JP2014172467A - Shift device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a small-size light-weight shift device.SOLUTION: A shift device 1 for a vehicle includes: a shift knob 10 to be operated for selecting a shift range; and a base 2 that supports the shift knob 10 in an operable manner and is secured to the vehicle. The shift knob 10 is coupled to the base 2 by interposing therebetween an engagement structure between a select shaft 11 extended in an operation direction of the shift knob 10 and an intermediate member 3 to be engaged with the select shaft 11 in a state of being relatively advanceable along the operation direction. The select shaft 11 is housed inside the shift knob 10.

Description

  The present invention relates to a shift device mounted on a vehicle for selecting a shift range.

  Conventionally, shift change means employing a mechanical link mechanism has been often used in vehicle shift devices. In recent years, a shift device that electrically detects the operation of a shift lever has been put into practical use so as to meet the demand for electronicization of in-vehicle devices (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This shift device converts the detected operation of the shift lever into an electrical signal and outputs it.

  The shift device as described above is called a so-called by-wire shift device in which an actuator is driven by the output signal to realize a shift change. In the by-wire type shift device, it is not necessary to provide a complicated link mechanism with the transmission, and it is only necessary to route the electrical wiring. If such a shift device is employed, the degree of freedom in design and installation of the shift change mechanism can be significantly improved.

JP 2007-223384 A

  Along with the increasing market needs for low fuel consumption for vehicles in recent years, there is an increasing need for weight reduction of in-vehicle components, and there is a demand for lighter and smaller shift devices. For example, if it is a by-wire type shift device that does not require a link mechanism or the like, there is a possibility that further weight reduction and downsizing can be realized by utilizing a high degree of design freedom.

  The present invention is an invention for providing a small and lightweight shift device.

The present invention is a shift device for a vehicle having a shift knob operated to select a shift range, and a base that operably supports the shift knob and is fixed to the vehicle side,
The shift knob is disposed via an engagement structure of a shaft member extending in the operation direction of the shift knob and an intermediate member engaged with the shaft member in a state of being relatively movable along the operation direction. Connected to the base,
The shift device includes a shaft member housed in the shift knob as the shaft member (Claim 1).

  In the shift device of the present invention, the intermediate member is engaged with the shaft member in a state where the intermediate member can advance and retract in the axial direction. The shift knob is connected to the base via the intermediate member. The shift knob can be operated by moving the intermediate member back and forth.

  A shaft member that engages the intermediate member so as to advance and retract is housed inside the shift knob. If the shaft member is accommodated inside the shift knob in this way, for example, a small shift device having a small protruding volume on the digging side from an installation surface such as an instrument panel can be realized. If it is a small shift device, the physique of structural members, such as a housing | casing, can be made small, and a weight reduction design becomes easy. Furthermore, if a small structural member can be employed, it is relatively easy to ensure the strength, and it is possible to further reduce the weight by reducing the thickness of the member.

  As described above, the configuration of the shift device of the present invention is a very effective configuration for realizing a small and lightweight shift device.

  As an engagement structure in the present invention, an engagement structure in which the shaft member is inserted and arranged in a through hole provided in the intermediate member, or a spool member having a through hole for inserting and arranging the shaft member is used. Engagement by a combination of a structure in which the intermediate member engages, a shaft member provided with a groove on the outer surface along the axial direction, and an intermediate member provided with a convex portion that can be moved forward and backward in the groove of the shaft member Various structures such as structures are conceivable. Two or more shaft members may be provided along any of the operation directions. The intermediate member may be provided with a slider corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the gap between the plurality of shaft members that are parallel to each other, and the intermediate member may be engaged with the shaft member via the slider. . All structures that engage with the shaft member in a state in which the shaft member can advance and retreat in the axial direction are included in the engagement structure of the present invention. The cross-sectional shape of the shaft member may be any shape such as a circle, a quadrangle, a polygon, and a triangle.

  According to the shift device of the present invention, a novel slide operation that translates the shift knob can be realized. As the shape of the shift knob, for example, a mouse-like shape widely used as an input device such as a computer may be employed. A shift device that can select a shift range by a shift operation similar to a mouse operation can be realized. If an operation feeling like a mouse that many people are accustomed to using as an operation means is realized, it becomes easy for many drivers to accept.

