JPH0232927Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a structure around a push button in an operating lever device for an automatic transmission for an automobile.

[Prior Art] In general, the structure of an operating lever device for an automatic transmission for an automobile includes an operating lever for changing each drive position, a knob attached to the top of the operating lever, and a movable knob inside the operating lever. It consists of a rod having a pin that engages with a cam for holding the gear shift position, and a push button that engages the upper end of the rod and is slidably disposed within the knob. The movement of the push button is converted into axial movement of the rod, and the engagement of the pin with the gear shift position holding cam is controlled.

Since the push button must be movably supported within the knob, a certain amount of clearance is usually provided between the inner sliding portion of the knob and the outer peripheral sliding surface of the push button. Therefore, there is a risk that the push button may vibrate relative to the knob due to vibrations of the vehicle while the vehicle is running, causing noise. In order to prevent this vibration, it is conceivable to always press the push button against one of the inner surfaces of the knob. Furthermore, in order to return the push button to its original position after operation, it is conceivable to always apply a restoring force to the push button in a fixed direction.

With these measures in place, Jikosho
No. 58-19608 and Utility Model Publication No. 59-49225 are known. That is, in Utility Model Publication No. 58-19608, a sloped portion is formed in the hole on the push button side, and a guide rod provided in the rod side head piece or knob is brought into contact with the sloped portion. Then, by using the force of the spring that urges the push button provided inside the knob outward, turning force is applied to the push button through the contact, and by slightly turning the push button, a part of both sides of the push button is moved inside both sides of the knob. A structure has been proposed in which vibration is prevented by pressing the In Utility Model Application Publication No. 59-49225, a spring that biases the pushbutton outward is similarly provided inside the knob, and by tilting the axial direction of this spring, the biasing force of the spring is used to force the pushbutton in the direction of the sliding surface inside the knob. A structure has been proposed in which a component of the force that presses on the surface is also applied.

Furthermore, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-221721, a rod is fixed to the upper end of the rod between the upper end of the rod and the push button,
A structure is disclosed in which a sleeve having an upper surface made of a slope that slides on the push button is interposed, and the sleeve and rod are integrally urged upward by a spring.

[Problems to be solved by the invention] However, in all of the conventional structures as described above, a spring is provided inside the knob to bias the push button outward in the sliding direction, and the push button cannot be moved in the normal direction. When assembling the push button into position, it is necessary to align the engagement hole of the push button with the upper end of the rod while pushing the push button against a spring force, and there remains a problem in assemblability. Especially, Utsukai Showa 59-49225
In the structure of No. 2, the spring must be set diagonally, which is difficult to set, and the spring remains sealed after installation, so it is difficult to confirm whether the spring is installed in the desired state. The problem is that it is not possible.

In addition, the engagement piece attached to the upper end of the rod that engages the push button moves in the axial direction with the rod and is held at the moved position, so if it is moved too far, there is a risk of it becoming disengaged from the push button. There is also the problem of coming out.

In other words, in the conventional structure,
Even if a sleeve is provided as disclosed in Publication No. 221721, the structure is such that the sleeve moves up and down integrally with the rod, so when the rod is held at each shift position, the In order to return to the original position, it is necessary to
It becomes necessary to provide a spring within the knob to urge the push button outward in the sliding direction, and the above-mentioned problem of assemblage cannot be solved.

To address this problem, the applicant has previously proposed a structure as shown in Figure 3, although the application has not yet been published (Japanese Patent Application No. 59-200564).
issue). In other words, the rod 1 connected to the transmission mechanism
A sleeve 4 slidably supported by the rod 1 is interposed between the upper end and a push button 3 slidably provided in the knob 2, and the sleeve 4 and the push button 3 are engaged with each other at an inclined surface. At the same time, the sleeve 4 is connected to the spring 5.
Therefore, it has a structure in which it is biased upward independently of the rod 1.

With this proposed structure, the push button 3 can be returned to its original position by utilizing the upward biasing force of the sleeve 4 while the rod 1 is held at any gear shift position, without having to provide a spring inside the knob 2. This eliminates the need to provide a spring inside the knob 2, making assembly easier.

However, in the proposed upper air structure, as shown in Fig. 3, the spring 5 pushes the lower surface of the sleeve 4, and the length of the sliding part between the sleeve 4 and the knob 2 is relatively short in the vertical direction. However, when the push button 3 is operated, the sleeve 4 and the like may easily shake, and there remains a problem that a good push button operation feeling may not be obtained.

