JP2023143022A - Shift device and driving simulator - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a shift device and a driving simulator with which an operational feeling close to the actual vehicle is obtained.SOLUTION: Provided is a shift device 1 for driving simulators which is capable of multi-stage transmissions, the shift device 1 comprising a slider 40 that slides to a position corresponding to each speed stage following operation of a shift lever 30, load means 70 that applies a load to the shift lever 30 by contacting when the slider 40 moves to the position, and control means that controls the load means 60 so as to apply a load that corresponds to the driving state. The load means 70 is provided independently for each speed stage, and the control means controls the load means for each speed stage.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a shift device that simulates a manual shift operation of an automobile, and a driving simulator that simulates the driving of a vehicle.

Simulators that simulate riding in a vehicle are widely used for purposes such as pilot training and amusement. Examples of simulators include simulators that simulate the state of riding in a car, such as simulating the vibrations transmitted to the seat and the posture of the seat during boarding (for example, see Patent Document 1), and simulators that simulate the behavior of pedals such as the brake pedal. A drive simulator that can be reproduced in detail is known (for example, see Patent Document 2).

In addition, there are highly operable actuators that simulate the shift change operation used in manual transmissions and can reproduce smooth operability, as well as operation feeling simulators that are equipped with such actuators and can provide users with the desired operating sensation. (For example, see Patent Document 3). Many applications other than Patent Document 3 have been filed regarding shift devices that simulate shift change operations and drive simulators equipped with the same.

JP2016-212236A Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-134891 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-48878

Nowadays, there is a strong demand for driving simulators to simulate conditions closer to those of an actual vehicle, and the same applies to shift change operations and shift devices that perform the same. Although shift devices that simulate conditions closer to the actual vehicle have been proposed, including the actuator described in Patent Document 3, they are far from sufficient and there is still room for improvement.

An object of the present invention is to provide a shift device and a driving simulator that provide an operating feeling similar to that of an actual vehicle.

The present invention is a shift device for a driving simulator that is capable of multi-speed shifting, and includes a slider that moves to a position corresponding to each gear as a shift lever is operated, and a slider that makes contact when moving to the position. and a control means that controls the load means to apply a load corresponding to the operating state. The shift device is characterized in that the control means controls the load means for each speed.

In the shift device according to the present invention, the load means is connected to a lever having one end rotatably supported by a support shaft and having a pawl near the support shaft, and the other end of the lever, for each gear stage, load applying means for applying a downward load to the other end of the lever based on a command from the control means, and the slider includes a locking portion having a locking groove on an upper surface into which a claw provided on the lever is fitted. The slider is characterized in that the locking portion pushes up the lever during a shift change, and the pawl fits into the locking groove to complete the shift change.

In the shift device according to the present invention, the load applying means includes an elastic body attached to the other end of the lever, and a servo motor connected to the elastic body and pulling the elastic body downward, or It is characterized in that the applying means is a cylinder or a ball screw that is attached to the other end of the lever and applies a downward load to the other end of the lever.

The shift device according to the present invention further includes a sensor that detects the position of the slider, and the operating state is the position of the slider and one or more of the following group (A), The control means is characterized in that it receives data of the following group (A) from the driving simulator.
(A) Vehicle speed, clutch position, engine speed, acceleration/deceleration, accelerator/brake opening

The present invention is a driving simulator characterized in that it includes at least a vehicle body, a steering wheel, an accelerator, a brake, a clutch, a seat, a computer for controlling operations, and the shift device, and simulates the driving of a vehicle.

In the driving simulator according to the present invention, when the computer determines that a shift change is impossible based on the driving state, the computer controls the control means to apply a load that makes a shift change impossible.

The driving simulator according to the present invention further includes a vibrator that vibrates the vehicle body and a sound generating means, and when the computer determines that a shift change is impossible based on the driving condition, the computer applies a load that makes the shift change impossible. The present invention is characterized in that the load means is controlled to further operate the vibrator and the sound generation means.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a shift device and a driving simulator that provide an operating feeling close to that of an actual vehicle.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shift device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of a shift device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the shift device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and is a plan view with the upper support base 20 removed. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the configuration around a slider 40 of the shift device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view for explaining the configuration around a load means 70 of the shift device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the configuration around a load means 70 of the shift device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the configuration around a load means 70 of the shift device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of a driving simulator 2 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a driving unit 201 of a driving simulator 2 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure for explaining the composition of other load means 100 of shift device 1 of a 1st embodiment of the present invention.

