JP2015054673A - Shifter device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a shifter device which enables cost reduction and miniaturization by simplifying a structure thereof.SOLUTION: In a shifter device 1, a shift lever 2 of a vehicle is operated. The shifter device 1 includes a shifter mechanism part 3 which holds the shift lever 2 so that the shift lever 2 is movably operated, a Y-axis direction sensor 4 which detects the position in a first direction (Y-axis direction) of the shift lever 2, an X-axis direction sensor 5 which detects the position in a second direction (X-axis direction), orthogonal to the first direction, of the shift lever 2, and a sensor substrate 6 on which the Y-axis direction sensor 4 and the X-axis direction sensor 5 are mounted. The Y-axis direction sensor 4 and the X-axis direction sensor 5 are arranged on a surface along the first direction of the shifter mechanism part 3.

Description

  The present invention relates to a shifter device.

  In recent years, shift-by-wire shift control devices (shifter devices) that electrically control the shift position of a vehicle based on the operation position of a shift lever are known. The shift control device includes a control unit that detects an operation position of the shift lever by a position sensor and determines the operation position of the shift lever based on the detected operation position, and switches the shift position based on the determination result. Do.

  As such a shift control device, for example, in Patent Document 1 below, a sensor unit is provided in each of the X direction and the Y direction in which the shift lever is operated, and an electric signal is detected by two types of sensor units provided for each direction. A device that transmits an electrical signal to an external lever determination device ECU is disclosed.

JP 2010-18211 A

However, in the technique of Patent Document 1, since sensor units are provided in each of the X direction and the Y direction, at least two substrates on which these sensor units are mounted are required, and thus the structure of the shifter device is complicated. Design costs and manufacturing costs will be high.
In addition, since the lever determination device (shift position determination device) ECU is provided separately from the outside, a new manufacturing cost is generated, the total manufacturing cost is increased, and it is difficult to downsize the shifter device.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a shifter device that can reduce the cost by simplifying the structure of the shifter device and that can be downsized.

  The shifter device of the present invention is a shifter device in which a shift lever of a vehicle is operated. A shifter mechanism portion that holds the shift lever so as to be movable, and a first sensor that detects a position of the shift lever in a first direction. And a second sensor for detecting a second direction orthogonal to the first direction of the shift lever, and a sensor board on which the first sensor and the second sensor are mounted. The sensor and the second sensor are both arranged on a surface of the shifter mechanism portion along the first direction.

  In the shifter device of the present invention, the first sensor and the second sensor are mounted on the same sensor board, and the detection result detected by the first sensor is processed on the sensor board. And a first sensor signal processing unit for converting into an electric signal and a second sensor signal processing unit for processing the detection result detected by the second sensor and converting it into an electric signal. It is preferable.

  In the shifter device of the present invention, the shift position in the shift pattern of the shift lever is applied to the sensor substrate by the electrical signals output from the first sensor signal processing unit and the second sensor signal processing unit. It is preferable that a control unit for determining whether or not is provided.

  According to the shifter device of the present invention, since the first sensor and the second sensor are both disposed on the surface along the first direction of the shifter mechanism portion, the structure is simplified, and therefore the design cost and manufacturing are simplified. Cost can be reduced.

It is a top view which shows typically schematic structure of one Embodiment of the shifter apparatus of this invention. (A), (b) is explanatory drawing of an example of the link mechanism which concerns on an X-axis direction sensor. (A), (b) is explanatory drawing of the other example of the link mechanism which concerns on an X-axis direction sensor. It is schematic structure explanatory drawing of a sensor board | substrate.

  Hereinafter, a shifter device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the scale of each member is appropriately changed to make each member a recognizable size.

  FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of the shifter device of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a shifter device. The shifter device 1 is mounted on a vehicle and determines a shift position in a shift pattern of a shift lever 2 that is operated by a driver. A shifter mechanism unit 3 that holds the shift lever 2 so as to be movable, and a shift lever 2 detects the position in the Y-axis direction (first direction) 2 of the Y-axis direction sensor (first sensor) 4 and detects the position of the shift lever 2 in the X-axis direction (second direction) orthogonal to the Y-axis direction. An X-axis direction sensor (second sensor) 5, a Y-axis direction sensor 4, and a sensor substrate 6 on which the X-axis direction sensor 5 is mounted.

