JP6060962B2 - Vehicle shift device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle shift device for switching a shift range of a vehicle.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a so-called electric shifter that shifts by electrically detecting the position of a shift lever is known as a vehicle shift device. The electric lifter is often used in an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle that does not have a mechanical transmission. However, an electrical shifter that does not require mechanical connection between the operating member and the transmission has only a vehicle having a mechanical transmission, for example, an engine (internal combustion engine) as a power source because of its high design freedom. It is gradually being used for conventional automobiles.

  Moreover, in an electric shift device in which the operation stroke of the operation member is not restricted, a mechanism called a momentary type is often employed from the viewpoint of achieving compactness and improving operability. Specifically, in a momentary type electric lifter, when the operation member is displaced in a predetermined direction from a predetermined home position, the shift range is changed, and when the hand is released from the operation member thereafter, the changed range is changed. The operating member is automatically returned to the home position while maintaining the shift range.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, a cross-shaped guide groove is cut on the surface of a console, and a momentary type electric lifter configured such that a shift lever is displaced along the guide groove with the center of the cross as a home position. When the shift lever is tilted back and forth from the home position, the shift range is switched to the reverse range and the drive range, and when the shift lever is tilted from the home position in the vehicle width direction, the shift range is neutral. What is switched to a range and a parking range is disclosed.

JP 2002-254944 A

  In the device of Patent Document 1, the reverse range, the drive range, the neutral range, and the parking range can be switched by operating the shift lever, and the device can be made compact to ensure layout. On the other hand, in this apparatus, since all the ranges are switched by the operation of a common shift lever, there is a problem that an erroneous operation is likely to occur. That is, there is a possibility that the driver will make a mistake in the direction of operation of the shift lever and the shift range may be switched to a range different from the intended range.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle shift device capable of ensuring safety while improving layout performance.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a drive range that is a forward travel range, a reverse range that is a reverse travel range, and a neutral range and a parking range that are non-travel ranges. A vehicle shift device for switching a shift range of a vehicle, wherein the first operating member, the second operating member, and the first operating member are supported to be displaceable in the vehicle width direction and the front-rear direction, A first main body that automatically returns the displaced first operating member to a predetermined home position, a second main body that supports the second operating member so as to be displaceable in the vehicle width direction, and the first operating member Is shifted forward from the home position, the shift range is switched to the reverse range, and when the first operating member is displaced backward from the home position, the shift range is dry. When the first operation member is displaced from the home position to one side in the vehicle width direction, which is the side away from the driver's seat, the shift range is switched to the neutral range, and the second operation member is one side in the vehicle width direction. Control means for controlling the shift range of the vehicle in accordance with the operation of the first operation member and the second operation member so that the shift range is switched to the parking range when the shift operation is performed to the side, and the second operation member Is adjacent to the other side in the vehicle width direction closer to the driver's seat with respect to the first operation member in plan view, and is included in the front-rear direction range from the front end to the rear end of the movable region of the first operation member. A vehicle shift device is provided (claim 1).

  According to the present invention, the second operation member that is an operation member for switching the shift range to the parking range is the first operation member that is an operation member for switching the shift range to the drive range, reverse range, and neutral range. Since it is provided separately, it is possible to improve safety by suppressing an erroneous operation and an unexpected shift range change accompanying this.

  The second operating member is adjacent to the other side in the vehicle width direction closer to the driver's seat with respect to the first operating member in plan view, and the front-rear direction range from the front end to the rear end of the movable region of the first operating member Therefore, the entire operation member including the first operation member and the second operation member can be made compact, and the layout of the shift device can be improved.

  In addition, since the direction of operation of the first operating member in the vehicle width direction is set to be away from the driver and easy for the driver to operate, the operability of the first operating member in the vehicle width direction is improved. can do. In addition, since the operation direction of the second operation member for switching to the parking range, which is a range for stopping the traveling of the vehicle, is set to approach the first operation member that is mainly operated when the vehicle moves forward or backward, The operation of the second operation member coincides with the image of locking the first operation member and prohibiting the operation, and the operability can be improved.

  Here, if the first operating member and the second operating member are individually provided as described above and are made compact, the layout can be improved while suppressing erroneous operation of the driver. On the other hand, by being configured in this way, it is possible that the first operating member and the second operating member are operated simultaneously. Specifically, the second operation member is disposed closer to the driver than the first operation member, and the direction of operation of the second operation member is away from the driver. It is conceivable that the driver's hand touches the first operating member when operating the member, and the first operating member is unexpectedly operated in the direction away from the driver (switching direction to the neutral range).

  Therefore, in the present invention, when the operation of switching the shift range to the neutral range and the operation of switching the shift range to the parking range are simultaneously performed on the first operating member when the vehicle is stopped, the control means It is preferable to switch the range to the parking range (claim 2).

  According to this configuration, when the driver operates the second operating member as described above when the vehicle is stopped to switch the shift range to the parking range, the first operating member is unexpectedly switched to the neutral range. Even in the case where the vehicle is made, since the switching to the parking range according to the driver's intention is realized, the convenience is improved.

