JP2015010709A - Automatic manual transmission device and vehicle having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To shorten a time lag from the operation of a shift lever to the completion of a gear change as much as possible, improve a shift lever operation feeling, and obtain a sporty operation feeling similar to that of a manual transmission, with a simple and inexpensive structure.SOLUTION: An automatic manual transmission device 5 comprises: a shift lever 52; a transmission mechanism 10; a clutch mechanism 11; a clutch actuator 12 which intermittently operates the clutch mechanism 11; a shift change actuator 13 which performs shift operation of the transmission mechanism 10; a shift lever turning angle sensor 60 which detects the start of a turning operation of the shift lever 52, and transmits a shift detection signal; and a transmission control unit (TCU) which receives the shift detection signal, and controls the clutch actuator 12a and the shift change actuator 13 when receiving the signal.

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic manual transmission device that enables manual shifting without requiring clutch operation and has improved shift lever operation feeling, and a vehicle equipped with the same.

  In a motorcycle transmission device, a semi-automatic transmission device called AMT (Automatic Manual Transmission), which enables manual shifting with the shift timing left to the driver's intention and eliminates the trouble of clutch operation, is disclosed in, for example, a patent. Documents 1 and 2 disclose this.

  All of these transmission devices utilize existing manual transmissions with clutches. A load detection switch is added to the shift lever operated by the driver's feet, and the load detection signal controls the engine and transmission. Is sent to the control unit.

  When the shift lever is operated, a load detection signal is transmitted from the load detection switch to the control unit. Upon receipt of this load detection signal, the control unit temporarily delays the ignition timing of the engine or stops fuel injection. The torque of the engine is reduced, and during that time, the dog meshing of the transmission gear is changed based on the turning operation of the change pedal, as in the existing manual transmission. Since the torque of the engine is reduced at the time of this speed change, the speed change can be performed smoothly without operating the clutch.

  In addition, as in the automatic transmission control device disclosed in Patent Document 3, in AMT, an electric clutch actuator that intermittently operates the clutch mechanism is provided instead of reducing the engine torque at the time of shifting, and the clutch is automatically operated. Some are designed to perform intermittent operations. In the automatic transmission control device of Patent Document 3, an electric shift switch for shifting is provided on the steering handle.

  Incidentally, in recent years, a so-called DCT (Double Crutch Transmission) transmission device has been put into practical use in order to perform a speed change operation quickly. In this DCT, a countershaft is made into a double shaft, and two clutches are provided at odd and even gear stages, and gear shifting is performed while alternately switching the two clutches. When traveling, the vehicle is on standby with the next gear engaged (for example, when traveling on 2nd gear, the 1st or 3rd gear is engaged on standby), and a gear shift command is used to change to the other clutch. Therefore, there is an advantage that the gear can be changed in a very short time.

Japanese Patent No. 2998732 Japanese Patent No. 2797215 JP 2011-158102 A

  While DCT has the above advantages, it is complicated and expensive, lacks compactness, is heavy, and is constantly sliding one of the clutches, causing frictional resistance leading to engine output loss. There is also a point. For this reason, it is not so preferable as a transmission for a motorcycle, which is particularly demanding of compactness and cost and has a limited engine output. Therefore, as a semi-automatic transmission device for a motorcycle, an AMT that can be semi-automated while diverting an existing manual transmission is more preferable.

  However, a problem with the conventional AMT as shown in Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3 is that the time lag from when the driver performs a shift operation until the shift is completed is large.

  This is because in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the load detection switch that transmits to the control unit that the driver has operated the shift lever is merely used as an ON / OFF switch. This is because engine torque reduction control by the control unit is started after shifting to the end point of the rotation angle, and a shift is performed.

  In the case of Patent Document 3, since the shift switch is an electric ON / OFF switch, a time lag is inevitably generated from when the shift operation is performed until the actual shift operation is performed. I can not get a sense of moderation.

  With respect to AMT, in the manual transmission, the shift is completed when the shift lever reaches the end point of the rotation angle. Therefore, the AMTs disclosed in Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3 always have a large shift time lag in the manual mode as compared with the manual transmission.

  In addition, the lack of driving force caused by the occurrence of a shift time lag results in a feeling of idling and it is difficult to understand the timing of the missing driving force, so that it is difficult to control the behavior of the vehicle. In addition, since the feeling of operation and moderation at the time of shifting is lacking, the shift feeling is poor and the sporty maneuvering feeling is difficult to obtain even in the manual mode.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and with a simple and inexpensive configuration, the time lag from the operation of the shift lever to the completion of the shift is shortened as much as possible, and the shift lever operation feeling is improved. An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic manual transmission device capable of obtaining a sporty handling feeling similar to that of a manual transmission, and a vehicle equipped with the automatic manual transmission device.

  The present invention employs the following means in order to solve the above problems.

