JP4685743B2 - Shift device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a shift device that electrically detects an operation position and switches a shift range based on the detection result.

  In recent years, in a vehicle shift device, a by-wire type shift device that detects a shift range using a sliding contact or a magnetic sensor and electrically switches a connection state of a transmission based on the detection result has been proposed. ing.

For example, in the shift device described in Patent Document 1, a push button switch for switching to the P (parking) range is provided in the vicinity of the shift lever, and an operation position of the shift lever for switching to the P range is not provided. . For this reason, it is possible to prevent the shift range from being switched to the P range unintentionally. In addition, since the operation range and operation pattern of the shift lever can be simplified, the operability is improved.
JP 2006-159948 A

  However, in general, in this type of shift device, the transmission is connected in a range other than the P (parking) range, that is, in the D (drive) range, R (reverse) range, N (neutral) range, or the like. Even so, control is automatically performed to switch to the P range when the engine is stopped. For this reason, during normal vehicle use, the frequency of performing an operation for switching the shift range to the P range is very low. Therefore, when the switching operation unit to the P range is provided exclusively as described in Patent Document 1, the number of parts increases by the amount of the switching operation unit, although the usage frequency is low, A separate space for the switching operation unit is also required. Therefore, there is still room for improvement from this perspective.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a shift device capable of simplifying the structure without impairing the switching operability to the parking range.

In order to solve the above-described problem, in the invention described in claim 1, the movement position of the operating body that can be moved to a plurality of positions is detected, and the shift range is reversed based on the detected moving position of the operating body. , The neutral range, or the drive range , and the operating body is held at a fixed position in a non-operating state, and the shift range is based on the moving position of the operating body from the fixed position to each corresponding location. The gist is to switch the shift range to the parking range on the condition that the operating body is operated to the moving position for switching to the neutral range when the shift range is in the neutral range.

According to the above configuration, when the shift range is in the neutral range, the shift range is switched to the parking range when the operating body is operated to the moving position for switching to the neutral range again. For this reason, it is not necessary to separately provide a moving position of the operating body for switching to the parking range or a dedicated operating unit, and the structure of the shift device can be simplified. In addition, on the condition that the operation for switching to the neutral range, which is a non-traveling range, has been performed, the parking range, which is also the non-traveling range, is switched, so from the ergonomic viewpoint, the operation is unlikely to occur and Is less likely to cause confusion.
In addition, since the operation starting point when performing an operation for switching to each range is always constant, a sense of unity is felt in the switching operation to each range.

In the invention described in 請 Motomeko 2, the shift device of claim 1, the shift range is the neutral range state, the operation by the operation body in the moving position for switching to the neutral range, are set in advance The gist is that the shift range is switched to the parking range on the condition that the shift range is performed a plurality of times within a given time.

  According to the above configuration, the switching condition to the parking range based on the operation of the operating body is the neutral range, the operation for switching to the neutral range is performed in that state, and the operation is performed within a preset time. It will satisfy all that was done multiple times. For this reason, even in the neutral range state, even if the operation for switching to the neutral range is performed only once, the shift range is not switched to the parking range. Therefore, it can suppress that a shift range switches to a parking range by operation of the operation body which a user does not intend.