1 and 2 are schematic diagrams for explaining a perspective view and a configuration of a shift device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The shift direction and select direction shown in FIG. 2 indicate the moving direction of the slider 40. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the shift device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and is a plan view with the upper support base 20 removed. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the configuration around the slider 40 of the shift device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 5, 6, and 7 are diagrams for explaining the configuration around the load means 70 of the shift device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis in the figures and specifications correspond to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis of three-dimensional orthogonal coordinates, and the X (X-axis) direction, Y (axis) direction, and Z (axis) The directions coincide with the X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, and Z-axis direction of three-dimensional orthogonal coordinates. Further, in the specification, the +X direction means the direction of the X-axis arrow shown in the figures, and the -X direction means the direction opposite to the X-axis arrow shown in the figures. The same applies to the +Y direction, -Y direction, +Z direction, and -Z direction.

A shift device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is a shift device having an H-type shift pattern capable of multi-speed shifting, which is installed and used in a driving simulator 2 as shown in a second embodiment. In the shift device 1 of this embodiment, the highest gear stage is 6th gear.

The shift device 1 includes a base 10, a shift lever 30, a slider 40 connected to the shift lever 30, and a load means 70 that applies a load when the slider 40 moves to a position corresponding to each gear. have In the shift device 1, the select direction is parallel to the Z-axis, and the shift direction is parallel to the X-axis. In FIG. 1, the left side is the −X direction, and the right side is the +X direction. The front is the -Z direction, and the back is the +Z direction.

The base 10 is a block-shaped member having a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has an accommodating section 12 in the center for accommodating the slider 40, and an accommodating section connected to the accommodating section 12 on the left and right sides for accommodating the lever 71 constituting the loading means 70. A section 14 is provided. The base 10 is symmetrical with respect to the center line C, and the storage portion 12 and the storage portion 14 are provided symmetrically with respect to the center line C (see FIG. 2). The accommodating portion 12 is formed by providing a rectangular parallelepiped recess in the center of the base 10 .

Four storage units 14 are provided in parallel on each side of the base 10. The storage portions 14 are elongated recesses extending in the X-axis direction, and each storage portion 14 has the same shape. The storage section 14 faces the upper surface 11 of the base 10 and the storage section 12, and partition walls 15 are provided between adjacent storage sections 14 to partition them from each other. The partition wall 15 has an inclined surface 17 at its tip 16, and the partition wall 15 on the left side is long in the -Z direction when viewed from above, and the partition wall 15 on the right side is long in the +Z direction when viewed from above. By providing an inclined surface 17 at the tip of the partition wall 15 and arranging the inclined surface 17 as in this embodiment, the slider 40 can move smoothly during a shift change.

In the shift device 1 of this embodiment, the highest gear stage is 6th speed, and correspondingly, three levers 71 are arranged on the left and right sides, and the storage sections 14 at the left and right front portions are reserved. The spare storage section 14 may be provided with a lever 71 as a position corresponding to the 7th speed, similar to the 1st to 6th speeds, or may be placed in a reverse position.

An upper support stand 20 that supports the shift lever 30 is attached to the upper part of the base stand 10. The upper support stand 20 is a plate material having a U-shape in side view, and is fixed to the front and rear surfaces of the base 10. The upper surface 21 of the upper support base 20 is provided with a through hole 22 in the center of which the shift lever 30 is inserted, and the upper part of the through hole 22 rotatably supports the shift lever 30 so as to close the through hole 22. A spherical sliding bearing 35 is attached.

A lower support 25 is attached to the lower part of the base 10 for supporting a servo motor 85 constituting the load means 70. The lower support base 25 is a plate material having a U-shape when viewed from the front, and is fixed to the bottom surface of the base 10 by bending the upper portions of both side walls outward in parallel with the bottom surface.

The shift lever 30 is a cylindrical member, and its middle portion is attached to the upper support base 20 via a spherical sliding bearing 35. The shift lever 30 attached to the upper support base 20 via the spherical sliding bearing 35 can rotate about the spherical sliding bearing 35 as a starting point. A knob 33 is attached to the upper part of the shift lever 30 (see FIG. 9), and a rod end bearing 37 connected to the slider 40 is attached to the lower end 32 of the shift lever 30.