  When the shaft member is accommodated in the shift knob to be operated as in the present invention, the force point for receiving the operation force (for example, the outer surface of the shift knob) and the operating point of the operation force (the contact point between the shaft member and the intermediate member) Can be brought closer to an arrangement along the operation direction, and generation of moments (rotational torque) derived from the operation force can be suppressed. If the moment can be suppressed, nearly 100% of the operating force becomes a force for sliding the intermediate member along the axial direction, and the movement of the shift knob with respect to the operation is directly connected to improve the operational feeling.

  The operation direction of the shift knob may be one direction or two or more directions. In the case of one direction, the intermediate member is fixed to the base side or formed integrally with the base.

The intermediate member included in the shift device according to a preferred aspect of the present invention has a spool portion that inserts and holds the shaft member in a state in which the shaft member is slidable along the axial direction.
If the intermediate member has a spool portion for inserting and holding the shaft member, the axial movement of the shaft member can be realized with a relatively easy structure.

The shift knob included in the shift device according to a preferred aspect of the present invention can be operated in a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to each other,
The intermediate member interpolates and holds a first spool portion that interpolates and holds the first shaft member extending in the first direction, and a second shaft member that extends in the second direction. A second spool portion,
At least one of the first and second shaft members is housed in the shift knob (claim 3).
In this case, a shift device capable of operating the shift knob two-dimensionally can be realized.

In the shift device according to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the first shaft member is accommodated in the shift knob, while the second shaft member is located outside the shift knob.
A pressing member that is urged in a predetermined urging direction and is capable of advancing and retreating in the urging direction, and that moves in a direction perpendicular to the urging direction in accordance with the operation of the shift knob along the second direction;
A receiving portion disposed so that the pressing member is pressed against,
The urging direction of the pressing member is set to a direction substantially parallel to the operation surface including the first direction and the second direction (Claim 4).

  In order to slidably engage the shaft member and the intermediate member, it is necessary to provide a certain gap (clearance) between them. For this reason, when the pressing member is provided, the intermediate member is pressed in the reverse biasing direction, and the clearance on the biasing reverse side tends to increase. For example, assuming that the operation surface is a horizontal plane and the urging direction of the pressing member is set downward in the vertical direction, the intermediate member is pressed upward in the vertical direction (the urging reverse side) and the upper side of the shaft member The gap becomes larger. This gap may allow the movement of the shift knob to fall down on the operation side and may cause a rattling feeling. On the other hand, if the urging direction of the pressing member is set substantially parallel to the operation surface, the intermediate member is not pressed up and down. When operating the shift knob, it is possible to suppress the movement of the intermediate member falling in the operation direction as described above, and to suppress the rattling feeling.

  When the shift knob is operated in the second direction along the second shaft member provided outside the shift knob, there is a high possibility that a moment (rotational torque) that causes the shift knob to fall on the operation side is generated. Therefore, for the pressing member corresponding to the second direction, it is very effective to set the urging direction of the pressing member in a direction substantially parallel to the operation surface.

  On the other hand, with respect to the operation in the first direction along the first shaft member housed in the shift knob, there is little possibility of generating a moment (rotational torque) that causes the shift knob to fall on the operation side. Therefore, if a pressing member corresponding to the first direction is provided, there is little risk of a problem even if the urging direction is set in a direction orthogonal to the operation surface.

In a shift device according to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the first and second shaft members are accommodated in the shift knob.
In this case, the first and second shaft members are accommodated in the shift knob, so that the design for realizing a good operational feeling in both the first direction and the second direction is relatively small. It becomes easy.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a shift device in Embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a shift pattern in the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a structural diagram illustrating an assembly structure of a shift device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a structural diagram showing the internal structure of the shift device in Embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a shift range detection method according to the first embodiment. Explanatory drawing of the accommodation structure of the engaging part by the hollow part in Example 1. FIG. Explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the formation shape of a hollow part in Example 1, and a shift pattern. Explanatory drawing which shows a mode that an operation position is controlled by the accommodation structure of an engaging part and a hollow part in Example 1. FIG. Explanatory drawing of the difference by arrangement | positioning of the shaft member in Example 1. FIG. Explanatory drawing regarding the urging | biasing direction of a shift plunger in Example 1. FIG. Explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the other shift apparatus in Example 1. FIG. Explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the other shift apparatus in Example 1. FIG.

The embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the following examples.
Example 1
This example is an example relating to a vehicle shift device 1 including a shift knob 10 operated to select a shift range. The contents will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the shift device 1 of this example includes a shift knob 10 shaped like a general mouse as an input device of a personal computer, and can move the shift knob 10 along an operation surface 219 corresponding to a mouse pad. It is a possible device. In this shift device 1, the shift knob 10 can be operated so as to translate back and forth and right and left like a mouse.

  In this shift device 1, as shown in FIG. 2, a shift pattern (operation path) is defined by a combination of a shift direction along the traveling direction of the vehicle and an operation in the select direction along the left-right direction of the vehicle. The shift pattern includes left, middle, and right operation paths SFL, SFC, and SFR along the shift direction. Each illustration of the shift device 1 in the shift pattern of FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the operation position of the shift knob 10.

  The operation routes SFL, SFC, and SFR in the shift direction do not have overlapping route ranges in the shift direction, and adjacent operation routes are connected by operation routes SE1 and SE2 in the select direction. The left operation path (hereinafter, left shift path SFL) is located on the push side in the shift direction (vehicle forward side), and the right operation path (hereinafter, right shift path SFR) is on the near side in the shift direction (vehicle A central operation path (hereinafter referred to as a middle shift path SFC) is located at an intermediate position in the shift direction.

  In this shift pattern, a reverse range R is arranged at the push-side end in the left shift path SFL. The home position H is disposed at the push-side end in the middle shift path SFC, and the neutral range N is disposed at the front end. And the drive range D is arrange | positioned at the edge part of the near side in the right shift path | route SFR.

  In the shift device 1 of this example, the shift knob 10 is biased toward the home position H. By operating the shift knob 10 to any shift range, the shift range can be selectively set. Thereafter, when the operating force acting on the shift knob 10 is loosened, the shift knob 10 returns to the home position H while the setting of the operated shift range is maintained.

  The shift device 1 is a so-called by-wire shift device that is electrically connected to a control unit of an automatic transmission device (not shown). When the shift knob 10 is operated to any shift range, the shift device 1 outputs a shift signal corresponding to the shift range to the control unit. The application target of the configuration of this example is not limited to the by-wire type shift device. The configuration of this example can also be applied to a mechanical shift device that mechanically switches the shift range of the transmission device via a shift wire or the like.

  The shift device 1 is attached to the vehicle side via an attachment bracket (not shown) provided on the base 2. The base 2 is attached so that the top plate 21 forming the upper surface thereof is substantially flush with the mounting surface on the vehicle side such as a dash panel. The upper surface of the base 2 forms an operation surface arrangement surface corresponding to each shift range, and is an operation surface 219 on which the shift knob 10 advances and retreats. The shift device 1 is attached to the vehicle so that the shift knob 10 is positioned at a position where the driver can easily operate.

  In the shift device 1, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the shift knob 10 and the base 2 are connected via an intermediate member 3 housed inside. Hereinafter, components such as the base 2, the shift knob 10, and the intermediate member 3 will be described in order.

The base 2 is a component that forms the basis of the shift device 1. The base 2 is configured by a combination of a bottomed base body 20 having a hollow portion 200 and a top plate 21 attached to the substantially rectangular opening.
A bearing portion 208 that supports a shift shaft (shaft member) 12 along the shift direction is provided on a pair of inner surfaces facing the shift direction among the inner surfaces of the base 2 surrounding the hollow portion 200. The bearing portion 208 has a structure in which a shaft hole having a circular cross section is divided into two, and the lower half of the base body 20 is formed. The upper half is formed as a bearing portion 218 of the top plate 21. When the top plate 21 is combined with the base body 20, the bearing portion 208 and the bearing portion 218 are combined to form a shaft hole that is almost completely complete.

