JP2014172468A - Shift device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a shift device which is small-sized and has good vehicle mountability.SOLUTION: A shift device 1 for a vehicle having a shift knob 10 operated to select a shift range, and a base 2 supporting the shift knob 10 to be operated and fixed to the vehicle side, includes: a shift shaft 12 extending the shift knob 10 in a shift direction; an intermediate member 3 held on the shift shaft 12 to be relatively moved forward and backward in the shift direction and supporting the shift knob 10; a shift plunger 351 energized in a predetermined energizing direction and for moving in the direction orthogonal to the energizing direction with the operation of the shift knob 10 in the shift direction; and a return block 23 disposed so that the shift plunger 351 pushes against it. The energizing direction of the shift plunger 351 is set substantially parallel to an operating surface 219 of the shift knob.

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

  For example, in a by-wire shift device, the degree of freedom of installation when mounted on a vehicle is significantly higher than a shift device that requires a conventional link mechanism. However, even if the degree of freedom of installation is improved, if the shift device itself has a large physique, the mountability when incorporated into a vehicle is impaired. In particular, when the dimension in the direction orthogonal to the operation surface for operating the shift knob (generally the vertical direction) is large, it is necessary to secure sufficient space in the direction of digging from the assembly surface on the vehicle side. If you try to secure a deep space inside the dash panel, for example, interference with the installation space of other equipment arranged inside the dash panel, such as air conditioning equipment such as a heater unit, and control units such as navigation and audio May occur.

  The present invention is an invention for providing a shift device that is small and has good vehicle mounting properties.

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,
A shaft member extending along a predetermined operation direction capable of operating the shift knob;
An intermediate member that is held by the shaft member in a relatively movable state along the operation direction and supports the shift knob;
The intermediate member is urged in a predetermined urging direction and can be moved back and forth in the urging direction, and moves in a direction orthogonal to the urging direction in accordance with the operation of the shift knob along the predetermined operation direction. A pressing member held by
A receiving portion disposed so that the pressing member is pressed against,
In at least one of the pressing members, the biasing direction is set in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined operation direction and substantially parallel to the operation surface of the shift knob (Claim 1). .

  In the shift device of the present invention, the intermediate member is held by the shaft member in a state in which the intermediate member can advance and retract. The shift knob is connected to the base via the intermediate member, and can be operated in the predetermined operation direction by moving the intermediate member forward and backward.

  The shift device of the present invention is provided with a pressing member for the purpose of, for example, realizing an appropriate feeling of moderation by applying an appropriate reaction force when operating the shift knob, or returning the shift knob to a predetermined position. I have. For at least one of the pressing members, the urging direction is set in a direction substantially parallel to the operation surface of the shift knob. If the urging direction of the pressing member is set substantially parallel to the operation surface of the shift knob, it is not necessary to stack the pressing member and the receiving portion in the direction orthogonal to the operation surface, and the dimension in the direction orthogonal to the operation surface of the shift knob. Can be suppressed. When the shift device is installed, the size that protrudes inward in the direction of digging from the assembly surface on the vehicle side is reduced, so that the vehicle mountability is improved.

  As described above, the shift device of the present invention is a small device in which the dimension in the direction orthogonal to the operation surface of the shift knob is suppressed, and has good vehicle mountability.

  In the present invention, as the structure in which the intermediate member is held by the shaft member so as to be able to advance and retract, a structure in which the shaft member is inserted and disposed in a through hole provided in the intermediate member, or for inserting and arranging the shaft member A structure in which the intermediate member engages via a spool member having a through hole, a shaft member provided with a groove on the outer surface along the axial direction, and a convex portion that is accommodated in the groove of the shaft member so as to be able to advance and retract Various structures are conceivable, such as a structure in combination with an intermediate member. Two or more shaft members may be provided along the operation direction. An intermediate member having a slider corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of a gap formed by a plurality of shaft members that are parallel to each other may be used, and the intermediate member is engaged with the shaft member via the slider. May be. 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.

