JP7485310B2 - Shifting device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a shift device for transmitting the shift operation of a vehicle's shift pedal to a transmission to perform gear shifting operations.

Transmissions of motorcycles and the like are capable of shifting in response to the driver's shift operation of a shift pedal, and conventionally, a shift device has been proposed that is attached to the middle of the transmission path that transmits the operating force of the shift pedal to the transmission. As disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, a conventional shift device has a shaft member that can be displaced in response to the shift operation of the shift pedal, a housing that displaceably accommodates the shaft member, a magnet attached to the shaft member, and a magnetic sensor attached to the housing.

In this conventional shift device, when the shift pedal is operated and a magnetic sensor detects that the shaft member has been displaced relative to the housing, the device controls the vehicle's engine to adjust the drive torque, and when the shaft member reaches the limit of displacement, the shaft member and the housing move together to change gears in the transmission. This allows gears to be changed without operating the clutch.

German Patent Publication No. 102010015036

However, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, the magnetic sensor is attached to the outside of the housing, so there is a risk of it malfunctioning due to the influence of external magnetism. It is also possible to attach a shielding member around the magnetic sensor to block external magnetism in order to suppress the influence of external magnetism, but in that case, the number of parts increases at least by the amount of the shielding member, which reduces assembly ease and increases manufacturing costs.

The present invention has been made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to provide a shift device that can suppress the influence of external magnetism and prevent malfunction while maintaining ease of assembly and manufacturing costs.

The invention described in claim 1 is a shift device comprising: a shaft member that can be displaced in response to a shift operation of a vehicle's shift pedal; a housing that displaceably accommodates the shaft member and that can move integrally with the shaft member when it reaches its displacement end to perform a gear change operation of the vehicle; magnetic generating means formed on the shaft member for generating magnetism; and detection means attached to the housing for detecting magnetic changes in the magnetic generating means to detect displacement of the shaft member relative to the housing, wherein the detection means is disposed inside the housing and is disposed on the central axis of the shaft member, and the magnetic generating means is formed at a position offset with respect to the central axis of the shaft member .

The invention described in claim 2 is characterized in that, in the shift device described in claim 1, the shaft member is made of a shaft-shaped member formed with a plurality of enlarged diameter portions protruding laterally from other portions, and a coil spring is attached between the enlarged diameter portions.

The invention described in claim 3 is a shift device described in claim 1 , characterized in that an attachment member is attached to the tip of the shaft member, and the magnetic generating means is attached to the attachment member, so that the magnetic generating means is offset by a predetermined dimension from the central axis of the shaft member.

The invention described in claim 4 is a shift device described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the magnetic generating means is made of a cylindrically formed permanent magnet.

The invention described in claim 5 is a shift device described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the housing has an opening on its side into which an accommodating case having the detection means attached thereto can be fitted.

The invention described in claim 6 is characterized in that, in the shift device described in claim 5, the storage case has a mounting recess that can be filled with a sealing material, and the detection means is formed at a predetermined position on the bottom surface of the mounting recess.

The invention described in claim 7 is characterized in that, in the shift device described in claim 6, the detection means comprises a magnetic sensor formed on a substrate, and the substrate is fixed to the bottom surface of the mounting recess by a predetermined fastening means.

According to the invention of claim 1, the detection means is arranged inside the housing, so that it is possible to suppress the influence of external magnetism and prevent malfunction while maintaining ease of assembly and manufacturing costs.

Furthermore , since the detection means is arranged on the central axis of the shaft member and the magnetic generating means is formed at a position offset with respect to the central axis of the shaft member, the shaft member and the magnetic generating means can be moved while avoiding interference of the magnetic generating means with the detection means arranged on the central axis of the shaft member.

According to the invention of claim 3, an attachment member is attached to the tip of the shaft member, and a magnetic generating means is attached to the attachment member, so that the magnetic generating means is offset by a predetermined dimension from the central axis of the shaft member, and therefore the magnetic generating means can be moved in a stable state.

