JPH02256523A - Shift indicating device for automatic transmission - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate shift operation by installing an operating means which is arranged on the side of a steeling column and indicates shift position, locking means for restraining/releasing the indication operation by the operating means, and a display means which displays the indicated shift position. CONSTITUTION:The title shift indicating device 11 is integraly equipped with an operating means 15 which is installed onto the side of a steering column in front of a steering wheel 211 and can be shift-operated in the vertical direction, locking means 45, and a display means 71. The travelling range of a transmission is selected through a push-pull wire by the vertical shift of the operating means 15, and a operating body 21 can be shifted by pushing-operating the release button 63 of the locking means locking means 45. A casing which forms the fundamental of the operating body 21 is formed into nearly L-figure shape, and one side part is formed into a handle 25, and a slider 27 is fixed onto the other side part. The slider 27 has a headed rail 29, and is slidingly fitted into a rail groove 13 formed on a base 17.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a shift instruction device and an instruction device for an automobile transmission, particularly an automatic transmission.

(Prior Art) As conventional shift instruction devices, floor control type and column control type are known.

The floor control system has been commonly used in the past, and as shown in Figures 12 and 13, this system uses a shift lever placed next to the driver's seat. 201, barking 2P1 Reverse: R, Neutral 2N, Drive: D, 2nd speed drive: 2. Selectively rotate to 1st speed drive = 1st position and instruct shift to the intended driving range. When given, this mechanical instruction is transmitted to the manual lever 207 of the automatic transmission 205 directly connected to the engine E via the link mechanism 203.

This manual lever then drives the pulp in the transmission 205 to switch to the designated travel range. When the shift lever 201 is pressed, the release button 202 is released, and the rotation operation described above is released, and when the button is released at the selected shift position, the shift lever 201 is restrained again. There is. This shift position is P1R%N displayed on the display section 209.
It can be visually recognized by position symbols such as 1D, 2.1, etc.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the column control type has a steering wheel 211
Wheel 21 from the steering column surrounding the shaft of
A shift lever 7215 is extended to the outside of 1, and a shift instruction to an intended driving range is given by rotating the shift lever 7215. This mechanical instruction is the torsion rod 2
17. Automatic transmission 20 via link llI4219 etc.
The driving range is transmitted to the manual lever 221 of No. 5, thereby switching to the designated driving range.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the floor control system, the shift lever 201 protrudes above the floor between the driver's seat and the passenger seat, which is extremely disadvantageous in terms of floor space.

On the other hand, although the column control method is advantageous in terms of floor space, the shift lever 7215 protrudes into the visible area of the radio and other switches, which may obstruct the visibility of the switches. Furthermore, in order to minimize such obstacles, it is not possible to increase the size of the grip portion of the shift lever 215, and it is not possible to provide a display section on the shift lever 7215 itself for visually confirming the shift position. For this reason, the display section is provided on an instrument panel or the like, and the operator must move his/her line of sight considerably to operate the shift lever 215 and confirm the shift position, which may make the operation complicated and increase fatigue.

Furthermore, in either system, when operating the shift lever, the driver must take his/her hand away from the steering wheel, which increases the operational burden on the driver.

Therefore, this invention is advantageous in terms of floor space, and allows you to shift without having to move your hands or eyes significantly. ! The purpose of the present invention is to provide a shift instruction device for an automatic transmission that does not cause any hindrance to recognition. (Jitsukai 1977
-25237. JP-A-60-8545> Another object of the present invention is to provide an indicating device useful as such a shift indicating device.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an operating means that is installed next to the steering column and instructs the shift position through the steering wheel and within the driver's field of vision. , a locking means capable of restraining and releasing an instruction operation by the operating means, and a display means for displaying an instructed shift position are integrally provided.

Further, there is provided an instruction device comprising a grip part that issues an instruction to a required device, and a locking means capable of restraining and releasing the operation of the grip part, the support means allowing the instruction by the grip part to be performed by a parallel movement operation. The structure has the following.

(Function) According to the above configuration, the various means necessary for instructing a shift, such as the operating means, the locking means, and the display means, are installed together within the driver's visual field through the steering wheel,
The driver can issue a shift command without removing his or her hands from the steering wheel or looking far ahead.

Further, the grip portion can be operated by a parallel movement operation, and the posture of the grip portion is stabilized.

