WO2021187107A1

WO2021187107A1 - Pedal actuator for vehicle automatic driving device

Info

Publication number: WO2021187107A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/008156
Authority: WO
Inventors: 安紀彦兒玉; 伸夫岡▲崎▼
Original assignee: 株式会社明電舎
Priority date: 2020-03-19
Filing date: 2021-03-03
Publication date: 2021-09-23
Also published as: JP6897828B1; JP2021148614A

Abstract

A pedal actuator (41) for a vehicle automatic driving device (1) comprises: a pedal actuator support bracket (61); an actuator housing (78) which is supported vertically and oscillatably relative to the pedal actuator support bracket (61); a support arm (70) which is fixed at the pedal actuator support bracket (61) and extends below the actuator housing (78); and a variable-length rod (83) having one end oscillatably connected to an end portion of the support arm (70) and the other end oscillatably connected to the actuator housing (78), the length between the connection sites varying in accordance with rotation of an adjustment nut.

Description

Pedal actuator of automatic vehicle driving device

The present invention relates to a pedal actuator of an automatic vehicle driving device.

When conducting a vehicle running test on a chassis dynamometer, a vehicle automatic driving device that performs pedal operation and shift lever operation of the vehicle on behalf of the driver is generally used.

In this type of automatic vehicle driving device, for example, as disclosed in

Patent Documents

1 and 2, an actuator that operates a vehicle pedal is detachable from the main body.

In

Patent Documents

1 and 2, the actuator for operating the pedal is detachably attached to a holding body provided on a fixed base for attaching the vehicle automatic driving device to the driver's seat of the vehicle.

In

Patent Documents

1 and 2, a cylindrical protrusion provided at the rear end of the actuator is inserted into the holding hole of the holder, and the actuator is rotated around the axis of the protrusion. The angle of the actuator is adjusted.

However, it is not easy to adjust the angle of the pedal actuator for each pedal so that the tip of the actuator is pressed against the pedal during the installation work in the vehicle interior, and there is room for further improvement.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-14587 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-14588

The pedal actuator of the vehicle automatic driving device according to the present invention is fixed to the pedal actuator support bracket, the actuator housing that is swingably supported up and down with respect to the pedal actuator support bracket, and the pedal actuator support bracket. In addition, one end of the support arm extending downward of the actuator housing is swingably connected to the tip of the support arm, and the other end is swingably connected to the actuator housing. It is provided with a screw mechanism in which the length between points changes according to the rotation of the adjusting nut.

In one preferred embodiment, the actuator housing is supported by the pedal actuator support bracket via a link arm, which is swingable up and down with respect to the pedal actuator support bracket and after adjustment. A first locking mechanism for fixing is provided, and the actuator housing is swingably supported at the tip of the link arm.

In one preferred embodiment, the support arm is supported by the tip of the link arm so as to be swingable up and down, and is provided with a second lock mechanism that is fixed to the link arm after adjustment.

In one preferred embodiment, the link arm is formed in a half-split shape on the first and second members that sandwich both the connecting shaft with the pedal actuator support bracket and the connecting shaft with the support arm. A common lock mechanism for tightening the first and second members to each other is provided, and this common lock mechanism constitutes the first lock mechanism and the second lock mechanism.

In one preferred embodiment, the swing center axis between the link arm and the actuator housing coincides with the swing center axis between the link arm and the support arm.

In one preferred embodiment, a stopper mechanism for restricting a relative angle change between the actuator housing and the support arm within a predetermined range is provided.

In one preferred embodiment, the screw mechanism has a first screw shaft connected to the support arm side and a thread connected to the actuator housing side and opposite to the first screw shaft. The screw shaft of 2 and the adjusting nut having screw holes for screwing the first screw shaft and the second screw shaft respectively are provided.

In one preferred embodiment, at least one of the first screw shaft and the second screw shaft is provided with a locknut in contact with the adjusting nut.

In one preferred embodiment, the adjusting nut is formed in a disk shape having irregularities on the peripheral surface so that it can be rotated by fingers.

In the vehicle automatic driving device of the present invention, since the length of the screw mechanism changes according to the rotation of the adjusting nut, the angle of the pedal actuator can be continuously and easily adjusted according to the rotation of the adjusting nut.

The perspective view which shows the state which the vehicle automatic driving device which concerns on this invention is mounted on the driver's seat. A side view showing a state in which the vehicle automatic driving device is mounted on the driver's seat. A perspective view seen from below with the vehicle automatic driving device mounted on the driver's seat. The plan view which shows the state which the vehicle automatic driving device is mounted on the driver's seat. Top view of the vehicle automatic driving device. Perspective view of the vehicle automatic driving device. Perspective view of the vehicle automatic driving device seen from different directions. The perspective view of the vehicle automatic driving apparatus which showed the transmission actuator unit and the accelerator pedal actuator in the disassembled state. A perspective view of the vehicle automatic driving device in a state where the transmission actuator unit and the accelerator pedal actuator are disassembled, as viewed from below. Perspective view of the frame and legs. Side view of the frame and legs. A perspective view showing the frame mounted on the driver's seat. Perspective view of the movable unit. A perspective view of the movable unit as viewed from below. A side view of a partial cross section showing the movable unit and the transmission actuator unit in an exploded manner. A side view of a partial cross section showing a state in which the movable unit and the transmission actuator unit are assembled. Perspective view of the transmission actuator unit. Perspective view of the transmission actuator unit seen from different directions. Front view of the transmission actuator unit. Bottom view of the transmission actuator unit. An exploded perspective view of the transmission actuator unit. An exploded perspective view of the transmission actuator unit seen from below. Vertical cross-sectional view of the shift actuator. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a transmission actuator unit showing a stopper mechanism. Sectional drawing of the main part of a transmission actuator unit along a plane orthogonal to a stopper pin. The plan view of the vehicle automatic driving device for the left-hand drive vehicle. The perspective view of the vehicle automatic driving device for the left-hand drive vehicle. Perspective view of the brake pedal actuator. Side view of the brake pedal actuator. A perspective view of the brake pedal actuator seen from below. A perspective view of the pedal actuator attached to the slide rail. Perspective view of slide rail and pedal actuator support. Perspective view of the pedal actuator support bracket. The perspective view which shows the state which attached the pedal actuator support bracket to the pedal actuator support. An exploded cross-sectional view of the pedal actuator support and the pedal actuator support bracket. A cross-sectional view taken along a plane (line DD in FIG. 29) passing through the swing center of the support arm. Sectional view along a plane passing through the central axis of a variable length rod. The perspective view of the vehicle automatic driving device of the aspect applied to the automatic transmission type vehicle. The side view which shows the deformation example of a movable unit. The side view which shows the tilt state of the deformation example of a movable unit. A perspective view of the movable unit in the tilted state as viewed from below. The perspective view which shows the modification of the support part of the shift actuator. The perspective view when the support part of the shift actuator is set to a high position. A perspective view of a transmission actuator unit provided with a support portion of a modified example as viewed from below. The perspective view which shows the slide rail of the modified example which made the pedal actuator height adjustable. A perspective view of a frame with a modified slide rail. Side view of the frame with the slide rail of the modified example.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[Overall configuration of vehicle automatic driving device 1]
1 to 4 show a state in which the vehicle automatic driving device 1 according to the present invention is mounted on the driver's seat 2 of the vehicle. 5 to 9 show the entire vehicle automatic driving device 1 in a state of being removed from the vehicle. This vehicle automatic driving device 1 is used when a running test of a vehicle is performed on a chassis dynamometer (not shown), and a pedal operation such as an accelerator pedal and a transmission of a transmission are performed by a signal from a control device arranged outside the vehicle. Operate the shift lever.

Here, the vehicle automatic driving device 1 of the present embodiment can be used regardless of whether the vehicle is a manual transmission type vehicle having a clutch pedal or an automatic transmission type vehicle not provided with the clutch pedal, as will be described later. It is possible, and it is applicable to both so-called right-hand drive vehicles with the driver's seat on the right side of the vehicle and the shift lever is operated with the left hand, and so-called left-handle vehicles with the driver's seat on the left side of the vehicle and the shift lever is operated with the right hand. Is possible. The embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 9 is a configuration example in which the vehicle is a manual transmission type vehicle including an accelerator pedal 45, a brake pedal 46, and a clutch pedal 47, and is applied to a right-hand steering wheel vehicle. The vehicle automatic driving device 1 of the above is shown.

