EP1836414A1

EP1836414A1 - Shifting device for an automatic gearbox of a motor vehicle

Info

Publication number: EP1836414A1
Application number: EP06705770A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jörg Meyer
Original assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
Current assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
Priority date: 2005-01-13
Filing date: 2006-01-11
Publication date: 2007-09-26
Also published as: DE102005001818B4; DE102005001818A1; US20080098845A1; WO2006074646A1; US7882760B2; JP4843619B2; JP2008526606A

Abstract

The invention relates to a shifting device for an automatic gearbox comprising an automatic shift path and a step-by-step shift path for a manual gear-shifting operation, a selector lever with a selector lever housing that can be pivoted about a first shift path axis into the automatic shift path and the step-by-step shift path, and about a second selector lever axis inside the shift paths, the selector lever axis and the shift path axis extending perpendicularly to each other, and a connecting member for transmitting the pivoting movement of the selector lever in the automatic shift path to a coupling element for the automatic gearbox. The connecting member is fixed in a recess of the shifting device housing when the selector lever is pivoted about the shift path axis into the step-by-step shift path. According to the invention, the connecting member (6) is rotatably fixed to a rocker arm (10) which is rotatably received by a holding bolt (11) arranged on the selector lever housing (2), and the rocker arm (10) is mounted in a holding device (13) of the shifting device housing (5) by means of a bolt (12) during the positioning of the selector lever (1) in the automatic shift path (A).

Description

Switching device for an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle

description

The invention relates to a switching device for an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle with the features mentioned in the generic part of claim 1.

Since increased demands are placed on automatic transmission shifting devices in motor vehicle construction, in particular in terms of ease of use, in addition to the long known automatic shift functions, which usually include the selection of a reverse gear, as well as several forward selection ranges within which the various gears of the automatic gearbox are independently selected are also provided a manual Schaltfünktion additionally. This manual switching function consists in switching the individual gears of the automatic transmission up or down by means of the selector lever belonging to the shifting device by forward tipping or reverse tipping of the selector lever. As a rule, a second, separate so-called step shift gate is used for this purpose. Stepping gate and automatic shift gate are usually located in parallel adjacent planes, wherein the to be moved in the shift gates selector lever is movable about a so-called shift gate axis. Both within the automatic shift gate and within the step shift gate, the selector lever is also pivotable about a selector lever axis, wherein the shift gate axis and selector lever axis are arranged at right angles to each other. The transmission of the selector lever movement within the automatic shift gate is carried out according to the switching devices known from the prior art by means of a connecting member on the selector lever or on the selector lever housing, which is connected to a coupling element to the automatic transmission. This coupling element may for example be a Bowden cable. The movement of the selector lever in the Schrittschaltgasse is usually due to the only here required jog movements of the selector lever by sensor elements electronically to the automatic transmission. Upon a pivoting of the selector lever and the selector lever housing connected thereto from the automatic shift gate into the step shift gate, which can usually be made in the D position, ie in the forward gear range of the automatic transmission, the connecting member with the connected coupling element is received in a corresponding recess of the switching device housing and there fixed. Such a constructive variant is known for example from DE 100 96 00 526 of the Applicant.

Although the construction disclosed there has proven itself in practice in principle, this results in the disadvantage that in the field of entrainment between selector lever and link to the Bowden always something game must be present to when switching in the step shift gate or from the step shift to generate no disturbing forces. The existing game is naturally felt at the selector lever and can take over the life of the switching device seen no longer tolerable dimensions.

In addition, constructive embodiments of switching devices are known in which the decoupling of the selector lever from the automatic transmission leading cable in the Schrittschaltgasse takes place in that a pin of the selector lever moves out of the corresponding receiving eye of the cable, during the Cable is fixed simultaneously in the switching device housing. Again, the connection between the selector lever pin and Seilzugauge must be provided with sufficient clearance to produce no disturbing forces when changing between automatic shift gate and Schrittschaltgasse and also to ensure safe hooking the cable.

A disadvantage of the existing state of the art, moreover, results in the generic constructions due to the relative complexity of the entire switching device, a plurality of individual parts that cause not inconsiderable costs in the manufacture and assembly of such switching devices.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a switching device for an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle, which is simple and inexpensive to produce with as few items and in the reliable play-free decoupling of the link for transmitting the pivoting movement of the selector lever in the automatic shift gate on the automatic transmission in the Stepping gate and the Wiederankoppelung is ensured to the automatic transmission in the automatic shift gate.

This object is achieved in conjunction with the generic features of claim 1 by the technical teaching disclosed in the characterizing part of the claim. Additional advantageous embodiments of the subject matter of the invention emerge from the features of the subclaims.