  That is, an automatic manual transmission device according to the present invention includes a shift lever that is rotated by a driver, a transmission mechanism that shifts engine rotation and transmits it to a rear wheel, and transmits the engine rotation to the transmission mechanism. A clutch detection mechanism for interrupting the clutch mechanism, a clutch actuator for intermittently operating the clutch mechanism, a shift change actuator for shifting the transmission mechanism, and a shift detection signal generated by detecting that the rotation operation of the shift lever has started. And a transmission control unit that receives the shift detection signal and controls the clutch actuator and the shift change actuator when receiving the shift detection signal. .

  According to the above configuration, a shift detection signal is transmitted from the shift lever rotation detection unit almost simultaneously with the start of the shift lever rotation operation, and the transmission control unit that receives this shift detection signal causes the clutch actuator and the shift change. Control the actuator.

  And since the transmission mechanism is operated by the shift change actuator and the shift is performed, the time lag from the operation of the shift lever to the start of the shift is shortened, the shift lever operation feeling is improved, as in the manual transmission A sporty feeling can be obtained.

  Further, in the automatic manual transmission device according to the present invention, in the above configuration, the shift lever rotation detection unit transmits the shift detection signal because the shift lever includes a rotation start position and a rotation end position. The transmission control unit receives the shift detection signal and waits until the shift lever rotates to the rotation end position. The shift actuator is completed by controlling the clutch actuator and the shift change actuator.

  According to the above configuration, since the shift is completed from the rotation start position to the rotation end position through the rotation detection position, the time from the start of the shift lever operation to the completion of the shift is reduced. The shift lever operation feeling is shortened, and a shift response comparable to a manual transmission can be obtained.

  Moreover, since the shift is not performed while the shift lever is rotated from the rotation start position to the rotation detection position, even if the driver applies an unintended force to the shift lever, an unnecessary shift is performed. Can be prevented.

  In the automatic manual transmission device according to the present invention, in the above-described configuration, a chevron is formed in a reaction force of the shift lever until the shift lever rotates from the rotation start position to the rotation end position. A load characteristic imparting mechanism for imparting a load characteristic is further provided, and the generation position of the maximum load point of the mountain-shaped load characteristic is substantially matched with the rotation detection position.

  According to the above configuration, the reaction force of the shift lever increases from the rotation start position to the rotation detection position, and decreases after the rotation detection position is exceeded. For this reason, the driver can grasp the position of the rotation detection position, that is, the position at which the shift is started, and can obtain a sense of moderation of the shift change. Accordingly, the feeling of idling during shifting is reduced, shifting timing can be easily predicted, and vehicle body control is facilitated as in the case of a manual transmission.

  Further, the automatic manual transmission apparatus according to the present invention is configured such that, in the above-described configuration, the transmission mechanism performs a shift by moving a shift fork by a cylindrical cam-shaped shift cam and moving a shift dog by the shift fork. It is characterized by.

  According to the above configuration, a conventional manual transmission can be used as it is as the transmission mechanism, and the configuration of the automatic manual transmission can be simplified, inexpensive, and highly reliable.

  In the automatic manual transmission apparatus according to the present invention, the load characteristic imparting mechanism has the same number of positioning projections as the number of shift stages, and the load characteristic imparting mechanism rotates by a predetermined angle for each rotation operation of the shift lever. And a roller-shaped shift cam stopper which is elastically contacted between the positioning convex portions of the cam plate and gives moderation to the rotational position of the cam plate. It is characterized by.

  According to the above configuration, the cam plate for positioning the shift cam and the roller-shaped shift cam stopper that gives moderation to the rotational position provided in the conventional manual transmission can be used as the load characteristic imparting mechanism. As a result, the structure of the automatic manual transmission device can be made simple, inexpensive and highly reliable.

  Moreover, since the load characteristic of the reaction force of the shift lever can be changed by a small change of a spring or the like that elastically contacts the shift cam stopper with the cam plate, it is possible to share parts with other models.

  Furthermore, a vehicle according to the present invention includes the automatic manual transmission device having any one of the above configurations.

  According to this vehicle, since the transmission control unit controls the clutch actuator and the shift change actuator to perform a shift immediately after the shift lever is turned, the shift is started after the shift lever is operated. The time lag is shortened and a sporty maneuvering feel similar to a manual transmission can be obtained.

  According to the present invention, with a simple and inexpensive configuration, the time lag from the operation of the shift lever to the completion of the shift is shortened as much as possible, the shift lever operation feeling is improved, and the sporty handling feeling similar to that of a manual transmission is achieved. Can be obtained.

