JPS59220413A - Light intensity adjusting device for car - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent exhaustion of a battery through utilization of solar cell by forming the driver for a liquid crystal panel furnished at a window from a solar cell and means to generate the driving voltage in compliance with the supply voltage to the panel. CONSTITUTION:If a control switch 41 is opened to shut an oscillator 42 from a solar cell 30, a drive voltage generator circuit 40 is held out of operation to retain a liquid crystal panel transparent, that allows sufficient taking-in of the sun beam into the car cabin. When this switch 41 closed, the solar cell 30 supplies power to actuate the ascillator 42. If, at this time, high temp. of the cabin causes a switch 44b closed by a relay 44 and a room temp. sensor 43, the abovementioned drive voltage generator circuit 40 supplies the drive voltage to the liquid crystal panel to put it in dynamic diffused state, that will shut the cabin from irradiation of sun beam. Thereby use of the battery is not required for this purpose to contribute to preventing exhaustion of the battery.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a light amount adjustment device, and more particularly to a vehicle light amount adjustment device suitable for adjusting the amount of sunlight that enters a vehicle through an opening such as a window of the vehicle.

Conventionally, in this type of vehicle light amount adjustment device, for example, a liquid crystal panel is attached to a vehicle window, and the transmission of the liquid crystal panel changes when the liquid crystal panel is driven by a driving voltage. Some systems are designed to adjust the amount of sunlight that enters the vehicle through the windows, depending on the weather conditions.

However, in such a configuration, a battery installed in the vehicle is normally used as the power supply source, so for example, if the vehicle is parked for an extended period of time in the hot summer sun, the interior of the vehicle may be damaged. If the light intensity adjustment device is left in operation to block sunlight entering the vehicle interior through the windows in order to suppress the rise in temperature of the vehicle, the battery may become unusable due to power consumption. was there.

The present invention was made in response to such problems,
The object thereof is to provide a light amount adjustment device for a vehicle that uses a solar cell as a power supply source.

In order to achieve such an object, the structural feature of the present invention is that when a driving voltage is applied to an opening such as a window of a vehicle, the amount of sunlight that enters the vehicle through the opening is A light amount adjusting device comprising a liquid crystal panel that adjusts according to a driving voltage, and a driving means for generating the driving voltage and applying it to the liquid crystal panel, wherein the driving means is disposed in a part of the vehicle. equipped with a solar cell that generates a power supply voltage by receiving sunlight,
The driving voltage is generated in accordance with the power supply voltage from the solar cell.

By configuring the present invention in this way, if the device of the present invention is kept in an operable state, a power supply voltage is generated when the solar cell receives sunlight, and the driving means is accordingly activated. Since the driving voltage is generated, the device of the present invention can be placed in a proper operating state without depending on the electric power of the battery mounted on the vehicle. In this case, since the solar cell generates a power supply voltage only when it receives sunlight, the solar cell also plays the role of indirectly detecting the presence or absence of sunlight entering the vehicle through the opening.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The figure shows an example in which the device of the present invention is applied to a rear windshield 10 of a vehicle. The device of the present invention includes a liquid crystal panel 20 superimposed on the inner surface of a rear windshield 10, and a rear spring /l/1 located behind the rear seat of the vehicle.
0 a, and the solar cell 30 is connected to the liquid crystal spring /I/ of the rear windshield 10.
When exposed to sunlight through the non-polymerized portion with 20, a power supply voltage is generated.

The liquid crystal spring/v2'0 is manufactured by depositing a transparent conductive film on each surface of a pair of transparent galanic plates, and forming a transparent alignment film (for example, a polyimide thin film) on each surface of both transparent conductive films. After that, both transparent glass plates are arranged in parallel with a spacer interposed therebetween so that their transparent alignment films face each other, and a DSM liquid crystal is placed between these transparent alignment films. It is enclosed and constructed. Therefore, when the liquid crystal spring /l/20 is inactive, each component molecule of the DSMi crystal is maintained parallel to each transparent alignment film, so that the sunlight that passes through the rear windshield 10 is transmitted to the liquid crystal panel 20. The vehicle passes through the vehicle as it is and proceeds towards the rear seat of the vehicle. Furthermore, when a drive voltage is applied between both transparent conductive films of the liquid crystal spring (V200) from a drive voltage generation circuit 40 (see FIG. 2), which will be described later, each constituent molecule of the DSM liquid crystal enters a dynamic scattering state.
The sunlight shining through the rear windshield 10 for nine people is blocked by the liquid crystal spring /l/20.