The slider 40 has a rectangular base 41 and a pair of locking portions 44 extending left and right from the base 41, and is guided by a guide means and moves to a position corresponding to each speed upon shift change. A pin insertion hole 42 is provided at the center of the base 41, through which the pin 38 of the rod end bearing 37 is inserted. . A locking groove 46 into which the pawl 75 of the lever 71 fits is provided on the upper surface of the left and right locking portions 44 from the center to the vicinity of the base portion 41 .

Since the distance between the tips 45 of the left and right locking portions 44 of the slider 40 is set narrower than the distance between the tips 16 of the left and right partition walls 15 provided on the base 10, the slider 40 is in a neutral state. , can be moved freely in the select direction.

The guide means includes a first guide means 51 that guides the slider 40 in the select direction, and a second guide means 60 that guides the slider 40 in the shift direction.

The first guide means 51 includes a rectangular first slide base 52 and a pair of first guide rails 55 that slidably support the first slide base 52. The first guide rails 55 are fixed to the bottom surface of the accommodating portion 12 of the base 10 at intervals in parallel to the selection direction. The first slide base 52 has a recess 53 at the bottom that fits into the first guide rail 55, and the recess 53 fits into the first guide rail 55 so that it can move forward and backward in the selection direction.

A pair of guide pipes 57 extending in the selection direction are inserted through the first slide base 52, and a compression coil spring 58 is inserted into one of the guide pipes 57 in the front and rear directions with the first slide base 52 in between. The first slide base 52 can move forward and backward with respect to the guide pipe 57. The compression coil spring 58 provided to sandwich the first slide base 52 is a means for automatically returning the first slide base 52 to the neutral position.

The second guide means 60 includes a rectangular second slide base 62 and a second guide rail 65 that slidably supports the second slide base 62. The second guide rail 65 is attached to the upper surface of the first slide base 52 in parallel to the shift direction. The second slide base 62 has a recessed portion at the bottom that fits into the second guide rail 65, and the recessed portion fits into the second guide rail 65 so that it can move forward and backward in the shift direction.

The second slide base 62 is provided with automatic return means (not shown) for returning the second slide base 62 to the neutral position.

The slider 40 has a base 41 placed and fixed on the second slide base 62, and moves integrally with the second slide base 62. Further, since the second guide rail 65 is fixed to the first slide base 52, the slider 40 moves integrally with the first slide base 52.

A first position sensor 91 that detects the position in the select direction and a second position sensor (slide volume) 92 that detects the position in the shift direction are attached to the slider 40, and these two sensors determine the position of the slider 40. Detected. The first position sensor 91 and the second position sensor 92 are connected to the controller 90 , and the position information of the slider 40 is sent to the controller 90 . The position information of the slider 40 is also the position information of the shift lever 30.

The load means 70 is a means for applying a load to the shift lever 30 during a shift change, and includes a lever 71 located in the storage section 14 and a load applying means 80 for applying a downward load to the end of the lever 71. The load means 70 is provided independently for each gear stage, and applies a load to the shift lever 30 in response to a command from the controller 90 in accordance with the operating state. In this embodiment, the load applying means 80 mainly includes a tension coil spring 81 attached downward to the other end 73 of the lever 71 and a servo motor 85 that pulls the tension coil spring 81 downward.

The lever 71 is a thick and elongated plate-like member, and has an insertion hole at one end 72. The insertion hole is slidably inserted into a support shaft 77 fixed to the base 10, and the longitudinal direction is the shift direction. is placed parallel to. The support shaft 77 is installed above the outer peripheral edge of the accommodating portion 12 of the base 10 in parallel to the selection direction. The other end 73 of the lever 71 protrudes from the housing portion 14, and a tension coil spring 81 is connected thereto. A claw 75 that fits into the locking groove 46 of the slider 40 is provided on the bottom surface near one end 72 of the lever 71 .

The servo motor 85 is fixed to the lower support base 25 via a mounting seat 88. The servo motor 85 is provided with a rod member 87 perpendicular to the rotation shaft at the tip of the rotation shaft, and the tension coil spring 81 has one end connected to the other end 73 of the lever 71 and the other end connected to the rod member 87. As the servo motor 85 operates and the distance between the rod member 87 and the lever 71 increases, the load applied to the lever 71 increases. Conversely, when the distance between the rod member 87 and the lever 71 becomes smaller than a certain limit, no downward load acts on the lever 71.