  In the present invention, the control means switches the shift range to the reverse range when the amount of displacement of the first operation member from the home position to the front becomes the first operation amount, and moves backward from the home position of the first operation member. The shift range is switched to the drive range when the displacement amount to the second operation amount becomes, and the shift range is set to the neutral range when the displacement amount from the home position of the first operation member to the one side in the vehicle width direction becomes the third operation amount. Preferably, the first operation amount, the second operation amount, and the third operation amount are set in advance so that the third operation amount is smaller than the first operation amount and the second operation amount. (Claim 3).

  In this way, the movable amount of the first operating member in the vehicle width direction can be reduced, and the movable range of the first operating member and thus the entire operating member of the shift device in the vehicle width direction can be reduced. The layout can be further improved.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the second main body supports the second operation member so that the second operation member automatically returns to a predetermined home position after being displaced. .

  If it does in this way, the operativity of the 2nd operation member can be raised.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to ensure safety while improving layout performance.

It is a figure which shows the compartment front part of the vehicle to which the shift apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention was applied. It is a perspective view of a lever unit and a P switch unit included in the shift device. It is a partially cutaway perspective view of the lever unit and the P switch unit. It is a partially cutaway perspective view of the lever unit. It is a disassembled perspective view of the said lever unit and P switch unit. It is a figure for demonstrating the motion of the shift lever of the said lever unit in the vehicle width direction. It is a figure for demonstrating the motion of the front-back direction of the said shift lever. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of the guide member for detents of the said lever unit. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of the control groove | channel of the said lever unit. It is a top view of the said lever unit and P switch unit. It is a block diagram which shows the control system of the said shift apparatus. It is the flowchart which showed the procedure of the change control of a transmission range.

(1) Overall Configuration FIG. 1 is a view showing a front part of a vehicle compartment to which a shift device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. As shown in the figure, an instrument panel 2 provided with a meter unit 3, a steering handle 4 and the like is provided at the front part of the passenger compartment, and between the driver seat and the passenger seat from the center in the vehicle width direction of the instrument panel 2. A center console 5 that extends rearward through the vehicle is installed. Hereinafter, as shown in FIG. 1, a case will be described in which the shift device 1 is applied to a so-called right-hand drive vehicle in which the steering handle 4 and the driver's seat are provided on the right side of the vehicle. In the following description, the vehicle width direction, that is, the left-right direction in FIG. 1 is simply referred to as the left-right direction, the right in FIG. 1 is simply right, and the left in FIG. Further, the vehicle front-rear direction is simply referred to as the front-rear direction, the front of the vehicle front-rear direction is simply referred to as front, and the rear of the vehicle front-rear direction is simply referred to as rear. In the drawings, the arrow F indicates the front of the vehicle (in other words, the opposite side of the arrow F is the rear of the vehicle), the arrow L indicates the left side of the vehicle, and the arrow R indicates the right side of the vehicle.

  In the present embodiment, the vehicle includes an engine (not shown) composed of an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, and an automatic transmission 110 (see FIG. 11) that transmits the driving force of the engine to the wheels while decelerating. ing. The automatic transmission 110 includes a planetary gear mechanism, and a stepped transmission that automatically selects an appropriate reduction ratio according to a vehicle speed, an engine load, and the like from a plurality of reduction ratios realized by the gear mechanism. (AT). The automatic transmission 110 has a shift range such as a neutral range in which transmission of driving force is cut off, a parking range in which transmission of driving force is cut and the output shaft is locked, and driving in a direction in which the vehicle moves forward. There are a drive range (forward travel range) for transmitting force and a reverse range (reverse travel range) for transmitting driving force in the direction of reversing the vehicle.

  The shift device 1 is for switching the shift range from a drive range, a reverse range, a neutral range, and a parking range to a desired range, and includes a lever unit 7 and a P switch unit 8 provided in the center console 5. And a controller (see FIG. 11) 101. The lever unit 7 and the P switch unit 8 are operated when the shift range is switched.

  The shift range selected based on the operation of the shift device 1, that is, the selected shift range is displayed on the meter unit 3. Specifically, the meter unit 3 has a display unit composed of a liquid crystal screen or the like at a predetermined location (for example, between the speedometer and the tachometer), and the display unit corresponds to the selected shift range. One of the characters P (parking range), R (reverse grange), N (neutral range), and D (drive range) is displayed.

(2) P switch unit The P switch unit 8 is for switching the shift range of the automatic transmission 50 to the parking range. The P switch unit 8 includes a P button 60 that is slid by a driver, a P main body 70 that supports the P button 60, and a P switch element 80. The P button 60 corresponds to the “second operating member” in the claims, and the P main body portion 40 corresponds to the “second main body portion” in the claims.

  The P main body 70 includes a box-shaped casing 72 having an upper surface opened, a cover 71 attached to cover the upper surface of the casing 72, a slide block 74 accommodated in the casing 72, and a spring 78. Have. The P main body portion 70 is provided on the center console 5 so that the cover 71 constitutes a part of the upper surface of the center console 5.

