Heater-containing grip for vehicles

A control device for a heater installed in a grip for a vehicle for controlling a power supplied from a battery (90) to a heater (34.sub.L, 34.sub.R ;

• 174.sub.L, 174.sub.R ;
• 184) installed in a grip (27.sub.L1, 27.sub.R1 ;
• 27.sub.L2, 27.sub.R2 ;
• 27) mounted on a steering handlebar (26), wherein said control device comprises a periodic voltage generating means (100) for generating a periodic voltage whose value is periodically varied, a comparative voltage outputting means (101) for outputting a predetermined comparative voltage depending upon a temperature regulating operation for the heater (34.sub.L, 34.sub.R ;
• 174.sub.L, 174.sub.R ;
• 184), a rectangular-wave signal outputting means (103) for outputting a rectangular-wave signal having a duty ratio depending upon said temperature regulating operation by comparing the periodic voltage outputted from said periodic voltage generating means (100) with the comparative voltage outputted from said comparative voltage outputting means (101), a switching means (106) for ON/OFF-controlling the power supplied from the battery (90) to said heater (34.sub.L, 34.sub.R ;
• 174.sub.L, 174.sub.R ;
• 184) in response to the rectangular-wave signal outputted from said rectangular-wave signal outputting means (103), and a battery voltage monitoring means (104) for monitoring a power source voltage outputted from the battery (90), so that when the power source voltage is dropped down to a value lower than a predetermined value, a rectangular-wave signal indicative of command to control said switching means (106) into an OFF state is forcibly outputted from said rectangular-wave signal outputting means (103) by maintaining said power source voltage at the predetermined value.

A control device for a heater installed in a grip for a vehicle, comprising a switching means (106) for ON/OFF-controlling a power supplied from a battery (90) to a heater (34.sub.L, 34.sub.R ;

• 174.sub.L, 174.sub.R ;
• 184) installed in a grip (27.sub.L1, 27.sub.R1 ;
• 27.sub.L2, 27.sub.R2 ;
• 27) mounted on a steering handlebar (26), and a driving-signal outputting means (103) for outputting a driving signal for turning the switching means (106) ON, wherein said control device further includes a battery voltage monitoring means (104) which is operable to provide a state to prohibit the outputting of the driving signal from said driving-signal outputting means (103), when a voltage corresponding to a power source voltage outputted from said battery (90) is smaller than a first voltage threshold value, and to provide a state to permit the outputting of the driving signal from the driving-signal outputting means (103), when the voltage corresponding to said power source voltage is equal to or larger than a second voltage threshold value set higher than said first voltage threshold value by a predetermined value or more, said first voltage threshold value being set as being (V.sub.M -.DELTA.V.sub.1 +.DELTA.V.sub.2), wherein V.sub.M represents a necessary minimum power source voltage required in said battery (90);
• .DELTA.V.sub.1 represents a decrement of voltage dropped from said battery (90) to said battery voltage monitoring means (104);
• and .DELTA.V.sub.2 represents a maximum voltage detection error on the plus side presumed in said battery voltage monitoring means (104).

An electrical connection structure for a heater unit for a grip in a vehicle comprising a heater unit (92) for a grip, which is comprised of a heater (34.sub.L, 34.sub.R ;

• 174.sub.L, 174.sub.R ;
• 184) installed in a grip (27.sub.L1, 27.sub.R1 ;
• 27.sub.L2, 27.sub.R2, 27) mounted on a steering handlebar (26), and a control device (91) for controlling the supplying of a power from a power source (90) mounted on a vehicle body frame to said heater (34.sub.L, 34.sub.R ;
• 174.sub.L, 174.sub.R ;
• 184), wherein plus-side and minus-side connecting wires (94, 95) led out of said heater unit (92) for the grip are interruptively connected to a plus wire of one of first and second electric parts (158;
• 23.sub.L, 23.sub.R) and to a minus wire of the other electric part at locations near said electric parts (158, 23.sub.L, 23.sub.R) which are disposed on said steering handlebar (26) or a member (21) turned in unison with said steering handlebar (26) and to which a power is supplied from the power source (90).

An electrical connection structure for a heater unit for a grip in a vehicle, comprising a heater unit (92) for a grip, said heater unit being comprised of a heater (34.sub.L, 34.sub.R ;

• 174.sub.L, 174.sub.R ;
• 184) installed in a grip (27.sub.L1, 27.sub.R1 ;
• 27.sub.L2, 27.sub.R2 ;
• 27) mounted on a steering handlebar (26), and a control device (91) for controlling the supplying of a power from a power source (90) mounted on a vehicle body frame to said heater (34.sub.L, 34.sub.R ;
• 174.sub.L, 174.sub.R ;
• 184), and an earth wire (147) connected to a grounding portion (E.sub.C) of a power source (90) and coupled to the steering handlebar (26) or a member (21) which is turned in unison with the steering handlebar (26), wherein a first connecting wire (94) led out of said heater unit (92) is interruptively connected between the power source (90) and an electric part (158) at a location near said electric part (158) which is disposed on the steering handlebar (26) or the member (21) turned in unison with the steering handlebar (26) and to which an electric power is supplied from the power source (90), and a second connecting wire (95) led out of said heater unit (92) is connected to said steering handlebar (26) or said member (21) turned in unison with the steering handlebar (26) .