According to the invention of claim 4, the magnetic generating means is made of a cylindrical permanent magnet, so that a relatively strong magnetic field can be generated, enabling the detection means to detect magnetic changes with greater accuracy.

According to the invention of claim 5, the housing has an opening on its side into which a storage case having a detection means attached thereto can be fitted, so that the detection means can be assembled with high precision in a predetermined position.

According to the invention of claim 6, the storage case has a mounting recess that can be filled with a sealing material, and a detection means is formed at a predetermined position on the bottom surface of the mounting recess, thereby improving the positioning accuracy of the detection means and making it easier to fill the sealing material.

According to the invention of claim 7, the detection means comprises a magnetic sensor formed on a substrate, and the substrate is fixed to the bottom surface of the mounting recess by a predetermined fastening means, thereby improving the positioning accuracy of the detection means while firmly fixing the substrate in a predetermined position, thereby enabling stable detection by the detection means.

1A and 1B are a plan view and a side view showing a shift device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. Cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. IV-IV line cross-sectional view in FIG. Cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 1A and 1B are front and side views showing a state in which a mounting member, a magnet, and a coil spring are mounted on a shaft member of the shift device; FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which a mounting member, a magnet, and a coil spring are attached to a shaft member of the shift device; FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional view showing a shaft member of the shift device; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a shaft member of the shift device; FIG. 2 is a front view and a side view showing a mounting member of the shift device; FIG. 3 is a three-view diagram showing a housing of the shift device; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a housing of the shift device; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a storage case of the shift device;

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
The shift device 1 of this embodiment is for transmitting the shift operation of a shift pedal of a vehicle (particularly a two-wheeled vehicle) to a transmission to perform gear shifting, and as shown in Figures 1 to 7, is configured to have a shaft member L, a housing 2, an accommodating case 3, a magnetic sensor 5 (detection means), a sealing member 6, an attachment member 7, and a permanent magnet M (magnetic generation means).

The shaft member L is connected to the vehicle's shift pedal and can be displaced in response to the shift operation of the shift pedal, and is made of a shaft-shaped member having a first enlarged diameter portion La and a second enlarged diameter portion Lb formed therein, as shown in Figures 8 and 9. The first enlarged diameter portion La and the second enlarged diameter portion Lb are made of portions that protrude laterally from other portions, and a coil spring S is attached between the first enlarged diameter portion La and the second enlarged diameter portion Lb.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the shaft member L has a mounting member 7 attached to its tip end Lc, and as shown in Figures 1 to 4, its base end Ld is extended and assembled from the lower end of the housing 2. The base end Ld of the shaft member L is configured so that the vehicle's shift pedal can be connected to it, and is capable of being displaced vertically in response to the operation of the shift pedal.

The mounting member 7 is attached to the tip end Lc of the shaft member and has a permanent magnet M attached thereto, and as shown in Figure 10, is configured with a mounting hole 7a through which the permanent magnet M is inserted and an insertion hole 7b through which the tip end of the shaft member L is inserted and assembled. By assembling the shaft member L and the permanent magnet M to the mounting member 7, the permanent magnet M is offset by a predetermined dimension t from the central axis C of the shaft member L, as shown in Figures 6 and 7.

The permanent magnet M is made of a cylindrical magnet, and is attached to the mounting hole 7a of the mounting member 7 so that it is formed at a position offset from the central axis C of the shaft member L. Instead of the permanent magnet M according to this embodiment, any other shape of permanent magnet, magnetized plastic, or magnetized directly on the shaft member L may be used as long as it is formed on the shaft member L and generates magnetism.

The housing 2 accommodates the shaft member L in a displaceable manner, and when the shaft member L reaches the displacement end, it moves together with the housing 2 to perform a gear shift operation, and is configured to have a restricting surface 2a, a connecting portion 2b, an opening 2c, and an insertion hole 2d, as shown in Figures 3, 4, 11, and 12. The restricting surface 2a is a surface that interferes with the first enlarged diameter portion La as the shaft member L is displaced in the a direction (see Figures 3 and 4). Due to this interference, the shaft member L reaches the displacement end in the a direction, and as the shaft member L is further displaced in the a direction, the shaft member L and the housing 2 can move together in the same direction.