The inventive switching device for an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle in this case has a selector lever which is fixedly connected to a selector lever housing and is pivotally mounted about a first shift gate axis in a body-mounted switching device housing, whereby the change between an automatic shift gate and a step shift gate is possible. Selector lever with selector lever housing are also pivotable about a second selector lever axis within the two shift gates, wherein selector lever shaft and shift gate axis are arranged at right angles to each other in the switching device housing. On the selector lever housing, a connecting member for transmitting the pivoting movement of the selector lever and selector lever housing is present during its position in the automatic shift gate on a coupling member to the automatic transmission, wherein the connecting member is set during pivoting of the selector lever together with selector lever housing to the shift gate axis in the Schrittschaltgasse in a recess of the switching device housing. In the automatic shift gate can be pivoted by the vehicle user of the selector lever to the selector lever axis in a conventional manner, so that the individual driving levels R, D, 4, 3, 2, 1, if available, can be selected by the vehicle user.

The development of the switching device according to the invention now provides that the connecting member for transmitting the pivoting movement of the selector lever in the automatic shift gate is rotatably fixed in a rotation axis on a pivot lever which is rotatably received on a retaining bolt, which is arranged parallel to the selector lever on the selector lever, and that the pivot lever is rotatably mounted during the positioning of the selector lever in the automatic shift gate with a pivot pin in a holding device of the switching device housing.

Due to the fact that between the selector lever including selector lever housing and link to the automatic transmission, a pivotable pivot lever is arranged in the manner described above, it is possible to achieve in the context of the given kinematic possibilities in a simple constructive manner backlash of the selector lever. Once the selector lever is pivoted from its position in the automatic shift gate in the Schrittschaltgasse, the connecting member is automatically fixed with attached coupling element in the form of a cable in the corresponding Gehäuseaussparung, at the same time the fixation of the pivot pin of the rocker arm in the holding device of the switching device housing is repealed , The oscillating lever can thus pivot on the basis of its realized by the retaining bolt to the selector lever housing connection now about the axis of rotation of the fixed in the switching device housing connecting member. This creates a relative movement between rocker arm and selector lever housing, which can be used according to an advantageous development of the subject invention to provide in the step shift gate by a locking system between selector lever housing and rocker one of the relative movement of the selector lever to the rocker arm counteracting restoring force. The latching system can have a slide guide on the selector lever housing arranged spring-loaded pressure roller on the rocker arm. This additional measure by means of the locking system can be additionally ensured at the same time in the position of the selector lever within the automatic shift gate that the connection selector lever and rocker with the connected link to the cable are free of play, even if in the holding device of the

Shifter housing is received by means of the pivot pin recorded rocker arm there is not completely free of play.

A further advantageous embodiment of the object of the invention also provides to arrange the center lines of the axis of rotation of the connecting member, the retaining bolt and the pivot pin of the rocker arm parallel to each other in a common plane of the rocker arm. In addition, in the middle position of the selector lever in the Schrittschaltgasse the central axis of the Turning pin, the rocker arm and the selector lever axis may be arranged on a common line. The described embodiments ensure a balanced kinematics of the mutually movable parts of the switching device.

Furthermore, it is advantageous if locking means are provided for fixing in the respective two shift gates on the selector lever.

In the following an embodiment of the subject invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Show it:

Figure 1 is a sectional view through an inventive

Switching device with position of the selector lever in the

Automatic shift gate, Figure 2 is a sectional view through the inventive

Switching device of Figure 1 with the position of the selector lever in the Schrittschaltgasse, Figure 3 is a side view of the switching device according to the

Arrow B of Figure 1, Figure 4 is a side view of the switching device according to Figure 3 with the switching device housing removed, Figure 5 is a representation of the switching device according to Figure 4 upon deflection of the selector lever from that shown in Figure 4

D-position, Figure 6 is a side view of the switching device according to the invention with the position of the selector lever in the Schrittschaltgasse corresponding to the sectional view of Figure 2, Figure 7 is a side view of the switching device with position of

Selector lever in the Schrittschaltgasse according to Figure 6 at 8 shows an end view of the switching device with the position of the

Selector lever in the automatic shift gate according to the

Arrow C of Figure 3 and Figure 9 is an end view of the switching device according to Figure 8 with position of the selector lever in the Schrittschaltgasse.