The driver's seat 2 is supported on the vehicle body floor 6 (see FIG. 2) via a front-rear slide mechanism and a vertical lift mechanism (not shown), and includes a seat cushion 3 constituting a seat surface on which the driver sits. It includes a seat back 4 that supports the driver's back and a headrest 5 that supports the driver's head. In general, the seat back 4 is provided with a so-called reclining mechanism capable of adjusting the inclination angle with respect to the seat cushion 3.

The vehicle automatic driving device 1 includes a frame 11 extending diagonally downward from the vicinity of the upper end portion of the seat back 4 toward the front of the vehicle, and a pair of leg portions 12 extending downward along the front end of the seat cushion 3 at the front end of the frame 11. , Three pedal actuators 41 extending from the front end of the frame 11 to the front of the vehicle to operate the three

pedals

45, 46, 47, respectively, and being supported in a state of being lifted from the seat cushion 3 and the seat back 4 in the middle portion of the frame 11. It is roughly composed of a movable unit 101, a transmission actuator unit 131 mounted on the upper surface of the movable unit 101, and a connection box 106 located at the front end of the frame 11.

Specifically, the pedal actuator 41 includes an accelerator pedal actuator 41A for operating the accelerator pedal 45, a brake pedal actuator 41B for operating the brake pedal 46, and a clutch pedal actuator 41C for operating the clutch pedal 47 (). 5 and 31). These three pedal actuators 41 may have completely the same configuration, but in this embodiment, the clutch pedal 47 operates in an arc and the stroke (stepping operation amount) is relatively large. In consideration, the clutch pedal actuator 41C has a configuration different from that of the other two

pedal actuators

41A and 41B in detail. The accelerator pedal actuator 41A and the brake pedal actuator 41B have substantially the same configuration. Since the basic configuration is common to the three pedal actuators 41, they are collectively referred to as the pedal actuator 41 when it is not necessary to distinguish them.

The connection box 106 provides a connection portion between various actuators and sensors included in the vehicle automatic driving device 1 and a cable (including a power supply system and a signal system) (not shown) drawn into the vehicle from a control device outside the vehicle. It is configured.

The movable unit 101 is configured to be slidable in the front-rear direction with respect to the frame 11, and functions as a support base for the transmission actuator unit 131. The movable unit 101 and the connection box 106 are electrically connected to each other via a flexible flat band-shaped cable 100. The cable 100 has a configuration in which a plurality of electric wires are protected by a flexible protective member similar to a metal chain, and by bending in a U-shape or a J-shape, both of them are formed regardless of the slide position of the movable unit 101. Connection is possible.

In the illustrated example, the transmission actuator unit 131 operates a shift lever located on the left hand side of the driver's seat 2, and has a select actuator 133 that operates the shift lever along the vehicle width direction (so-called select operation) and a shift. The structure is a combination of a shift actuator 134 that operates the lever along the front-rear direction of the vehicle (so-called shift operation). Specifically, the transmission actuator unit 131 includes a grip hand 168 for gripping, for example, a substantially spherical knob or grip of a shift lever head (not shown), and the grip hand 168 moves forward and backward by the operation of the shift actuator 134. At the same time, the entire shift actuator 134 moves along the vehicle width direction by the operation of the select actuator 133, thereby realizing both the select operation and the shift operation.

The vehicle automatic driving device 1 mounted on the driver's seat 2 of the vehicle is fixed to the vehicle by pulling it diagonally backward and downward via the belt 25 on both the left and right sides of the driver's seat 2. Specifically, in order to protect the driver's seat 2 from scratches and the like, a rigid seat support 27 is arranged at the rear end of the seat cushion 3, and belts 25 are hung on both ends of the ring portion 29 having an elongated shape on the left and right. ing. The seat support 27 includes a plate portion 28 extending in a substantially L shape from the rear end of the seat cushion 3 to the lower end of the seat back 4, and the lower surface of the driver's seat 2 is provided from the rear of the driver's seat 2 (that is, the rear seat side of the vehicle). The plate portion 28 is attached so as to be inserted along the above (see FIG. 2). The belt 25 is configured in a loop shape on each of the left and right sides via a general-purpose belt tightener (so-called load tightener) (not shown), and the tightening operation is performed by the belt tightener. As will be described later, in a state of being tightened and fixed via the belt 25, the lower end of the leg portion 12 abuts on the vehicle body floor 6, and the upper end of the frame 11 abuts on the upper portion of the seat back 4.

Next, each part constituting the vehicle automatic driving device 1 will be described in more detail.

[Structure of frame 11 and leg 12]
10 to 12 show the configuration of the frame 11 and the leg portion 12. The frame 11 is formed in a hollow tubular shape using, for example, carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), and includes a main frame 15 and a subframe 16, both of which are integrally formed. More specifically, it is divided into several parts and molded and joined to each other to be integrated.

The main frame 15 has a substantially U shape in a plan view (meaning a state viewed from above the vehicle as shown in FIG. 5). That is, the main frame 15 includes a pair of main beams 15a extending diagonally in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and a horizontal beam 15b along the horizontal direction extending vertically to connect the upper ends of the pair of main beams 15a to each other. Has. In the vehicle-mounted state, the lateral beam 15b abuts on the upper portion of the seat back 4, and the main beam 15a extends diagonally downward and linearly toward the front end of the seat cushion 3.

The main beam 15a has a rectangular cross section, and the vertical dimension is relatively small at the central portion in the longitudinal direction (vehicle front-rear direction), extends in the vertical direction at the rear end portion, and is continuous with the lateral beam 15b without a step. .. The vertical dimension is slightly larger than the central portion at the front end to which the leg 12 is attached.

In addition, the widthwise dimension of the rectangular cross section is generally constant in the range from the rear end to the center. Then, the widthwise dimension of the rectangular cross section gradually expands from the central portion to the front end portion. At the front end to which the leg 12 is attached, the dimension in the width direction of the rectangular cross section is sufficiently larger than the projected area of the leg 12 so as to form the attachment portion of the leg 12, and the sub They project inward to each other so as to be continuous with the frame 16.

The pair of main beams 15a have symmetrical shapes. Here, in the plan view of the main frame 15, as shown in FIG. 5, each main beam 15a is curved in an arch shape so as to form a barrel shape as a whole. In other words, the distance between the pair of main beams 15a is large near the center in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the distance between the rear end (lateral beam 15b) and the front end is smaller than that at the center. It has become.

In the side view, the main beam 15a is not a perfect straight line, but is gently curved in an arch shape so as to be relatively close to the shape formed by the seat back 4 and the seat cushion 3 (see FIG. 11).

A belt loop 26 through which a belt-shaped belt 25 passes is attached to the upper surface of the central portion of the pair of main beams 15a. The belt loop 26 is made of a flat U-shaped metal member, and the belt 25 is attached to the main beam 15a through a gap formed between the belt loop 26 and the surface of the main beam 15a. Among the main beams 15a, the central portion where the belt loop 26 is located is the thinnest (the peripheral length of the main beam 15a is short), and the distance between the pair of main beams 15a is the widest. Since the pair of main beams 15a bulge outward in the width direction at the place where the belt 25 is mounted, the belt 25 extending from the seat support 27 in the vehicle mounted state is the seat cushion 3 and the like, as shown in FIG. It will be arranged relatively straight (that is, without tilting in the front-rear direction of the vehicle) without interfering with the vehicle. Therefore, the belt 25 does not bite into the side edges of the seat cushion 3 and the seat back 4, and damage to the seat cushion 3 and the seat back 4 is suppressed. In one embodiment, a plurality of belt loops 26 are arranged side by side in series so that the mounting position of the belt 25 can be adjusted.

The lateral beam 15b of the main frame 15 has a substantially rectangular plate shape slightly inclined along the basic inclination angle of the seat back 4, and abuts near the upper end of the seat back 4 when mounted on a vehicle. It constitutes the seat back contact portion. By appropriately adjusting the inclination of the seat back 4 by the reclining mechanism, the substantially rectangular outer surface of the lateral beam 15b comes into wide surface contact with the seat back 4. Here, on the shoulder portion of the frame 11 that abuts on the seat back 4, that is, on the surface of both upper edge portions (corner portions connected to the main beam 15a) of the lateral beam 15b, rubber portions 30 made of an elastomer having appropriate elasticity are respectively. It is provided.

