JP2006256411A - Transmission shift switch, shift device, and automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a transmission shift switch capable of high operability and space saving. <P>SOLUTION: This shift switch 1, connected to a transmission and performing switching between a plurality of positions of the transmission, includes a switch body 4 which is structured so as to travel in two directions and switches the positions of the transmission one by one according to a traveling direction so as to move up or down and a neutral position return mechanism 5 for returning the switch body 4 to its neutral position for one operation. The shift switch 1 is mounted on a steering wheel W. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a transmission shift switch, a shift device, and an automobile for switching a plurality of positions of a transmission mounted on a vehicle.

Generally, a shift device for an automatic transmission in which switching of a plurality of positions of the automatic transmission is realized by electrical control is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The shift device for an automatic transmission includes a shift lever provided to be movable between a neutral position and a plurality of operation positions set in different directions around the neutral position, and returns the shift lever to the neutral position. The return mechanism, a first sensor that electrically detects a plurality of travel positions (a shift up, a shift down, etc.) among a plurality of positions, and an operation that selects a stop position among the plurality of positions are electrically And at least the first sensor detects that the shift lever has been operated to one of the plurality of operation positions.
JP 2002-254942 A (Claim 1, paragraphs 0022 and 0023, FIG. 3)

  However, since the shift device of Patent Document 1 is installed on the armrest portion of the driver's seat door (see FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1), the movable range of the arm is narrowed, and the operability is deteriorated. There was a problem of getting in the way. In addition, a general shift device is installed on the side of the driver's seat (for example, in front of the console box) or the instrument panel (for example, next to the steering wheel). In recent years, where it is desirable to ensure a wide range, there has been a point to be improved in the installation location of such a shift device.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a shift switch for a transmission, a shift device, and an automobile that solve the above-described problems and that have good operability and space saving.

  In order to solve the above problems, the invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is a shift switch that is connected to a transmission and switches a plurality of positions of the transmission, and is configured to be movable in two directions. A switch body that switches the transmission position so that the position of the transmission is raised or lowered by one position corresponding to the moving direction; and a neutral position return mechanism that returns the switch body to a neutral position for each operation. It is provided in a wheel.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the driver operates and moves the shift switch provided on the steering wheel, the position of the transmission is increased or decreased by one position corresponding to the moving direction. Can be switched. Since the shift switch returns to the neutral position for each operation, the position can be further switched by one position by operating again after the neutral position is returned. In this way, the shift switch can be operated with the hand on the steering wheel, so that the operability is improved as compared with the conventional case. Further, since the shift switch returns to the neutral position every operation, the space required for the operation can be reduced and the size thereof can be reduced.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the transmission shift switch according to the first aspect, when switching to a predetermined position among a plurality of positions, another operation is added to move the switch body. It is characterized by being possible.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the transmission shift switch according to the first aspect, when switching to a predetermined position among the plurality of positions, another operation is added to It becomes possible to operate. As described above, by restricting the operation in a predetermined case, the safety of the operation can be improved.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the transmission shift switch according to the first or second aspect, the shift switch is provided in a range that can be operated by a finger of a hand gripping the steering wheel.

  According to the third aspect of the invention, in the transmission shift switch according to the first or second aspect, it is possible to operate with a finger while holding the steering wheel, thereby further improving operability. Can do.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the transmission shift switch according to any one of the first to third aspects, the movement is a slide movement or a rocking movement.

  According to the invention of claim 4, in the shift switch for transmission according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the movement state is specifically shown. By providing the shift switch so as to slide or swing, the driver can sensibly grasp the operation of upshifting or downshifting, and the operability can be further improved.

  A fifth aspect of the present invention is a shift device including the transmission shift switch according to any one of the first to fourth aspects.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the transmission shift switch according to any one of the first to fourth aspects is provided, the same operation as these can be obtained.

  The invention according to claim 6 is the shift device according to claim 5, wherein a switch for switching to a parking position among a plurality of positions is provided separately from the shift switch for transmission. .

  According to the invention which concerns on Claim 6, it can switch to a parking position at any time by providing the switch which switches to a parking position separately from the shift switch for transmissions.

  The invention according to claim 7 is an automobile, wherein the shift switch for transmission according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is provided in a steering wheel.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since the transmission shift switch according to any one of the first to fourth aspects is provided, the same operation as these can be obtained.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the shift operation can be performed with the hand on the steering wheel. Therefore, the operation can be performed more stably than the conventional operation in which one hand is applied to the shift lever. In addition, since it is a space-saving shift switch that returns to the neutral position for each operation, it can be operated without being disturbed on the steering wheel.