The present invention solves the problems in the conventionally known technology described above, and improves the ease of assembly around the push button in order to solve the remaining problems in the structure previously proposed by the applicant. While doing so,
The purpose is to improve the push button operation feeling.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The operating lever device of the automatic transmission for automobiles according to the present invention, which meets this objective, has a transmission mechanism that is provided within the operating lever so that it can be moved in the axial direction while being biased upwardly. a knob attached to the upper end of the operating lever and extending in a direction perpendicular to the rod;
A control lever device for an automatic transmission for an automobile, comprising a push button that is slidably provided within the knob and converts movement within the knob into movement of the rod, between an upper end of the rod and the push button. A sleeve is disposed at the upper end of the rod and has an upper surface that can be slidably contacted with the push button via an inclined surface, and is slidably supported in the axial direction of the rod, and the sleeve is attached above the rod. A groove is formed on the bottom side of the sleeve, which extends annularly around the rod and upwardly within the sleeve, and has an outer circumferential wall and an inner circumferential wall on both sides. The upper end of the spring is inserted into the groove, and a spring receiving member is interposed between the lower end of the spring and the upper end of the operating lever.

[Operation] In such a device, the sleeve is urged upward by the spring, and the push button is pressed against the upper sliding surface inside the knob through the sliding surface with the sleeve. Even without installing a spring on the back side, vibration of the push button can be prevented. In addition, since the sleeve is urged upward by the spring independently of the rod, even if the rod is held in any gear shift position, the sleeve can be moved through its slope independently of the movement of the rod. In addition, the push button can be biased outward, and from an operational point of view, there is no need to provide a spring deep inside the knob. and,
Since the spring is installed around the rod at the upper end of the rod in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the push button, the push button can be inserted into the knob later with the rod installed in the operating lever and the knob attached to the operating lever. Just by pushing it into the rod, it is automatically installed in the correct position without having to align it with the upper end of the rod as in the conventional case, and it is naturally engaged with the sleeve in the normal state.
Therefore, there is no need to confirm the attachment, and assembly is facilitated.

In addition, an annular groove with inner and outer peripheral walls is provided on the bottom side of the sleeve, and the upper part of the spring is inserted into the groove, so that the vertical length of the sleeve that forms the outer peripheral wall of the groove is equal to the length of the spring. It can be made longer without being shortened, and the sliding part of the sleeve is lengthened, which suppresses tilting and backlash caused by the clearance of the sliding part of the sleeve. The fitting length with the rod can be increased without shortening the spring length, and play between the sleeve and the rod is also prevented. Due to the presence of this inner circumferential wall, the sleeve and rod slide relative to each other in the vertical direction (with the rod held in the gear shift position, the push button whose sleeve has been moved upward returns to the position before being pushed outward). This allows for stable movement of the sleeve even when the sleeve is moved. Moreover, since the upper part of the spring is inserted into the groove provided with the inner and outer circumferential walls, the posture of the spring is further stabilized. Therefore, the sleeve stably engages with the push button even when the push button is operated, and the push button operation feeling is improved.

Furthermore, by inserting part of the spring into the groove, the length of the spring can be increased without increasing the size of the device, and the rate of change in the push button operation load due to spring expansion and contraction is reduced, further improving the operation feeling. Improved.

Furthermore, by interposing a spring receiving member at the upper end of the operating lever, a seat for the lower end of the spring can be easily secured, and stable operation of the spring can also be ensured.

[Embodiments] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an operating lever device for an automatic transmission for an automobile according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 11 indicates a pipe-structured operating lever, and inside the operating lever 11 is a rod that is provided so as to be movable in the axial direction while being biased upward, and that is connected to a transmission mechanism (not shown). 12 are provided. A knob 13 extending perpendicularly to the operating lever 11 is attached to the upper end of the operating lever 11 . A push button 14 is inserted into the knob 13 so as to be slidable in a direction perpendicular to the rod 12.
4 is partially exposed outside the knob 13.

A sleeve 15 is interposed between the upper end of the rod 12 and the push button 14 and is supported on the upper end of the rod 12 so as to be slidable in the axial direction of the rod 12.
In this embodiment, the upper surface 15a of the sleeve 15 is formed into a slope that slopes downward toward the push button 14, and this upper surface 15a can slide into engagement surface 14a formed at the lower end of the push button 14. It's summery.

The bottom side of the sleeve 15 is provided with a groove 16 that extends annularly around the upper end of the rod 12 inserted into the sleeve 15. The annular groove 16 extends upward within the sleeve 15 in the vertical direction. A spring 17 is interposed between the sleeve 15 and the upper end of the operating lever 11, and the sleeve 15 is constantly biased upwardly by the spring 17, independent of the upward bias of the rod 12. has been done. The lower end surface of the spring 17 is
A washer 18 serving as a spring receiving member provided between the spring 17 and the upper end of the operating lever 11 is in contact with the spring 17. The upper portion of the spring 17 is inserted into the groove 16, and the spring 17 biases the sleeve 15 upward against the washer 18 (operating lever 11).

The operation of the embodiment device configured as described above will be explained.