The controller 90 receives instructions from the driving simulator computer, controls the servo motor 85, adjusts the load applied to the shift lever 30, and transmits the position of the slider 40 (shift lever 30) to the driving simulator computer.

The basic movement of the shift device 1 will be explained. When the shift lever 30 is in the neutral state, the slider 40 is in the neutral position due to the automatic return means of the first slide base 52 and the second slide base 62, and is not engaged with the lever 71 either.

When the shift lever 30 is operated and the shift is changed from neutral to first gear, for example, the slider 40 is guided by the first guide rail 55 in conjunction with the operation of the shift lever 30 so as to enter the storage section 14 corresponding to the first gear. It moves in the select direction, and is guided by the second guide rail 65 and moves in the shift direction.

When the slider 40 enters the storage section 14, the locking section 44 contacts the lever 71 and moves to push the lever 71 upward. At this time, the servo motor 85 is pulling the tension coil spring 81 to pull down the other end 73 of the lever 71 based on a command from the controller 90, so there is resistance when the locking part 44 enters the storage part 14.

The resistance when the locking part 44 enters the storage part 14 increases as the tension coil spring 81 is more strongly pulled. Since the slider 40 is connected to the shift lever 30 via the rod end bearing 37, as the movement resistance of the locking portion 44 increases, the resistance to operating the shift lever 30 also increases accordingly.

The commands issued by the controller 90 to the servo motor 85 are essentially given by the computer of the driving simulator. The computer of the driving simulator calculates the load to be applied to the lever 71 from the driving state of the vehicle in which the shift device 1 is mounted and the position of the slider 40, and issues a load command to the controller 90. This load command will be explained in detail in the driving simulator 2 of the second embodiment.

When the locking portion 44 enters the storage portion 14 and the claw 75 of the lever 70 fits into the locking groove 46 of the locking portion 44, the shift change is completed. When the pawl 75 of the lever 70 fits into the locking groove 46 of the locking portion 44, the slider 40 is prevented from moving in the shift direction by the engagement between the locking groove 46 and the pawl 75, and is moved in the select direction by the front and rear partition walls 15. Since movement to is prevented, the slider 40 is locked in that position.

When shifting from the first gear to neutral, the shift lever 30 is moved in the shift direction to release the engagement between the engagement groove 46 and the pawl 75. When releasing the lock between the locking groove 46 and the pawl 75, there is resistance until the pawl 75 gets over the locking groove 46. When the pawl 75 passes over the locking groove 46, the slider 40 and the shift lever 30 move smoothly and automatically return to the neutral position by the automatic return means of the first slide base 52 and the second slide base 62.

The movement of the shift device 1 when shifting the shift lever 30 from 1st gear to 2nd gear, 5th gear to 6th gear, or 6th gear to 5th gear is basically a shift from neutral to 1st gear, or from 1st gear to neutral. The movement is the same as when changing.

As described above, in the shift device 1 of the first embodiment, the load means 70 that applies a load to the slider 40 that moves to a position corresponding to each speed upon a shift change is independently provided for each speed. The controller 90 controls the load means 70 for each gear. The shift device 1 having such a configuration can adjust the load of the load means 70 of the unselected gear according to the operating condition, so that the load can be adjusted appropriately even for a quick shift change. resistance).

Furthermore, the shift device 1 of the first embodiment applies a load (resistance) to the shift lever 30 by mechanically bringing the lever 71 into contact with the slider 40 connected to the shift lever 30, so that the shift device 1 can be operated in the same way as in an actual vehicle. You can feel it. Furthermore, since the lever 71 mechanically contacts the slider 40, the shift lever 30 vibrates in response to the shift operation. These provide an operating feel close to that of an actual vehicle.

Furthermore, the shift device 1 of the first embodiment has a simple mechanism for applying a load to the shift lever 30 during a shift change, so the shift device 1 can be made compact. As an example of the size of the shift device 1, the width (X direction) is 120 mm, the length (Z direction) is 150 mm, and the height to the upper support base 20 (Y direction) is 150 to 200 mm.