  As described above in detail, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a shift device capable of simplifying the structure without impairing the switching operability to the parking range.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment embodying the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
As shown to Fig.1 (a), the shift apparatus 1 is arrange | positioned in the approximate center part of the instrument panel surface 2 (henceforth the instrument panel surface 2) in a vehicle interior. The shift device 1 includes a lever 3 as an operation body, and an operation knob 4 attached to the tip of the lever 3. Further, as shown in FIG. 1B, the shift device 1 includes a rectangular shift position display unit 5 that extends along the shift direction and the select direction of the lever 3. The shift position display section 5 is provided with a substantially “h” -shaped shift pattern (gate pattern, shift gate) 5 a. The lever 3 is loosely inserted into the shift pattern 5a, and the tip of the lever 3 is supported inside, so that the lever 3 can move (tilt) along the shift pattern 5a. Further, on the shift position display section 5 and in the vicinity of the shift pattern 5a, "R (reverse)", "N (neutral)", "D (drive)" corresponding to each shift position of the lever 3. , “P (parking)” and “B (regenerative braking)” are displayed. The lever 3 is guided along the shift pattern 5a and can be moved to shift positions “R”, “N”, “D”, “P”, and “B”. As shown in FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b), the lever 3 is a so-called momentary (self-returning) mechanism. (Position just above the shift position). For this reason, when the operation of the lever 3 is released with the lever 3 positioned at each shift position, the lever 3 automatically returns to the neutral position.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the shift device 1 includes a position detection unit 11 that detects the movement position of the lever 3 and a shift control unit 12 that is electrically connected to the position detection unit 11. .

The position detection unit 11 includes, for example, a magnetic sensor or an optical sensor, and outputs a position detection signal corresponding to the movement position of the lever 3 to the shift control unit 12.
Specifically, the shift control unit 12 is a computer unit including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like (not shown). The brake pedal 13, the vehicle speed sensor 14, the engine control unit 15, the display unit 16, and the transmission 17 are electrically connected. It is connected. A brake operation signal indicating whether or not the brake pedal 13 has been depressed is input to the shift control unit 12, a vehicle speed signal indicating the vehicle speed, a drive state signal indicating the engine drive state, and the transmission 17. A connection state signal indicating the connection state is input. For this reason, the shift control unit 12 can recognize the state of the vehicle based on these signals. The engine control unit 15 is a computer unit that controls the driving of the engine, and the display unit 16 is an indicator that indicates a current shift range based on an operation signal input from the shift control unit 12, for example, an instrument. It is provided on the panel.

  The shift control unit 12 performs display control of the display unit 16 and control (shift control) of the transmission 17 based on the position detection signal input from the position detection unit 11 and other various input signals. Therefore, the shift control performed by the shift control unit 12 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  As shown in the figure, the shift control unit 12 first determines in step S1 whether or not the engine is being driven based on the drive state signal from the engine control unit 15. As a result, when the shift control unit 12 determines that the engine is in a stopped state, the shift control unit 12 temporarily ends the process. When the shift control unit 12 determines that the engine is being driven, the process proceeds to step S2.

  Then, the shift control unit 12 determines whether or not the engine is subsequently stopped in step S2, and if it is determined that the engine is stopped, in step S3, the shift control unit 12 determines whether the shift range is switched to the P range with respect to the actuator of the transmission 17. The drive control signal is output to switch the connection state of the transmission 17 to the P range. That is, as shown as item (a) in FIG. 3, no matter which shift range the shift range before switching is in, it is automatically switched to the P range when the engine is stopped.

  On the other hand, if the shift control unit 12 determines that the engine is not stopped in step S2, whether or not a position detection signal (operation signal) indicating that the lever 3 has been operated is input from the position detection unit 11 in step S4. Determine whether. As a result, if the operation signal is not input, the shift control unit 12 once terminates the processing here, and if it is determined that the operation signal is input, whether or not the current shift range is the P range in step S5. Judge whether or not.

  When determining that the shift range is the P range, the shift control unit 12 determines whether or not the brake pedal is depressed in step S6, that is, whether or not the brake is in an ON state. As a result, when the shift control unit 12 determines that the brake is not in the ON state, the process here is temporarily terminated. That is, when the current shift range is the P range, the shift control unit 12 does not perform control for switching the connection state of the transmission 17 unless the brake is in the ON state. On the other hand, when determining that the brake is in the ON state, the shift control unit 12 outputs a drive control signal to the actuator of the transmission 17 to switch to the shift range based on the operation signal in step S7. The process in is temporarily terminated. That is, as shown in FIG. 3 as an item (b), when the shift range is located in the P range, the brake is in an ON state as a switching condition for switching to each range. For this reason, for example, when an operation signal indicating switching to the D range is input in the P range, the shift control unit 12 performs a drive control signal for switching to the D range on the condition that the brake is on. Is output to the transmission 17.

