JP5337561B2 - Arrangement structure of switch for vehicle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle switch arrangement structure.

  A vehicle steering wheel is formed by covering a metal core made of a metal material such as aluminum with polyurethane or the like. As shown in FIG. 1, the steering wheel 10 includes an annular rim portion 11, a central hub portion 12, and spoke portions 16 and 17 that connect the two. The hub portion 12 is disposed on the rear side (front side of the vehicle) of the steering wheel 10 with respect to the rim portion 11. Thereby, components, such as an airbag, can be accommodated in the hub portion 12.

  In order to allow a driver who holds the steering wheel 10 to easily operate the vehicle switch, various types of vehicle switches are arranged on the steering wheel 10. As a vehicle switch, a pair of paddle switches 40 (shift down switch 40a for performing a shift down operation and shift up switch 40b for performing a shift up operation) for performing a gear shifting operation of the vehicle are disposed (for example, Patent Document 1 or 2). reference). The pair of paddle switches 40 are fixed to the back side of the pair of first spoke portions 16 extending in the left-right direction of the vehicle. Each paddle switch 40 includes a lever 42 extending from the back side of the first spoke part 16 toward the back side of the rim part 11. The driver can perform a shifting operation by pulling the lever 42 of the paddle switch 40 to the front side (front side) with the fingertip while grasping the rim portion 11 of the steering wheel 10.

JP 2008-37312 A JP 2008-302927 A

  Since the paddle switch 40 is fixed only to the first spoke portion 16, the flexural rigidity when the lever is operated is low. Therefore, when the driver operates the lever 42, the entire paddle switch 40 rotates about the fixed point, and the operation stroke increases. Thereby, there exists a problem that sufficient operation feeling cannot be obtained.

  By the way, if the paddle switch 40 is fixed to both the first spoke portion 16 and the hub portion 12, an increase in the operation stroke can be prevented. Since the hub portion 12 is disposed on the back side with respect to the rim portion 11, the paddle switch 40 is fixed to the side surface of the hub portion 12. However, since the side surface of the hub portion 12 is an inclined surface, it is difficult to form the fixing hole of the paddle switch 40, and there is a problem that the manufacturing cost of the drilling process increases. In consideration of the installation work and maintenance work of the paddle switch 40, it is necessary to provide a work space in the hub part 12, and there is a problem that the degree of freedom of component placement in the hub part 12 is limited and the space efficiency is lowered. is there.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle switch arrangement structure that can prevent the increase of the operation stroke by restricting the rotation of the switch without reducing the space efficiency.

In order to solve the above-described problem, the vehicle switch arrangement structure of the present invention is provided in a steering wheel (for example, the steering wheel 10 in the embodiment) that performs steering input by rotating relative to the vehicle body. An arrangement structure of a vehicle switch (for example, paddle switch 40 in the embodiment) configured to be able to rotate following the rotation of a steering wheel, wherein the vehicle switch is fixed to the steering wheel. (For example, the fixing portion 50 in the embodiment) and an operation portion (for example, the lever 42 in the embodiment) that is rotatably supported by the fixing portion, and the operation is performed with a fixing point of the fixing portion interposed therebetween. The vehicle switch is formed on the opposite side of the operation point of the unit and is centered on the fixed point when the operation unit is normally operated. Comprising a first rotation restricting portion for restricting the rotation (e.g., first rotation restricting portion 62 in the embodiment), wherein the fixing portion is fixed to the rear side of the steering wheel, the operating unit, the steering Steady operation is possible from the rear side of the wheel toward the front side, and the first rotation restricting portion causes the fixed portion to contact the front side of the steering wheel when the operation portion is regularly operated. The rotation of the vehicle switch is restricted by the above .

  According to the present invention, since the rotation of the entire switch is restricted during the steady operation of the operation unit, an increase in the operation stroke of the operation unit can be prevented. Therefore, the operational feeling during operation (direct feeling) is improved. Further, since it is not necessary to form the second fixing point on the center side of the steering wheel, the maintainability is improved and a large part space on the center side can be obtained, so that the space efficiency can be improved. Moreover, since it is not necessary to form a fixing hole in the inclined surface of a metal cored bar by casting, an increase in manufacturing cost due to drilling can be prevented.