The switching device shown in Figure 1 for an automatic transmission represents a particularly easy to produce cost-effective variant, in the same time possible game of the selector lever 1 with connected selector lever housing 2 in the two existing shift gates of the automatic shift gate A and the step shift S is avoided. Selector lever 1 and selector lever housing 2 are received in a switching device housing 5 according to the present embodiment. In this case, two bearing points are present in the switching device housing 5, wherein a bearing point on a belonging to the switching device housing 5 selector lever carrier 5 a serves as a receptacle for a selector lever axis 3 about which the selector lever is pivotable both in the automatic shift gate A and in the Schrittschaltgasse S. At the same time a shift gate axis 4 is arranged in the switching device housing 5 at right angles to the selector lever axis 3 above this. To this shift gate axis 4, the selector lever 1, the selector lever housing 2 and the selector lever 5 a is also pivotable and can be transferred from the position shown in Figure 1 of the selector lever in the automatic shift gate A in the drawing to the left pivoted Schrittschaltgasse S according to Figure 2 ,

To transmit the pivoting movement of the selector lever 1 about the selector lever axis 3 in the automatic shift gate A on a arranged in the motor vehicle automatic transmission is located within the switching device, a connecting member 6, which is connected to a coupling member 7 for connection to Automatic transmission in the form of a cable with cable eyes at the end is used.

According to the inventive design of the switching device, the connecting member 6 is rotatably fixed by means of a rotation axis 9 to a rocking lever 10. The oscillating lever 10 has below the axis of rotation 9 facing away from the selector lever 1, a further axis of rotation in the form of a retaining bolt 11. The retaining bolt

11 is received in a bore of the rocker arm 10 and provides a hinge connection to the selector lever housing 2.

In addition, located on the rocker arm 10 in the lowest area a bolt 12 which is also received in a bore of the rocking lever 10 and as can be seen from the illustration of Figure 1, during the positioning of the selector lever 1 with connected selector housing 2 in the automatic shift gate A in a holding device 13 of the switching device housing 5 is received.

The holding device 13 consists, as shown in FIG. 3, essentially of a semicircular projection projecting toward the inside of the switching device housing, which prevents a lateral displacement of the bolt 12 in the illustrated position of the selector lever 1 in the automatic shifting gate A according to FIG. From the thus formed holding device 13 is the bolt

12 by movement of the selector lever 10 from the automatic shift gate position A in the Schrittschaltgassenstellung S herausschwenkbar, as shown in the figure 2. In addition to the pivoting out of the bolt 12 from the holding device 13 as a result of the pivoting of the selector lever 1 in the direction of arrow P in Figure 2, a projection of the connecting member 6 is simultaneously introduced into a recess 8 of the switching device housing 5. The recess 8 is, as shown in Figures 3 and 6, from a substantially U-shaped to the top the switching device housing 5 open slot. The recess 8 takes in the Schrittschaltgassenstellung of the selector lever 1, the projection of the connecting member 6 and thus simultaneously fixed angeossenene to the connecting member 6 coupling element 7 in the previously preselected by the selector lever 1 in the automatic shift gate A position. This position is usually the position D of the automatic transmission, in which an automatic gear selection of all gears is made by the automatic transmission control.

In the figure 4, the position D of the selector lever 1 in the automatic shift gate is again shown with removed switching device housing 5. It should be noted that the pin 12 of the rocker arm 10 is received stationary in the switching device housing 5. The central axis of the bolt 12 is arranged in alignment with the center line of the selector lever axis 3 of the selector lever 1.

The figure 5 shows starting from these kinematic conditions, a pivoting of the selector lever 1 within the automatic shift gate A from the position D out to the right in the direction of arrow Q in Figure 5. By connecting the selector lever housing 2 with the rocking lever 10 on the above the bolt 12th arranged retaining bolt 11, the rocker arm 10 is deflected synchronously with the selector lever housing 2, whereby at the same time located on the rocker arm 10 connecting member 6 is moved, resulting in a movement of the coupling element 7 respectively of the cable in the direction of arrow R in Figure 5.

In addition, it can be seen from both FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 that a latching system 14 is arranged between selector lever housing 2 and oscillating lever 10. The latching system 14 consists on the one hand substantially of a selector lever housing 2 arranged slotted guide 16, which is V-shaped. On the oscillating lever 10, the slide guide 16 is opposite a further housing with a spring-loaded pressure roller 15 protruding from the housing. The spring load is provided by a pressure spring located in the housing of the locking system 14. In the illustration of Figures 4 and 5, the pinch roller 15 is within the V-shaped slide guide 16 at its lowest point and defines the position shown in Figures 4 and 5 of rocker arm 10 and selector lever housing 2 to each other. By the locking system 14 any existing game between rocker arm 10 and selector lever 1 is eliminated, so that a handy handling of the selector lever 1 is guaranteed.

If the selector lever 1 with connected selector lever housing 2 has been pivoted from the automatic selector gate A (corresponding to FIG. 1) into the selector gate S (according to FIG. 2), the connecting member 6 is located within the recess 8, as already explained in detail above At the same time, the lower pin 12 of the rocker arm 10 is extended out of the holding device 13 and thus movable. Thus, in the step switching gate position shown in FIG. 6, the oscillating lever 10 can now oscillate about the axis of rotation of the upper connecting link 6.