  A return block (receiving portion) 23 for biasing the shift knob 10 in the shift direction and pushing it back to the home position H side is attached to one of the pair of inner side surfaces facing the select direction via the hollow portion 200. ing. On the other inner surface, an element substrate 25 (see FIG. 5) in which four Hall elements IC1 to IC4 are arranged in a line along the shift direction is arranged.

  The return block 23 is combined with a shift plunger (pressing member) 351, which will be described later, held by the intermediate member 3 (see FIG. 4), so that the return block 23 in the shift direction is separated from the home position H in the shift direction. Apply urging force. In the return block 23, a groove 230 that opens toward the hollow portion 200 is extended along the shift direction. The bottom surface of the groove 230 is formed so as to gradually become shallower as it moves away from the deepest portion corresponding to the position of the home position H in the shift direction.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the element substrate 25 is a substrate that outputs a signal corresponding to the operation position of the shift knob 10. The Hall elements IC1 to IC4 on the element substrate 25 are arranged at positions corresponding to the reverse range R, home position H, neutral range N, and drive range D, respectively. For example, when the operation position of the shift knob 10 is in the reverse range R, the output of IC1 is ON and the outputs of IC2 to IC4 are OFF. The element substrate 25 of this example outputs a signal representing the ON / OFF information of each Hall element IC1-4. For example, the ON / OFF information may be encoded and output.

  As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 6, the top plate 21 of the base 2 is formed with a long hole 210 along the shift direction, and a concave depression that overlaps with the formation region of the long hole 210. A portion 213 is drilled. The long hole 210 is a through groove for advancing and retracting the intermediate member 3 arranged in the through direction in the shift direction. The recess 213 is a recess that accommodates an engagement portion 153 (see FIGS. 3 and 6) provided on the lower surface of the shift knob 10 described later. In the shift device 1 of this example, the position where the shift knob 10 can be operated is regulated by the housing structure of the engaging portion 153 by the hollow portion 213, thereby defining the shift pattern of FIG. The formation shape of the depression 213 will be described together with the operation along the shift pattern, which will be described later.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the shift knob 10 is configured by attaching a substantially elliptical bottom plate 15 to the lower surface of a mouse-shaped cup 100 in which a boiled egg is vertically divided. The bottom plate 15 has a long hole 150 extending in the select direction, and a bearing portion 152 that supports the select shaft (first shaft member) 11 is provided outside the both ends of the long hole 150. Yes.

  A convex engaging portion 153 (see FIGS. 3 and 6) is provided on the outer surface of the bottom plate 15 facing the base 2 side. The engaging portions 153 are elongated along the select direction on both sides near the middle in the extending direction of the long hole 150. As described above, the engaging portion 153 is accommodated in the recessed portion 213 provided on the upper surface of the base 2. Three seats 155 for fixing the cup 100 with screws are provided on the inner surface of the bottom plate 15.

  An arrangement hole 101 (FIG. 3 and FIG. 4) that is long in the select direction is formed at a location that hits the ceiling of the cup 100. The arrangement hole 101 is a return block (receiving portion) 13 that constitutes a return mechanism that pushes back the shift knob 10 operated in the left shift path SFL (see FIG. 2) or the right shift path SFR toward the middle shift path SFC. This is a mounting hole. In the return block 13, a groove (not shown) that opens toward the bottom plate 15 side is extended along the select direction. The bottom surface of the groove is a pressing surface of a later-described select plunger (pressing member) 371 held by the intermediate member 3, and gradually becomes shallower as it is away from the deepest portion at the substantially center corresponding to the middle shift path SFC. Due to the abutment structure of the select plunger 371 with respect to the bottom surface of the groove of the return block 13, a biasing force is generated to push back the shift knob 10 operated in the select direction toward the middle shift path SFC.

  The surface of the return block 13 exposed to the arrangement hole 101 when attached to the cup 100 (see FIGS. 1 and 4A) is a decorative surface that is substantially flush with the surface shape of the cup 100. Is formed.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the intermediate member 3 includes a first spool portion 31 that interposes (selects through) a select shaft 11 that is fixed inside the shift knob 10 in a state in which the select shaft 11 can advance and retreat in the axial direction, and a base And a second spool portion 32 that interpolates and arranges (shifts through) a shift shaft (second shaft member) 12 fixed inside 2 in a state in which the shift shaft 12 can advance and retreat in the axial direction. The intermediate member 3 connects the base 2 and the shift knob 10 by disposing the select shaft 11 and the shift shaft 12 through the first and second spool portions 31 and 32.