FIG. 8 is an overall configuration diagram of a driving simulator 2 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the driving unit 201 of the driving simulator 2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The driving simulator 2 of the second embodiment is equipped with the shift device 1 of the first embodiment as a shift device. Components that are the same as those of the shift device 1 of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

The driving simulator 2 is a simulator that simulates the behavior and images of a car while driving, and calculates the behavior and images of a virtual car based on a driving unit 201 that simulates a car and input from the driving unit 201. The computer 212 is equipped with a computer 212 that outputs images, and a monitor 213 that is placed in front of the driving unit 201 and displays images. Based on this, the behavior of the vehicle is reproduced on the driving unit 201, and the scenery during driving is reproduced on the monitor 213.

The driving unit 201 includes a main body unit 221 that forms the overall framework, a rotation unit 222 that has a seat 241 on which a rider sits and performs rotational movement, and three seat linear units that are the drive source for the rotational movement of the rotation unit 222. This is a 7-axis cylinder-controlled driving unit that includes actuators 225, 226, and 227, and four main body linear actuators 228, 229, 230, and 231 that support the main unit 221 in a state where it is lifted from the installation surface. .

The driving simulator 2 further includes a controller 232 that controls seat linear actuators 225, 226, 227 and main body linear actuators 228, 229, 230, 231, a steering unit 233 and a pedal unit 224 that are operated by the rider, and that performs shift changes. It includes a shift device 1 and a vibrator 110 for notifying an unreasonable shift change operation. The vibrator 110 is attached to the shift device 1.

The steering unit 233 includes a steering wheel 271 that is a handle, and a steering controller 272 that performs processing associated with the operation of the steering wheel 271 that can transmit and receive data to and from the computer 212.

The pedal unit 224 includes a brake pedal unit 111, an accelerator pedal unit 141, a clutch pedal unit 171, and a pedal controller 273 that can transmit and receive data to and from the computer 212 and performs processing associated with pedal operations.

The computer 212 includes a simulation means, calculates the behavior and image of a virtual car based on inputs from the steering controller 272, the pedal controller 273, and the controller 90 of the shift device 1 (hereinafter referred to as shift controller 90), and calculates the behavior and image of the virtual car based on the calculation results. Operation data such as a certain speed and video data to be displayed on the monitor 213 are output. It also controls the controller 232, steering controller 272, pedal controller 273, shift controller 90, and vibrator 110.

The shift controller 90 is controlled by the computer 212 in the following manner. The simulation means of the computer 212 has a shift device operation feeling program for reproducing the operation feeling (operation feeling) of the shift device of an actual vehicle for the shift device 1. This shift device operation feeling program is based on the relationship between driving conditions and the operation feeling of the shift lever 30 during a shift change, which was obtained in an actual vehicle.

The driving state includes vehicle speed, clutch position, engine speed, acceleration/deceleration, accelerator/brake opening, and slider 40 position. The position of the slider 40 can be rephrased as the position of the shift lever 30. The operating feeling of the shift lever 30 during a shift change is mainly due to the force required to move the shift lever 30. In addition, the feeling of operating the shift lever 30 during a shift change includes vibrations applied to the shift lever 30. The force required to move the shift lever 30 can be rephrased as a resistance force when moving the shift lever 30.

Data regarding the driving state of the actual vehicle and the operational feel of the shift lever 30 during a shift change may be acquired by attaching a sensor to the actual vehicle, or existing data regarding these may be used. Generally, there is the following relationship between the driving state of an actual vehicle and the operational feel of the shift lever 30 during a shift change.

Generally, when changing gears to significantly change driving conditions, for example, when changing gears from driving in 1st gear to 3rd gear, the load (resistance force) when moving the shift lever 30 is big. Conversely, when shifting from 3rd gear to 4th gear while the vehicle speed and engine speed match, the load (resistance) when moving the shift lever 30 is small. Furthermore, in the case of an actual vehicle, when changing gears from a state where the vehicle is running in 6th gear to 1st gear, a very large load is applied to the shift lever 30, or the load is so large that the shift change cannot be performed.

The driving simulator 2 of this embodiment is the same as the drive simulator of the second embodiment described in JP-A-2020-134891, except for the shift device 1 including the shift controller 90, the vibrator 110, and the shift device operation feeling program. . The structure of the main body unit 221, the rotation unit 222, the actuator, and the structure and control of the pedal unit 224 are the same as those described in paragraphs 0014 to 0076 and FIGS. 1 to 6 of JP 2020-134891A. Therefore, I will quote it and omit the detailed explanation.