  The P button 60 includes a block-shaped operation part 61 having a substantially C-shape that bulges to the right in plan view, a slide part 62 that extends downward from the operation part 61, and a spring pressing part 63 that extends downward from the operation part 61. And a switch pressing portion 64 protruding leftward from the spring pressing portion 63.

  The operation unit 61 is a part that is directly operated by a driver, and the P button 60 is placed on the P body 70 so that the operation unit 61 is exposed upward from the cover 71 of the P body 70, that is, the upper surface of the center console 5. It is supported.

  Further, the P button 60 is supported by the P main body portion 70 so as to be slidable to the left and right. Specifically, the slide block 74 of the P main body portion 70 is formed with a slide groove 74a that extends in the left and right directions and into which the lower end of the slide portion 62 of the P button 60 is inserted. When the lower end of 62 moves left and right in the slide groove 74a, it slides to the left and right.

  The P switch element 80 outputs a predetermined signal when pressed. The P switch element 80 is fixed to the left side of the switch pressing portion 63 of the P button 60 in the casing 72 so as to face the left end portion thereof. Although illustration of the fixing structure of the P switch element 80 is omitted, for example, the P switch element 80 is fixed to the lower surface of the cover 71 of the P main body 70.

  The spring 78 is fixed between the P switch element 80 and the spring pressing portion 63 so as to expand and contract to the left and right. For example, the spring 78 is fixed to the P switch element 80. The pressing portion 63 of the P button 60 extends through the spring 78 toward the P switch element 80.

  With the above configuration, the P button 60 slides to the left while compressing the spring 78 when the operation unit 61 is pressed to the left, and returns to the right when the operation force is released. Hereinafter, the position of the P button 60 in a state where no operating force is applied is referred to as “home position”. Thus, the P button 60 of the present embodiment is a momentary device that can be slid to the left from the home position and that automatically returns to the home position after the displacement.

  Further, the P switch element 80 is disposed at a position pressed by the switch pressing portion 63 by sliding the P button 60 to the left by a predetermined P operation amount from the state where the P button 60 is at the home position as described above. A predetermined signal is output when the P button 60 is displaced to the left of the P operation amount.

  When a predetermined signal is output from the P switch element 80 in this manner, the controller 101 determines that the parking range has been selected and controls the automatic transmission 110 to switch the shift range to the parking range, as will be described later.

  A dial “P” representing the parking range is provided on the upper surface of the operation unit 61. When the parking range is selected, the letter “P” is highlighted by a light source such as an LED. It has become.

(3) Lever unit 7
A specific structure of the lever unit 7 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The lever unit 7 includes a shift lever 10, a main body 40, a DR lever rotation sensor 52, and an N lever rotation sensor 54.

  The shift lever 10 corresponds to a “first operation member” in the claims. Specifically, the shift lever 10 of the present embodiment includes a spherical shift knob 12 held by a driver, a rod-shaped lever portion 14 extending downward from the shift knob 12, and a block-shaped base portion provided at the lower end of the lever portion 14. 16, a lever-side cover portion 15 provided above the base portion 16, a rod-shaped restriction shaft 24 that protrudes diagonally downward to the right from the base portion 16, and a rod-shaped detent leg portion 26 that protrudes diagonally downward to the left from the base portion 16. And a rod-shaped N switch operating portion 22 that protrudes forward from the lower portion of the base portion 16.

  A compression spring (not shown) is provided inside a main body portion (a portion above the tip (lower end) 26b) 26a of the detent leg 26, and the tip 26b is pressed downward by the compression spring. ing. As a result, the tip 26b of the detent leg 26 can be moved forward and backward with respect to the main body portion 26a so that it rises when receiving an upward force that pushes back the compression spring and descends when the force decreases.

  The main body 40 corresponds to a “first main body” in the claims, and has a function of supporting the shift lever 10. The main body 40 includes a box-shaped housing 42 whose upper surface is open, a cover 41 attached so as to cover the upper surface of the housing 42, a support block 44 housed in the housing 42, and a bottom surface of the housing 42. It has a restricting portion 46 fixed on top and a detent guiding member 48 fixed on the bottom surface of the casing 42. The casing 42 has walls on the front, rear, left and right, respectively, but some of these walls are omitted in each figure.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom surface of the housing 42 has a substantially V shape when viewed from the front-rear direction, a right bottom surface 41 b that is inclined obliquely upward to the right from the left and right center, and a left that is inclined obliquely upward to the left from the left and right center. The restricting portion 46 is provided on the right bottom surface 41b, and the detent guide member 48 is provided on the left bottom surface 41c.

  The DR lever rotation sensor 52 is fixed to the outside of the left side surface of the housing 42, and the N lever rotation sensor 54 is fixed to the inside of the front side surface of the housing 42.

  The shift lever 10 is supported by a support block 44 of the main body 40 in a state where the lever portion 14 is inserted into a circular gate hole 41 a formed in the cover 41. In this support state, as shown in FIG. 2, the lever side cover portion 15 of the shift lever 10 closes the gate hole 41a, and a good appearance is ensured.