(Embodiment) A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

As shown in FIG. 1, the shift instruction device 11 of this embodiment integrally includes an operating means 15 capable of moving in the vertical direction, a locking means 45, and a display means 71. The reference numeral 63 indicates a release button of the locking means 45, which will be described later, and the reference numeral 73 indicates a display section of the display means 71, and the other components of these means are built into the shift instruction device 11.

The above-mentioned up and down direction refers to the up and down direction that feels operational, and does not necessarily refer to the vertical direction. The same applies to the top and bottom, front and back, etc. in the following description.

However, it goes without saying that the vertical direction may also be used.

The above-mentioned shift device 11 is connected to the above-mentioned steering column 22.
5 (Fig. 4) and the steering wheel 21
The wheels 211 are arranged in front of the wheel 211 at appropriate intervals, and are compactly arranged so that the driver can see almost the entirety from above the spokes 213 of the wheel 211 through the inside of the wheel rim 214. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the vertical movement of the operating means 15 is converted into a reciprocating rotational movement of a manual lever 223 that changes the travel range of the speed change m205 via the push bull wire 13. There is.

The shift instruction device 11 will be explained in more detail mainly with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

The operating means 15 includes a base 17 fastened to the steering column 225, and an operating body 21 as a grip portion as follows.
It consists of. The casing 23, which forms the base of the operation body 21, has a substantially L-shape, and the - side is arranged horizontally to form a handle 25, and the other side has a slider 27.
It is fixed. As shown in FIG. 5, this slider 27 has a headed rail 29 (supporting means) extending in the vertical direction projecting toward the base 17, and a rail groove 31 (supporting means) formed in the base 17. This headed rail 29
This rail is adapted to be slidably received. As a result, the operating body 21 is mounted so that it can be moved vertically in parallel. A positioning means 35 is provided between the base 17 and the slider 27.

The positioning means 35 includes six notch grooves 37 formed in vertical rows on the side surface of the base 17 and the slider 27.
The notch grooves 37 are arranged in order from the lowest position to the position P,
They are formed at the locations corresponding to R, N, D, and 2°1. In this example, the relationship between the above-mentioned positions is determined so that the notch grooves 37 are arranged at equal pitches, and this pitch will hereinafter be referred to as the operation pitch.

Therefore, when the operation body 21 is moved up and down, the check ball 41 is elastically engaged with the notch groove 37 at every operation pitch, and is positioned step by step with a sense of moderation. The sheath tube 13a of the push-pull wire 13 is fixed to the base 17, and the core wire 13b is tied to the slider 27, so that the up and down operation of the operating body 21 is controlled by the manual lever as described above. 223.

The locking means 45 is constructed as follows.

Referring also to FIG. 6, two rectangular lock grooves 47 corresponding to P and R are arranged in parallel in the vertical direction on the front surface of the base 17 with the aforementioned operation pitch. On the other hand, a socket hole 49 is formed on the rear surface of the slider 27 and has a new rectangular surface that is almost the same as the rectangular shape of the lock groove. It is arranged so as to oppose the lock groove 47. A rectangular detent pin 51 is loosely inserted into the socket hole 49, and the pin 51 is urged toward the lock groove 47 by a spring 53. As a result, the detent bin 51 can be engaged with any one of the lock grooves 47, and at this time the slider 27 is restrained by P or R and is in a locked state.

On the other hand, a through hole 55 having a rectangular cross section is formed in the detent bin 51 in the vertical direction, and an inner surface 5 of the through hole 55 on the pace 17 side
5a is provided with a slope that falls toward the base. Further, a release rod 61 is fitted into the slider 27 so as to be slidable toward the through hole 55. This release rod 6
1 has the release button 63 at its lower end, is urged downward by a spring 65, and its lower limit of movement is regulated by a stopper pin 67. Also release rod 6
1 has a rectangular cross section, and its upper end is sloped in the same manner as the sloped inner surface 55a of the through hole 55 of the detent bin 51. At the lower working limit, this sloped upper end is inserted into the through hole 55 and comes into contact with the sloped inner surface 55a, and a gap corresponding to the depth of the lock groove 47 is formed on the opposite side. The relationships between these parts are defined as follows.

With this configuration, when the release button is pressed and the release rod 61 is moved upward, the sloped upper end of the rod 61 drives the detent bin 51 to separate it from the lock groove 47, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. . As a result, the above-mentioned restriction on P or R is released and the vehicle becomes unlocked. That is, the parallel movement operation of the operating body 21 can be performed while placing one hand on the handle 25 of the casing 23 and the release button 63. Note that the R lock groove 47 has a slope on one side 47a. Therefore, from R to N, D
In the side operation, the detent bin 51 passes over the surface 47a, so the operation can be performed without pressing the release button 63.