Such movement is effected by a movement corresponding to the arrow T of the selector lever 1 in Figure 7. In this figure, one of the so-called jog positions of the selector lever 1 is shown within the shift gate S. Kinematically, the selector lever 1 with connected selector lever housing 2 swings about the selector lever axis 3 inside the selector housing. Since the oscillating lever is simultaneously fixed in the upper pivot point of the connecting member 6 and, moreover, there is a connection between selector lever housing 2 and rocker arm 10 in the area of the retaining bolt 11, performs a movement of the selector lever 1 in the direction of the arrow T at the same time to a deflection in the direction of arrow U of the rocker arm in its lower region in which the bolt 12 is located.

As can also be seen from FIG. 7, the pressure roller 15 within the slide guide 16 simultaneously rolls up one of the flanks of the sliding guide within the slide guide 16 out of its lowest rest area. By the spring-loaded pinch roller 15, a restoring moment is provided, which causes the selector lever 1 returns after a deflection in the illustrated direction and its subsequent release by the vehicle user back to its center position in which the pinch roller 15 is at the lowest point of the slide guide 16 ,

FIGS. 8 and 9 additionally serve to explain a locking means 17 which fixes the selector lever 1 with selector lever housing 2 either in the automatic selector gate position A according to FIG. 8 or in the selector gate position S according to FIG.

The latching means 17 is substantially analogous to the above statements on the locking system 14 of a spring-loaded pinch roller 18 and a pinch roller 18 opposite retaining lug 19 on selector housing 2. If the selector lever housing 2 moves from the automatic shift gate position in the Schrittschaltgassenstellung, so presses the retaining lug 19 the spring-loaded pinch roller 18 in the direction of the Schaltvorrichtungsgehäuseboden, so that a pivoting of the selector lever housing 2 can go by. If the selector lever housing 2 has been transferred to the indexing gate position, then the pinch roller 18 moving upward again, as shown in FIG. 9, fixes the selector lever 1 in this position, since the pinch roller 18 now presses against the further flank of the retaining tab 19. LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

A automatic shift gate

S chrittschaltgasse

1 selector lever

2 selector housing

3 selector lever axle

4 shift gate axle

5 S chaltvorrichtungsgehau.se

5a selector lever carrier

6 connecting link

7 coupling element

8 recess

9 axis of rotation

10 rocker arms

11 retaining bolts

12 bolts

13 holding device

14 locking system

15 pinch roller

16 slide guide

17 locking means

18 pinch roller

19 holding nose

Claims

Switching device for an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle Patent claims

1. Switching device for an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle having a first automatic shift gate and a second step shift for a manual, stepwise switching operation about a center position, a selector lever with a selector lever, which about a first shift gate axis in the automatic shift gate and the indexing gate and a second selector shaft within the Schaltgassen are pivotable, wherein selector lever axis and shift gate axis are arranged at right angles to each other in a switching device housing, and with a connecting member for transmitting the pivotal movement of the selector lever in the automatic shift gate on a coupling element to the automatic transmission, wherein the connecting member upon pivoting of the selector lever to the shift gate axis in the Schrittschaltgasse in a Is defined recess of the switching device housing, characterized in that the connecting member (6) rotatably in a rotation axis (9) on a Schw ing lever (10) is fixed, which on a retaining bolt (11), which is rotatably received, and that the oscillating lever (10) during the position of the selector lever (1) in the automatic shift gate (A) with a bolt (12) in a holding device (13 ) of the switching device housing (5) is mounted.

2. Switching device according to claim 1, characterized in that the center line of the axis of rotation (9) of the connecting member (6) of the retaining bolt (11) and the pivot pin (12) of the rocking lever (10) are arranged parallel to each other in a common plane.

3. Switching device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that in the middle position of the selector lever (l) in the step shift gate (S), the central axis of the retaining bolt (11) of the rocking lever (10) and the selector lever axis (3) on a common Line are arranged.

4. Switching device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that in the Schrittschaltgasse (S) a latching system (14) between selector lever housing (2) and rocker arm (10) one of the stepwise relative movement of the selector lever (1) to the rocker arm (10) provides counteracting restoring force.

5. Switching device according to claim 4, characterized in that the latching system (14) has a in a slotted guide (16) on the selector lever housing (2) arranged spring-loaded pressure roller (15).

6. Switching device according to claim 5, characterized in that the slotted guide (16) has substantially a V-shaped runway for the movement of the pressure roller (15).

7. Switching device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the retaining bolt (11) of the rocking lever (10) on the selector lever housing (2) at the same distance between the rocker arm (10) located axis of rotation (9) and the pivot pin is arranged ,

8. Switching device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that on the selector lever (1) latching means (17) are provided for fixing in the respective shift gates (4).

9. Switching device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the retaining bolt (11) is integrally formed on the selector lever (L).

10. Switching device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the bolt (12) is integrally formed on the rocking lever (10).