In the first rotation restricting portion was or, since separating the switch to the rear side of the steering wheel is prevented, it is possible to restrict the rotation of the switch.

The first rotation restricting portion is formed on a spoke portion of the steering wheel (for example, the first spoke portion 16 in the embodiment), and is in contact with the fixing portion to restrict the rotation of the fixing portion. (For example, the first protrusion 32 in the embodiment), formed in the vicinity of the first protrusion, and relative to the fixing portion in a direction (for example, the Z direction in the embodiment) orthogonal to the extending direction of the spoke portion. It is characterized by including a movement restricting part (for example, a movement restricting part 63 in the embodiment) that restricts movement.
According to this invention, since the movement restricting portion can prevent the fixed portion from rattling in the direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the spoke portion, extremely high support rigidity can be obtained.

In addition , when the operation unit is operated in a direction opposite to the steady operation, a second rotation restricting unit that restricts the rotation of the vehicle switch about the fixed point (for example, the second in the embodiment). A rotation restricting portion 64), and the first rotation restricting portion includes a first protrusion formed on a spoke portion of the steering wheel and in contact with the fixing portion to restrict rotation of the fixing portion, A movement restricting portion that is formed in the vicinity of the first protrusion and restricts the relative movement of the fixed portion in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the spoke portion; and the second rotation restricting portion is a spoke of the steering wheel. And a second protrusion (for example, the second protrusion 34 in the embodiment) that contacts the fixing part and restricts the rotation of the fixing part, and the movement restricting part includes the first protrusion and the first protrusion. It is arranged between two protrusions And wherein the door.
According to the present invention, even when the operation unit is operated in the opposite direction to the steady operation, the occurrence of rattling and gaps is prevented, so that the operational feeling and appearance can be improved. Further, by arranging the movement restricting portion between the first turning restricting portion and the second turning restricting portion, it is possible to prevent backlash in all directions.

In addition, the fixing point of the fixing portion is disposed on a plane portion (for example, the fixing surface 57 in the embodiment) substantially parallel to the steering boss surface of the steering wheel in the spoke portion of the steering wheel, and the first rotation restricting portion. Is arranged on an inclined surface inclined with respect to the steering boss surface in the spoke portion of the steering wheel.
According to the present invention, since the rotation of the switch can be restricted without forming a fixing hole in the inclined surface of the spoke part, the degree of freedom of the switch arrangement can be improved. In addition, it is not necessary to drill a fixed hole on the inclined surface, and an increase in manufacturing cost can be prevented.

According to the present invention, since the rotation of the entire switch is restricted during the steady operation of the operation unit, an increase in the operation stroke of the operation unit can be prevented. Therefore, the operational feeling during operation (direct feeling) is improved. Further, since it is not necessary to form the second fixing point on the center side of the steering wheel, the maintainability is improved and a large part space on the center side can be obtained, so that the space efficiency can be improved. Moreover, since it is not necessary to form a fixing hole in the inclined surface of a metal cored bar by casting, an increase in manufacturing cost due to drilling can be prevented. In addition, since the first rotation restricting portion prevents the switch from separating toward the back side of the steering wheel, the rotation of the switch can be restricted.

It is a front view of a steering wheel. It is an internal structure figure of the P section of FIG. It is a perspective view of a paddle switch. It is sectional drawing in the AA of FIG. It is sectional drawing in the BB line of FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present application, the central axis direction of the steering wheel (the axial direction of the steering shaft) is the X direction (the rear side of the vehicle is the + X direction), the left and right direction of the vehicle is the Y direction, and the direction orthogonal to the XY direction is the Z direction (the upper direction of the vehicle is + Z Direction). In addition, the description will be made on the assumption that the driver side of the steering wheel is the front side (front side) and the opposite side is the back side (back side).