  The support block 44 includes a rectangular tube-shaped main body block 44d extending vertically and columnar first support shafts 44b and 44c projecting left and right from the left and right side surfaces of the main body block 44d. In the support block 44, one first support shaft 44b is inserted into a circular through hole 42a formed on the left side surface of the housing 42 so as to be rotatable around the center axis, and the other first support shaft 44c. Is supported by a support member (not shown) provided on the right side surface of the casing 42 so as to be rotatable about the central axis thereof, so that the central axes of the first support shafts 44b and 44c are provided in the casing 42. Is housed so as to be rotatable around the center.

  The main body block 44d has a size that allows the base 16 of the shift lever 10 to be accommodated inside, and the shift lever 10 is supported by the main body block 44d by accommodating the base 16 in the main body block 44d. ing.

  Specifically, the support block 44 is provided with a cylindrical second support shaft 44a that is inserted through through holes 44e and 44e formed on the front side surface and the rear side surface thereof and extends back and forth between the side surfaces. . The shift lever 10 is supported by the main body block 44d by inserting the second support shaft 44a through a through hole 16a formed in the base portion 16 thereof.

  The outer diameter of the second support shaft 44a and the inner diameter of the through hole 16a are set to be substantially the same. Therefore, when the second support shaft 44a is inserted into the through-hole 16a, the shift lever 10 is moved to the left and right with the center axis of the second support shaft 44a, that is, the center axis of the through-hole 16a as shown in FIG. It is supported so that it can rotate, that is, can be tilted left and right.

  Here, as described above, the support block 44 is rotatable about the central axis of the first support shafts 44b and 44c. Therefore, by supporting the support block 44, the shift lever 10 can rotate back and forth around the central axis of the first support shafts 44b and 44c integrally with the support block 44, as shown in FIG. It is supported so that it can tilt. In this manner, the shift lever 10 is supported by the support block 44 so as to be tiltable in the front-rear and left-right directions.

  The detent guide member 48 of the main body 40 is for automatically returning the shift lever 10 after the tilt displacement to the original position (home position to be described later). The detent guiding member 48 has a concave concave surface 48a having a partially concave spherical shape that is recessed downward (specifically, diagonally downward to the left), that is, an arc shape that is recessed downward in a sectional view.

  In a state where the shift lever 10 is supported by the main body 40, the tip 26 b of the detent leg 26 of the shift lever 10 is in contact with the concave surface 48 a of the detent guide member 48. And the front-end | tip 26b of the leg part 26 for a detent is always pressed against this concave surface 48a under the pressing force by the said compression spring.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the tip 26 b of the detent leg 26 extends most from the main body portion 26 a of the detent leg 26 when it is in contact with the center portion (bottom of the concave spherical surface) of the concave surface 48 a. At this time, the compression spring is extended most and the urging force is minimized. On the other hand, when the distal end 26b of the detent leg 26 is separated from the central portion of the concave surface 48a, the tip 26b moves backward into the main body portion 26a of the detent leg 26. At this time, the compression spring contracts, and the urging force applied to the tip 26b of the detent leg 26 increases. The retraction amount of the tip 26b of the detent leg 26 and the urging force applied to the tip 26b from the compression spring increase as the distance from the center of the concave surface 48a of the tip 26b increases. When the urging force applied from the compression spring is increased, the tip 26b of the detent leg 26 is strongly pressed against the concave surface 48a. This pressing force is converted into a force for returning the tip 26b of the detent leg 26 to the center of the concave surface 48a.

  Therefore, when an operating force (a force for tilting the shift lever 10) is not applied to the shift lever 10, the shift lever 10 is a position where the tip 26b of the detent leg 26 is disposed at the center of the concave surface 48a. Supported by Hereinafter, this position is referred to as a home position. At this home position, the shift lever 10 is in a posture extending perpendicular to the cover 41 as shown in FIG. When the shift lever 10 at the home position is tilted by the operating force and the tip 26b of the detent leg 26 is separated from the center of the concave surface 48a, the tip 26b is moved to the center of the concave surface 48a. Force to return is generated. Therefore, when the operating force for the shift lever 10 is released, the shift lever 10 automatically returns to the home position. Thus, the shift lever 10 of this embodiment is a momentary device that can be tilted from the home position and automatically returns to the home position after tilting.

  The restricting portion 46 of the main body 40 is for restricting the tilting of the shift lever 10 in the front-rear and left-right directions. A restriction groove 46 a is formed in the restriction portion 46. The restriction groove 46a has a T-shape, and as shown in FIGS. 4 and 9, extends from the front and rear to the DR restriction groove 46a_1 and from the front and rear center of the DR restriction groove 46a_1 (position indicated by H in FIG. 9). It is comprised by the N control groove | channel 46a_2 extended on the right side.

  The tip (lower end) of the restriction shaft 24 of the shift lever 10 is disposed in the restriction groove 46a, and the restriction shaft 24 can move only within the restriction groove 46a.