When a reaction force in the front-rear direction due to the operation of the pedal actuator 41 and the shift actuator 134 acts on the frame 11, both shoulders, which are the rear ends of the frame 11, are strongly pressed against the seat back 4, but this portion is elastic. By providing the rubber portion 30 having the above, damage to the seat back 4 is suppressed. Further, the rubber portion 30 also functions as a non-slip for the skin of the seat back 4. The rubber portion 30 can be attached at the same time, for example, at the time of final molding of the frame 11, but it may be attached in a later step.

Further, the seat back 4 generally has an upper pad portion 4a and a lower pad portion 4b whose internal materials (and thus hardness) are different from each other, but the seat back 4 is laterally substantially along the seam 4c of the epidermis which is the boundary between the two. The basic dimensions of each part of the main frame 15 are set so that the lower edge of the beam 15b (that is, the lower edge of the seat back contact portion) is located (see FIG. 12). Of course, the specific configuration of the seat back 4 differs depending on the vehicle type, but in many cases, the position of the boundary between the upper pad portion 4a and the lower pad portion 4b is substantially constant. Since the seam 4c is relatively recessed, by aligning the lateral beam 15b of the main frame 15 with the position of the seam 4c and mounting it on the vehicle, the vehicle automatic driving device 1 can be easily positioned and the frame 11 can be positioned. The posture is stable. It should be noted that, depending on the vehicle type, it is of course possible to mount the vehicle automatic driving device 1 regardless of the position of such a seam 4c.

The subframe 16 is located inside the main frame 15 that swells in a barrel shape as described above. The subframe 16 has a substantially U-shape as a whole in a plan view, and a pair of linear subbeams 16a located parallel to each other and a hollow plate-shaped lateral beam connecting the lower ends of the pair of subbeams 16a to each other. It has a connection box support portion 16b that extends forward in a bent shape from the lower end of the lateral beam 16b.

The pair of sub-beams 16a and lateral beams 16b extend along one inclined plane corresponding to the inclination of the main frame 15. In other words, a pair of sub-beams 16a and lateral beams 16b are formed as if a U-shaped notch was cut out from an inclined strip-shaped or elongated rectangular base material. Each of the subbeams 16a has a rectangular cross section close to a square. With respect to such an inclined sub-beam 16a and lateral beam 16b, the connection box support portion 16c is formed so as to be along a horizontal plane in a vehicle-mounted state. Therefore, the sub-beam 16a and the lateral beam 16b and the connection box support portion 16c are continuous with a predetermined angle.

The connection box support portion 16c arranged along the horizontal plane is located between the front ends of the pair of main beams 15a of the main frame 15 and is integrated with each other. That is, the main frame 15 having a substantially U shape in a plan view is configured to have a closed structure via the connection box support portion 16c. Further, the rear end (that is, the upper end) of the sub beam 16a is connected to the inner side surface of the lower edge of the lateral beam 15b of the main frame 15. As described above, the main frame 15 and the subframe 16 are integrated as a molded product using, for example, carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP).

In the side view, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the overall inclination of the subframe 16 and the overall inclination of the main frame 15 almost correspond to each other. However, while the main beam 15a is gently curved, the sub beam 16a extends linearly. The subframe 16 reinforces the main frame 15 that surrounds the outside, and at the same time, functions as a support member and a guide member that slidably support the movable unit 101 as described later.

The connection box 106 is arranged so as to be embedded in the connection box support portion 16c of the hollow tubular subframe 16. That is, the display panel 109 on the upper surface of the connection box 106 is located along the upper surface of the connection box support portion 16c, and the internal mechanism is housed in the hollow portion of the subframe 16. The display panel 109 has a display unit 109a made of a liquid crystal display or the like, and also includes a plurality of small connectors 109b. Further, a light switch 109c for turning on / off the LED light 76, which will be described later, is arranged on the display panel 109. As shown in FIG. 9, a lower cover 108 made of a metal plate of the connection box 106 is detachably attached to the lower surface of the connection box support portion 16c.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, a relatively large main connector 107 is arranged behind the lower part of the connection box 106. The main connector 107 is located below the lateral beam 16b of the subframe 16 and is provided so as to direct rearward. A relatively large centralized connector 116 (see FIG. 9) at the tip of a cable (not shown) drawn into the vehicle from an external control device is connected to the main connector 107.

The above-mentioned flat band-shaped cable 100 that electrically connects the movable unit 101 and the connection box 106 is connected to the connection box 106 above the main connector 107, and is connected to the pair of subbeams 16a of the subframe 16. It reaches the movable unit 101 through the gap. The cable 100 has a structure that cannot be curved toward the outer periphery due to a chain-shaped protective member, and allows the movable unit 101 to move while maintaining a U-shape or a J-shape substantially along the inclination of the sub-beam 16a. doing.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, a metal guide rail 20 for slidably guiding the movable unit 101 is attached to the lower surface of each of the pair of sub-beams 16a, as will be described later. The channel-shaped guide rail 20 is attached so that the rail surface faces downward, and the sub-beam 16a is provided so that a part of the guide rail 20 overlaps the range of the lateral beam 16b from the vicinity of the rear end (that is, the upper end) of the sub-beam 16a. It extends over the entire length.

The lower surface of the lower end (front end) of the main frame 15 which is the open end side of the U-shape connected to each other via the connection box support portion 16c of the subframe 16, that is, the lower surface of the front end of the pair of main beams 15a has a disk shape. The leg mounting seats 33 are formed. Cylindrical legs 12 are attached to the leg attachment seats 33, respectively. The leg portion 12 has a male screw shown at the upper end protruding along the center line of the leg portion 12, while the leg mounting seat portion 33 has a metal nut portion (not shown) at the center. The leg portion 12 is detachably attached by screwing the male screw of the leg portion 12 into the nut portion. For example, when mounting the vehicle automatic driving device 1 on a vehicle, it is easy to arrange the frame 11 on the driver's seat 2 with the legs 12 removed, and then attach the legs 12.

In the illustrated embodiment, the height adjusting screw 13 is provided at the lower end of the leg portion 12, and fine adjustment is possible so that the leg portion 12 surely contacts the vehicle body floor 6 while mounted on the vehicle.

On the upper surface of the lower end (front end) of the main beam 15a, a spherical optional component mounting portion 14 is provided. The optional component mounting portion 14 is located at a position where it overlaps with the leg portion 12 in a plan view. That is, the leg portion 12 is located on the lower surface side of the main beam 15a, and the optional component mounting portion 14 is located on the upper surface side. The optional component mounting portion 14 is used for mounting an optional component, for example, an actuator for an air conditioner.

A slide rail 31 for supporting a pedal actuator extending in the vehicle width direction is attached to the front end surface of the pair of main beams 15a, and the pair of main beams 15a are connected to each other by the slide rail 31 for supporting the pedal actuator.

The slide rail 31 is provided with a pair of left and right rail support brackets 32 on the back surface, and is attached to the front end surface of the main beam 15a so as to face the front of the vehicle via these brackets 32. The slide rail 31 is formed of an elongated plate shape from a metal material so as to have sufficient rigidity, and is integrally formed with the rail support bracket 32 in the illustrated example. The open end of the substantially U-shaped main frame 15 is closed by the slide rail 31 for supporting the pedal actuator. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the main frame 15 and the slide rail 31 form a closed quadrangle or barrel in a plan view.

The slide rail 31 for supporting the pedal actuator is provided with a first guide surface 31a and a second guide surface 31b having a semicircular cross section on the upper edge and the lower edge on the front surface side, respectively, and these first and second guide surfaces. The pedal actuator support 51 is slidably supported by 31a and 31b. In the examples of FIGS. 1 to 12, three pedal actuator supports 51 are provided corresponding to the three pedal actuators 41 (accelerator pedal actuator 41A, brake pedal actuator 41B, clutch pedal actuator 41C). Details of the pedal actuator support 51 and details of each pedal actuator 41 attached to the pedal actuator support 51 will be described later. In the illustrated example, the slide rail 31 for supporting the pedal actuator, which has an elongated plate shape as a whole, is provided with a large number of openings for weight reduction, and unnecessary parts are lightened. As a result, the upper edge portion and the lower edge portion constituting the first guide surface 31a and the second guide surface 31b have a rod-like appearance with a semicircular cross section.

FIG. 12 shows a state in which the frame 11 is mounted on the driver's seat 2. As described above, the belt 25 is laid between the seat support 27 provided on the back of the driver's seat 2, and the frame 11 is fixed on the driver's seat 2 by tightening the belt 25 with a tightener (not shown). ing. In such a mounted state, the frame 11 is in a posture of extending diagonally downward from the upper end of the seat back 4 to the front end of the seat cushion 3. Specifically, the strip-shaped lateral beam 15b of the main frame 15 makes wide surface contact with the upper part of the seat back 4 as a seat back contact portion, from which the main beam 15a extends diagonally toward the front end of the seat cushion 3 and is the main. The front end of the beam 15a is slightly projected from the front end of the seat cushion 3.