The simulation means is provided with a brake pedal depression force program corresponding to the vehicle type and/or a shift device operation feeling program of the shift device 1 corresponding to the vehicle type, and the simulation means is provided with a brake pedal depression force program corresponding to the vehicle type and/or a shift device operation feeling program of the shift device 1 corresponding to the vehicle type. ), by selecting a general passenger car, the brake pedal depression force and/or the operating feeling of the shift device 1 corresponding to the vehicle type may be selected.

Next, the operation and effect of the driving simulator 2 of this embodiment will be explained. Here, it is assumed that the driving simulator 2 is a driving simulator 2 in which vehicle types can be selected. The simulation means of the computer 212 is activated and a car model is selected. When the simulation means is activated, the rotation unit 222 and the main unit 212 return to their initial positions. A rider is seated on the seat 241 of the rotating unit 222 and operates the steering wheel 271, brake pedal 112, accelerator pedal 142, clutch pedal 172, and shift lever 30 while viewing an image displayed on the monitor 213.

When the steering wheel 271, brake pedal 112, accelerator pedal 142, clutch pedal 172, and shift lever 30 are operated, operation information is input from the steering controller 272, pedal controller 273, and shift controller 90 to the computer 212, and simulation is performed based on this information. Means performs calculations on the operation data and video data. Along with this, the controller 232 controls each actuator 225, 226, 227, 228, 229, 230, and 231 to operate the rotation unit 222 and the main unit 221, thereby reproducing the behavior of the automobile and displaying the image on the monitor 213. is updated sequentially.

Further, the computer 212 controls the shift device 1 so that the same operational feeling as in an actual vehicle can be obtained during a shift change. Specifically, the computer 212 acquires the driving state of the vehicle from the operation data calculated by the steering controller 272, the pedal controller 273, the shift controller 90, and the simulation means, and adjusts the driving state to the load means 70 based on the shift device operation feeling program. A command is issued to the shift controller 90 to apply a load corresponding to the state.

For example, the computer 212 detects the position of the slider 40 from the first position sensor 91 and the second position sensor 92, and if it determines that the shift change is from 1st gear to 3rd gear, it applies resistance to the shift lever 30. A command is issued to the shift controller 90 to give a command. In response to this command, the shift controller 90 controls the servo motor 85 so that the downward load is increased on the lever 71 at the position corresponding to the third speed.

On the other hand, if the computer 212 determines that the shift change is to be performed when the vehicle speed and engine speed are appropriate, it issues a command to the shift controller 90 so that no resistance is applied to the shift lever 30. Upon receiving this command, the shift controller 90 controls the servo motor 85 so that the downward load from the tension coil spring 81 is not applied to the lever 71 to which the shift is to be made. This allows for smooth shift changes.

Further, when the computer 212 determines that the shift change is from 6th gear to 1st gear based on the position of the slider 40, the shift controller 90 causes the shift controller 90 to apply resistance to the shift lever 30 to prevent the shift change from 6th gear to 1st gear. issue commands to. Upon receiving this command, the shift controller 90 applies a maximum downward load to the lever 71 at the position corresponding to the first gear, thereby mechanically preventing the locking portion 44 from locking onto the lever 71.

At this time, the computer 212 determines that the shift operation is an impossible shift change based on the position of the slider 40, and operates the vibrator 110 to vibrate the main unit 221. At the same time, the computer 212 operates an abnormal sound generating means (not shown). This allows the rider to notice that the shift change is an impossible one.

In the driving simulator 2 configured as described above, the drive system of the rotation unit 222 and the drive system of the main unit 221 are separated, so that the gravitational acceleration applied to the rider during driving and the behavior of the vehicle body can be reproduced in a composite manner. This allows the rider to experience a sensation closer to that of the actual vehicle. Furthermore, if it is determined that the vehicle is spinning, the rotation unit 222 yaws, allowing the rider to experience the grip (slip) of the vehicle (wheels) on the ground.

Additionally, when each wheel is locked or wheelspin, the corresponding linear actuators 228, 229, 230, and 231 vibrate independently, allowing the rider to intuitively recognize the condition of each wheel. becomes possible. Furthermore, when locking or wheel spin occurs in each wheel, the corresponding linear actuators 228, 229, 230, and 231 for the main body are vibrated independently, and the rotating unit 222 returns to the initial position, so that each wheel When locking or wheelspin occurs, the gravitational acceleration applied to the rider is canceled, making it possible to experience a sensation closer to that of an actual vehicle.