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 includes a first shaft member provided inside the shift knob along the first direction, and a second shaft member provided outside the shift knob along the second direction. , And are arranged in an slidable state in the axial direction,
As the pressing member, a first pressing member that moves when the shift knob is operated in the first direction, a second pressing member that moves when the shift knob is operated in the second direction, and There is
In the second pressing member, the urging direction is set in a direction orthogonal to the second direction and substantially parallel to the operation surface (Claim 2).

  Generally, in order to slidably engage the shaft member and the intermediate member, it is necessary to provide a certain gap (clearance) between the two. When the pressing member is provided, the intermediate member is pressed in the reverse biasing direction, and the clearance on the reverse biasing 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, for example, 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 the shift knob is operated, the movement of the intermediate member falling in the operation direction as described above is suppressed, and the feeling of rattling is reduced.

  In particular, 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 of the shift knob.

In the shift device according to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the urging direction of the first pressing member is orthogonal to the operation surface (Claim 3).
Regarding the operation in the first direction along the first shaft member provided inside the shift knob, the force point to which the operation force is applied (for example, the outer peripheral surface of the shift knob) and the operating point of the operation force (the outer surface of the shaft member) The position of the intermediate member is close to the arrangement in which the positional relationship is along the operation direction. In this case, when operating in the first direction, there is little possibility of generating a moment resulting from the operating force, and the shift knob as described above even if the gap around the first shaft member is unevenly distributed in the orthogonal direction There is little possibility of rattling that falls in the operating direction.

In the shift device according to a preferred aspect of the present invention, when the shaft diameter of the second shaft member is d, and the distance from the axis of the second shaft member to the operation surface is h,
A distance h1 from the contact portion of the second pressing member to the receiving portion to the operation surface is included in a range of h ± d (Claim 4).

  If the distance h1 from the contact point of the second pressing member to the operation surface can be set equal to the distance h, the direction of action of the biasing reaction force acting on the second pressing member is the second axis. It intersects with the axial direction of the member, and the moment around the second shaft member caused by this biasing reaction force can be brought close to zero. On the other hand, in order to realize the distance h1 = h, there is a risk that the second shaft member and the second pressing member may interfere structurally, and a design for avoiding this interference may be required. There is sex. Therefore, if the allowable range of ± d around the distance h is set to the distance h1, the moment is suppressed to some extent while avoiding structural interference between the second shaft member and the second pressing member. Design to be possible.

The pressing member included in the shift device according to a preferred aspect of the present invention is a plunger having a substantially cylindrical shape, and is accommodated in a bottomed hole having a substantially circular cross-sectional shape provided in the intermediate member in a state in which it can advance and retreat in the axial direction. (Claim 5).
For example, if the plunger is accommodated via a coil spring or the like inserted in the bottomed hole, the plunger biasing structure can be realized relatively easily.

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 regarding the urging | biasing direction of a shift plunger in Example 1. FIG. Explanatory drawing which compares the difference in the urging | biasing direction of a shift plunger in Example 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a reference example of the structure of the shift device in the first embodiment. Explanatory drawing which compares the difference by arrangement | positioning of the shaft member 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. The shift device 1 is assembled to a vehicle so that the operation surface 219 forms a substantially horizontal plane, and the shift knob 10 can be operated front and rear 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 the present example configured as described above is that the shift plunger 351 for biasing the shift knob 10 in the shift direction, as shown in FIG. Is set in a horizontal direction substantially parallel to the operation surface 219. If the urging direction of the shift plunger 351 is set to the horizontal direction, the intermediate member 3 is urged in the opposite direction by the reaction force F. In the figure, the return block 23 is schematically shown.

  Here, in general, in order for the spool portion 32 externally arranged on the shift shaft 12 to advance and retreat in the axial direction, the diameter of the shaft hole 320 of the spool portion 32 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the shift shaft 12. It is necessary to set large. Therefore, a certain amount of clearance (gap) is inevitable between the outer peripheral surface of the shift shaft 12 and the inner peripheral surface of the shaft hole 320. This clearance allows the spool portion 32 to move forward and backward, while allowing the spool portion 32 to move such that the axial direction of the shaft hole 320 rotates relative to the axial direction of the shift shaft 12 and the axial direction deviates. Become.