(Steering wheel)
FIG. 1 is a front view of the steering wheel 10. The steering wheel 10 includes a peripheral rim portion 11, a central hub portion 12, and spoke portions 16 and 17 that connect the two. The spoke portions 16 and 17 include a pair of first spoke portions 16 and 16 extending from the hub portion 12 in the ± Y direction, and a second spoke portion 17 extending from the hub portion 12 in the −Z direction.

The rim portion 11 is formed in an annular shape. An indicator 19 whose lighting state changes according to the rotational speed of the engine or the like is provided on the rim portion 11.
The hub portion 12 is formed in an inverted triangular shape. A horn pad 13 functioning as a switch for sounding a horn is disposed on the surface of the hub portion 12. The hub portion 12 is disposed in the −X direction from the rim portion 11, and an airbag or the like is accommodated inside the horn pad 13.

  FIG. 2 is an internal structure diagram of a P portion in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the steering wheel is formed by covering a core metal (core member) 20 made of a metal material (for example, aluminum) with polyurethane or the like. The core metal 20 includes a rim core metal 21 that constitutes the skeleton of the rim part, a bottom core metal 22 that constitutes the bottom skeleton of the hub part, and a connecting core metal 23 that connects the two. In addition, since the formation surface of the bottom metal core 22 is arranged in the −X direction from the formation surface of the rim core metal 21, the connecting metal core 23 extends obliquely so as to intersect the X direction. The inner half of the connecting core 23 on the bottom core 22 side constitutes the side skeleton of the hub part, and the outer half of the connecting core 23 on the rim core 21 side constitutes the skeleton of the spoke part. Yes.

  The connecting core metal 23 arranged at the position where the first spoke portion is formed is a cross that connects the pair of side frames 24 and 25 arranged side by side in the Z direction and the intermediate portion of the pair of side frames 24 and 25 to each other. The center frame 30 which connects the beam 26 and the intermediate part of the cross beam 26, and the bottom face metal core 22 is provided. A fixing plate 27 of the paddle switch 40 is extended from the cross beam 26 in parallel with the steering boss surface (or the surface on which the rim core metal 21 is formed). A pair of fixing holes (not shown) through which the bolts 28 are inserted are formed in the fixing plate 27 side by side in the Z direction.

(Vehicle switch arrangement structure)
As shown in FIG. 1, the steering wheel 10 is provided with various vehicle switches. As a vehicle switch, a switch group 14 such as an air conditioner operation switch or an in-vehicle telephone operation switch is provided on the peripheral portion of the hub portion 12.
In addition, a paddle switch 40 for performing a gear shifting operation of the vehicle is provided as a vehicle switch. As the paddle switch 40, a downshift switch 40a for performing a downshift operation and a upshift switch 40b for performing an upshift operation are provided. The pair of paddle switches 40 are fixed to the back side of the pair of first spoke portions 16.

4 is a cross-sectional view of the paddle switch 40 taken along line AA in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the paddle switch 40 includes a lever 42 that is rotated by a driver, and a fixing portion 50 that rotatably supports the lever 42. The rotation shaft 45 of the lever 42 is disposed along the end side of the fixed portion 50 on the center side of the steering wheel. The lever 42 is biased so as to be separated from the fixed portion 50 from the center side to the outer peripheral side of the steering wheel. A button switch 46 that is pressed by contact with the lever 42 is disposed on the fixed portion 50.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the paddle switch 40. The fixing portion 50 is formed with a fixing surface 57 whose normal direction is the X direction. On the fixed surface 57, a pair of female screws 58 are formed side by side in the Z direction.

In order to fix the paddle switch 40 to the steering wheel, the fixing surface of the fixing portion 50 is first brought into contact with the back side of the fixing plate 27 as shown in FIG. Then, the bolt 28 is inserted into the fixing hole from the front side of the fixing plate 27 and screwed to the female screw of the fixing portion 50. This screw portion becomes a fixing point of the fixing portion 50.
The driver can perform a steady operation of shifting the vehicle by pulling the lever 42 of the paddle switch 40 toward the front side with a fingertip while grasping the rim portion 11 of the steering wheel 10 shown in FIG. That is, the tip of the lever 42 on the outer peripheral side of the steering wheel is the operating point of the lever 42.