Furthermore, the driving simulator 2 is equipped with a brake pedal depression force program corresponding to the vehicle type, and based on this program, a reaction force corresponding to the operation of the brake pedal 112 is applied, so that the same pedal operation and pedal sensation as in an actual vehicle can be obtained. Furthermore, the brake pedal unit 111 used here has no play or rattling, which is a problem with transmission mechanisms, and in this respect, the same pedal operation and pedal feel as in an actual vehicle can be obtained.

Furthermore, the driving simulator 2 is equipped with the shift device 1 and has a shift device operation feeling program for reproducing the operating feeling of the shift device of an actual vehicle for the shift device 1, and the computer 212 acquires the driving state of the vehicle. Since the shift controller 90 is controlled to apply a load corresponding to the driving state to the load means 70 based on the shift device operation feeling program, it is possible to obtain the operation feeling of the shift device of an actual vehicle.

The shift device and driving simulator according to the present invention have been described above using the shift device according to the first embodiment and the driving simulator according to the second embodiment, but the shift device and driving simulator according to the present invention are limited to the above embodiments. The content may be modified and used without changing the gist.

In the shift device 1 of the first embodiment, the highest speed is 6th speed, but in the shift device according to the present invention, the highest speed may be 4th, 5th, or 7th speed. Further, although the shift device 1 of the first embodiment does not include a reverse gear, a reverse gear may be provided in the shift device according to the present invention. Further, although the shift device 1 of the first embodiment includes the spare storage section 14, the spare storage section 14 may be omitted.

The biggest feature of the shift device according to the present invention is that it applies a load corresponding to the driving state to the shift lever during a shift change. In addition to shift pattern shift devices, the present invention can also be applied to sequential pattern shift devices and shift devices capable of switching between an H-type shift pattern and a sequential pattern.

In the shift device 1 of the first embodiment, a spherical sliding bearing 35 is attached to the middle part of the shift lever 30, a rod end bearing 37 is attached to the lower end 32 and connected to the slider 40, and the shift lever 30 starts from the spherical sliding bearing 35. The shift lever 30 and the slider 40 may have the following configuration.

A slider 40 is attached to the middle part of the shift lever 30, and the lower end 32 of the shift lever 30 is rotatably fixed to the base 10 or a support provided on the base 10 via a bearing or the like. The shift lever 30 having such a configuration rotates from the lower end 32 as a starting point, and the slider 40 also operates in the same manner as the shift device 1 of the first embodiment.

The shift device 1 of the first embodiment attaches a rod member 87 perpendicular to the tip of the rotating shaft of the servo motor 85, connects one end of the tension coil spring 81 to the tip of the rod member 87, and expands and contracts the tension coil spring 81. However, the method of expanding and contracting the tension coil spring 81 is not limited to this. Instead of the rod member 87, one end of the tension coil spring 81 and the rotating shaft of the servo motor 85 may be connected with a rope, and the rope may be wound around the rotating shaft to apply a downward load.

Further, in the shift device 1 of the first embodiment, the load applying means 80 that applies a downward load to the end of the lever 71 is composed of a tension coil spring 81 and a servo motor 85; It is not limited. A cylinder or a ball screw may be used instead of the tension coil spring 81 and the servo motor 85.

Further, in the shift device 1 of the first embodiment, when shifting to neutral, it is necessary to move the shift lever 30 in the shift direction to release the engagement between the engagement groove 46 and the pawl 75. If the resistance at this time is large, a tension coil spring may be additionally installed to pull up the other end 73 of the lever 71.

In the shift device 1 of the first embodiment, a load means 70 that applies a load to the shift lever 30 during a shift change is composed of a lever 71 and a load application means 80 that applies a downward load to the end of the lever 71. However, the load means may have other configurations. Another load means 100 is shown in FIG. Components that are the same as those of the shift device 1 of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

The load means 100 is composed of a ball plunger 101 attached to the bottom surface 27 of the storage section 14 and a servo motor 85 connected to the ball plunger 101. This loading means 100 does not include the lever 71. The ball plunger 101 is a known ball plunger 101 having a male thread 102 on the outer peripheral surface of the main body.