The left view which shows the vehicle body front part side of the motorcycle by which the engine unit was mounted in the vehicle body frame. 1 is a left side view of an engine unit of a motorcycle to which an automatic manual transmission device according to the present invention is applied. FIG. 3 is a rear view of the engine unit as viewed in the direction of arrow III in FIG. Left side view of sprocket cover, clutch actuator, shift change actuator, etc. Sectional drawing which follows the VV line | wire of FIG. Sectional drawing which follows the VI-VI line of FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of the present invention, and is a perspective view of a sprocket cover, a clutch actuator, a shift change actuator, a transmission mechanism, a clutch mechanism, a shift lever, a footrest, and the like viewed obliquely from the left rear. The perspective view which looked at the sprocket cover, the clutch actuator, the shift change actuator, the transmission mechanism, and the clutch mechanism from the diagonally right front. The left view which shows a shift lever bracket, a shift lever, a shift lever rotation angle sensor, a load characteristic provision mechanism, etc. The top view by the X arrow view of FIG. The right view by the XI arrow of FIG. The perspective view which looked at a shift lever bracket, a shift lever, a shift lever rotation angle sensor, a load characteristic provision mechanism, etc. from diagonally right rear. (A) is the perspective view which expanded the load characteristic provision mechanism shown in FIG. (B) is a right side view showing the load characteristic imparting mechanism, and (C) is a left side view showing the load characteristic imparting mechanism. The figure which shows the relationship between the operation load of a shift lever, and the rotation angle of a shift cam with a graph. The block diagram which shows the whole structure of an automatic manual transmission apparatus. The figure which shows the flow of control of an automatic manual transmission apparatus with a flowchart. The time chart which compared the gear shift time of the automatic manual transmission apparatus of this invention with the gear shift time of the conventional general AMT, DCT, and manual transmission.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a left side view showing a front side of a body frame of a motorcycle in which an engine unit 1 of a 4-cycle multi-cylinder engine is mounted on a body frame 2. The engine unit 1 is suspended from a body frame 2 and constitutes a part of the body frame 2.

  FIG. 2 is a left side view of the engine unit 1 of the motorcycle to which the automatic manual transmission apparatus according to the present invention is applied, and FIG. 3 is a rear view of the engine unit 1 as viewed in the direction of arrow III in FIG.

  The engine unit 1 is, for example, a parallel 4-cylinder engine in which a cylinder assembly 4 including a cylinder block, a cylinder head, and a head cover is installed on an upper surface of an engine case 3 so as to be inclined forward. An automatic manual transmission device 5 (hereinafter referred to as AMT5) is incorporated. An electronically controlled throttle device (not shown) is connected to each of the four intake ports 6 opened on the rear surface of the cylinder assembly 4.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 8, the mechanism of the AMT 5 shifts the engine rotation, that is, the rotation of the crankshaft 8 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) pivotally supported inside the engine case 3 to the rear wheel. Transmission mechanism 10 for transmitting, clutch mechanism 11 for transmitting and shutting off rotation of crankshaft 8 to transmission mechanism 10, clutch actuator 12 for intermittently operating clutch mechanism 11, and shift change actuator for shifting operation of transmission mechanism 10 13.

  The clutch actuator 12 and the shift change actuator 13 are installed behind the cylinder assembly 4 and on the left side surface of the engine case 3. For example, the clutch actuator 12 and the shift change actuator 13 are fixed to a sprocket cover 15 mounted on the left side surface of the engine case 3. Inside the sprocket cover 15 is housed a drive sprocket 16 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) that transmits engine output to the rear wheels through a chain.

  The transmission mechanism 10 has the same configuration as that used in a general manual transmission device. That is, the countershaft 18 and the drive shaft 19 that are located in parallel to the rear of the crankshaft 8 and extend in the vehicle width direction, and are mounted on the countershaft 18 as shown in FIGS. Six types of drive gears 20 corresponding to the sixth speed and six types of driven gears 21 that are mounted on the drive shaft 19 and mesh with the drive gear 20 at all times are provided. The drive sprocket 16 described above is fixed to the left end of the drive shaft 19 so as to rotate together.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the transmission mechanism 10 includes a plurality of shift forks 24 that are moved by a shift cam 23. As is known in the art, the shift cam 23 is rotated stepwise so that a shift dog 25 (FIG. 5, FIG. 5) provided on either the drive gear 20 or the driven gear 21 via a plurality of shift forks 24. 6) is moved in the axial direction, and the meshing of the six types of drive gear 20 and driven gear 21 is selected.

  The clutch mechanism 11 is a known wet multi-plate clutch, and is provided on the right end side of the countershaft 18 as shown in FIG. 6, for example. A primary driven gear 27 provided integrally with the clutch mechanism 11 is meshed with a primary drive gear (not shown) provided on the crankshaft 8 at all times.

  The counter shaft 18 is a hollow shaft, and when the clutch actuator 12 presses the left end portion of the push rod 28 slidably inserted therein, the coupling of the clutch mechanism 11 is gradually released, and a half-clutch state is achieved. After that, the connection is released. When the clutch mechanism 11 is coupled, the engine rotation is transmitted to the counter shaft 18, and when the clutch mechanism 11 is released, the engine rotation is interrupted with respect to the counter shaft 18.