(Rotation restriction part)
As shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle switch arrangement structure according to the present embodiment has a first rotation that restricts the rotation of the entire paddle switch 40 when a steady operation is performed to pull the lever 42 toward the front side. A restriction part 62 is provided. The first rotation restricting portion 62 is provided on the opposite side of the operating point 42P of the lever 42 across the fixing point 50P of the fixing portion 50. As shown in FIG. 2, the first rotation restricting portion 62 includes a pair of first convex portions 52 formed on the fixing portion 50 and a pair of first protrusions 32 erected in the ± Z direction from the center frame 30. It consists of and. With the paddle switch 40 attached to the steering wheel, the first protrusion 52 is disposed on the front side of the first protrusion 32.

  In FIG. 4, when the driver pulls the lever 42 in the + X direction, the paddle switch 40 tries to rotate in the arrow 91 direction around the fixing point 50 </ b> P of the fixing unit 50. At this time, the first convex portion 52 of the fixing portion 50 contacts the front side of the first protrusion 32 of the center frame 30. As a result, it is possible to prevent the fixed portion 50 from moving away from the back side of the center frame, and the entire paddle switch 40 can be prevented from rotating. As a result, an increase in the operation stroke and rattling of the paddle switch 40 are prevented, so that the driver can obtain a sufficient operation feeling (direct feeling).

  As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle switch arrangement structure according to the present embodiment includes a movement restricting portion 63 that restricts movement of the fixed portion 50 in the Z direction. The movement restricting portion 63 includes a first concave portion 53 formed between the pair of first convex portions 52 of the fixed portion 50 and the center frame 30. With the paddle switch 40 attached to the steering wheel, the center frame 30 is disposed inside the first recess 53. As a result, rattling of the paddle switch 40 in the Z direction can be prevented, and extremely high support rigidity can be obtained.

  5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the arrangement of the vehicular switch according to the present embodiment has the second rotation that restricts the rotation of the entire paddle switch 40 when the lever 42 is operated in the direction opposite to the steady operation. A restricting portion 64 is provided. The second rotation restricting portion 64 is provided on the opposite side of the operating point 42P of the lever 42 across the fixing point 50P of the fixing portion 50. The second rotation restricting portion 64 includes a second protrusion 34 erected on the back side of the center frame 30 and a second recess 54 (see FIG. 3) formed in the fixing portion 50. With the paddle switch 40 attached to the steering wheel, the second protrusion 34 is disposed inside the second recess 54.

  In FIG. 5, when the driver pushes the lever 42 in the −X direction, the paddle switch 40 tries to rotate in the direction of the arrow 92 around the fixing point 50 </ b> P of the fixing unit 50. At this time, the inner surface of the second recess 54 of the fixed portion 50 contacts the back side of the second protrusion 34 of the center frame 30. Thereby, rotation of the whole paddle switch 40 can be controlled. As a result, rattling of the fixed portion 50 is prevented, so that the driver can obtain a sufficient operational feeling. In addition, since the generation of a gap between the steering wheel and the paddle switch 40 is prevented, the appearance can be improved.

In the present embodiment, a fixed point 50P is provided at one end of the fixed portion 50, and a first rotation restricting portion 62, a second rotation restricting portion 64, and a movement restricting portion 63 are provided at the other end. That is, the 1st rotation control part 62, the 2nd rotation control part 64, and the movement control part 63 are provided in the position away from the fixed point 50P. Thereby, rotation and rattling of the paddle switch 40 can be effectively prevented.
Furthermore, since the movement restricting portion 63 is provided between the first turning restricting portion 62 and the second turning restricting portion 64, rattling in all directions can be prevented.