When the push button 14 is pushed in, the engagement surface 14 of the push button 14
a and the upper surface 15a of the sleeve 15 come into sliding contact, and the sleeve 15 is pushed down against the biasing force of the spring 17. At this time, the rod 12 is connected to the sleeve 15.
At the same time, the transmission mechanism is pushed down in the axial direction, and the transmission mechanism is engaged with or disengaged from a predetermined drive position. Since the sleeve 15 is always urged upward by the spring 17 independently of the rod 12, even if the rod 12 is engaged with one of the drive positions and held at that position, the above operation can be performed. Later, the push button 14 is returned to its original position through engagement with the sleeve 15, and
The push button 14 is always pressed against the upper inner surface of the knob 13. This pressing prevents the push button 14 from vibrating. Therefore, like the conventional structure,
There is no need to provide a spring on the back side of the push button of the knob 13. When assembling this structure, the sleeve 15 and the spring 1 are placed inside the knob 13.
7, simply insert the push button 14 into the knob 13, and the push button 14 will automatically slide into the sleeve 1.
7 and are mounted in a predetermined positional relationship.

Further, a groove 16 is provided in the sleeve 15, and the groove 16
Since a part of the spring 17 is inserted inside, the contact height of the spring 17 (the bottom surface of the groove 16 and the washer 1
8) without shortening the sleeve 15
The outer peripheral wall side portion of the groove 16, that is, the sliding portion of the sleeve 15 with the inner diameter portion of the knob 13 can be made longer in the vertical direction. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, it is possible to prevent the sleeve 15 from clumping (indicated by an arrow) at the beginning of pressing the push button 14, etc., and the operational feeling at the beginning of pressing, etc. is improved. Further, since a part of the spring 17 is held in the groove 16, there is no looseness between the sleeve 17 and the spring 15, and the spring 17 is held in the groove 16.
As a result, the spring receiving surface of the sleeve 15 is raised, so that the force that pushes the sleeve 15 vertically upward becomes stable, and the sliding contact between the sleeve 15 and the push button 14 is stabilized. Operation feeling is further improved.

Further, since the groove 16 has an inner circumferential wall as well as the outer circumferential wall, the length of the engagement between the sleeve 15 and the rod 12 can be easily made long, and play between the two is reliably prevented, and the sleeve 15 is fixed to the rod 12. Even when relative sliding occurs, stable posture and movement of the sleeve 15 are ensured.

Furthermore, the sleeve 17 is inserted into the groove 1 of the spring 15.
6, the spring 17 can be made longer than the structure shown in FIG. 3 even in the same space, and the rate of change in the spring reaction force with respect to the displacement of the spring 17 can be suppressed accordingly. Therefore, the rate of change in the operating load of the push button 14 depending on the push button position can be suppressed to a small level.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the following effects can be obtained by using the operating lever device for an automatic transmission for automobiles according to the present invention.

The sleeve is biased upward by a spring independently of the rod, making it possible to press the push button against the inner surface of the knob at all times, ensuring return movement of the push button without the need for a spring at the back of the push button inside the knob. At the same time, vibration of the push button and generation of noise due to vibration can be prevented, and ease of assembly can be improved compared to conventionally known structures.

In addition, a part of the spring is inserted into the groove of the sleeve, and the sliding part of the sleeve can be made longer on both the inner and outer circumferential sides, and the spring receiving surface of the sleeve can be raised. It is possible to prevent tilting and rattling, and also to stabilize the direction in which the sleeve is pushed up, thereby stabilizing the engagement between the sleeve and the push button.
The operating feeling of the push button can be improved. Further, by securing the lower end seat of the spring by interposing the spring receiving member, the operation of the spring can be further stabilized.

Furthermore, since the length of the spring can be increased, the rate of change in the operating load of the push button can be suppressed to a small value, and the operating feeling can be further improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an operating lever device for an automatic transmission for automobiles according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. This is a vertical cross-sectional view of the structure proposed by (Japanese Patent Application No. 59-200564). 11...operation lever, 12...rod, 13...
...Knob, 14...Push button, 15...Sleeve, 16
...Groove, 17...Spring, 18...Washer.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A rod is provided within the control lever so as to be movable in the axial direction while being biased upward and is connected to the transmission mechanism; a knob is attached to the upper end of the control lever and extends in a direction perpendicular to the rod; An operating lever device for an automatic transmission for an automobile, comprising a push button which is movably provided and which converts movement within the knob into movement of the rod, wherein the push button is provided with an inclined surface between the upper end of the rod and the push button. A sleeve is disposed at the upper end of the rod and has an upper surface that can be slidably contacted through the rod, and the sleeve is supported independently of the upward bias of the rod. , a groove is provided on the bottom side of the sleeve that extends annularly around the rod and extends upwardly within the sleeve and has an outer circumferential wall and an inner circumferential wall on both sides; , insert the upper side of the spring between the lower end of the spring and the upper end of the operating lever,
An operating lever device for an automatic transmission for an automobile, characterized in that a spring receiving member is inserted.