  According to the second aspect of the invention, when switching to a predetermined position, the operation cannot be performed unless another operation is added separately. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the position from being inadvertently switched, and the safety of the operation is improved. improves.

  According to the invention which concerns on Claim 3, since it can operate with a finger | toe, hold | grip a steering wheel, a position can be switched easily and operativity can be improved more.

  According to the fourth aspect of the invention, since the shift switch is provided so as to slide or swing, the driver can operate sensibly and further improve operability. Can do.

  Since the shift switch according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is provided, the same effect as these can be obtained.

  According to the invention which concerns on Claim 6, since switching of a parking position can be performed immediately, troublesome operation can be abbreviate | omitted and operativity can be improved more.

  According to the invention of claim 7, since the shift switch according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is provided, the same effects as these can be obtained.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. FIG. 1 is a front view around a steering wheel provided with a shift switch according to the present embodiment.

The shift switch 1 according to the present embodiment constitutes a shift device together with the parking position switch 2 (separate switch), the control device 3, the transmission actuator 31, and the transmission 32 shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, a shift switch 1 (transmission shift switch) according to the present embodiment is provided in a steering wheel W in a range that can be operated by a thumb T of a hand that grips the steering wheel W. . Here, the range that can be operated with the thumb T is, for example, a range in which the distance L from the base position of the thumb T of the hand holding the steering wheel W is within about 5 to 7 cm. The shift switch 1 is a switch for switching a plurality of positions of the automatic transmission, and the display of the shift indicator SI is also switched according to the switching of the shift switch 1. Here, there are a parking position (P), a reverse position (R), a neutral position (N), a drive position (D), and a second position (2) as positions. It is displayed. In the present embodiment, switching to the upper position in this display order is referred to as raising the position, and switching to the lower position is referred to as lowering the position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the switch body of the shift switch according to the present embodiment.
The shift switch 1 according to the present embodiment includes a switch body 4 shown in FIG. 2, a neutral position return mechanism 5 (see FIG. 3) for returning the switch body 4 to a neutral position every operation, and a select switch mechanism 6 ( (See FIG. 4).

  As shown in FIG. 2, the switch body 4 is provided so as to be slidable along an opening W <b> 1 formed in the steering wheel W, and includes a plate-like slide portion 41 and lower ends of the slide portion 41. Corresponding to the operation part 43 on the lower surface side of the slide part 41, the flange part 42 formed along the longitudinal direction, the operation part 43 formed by projecting in the longitudinal center part on the upper surface side of the slide part 41. And a plunger receiving portion 44 protruding in this manner.

  The slide part 41 is a plate-like member formed shorter than the opening W1 of the steering wheel W, and is fitted into the opening W1. The slide part 41 is slidable along the opening W1 by operating the operation part 43 with the thumb T (see FIG. 1). The flange portion 42 is formed so as to extend in the width direction on the lower surface side of the opening portion W1, and is prevented from coming off from the opening portion W1.

3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the shift switch, (a) is a sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2, and the switch body is in a neutral position, and (b) is a slide of the switch body leftward. (C) shows a state where the switch body is sliding rightward.
As shown in FIG. 3A, the operation portion 43 is a projection formed on the slide portion 41 and is provided at a position corresponding to the plunger receiving portion 44 via the slide portion 41. A hollow portion 45 is formed inside the operation portion 43, the slide portion 41, and the plunger receiving portion 44 so as to penetrate these. An insertion port 45b narrower in the thickness direction than the central portion 45a is formed above the central portion 45a of the hollow portion 45, that is, at the top portion of the operation portion 43. A select switch body 61 of the select switch mechanism 6 to be described later is inserted into the insertion port 45b. In addition, a hollow cylindrical receiving port 45c (see also FIG. 4) is formed below the central portion 45a, that is, inside the plunger receiving portion 44. A plunger 53 described later is inserted into the receiving port 45c.

  The plunger receiving portion 44 is a projection formed on the slide portion 41, similarly to the operation portion 43, and is provided with movable contacts 10, 10 on both end surfaces in the slide direction. As the switch body 4 slides, the movable contacts 10 and 10 come into contact with an A switch 11a or B switch 11b which is a fixed contact 11 described later, and each switch is turned on and off.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, the neutral position return mechanism 5 includes a casing 51 formed inside the steering wheel W, a ball 52 movable along the bottom surface 51 a of the casing 51, and the ball 52. It comprises a plunger 53 that is rotatably held and a coil spring 54.