The leg portion 12 extends downward from the front end of the frame 11 along the front end of the seat cushion 3, and the lower end provided with the height adjusting screw 13 is in contact with the vehicle body floor 6. The legs 12 are basically arranged in a vertical position on the vehicle body floor 6.

Arrows F1, F2, and F3 in FIG. 2 indicate the load generated at the support point by tightening the belt 25. By tightening the belt 25 locked to the belt loop 26 of the frame 11, the frame 11 is pulled diagonally downward as shown by the arrow F1. Due to this tensile force, the leg portion 12 is pressed against the vehicle body floor 6 as shown by the arrow F2. Further, the seat back contact portion at the upper end (rear end) of the frame 11, that is, the lateral beam 16b is pressed against the upper end portion of the seat back 4 as shown by an arrow F3. The frame 11 including the main frame 15 and the subframe 16 is not supported by the seat cushion 3. That is, the frame 11 is fixed by a total of three points, that is, two points of the leg portion 12 and the seat back contact portion, and a tension action point of the belt 25 (near the belt loop 26) in the intermediate portion between these two points.

As is clear from FIG. 2, the tension action point (belt loop 26) of the belt 25 is located near the center of the line segment (virtual straight line) connecting the lower end of the leg portion 12 and the seat back contact portion, which is a fixed point with respect to the vehicle. Is located, and the tensile force of the belt 25 acts in a direction substantially orthogonal to the line segment, so that the frame 11 is efficiently and firmly fixed and supported.

In general, the seat cushion 3 is flexibly configured to ensure riding comfort, whereas the seat back 4 is firmly configured to ensure load bearing capacity in the event of a collision. Therefore, it is possible to sufficiently tighten the belt 25 to apply a large tensile load, and the support of the frame 11 becomes firmer as compared with the case where the belt 25 is placed on the seat cushion 3.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 12, the load of the entire vehicle automatic driving device 1 including the transmission actuator unit 131, the pedal actuator 41, and the like also acts on the leg portion 12 and the seat back contact portion, and the seat It does not act on the cushion 3. In other words, the load of the vehicle automatic driving device 1 is supported at two locations, the vehicle body floor 6 and the seat back 4. As described above, since the seat back 4 is firmly configured, the support of the vehicle automatic driving device 1 is ensured, and the vibration of the vehicle automatic driving device 1 due to the vehicle vibration during the test and the reaction force at the time of operation of various actuators are ensured. The misalignment of the vehicle automatic driving device 1 due to the above is suppressed. For example, as can be understood from FIG. 2, the reaction force when the pedal actuator 41 is operated acts diagonally upward, but the seat back contact portion (horizontal beam 16b) is located substantially along the reaction force action line. Therefore, the reaction force is surely supported by the solid seat back 4.

Further, in the illustrated example, since the rubber portions 30 are provided at both ends of the upper edge of the lateral beam 16b which is the shoulder portion of the frame 11, damage to the skin of the seat back 4 is suppressed. The rubber portion 30 also functions as a non-slip, and the displacement of the entire frame 11 in the front-rear direction due to the reaction force when the pedal actuator 41 is operated is suppressed.

[Structure and slide structure of movable unit 101]
FIG. 8 shows a state in which the movable unit 101 is assembled to the frame 11, and FIGS. 13 and 14 show the movable unit 101 in a single state.

As shown in FIG. 8, the movable unit 101 is located in the frame 11, specifically, between the pair of main beams 15a of the main frame 15.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the movable unit 101 includes a movable frame 102 supported by a pair of subbeams 16a, and a rigid actuator support plate 105 located at the upper end or the upper surface of the movable frame 102. ing.

The movable frame 102 includes a pair of left and right side frames 103 forming side surfaces of the movable frame 102, and a second connection box 104 having a triangular cross section sandwiched between the pair of side frames 103. There is.

Like the frame 11, each side frame 103 is configured as one member by using, for example, carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), and has a substantially triangular shape having an obtuse apex angle in a side view. .. That is, it has a substantially triangular shape having one side 103a that is basically horizontal in the vehicle-mounted state, one side 103b that extends diagonally downward from the front end of this side 103a, and a base 103c that is inclined along the sub-beam 16a. Then, a plurality of windows are formed so as to form a truss structure.

The pair of side frames 103 are connected to each other by the second connection box 104. The second connection box 104 includes a front wall 104a along the side 103b of the side frame 103, a rear wall 104b inclined so as to be parallel to the bottom side 103c of the side frame 103, and a pair of side walls 104c adjacent to the side frame 103. And, wirings (not shown) are housed in the internal space. The tip of the above-mentioned flat band-shaped cable 100 extending from the connection box 106 is connected to the second connection box 104 from the rear wall 104b side.

A slider cover plate 111 having a substantially rectangular plate shape is attached to the bottom 103c of the pair of side frames 103, respectively. The pair of slider cover plates 111 are provided so as to project inward from each side frame 103. That is, the pair of side frames 103 are located adjacent to the outer side of the sub beam 16a in the vehicle width direction, and the slider cover plate 111 projects from the bottom side 103c of each side frame 103 so as to cover the lower surface of the sub beam 16a. Two front and rear sliders 110 corresponding to the guide rail 20 on the lower surface of the sub beam 16a described above are attached to the upper surface of each slider cover plate 111 facing the lower surface of the sub beam 16a (see FIG. 14). The slider 110 is slidably engaged with the channel-shaped guide rail 20. By engaging the slider 110 with the guide rail 20, the load of the movable unit 101 is supported, and the movable unit 101 is slidably guided in the direction along the sub-beam 16a.

As the guide rail 20 and the slider 110, general-purpose parts available on the market can be used. The sliders 110 are located at two locations in the front-rear direction, and are arranged at a total of four locations so as to form the vertices of a quadrangle as a whole of the movable unit 101. , High rigidity against the reaction force acting on the movable unit 101 when the transmission actuator unit 131 is operated can be obtained. Moreover, the guide mechanism obtained by combining the guide rail 20 and the slider 110 generally has high rigidity or guidance accuracy in the width direction (direction along the mounting surface) of the guide rail 20. Therefore, by adopting the illustrated configuration in which the pair of guide rails 20 are arranged in a posture facing downward in the vertical direction, high support rigidity of the movable unit 101 in the vehicle width direction can be obtained.

It is desirable that at least one of the two front and rear sliders 110 is configured to provide friction with the guide rail 20 to the extent that the movable unit 101 does not move due to its own weight.

Each slider cover plate 111 is further provided with a fixing screw 113 that is screwed into a screw hole that penetrates the slider cover plate 111. The fixing screw 113 is configured so that it can be rotated by a finger, and its tip presses a pad or shoe (not shown) between the two sliders 110. That is, when the fixing screw 113 is screwed toward the guide rail 20, the tip of the screw comes into pressure contact with the guide rail 20 via the pad or shoe, whereby the slide mechanism is locked so that the movable unit 101 does not move. The operator can easily access the fixing screw 113 through, for example, a gap created between the seat cushion 3 or the seat back 4 and the main frame 15.

The actuator support plate 105 made of a metal plate has a rectangular shape in a plan view, and is arranged along the horizontal side 103a of the triangular side frame 103. The actuator support plate 105 is attached to the upper surface of the side 103a of the side frame 103, and connects a pair of side frames 103 located in parallel to each other. The vehicle width dimension of the actuator support plate 105 is larger than the vehicle width dimension formed by the pair of side frames 103, so that the side portions on both sides of the actuator support plate 105 are each outside the side frame 103. It protrudes to. The second connection box 104 is attached so as to cover the lower surface of the actuator support plate 105. In a plan view, the actuator support plate 105 is located on the front side of the movable frame 102, and the rear end portion of the side frame 103 projects rearward from the actuator support plate 105.

The transmission actuator unit 131 is detachably attached to the upper surface of the actuator support plate 105 as described later (see FIGS. 15 and 16). For mounting the transmission actuator unit 131, grommets 121 having lock holes 121a are embedded at two positions in the four corners of the rectangular actuator support plate 105. That is, the grommet 121 includes the front grommet 121A and the rear grommet 121B, both of which are arranged on the diagonal line of the quadrangle. Since all of these have the same configuration, they are collectively referred to as grommet 121 when it is not necessary to distinguish them individually.