The connecting portion 2b is a portion that protrudes from the upper portion of the housing 2, and is configured to be connected to an input mechanism of a vehicle transmission, etc. The opening 2c is formed on the side surface of the housing 2, and is capable of fitting therein a storage case 3 having a magnetic sensor 5 attached thereto. The insertion hole 2d is a hole through which the tip portion Lc of the shaft member L can be inserted, and allows the shaft member L to be displaced in the axial direction (directions a and b).

On the other hand, a sealing member 6 is attached to the lower end of the housing 2, and a restricting surface 6a and an insertion hole 6b are formed in the sealing member 6. The restricting surface 6a is made of a surface that interferes with the second enlarged diameter portion Lb as the shaft member L is displaced in the b direction (see Figures 3 and 4), and as the shaft member L reaches the displacement end in the b direction due to this interference, the shaft member L and the housing 2 can move integrally in the same direction as the shaft member L is further displaced in the b direction. The insertion hole 6b is made of a hole through which the base end portion Ld of the shaft member L can be inserted, and allows the shaft member L to be displaced in the axial direction (the a and b directions).

As shown in Figures 1 to 4 and 13, the storage case 3 has a mounting recess 3a that can be filled with a sealant, and a magnetic sensor 5 is formed at a predetermined position on the bottom surface of the mounting recess 3a. Specifically, the magnetic sensor 5 is a sensor such as a Hall IC element formed on a substrate 4, and the substrate 4 on which the magnetic sensor 5 is formed is fixed to the bottom surface 3aa of the mounting recess 3a with a screw B (predetermined fastening means), and the mounting recess 3a is filled with a sealant for waterproofing. Note that instead of the screw B, another fastening means for fixing the substrate 4 to the bottom surface 3aa of the mounting recess 3a may be used.

However, by fitting and attaching the accommodating case 3 with the magnetic sensor 5 attached to the opening 2c of the housing 2, as shown in Fig. 5, the magnetic sensor 5 is positioned near the permanent magnet M, making it possible to detect magnetic changes in the permanent magnet M accompanying the displacement of the shaft member L in the a and b directions. When the magnetic sensor 5 detects a magnetic change, it is determined whether the shaft member L (i.e., the shift pedal) has started to displace and in which direction (the a direction or the b direction) it has been operated, and a determination signal can be sent to, for example, the vehicle's ECU.

As a result, when the driver begins to operate the shift pedal and the magnetic sensor 5 detects that the shaft member L has been displaced relative to the housing 2, the vehicle's engine is controlled to adjust the driving torque, and when the shaft member L reaches the end of displacement, the shaft member L and the housing 2 move together, allowing the transmission to change gears.

Here, the magnetic sensor 5 (detection means) according to this embodiment is disposed inside the housing 2, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. Specifically, the magnetic sensor 5 according to this embodiment is disposed on the central axis C of the shaft member L, and the permanent magnet M (magnetic generation means) is formed at a position offset from the central axis C of the shaft member L (offset by a dimension t).

As a result, according to this embodiment, the magnetic sensor 5 serving as the detection means is disposed inside the housing 2, so that it is possible to suppress the influence of magnetism (external disturbance) from the outside and prevent malfunction while maintaining ease of assembly and manufacturing costs. In particular, the magnetic sensor 5 (detection means) according to this embodiment is disposed on the central axis C of the shaft member L, and the permanent magnet M is formed at a position offset from the central axis C of the shaft member L, so that the shaft member L and the permanent magnet M can be moved while avoiding interference of the permanent magnet M with the magnetic sensor 5 disposed on the central axis C of the shaft member L.

Furthermore, the shaft member L according to this embodiment has a mounting member 7 attached to its tip end Lc, and a permanent magnet M attached to the mounting member 7, so that the permanent magnet M is offset by a predetermined dimension t from the central axis C of the shaft member L, allowing the permanent magnet M to be moved in a stable state. Furthermore, the magnetic field generating means applied to this embodiment is made of a cylindrical permanent magnet M, so that a relatively strong magnetic field can be generated, allowing the magnetic sensor 5 to detect magnetic changes with greater accuracy.