  The shifter mechanism portion 3 is configured such that a long-hole-shaped guide path 8 is formed in the lid portion 7 a of the housing 7, and the shift lever 2 can be moved along the guide path 8. In the present embodiment, the guide path 8 is directed from the first guide path 8a along the Y-axis direction and one end (the upper end in FIG. 1) of the first guide path 8a to the X-axis direction (the left direction in FIG. 1). The second guide path 8b and a third guide path 8c extending in the Y-axis direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1) from one end (left end in FIG. 1) of the second guide path 8b are formed.

  Here, the shift lever 2 of the present embodiment has a shift pattern including four shift positions of “H (home)”, “N (neutral)”, “D (drive)”, and “R (reverse)”. Has been applied. In FIG. 1, the other end (lower end in FIG. 1) of the first guide path 8a is the H position (home position) of the shift lever 2, and the left end of the second guide path 8b (intersection with the third guide path 8c). ) Is the N position (neutral position), the lower end of the third guide path 8c is the D position (drive position), and the upper end of the fourth guide path 8c is the R position (reverse position). Therefore, in FIG. 1, the shift position of the shift lever 2 is the N position.

The Y-axis direction sensor 4 detects the position of the shift lever 2 in the Y-axis direction, specifically, the shift position in the first guide path 8a or the third guide path 8c.
The X-axis direction sensor 5 detects the position of the shift lever 2 in the X-axis direction, specifically, the shift position in the second guide path 8b. The Y-axis direction sensor 4 and the X-axis direction sensor 5 are conventionally known inductive sensors having a rotor 4a (5a), and a combination of a coil (not shown) and the rotor 4a (5a) The voltage generated for this purpose is detected.

  However, in the present embodiment, the Y-axis direction sensor 4 and the X-axis direction sensor 5 are both the surface 7b (the right side in FIG. 1) of the casing 7 of the shifter mechanism unit 3 along the Y-axis direction (first direction). Surface). That is, each rotor 4a, 5a is attached to the surface 7b side of the shifter mechanism portion 3 so as to be along the X-axis direction. Here, the Y-axis direction sensor 4 is attached to the surface 7b along the Y-axis direction as in the conventional case. Therefore, the Y-axis direction sensor 4 detects the shift position in the Y-axis direction associated with the operation of the shift lever 2 in the same manner as in the prior art.

  On the other hand, the X-axis direction sensor 5 is conventionally attached to a surface adjacent to the surface 7b, that is, the surface 7c along the X-axis direction, whereas in this embodiment, the X-axis direction sensor 5 is attached to the surface 7b together with the Y-axis direction sensor 4. It has been. Therefore, in order to detect the shift position in the X-axis direction accompanying the operation of the shift lever 2 by the X-axis direction sensor 5, a displacement (movement) in the X-axis direction is applied between the shift lever 2 and the rotor 5a. It is necessary to intervene a link mechanism that converts the displacement (movement) in the Y-axis direction.

  As such a link mechanism, for example, a mechanism using a rack and pinion is employed as shown in FIGS. That is, as shown in FIG. 2 (a), an arm 9 is connected to a central portion 2a serving as a rotation center of a shift lever 2 disposed in a casing 7 of the shifter mechanism portion 3, and this arm 9 is connected to a rack gear 10. Are connected to the side surface 10b adjacent to the side surface on which the gear portion 10a is formed.

  At that time, the arm 9 and the rack gear 10 convert the rotation of the central portion 2a around the Y axis due to the movement operation of the shift lever 2 in the X-axis direction into the linear motion (for example, vertical movement) of the rack gear 10. So that it is pivotally supported. Further, when the center portion 2a is rotated around the X axis by the movement operation of the shift lever 2 in the Y-axis direction, the arm 9 idles around the side surface 10b of the rack gear 10 about the axis, and therefore the rack gear 10 The rack gear 10 is not moved up and down without being interfered with its rotation.