Similarly, the actuator support plate 105 is provided with a transmission actuator unit connector 123 for making an electrical connection with the transmission actuator unit 131. The transmission actuator unit connector 123 includes a front connector 123A and a rear connector 123B. The front connector 123A is located on the front side of the actuator support plate 105 and is adjacent to the front grommet 121A. The rear connector 123B is located on the rear side of the actuator support plate 105 and is adjacent to the rear grommet 121B. Since all of these have the same configuration, they are collectively referred to as the transmission actuator unit connector 123 when it is not necessary to distinguish them individually. As the connector 123 for the transmission actuator unit, the terminal piece protrudes upward from the upper surface of the actuator support plate 105 (that is, the mounting surface of the transmission actuator unit 131), and a slight positional deviation from the mating side can be tolerated. As described above, a connector in which the terminal pieces are configured in a floating state is used. Further, the transmission actuator unit connector 123 is provided with a guide pin 123a and a guide sleeve 123b for guiding the connector at the time of positioning or insertion with the connector on the other side. As the connector 123 for the transmission actuator unit, general-purpose parts available on the market can be used. Each terminal of the transmission actuator unit connector 123 is connected to the wiring housed in the second connection box 104, and is finally connected to the connection box 106 from the second connection box 104 via the cable 100. ing.

The front grommet 121A and the front connector 123A located on the front side of the actuator support plate 105 and the rear grommet 121B and the rear connector 123B located on the rear side of the actuator support plate 105 form a rectangular shape of the actuator support plate 105. There is a point-symmetrical relationship with the center as the point of symmetry. That is, the arrangement and configuration are such that they overlap each other when rotated by 180 °.

Further, the actuator support plate 105 is provided with a square locating opening 124 for positioning the transmission actuator unit 131. The locating opening 124 includes a front locating opening 124A and a rear locating opening 124B. The front locating opening 124A is arranged on the front side of the actuator support plate 105 at a position opposite to the front grommet 121A in the vehicle width direction. The rear locating opening 124B is arranged on the rear side of the actuator support plate 105 at a position opposite to the rear grommet 121B in the vehicle width direction. The front locating opening 124A and the rear locating opening 124B are in a point-symmetrical relationship with the center of the actuator support plate 105, which also has a rectangular shape, as a point of symmetry.

Further, each of the left and right side edges of the actuator support plate 105 is provided with a substantially U-shaped notch 125 for locating for positioning the transmission actuator unit 131. The two locating notches 125 are located at the center of the left and right side edges, and are line-symmetrical and point-symmetrical to each other.

6 to 8 show a state in which the transmission actuator unit 131 is attached to the upper surface of the movable unit 101, and in particular, it is a diagram for explaining the position adjustment of the movable unit 101 with respect to the frame 11. As described above, the movable unit 101 can be slid up and down (that is, back and forth) along the sub-beam 16a of the frame 11. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the movable unit 101 is set at a relatively high position, and FIGS. 7 and 8 show a state in which the movable unit 101 is set at a relatively low position. By adjusting the position of the movable unit 101 in this way, the height position of the transmission actuator unit 131 and thus the basic height position of the grip hand 168 are changed, and it is possible to widely support shift levers having different lengths depending on the vehicle model. Is possible.

Here, when the position of the movable unit 101 is raised as shown in FIG. 6, the transmission actuator unit 131 is relatively retracted, and when the position of the movable unit 101 is lowered as shown in FIG. 7, the transmission actuator unit 131 is relatively retracted. Such a change in the front-rear direction can be absorbed by setting the initial position of the shift actuator 134 that operates in the front-rear direction. For example, assuming that the front-rear position of the shift lever in the vehicle is the same in the case of FIG. 6 and the case of FIG. 7, the distance to the shift lever is relatively high when the position of the movable unit 101 is raised as shown in FIG. However, in this case, it can be easily dealt with by setting the position where the grip hand 168 protrudes relatively long as the control reference position.

As will be described later, in the illustrated embodiment, the shift actuator 134 can swing up and down with respect to the select actuator 133. Therefore, even with this vertical swing, it is possible to cope with a slight difference in the height position of the shift lever head.

The vertical and front-rear position adjustments of the movable unit 101 (and by extension, the transmission actuator unit 131) as described above can be performed with the vehicle automatic driving device 1 mounted on the driver's seat 2 as shown in FIG. Therefore, no trial and error work is required, and after the vehicle automatic driving device 1 is assembled in the vehicle, it can be easily adjusted so that the positional relationship with the shift lever is optimized.

[Configuration and attachment / detachment structure of transmission actuator unit 131]
The transmission actuator unit 131 has a configuration that can be easily attached to and detached from the movable unit 101. Then, by reversing the mounting posture (front-rear direction) with respect to the movable unit 101 by 180 °, the mode can be easily changed between the mode for a so-called right-hand drive vehicle and the mode for a left-hand drive vehicle.

8, 9, and 15 show a state in which the transmission actuator unit 131 is removed from the movable unit 101. 17 to 22 show the removed transmission actuator unit 131 as a single unit.

As described above, the transmission actuator unit 131 is configured by combining a select actuator 133 that performs a select operation along the vehicle width direction and a shift actuator 134 that performs a shift operation along the vehicle front-rear direction. ..

The transmission actuator unit 131 is provided with a relatively thick and highly rigid base plate 132, and a select actuator 133 is configured on the base plate 132. The select actuator 133 has an actuator housing 135 that has an elongated box shape along the vehicle width direction, and the actuator housing 135 is fixed on the base plate 132. Further, in the central portion of the actuator housing 135 in the longitudinal direction, a box-shaped connector cover 137 is provided on one side, and a box-shaped motor cover 138 is provided on the other side. In the illustrated example, the connector cover 137 is integrally continuous with the actuator housing 135.

The base plate 132 has a flat plate shape, and as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, has an outer shape substantially along the outer contours of the actuator housing 135, the connector cover 137, and the motor cover 138. ing. That is, the base plate 132 has a shape in which the width (dimensions in the vehicle front-rear direction) is narrow at both ends in the longitudinal direction and the width is wide at the center.

The select actuator 133 is a pinion rack type linear motion actuator in which the rack shaft 141, which is the actuator rod, moves in the vehicle width direction by the action of the electric motor and the speed reducer housed in the motor cover 138. Almost the entire rack shaft 141 is housed in the actuator housing 135 in the retracted state, and one end of the actuator housing 135 (the end that is on the left hand side when the connector cover 137 is directed forward). Only the tip of the rack shaft 141 protrudes from the rack shaft 141. A shift actuator 134 is supported at the tip of the rack shaft 141, as will be described later. In the configuration for a so-called right-hand drive vehicle shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the shift actuator 134 is located on the left hand side with respect to the frame 11 and the movable unit 101 located on the driver's seat 2. The rack shaft 141 is guided by a guide mechanism (not shown) inside the actuator housing 135 so that the rack shaft 141 can move linearly with high accuracy while bearing the load of the shift actuator 134.

As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, in one side of the connector cover 137 (one side along the vehicle width direction) and the other side of the motor cover 138, the base plate 132 is the actuator housing 135 and It projects from the contours of the connector cover 137 and the motor cover 138, and is formed as a pair of extension portions 132a located diagonally. The quadrangular range of the central portion of the base plate 132 including the extension portion 132a has a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the actuator support plate 105 of the movable unit 101. Each of the pair of extension portions 132a is provided with a lock pin 144 constituting the lock mechanism 143 together with the grommet 121 of the actuator support plate 105 on the movable unit 101 side described above. The lower end of the lock pin 144 projects downward from the surface of the base plate 132, and the upper end is provided with a knob portion 145 for rotational operation by fingers. The lock mechanism 143 is a general-purpose screw type that locks with axial tightening by rotating the lock pin 144 inserted into the lock hole 121a of the grommet 121 by a certain angle (for example, 90 ° to 180 °). (See FIGS. 15 and 16).

For convenience of explanation here, when it is necessary to distinguish between the two, the lock pin 144 on the connector cover 137 side is referred to as the first lock pin 144A, and the lock pin 144 on the motor cover 138 side is referred to as the second lock pin 144B. I will call it.

The pair of lock pins 144 engage with the grommet 121 of the actuator support plate 105, respectively. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8 and the like, in the mode for a so-called right-hand drive vehicle, the first lock pin 144A engages with the front grommet 121A located on the front side of the actuator support plate 105, and the rear side of the actuator support plate 105. The second lock pin 144B engages with the rear grommet 121B located at. By locking the pair of locking mechanisms 143, the base plate 132 is tightened against the actuator support plate 105 and is firmly fixed.