  The intermediate member 3 has an intermediate shaft portion 33 extending in a direction orthogonal to the select direction and the shift direction (a direction orthogonal to the operation surface 219). The first and second spool portions 31 and 32 are formed on both end sides of the intermediate shaft portion 33. Furthermore, a plunger holding portion 35 that holds the shift plunger 351 so as to be able to advance and retreat is provided at the end on the second spool portion 32 side. The shift plunger 351 is a substantially cylindrical member having a dome-shaped tip. The plunger holding part 35 holds the shift plunger 351 in an urged state with a coil spring 350 in a compressed state interposed therebetween. In particular, in this example, the advancing / retreating direction (biasing direction) of the shift plunger 351 is set in a direction substantially parallel to the operation surface 219 and orthogonal to the shift direction.

  A plunger holding portion 37 that holds the select plunger 371 so as to be able to advance and retreat is provided at the end portion on the first spool portion 31 side. The select plunger 371 is a substantially cylindrical member having a dome-shaped tip. The plunger holding part 37 holds the select plunger 371 in the biased state with the coil spring 370 in a compressed state interposed.

  The intermediate shaft portion 33 of the intermediate member 3 is disposed through a through hole formed by overlapping the long hole 210 of the top plate 21 of the base 2 and the long hole 150 of the bottom plate 15 of the shift knob 10 (FIG. 4 ( See b). Thereby, the side accommodated in the shift knob 10 and the side accommodated in the base 2 are divided through the intermediate shaft portion 33. The end on the first spool portion 31 side is accommodated in the shift knob 10. On the other hand, the end portion on the second spool portion 32 side is accommodated in the base 2.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, a small-diameter magnet 359 is attached to the rear end surface (surface opposite to the shift plunger 351) of the plunger holding portion 35 that holds the shift plunger 351. The magnet 359 is attached so that the Hall elements IC1 to IC4 disposed on the element substrate 25 disposed along the inner surface of the base body 20 can detect magnetism as described above.

  An example of an assembling method of the shift device 1 constituted by the parts as described above will be described. In assembling the shift device 1, first, the intermediate member 3 having the shift shaft 12 penetrating the base 2 to which the return block 23 is attached is assembled. At this time, the intermediate member 3 is combined with the base 2 while pushing the shift plunger 351 into the plunger holding portion 35 so that the tip of the shift plunger 351 is accommodated in the groove 230 of the return block 23.

  Then, the top plate 21 is combined and fixed with screws from the end of the intermediate member 3 on the first spool portion 31 side. At this time, if the long hole 210 drilled in the top plate 21 is used, the top plate 21 can be combined with the opening of the base body 20 through the first spool portion 31 that is long in the axial direction. Further, similarly, the bottom plate 15 of the shift knob 10 is combined from the end of the intermediate member 3, and the intermediate shaft portion 33 is disposed through the long hole 150 of the bottom plate 15. In the assembled shift device 1, the inner peripheral side surfaces on both sides of the long hole 210 are arranged so as to sandwich the intermediate shaft portion 33, thereby restricting the rotation of the intermediate member 3 around the shift shaft 12.

  After the first spool portion 31 (intermediate member 3) is coaxially arranged with respect to the bearing portion 152 of the bottom plate 15, the select shaft 11 is inserted. Thereafter, when the plunger holding portion 37 holds the select plunger 371 and the cup 100 to which the return block 13 has been attached in advance is attached, the assembly of the shift device 1 is completed. When attaching the cup 100, the cup 100 is combined with the bottom plate 15, taking care that the tip of the select plunger 371 is securely accommodated in the groove of the return block 13. In the assembled shift device 1, rotation of the shift knob 10 around the select shaft 11 is restricted by the facing structure of the top plate 21 and the bottom plate 15.