  That is, the shift lever 10 can tilt back and forth only between the position where the restriction shaft 24 contacts the front end of the DR restriction groove 46a_1 and the position where the restriction shaft 24 contacts the rear end. Further, the shift lever 10 can tilt only from the position where the restriction shaft 24 is located at the front and rear center of the DR restriction groove 46a_1 so that the restriction shaft 24 is directed to the right side, that is, the upper part of the shift lever 10 including the shift knob 12 is directed to the left. Thus, the restriction shaft 24 can be tilted only to a position where it comes into contact with the right end of the N restriction groove 46a_2. Here, the restriction shaft 24 is arranged at the front and rear center of the DR restriction groove 46a_1 in a state where the shift lever 10 is at the home position.

  Hereinafter, the tilt direction of the upper portion of the shift lever 10 including the shift knob 12 will be described as the tilt direction of the shift lever 10 as appropriate. That is, the forward tilt of the shift lever 10 including the shift knob 12 is simply referred to as forward tilt, and the upward tilt of the upper portion of the shift lever 10 including the shift knob 12 is simply referred to as backward tilt. Further, tilting the shift lever 10 including the shift knob 12 to the right is simply referred to as tilting to the right, and tilting the upper part of the shift lever 10 including the shift knob 12 to the left is simply referred to as tilting to the left. As appropriate, the position where the restriction shaft 24 contacts the rear end of the DR restriction groove 46a_1 is referred to as a front displacement limit position, and the position where the restriction shaft 24 contacts the front end of the DR restriction groove 46a_1 is referred to as a rear displacement limit position. The position where the restriction shaft 24 contacts the right end of the N restriction groove 46a_2 is referred to as the left displacement limit position. The amount by which the shift lever 10 is displaced from the home position to the front displacement limit position is referred to as a forward displacement possible amount, and the amount by which the shift lever 10 is displaced from the home position to the rear displacement limit position is referred to as a backward displacement possible amount. The amount by which the shift lever 10 is displaced from the home position to the left displacement limit position is referred to as a left-side displaceable amount.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 9, the distance L2 that the restriction shaft 24 moves from the front and rear center of the DR restriction groove 46a_1 to the right end of the N restriction groove 46a_2 is from the front and rear center of the DR restriction groove 46a_1 and the front end of the DR restriction groove 46a_1. It is set to be smaller than the distances L1 and L1 that the restriction shaft 24 moves to the rear end. Therefore, the left-side displaceable amount that is the amount by which the shift lever 10 is displaced from the home position to the left-side displacement limit position is the forward-displaceable amount that is the amount by which the shift lever 10 is displaced from the home position to the front and rear displacement limit positions. It is shorter than the rearward displacement possible amount.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the leftward displaceable amount, that is, the amount by which the shift lever 10 is displaced in the left-right direction is suppressed to be relatively small, and at least the portion of the shift lever 10 exposed upward from the center console 5 is movable. The horizontal dimension of the range is kept small.

  The DR lever rotation sensor 52 is a sensor for detecting the amount of tilt displacement before and after the shift lever 10. The DR lever rotation sensor 52 is engaged with one first support shaft 44b, and the DR lever rotation sensor 52 detects the rotation angle of the first support shaft 44b. That is, when the shift lever 10 is tilted back and forth, the first support shaft 44b rotates by an angle proportional to the amount of displacement. Therefore, the DR lever rotation sensor 52 uses the first tilt displacement amount as the front and rear tilt displacement amount of the shift lever 10. The rotation angle of the support shaft 44b is detected.

  The N lever rotation sensor 54 is a sensor for detecting the left and right tilt displacement amounts of the shift lever 10. The N lever rotation sensor 54 detects the swing amount of the swing member 54 a pivotally attached to the front side surface of the housing 42 as the left and right tilt displacement amount of the shift lever 10. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the swinging member 54a is formed of a plate member that is long in the vertical direction, and its lower part is pivotally attached to the front side surface of the housing 42 via the swinging shaft 54b. Thus, it is supported so as to be able to swing left and right about the swing shaft 54b. A vertically long slot is formed in the vertical middle portion of the swing member 54a, and the tip (front end) of the N switch operating portion 22 of the shift lever 10 is inserted into the slot. Yes. The N switch operating portion 22 inserted into the elongated hole in this way pushes the swinging member 54a in the direction opposite to the tilting direction as the shift lever 10 tilts to the left and right, and accordingly the swinging member 54a. The upper end of the rocks. The N lever rotation sensor 54 detects the swing amount of the upper end portion of the swing member 54a, thereby detecting the swing amount of the shift lever 10, that is, the left and right tilt displacement amount.

(4) Arrangement of P Button and Shift Lever As shown in FIG. 10, the P button 60 and the shift lever 10 configured as described above are arranged such that the P button 60 is on the right side of the shift lever 10 (the side closer to the driver's seat, It is arranged so as to be close to the driver's seat).