  Further, a pinion gear 11 is engaged with the rack gear 10, and the rotor 5 a of the X-axis direction sensor 5 is connected to the pinion gear 11 directly or via a shaft or the like.

  With such a configuration, when the shift lever 2 is moved in the X-axis direction, that is, along the second guide path 8b shown in FIG. 1, as shown in FIG. 2B, the central portion 2a rotates around the Y-axis. And the rack gear 10 is linearly moved. Then, the pinion gear 11 that meshes with the rack gear 10 rotates in the forward direction or the reverse direction corresponding to the forward / reverse direction of the shift lever 2 in the X-axis direction, thereby rotating the rotor 5a.

  As a result, the rotational movement around the Y axis of the central portion 2a accompanying the movement operation of the shift lever 2 in the X axis direction is converted into the linear movement of the rack gear 10, and further converted into the rotational movement around the X axis of the pinion gear 11. Is done. Therefore, the X-axis direction sensor 5 detects the shift position in the X-axis direction in accordance with the operation of the shift lever 2 by rotating the rotor 5a around the X-axis by the rotation movement about the X-axis thus converted. can do.

  When the shift lever 2 is moved in the Y-axis direction, that is, along the first guide path 8a or the third guide path 8c shown in FIG. 1, the rack gear 10 moves up and down as described above. Accordingly, the X-axis direction sensor 5 is maintained in a state where the X-axis direction shift position associated with the previous operation of the shift lever 2 is detected as it is. In this state, the Y-axis direction sensor 4 detects the shift position in the Y-axis direction associated with the operation of the shift lever 2 in the same manner as in the prior art.

  As the link mechanism, for example, a mechanism as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B can be adopted. That is, as shown in FIG. 3 (a), an arm 12 is connected to a central portion 2a serving as a rotation center of a shift lever 2 disposed in a housing 7 of the shifter mechanism portion 3, and this arm 12 is connected to an operation plate. Link to 13. The working plate 13 is a plate-like body that is arranged vertically at a predetermined interval and is movably provided between a pair of guide rails 14 and 14 arranged to extend in the horizontal direction. As shown in FIG. 3B, the operating plate 13 is formed with a long hole 15 obliquely, that is, inclined with respect to the guide rails 14 and 14. The arm 12 is movably inserted into the long hole 15, whereby the arm 12 is linked to the operation plate 13.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 3A, the arm 12 is provided so as to extend in the X-axis direction from the central portion 2a. Therefore, when the shift lever 2 is moved in the X-axis direction, the arm 12 is rotated around the Y-axis so that the distal end side thereof, that is, the portion inserted through the long hole 15 moves around the Y-axis. Rotates (moves up and down). Then, the arm 12 moves the working plate 13 in the horizontal direction along the guide rails 14 and 14 by pushing down or pushing up the oblique long hole 15 shown in FIG.

  The operation plate 13 is provided with a rack gear-like gear portion 13a, and a pinion gear 16 is engaged with the gear portion 13a. The pinion gear 16 is connected to the rotor 5a of the X-axis direction sensor 5 directly or via a shaft or the like.

  With such a configuration, when the shift lever 2 is moved along the X-axis direction shown in FIG. 3A, that is, along the second guide path 8b shown in FIG. 1, the central portion 2a is rotated around the Y-axis. As shown in FIG. 3B, the working plate 13 is linearly moved in the horizontal direction. Then, the pinion gear 16 that meshes with the gear portion 13a of the operating plate 13 rotates in the forward direction or the reverse direction corresponding to the forward / reverse direction in the X-axis direction of the shift lever 2 to rotate the rotor 5a. .

  As a result, the rotational movement around the Y-axis of the central portion 2a accompanying the movement operation of the shift lever 2 in the X-axis direction is converted into the linear movement of the working plate 13, and further the rotational movement around the X-axis of the pinion gear 16 Converted. Therefore, the X-axis direction sensor 5 detects the shift position in the X-axis direction in accordance with the operation of the shift lever 2 by rotating the rotor 5a around the X-axis by the rotation movement about the X-axis thus converted. can do.