  The influence of the clearance between the shift shaft 12 and the second spool portion 32 on the operational feeling will be considered with reference to FIG. FIG. 10A is a diagram illustrating a clearance assumed when the shift plunger 351 is biased downward in the vertical direction perpendicular to the operation surface 219 (see the reference example in FIG. 11). In this case, the clearance between the shift shaft 12 and the second spool portion 32 occurs on the upper side in the vertical direction. FIG. 10B is a diagram illustrating a clearance assumed when the shift plunger 351 is urged in a horizontal direction substantially parallel to the operation surface 219, as in the case of this example. In this case, the clearance between the shift shaft 12 and the second spool portion 32 occurs not in the vertical direction but in the horizontal direction (direction penetrating through the drawing sheet) (the state illustrated in FIG. 9).

  In the case of FIG. 5A, the urging reaction force of the shift plunger 351 is generated upward in the vertical direction, whereby the clearance is unevenly distributed on the upper side of the shift shaft 12 and becomes large. When an operating force is applied to the shift knob 10 in such a state that the clearance is unevenly distributed in the vertical direction, a moment (rotational torque around the fulcrum) resulting from the operating force is generated, and the shift knob 10 may be rattled to the operating side. Likely to occur. When the clearance on the upper side of the shift shaft 12 is large, the rotation angle at which the shift knob 10 can fall is increased and the play tends to increase.

  On the other hand, in the case of FIG. 5B, the biasing reaction force of the shift plunger 351 acts in a direction penetrating the paper surface of the figure, so that there is little possibility that the clearance is unevenly distributed above and below the shift shaft 12. In such a state, when the moment as described above is generated, the rotation angle at which the shift knob 10 falls is suppressed, and the degree of impairing the operational feeling is reduced.

As described above, in the shift device 1 of this example, the urging direction of the shift plunger 351 is set to the horizontal direction. Therefore, it is not necessary to arrange the return blocks 23 so as to overlap in the vertical direction, and the size in the vertical direction (height direction) is suppressed. In this way, the shift device 1 in which the dimension of the operation surface 219 in the orthogonal direction is suppressed can suppress the digging depth inward from the assembly surface on the vehicle side, and thus the vehicle mountability is good.
Furthermore, if the urging direction of the shift plunger 351 is set to the horizontal direction, uneven distribution of the upper and lower clearances of the shift shaft 12 can be suppressed. As described above with reference to FIG. 10, when the shift knob 10 is operated in the shift direction. A feeling of operation can be maintained satisfactorily by suppressing rattling.

  Further, in this example, as shown in FIG. 9, the contact portion (point a in the figure) of the shift plunger 351 with respect to the return block 23 is set to the axis of the shift shaft 12 in the vertical direction (the direction orthogonal to the operation surface 219). Adopts a design that places them close together. Specifically, the contact portion is arranged by being offset downward in the vertical direction with respect to the axis of the shift shaft 12, and the offset amount is set to be equal to or less than the shaft diameter d of the shift shaft 12.

  If the vertical position of the contact portion is brought closer to the axis of the shift shaft 12 by such a design, the moment around the shift shaft 12 due to the urging reaction force of the shift plunger 351 can be suppressed. If this moment for urging the intermediate member 3 in the rotational direction around the shift shaft 12 is excessive, the intermediate shaft portion 33 is pressed against one of the inner peripheral side surfaces of the elongated holes 210 (FIG. 3) facing each other. The load becomes large, which may increase the sliding resistance when operating in the shift direction.