  Accordingly, in the present embodiment, the shift lever 10 protruding upward does not get in the way when the P button 60 is operated. The left and right dimensions of the part including the P button 60 and the shift lever 10, that is, the whole part operated by the driver of the shift device 1, particularly the whole part exposed upward from the center console 5, are kept small. .

  With the above arrangement, the operation direction of the P button 60 is the direction approaching the shift lever 10 and the same as the direction in which the shift lever 10 is operated in the vehicle width direction from the home position.

  Further, the P button 60 and the shift lever 10 have a front end Wf of the movable region of the shift lever 10 in a plan view (the shift knob 12 when the shift lever 10 is tilted forward to the front displacement limit position). It is arranged so as to be included in the front-rear direction range (the range indicated by W1 in FIG. 10) from the front end) to the rear end Wb (the rear end of the shift knob 12 when the shift lever 10 is tilted rearward to the rearward displacement limit position). ing. In the present embodiment, the P button 60 is arranged such that its front-rear direction range substantially coincides with the front-rear direction range of the shift knob 12 of the shift lever 10 at the home position. Accordingly, in the present embodiment, the front and rear dimensions of the shift device 1, particularly the front and rear dimensions of the movable range of the portion operated by the driver and exposed upward from the center console 5 are also suppressed.

(5) Control FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a control system related to the shift device 1 of the present embodiment. The controller 101 shown in the figure is composed of a microcomputer including a well-known CPU, RAM, ROM, etc., and has functions such as controlling the speed change operation of the automatic transmission 110. In FIG. 11, the controller 101 is shown as an integral block, but the controller 101 is composed of, for example, a plurality of microcomputers provided separately on the vehicle body side and the automatic transmission 110 side. There may be. The controller 101 corresponds to “control means” in the claims.

  The controller 101 is electrically connected to the above-described P switch element 80, DR lever rotation sensor 52, N lever rotation sensor 54, meter unit 3, and automatic transmission 110 (more specifically, transmission actuator 111). Note that the shift actuator 111 of the automatic transmission 110 is, for example, a solenoid valve that switches between engagement and disengagement of a friction engagement element such as a clutch or a brake built in the automatic transmission 110.

  Further, the vehicle is provided with a vehicle speed sensor 103 that detects the vehicle speed, and the controller 101 is also electrically connected to the vehicle speed sensor 103.

  The controller 101 performs automatic transmission based on signals from the P switch element 80, the DR lever rotation sensor 52, and the N lever rotation sensor 54 that output predetermined signals according to the operation states of the P button 60 and the shift lever 10, respectively. 50 shift range switching control, display control of the meter unit 3 (control for displaying the current shift range), and the like are executed.

  The shift range switching control will be specifically described.

  When a predetermined signal is output from the P switch element 80, the controller 101 determines that the P button 60 has been slid by a P operation amount in the left direction, that is, in a direction approaching the shift lever 10, and sets the shift range to the shift actuator 111. Command to switch to parking range.

  Based on the signal representing the tilt displacement amount of the shift lever 10 input from the DR lever rotation sensor 52, the controller 101 has tilted the shift lever 10 to the front displacement limit position, that is, the shift lever 10 has moved from the home position. When it is confirmed that the forward displacement possible amount (first operation amount) is tilted forward, the shift actuator 111 is instructed to switch the shift range to the reverse range.

  Further, the controller 101 determines that the shift lever 10 has tilted to the rear displacement limit position based on the signal representing the tilt displacement amount of the shift lever 10 input from the DR lever rotation sensor 52, that is, the shift lever 10 is home. When it is confirmed that the backward displacement possible amount (second operation amount) is tilted backward from the position, the shift actuator 111 is instructed to switch the shift range to the drive range.

  Further, the controller 101 tilts the shift lever 10 to the left displacement limit position based on the signal representing the left and right tilt displacement amount of the shift lever 10 input from the N lever rotation sensor 54, that is, the shift lever 10 It is determined that the left side displacement possible amount (third operation amount) is tilted to the left from the home position, and a command is issued to the shift actuator 111 to switch the shift range to the neutral range.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the shift lever 10 is switched to the reverse range by being tilted forward from the home position by a forward displaceable amount, and the drive is performed by operating the shift lever 10 backward displaceable amount. The range is switched to the neutral range when the shift lever 10 is tilted to the left to the left by a displaceable amount.

  Here, in the present embodiment, as described above, the shift lever 10 and the P button 60 are individually provided and arranged so that the overall dimensions thereof are reduced. Therefore, while improving the layout of the entire shift device 1 or at least the operation part of the shift device 1, the driver mistakenly operates, specifically, the drive range, reverse range, and neutral range are mistakenly entered into the parking range. It is possible to avoid a situation where the switching operation is performed. However, because the shift lever 10 and the P button 60 are arranged as described above, when one of the shift lever 10 and the P button 60 is operated, the other is accidentally touched, and these are unexpectedly operated simultaneously. Can happen. In particular, since the P button 60 is operated to the left side, that is, in a direction approaching the shift lever 10 at a position close to the driver, the driver can stop the vehicle when the vehicle is stopped (to continue the vehicle stop state). When 60 is operated, it is conceivable that the shift lever 10 is erroneously operated to the left (switching direction to the neutral range).