  By the way, if the shift control unit 12 determines in step S5 that the current shift range is not the P range, the shift control unit 12 proceeds to the process of step S8. In step S8, the shift control unit 12 determines whether or not the input signal from the position detection unit 11 is an operation signal indicating switching to the N range. As a result, when determining that the operation signal is not an operation to the N range, the shift control unit 12 determines whether or not the current shift range is the N range in step S9. Then, when determining that the current shift range is the N range, the shift control unit 12 proceeds to the process of step S10, and based on the input signal from the vehicle speed sensor 14, the vehicle speed is “0” or the traveling direction of the vehicle. And the operation range by the lever 3 are determined to match. As a result, if the determination is affirmative, the shift control unit 12 proceeds to step S7. If the determination is negative, the shift control unit 12 temporarily ends the processing. That is, as shown by the item (e) in FIG. 3, when the switching operation from the N range state to another traveling range is performed, the vehicle speed is “0” or the same direction as the operation range. It is a condition for switching to the operation range that the vehicle is traveling. For this reason, for example, when the vehicle is moving forward, switching from the N range to the D range is possible, but switching to the R range is not possible. Similarly, when the vehicle is moving backward, switching from the N range to the R range is possible, but switching to the D range is not possible. When the vehicle speed is “0”, both the D range and the R range can be switched.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S9 that the current shift range is not the N range, that is, if the current shift range is determined to be the travel range (D range or R range), the shift control unit 12 determines in step S11. It is determined whether or not the vehicle speed is “0”. When the shift control unit 12 determines that the vehicle speed is not “0”, the shift control unit 12 temporarily ends the process. When the shift control unit 12 determines that the vehicle speed is “0”, the shift control unit 12 switches to the shift range based on the operation signal in step S12. Then, a drive control signal is output to the actuator of the transmission 17, and the process here is temporarily terminated. That is, as shown by the item (d) in FIG. 3, when the switching operation from the traveling range state to another traveling range is performed, the vehicle speed is “0”. It is a switching condition. For this reason, for example, in the D (R) range, the vehicle cannot be switched to the R (D) range unless the vehicle speed is in the “0” state.

On the other hand, if the input signal from the position detection unit 11 at the step S8 is determined that the operation signal indicating that switching to the N range, the shift control unit 12 proceeds to step S13. In step S13, the shift control unit 12 determines whether or not the current shift range is the N range. If the shift range is determined not to be the N range, the shift range is switched to the N range in step S14. That is, as shown by the item (c) in FIG. 3, when the switching operation from the traveling range state to the N range is performed, no switching condition is set. For this reason, switching from the travel range to the N range is performed only by operating the lever 3.

  On the other hand, when determining that the current shift range is the N range, the shift control unit 12 determines whether or not the brake is in an ON state in step S15. As a result, when the shift control unit 12 determines that the brake is not in the ON state, the shift control unit 12 temporarily terminates the process. When the shift control unit 12 determines that the brake is in the ON state, the shift control unit 12 shifts the shift range to the P range in step S16. A drive control signal is output to the actuator of the machine 17, and the process here is temporarily terminated. That is, as shown by the item (f) in FIG. 3, when the switching operation from the N range state to the N range is further performed, the brake is in the ON state and the vehicle speed is “0”. This is the condition for switching to the P range. For this reason, in the state of the N range, when the switching operation to the N range is further performed by the lever 3 in a state where these switching conditions are satisfied, the shift range becomes the P range.