  The distance h1 from the operation surface 219 to the contact portion (see FIG. 9) and the distance h from the operation surface 219 to the axis of the shift shaft 12 are set equal to each other, and the vertical direction (the orthogonal direction of the operation surface 219). If the axis of the shift shaft 12 and the contact point can be arranged at the same position, the moment can be brought close to zero. However, in order to realize such an arrangement, a special design for avoiding interference between the shift shaft 12 and the shift plunger 351 may be required. If the distance h1 can be kept within the range of h ± d, the degree of freedom in design can be secured while realizing the effect of suppressing the moment, and rational design becomes possible. In addition, if the design which avoids interference with the shift shaft 12 and the shift plunger 351 is possible, it is good to set h1 in the range of h ± d / 2. In this case, the effect of suppressing the moment becomes more remarkable.

  In this example, for the select plunger 371 constituting the return mechanism that biases the shift knob 10 in the select direction, the bias direction is set upward in the vertical direction. Instead of this, the urging direction of the select plunger 371 may be set to the horizontal direction.

Further, in the shift device 1 of this example, the select shaft 11 is accommodated in the shift knob 10. Such an arrangement of the select shaft 11 is extremely effective for improving the operational feeling of the shift knob 10. The advantage of this 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 these two cases, the influence of the clearance around the shaft 192 varies depending on the arrangement of the shaft 192 as follows.

  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 portion of the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 192 that contacts the inner peripheral surface of the shaft hole 195 becomes an action point when an operating 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. 12A, the operating point and the power point are separated in a direction perpendicular to the operation direction. Moment (rotational torque around the fulcrum) is generated, and the shift knob 10 is likely to be rattled to the operation side due to the clearance around the shaft 192.

On the other hand, in the shaft support structure in which the shift knob 10 is supported by the internal shaft 192 so as to be able to advance and retreat as shown in FIG. 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 down on the operating side. Therefore, the possibility that the shift knob 10 will rattle is low and the operational feeling is good.
Note that housing the select shaft 11 in the shift knob 10 is not an essential requirement, and a configuration in which the select shaft 11 is housed in the base 2 may be employed.

  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.

  In this example, the shift device 1 is assembled so that the operation surface 219 forms a horizontal plane. In this case, the orthogonal direction of the operation surface 219 corresponds to the vertical direction. About the assembly | attachment attitude | position of the shift apparatus 1, it can change suitably, such as diagonally or right beside. For example, when the operation surface 219 is assembled so as to form a vertical surface (in the case of a side), the direction parallel to the operation surface 219 is the vertical direction, and the direction orthogonal to the operation surface 219 is the horizontal direction.

  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,
A shaft member extending along a predetermined operation direction capable of operating the shift knob;
An intermediate member that is held by the shaft member in a relatively movable state along the operation direction and supports the shift knob;
The intermediate member is urged in a predetermined urging direction and can be moved back and forth in the urging direction, and moves in a direction orthogonal to the urging direction in accordance with the operation of the shift knob along the predetermined operation direction. A pressing member held by
A receiving portion disposed so that the pressing member is pressed against,
In at least one of the pressing members, the urging direction is set in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined operation direction and substantially parallel to the operation surface of the shift knob. In Claim 1, the shift knob is operable in a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to each other,
The intermediate member includes a first shaft member provided inside the shift knob along the first direction, and a second shaft member provided outside the shift knob along the second direction. , And are arranged in an slidable state in the axial direction,
As the pressing member, a first pressing member that moves when the shift knob is operated in the first direction, a second pressing member that moves when the shift knob is operated in the second direction, and There is
In the second pressing member, the urging direction is set in a direction orthogonal to the second direction and substantially parallel to the operation surface.   The shift device according to claim 2, wherein an urging direction of the first pressing member is orthogonal to an operation surface of the shift knob. In claim 2 or 3, when the shaft diameter of the second shaft member is d, the distance from the axis of the second shaft member to the operation surface is h,
A shift device in which a distance h1 from a contact portion of the second pressing member to the receiving portion to the operation surface is included in a range of h ± d.   5. The pressing member according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member is a plunger having a substantially columnar shape, and is capable of advancing and retracting in the axial direction in a bottomed hole having a substantially circular cross-sectional shape provided in the intermediate member. Housed shift device.

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