  When the shift lever 2 is moved in the Y-axis direction, that is, along the first guide path 8a or the third guide path 8c shown in FIG. 1, the inside of the long hole 15 shown in FIG. Since the arm 12 inserted through is idled in the long hole 15, the operation plate 13 does not move. Therefore, the X-axis direction sensor 5 detects the shift position in the X-axis direction according to the operation of the shift lever 2 performed previously. The detected state is maintained as it is. In this state, the Y-axis direction sensor 4 detects the shift position in the Y-axis direction associated with the operation of the shift lever 2 in the same manner as in the prior art.

In the present embodiment, the Y-axis direction sensor 4 and the X-axis direction sensor 5 are mounted on the same sensor substrate 6 as shown in FIG. However, the Y-axis direction sensor 4 and the X-axis direction sensor 5 are arranged with a gap with respect to the angle detection unit (not shown) on the substrate side so that the respective rotors 4a and 5a can rotate. .
As shown in FIG. 4, a first sensor signal processing unit 17 and a second sensor signal processing unit 18 are mounted on the sensor substrate 6. The first sensor signal processing unit 17 is disposed in the vicinity of the Y-axis direction sensor 4 and is electrically connected to the Y-axis direction sensor 4, and the second sensor signal processing unit 18 is configured in the X-axis direction. It is disposed in the vicinity of the sensor 5 and is electrically connected to the X-axis direction sensor 4.

  The first sensor signal processing unit 17 and the second sensor signal processing unit 18 are detected by detection signals from the Y-axis direction sensor 4 or the X-axis direction sensor 5, that is, electromagnetic induction in each sensor and voltages generated thereby. Based on the detected angle information (detection result), the amount of rotation of the rotors 4a and 5a from the initial value (zero point) is converted into a voltage (electric signal) and output to the control unit 19. Yes. Specifically, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated) having a function of converting a detection signal output from the Y-axis direction sensor 4 or the X-axis direction sensor 5 into an angle and further converting the detection signal into an electric signal that can be read by a microcomputer. Circuit).

  The control unit 19 functions as a lever determination device ECU (Electronic Control Unit), that is, a shift-by-wire ECU, and includes a Y-axis direction sensor 4, an X-axis direction sensor 5, a first sensor signal processing unit 17, and a second sensor. It is provided on the sensor substrate 6 together with the signal processing unit 18. Then, based on the voltage values (electrical signals) output from the first sensor signal processing unit 17 and the second sensor signal processing unit 18, the shift position in the shift pattern of the shift lever 2 is determined. The control unit 19 includes a microcomputer 20 that determines the shift position.

  The microcomputer 20 is located away from the sensor region 24 on the sensor substrate 6 on which the Y-axis direction sensor 4, the X-axis direction sensor 5, the first sensor signal processing unit 17, and the second sensor signal processing unit 18 are arranged. And mounted on the sensor substrate 6. That is, the microcomputer 20 is arranged away from the sensor region 24. The microcomputer 20 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 21, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 22, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 23, and the like.

The ROM 21 is a non-volatile memory that stores various arithmetic control programs executed by the CPU 23 and other data.
The RAM 22 is a volatile memory used as a working area as a temporary storage destination of data when the CPU 23 executes various operations by executing the arithmetic control program.

The CPU 23 is electrically connected to the ROM 21 and the RAM 22 and is also electrically connected to the first sensor signal processing unit 17 and the second sensor signal processing unit 18, and various arithmetic control programs and sensors stored in the ROM 21. Various arithmetic processes are performed based on the signals input from the signal processing units 17 and 18 to determine the shift position of the shift lever 2.
In FIG. 4, the microcomputer 20 is mounted on the same surface of the sensor substrate 6 together with the first sensor signal processing unit 17 and the second sensor signal processing unit 18, but the first sensor signal processing is performed. The unit 17 and the second sensor signal processing unit 18 may be mounted on a different surface.