Next, a configuration for restricting a path through which the shift knob 10 can be operated to a predetermined shift pattern will be described.
In the shift device 1 of this example, as shown in FIG. 6, a long hole 210 in the shift direction is formed in the top plate 21 of the base 2, and a long hole 150 in the select direction is formed in the bottom plate 15 of the shift knob 10. Yes. A two-dimensional plane (operation surface 219) that includes the shift direction and the select direction by a combination of a shift direction advance / retreat operation along the long hole 210 of the base 2 and a select direction advance / retreat operation along the long hole 150 of the shift knob 10. The operation of the shift knob 10 is possible.

  In the shift device 1 of this example, the shift pattern is defined as shown in FIG. 7 by the formation shape of the recess 213 on the upper surface of the base 2 that accommodates the engaging portion 153 of the shift knob 10. The formation shape of the recessed portion 213 substantially matches the locus of the engaging portion 153 accompanying the movement of the shift knob 10 along the shift pattern.

  The recess 213 includes concave grooves 213L, 213C, and 213R extending in the shift direction corresponding to the left shift path SFL, the middle shift path SFC, and the right shift path SFR. The widths W1 of the concave grooves 213L, C, and R substantially coincide with the lateral width to the extent that the engaging portion 153 can be accommodated. On the other hand, the width W2 of the groove that allows adjacent concave grooves to communicate in the select direction substantially matches the width in the facing direction to the extent that the pair of engaging portions 153 can be accommodated.

  A long hole 210 overlaps with the central concave groove 213C and penetrates to both ends in the shift direction. Since the width of the long hole 210 is narrower than the width W1 of the concave groove 213C, restriction walls 213K are formed on both sides of the long hole 210 at both ends in the extending direction of the concave groove 213C. The shift knob 10 positioned at the home position H or the neutral range N is restricted from being operated in the shift direction pushing side or the near side by the restriction wall 213K.

  The shift pattern prescribed | regulated by the accommodation structure of the engaging part 153 with respect to the above hollow parts 213 is demonstrated in detail with reference to FIG. Each figure shows a cross section in which the portion directly below the shift knob 10 is broken along the bottom surface as shown in the lower left diagram and viewed from above. In the same drawing, priority is given to ease of viewing, and the long holes 150 and 210 are indicated by broken lines.

  FIG. 9H shows the positional relationship between the engaging portion 153 and the recessed portion 213 when the shift knob 10 is located at the home position H. In the shift device 1 of this example, when the shift knob 10 is biased toward the home position H and no operating force is applied to the shift knob 10, the intermediate shaft portion 33 is shown in FIG. The engaging portion 153 located so as to sandwich the groove is located at the push-side end of the central concave groove 213C.

  In operating the shift knob to the reverse range R, it is first necessary to operate the shift knob 10 in the select direction and displace the engaging portion 153 in the concave groove 213L as shown in FIG. At this time, the intermediate shaft portion 33 is relatively displaced along the long hole 150 of the shift knob 10, whereby the engaging portion 153 and the intermediate shaft portion 33 are separated in the select direction. In this state, the engaging portion 153 and the intermediate shaft portion 33 can be displaced toward the pushing side along the concave groove 213L or the long hole 210. If the shift knob 10 is operated to the shift direction pushing side, the shift knob 10 can be operated to the reverse range R as shown in FIG.

  When the operating force acting on the shift knob 10 operated to the reverse range R is loosened, first, the biasing force in the shift direction by the combination of the return block 23 of the base 2 and the shift plunger 351 (see FIG. 3) is firstly changed to FIG. The shift knob 10 is pushed back in the shift direction toward the state of a). Next, the shift knob 10 is pushed back in the select direction toward the state shown in FIG. 5H by the biasing force in the select direction by the combination of the return block 13 on the shift knob 10 side and the select plunger 371 (see FIG. 3). Return to home position H.

  Further, when operating the shift knob 10 to the neutral range N, the shift knob 10 is operated to the front side in the shift direction, and the intermediate shaft portion 33 and the engaging portion 153 are integrally moved in the shift direction as shown in FIG. It is necessary to displace to the near side. Further, when operating the drive range D, it is necessary to operate the shift knob 10 in the select direction and displace the engaging portion 153 in the concave groove 213R as shown in FIG.