As shown in FIG. 2, the drive voltage generation circuit 40 includes an operation switch 419, an oscillator 42. Room temperature sensor 46 and relay 4
4, and when the operation switch 41 is closed, the oscillator 42 receives the power supply voltage from the solar cell 60 at its inverters 42.2 to 42 (1) and connects it to the resistor 42θ and capacitor 42f. Both inverters 42 oscillate due to cooperation.
A pulsed drive voltage is generated between each output terminal of C and 42d. In such a case, the frequency of the drive voltage from oscillator 42 is determined by resistor 42e and capacitor 42f. Note that the operation switch 41 is provided at a position where it can be easily operated in the cabin of the vehicle.

The room temperature sensor 46 is placed inside the vehicle interior, and receives a power supply voltage from the solar cell 60.
The temperature inside the vehicle interior is detected, and the detection result is generated as a detection voltage that is inversely proportional to the temperature. The relay 44 has an electromagnetic coil/L/44a connected in series to the room temperature sensor 46, and a normally open switch 44b connected between the output terminal of the inverter 42c and the output terminal 45 of the drive voltage generation circuit 40. Only when the detected voltage of the room temperature sensor 46 drops beyond a predetermined value corresponding to the desired temperature inside the vehicle interior, the electromagnetic coil/Li 44a receives the required power supply energy from the solar cell 30 and turns on the switch 44b. Close.

This means that the drive voltage generation circuit 4o
1 and switch 44b are closed, a drive voltage generated between both output terminals of both inverters 42c and 42(l) is generated from both output terminals 45 and 46, and both transparent conductive films of liquid crystal spring /L/20 are generated. It means to give between.

In this embodiment configured as described above, when it is desired to allow sufficient sunlight to enter the passenger compartment of the vehicle through the rear windshield 10 during the winter season, etc., the operation switch 41 is opened and the oscillator 42 is connected to the solar cell 60. If the liquid crystal panel 20 is kept transparent and inactive, sunlight can be directed through the rear windshield 10 and the liquid crystal panel 20 to the rear seats inside the vehicle. As a result, it can provide a warm feeling to the passengers in the rear seats. In this case, the liquid crystal spring/1/2
Since the 0 uses a DEIM liquid crystal, the degree to which sunlight is absorbed by the liquid crystal spring (v20) is low, allowing the interior of the vehicle to be kept bright.

In addition, if you want to selectively allow sunlight to enter or block sunlight depending on the temperature inside the vehicle during winter, spring, or autumn, close the operation switch 41 and turn off the solar cell 60.
A power supply voltage from the oscillator 42 is applied to the oscillator 42. However,
If the temperature inside the vehicle is lower than the desired temperature, the relay 44 cooperates with the room temperature sensor 43 to maintain the switch 44b in the open state.
Despite the operation, driving voltage cannot be applied to the liquid crystal panel 20, and as a result, the liquid crystal panel 20 remains transparent as described above, preventing sunlight from entering the vehicle interior through the rear windshield 10. Allow.

On the other hand, if the temperature inside the vehicle is higher than the desired temperature, the relay 44 activates the switch 441 in cooperation with the room temperature sensor 46.
In order to close the LCD panel 20, the drive voltage generation circuit 4D applies a drive voltage to the liquid crystal panel 20. As a result, the liquid crystal spring zlz2
0 is independent of the battery power of the vehicle,
Under power supply from the solar cell 60, the DSM r& crystal is brought into a dynamic scattering state to block sunlight from entering the vehicle interior through the rear windshield 10. This helps to suppress the rise in temperature inside the vehicle due to sunlight.

Furthermore, when the vehicle is parked for a long time under the scorching sun in the summer, if the operation switch 41 is closed, the liquid crystal spring (v20) will be able to absorb the energy from the solar electric oil 60 in the same manner as described above. Under power supply, rear windshield 10
Continuously blocks sunlight from entering the vehicle interior through the Therefore, the temperature rise in the vehicle interior can be suppressed to a minimum without any power consumption of the battery of the vehicle. Therefore, the battery does not become unusable when the vehicle restarts, and the thermal load on the vehicle's cooler can be suppressed to a minimum. In addition, when the vehicle is parked, if the sky is clear or cloudy, the power supply voltage is generated only when the solar cell 60 receives sunlight, and the drive voltage generation circuit 40, that is, the liquid crystal display spring)v
20, the solar cell 60 also serves as a means for detecting the presence or absence of sunlight.

In addition, if you want to improve the rear visibility through the rear windshield 10 while the vehicle is running regardless of the season, the liquid crystal spring (v20) can be made transparent by opening the operation switch 41 in the same way as described above. If maintained at
Since enough light enters through the windshield 1
It is possible to maintain good rearward visibility for the occupants through the vehicle. In such a case, as mentioned above, the liquid crystal spring 1v20 has DSM.
Since a liquid crystal is used, the transparency of the liquid crystal spring (v20) can be maintained at a high level.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the parallel alignment treatment -Q-A
.