  The bottom surface 51 a of the casing 51 is formed with an inclined surface that is recessed with the center (neutral position) as a vertex 51 a ′ along the sliding direction of the switch body 4. Further, the fixed contact 11 is provided on the side surface 51b of the casing 51 so as to face both sides in the sliding direction. As described above, the fixed contact 11 includes the A switch 11a and the B switch 11b which are turned on when the movable contact 10 contacts. In the present embodiment, the A switch 11a is a switch that increases the position of the transmission 32 (see FIG. 5) by one position, and the B switch 11b is a switch that decreases the position by one position.

  The plunger 53 is formed in a cylindrical shape corresponding to the receiving port 45 c inside the plunger receiving portion 44. The plunger 53 holds the ball 52 rotatably at its tip. The plunger 53 is arranged so that the ball 52 to be held is located on the bottom surface 51 a side of the casing 51, and is urged toward the bottom surface 51 a side by a coil spring 54 inserted into the hollow portion 45. 45c.

  According to the neutral position return mechanism 5 configured as described above, the plunger 53 is stabilized at the neutral position so that the ball 52 is positioned at the vertex 51a ′ of the bottom surface 51a by the biasing force of the coil spring 54 in the normal state. . From this state, as shown in FIG. 3B, the operating portion 43 of the switch body 4 is pushed to the left side of the drawing with the thumb T (see FIG. 1), and the switch body 4 is slid. At this time, the ball 52 rolls along the inclined surface of the bottom surface 51a, and in accordance with the movement, the plunger 53 compresses the coil spring 54 and enters the receiving port 45c, so that the switch body 4 can be moved smoothly. it can. By sliding in this way, the movable contact 10 provided on the switch body 4 comes into contact with the A switch 11a which is the fixed contact 11, and turns on the A switch 11a.

  When the thumb T (see FIG. 1) is released from the operation unit 43, the plunger 53 is urged toward the bottom surface 51a by the restoring force of the coil spring 54, so that the ball 52 moves along the inclined surface. As shown to (a), it returns to the center vertex 51a '. That is, when the operation unit 43 is separated from the thumb T, the switch body 4 returns to the neutral position.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3C, when the switch body 4 is slid by pressing the operating portion 43 of the switch body 4 with the thumb T (see FIG. 1) to the right side of the page, the movable contact provided on the switch body 4. 10 contacts the B switch 11b which is the fixed contact 11, and turns it on. When the thumb T is released from the operation unit 43, the switch body 4 returns to the neutral position as described above. That is, the switch body 4 is configured to automatically return to the neutral position for each operation.

4 is a cross-sectional view in the width direction of the shift switch, (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 3, (b) is a state where the rod is extended by an actuator, (c) is a cross-sectional view. The select switch is pushed down and the switch body is slidable.
As shown in FIG. 4A, the select switch mechanism 6 includes a select switch body 61 inserted into the insertion port 45b of the switch body 4, a locking member 62 fixed to the select switch body 61, and a switch body. 4 and an actuator 63 arranged to face the casing 51 from the width direction side.

  The select switch body 61 has a substantially inverted T-shaped cross section (see FIG. 3A), and does not fall out from the insertion port 45b when inserted into the hollow portion 45 of the switch body 4. The select switch body 61 is urged toward the top side of the operation portion 43 by the coil spring 54 of the neutral position return mechanism 5. That is, the coil spring 54 is interposed between the select switch main body 61 and the plunger 53, and biases the select switch main body 61 toward the top side of the operation portion 43 and the plunger 53 toward the bottom surface 51 a side of the casing 51.

  The locking member 62 is a plate-like member that extends along the inner peripheral surface of the central portion 45 a in the hollow portion 45 and toward the bottom surface 51 a of the casing 51, and is arranged so as to penetrate the plunger receiving portion 44. Established. The locking member 62 has a notch 62 a formed to face the side surface 51 b of the casing 51. In addition, the outer periphery lower side of the plunger receiving part 44 is cut so that the notch 62a directly faces the side surface 51b of the casing 51.

  The actuator 63 is a push rod type electromagnetic solenoid having a rod 63 a protruding toward the locking member 62. The actuator 63 applies a voltage to an excitation coil disposed inside, and gives a linear motion to the movable iron core by the magnetic force, thereby causing the rod 63a attached thereto to advance and retract in the casing 51. The rod 63a extends to the side surface side of the locking member 62 when moving forward, interferes with the locking member 62, and acts so that the switch body 4 locks the sliding movement. In normal times, the rod 63a is at a lower position (closer to the bottom surface 51a) than the notch 62a so as not to coincide with the height position of the notch 62a of the locking member 62.