  At this time, the intermediate shaft portion 33 is relatively displaced along the long hole 150 on the shift knob 10 side, so that the engaging portion 153 and the intermediate shaft portion 33 are separated in the select direction. . In this state, the engaging portion 153 can be displaced along the concave groove 213R toward the front side in the shift direction, and the intermediate shaft portion 33 can be displaced along the long hole 210 toward the near side in the shift direction. If the shift knob 10 is operated to the front side in the shift direction, the shift knob 10 can be operated to the drive range D as shown in FIG. When the operating force of the shift knob 10 operated to the drive range D is loosened, the home position H is restored in substantially the same manner as when the reverse range R is operated.

One of the technical features of the shift device 1 of this example configured as described above is that a select shaft 11 that allows the shift knob 10 to advance and retreat in the select direction is housed inside the shift knob 10. The advantage of such a housing structure will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram when the shift knob 10 is pivotally supported by a shaft 192 disposed outside the shift knob 10 so as to be able to advance and retreat. FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram when the shift knob 10 is pivotally supported by a shaft 192 disposed inside the shift knob 10 so as to be able to advance and retreat.

  In general, in order for the spool 195 arranged on the shaft 192 to advance and retract along the axial direction, the hole diameter of the shaft hole 196 needs to be set slightly larger than the outer diameter of the shaft 192. Therefore, a certain amount of clearance (gap) is inevitable between the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 192 and the inner peripheral surface of the shaft hole 196. This clearance allows the spool 195 to move forward and backward, while allowing the spool 195 to move such that the axial direction of the shaft hole 196 rotates relative to the axial direction of the shaft 192 and the axial direction deviates. End up.

  The operating force applied to the shift knob 10 advances the spool 195 along the shaft 192, and when this shift knob 10 moves, the force point that receives the operating force by the driver's hand is located in the shift knob 10. On the other hand, the main obstacle to the movement of the shift knob 10 is a sliding frictional force between the shaft 192 and the shaft hole 196. In order to move the shift knob 10, a force larger than this sliding frictional force acts in the axial direction. There is a need. Therefore, the contact point between the shaft 192 and the shaft hole 195 becomes an action point when an operation force is applied to move the shift knob 10.

  In the shaft support structure in which the shift knob 10 is rotatably supported by a shaft 192 provided outside as shown in FIG. 9A, the operation point and the force point are separated in a direction perpendicular to the operation direction. Moment (rotational torque around the fulcrum) derived from the force is generated, and the shift knob 10 is likely to be rattled in the operation direction due to the clearance around the shaft 192.

  On the other hand, in the shaft support structure in which the shift knob 10 is rotatably supported by the internal shaft 192 as shown in FIG. 9B, the action point and the force point are arranged substantially in the operation direction. In this shaft support structure, the operating force acting on the power point directly acts on the point of action, and it is difficult for a moment (rotational torque) that causes the shift knob 10 to fall in the operating direction. Therefore, the possibility that the shift knob 10 will rattle is low and the operational feeling is good.

In the shift device 1 of this example, the select shaft 11 is accommodated in the shift knob 10. Therefore, it is easy to realize a good operational feeling in the select direction.
On the other hand, the shift shaft 12 that enables operation in the shift direction is provided outside the shift knob 10. Therefore, in the shift device 1 of the present example, the following two structural features are made in order to maintain a good feeling of operation in the shift direction along the axial direction of the shift shaft 12.

  The first contrivance is that the axial dimension of the second spool portion 32 that slidably holds the shift shaft 12 is set longer than that of the first spool portion 31 (see FIG. 3). ). When the shift shaft 12 is held by the second spool portion 32 that is long in the axial direction in this way, the second spool portion 32 is caused by the existence of a gap inevitably generated between the shift shaft 12 and the second spool portion 32. However, the angle range in which the shaft can be rotated with respect to the shift shaft 12 can be suppressed. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the possibility that the operation feeling is impaired by suppressing the behavior of the shift knob 10 falling to the operation side.