Further, on the bottom surface of the base plate 132, as shown in FIGS. 20 and 22, a transmission actuator side connector 171 corresponding to the transmission actuator unit connector 123 in the actuator support plate 105 is provided. The connector 171 is located at a position covered by the connector cover 137, and particularly corresponds to the front connector 123A when the transmission actuator unit 131 is mounted on the actuator support plate 105 in the above-described aspect for a right-hand drive vehicle. It is arranged in the position of. The connector 171 has a terminal piece configured in a floating state and is provided with a guide pin 171a and a guide sleeve 171b, corresponding to the connector 123 on the actuator support plate 105 side. Therefore, the positions of the

connectors

171 and 123 are guided to each other, and the transmission actuator unit 131 is simply placed on the actuator support plate 105, and the base plate 132 and the actuator support plate 105 are simply tightened by the lock mechanism 143. , The connection of both

connectors

171 and 123 is completed.

On the upper surface side of the base plate 132, the connector cover 137 covers the portion of the connector 171. A cable (not shown) leading to the connector 171 is also wired through the inside of the connector cover 137 and the actuator housing 135, and is not exposed to the outside.

A rectangular opening 175 having the same size as the connector 171 is formed at a position of the base plate 132 that is point-symmetrical to the transmission actuator side connector 171. When the transmission actuator unit 131 is mounted on the actuator support plate 105 in the above-described aspect for a right-hand drive vehicle, the protruding portion including the guide pin 171a of the unused rear connector 123B is received by the opening 175. NS. That is, the unused rear connector 123B does not interfere with the base plate 132.

Further, on the bottom surface of the base plate 132, leg portions 176 for protecting the connector 171 are provided so as to project in a prismatic shape. The leg portion 176 includes a first leg portion 176A located below the motor cover 138, and a second leg portion 176B and a third leg portion 176C located laterally apart from each other on the center line of the base plate 132. .. Specifically, the first leg portion 176A is located at a position corresponding to the rear locating opening 124B of the actuator support plate 105 when the transmission actuator unit 131 is mounted on the actuator support plate 105 in the above-described aspect for a right-hand drive vehicle. It fits relatively tightly into the rear locating opening 124B. The second leg portion 176B and the third leg portion 176C are provided on the left and right side edges of the actuator support plate 105 when the transmission actuator unit 131 is mounted on the actuator support plate 105 in the same manner for a right-hand drive vehicle. It is located at a position corresponding to each of the pair of locating notches 125 and engages with the locating notches 125 relatively tightly.

By engaging these three leg portions 176 with the rear locating opening 124B and the locating notch 125 of the actuator support plate 105, the transmission actuator unit 131 is reliably positioned with respect to the actuator support plate 105. That is, it serves as a guide when the transmission actuator unit 131 is attached, and also contributes to the improvement of the support rigidity with respect to the actuator support plate 105 after the attachment. By relatively tightly engaging the leg portion 176 with the locating opening 124 and the locating notch 125, for example, the displacement due to the reaction force during operation of the transmission actuator unit 131 is suppressed.

When the transmission actuator unit 131 is mounted on the actuator support plate 105, the leg portion 176 enters the locating opening 124 or the locating notch 125 before the

connectors

123 and 171 interfere with each other. It is desirable to set the protruding length of the transmission actuator unit 131 so that the mounting position of the transmission actuator unit 131 is guided by the above.

Further, the three legs 176 have the same protruding length, and this protruding length is larger than the protruding length of the lock pin 144 on the bottom surface of the base plate 132 and the protruding length of the guide pin 171a and the guide sleeve 171b of the connector 171. Therefore, when the removed transmission actuator unit 131 is placed on an appropriate stand, the transmission actuator unit 131 can be supported by these three legs 176, and the lock pin 144 and the connector 171 are placed. Does not interfere with the platform.

Further, on the bottom surface of the base plate 132, a stopper pin 181 constituting a stopper mechanism 182 (see FIG. 25) for locking the select actuator 133 is provided at a position adjacent to the first leg portion 176A (FIG. 25). 22). The stopper pin 181 is arranged so as to be able to advance and retreat along a direction orthogonal to the bottom surface of the base plate 132, and is constantly urged in the protruding direction by an internal coil spring 185 (see FIG. 24). When the transmission actuator unit 131 is attached to the actuator support plate 105, the stopper pin 181 abuts on the upper surface of the actuator support plate 105 and is pushed back by the actuator support plate 105. That is, the stopper pin 181 has a protruding position in a free state when the transmission actuator unit 131 is removed, and when the transmission actuator unit 131 is attached to the actuator support plate 105 and is pushed by the actuator support plate 105. Has a retracted position and. Then, at the protruding position of the stopper pin 181 the internal stopper mechanism 182 locks or fixes the select actuator 133, and at the retracted position of the stopper pin 181 the stopper mechanism 182 releases the select actuator 133, that is, in a free state.

24 and 25 show an example of the stopper mechanism 182. The electric motor of the select actuator 133 is configured to drive a speed reducer 184 composed of a gear train via a bevel gear 183 so that the rack shaft 141 moves forward and backward. However, as a stopper mechanism 182, the speed reducer One of the gears 184a in 184 and the claw piece 181a of the stopper pin 181 mesh with each other. That is, when the stopper pin 181 is in the protruding position, the claw piece 181a of the stopper pin 181 engages with the gear 184a, which makes it impossible to rotate the speed reducer 184. On the other hand, when the stopper pin 181 is in the retracted position, the claw piece 181a of the stopper pin 181 and the gear 184a are positioned apart in the axial direction of the stopper pin 181, and the gear 184a can freely rotate.

Therefore, when the transmission actuator unit 131 is removed from the actuator support plate 105 and lifted, the stopper pin 181 protrudes by the coil spring 185, and the select actuator 133 is locked. Therefore, the rack shaft 141 does not protrude due to gravity. On the other hand, when the transmission actuator unit 131 is mounted on the actuator support plate 105, the lock is naturally released and the select actuator 133 can be operated.

The protruding length of the stopper pin 181 at the protruding position is set shorter than the protruding length of the three legs 176 on the bottom surface of the base plate 132. Therefore, even if the removed transmission actuator unit 131 is placed on the floor or the like, the lock will not be released. In addition, unnecessary damage to the stopper pin 181 due to a collision with the floor surface or the like is avoided.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, when the transmission actuator unit 131 is mounted on the actuator support plate 105, the outside of the leading edge (edge on the connector cover 137 side) including the extension 132a of the base plate 132. The shape substantially corresponds to the shape of the leading edge of the actuator support plate 105. On the trailing edge side of the actuator support plate 105, the outer shape of the trailing edge (the edge on the motor cover 138 side) including the extension 132a of the base plate 132 substantially corresponds to the trailing edge shape of the actuator support plate 105. The rear connector 123B, which is not used in the right-hand drive vehicle aspect, is covered by the base plate 132 of the motor cover 138 portion. That is, the unused rear connector 123B is not exposed.

Further, the actuator support plate 105 is inside the main frame 15 in a plan view. On the other hand, the left and right ends of the actuator housing 135 protruding from the subframe 16 in the vehicle width direction are located at heights above the main beam 15a of the main frame 15 (see FIG. 2 and the like). Therefore, the movable unit 101 and the transmission actuator unit 131 can be slid up and down and back and forth without interfering with the actuator housing 135 and the main beam 15a. Each part is set so that the actuator housing 135 and the main beam 15a do not interfere with each other even at the position where the movable unit 101 is retracted to the maximum and the position where the movable unit 101 is advanced to the maximum.

A substantially U-shaped handle 136 that can be gripped by the operator is attached to the upper surface 135a of the actuator housing 135 so that the operator can carry the removed transmission actuator unit 131. The handle 136 is arranged at a position corresponding to the position of the center of gravity of the entire transmission actuator unit 131 including the shift actuator 134. Therefore, the transmission actuator unit 131 does not tilt significantly when lifted via the handle 136, facilitating the transport work and facilitating the attachment / detachment work to the movable unit 101.

As described above, the transmission actuator unit 131 can be removed from the movable unit 101 simply by loosening the pair of lock mechanisms 143. Then, conversely, the transmission actuator unit 131 is placed on the movable unit 101, and the pair of lock pins 144 are rotated by fingers to lock the lock mechanism 143, so that the lock mechanism 143 can be attached to the movable unit 101. At the same time as the installation, the

connectors

123 and 171 are electrically connected, and there is no need to connect an external cable.