  According to the select switch mechanism 6 configured in this manner, the rod 63a of the actuator 63 is in a position where it does not interfere with the locking member 62, as shown in FIG. In this state, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the rod 63a is advanced by the actuator 63, the rod 63a extends to the side surface of the locking member 62, and the switch body 4 slides (moves in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface). ). In this embodiment, in this state, the switch body 4 cannot slide in the left direction (A switch 11a direction) as shown in FIG.

  In this state, as shown in FIG. 4C, when the select switch main body 61 is pressed, the locking member 62 is lowered accordingly, and the height positions of the notch 62a and the rod 63a coincide. Thereby, the rod 63a does not interfere with the locking member 62, and the switch body 4 can be slid. When the switch body 4 also locks the sliding movement in the right direction (B switch 11b direction) as shown in FIG. 3C, two rods extending on both sides so as to sandwich the locking member 62 are used. It can be achieved by providing.

  A parking position switch 2 shown in FIG. 1 is a switch for switching to a parking position. Since the parking position switch 2 is provided separately from the shift switch 1, the parking position switch 2 can be switched to the parking position at any time regardless of any shift state of the shift switch 1.

FIG. 5 is a block configuration diagram illustrating functions of the control device.
As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 3 includes a computer and a drive circuit. When the A switch 11a, the B switch 11b, and the parking position switch 2 are turned on, signals are input from these. Based on this signal, a control signal is transmitted to the transmission switching actuator 31 for position switching, the actuator 63, or the shift indicator SI to control them.

  The control device 3 appropriately controls the transmission 32 by operating the transmission actuator 31 and switches the position of the transmission 32. When switching, the control device 3 detects the current position and controls the transmission actuator 31 and the like based on the detection result and the manual shift pattern stored in the memory. That is, the control device 3 stores the position position in the order of display of the shift indicator SI (FIG. 1), and increments by one position when a signal is input from the A switch 11a, and increments by one position when a signal is input from the B switch 11b. Control is performed so that the position of the transmission 32 is switched so as to be down.

  Next, the operation of the shift device having the shift switch 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing each position for explaining the manual shift pattern. In this figure, the current position is shown surrounded by a bold line.

  6 will be described in order from the left side. First, the current position is the reverse position (R). At this time, the switch body 4 is slid once to the B switch 11b side (see FIG. 3), and B When the switch 11b is turned on, an input signal is transmitted to the control device 3, and the control device 3 controls the transmission actuator 31 so as to switch the position to the neutral position (N). The sliding movement of the switch body 4 is one operation. After this operation, the switch body 4 returns to the neutral position. And if such an operation is repeated twice, it can be switched to the drive position (D), and if it is further repeated three times, it can be switched to the second position (2).

  Next, the case where the neutral position (N) in the second column from the left in FIG. 6 is selected will be described. When detecting that the neutral position (N) is selected, the control device 3 operates the actuator 63 to advance the rod 63a. Thus, the switch body 4 cannot be slid to the A switch 11a side unless the select switch body 61 is pressed (see FIG. 4). Therefore, when the select switch main body 61 is pressed and the switch main body 4 is slid to the A switch 11a side, the A switch 11a is turned on and switched to the reverse position (R). On the other hand, when the switch body 4 is slid once to the B switch 11b side, it switches to the drive position (D), and when it is slid twice, it switches to the second position (2).

  Also, when the drive position (D) and the second position (2) are selected, the control device 3 similarly controls the transmission actuator 31 based on this manual shift pattern to switch each position. It is like that. When switching from the neutral position (N) to the reverse position (R), the switch body 4 cannot be slid unless the select switch body 61 is always depressed. Thereby, safety is improved.

  Further, the parking position (P) can be switched by turning on the parking position switch 2 regardless of which position is currently selected.

  On the other hand, when each position is switched, the control device 3 transmits a control signal to the shift indicator SI and lights the shift indicator SI so that the selected position is indicated. As a result, the driver can visually recognize which position is currently selected.

According to the above, the following effects can be obtained in the present embodiment.
Since the switch body 4 returns to the neutral position for each operation, the space required for the operation can be reduced and the space is saved. Therefore, the shift switch 1 can be disposed on the steering wheel W. You can operate on W without getting in the way.

