wherein the brake controller performs a turning off check process in which the brake controller switches the third switching unit from the closed state to the opened state in order to check whether a function of turning off the brake lamp by the brake controller is normal or not.
9 . A straddle vehicle, comprising: a brake lamp configured to be turned on by supply of a driving current; a brake operation unit configured to receive a brake operation; a first switching unit configured to switch a circuit state so that the driving current is supplied to the brake lamp while the brake operation is performed; a second switching unit configured to switch a circuit state between a closed state in which the driving current is supplied to the brake lamp regardless of the brake operation and an opened state in which the second switching unit is not electrically connected with the brake lamp; and a brake controller configured to control a brake actuation and switching of the second switching unit from the opened state to the closed state when a condition of the brake activation is met, wherein the brake controller performs a turning on check process in which the brake controller switches the second switching unit from the opened state to the closed state in order to check whether a function of turning on the brake lamp by the brake controller is normal or not, and wherein the brake controller automatically performs the turning on check process when an electrical system is started.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application claims priority from JP Patent Application Serial No. 2021-183299 filed on Nov. 10, 2021; the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. FIELD The present disclosure relates to a straddle vehicle having a brake lamp. BACKGROUND The patent literature 1 (JP Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-91671) discloses a straddle vehicle having a brake lamp and a speed controller. A speed controller adjusts the speed of the straddle-type vehicle in response to adaptive cruise control. The speed controller reduces speed of the straddle vehicle by actuating the brakes. The straddle vehicle has a warning device that warns when the warning device recognizes a possibility of colliding with a following vehicle. A brake lamp is disclosed as one example of the warning devices. SUMMARY The patent literature 1 discloses that the brake lamp is automatically turned on when a possibility of colliding with a following vehicle is recognized. However, the patent literature 1 does not disclose that the brake lamp is automatically turned on when a possibility of collision with the following vehicle cannot be recognized. Therefore, for example, when the speed controller decreases a speed of the straddle vehicle in a situation where the following vehicle is far from the straddle vehicle, the brake lamp does not turn on. In other words, there is a possibility that turning on or not of the brake lamp is different between when a driver actuates the brake and when the speed controller actuates the brake. In particular, downsizing, low cost, or the like are strongly demanded in a straddle vehicle, it is desirable to achieve above functions with a simple circuit configuration. The present disclosure relates to a straddle vehicle that turns on a brake lamp when a brake is automatically actuated as when a brake is manually actuated. According to the aspect of the present disclosure, a straddle vehicle having the following configuration is provided. That is, the straddle vehicle includes a brake lamp, a brake operation unit, a first switching unit, a second switching unit, and a brake controller. The brake lamp turns on by supply of a driving current. The brake operation unit receives a brake operation. The first switching unit switches a circuit state so that the driving current is supplied to the brake lamp while the brake operation is being performed. The second switching unit switches a circuit state between a closed state in which the driving current is supplied to the brake lamp regardless of the brake operation and an opened state in which the second switching unit is not electrically connected with the brake lamp. The brake controller that controls to actuates a brake and switches the second switching unit from the opened state to the closed state when a brake activation condition is met. According to the present application, a straddle vehicle that turns on a brake lamp when a brake is automatically actuated as when a brake is manually actuated is provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side view of a motorcycle according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram for performing a vehicle speed control. FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing a switch from a circuit state in which a brake lamp is off due to no brake operation to a circuit state in which the brake lamp is on by ACC brake. FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing a switch from a circuit state in which a brake lamp is on due to a brake operation to a circuit state in which the brake lamp is off by ESS. FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing a switch from a circuit state in which a brake lamp is off to a circuit state in which the brake lamp is on by ACC brake. FIG. 6 is a timing chart of a turning off check process and a turning on check process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Hereinafter, in this embodiment, a motorcycle 1, which is an example of a straddle vehicle, will be described with reference to the drawings. In descriptions below, the left-right direction of the motorcycle 1 is defined based on the view from a rider riding on the motorcycle 1. Therefore, the front-rear direction coincides with a vehicle length direction, and the left-right direction coincides with a vehicle width direction. The vertical direction and the up-down direction coincide with a height direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the motorcycle 1 includes a vehicle body 10, a front wheel 11, and a rear wheel 12. The vehicle body 10 includes a plurality of the vehicle body frames serving as a framework of the motorcycle 1. Various components constituting the motorcycle 1 are attached to these body frames. An engine 13 is provided in vicinity of a center in the vehicle length direction of the vehicle body 10. The engine 13 is a drive source for driving the motorcycle 1. The engine 13 of this embodiment is a gasoline engine. Instead of or in addition to the gasoline engine, another driving source, for example, an electric motor f