Therefore, when the vehicle automatic driving device 1 is mounted on the vehicle, the transmission actuator unit 131 is left removed from the frame 11 (movable unit 101), the frame 11 is fixed and supported on the driver's seat 2, and then the transmission actuator is mounted in the vehicle. The unit 131 can be attached to the movable unit 101. On the contrary, when the vehicle automatic driving device 1 is removed from the vehicle, it is easy to remove the transmission actuator unit 131 first. As a result, the vehicle automatic driving device 1 can be easily carried in and out of the vehicle through the door opening. When the transmission actuator unit 131 is removed, the rack shaft 141 of the select actuator 133 is fixed by the stopper mechanism 182 using the stopper pin 181, so that the removed transmission actuator unit 131 can be easily handled. Since the rack shaft 141 does not protrude due to its own weight, for example, the rack shaft 141 does not inadvertently protrude and damage the door opening.

On the other hand, the transmission actuator unit 131 removed from the movable unit 101 can be attached to the movable unit 101 by reversing the front and rear by 180 °. As a result, the shift lever can easily correspond to a vehicle located on the right side of the driver's seat 2, that is, a so-called left-hand drive vehicle.

In the aspect for a left-hand drive vehicle in which the mounting posture of the transmission actuator unit 131 is reversed by 180 ° with respect to the mounting posture of the transmission actuator unit 131 for a right-hand drive vehicle, the motor cover 138 is used as shown in FIGS. 26 and 27. The connector cover 137 is located on the front side and the connector cover 137 is located on the rear side. The pair of lock pins 144 arranged diagonally on the transmission actuator unit 131 are combined with the diagonal grommet 121, which is different from the mode for right-hand drive vehicles, and are locked by the rotation operation by the knob 145. That is, the second lock pin 144B engages with the front grommet 121A, and the first lock pin 144A engages with the rear grommet 121B.

Further, the transmission actuator side connector 171 is connected to the rear side connector 123B of the actuator support plate 105. At this time, the unused front connector 123A is received by the opening 175 of the base plate 132 to avoid interference with the base plate 132 and is not exposed to the outside. Further, the three legs 176 on the lower surface of the base plate 132 engage relatively tightly with the front locating opening 124A of the actuator support plate 105 and the pair of left and right locating notches 125.

The center of the rack shaft 141 of the select actuator 133 is at the same position in both the mounting posture for the right-hand drive vehicle and the mounting posture for the left-hand drive vehicle, and does not change from each other. That is, the rack shaft 141 is always located at the center of the actuator support plate 105 in the front-rear direction.

[Structure and attachment / detachment structure of shift actuator 134]
As described above, the shift actuator 134 is supported by the tip of the rack shaft 141 of the select actuator 133, but the shift actuator 134 can be easily attached to and detached from the tip of the rack shaft 141. Further, the mounting posture of the shift actuator 134 with respect to the select actuator 133 can be reversed back and forth. That is, when the mounting posture of the transmission actuator unit 131 is reversed by 180 ° due to the change between the mode for the right-hand drive vehicle and the mode for the left-hand drive vehicle described above, the select actuator is used in many vehicle models. Since the position of the shift lever is on the front side of the rack shaft 141 of 133, it becomes necessary to change the direction of the shift actuator 134 (that is, which side the grip hand 168 is on the front or rear side). In this embodiment, the front-rear direction of the shift actuator 134 is easily reversed.

21 and 22 show a state in which the shift actuator 134 is removed from the select actuator 133. The orientation of the shift actuator 134 (posture with respect to the select actuator 133) in these figures corresponds to the mode for a so-called right-hand drive vehicle as shown in FIG.

The rack shaft 141 that advances and retreats from the actuator housing 135 of the select actuator 133 has a prismatic shape, and an L-shaped bracket 151 is attached to the tip thereof via a joint 152 that is rotatably supported. The joint 152 has a rotation center axis parallel to the longitudinal direction of the rack shaft 141, and the L-shaped bracket 151 is swingably supported around the rotation center axis. The L-shaped bracket 151 has a rectangular mounting surface 151a forming a plane parallel to the rotation center axis of the joint 152, and on both sides of the mounting surface 151a, a first guide surface 151b rising vertically from the mounting surface 151a and A second guide surface 151c is provided.

The rotation center axis of the joint 152 is below the rack shaft 141, and the mounting surface 151a is offset below the rotation center axis of the joint 152. Therefore, the mounting surface 151a is located below the extension line of the rack shaft 141. Further, the first guide surface 151b and the second guide surface 151c extend in a direction orthogonal to the rotation center axis of the joint 152 (in other words, a direction orthogonal to the rack axis 141) and are parallel to each other.

A lock pin 155 constituting the lock mechanism 154 is arranged at the center of the mounting surface 151a of the L-shaped bracket 151. The lock mechanism 154 is a general-purpose screw-type lock mechanism substantially the same as the above-mentioned lock mechanism 143 for fixing the transmission actuator unit 131, and the lower end of the lock pin 155 is rotated by a finger. The knob portion 156 is provided.

As shown in FIGS. 20 to 23 and the like, the shift actuator 134 includes a box-shaped actuator housing 161 having a rectangular bottom surface, a speed reducer 163 housed inside the actuator housing 161 and the speed reducer 163. It includes a connected electric motor 165 and a rack shaft 166 as an actuator rod whose tip protrudes from the end of the actuator housing 161. The rack shaft 166 has a rod shape with a circular cross section as a basic shape excluding the tooth portion. The actuator housing 161 includes a cylindrical portion 161a that extends linearly rearward, and when the rack shaft 166 is in the retracted position, most of the rack shaft 166 is housed in the cylindrical portion 161a. Further, the corner portion of the box-shaped actuator housing 161 opposite to the electric motor 165 has an inclined surface.

The above-mentioned grip hand 168 is attached to the tip of the rack shaft 166. The grip hand 168 has a bifurcated fixed finger 168a, a movable finger 168b that can be opened and closed with respect to the fixed finger 168a, and a fixing screw 169 that opens and closes and tightens and fixes the movable finger 168b with respect to the fixed finger 168a. And have. The grip hand 168 grips a knob or grip on the head of a shift lever (not shown), but various knobs or grips having different shapes and sizes can be adjusted by opening and closing the

fingers

168a and 168b via a fixing screw 169. It can be gripped.

The bottom surface of the actuator housing 161 is composed of a relatively thick bottom plate 161b having high rigidity, and the bottom plate 161b is a rectangle having a long side in the longitudinal direction of the rack shaft 166 as shown in FIG. Is doing. Further, the width of the bottom plate 161b on the short side is substantially equal to the width of the mounting surface 151a of the L-shaped bracket 151 described above, that is, the distance between the first guide surface 151b and the second guide surface 151c. That is, the bottom plate 161b has dimensions that can be relatively tightly fitted to the mounting surfaces 151a sandwiched between the first and second guide surfaces 151b and 151c of the L-shaped bracket 151. A grommet 162 having a lock hole 162a with which the lock pin 155 is engaged is attached to the central portion of the bottom plate 161b. The grommet 162 is the same as the grommet 121 in the actuator support plate 105 described above, and constitutes the lock mechanism 154 together with the lock pin 155.

Therefore, by placing the actuator housing 161 on the L-shaped bracket 151 and rotating the lock pin 155 in the locking direction with the fingers via the knob portion 156, the bottom plate 161b is placed on the mounting surface 151a of the L-shaped bracket 151. It is tightened. As a result, the shift actuator 134 is fixed on the L-shaped bracket 151. In this mounted state, the left and right side edges of the bottom plate 161b engage with the first and second guide surfaces 151b and 151c of the L-shaped bracket 151, so that the shift actuator 134 does not tilt to the left or right. That is, the rack shaft 141 of the select actuator 133 and the rack shaft 166 of the shift actuator 134 always maintain a correct orthogonal state at all times. The rack shaft 166 center axis intersects the swing center of the L-shaped bracket 151, that is, the rotation center axis of the joint 152. Therefore, the rack shaft 166 having the grip hand 168 at the tip can swing up and down about the swing center on the central axis of the rack shaft 166.