Next, the display means 71 will be explained.

The display section 73 described above includes a display board 74 attached to the front of the casing 23, and lamps 7 arranged behind this display board.
It consists of 5. The display board 74 is made of translucent resin or the like, and is divided into six sections arranged vertically as shown in FIG.
Position symbols are displayed in the order of 2.1, and the lamps 75 are arranged for each of these sections. Further, in this embodiment, the pitch of each section is equal to the operation pitch.

On the other hand, on the back surface of the slider 27, six pairs of A contacts 77 are arranged in the vertical direction at the same pitch as the operation pitch, and when the slider 27 is moved sequentially from the bottom by the operation pitch and positioned by the positioning means 35, A B contact 79 fixed to the base 17 short-circuits six pairs of A contacts 77 in sequence from the bottom, thereby lighting up the lamp 75 at the corresponding position. As a result, the sections of the display board 73 are sequentially illuminated and the position symbols there are highlighted. In this case, when the operating body 21 is set to the highest P position, the lowest P section of the display board 73 is lit, and the same goes for the other positions, and the lighting position as seen from the driver is determined by the position of the operating body 21. Even if it changes, it remains in the same position, improving visibility.

Since this embodiment is configured as described above, the driver can operate the operating body 21 in the manner described above by simply moving one hand from the steering wheel 211 to the handle 25 immediately in front of the steering wheel 211.
can be operated.

Furthermore, by simply shifting your line of sight slightly toward the spoke 213 side of the steering wheel 211, you can see the position symbol on the display section 73 at a short viewing distance, and at this time, only the area where the corresponding position symbol is displayed is brightly illuminated, making it easy to see. This visual recognition can be done more clearly and in a shorter time. Furthermore, the visibility of the display section 73 is almost the same as the visibility of meters, and visibility is improved. Furthermore, even if the operating body 21 is made large to a certain extent, it will not interfere with radio switches or other communication switches. Therefore, the display section 7
3 can be provided on the operating body 21, and when the operating body 21 is operated, the g! This greatly improves operability. Therefore, the shift operation becomes extremely easy, and the degree of fatigue is significantly reduced.

If the operating body 21 is operated by rotating around the steering column, the operating body 21 will become tilted depending on the operating position, resulting in an unstable posture.However, in this embodiment, the operating body 21 is operated by vertically parallel movement. The posture of the operating body 21 is stable regardless of the operating position, and visual recognition can be performed without any problem even in a narrow range inside the wheel rim 214 of the steering wheel 211.

In the embodiment, the operation body is moved using a push-pull wire 13.
For example, the short circuit signal of the A contact 77 is processed by the controller to output a shift instruction signal.
This signal may be used to drive an actuator to switch the travel range of the transmission. By employing such an electric control method, the operating force of the operating body 21 is reduced, and its operability is further improved.

Further, in the embodiment, the operating body 21 is moved vertically in parallel, but it is also possible to configure it to be rotatably movable.

Next, referring mainly to FIG. 8 and FIG.
An example will be explained.

The shift instruction device 121 of this embodiment is also arranged in substantially the same manner as in FIG. 1, and is constructed using a base 125 fixed to a pedestal 123 attached to the steering column.

The operating body 133 of the operating means 131 includes a casing 137 in which a handle 135 is formed, a support block 139 integrated with the casing, and a pair of parallel links 1 as support means connecting the support block 139 and the base 125.
41a and 141b. Each link 141a,
14. One end of Ib is connected via a pin 143 to a support block 139 for relative rotation in the vertical direction, and the other end is supported on the base 125 via a ball-shaped pivot 145. . Therefore, the operating body 133 is movable in the up-down direction and the front-back direction.

An arm 147 extends from the other end of the link 141a, and a locking means 151 is constructed between this arm and the base 125 as follows. That is,
An arcuate surface 153 is formed in the base 125 and is curved in the vertical direction and the front-rear direction around the pivot 145.
A check ball 157 is disposed at the mouth of a blind hole 155 opened at the free end of the arm 147, and this check ball is urged toward the arcuate surface 153 by a spring 159. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the arc surface 153 has a lock groove 161 and a notch groove 163 connected to each other. and,
When you pull the operating body 133 toward you in the direction of arrow F, link 1
The arm 147 rotates together with the check ball 1
57 can be engaged with the notched groove 163.