In addition, the housing 2 according to this embodiment has an opening 2c into which the storage case 3 with the magnetic sensor 5 attached to its side can be fitted, so that the magnetic sensor 5 can be assembled with high precision in a predetermined position. The storage case 3 according to this embodiment also has an attachment recess 3a into which a sealant can be filled, and the magnetic sensor 5 is formed at a predetermined position on the bottom surface 3aa of the attachment recess 3a, so that the positioning precision of the magnetic sensor 5 can be improved and the work of filling the sealant can be performed more easily.

Furthermore, the detection means according to this embodiment is composed of a magnetic sensor 5 formed on a substrate 4, and the substrate 4 is fixed to the bottom surface 3aa of the mounting recess 3a by a predetermined fastening means (screws B in this embodiment), so that the substrate 4 can be firmly fixed in a predetermined position while improving the positioning accuracy of the magnetic sensor 5, allowing stable detection by the magnetic sensor 5. The detection means may be of various forms, such as a Hall IC element, as long as it detects the displacement of the shaft member L relative to the housing 2 by detecting the magnetic change of the permanent magnet M (magnetic generation means).

Although the present embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the magnetic sensor 5 (detection means) is not limited to being disposed on the central axis C of the shaft member L, but may be disposed at another position inside the housing 2. Furthermore, the permanent magnet M (magnetic generation means) is not limited to being formed at a position offset from the central axis C of the shaft member L, and may be formed at a position that is not offset from the central axis C of the shaft member L, so long as it does not interfere during the displacement process of the shaft member L.

If the detection means is arranged inside the housing, the shift device can also be applied to those with different external shapes or those with added functions.

Reference Signs List 1 Shift device 2 Housing 2a Restriction surface 2b Connection portion 2c Opening 2d Insertion hole 3 Storage case 3a Mounting recess 3aa Bottom surface 4 Board 5 Magnetic sensor (detection means)
6 Sealing member 6a Restricting surface 6b Insertion hole 7 Mounting member 7a Mounting hole 7b Insertion hole L Shaft member La First enlarged diameter portion Lb Second enlarged diameter portion Lc Tip portion Ld Base portion M Permanent magnet (magnetic generating means)
S Coil spring C Central axis B Screw (fastening means)

Claims (7)

a shaft member that is displaceable in response to a shift operation of a shift pedal of a vehicle;
a housing that accommodates the shaft member in a displaceable manner and that moves together with the shaft member when the shaft member reaches a displacement end to perform a gear shift operation of a vehicle;
a magnetic field generating means formed on the shaft member for generating magnetic field;
a detection means attached to the housing and configured to detect a magnetic change in the magnetic field generating means to thereby detect a displacement of the shaft member relative to the housing;
A shift device comprising:
the detection means is disposed inside the housing and disposed on a central axis of the shaft member, and the magnetic generating means is formed at a position offset with respect to the central axis of the shaft member . 2. The shift device according to claim 1, wherein the shaft member is a shaft-shaped member having a plurality of enlarged diameter portions protruding laterally from other portions, and a coil spring is attached between the enlarged diameter portions . 2. The shift device according to claim 1, wherein a mounting member is attached to a tip end of the shaft member, and the magnetic generating means is attached to the mounting member, so that the magnetic generating means is offset by a predetermined dimension from a central axis of the shaft member. The shift device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the magnetic generating means is made of a cylindrical permanent magnet. The shift device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the housing has an opening on its side into which a storage case in which the detection means is attached can be fitted. The shift device according to claim 5, characterized in that the housing case has an attachment recess that can be filled with a sealant, and the detection means is formed at a predetermined position on the bottom surface of the attachment recess. The shift device according to claim 6, characterized in that the detection means is a magnetic sensor formed on a substrate, and the substrate is fixed to the bottom surface of the mounting recess by a predetermined fastening means.

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