The base 10 is provided with a female thread 28 into which the male thread 102 of the ball plunger 101 is screwed. The female thread 28 passes through the base 10, and the ball plunger 101 is attached to the base 10 so that the ball 103 protrudes from the bottom surface 27 of the storage portion 14. A servo motor 85 is connected to the lower end of the ball plunger 101, and by driving the servo motor 85, the ball plunger 101 rotates and the amount of protrusion from the bottom surface 27 changes.

A locking groove 48 into which the ball 103 of the ball plunger 101 fits is provided on the bottom surface of the locking portion 44 of the slider 40, and when the slider 40 slides and the ball 103 fits into the locking groove 48, the shift occurs. The change is complete. The greater the amount of protrusion of the ball plunger 100 from the bottom surface 27, the greater the resistance for moving the slider 40. This is different from the load means 70 of the first embodiment in that the load means 100 is provided independently for each speed, and the controller 90 controls the servo motor 85 to apply a load corresponding to the operating state. It's the same.

The driving simulator 2 equipped with the shift device 1 is not limited to this embodiment, and the driving unit used in the driving simulator is not particularly limited either. The driving unit may be equipped with a horizontal movement device, and for example, the driving unit described in paragraphs 0015 to 0056 and FIGS. 1 to 6 of JP-A-2020-112607 can be used. Further, the driving unit may include a rocking device.

As mentioned above, the preferred embodiments have been described with reference to the drawings, but those skilled in the art will easily assume various changes and modifications within the obvious range after viewing this specification. It is therefore contemplated that such changes and modifications are within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

1 Shift device 2 Driving simulator 10 Base 14 Storage part 15 Partition wall 30 Shift lever 35 Spherical sliding bearing 37 Rod end bearing 40 Slider 44 Locking parts 46, 48 Locking groove 51 First guide means 60 Second guide means 70, 100 Loading means 71 Lever 72 One end of lever 73 Other end of lever 75 Claw 77 Support shaft 80 Loading means 81 Tension coil spring 85 Servo motor 90 Controller 101 Ball plunger 103 Ball 201 Driving unit 212 Computer

Claims (7)

A shift device for a driving simulator that is capable of multi-speed shifting,
A slider that moves to a position corresponding to each gear as the shift lever is operated,
Loading means that applies a load to the shift lever by contacting the slider when it moves to the position;
control means for controlling the load means to apply a load corresponding to the operating state;
Equipped with
The load means is provided independently for each speed,
A shift device characterized in that the control means controls the load means for each gear. The load means is connected to a lever, one end of which is rotatably supported by a support shaft and has a pawl near the support shaft, and the other end of the lever, for each gear, and the load means is connected to the other end of the lever, and the load means is connected to the lever having one end rotatably supported by a support shaft and has a pawl in the vicinity of the support shaft. Load applying means for applying a downward load to the other end of the lever,
The slider has a locking portion on its upper surface that includes a locking groove into which a claw provided on the lever is fitted;
2. The shift device according to claim 1, wherein in the slider, the locking portion pushes up the lever during a shift change, and the pawl fits into the locking groove to complete the shift change. The load applying means includes an elastic body attached to the other end of the lever, and a servo motor connected to the elastic body and pulling the elastic body downward,
The shift device according to claim 2, wherein the load applying means is a cylinder or a ball screw that is attached to the other end of the lever and applies a downward load to the other end of the lever. further comprising a sensor that detects the position of the slider,
The operating state is the position of the slider and one or more of the following group (A),
4. The shift device according to claim 1, wherein the control means receives data of the following group (A) from the driving simulator.
(A) Vehicle speed, clutch position, engine speed, acceleration/deceleration, accelerator/brake opening A driving simulator comprising at least a vehicle body, a steering wheel, an accelerator, a brake, a clutch, a seat, a computer for controlling motion, and a shift device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and simulating driving of a vehicle. . 6. The driving simulator according to claim 5, wherein when said computer determines that a shift change is impossible based on said driving state, said computer controls said control means to apply a load that makes a shift change impossible. Further comprising a vibrator and sound generating means for vibrating the vehicle body,
When the computer determines that a shift change is impossible based on the operating state, the computer controls the load means to apply a load that makes the shift change impossible, and further operates the vibrator and the sound generating means. The driving simulator according to claim 5.

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