  As described above, in the vehicle switch disposition structure according to the present embodiment, the paddle switch can be prevented from rotating and rattling by providing the first rotation restricting portion, the second rotation restricting portion, and the movement restricting portion. It was set as the structure to do. According to this configuration, since it is not necessary to form the fixing hole of the paddle switch on the side surface (connecting metal core) of the hub portion which is an inclined surface, it is possible to prevent an increase in manufacturing cost due to drilling. In addition, since it is not necessary to secure a work space for fixing the paddle switch to the side surface of the hub portion, the degree of freedom of component placement is increased, and space efficiency can be improved.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes various modifications made to the above-described embodiment without departing from the spirit of the present invention. That is, the specific structure and shape described in the embodiment are merely examples, and can be changed as appropriate.
For example, the configuration of the steering wheel itself, the configuration of the paddle switch itself, and the like are not limited to those described in the embodiment.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Steering wheel 16 ... 1st spoke part (spoke part) 32 ... 1st protrusion 34 ... 2nd protrusion 40 ... Paddle switch (vehicle switch) 42 ... Lever (operating part) 50 ... Fixed part 57 ... Fixed surface 62 ... 1st rotation control part 63 ... Movement control part 64 ... 2nd rotation control part

Claims (4)

An arrangement structure of a switch for a vehicle that is provided on a steering wheel that performs steering input by rotating relative to a vehicle body and is configured to be rotatable following the rotation of the steering wheel,
The vehicle switch includes a fixed portion that is fixed to the steering wheel, and an operation portion that is rotatably supported by the fixed portion.
It is formed on the opposite side of the operation point of the operation unit across the fixing point of the fixing unit, and restricts the rotation of the vehicle switch around the fixed point when the operation unit is normally operated. A first rotation restricting portion ;
The fixed portion is fixed to the back side of the steering wheel,
The operation unit is capable of steady operation from the back side of the steering wheel toward the front side,
The first rotation restricting portion restricts the turning of the vehicle switch by bringing the fixing portion into contact with the front side of the steering wheel when the operation portion is normally operated. Arrangement structure of vehicle switch. An arrangement structure of a switch for a vehicle that is provided on a steering wheel that performs steering input by rotating relative to a vehicle body and is configured to be rotatable following the rotation of the steering wheel,
The vehicle switch includes a fixed portion that is fixed to the steering wheel, and an operation portion that is rotatably supported by the fixed portion.
It is formed on the opposite side of the operation point of the operation unit across the fixing point of the fixing unit, and restricts the rotation of the vehicle switch around the fixed point when the operation unit is normally operated. A first rotation restricting portion ;
The first rotation restricting portion includes a first protrusion that is formed on a spoke portion of the steering wheel and that contacts the fixing portion to restrict the rotation of the fixing portion.
An arrangement structure of a switch for a vehicle , comprising a movement restricting portion that is formed in the vicinity of the first protrusion and restricts the relative movement of the fixing portion in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the spoke portion . An arrangement structure of a switch for a vehicle that is provided on a steering wheel that performs steering input by rotating relative to a vehicle body and is configured to be rotatable following the rotation of the steering wheel,
The vehicle switch includes a fixed portion that is fixed to the steering wheel, and an operation portion that is rotatably supported by the fixed portion.
It is formed on the opposite side of the operation point of the operation unit across the fixing point of the fixing unit, and restricts the rotation of the vehicle switch around the fixed point when the operation unit is normally operated. A first rotation restricting portion ;
A second rotation restricting portion for restricting the rotation of the vehicle switch about the fixed point when the operation portion is operated in a direction opposite to the steady operation;
The first rotation restricting portion includes a first protrusion that is formed on a spoke portion of the steering wheel and that contacts the fixing portion to restrict the rotation of the fixing portion.
A movement restricting portion that is formed in the vicinity of the first protrusion and restricts relative movement of the fixed portion in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the spoke portion;
The second rotation restricting portion includes a second protrusion that is formed on a spoke portion of the steering wheel and that restricts the rotation of the fixing portion in contact with the fixing portion.
The switch structure for a vehicle is characterized in that the movement restricting portion is disposed between the first protrusion and the second protrusion . The fixing point of the fixing portion is arranged in a plane portion substantially parallel to the steering boss surface of the steering wheel in the spoke portion of the steering wheel,
The first rotation restricting portion, the vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that disposed on the inclined surface inclined with respect to the steering boss surface in the spoke portion of the steering wheel Switch arrangement structure.

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