  The clutch actuator 12 includes, for example, a servo motor 31, a speed reduction mechanism 32 composed of a multistage gear, and a cam shaft-like clutch release cam 33, and the rotation of the servo motor 31 is decelerated by the speed reduction mechanism 32. The amount of pressing of the push rod 28 increases as the rotation angle of the clutch release cam 33 increases.

  The clutch actuator 12 is provided with a clutch position sensor 36. The clutch position sensor 36 is a sensor that determines the degree of engagement of the clutch mechanism 11 by detecting, for example, the rotation angle of the gear of the speed reduction mechanism 32. The clutch position signal CP is a transmission control unit 80 (hereinafter referred to as a TCU 80) described later. (Refer to FIG. 15).

  The shift change actuator 13 includes, for example, a servo motor 41 and a speed reduction mechanism 42 formed of a multi-stage gear. The rotation of the servo motor 41 is decelerated by the speed reduction mechanism 42 to rotate the shift change shaft 43. The rotation of the shift change shaft 43 is transmitted to the shift cam 23 by the shift gear 44.

  The shift change actuator 13 is provided with a shift position sensor 47 as shown in FIG. The shift position sensor 47 is a sensor that determines the gear position by detecting the rotation angle of the shift change shaft 43, for example, and the shift position signal SP is received by the TCU 80 described later (see FIG. 15).

  On the other hand, the body frame 2 of the motorcycle is provided with a pair of left and right footrests 51 on which the driver puts his / her feet so as to be positioned behind the engine unit 1 (see FIGS. 1 and 7). A shift lever 52 is provided on the left side surface of the engine unit 1 so as to be positioned in front of and under the left footrest 51. The driver performs the shift operation of the AMT 5 by repeatedly rotating the shift lever 52 upward or downward with the toe of the left foot placed on the left footrest 51. For example, when the shift lever 52 is rotated upward, the AMT 5 is shifted up, and when it is rotated downward, the AMT 5 is shifted down.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, 7 and 9 to 13, particularly FIG. 10, the shift lever 52 has a pivot shaft 53 (shift shaft) at the bottom left side of the engine case 3. And a return spring 55 is mounted on the rotation shaft 53. The return spring 55 is locked to a spring stopper 56 protruding from the shift lever bracket 54, and holds the shift lever 52 at the rotation start position 52N shown in FIG. 9 when the shift lever 52 is not operated.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the shift lever bracket 54 is provided with a shift lever 52, a shift lever rotation angle sensor (shift lever rotation detection unit) 60, and a load characteristic imparting mechanism 61. The shift lever rotation angle sensor 60 is a sensor that detects the rotation angle of the shift lever 52 to detect that the rotation operation of the shift lever 52 has started, and transmits shift detection signals SU and SD. . The shift lever rotation angle sensor 60 is not limited to the rotation angle sensor, and for example, a load sensor may be used. Further, the load characteristic imparting mechanism 61 is a mechanism that imparts a predetermined load characteristic to the rotation of the shift lever 52 as will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the shift lever 52 can rotate from a rotation start position 52N to an upper rotation end position 52UP and a lower rotation end position 52DOWN. Also, rotation detection positions PU and PD are set between the rotation start position 52N and the upper and lower rotation end positions 52UP and 52DOWN, respectively. These rotation detection positions PU and PD are provided at positions slightly closer to the rotation start position 52N than the rotation end positions 52UP and 52DOWN, respectively.

  When the shift lever 52 passes through the rotation detection position PU, the shift lever rotation angle sensor 60 transmits a shift detection signal SU (see FIG. 15) that conveys the upshift, and the shift lever 52 passes through the rotation detection position PD. When the shift lever is turned, the shift lever rotation angle sensor 60 transmits a shift detection signal SD for transmitting the downshift. These shift detection signals SU and SD are received by the TCU 80 shown in FIG.

  The structure of the load characteristic provision mechanism 61 is shown in FIGS. The load characteristic imparting mechanism 61 is a mechanism that imparts a mountain-shaped load characteristic until the shift lever 52 rotates from the rotation start position 52N to the rotation end position 52UP or 52DOWN, and includes a shift drive plate 64, The shift drive plate 64 includes a star-shaped cam plate 65 that is pivotally supported so as to overlap the free end portion of the shift drive plate 64, and a shift cam stopper 66.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the shift drive plate 64 is a plate-like lever that is mounted on the rotation shaft 53 of the shift lever 52 and rotates integrally with the shift lever 52. FIGS. ), A rotation amount regulating hole 67 and upper and lower two engaging claws 68a and 68b are formed in the vicinity of the free end. In addition, the free end portion of the shift drive plate 64 can swing in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction), and the free end portion is pressed against the cam plate 65 by a pressure spring 69 mounted on the rotation shaft 53. It has been.