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the operation of the P button 60 for switching to the parking range and the operation of the shift lever 10 for switching to the neutral range are performed simultaneously while the vehicle is stopped, the driver intends. The shift range is switched to the parking range instead of the neutral range by giving priority to the operation of the P button 60 which is an operation that is highly likely to be performed.

  Specifically, the controller 101 determines whether or not the vehicle is stopped based on whether or not the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 103 is greater than a predetermined value. The predetermined value is set to a vehicle speed that is low enough that there is no problem even if the shift range is switched to the parking range and that the vehicle is substantially stopped. Specifically, this predetermined value is set to 0 or a speed slightly higher than 0. Then, when the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined value and the vehicle is stopped, the controller 101 is operated to tilt the shift lever 10 to the left by a displaceable amount to the left side, and a predetermined signal is output from the P switch element 80. If it is confirmed, a command is issued to the shift actuator 111 to switch the shift range to the parking range. Note that switching to the parking range is prohibited while the vehicle is traveling (when the vehicle speed is greater than the predetermined value).

  FIG. 12 shows the flow of the shift range switching control described above. FIG. 12 shows the shift range switching procedure when the vehicle is stopped (the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than the predetermined value).

  First, in step S <b> 1, the controller 101 determines whether or not the shift lever 10 has been operated to tilt backward a displaceable amount from the home position. If this determination is YES, the process proceeds to step S10, and the controller 101 switches to the drive range.

  When the determination in step S1 is NO, the process proceeds to step S2, and the controller 101 determines whether or not the shift lever 10 has been operated to tilt forward a displaceable amount forward from the home position. If this determination is YES, the process proceeds to step S9, and the controller 101 switches to the reverse range.

  When the determination in step S2 is NO, the process proceeds to step S3, and the controller 101 determines whether or not the shift lever 10 has been operated to tilt the leftward displaceable amount from the home position to the left. If this determination is NO, the controller 101 proceeds to step S4. On the other hand, if this determination is YES, the controller 101 proceeds to step S5 and determines whether or not a predetermined signal is output from the P switch element 80.

  When the determination in step S5 is YES, that is, when the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined value, the shift lever 10 is tilted to the left displacement limit position and a predetermined signal is output from the P switch element 80. The controller 101 proceeds to step S6 and switches the shift range to the parking range.

  On the other hand, when the determination in step S5 is NO, that is, when the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined value, the shift lever 10 is tilted to the left displacement limit position in a state where a predetermined signal is not output from the P switch element 80. If so, the controller 101 proceeds to step S7 and switches the shift range to the neutral range.

  Further, in step S4 that proceeds when the determination in step S3 is NO, the controller 101 determines whether or not a predetermined signal is output from the P switch element 80. If this determination is YES, the controller 101 proceeds to step S8, and the controller 101 switches the shift range to the parking range.

  On the other hand, if the determination in step S4 is NO, the controller 101 ends the process without switching the shift range, that is, maintaining the current shift range.

(6) Operation, etc. As described above, in this embodiment, the operation member (shift lever 10) for switching to the drive range, reverse range, and neutral range, and the operation member (P button 60) for switching to the parking range. And are provided separately. Therefore, it is possible to avoid an unexpected change of the shift range by avoiding that the driver mistakenly performs the switching operation of the parking range and the switching operation of another range.

  In addition, in this embodiment, the operating members are individually provided as described above, and the movable range of these operating members, that is, the shift lever 10 and the P button 60 is suppressed to be small, so that the shift device 1 is avoided while avoiding the erroneous operation. The layout can be improved.

  Specifically, in this embodiment, as described above, the shift lever 10 and the P button 60 are arranged close to the left and right. Further, the P button 60 is disposed so as to be included in the front-rear direction range from the front end to the rear end of the movable region of the shift lever 10. Therefore, the entire movable range of the shift lever 10 and the P button 60, that is, the left and right and front and rear ranges occupied by these can be suppressed to be small.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the leftward displacement possible amount, that is, the required operation amount to the left side of the shift lever 10 is suppressed to be small, and the left and right movable ranges of the shift lever 10 are also suppressed to be small. Sexuality is enhanced. In particular, the center console 5 is located between the driver's seat and the passenger seat, and there is an upper limit on the size in the left-right direction. Therefore, as described above, when the shift lever 10 and the P button 60 are arranged so as to be exposed on the center console 5, the left and right dimensions of the movable range (occupied area) of the shift lever 10 and the P button 60 are kept small. If done, the layout on the center console 5 can be effectively improved.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, the direction of operation of the shift lever 10 in the left-right direction and the direction of operation of the P button 60 are set in directions away from the driver and easy for the driver to operate. Further, the P button 60 is disposed at a position closer to the driver than the shift lever 10, and the P button 60 can be operated without being obstructed by the shift lever 10 protruding upward. Therefore, the operability of the shift lever 10 and the P button 60 can be improved. Further, the P button 60 is operated in a direction approaching the shift lever 10, and this operation is consistent with the image of locking the shift lever 10 that is operated mainly when starting the vehicle (forward, reverse) and prohibiting the operation. As a result, the operability of the P button 60 can be improved.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the shift lever 10 and the P button 60 are arranged as described above so that the shift lever 10 and the P button 60 are simultaneously moved away from the driver (the switching direction to the left side, the neutral range, and the parking range). ) In contrast to the possibility of being operated, if this simultaneous operation is performed when the vehicle is stopped, control is performed so that the shift range is switched to a parking range that is likely to be intended by the driver. Therefore, operability can be improved. In addition, if the vehicle is stopped on a hill or the like and it is accidentally switched to the neutral range, the vehicle may move forward or backward unexpectedly. It can be avoided and safety can be improved.