  The second idea is that the forward / backward direction of the shift plunger 351 for urging the shift knob 10 in the shift direction is set in a direction substantially parallel to the operation surface 219 as shown in FIG. That is. If the biasing direction of the shift plunger 351 is set substantially parallel to the operation surface 219, the intermediate member 3 is biased in the reverse direction by the reaction force F. As a result, the clearance between the shift shaft 12 and the second spool portion 32 occurs not in the vertical direction but in the horizontal direction along the operation surface 219. If the clearance is generated in the horizontal direction of the shift shaft 12 in this way, the clearance in the vertical direction can be reduced, and the operational feeling can be improved by suppressing the rattling that causes the shift knob 10 to fall in the operation direction. However, setting the biasing direction of the shift plunger 351 along the operation surface 219 is not an essential requirement in the present invention, and it is also possible to set it in the vertical direction orthogonal to the operation surface 219 as shown in FIG. .

  In the shift device 1 of this example, the select shaft 11 is accommodated in the shift knob 10, while the shift shaft 12 is accommodated in the base 2 provided on the lower side of the shift knob 10. As shown in FIG. 12, the base 2 may be formed in a small size, and the downsized base 2 may be accommodated in the shift knob 10. In this case, the shift shaft 12 is accommodated in the shift knob 10 in addition to the select shaft 11, and the operational feeling in the shift direction can be further improved.

  In the shift device 1 of this example, when the shift pattern is defined, the operation position of the shift knob 10 is regulated by the housing structure of the engaging portion 153 provided in the shift knob 10 and the recess portion 213 provided in the base 2. . Instead of this example, the engaging portion may be provided on the base 2 side, and the recessed portion may be formed on the lower surface of the shift knob 10. In this example, the recess 213 is formed so as to overlap the elongated hole 210. Although the recessed portion 213 can be formed independently of the long hole 210, overlapping the two is effective for designing a smaller device.

  As described above, specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail as in the embodiments. However, these specific examples merely disclose an example of the technology included in the scope of claims. Needless to say, the scope of the claims should not be construed as limited by the configuration, numerical values, or the like of the specific examples. The scope of the claims includes techniques in which the specific examples are variously modified, changed, or appropriately combined using known techniques and knowledge of those skilled in the art.

1 Shift device 10 Shift knob 100 Cup 11 Select shaft (shaft member)
12 Shift shaft (shaft member)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 15 Bottom plate 150 Long hole 153 Engagement part 2 Base 20 Base main body 21 Top plate 210 Long hole 213 Depression part 219 Operation surface 23 Return block (receiving part)
3 Intermediate member 31, 32 Spool part 33 Intermediate shaft part 35 Plunger holding part 351 Shift plunger (pressing member)

Claims (5)

A shift device for a vehicle, comprising: a shift knob operated to select a shift range; and a base that operably supports the shift knob and is fixed to the vehicle side,
The shift knob is disposed via an engagement structure of a shaft member extending in the operation direction of the shift knob and an intermediate member engaged with the shaft member in a state of being relatively movable along the operation direction. Connected to the base,
A shift device comprising a shaft member housed in the shift knob as the shaft member.   The shift device according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate member includes a spool portion that interpolates and holds the shaft member in a state in which the intermediate member can slide along the axial direction. In Claim 1 or 2, the shift knob is operable in a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to each other,
The intermediate member interpolates and holds a first spool portion that interpolates and holds the first shaft member extending in the first direction, and a second shaft member that extends in the second direction. A second spool portion,
A shift device in which at least one of the first and second shaft members is accommodated in the shift knob. In Claim 3, while the 1st shaft member is stored in the shift knob, the 2nd shaft member is located in the outside of the shift knob,
A pressing member that is urged in a predetermined urging direction and is capable of advancing and retreating in the urging direction, and that moves in a direction perpendicular to the urging direction in accordance with the operation of the shift knob along the second direction;
A receiving portion disposed so that the pressing member is pressed against,
The urging direction of the pressing member is a shift device that is set to a direction that is substantially parallel to an operation surface including the first direction and the second direction.   4. The shift device according to claim 3, wherein the first and second shaft members are accommodated in the shift knob.

Images