  As shown in FIG. 13A, the cam plate 65 rotates by a predetermined angle for each rotation of the shift lever 52 (six positions in this example) (six positions). ) Positioning projections 71 are star-shaped or petal-shaped plates provided at intervals of 60 degrees, and six pins 72 corresponding to the positions of the positioning projections 71 are provided on the side surface of the shift drive plate 64 side. Is protruding. These pins 72 can be engaged with engaging claws 68 a and 68 b of the shift drive plate 64. Further, the central shaft 73 of the cam plate 65 is passed through the rotation amount restriction hole 67 of the shift drive plate 64.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 12, the shift cam stopper 66 is rotatably supported by a stopper arm 77 pivotally supported on the shift lever bracket 54 by a shaft bolt 76 and a free end of the stopper arm 77. The stopper arm 77 is urged so that the stopper roller 78 and the stopper roller 78 are elastically contacted between the positioning projections 71 (valleys) of the cam plate 65, so that the rotational position of the cam plate 65 is moderated. A stopper spring 79 is provided.

  In the load characteristic imparting mechanism 61 configured in this way, as shown in FIG. 9, when the shift lever 52 is rotated once from the rotation start position 52N to the rotation end position 52UP, the shift drive plate 64 The lower engaging claw 68a is engaged with one of the pins 72 of the cam plate 65, and the cam plate 65 is rotated 60 degrees in the F direction in FIG.

  When the shift lever 52 is rotated once from the rotation start position 52N to the rotation end position 52DOWN, the upper engaging claw 68b of the shift drive plate 64 is engaged with one of the pins 72 of the cam plate 65. Then, the cam plate 65 is rotated 60 degrees in the R direction in FIG.

  Further, when the shift lever 52 is continuously rotated a plurality of times from the rotation start position 52N to the rotation end position 52UP or the rotation end position 52DOWN, the cam plate 65 is rotated by 60 degrees in the F direction or the number of rotations. It rotates intermittently in the R direction. At this time, as shown in FIG. 12, every time the shift lever 52 returns to the rotation start position 52N by the urging force of the return spring 55, the shift drive plate 64 resists the urging force of the pressure spring 69. The engaging claw 68 a or 68 b is engaged with the next pin 72.

  The shift lever 52 stops at the rotation end position 52UP or the rotation end position 52DOWN when the inner peripheral portion of the rotation amount restriction hole 67 of the shift drive plate 64 contacts the center shaft 73 of the cam plate 65. It is like that.

  As described above, as shown in FIG. 13A, as the cam plate 65 rotates in the F direction or the R direction by 60 degrees, the stopper roller 78 of the shift cam stopper 66 causes the plurality of positioning protrusions of the cam plate 65 to move. It moves sequentially from the valley between the parts 71 to the valley. At this time, the stopper roller 78 is elastically contacted (pressed) against the valley of the cam plate 65 by the urging force of the stopper spring 79, so that the cam plate 65 is moderately rotated.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 14, the load characteristic imparting mechanism 61 forms a mountain shape against the reaction force of the shift lever 52 until the shift lever 52 rotates from the rotation start position 52N to the rotation end position 52UP or 52DOWN. The load characteristics are given. That is, when the cam plate 65 rotates together with the shift lever 52, the reaction force (load) of the shift lever 52 is applied while the stopper roller 78 climbs the slope of the positioning convex portion 71 from the valley portion of the star-shaped or petal-shaped cam plate 65. Increases linearly, and when the stopper roller 78 gets over the apex of the positioning projection 71, the reaction force decreases linearly.

  The generation position of the maximum load point Wmax of the mountain-shaped load characteristic is set so as to substantially coincide with the positions of the rotation detection positions PU and PD of the shift lever 52. For this reason, the reaction force of the shift lever 52 increases from the rotation start position 52N to the rotation detection positions PU and PD, and decreases after the rotation detection positions PU and PD are exceeded. When the reaction force becomes the highest, the shift lever rotation angle sensor 60 transmits the shift detection signal SU or SD for upshifting or downshifting to the TCU 80 as described above. Depending on the star shape or petal shape of the cam plate 65, various changes can be applied to the reaction force (operation load) of the shift lever 52.

  FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of AMT5.

  A clutch actuator 12, a shift change actuator 13, an ignition controller 83, and an electronic control throttle controller 84 are connected to the TCU 80, which is a control unit of the AMT 5, based on operation signals A1 to A4 transmitted from the TCU 80, respectively. Operate.

  The TCU 80 is connected to a clutch position sensor 36, a shift position sensor 47, and a shift lever rotation angle sensor 60, and a clutch position signal CP transmitted from the clutch position sensor 36 and a transmission from the shift position sensor 47. The shift position signal SP and the shift detection signals SU and SD transmitted from the shift lever rotation angle (or load) sensor 60 are input to the TCU 80, respectively.