An example has been described in which a DSM liquid crystal is used in the liquid crystal spring (V20), but instead, a DSM liquid crystal mixed with a dichroic dye and subjected to vertical alignment processing is used in the liquid crystal panel 20, and the drive voltage generation circuit 40 Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6, an optical sensor 47 and a variable resistor 48 may be connected.

In such a case, the optical sensor 47 is placed at a suitable location in the vehicle, and when it receives sunlight, it generates a photovoltage that is inversely proportional to the amount of sunlight received, and the variable resistor 48 connects the power supply voltage from the solar cell 30 to the optical sensor. 47 is applied to each inverter 42111 to 42d of the oscillator 42 when the operation switch 41 is closed. Changes inversely proportional to photovoltage.

Therefore, when the liquid crystal spring /L/20 is in the non-operating state, each constituent molecule of the DSM liquid crystal and each constituent molecule of the dichroic dye are aligned perpendicularly to both transparent conductive films of the liquid crystal panel 20, so K is The sunlight incident on the rear windshield 10 enters the vehicle interior without being absorbed by the liquid crystal spring (v20). Further, when the driving voltage from the driving voltage generation circuit 40 rises to a voltage that is equal to or higher than the threshold voltage of the DSM liquid crystal and does not cause dynamic scattering, the DS
Since each component molecule of the M liquid crystal and each component molecule of the dichroic dye are arranged in parallel to the transparent conductive films of the liquid crystal spring 1v200, sunlight incident from the rear windshield 10 is partially absorbed by the dichroic dye. To appropriately adjust the amount of sunlight entering a vehicle interior without making a liquid crystal panel 20 so opaque as to obstruct rear visibility. In this case, the degree of opacity of the liquid crystal panel is determined by the amount of dichroic dye mixed.

Further, the drive voltage from the drive voltage generation circuit 40 is
When the value increases to a value sufficient to cause a dynamic scattering state in the liquid crystal, sunlight incident from the rear windshield 10 is scattered by the DSM liquid crystal in the dynamic scattering state and absorbed by the dichroic pigment. Therefore, LCD spring) v20
There is almost no sunlight passing through the vehicle. As can be understood from the above description, the drive voltage from the drive voltage generation circuit 40 changes depending on the amount of sunlight that the photosensor 47 receives. , the rear visibility of the vehicle is obstructed as much as possible by adjusting the amount of sunlight entering the vehicle interior by the liquid crystal spring/L/20, without depending on the battery power, and only based on the power supply from the solar cell 60. It can be done properly without.

In the above embodiments and modifications, an example was explained in which a single liquid crystal spring (v20) was attached to the rear windshield 10.
As shown in the figure, the liquid crystal spring (v20) is divided into, for example, three liquid crystal springs /L/20a, 20b20C, and each of these liquid crystal panels 2Da, 2Db, 2Dc is rearranged horizontally and in a stepped manner by a frame 101). It may be carried out by being attached to the outer surface (or inner surface) of the windshield 10, and in such a case, each liquid crystal spring) y20tl, 20b,
It is possible to achieve the same effects as the embodiments and modifications described above while ensuring rearward visibility of the vehicle regardless of the operating state of the vehicle 20c.

Furthermore, in the embodiments and modified examples, the liquid crystal spring) v
20 is attached to the rear windshield 10 and the solar cell 30 is placed on the rear spring). Liquid crystal spring/L in various openings
/20 may also be installed, and in such a case, the solar cell 60 may be appropriately placed in a position where it can easily receive sunlight.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example in which the present invention is applied to a rear windshield of a vehicle, FIG. 2 is an electric circuit diagram of a drive voltage generation circuit for a liquid crystal panel in FIG. 1, and FIG. An electric circuit diagram showing a modification of the drive voltage generation circuit in FIG. 2, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are diagrams showing how each liquid crystal panel is attached to a rear windshield, showing a modification of the liquid crystal panel in FIG. 1. be. Explanation of symbols 10...Rear windshield, 201 20a. 20b, 20c...Liquid crystal panel, 60...Solar cell, 40...Drive voltage generation circuit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A liquid crystal panel that is attached to an opening such as a window of a vehicle and adjusts the amount of sunlight that passes through the opening and enters the vehicle when a driving voltage is applied according to the driving voltage, and a liquid crystal panel that generates the driving voltage. and a driving means for applying the light to the liquid crystal panel; A light amount adjustment device for a vehicle, characterized in that the drive voltage is generated in accordance with the power supply voltage from the solar cell.