(7) Modification In the above embodiment, the case of a right-hand drive vehicle has been described, but the shift device 1 may naturally be applied to a left-hand drive vehicle. In this case, the shift lever 10 is displaced to the right so that switching to the neutral range is performed, and the P button 60 is located on the left side of the shift lever 10 and operated to the right. do it.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the P button 60 should just be arrange | positioned so that it may be included in the front-back direction range (range shown by W1 shown in FIG. 10) from the front end of the movable area | region of the shift lever 10 to the rear end, The specific arrangement is not limited to the above.

  In the above embodiment, whether or not the tilt displacement amount of the shift lever 10 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (amount of forward displacement, a backward displacement, a leftward displacement) by the DR lever rotation sensor 52 and the N lever rotation sensor 54. Although the case where the shift range is switched to the drive range or the like according to the above has been described, this pressure sensitive sensor or switch is used to output a predetermined signal when the tilt displacement amount of the shift lever 10 exceeds a predetermined value. The shift range may be switched based on a signal from a sensor or a switch.

  In the above embodiment, the shift lever 10 moves from the home position to each displacement limit position (position where the restriction shaft 24 contacts each end of the DR restriction groove), that is, the shift lever 10 moves from the home position. When the maximum possible amount is the operation amount necessary for switching the shift range (the amount by which the controller 101 switches the shift range, the first operation amount, the second operation amount, the third operation amount) However, the required operation amount may be smaller than the maximum amount.

  Further, the shift device 1 of the above-described embodiment switches the shift range of the stepped automatic transmission 50 interposed between the engine (internal combustion engine) and the wheels. The applicable transmission is not limited to a stepped automatic transmission, and may be, for example, a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to a device that electrically switches forward / reverse, such as a transmission used in an electric vehicle.

1 Shift device 7 Lever unit 10 Shift lever (first operation member)
40 Main body (first main body)
60 P button (second operating member)
70 P body (second body)
101 Controller (control means)

Claims (4)

A vehicular shift device for switching a shift range of a vehicle between a drive range that is a forward travel range, a reverse range that is a reverse travel range, and a neutral range and a parking range that are non-travel ranges. Because
A first operating member;
A second operating member;
A first main body that supports the first operating member so as to be displaceable in the vehicle width direction and the front-rear direction, and that automatically returns the displaced first operating member to a predetermined home position;
A second main body that supports the second operating member so as to be displaceable in the vehicle width direction;
When the first operation member is displaced forward from the home position, the shift range is switched to the reverse range, and when the first operation member is displaced backward from the home position, the shift range is switched to the drive range, and the driver's seat When the first operating member is displaced from the home position to one side in the vehicle width direction, which is the side away from the vehicle, the shift range is switched to the neutral range, and the second operating member is displaced to the one side in the vehicle width direction. And a control means for controlling the shift range of the vehicle in accordance with the operation of the first operating member and the second operating member so that the shift range is switched to the parking range,
The second operation member is adjacent to the other side in the vehicle width direction closer to the driver's seat with respect to the first operation member in a plan view, and the front-rear direction from the front end to the rear end of the movable region of the first operation member A vehicular shift device, which is arranged to be included in a range. The vehicle shift device according to claim 1,
When the vehicle is stopped, when the operation for switching the shift range to the neutral range and the operation for switching the shift range to the parking range are performed simultaneously on the first operating member, the control means switches the shift range to the parking range. A vehicular shift device. The vehicle shift device according to claim 1 or 2,
The control means switches the shift range to the reverse range when the amount of forward displacement of the first operating member from the home position becomes the first amount of operation, and the amount of backward displacement of the first operating member from the home position is the first. When the amount of operation becomes two, the shift range is switched to the drive range, and when the amount of displacement from the home position of the first operation member to one side in the vehicle width direction becomes the third operation amount, the shift range is switched to the neutral range.
The first operation amount, the second operation amount, and the third operation amount are set in advance so that the third operation amount is smaller than the first operation amount and the second operation amount. Shift device. The vehicle shift device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The vehicle shift device, wherein the second main body supports the second operation member so that the second operation member automatically returns to a predetermined home position after being displaced.

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