  Further, the TCU 80 includes a countershaft speed sensor 85 that transmits a rotational speed signal CS of the countershaft 18, a vehicle speed sensor 86 that transmits a motorcycle speed signal VS, and an opening of a throttle grip that is operated by a motorcycle driver. A throttle position sensor 87 for transmitting a degree signal TPS, an accelerator position sensor 88 for transmitting an electronically controlled throttle opening signal APS, a shift cam position sensor 89 for transmitting a gear position signal GPS of the transmission mechanism 10, and a fuel injection system. Engine operating state detection sensors 90 (such as a cooling water temperature sensor, an intake air temperature sensor, an oil temperature sensor, and an O2 sensor) that transmit various other necessary signals ETC are connected.

  When the TCU 80 receives the shift detection signal SU or SD transmitted from the shift lever rotation angle sensor 60 as the shift lever 52 is rotated, the TCU 80 receives various signals transmitted from the sensors 36, 47, 85 to 90. While controlling the output of the engine unit 1 while referring to CP, SP, CS, VS, TPS, APS, GPS, ETC, the clutch actuator 12 and the shift change actuator 13 are controlled to execute a shift.

  At this time, the TCU 80 controls the clutch actuator 12 and the shift change actuator 13 after the shift detection signals SU and SD are received and before the shift lever 52 rotates to the rotation end positions 52UP and 52DOWN. Complete shifting.

  That is, the TCU 80 receives the shift detection signals SU and SD, and simultaneously operates the clutch actuator 12 to release the connection of the clutch mechanism 11, and then operates the shift change actuator 13 to rotate the shift cam 23 of the transmission mechanism 10. Then, the clutch actuator 12 is operated again to connect the clutch mechanism 11.

  When the TCU 80 operates the shift change actuator 13 to perform a shift, the TCU 80 determines the operating status of the engine unit 1 from the input signals of various sensors, and controls the ignition controller 83 at the time of upshifting, for example, to cut off ignition (decimated ignition). ) And ignition timing are retarded, and at the time of downshifting, the electronic control throttle controller 84 is controlled to perform blipping. As a result, the load applied to the shift dog 25 provided on the drive gear 20 and the driven gear 21 is removed, the shift is performed smoothly, and the time required for the shift is shortened.

  Further, when the shift is completed and the clutch mechanism 11 is connected, the TCU 80 determines based on the input signals of various sensors whether the shift shock accompanying the connection of the clutch mechanism 11 is large, and the shift shock is large. If this is the case, the clutch actuator 12 is controlled to slowly connect the clutch mechanism 11, and the half-clutch state is lengthened to reduce the shift shock.

  FIG. 16 shows the flow of AMT5 control by the TCU 80.

  For example, the control is started when the engine unit 1 is started. First, in step S1, it is determined whether or not a shift detection signal SU or SD is received from the shift lever rotation angle sensor (or load sensor) 60. If the determination result is Yes, the process proceeds to step S2, the clutch actuator 12 is operated, and the clutch mechanism 11 is disconnected.

  Next, the process proceeds to step S3, and it is determined whether or not the load applied to the gear change dog 25 is equal to or less than an allowable value. This determination is made with reference to data such as a counter shaft speed sensor 85, a vehicle speed sensor 86, an oil temperature sensor (not shown), and a shift dog load map. If the determination result in step S3 is Yes, that is, if it is equal to or less than the allowable value, the process proceeds to step S4, where the shift change actuator 13 is operated and a shift change is executed.

  Next, the process proceeds to step S5, and it is determined whether or not the shift shock is large when the clutch mechanism 11 is connected. The determination as to whether or not the shift shock is large is made with reference to data such as gear position, engine speed, and vehicle speed. If the determination result is Yes, that is, it is determined that the shift shock is large, the process proceeds to step S6, and the clutch mechanism 11 is slowly connected using the half clutch to absorb the shift shock.

  If the determination result in step S5 is No, that is, it is determined that the shift shock is small, the process proceeds to step S7, and the clutch mechanism 11 is quickly connected without using the half clutch. This completes the shift change and returns control.

  On the other hand, if the determination result in step S3 is No, that is, if the load applied to the shift dog 25 exceeds the allowable value, the routine proceeds to step S8 where it is determined whether the shift is up or down. Here, if the shift detection signal SU is received in step S1, it is determined that the shift is up, and if the shift detection signal SD is received, it is determined that the shift is down.

  If the load applied to the shift dog 25 is greater than or equal to the allowable value and the gear is shifted up, the process proceeds to step S9, and the gear is shifted up while reducing the engine torque. As a method of reducing the engine torque, ignition cut (decimation ignition) and ignition timing retarding are performed. By reducing the engine torque at the time of upshifting in this way, the load applied to the speed change dog 25 is reduced, and the time during which the speed change dog 25 is engaged is shortened, thereby enabling quick shift up.