  In the shifter device 1 of the present embodiment, the Y-axis direction sensor 4 and the X-axis direction sensor 5 are both disposed on the surface 7b along the Y-axis direction of the housing 7 of the shifter mechanism unit 3. Compared to the conventional case where the Y-axis direction sensor is arranged on the surface along the Y-axis direction and the X-axis direction sensor is arranged on the surface along the X-axis direction, for example, the sensor substrate 6 is attached to each of the sensors 4 and 5. On the other hand, the structure of the apparatus can be simplified because it can be used in common, and thus the design cost and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

  In addition, the Y-axis direction sensor 4 and the X-axis direction sensor 5 are mounted on the same sensor substrate 6, and a first sensor signal processing unit 17 and a second sensor signal processing unit 18 are provided on the sensor substrate 6. As a result, the number of parts can be reduced to reduce the cost, and the apparatus can be miniaturized. Furthermore, the manufacturing process can be simplified.

  Further, since the control unit 19 functioning as a shift-by-wire ECU for determining the shift position in the shift pattern of the shift lever 2 is provided on the sensor substrate 6, the control unit 19 that is conventionally provided separately from the sensor substrate 6. Since the shifter device 1 can be further miniaturized and the manufacturing process can be simplified.

  Furthermore, since the microcomputer 20 is provided in the control unit 19 and the microcomputer 20 is arranged at a position away from the sensor region 24 on the sensor board 6, the wiring design and mounting process on the sensor board 6 are simplified. This can reduce the cost.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention has four types of shifts “H (home)”, “N (neutral)”, “D (drive)”, and “R (reverse)” as shown in FIG. Although the present invention is applied to a structure having a shift pattern composed of positions, for example, the present invention can be applied to a structure having shift patterns composed of five kinds of shift positions obtained by adding “P (parking)” thereto.

Moreover, as a link mechanism which is interposed between the shift lever 2 and the X-axis direction sensor 5 and converts the axial direction, it is shown in FIGS. 2 (a), (b), 3 (a) and 3 (b). Without being limited to the mechanism, various link mechanisms can be employed.
Further, in the above embodiment, the first direction in the present invention is the Y-axis direction, and thus the Y-axis direction sensor 4 and the X-axis direction sensor 5 are disposed on the surface along the Y-axis direction of the shifter mechanism portion 3. One direction may be the X-axis direction, and therefore the Y-axis direction sensor 4 and the X-axis direction sensor 5 may be disposed on the surface along the X-axis direction of the shifter mechanism unit 3. However, in that case, the link mechanism connected to the X-axis direction sensor 5 in the embodiment is connected to the Y-axis direction sensor 4.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Shifter device, 2 ... Shift lever, 3 ... Shifter mechanism part, 4 ... Y-axis direction sensor (1st sensor), 5 ... X-axis direction sensor (2nd sensor), 6 ... Sensor board | substrate, 17 ... 1st 1 sensor signal processing unit, 18 second sensor signal processing unit, 19 control unit, 20 microcomputer, 24 sensor area

Claims (3)

In the shifter device in which the shift lever of the vehicle is operated,
A shifter mechanism that holds the shift lever so as to be movable; and
A first sensor that detects a position of the shift lever in a first direction;
A second sensor for detecting a second direction orthogonal to the first direction of the shift lever;
A sensor board on which the first sensor and the second sensor are mounted;
The first sensor and the second sensor are both disposed on a surface of the shifter mechanism portion along the first direction. The first sensor and the second sensor are mounted on the same sensor substrate,
The sensor board processes a detection result detected by the first sensor and converts it into an electrical signal, and processes a detection result detected by the second sensor. The shifter device according to claim 1, further comprising a second sensor signal processing unit that converts the electric signal into an electric signal.   The sensor board is provided with a control unit that determines a shift position in the shift pattern of the shift lever based on electrical signals output from the first sensor signal processing unit and the second sensor signal processing unit. The shifter device according to claim 2, wherein:

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