Turn direction detector for a steering shaft

A turn direction detector for detecting the direction of turning of a steering shaft of an automobile, said detector comprising:

• a support member adapted to be fixedly connected to a housing of the steering shaft, said support member having a first opening for rotatably receiving therethrough the steering shaft, said support member having an engaging member;
• a rotator member adapted to be fixedly connected to the steering shaft to be rotatable therewith and to be rotatable with respect to said support member, said rotator member having an annular flange;
• a pivotal member positioned on said support member and having an engageable member in engagement with said engaging member, such that said pivotal member is pivotable with respect to said support member, said pivotal member having a second opening loosely receiving therethrough said rotator member;
• force transmitting means, provided between said annular flange of said rotator member and said pivotal member, for, upon clockwise rotation of said rotator member, causing clockwise pivoting movement of said pivotal member about said engaging member with respect to said support member and said rotator member until said pivotal member comes into contact with said annular flange at a first pivoted position, and for, upon counterclockwise rotation of said rotator member, causing counterclockwise pivoting movement of said pivotal member about said engaging member with respect to said support member and said rotator member until said pivotal member comes into contact with said annular flange at a second pivoted position;
• first and second switch means mounted on said pivotal member on respective opposite sides of said engageable member thereof, each of said first and second switch means including an element movable between a respective switch actuated position and a respective switch nonactuated position;
• and
• actuator means on said rotator member for, when said pivotal member is in said first pivoted position thereof and upon clockwise rotation of said rotator member, moving said element of said first switch means to said actuated position thereof, thereby providing a detection of clockwise turning of the steering shaft, and for, when said pivotal member is in said second pivoted position thereof and upon counterclockwise rotation of said rotator member, moving said element of said second switch means to said actuated position thereof, thereby providing a detection of counterclockwise rotation of the steering shaft.

A turn direction detector for detecting the direction of turning of a steering shaft of an automobile, said detector comprising:

• a support member adapted to be fixedly connected to a housing of the steering shaft, said support member having an opening for rotatably receiving therethrough the steering shaft;
• a rotator member adapted to be fixedly connected to the steering shaft to be rotatable therewith and to be rotatable with respect to said support member, said rotator member having an engaging portion;
• first and second permanent magnets mounted on and rotatable with said rotator member for generating respective first and second magnetic fields;
• a shield member mounted on said rotator member for rotation therewith, said shield member having an engageable portion in engagement with said engaging portion of said rotator member, such that, upon clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of said rotator member, said shield member undergoes limited rotation with respect to said rotator member to first and second positions, respectively;
• first and second windows provided in said shield member at locations such that when said shield member is in said first position thereof with respect to said rotator member said first window is aligned with said first permanent magnet while said second window is out of alignment with said second permanent magnet, and such that when said shield member is in said second position thereof with respect to said rotator member said second window is aligned with said second permanent magnet while said first window is out of alignment with said first permanent magnet;
• magnetically responsive first switch means, mounted on said support member at a location to receive said first magnetic field from said first permanent magnet through said first window upon clockwise rotation of said rotator member, for generating a signal indicative of clockwise turning of the steering shaft;
• and
• magnetically responsive second switch means, mounted on said support member at a location to receive said second magnetic field from said second permanent magnet through said second window upon counterclockwise rotation of said rotator member, for generating a signal indicative of counterclockwise turning of the steering shaft.

A turn direction detector for detecting the direction of turning of a steering shaft of an automobile, said detector comprising:

• a support member adapted to be fixedly connected to a housing of the steering shaft, said support member having an opening for rotatably receiving therethrough the steering shaft;
• a rotator member adapted to be fixedly connected to the steering shaft to be rotatable therewith and to be rotatable with respect to said support member, said rotator member having first and second wall portions having extending therethrough respective first and second apertures, said rotator member having engaging means;
• first and second light sources carried by said support member at positions on first sides of said first and second wall portions, respectively, of said rotator member to be aligned with said first and second apertures, respectively, upon rotation of said rotator member with respect to said support member;
• a shield member mounted on said rotator member for rotation therewith, said shield member having engageable means in engagement with said engaging means of said rotator member, such that, upon clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of said rotator member, said shield member undergoes limited rotation with to said rotator member to first and second positions respectively;
• said shield member including first and second shielding sections at locations such that, when said shield member is in said first position thereof with respect to said rotator member during clockwise rotation of said rotator member, said second shielding section is in alignment with said second aperture in said rotator member and said first aperture in said rotator member is unshielded by said first shielding section, and such that, when said shield member is in said second position thereof with respect to said rotator member during counterclockwise rotation of said rotator member, said first shielding section is in alignment with said first aperture in said rotator member and said second aperture in said rotator member is unshielded by said second shielding section;
• first light responsive means, carried by said support means at a location on a second side of said first wall portion of said rotator member in opposed relation to said first light source to receive light from said first light source through said first aperture during clockwise rotation of said rotator member, for generating a signal indicative of clockwise turning of the steering shaft;
• and
• second light responsive means, carried by said support means at a location on a second side of said second wall portion of said rotator member in opposed relation to said second light source to receive light from said second light source during counterclockwise rotation of said rotator member, for generating a signal indicative of counterclockwise turning of the steering shaft.