  When step S8 is downshifting, the routine proceeds to step S10, where the electronic control throttle controller 84 is controlled to blipping the engine unit 1 and then downshifted. By causing the engine to blow idle at the time of downshifting in this way, it is possible to shorten the time until the gearshift dog 25 meshes with the rotation of the drive gear 20 and the driven gear 21 of the transmission mechanism 10, thereby enabling quick downshifting. .

  After the upshift is performed in step S9 or after the downshift is performed in step S10, the process proceeds to step S5. Thereafter, the routines of steps S5, S6, and S7 described above are executed, and the shift change is performed. Completion and control is restored.

  As described above, the AMT 5 detects the start of the rotation operation of the shift lever 52 and transmits the shift detection signals SU and SD, and the shift lever rotation angle sensor 60 (shift lever rotation detection unit). The shift detection signals SU and SD are received by the TCU 80 that controls the AMT 5 and the clutch actuator 12 and the shift change actuator 13 are controlled to perform a shift.

  Therefore, shift detection signals SU and SD are transmitted from the shift lever rotation angle sensor 60 almost simultaneously with the start of the rotation operation of the shift lever 52, and the TCU 80 that receives the shift detection signals SU and SD receives the clutch actuator. 12 and the shift change actuator 13 are operated to perform a shift, so that the time lag from when the shift lever 52 is operated to when the shift is started is shortened, and a sporty feeling similar to that of a manual transmission can be obtained.

  The shift lever rotation angle sensor 60 transmits the shift detection signals SU and SD because the shift lever 52 is provided between the rotation start position 52N and the rotation end positions 52UP and 52DOWN. The clutch actuator 12 is used when the TCU 80 passes the detection positions PU and PD and before the shift lever 52 rotates to the rotation end positions 52UP and 52DOWN after receiving the shift detection signals SU and SD. The shift change actuator 13 is controlled to complete the shift.

  According to the above configuration, the AMT 5 shifts because the shift lever 52 completes the shift from the rotation start position 52N to the rotation end positions 52UP and 52DOWN through the rotation detection positions PU and PD. The time from the start of operation of the lever 52 to the completion of shifting can be greatly shortened, and a shift response comparable to or exceeding the manual transmission (MT) can be obtained.

  FIG. 17 is a time chart comparing the shift time of the AMT 5 of the present invention with the shift times of the conventional general AMT, DCT, and manual transmission (MT).

  As shown here, in the AMT5 according to the present invention from the time T1 when the conventional general AMT or DCT starts the shift change operation to the time T2 when the clutch is disengaged and the gear change is started, The clutch disengagement, gear change and clutch connection are all completed.

  In the conventional general AMT and DCT, after the time T2 when the clutch is disengaged, the gear change is further completed, and the clutch is connected and all the shift change operations are completed. The time T3 or T4 is later than the completed time T2. For this reason, the AMT 5 of the present invention can shift change much faster than conventional AMT and DCT.

  Further, in a general manual transmission (MT), the time from the time T1 at which the shift change operation is started to the time when the clutch disengagement, gear change operation, and clutch engagement are completed is T5. The timing is later than the operation completion time T4.

  In other words, in the normal manual transmission and the conventional AMT and DCT, the shift change is not completed unless the shift lever is rotated to the rotation end position, whereas in the AMT 5 of the present invention, the shift lever 52 is rotated in its turn. Shift detection signals SU and SD are transmitted at the same time as passing through the rotation detection positions PU and PD set near the movement start position 52N, and using this as a trigger, the clutch mechanism 12 is disconnected by the clutch actuator 12, and the hair is removed. A shift change is performed by the shift change actuator 13 without entering. Therefore, the shift change can be completed before the time T2 when the shift lever 52 hits the rotation end position 52UP or 52DOWN.

  In addition, the time during which the clutch mechanism 11 is disconnected is only the time required for the gear change, and as a result, the clutch disconnection time is shorter than that of the manual transmission. The shift change feeling can be made as favorable and moderate as in the manual transmission.

  Further, since the shift is not performed while the shift lever 52 rotates from the rotation start position 52N to the rotation detection positions PU and PD, even if the driver applies an unintended force to the shift lever 52, for example, it is unnecessary. Can be prevented.

  In addition, the AMT 5 is provided with a load characteristic that imparts a mountain-shaped load characteristic to the reaction force of the shift lever 52 until the shift lever 52 rotates from the rotation start position 52N to the rotation end positions 52UP and 52DOWN. A mechanism 61 is provided, and the position where the maximum load point Wmax of the mountain-shaped load characteristic is generated substantially coincides with the positions of the rotation detection positions PU and PD.

  For this reason, as shown in FIG. 14, the reaction force of the shift lever 52 increases from the rotation start position 52N to the rotation detection positions PU and PD, and decreases after the rotation detection positions PU and PD are exceeded. For this reason, the driver can experience and grasp the positions of the rotation detection positions PU and PD, that is, the position where the shift is started, and can obtain a sense of moderation of the shift change. Therefore, the idling feeling at the time of shifting is greatly reduced, the shifting timing can be easily predicted, and the vehicle body control can be facilitated with a moderation feeling similar to that of the manual transmission.