The shift control unit 12 outputs an operation control signal to the display unit 16 based on the connection state signal from the transmission 17, and displays the shift range at that time.
Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

  (1) When the shift range is in the neutral range (N range), when the lever 3 is operated to the moving position for switching to the N range again, the shift range is switched to the parking range (P range). For this reason, it is not necessary to separately provide a moving position of the lever 3 for switching to the P range and a dedicated operation unit for switching to the P range, and the structure of the shift device 1 can be simplified. Moreover, on the condition that the operation for switching to the N range, which is a non-traveling range, is performed, the operation is switched to the P range, which is also a non-traveling range. Difficulty is unlikely to occur and confusion is unlikely to occur for the operation. Therefore, according to such a shift device 1, the structure can be simplified without impairing the switching operability to the parking range. Furthermore, even if the switching operation to the N range is performed by an operation not intended by the user, the switching to the P range is performed only in the state of the N range, which is a non-traveling range, and thus the influence on traveling is small.

  (2) The lever 3 is positioned at the neutral position in the non-operating state, and can be moved to each operation position starting from the neutral position. That is, the operation starting point when performing an operation for switching to each range is always constant. For this reason, a sense of unity is obtained in the switching operation to each range, and a favorable operability is obtained.

In addition, you may change embodiment of this invention as follows.
An operation condition for switching to the P range may be that an operation for switching to the N range is performed a plurality of times (for example, twice) within a preset time (for example, 1 second). That is, in the above embodiment, the shift range can be switched to the P range by performing the operation for switching to the N range only once in the state of the N range, whereas the operation for switching to the N range is predetermined. The shift range may be switched to the P range on the condition that the shift range is performed a plurality of times within the time. In this way, the switching condition to the P range based on the operation of the lever 3 is the N range, and in addition to the operation for switching to the N range in that state, the switching condition to the N range is required. All the operations performed a plurality of times within a preset time will be satisfied. For this reason, even in the state of the N range, even if the operation for switching to the N range is performed only once, the shift range does not switch to the P range. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the shift range from being switched to the P range due to the operation of the lever 3 not intended by the user to the N range.

The shift device 1 may be disposed not only on the instrument panel surface 2 but also on a center console, a steering column, or the like.
The lever 3 is not limited to being positioned at the neutral position in the non-operating state, and may be fixed at the operating position. In this case, as an operation for further switching to the N range in the state of the N range, for example, an operation for switching to the other range once and then switching to the N range again is performed for a preset time (for example, 1 second). ) And so on.

  The switching condition for switching to the P range in the engine driving state includes that the brake pedal is in the ON state in the embodiment, but this condition may be omitted.

Next, in addition to the technical ideas described in the claims, the technical ideas grasped by the embodiment described above are listed below.
(1) In the shift device, and in a state in which the brake pedal is depressed, the operation of the operating body in the moving position for switching the neutral range has been performed, contains a switching condition to the parking range thing. According to the technical idea described in (1), switching to the parking range unintended by the user can be suppressed.

(A) is a perspective view which shows the vehicle arrangement | positioning state of the shift apparatus of one Embodiment of this invention, (b) is a top view which fractures | ruptures and shows a part of the shift apparatus. The block diagram which shows roughly the electric constitution of the shift apparatus of the embodiment. The table | surface which shows the shift transition aspect of the embodiment. The flowchart which shows the shift control of the embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Shift device, 3 ... Lever as an operation body, 11 ... Position detection part, 12 ... Shift control part, 13 ... Brake pedal, 17 ... Transmission

Claims (2)

Detecting the moving position of the operating body that can be moved to a plurality of positions, and switching the shift range to one of the reverse range, neutral range, or drive range based on the detected moving position of the operating body,
In the non-operating state, the operating tool is held at a fixed position, and the shift range is switched based on the moving position of the operating tool from the fixed position to each corresponding location,
A shift device that switches a shift range to a parking range on the condition that the operating body is operated at a moving position for switching to the neutral range when the shift range is in the neutral range. When the shift range is in the neutral range, the shift range is set to the parking range on condition that the operation by the operating body to the moving position for switching to the neutral range is performed a plurality of times within a preset time. The shift device according to claim 1, wherein the shift device is switched.

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