The lock groove 161 is formed as shown in FIG. 10, and corresponds to shift positions P, R, and N in order from the bottom.

D, parts corresponding to 2.1 are provided, and when the check ball 157 falls into these lock grooves, the link 1
Rotation of 41a is restricted and becomes locked. However, in the example, R→N, NOD.

In order not to restrict the operation from Dg2.1 to 2 (the arrow indicates the operation in that direction), a radius 161a is provided on the side wall of the lock groove at these necessary locations so that the check ball 157 can overcome this radius. . In other operations, such as P 4 R, the check ball 157 is restricted so that it cannot be operated.

The notch groove 163 is formed, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, and its side walls are formed gently so that the check ball 157 can move over them. Therefore, as described above, when the operating body 131 is pulled toward you (arrow F in FIG. 9), it becomes unlocked, and each time the check ball 157 falls into the notch groove 163, the operating body 133 is positioned and the vertical movement operation is performed. can be carried out freely.

Further, the display means 165 of this embodiment is configured as follows. That is, the base 1 of the other link 141b
A fan-shaped plate 167 is connected to the 25 side, and six pairs of A contacts 169 are fixed to this fan-shaped plate with the pivot 145 as the center. As the operating body 133 is positioned as described above and operated one operation pitch at a time, the B contacts 171 provided on the base 125 sequentially come into contact with the corresponding pairs of A contacts 169. .

The support block 139 also has a display plate 175° of the display section 173 and a lamp 17 in the same manner as in the first embodiment.
7 is provided, and as described above, the B contact 171 is sequentially connected to A
When contact 169 is contacted, a flexible shield harness (
(not shown), power is supplied to the corresponding lamp, thereby lighting the lamp and lighting the corresponding marking section.

On the other hand, the contact signals from the contacts 171 and 169 are input to the controller and used for switching the driving range by the above-described electric control method.

In this second embodiment, the operating body 133 is movably supported by a link mechanism, so there is extremely little frictional resistance, and lock release and shift operations can be performed simply by operating the handle 135, which improves operability. will improve further.

Note that the indicating device is not limited to the shift indicating device, but can of course be applied as an indicating device for other required devices.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the structure of the present invention, the operating means do not protrude from the floor, which is extremely advantageous in terms of floor space. Moreover, the shift operation can be performed without making a large movement of the hand or line of sight, and the operating means does not protrude into the viewing area of the radio or other switches, thereby preventing them from becoming a hindrance to viewing. Since the operating means can be made larger and a display means can be provided, visual recognition thereof becomes easier. Therefore, these greatly reduce the operational burden and fatigue level.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 7 are diagrams showing a first embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a front view of essential parts of an automobile driver's seat showing a shift instruction device and its arrangement, and FIG. The figure is a diagram illustrating the connection state between the shift instruction device and the transmission, Figure 3 is a partially cutaway front view of the operating means, and Figure 4 is IV-IV of Figure 3.
Fig. 5 is an end view taken in the direction of arrow V in Fig. 3, Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken in the direction shown by the ■-Vl arrow in Fig. 3, and Fig. 7 is a front view of the main part seen in the direction indicated by the ■ arrow in Fig. 4. , FIG. 8 is a partially cutaway front view of a shift instruction device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
- r A front view of the main part of the driver's seat, an explanatory view of the state of connection with the transmission, and FIGS. 14 and 15 are views of the main part of the driver's seat of an automobile, respectively, showing other conventional shift instruction devices and their arrangement. FIG. 2 is a front view and an explanatory diagram of a state of connection with a transmission. 11.121... Shift instruction device 15.131... Operating means 21... Operating body (grip part) 29... Headed rail (supporting means) 31... Rail groove (supporting means) 45 .151...Lock means 71.165...Display means 141a, 141b...Parallel link (support means) 20
5...Transmission 211...Steering wheel

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) An operating means installed next to the steering column within the driver's field of vision through the steering wheel to instruct the shift position, a locking means capable of restraining and releasing the instructing operation by the operating means, and a locking means capable of restraining and releasing the instructing operation by the operating means, and the indicated shift position. A shift instruction device for an automatic transmission integrally equipped with a display means for displaying. (2) An indicating device that includes a grip section that issues instructions to a required device and a locking means that can restrict and release the operation of the grip section, and a support that allows instructions from the grip section to be performed by a parallel movement operation. An indicating device comprising means.