  When the driver operates the switch body 4 provided on the steering wheel W and slides it, the position can be switched. Since the switch body 4 returns to the neutral position for each operation, the position can be switched to a different position by operating again after returning to the neutral position. In this way, the switch body 4 can be operated with the thumb T while the hand is held on the steering wheel W, and the position can be switched. Therefore, at the start of operation, the hand must be moved to the handle after operating the shift lever. The conventional work that had to be done is no longer necessary, and each position can be switched while the handle is already applied. In addition, it is possible to perform a more stable operation than in the prior art in which one hand is placed on the shift lever. Furthermore, since the position is switched by sliding, the driver can operate sensibly. And a handicapped person with a single hand can easily operate.

  Further, when switching to the reverse position (R), the switch body 4 cannot be slid unless the select switch body 61 is depressed, so that it is possible to prevent the position from being inadvertently switched. Safety is improved.

  Although the present embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be implemented as follows.

  In the above-described embodiment, in the neutral position (N), the slide movement of the switch body 4 toward the A switch 11a is restricted, and the switch position is changed from the neutral position (N) to the reverse position (R) unless the select switch body 61 is pressed. Although it was configured not to be switched, the present invention is not limited to this as long as it is switched by adding another operation. For example, assuming that the slide movement toward the A switch 11a is the vertical direction, at the neutral position (N), the switch body 4 is slid in the horizontal direction (direction perpendicular to the vertical direction) and moved in the vertical direction. If it is not performed (that is, an operation different from the operation at the time of normal switching is performed), the reverse position (R) cannot be switched.

  In the above-described embodiment, it is configured to always return to the neutral position for each operation. However, when switching to a predetermined position (for example, the reverse position (R)), the state of sliding movement (that is, FIG. 3 ( In the state b), it can be configured to be locked. According to this, it is possible to recognize that the reverse position (R) is selected only by touching.

  In the above embodiment, the configuration of the neutral position return mechanism 5 has been described, but the configuration of the neutral position return mechanism is not limited to the above embodiment, for example, a configuration in which the spring member is biased from both sides in the sliding direction, etc. A known slide switch configuration can be applied.

  In the above-described embodiment, the switch body 4 is configured to slide. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the switch body 4 may be configured as a seesaw type switch that swings and moves.

  Although the above embodiment has been described as an alternative to the conventional shift lever, even when the shift switch according to the present invention is provided, a shift lever can be provided separately.

  In the above-described embodiment, it is configured to be capable of two-speed shifting, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may have three-speed shifting or more positions.

  In the above embodiment, the shift switch 1 is disposed in the movable range of the thumb T on the steering wheel W, but is not limited as long as it is disposed on the steering wheel W. For example, the movable range of the index finger It may be arranged in the.

  In the embodiment, the shift switch that slides in one direction (vertical direction) has been described. However, a shift switch that slides in one direction (lateral direction) different from the embodiment may be used.

It is a front view around the steering wheel provided with the shift switch concerning this embodiment. It is a perspective view of the switch body of the shift switch concerning this embodiment. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the shift switch, (a) is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2, and the switch body is in a neutral position, and (b) is a slide of the switch body leftward. (C) shows a state where the switch body is sliding rightward. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view in the width direction of the shift switch, (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 3, and is a normal state, (b) is a state where the rod is extended by an actuator, The switch body is slidable. It is a block block diagram which shows the function of a control apparatus. It is a figure which shows each position for demonstrating a manual shift pattern.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Shift switch 2 Parking position switch 3 Control apparatus 4 Switch main body 5 Neutral position return mechanism 6 Select switch mechanism 10 Movable contact 11 Fixed contact 11a A switch 11b B switch 31 Transmission actuator 32 Transmission 41 Slide part 42 Flange part 43 Operation part T Thumb T
W Steering wheel

Claims (7)

A shift switch connected to the transmission and switching a plurality of positions of the transmission,
A switch body configured to be movable in two directions, and switching the position of the transmission up or down by one position in correspondence with the movement direction;
A neutral position return mechanism for returning the switch body to a neutral position for each operation,
A transmission shift switch provided on a steering wheel.   The transmission shift switch according to claim 1, wherein when switching to a predetermined position among the plurality of positions, the switch body can be moved by adding another operation separately.   The transmission shift switch according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the shift switch is provided in a range that can be operated by a finger of a hand that holds the steering wheel.   The shift switch for a transmission according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the movement is a slide movement or a rocking movement.   A shift device comprising the shift switch for a transmission according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and a transmission.   The shift device according to claim 5, wherein a switch for switching to a parking position among a plurality of positions is provided separately from the shift switch for transmission. An automobile, wherein the transmission shift switch according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is provided on a steering wheel.

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