  In this AMT 5, the transmission mechanism 10 has a configuration in which a shift fork 24 is moved by a cylindrical cam-like shift cam 23 and a shift dog 25 is moved by the shift fork 24 to perform a shift. The manual transmission can be used as it is, so that the configuration of the AMT 5 can be made simple, inexpensive and highly reliable.

  The load characteristic imparting mechanism 61 includes a star-shaped cam plate 65 provided with the same number of positioning projections 71 as the number of shift stages, which is rotated by a predetermined angle for each rotation of the shift lever 52. A roller-shaped shift cam stopper 66 is provided which is elastically contacted between the positioning projections 71 of the cam plate 65 and gives a moderation to the rotational position of the cam plate 65.

  Therefore, as the load characteristic imparting mechanism 61, the cam plate for positioning the shift cam and the roller-shaped shift cam stopper that gives moderation to the rotation position, which are provided in the conventional manual transmission, can be used as they are. Thus, the configuration of the AMT 5 can be made simple, inexpensive, and highly reliable.

  In addition, since the load characteristic of the reaction force of the shift lever 52 can be easily changed by a small change of the stopper spring 79 or the like that elastically contacts the shift cam stopper 66 with the cam plate 65, it is possible to share parts with other models.

  In a vehicle (preferably a motorcycle) equipped with the AMT 5 configured as described above, the TCU 80 controls the clutch actuator 12 and the shift change actuator 13 immediately after the shifting operation of the shift lever 52 is started. Therefore, the time lag from when the shift lever 52 is operated to when the shift is started can be shortened, and a sporty feeling similar to that of the manual transmission can be obtained.

  It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the embodiment described above, and can be appropriately modified or improved without departing from the gist of the present invention. The form is also included in the scope of the right of the present invention.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, it has been described that the clutch mechanism 12 is engaged / released by the clutch actuator 12 at the time of shifting. However, the engine torque reduction control and the engine speed adjustment control are performed without operating the clutch mechanism. As for the AMT that performs the shift only by performing the shift, a shift lever rotation detection unit that transmits a shift detection signal to the shift lever may be provided so that the shift detection signal can be used as a trigger for the control so that a quick shift can be realized.

1 Engine Unit 2 Body Frame 3 Engine Case 4 Cylinder Assembly 5 Automatic Manual Transmission Device (AMT)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Transmission mechanism 11 Clutch mechanism 12 Clutch actuator 13 Shift change actuator 23 Shift cam 24 Shift fork 25 Shifting dog 51 Footrest 52 Shift lever 52N Rotation start position 52UP, 52DOWN Rotation end position 60 Shift lever rotation angle sensor (shift lever rotation sensor Motion detection unit)
61 Load characteristic imparting mechanism 65 Cam plate 66 Shift cam stopper 71 Positioning convex portion 80 Transmission control unit (TCU)
PU, PD rotation detection position SU, SD shift detection signal Wmax Maximum load point

Claims (6)

A shift lever that the driver rotates,
A transmission mechanism for shifting the engine rotation and transmitting it to the rear wheels;
A clutch mechanism for transmitting and interrupting the engine rotation to the transmission mechanism;
A clutch actuator for intermittently operating the clutch mechanism;
A shift change actuator for shifting the transmission mechanism;
A shift lever rotation detector for detecting that the shift lever rotation operation has been started and transmitting a shift detection signal;
A transmission control unit that receives the shift detection signal and controls the clutch actuator and the shift change actuator when receiving the shift detection signal;
An automatic manual transmission device characterized by comprising: The shift lever rotation detection unit transmits the shift detection signal when the shift lever passes a rotation detection position provided between a rotation start position and a rotation end position. ,
The transmission control unit controls the clutch actuator and the shift change actuator to complete the shift between the time when the shift detection signal is received and the time when the shift lever rotates to the rotation end position. The automatic manual transmission device according to claim 1. A load characteristic imparting mechanism that imparts a mountain-shaped load characteristic to the reaction force of the shift lever during the period from the pivot start position to the pivot end position;
3. The automatic manual transmission device according to claim 2, wherein a position where a maximum load point of the mountain-shaped load characteristic is generated substantially coincides with the rotation detection position. 4. The transmission mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the transmission mechanism is configured to move a shift fork with a cylindrical cam-shaped shift cam and shift a shift dog with the shift fork. 5. Automatic manual transmission device. The load characteristic imparting mechanism includes a star-shaped cam plate provided with positioning projections equal to the number of shift stages, and rotated by a predetermined angle for each rotation of the shift lever. 4. The automatic manual transmission device according to claim 3, further comprising a roller-shaped shift cam stopper which is elastically contacted between the positioning convex portions and gives moderation to the rotational position of the cam plate. A vehicle comprising the automatic manual transmission device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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