Further, when the knob portion 156 on the lower surface of the L-shaped bracket 151 is rotated in the unlocking direction, the lock mechanism 154 is unlocked, and the shift actuator 134 is moved from the L-shaped bracket 151 as shown in FIGS. 21 and 22. Can be removed. Then, by reversing the removed shift actuator 134 back and forth by 180 ° and reattaching it to the L-shaped bracket 151, it is possible to combine it with the select actuator 133 in the opposite mounting posture as shown in FIGS. 26 and 27. can.

The lock hole 162a of the grommet 162 is located at the center of the bottom plate 161b on the lower surface of the actuator housing 161 at least at the center of the width along the short side direction of the bottom plate 161b. Therefore, even in the mounting posture in which the shift actuator 134 is inverted by 180 °, the bottom plate 161b is relatively tightly fitted to the mounting surface 151a between the first and second guide surfaces 151b and 151c of the L-shaped bracket 151. And the lock pin 155 matches the lock hole 162a.

As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the select actuator 133 and the shift actuator 134 are two cables from the tip of the rack shaft 141 of the select actuator 133 to the electric motor 165 of the shift actuator 134. It is connected by 167. The cable 167 has a minimum length required for removing the shift actuator 134 from the L-shaped bracket 151 and reversing the posture. Therefore, basically, the posture of the shift actuator 134 can be reversed without removing the cable 167. If desired, the cable 167 can also be removed from the shift actuator 134.

The cable 167 extends through the inside of the rack shaft 141 of the select actuator 133, and is finally connected to the connector 171 on the lower surface of the base plate 132. Therefore, the length of the cable 167 exposed to the outside is minimized.

FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view of the shift actuator 134 in a cross section along the central axis of the rack shaft 166. Specifically, the cross section of the state where it is fixedly supported on the L-shaped bracket 151 via the lock mechanism 154 is shown. The shift actuator 134 is a pinion rack type linear motion actuator in which the rack shaft 166, which is an actuator rod, moves in the front-rear direction of the vehicle by the action of the electric motor 165 and the speed reducer 163. As shown in the figure, a speed reducer 163 composed of a speed reduction gear train in which a plurality of gears 164 are combined is housed inside the box-shaped actuator housing 161 to reduce the rotation of the electric motor 165. The rack shaft 166 is formed with a rack 166a that meshes with the pinion at the final stage of the gear train.

As described above, in the vehicle automatic driving device 1 of the embodiment, the entire transmission actuator unit 131 is selectively mounted on the movable unit 101 in one of the two mounting postures, and the transmission actuator unit 131 is mounted on the movable unit 101. By changing the mounting posture of the shifting actuator 134 with respect to the selecting actuator 133 according to the mounting posture of the driver's seat 2, the mode for a so-called right-hand drive vehicle in which the shift lever is located on the left side with respect to the driver's seat 2 and the driver's seat 2 It can be easily changed to the mode for a so-called left-hand drive vehicle in which the shift lever is located on the right side.

5 and 6 show a mode for a right-hand drive vehicle, in which the grip hand 168 is located on the left side of the frame 11. The grip hand 168 is located in front of the actuator housing 135 of the select actuator 133. The select actuator 133 of the transmission actuator unit 131 and the shift actuator 134 are combined in the manner shown in FIGS. 17 and 18.

On the other hand, FIGS. 26 and 27 show an aspect for a left-hand drive vehicle, in which the grip hand 168 is located on the right side of the frame 11. The grip hand 168 is also located in front of the actuator housing 135 of the select actuator 133. The select actuator 133 of the transmission actuator unit 131 and the shift actuator 134 are combined in an inverted manner as shown in the figure.

Further, although not shown, it is also possible to select the mounting posture of the shift actuator 134 so that the grip hand 168 is located behind the actuator housing 135 of the select actuator 133. For example, as a mode for a right-hand drive vehicle in which the shift lever is located on the left side of the driver's seat 2, the transmission actuator unit 131 is mounted as shown in FIG. When positioned, the shift actuator 134 can be combined with the select actuator 133 in a front-rear inverted manner. As a result, the grip hand 168 is relatively rearward.

Such a configuration is the same in the mode for a left-hand drive vehicle. For example, in the mode for a left-hand drive vehicle shown in FIG. 26, the shift actuator 134 can be combined in a front-rear inverted manner.

As described above, the height position or the front-rear position of the select actuator 133 can be changed by the slide position of the movable unit 101 with respect to the frame 11. Therefore, by combining with the change of the front-rear direction of the shift actuator 134, various shifts can be made. It is possible to correspond to the lever position.

Further, the height position of the head of the shift lever is generally displaced up and down with the shift operation, but since the shift actuator 134 can swing up and down around the rotation center axis of the joint 152, the shift lever Changes in the height position of the head are allowed. Therefore, a smooth shift operation is possible.

[Modification example of movable unit 101]
39 to 41 show, as a modification of the movable unit 101, when the height position of the head of the shift lever is relatively high and it is necessary to operate it diagonally (for example, a short shift lever is attached to the dash panel in front of the driver's seat. The movable unit 101 provided with the tilt mechanism is shown so as to correspond to the arranged form and the like.

In this movable unit 101, each of the pair of side frames 103 has a configuration in which the outer side frame 103A and the inner side frame 103B are combined. The outer side frame 103A is located outside in the vehicle width direction, forms a substantially triangle having three sides 103Aa, 103Ab, 103Ac like the side frame 103 described above, and the upper side 103Aa is attached to the actuator support plate 105. It is fixed.

The inner side frame 103B is overlapped along the inner side surface of the outer side frame 103A in the vehicle width direction, and forms a relatively small substantially triangle having three sides 103Ba, 103Bb, 103Bc. The slider cover plate 111 (including the two front and rear sliders 110 and the fixing screw 113) is attached to the bottom 103Bc of the inner side frame 103B. Therefore, the inner side frame 103B is guided by the sub-beam 16a so as to be slidable back and forth.

The outer side frame 103A and the inner side frame 103B are swingably connected to each other via a hinge pin 186 at the rear apex. A lock screw 187 is provided at the lower apex of the outer side frame 103A, and the lock screw 187 is screwed onto the first grommet 188A or the second grommet 188B arranged at two locations above and below the front side 103Bb of the inner side frame 103B. It fits. That is, by selecting the grommet 188 into which the lock screw 187 is screwed, the inclination angle of the outer side frame 103A with respect to the slider 110 (in other words, the sub-beam 16a that guides the movable unit 101) can be changed.

When the lock screw 187 is screwed into the lower first grommet 188A, the actuator support plate 105 is basically in a horizontal position. Therefore, the shift actuator 134 is basically in a horizontal posture.

On the other hand, when the lock screw 187 is screwed into the second grommet 188B, the actuator support plate 105 is in an inclined posture in which the front edge side is relatively high. Therefore, the shift actuator 134 is similarly tilted. In one example, the actuator support plate 105 can be tilted at an angle of, for example, about 30 °. Thereby, for example, even if the shift lever is arranged on the dash panel, the shift operation can be performed diagonally upward and diagonally downward.

In the illustrated example, the tilt angle is changed in two stages, but it is also possible to arrange a larger number of grommets 188 so that the angle can be changed in more stages.

[Modification example of the support part of the shift actuator 134]
As described above, in the transmission actuator unit 131 of the embodiment, the height position of the shift actuator 134 with respect to the height position of the select actuator 133 is fixedly determined, but the head positions of the shift levers are more diverse. It is also possible to change the height position of the shift actuator 134 with respect to the select actuator 133 so that the above can be easily dealt with.

FIGS. 42 to 44 show a modified example of the support portion of the shift actuator 134. Similar to the above-described embodiment, the L-shaped bracket 151A is attached to the tip of the rack shaft 141 of the select actuator 133 via the rotatably supported joint 152A. As shown in FIG. 42, both are attached. Are combined so that they can slide up and down. For example, the joint 152A has a guide groove 221 along the vertical direction, and the L-shaped bracket 151A is formed with a guide rail portion 222 corresponding to the guide groove 221 along the vertical direction. The guide rail portion 222 is slidably engaged with the guide groove 221 so that the L-shaped bracket 151A can move up and down with respect to the joint 152A.

Further, a plunger 223 is attached to the front end surface of the joint 152A, and engagement holes 224 into which the tip end portion of the plunger 223 enters are formed at a plurality of locations, for example, three locations on the front edge of the guide rail portion 222. That is, the engaging holes 224 are arranged at three locations having different heights. The plunger 223 is always urged in a direction of engaging with the engagement hole 224 by an internal spring (not shown).

FIG. 42 shows a state in which the L-shaped bracket 151A is in the lowest position, and the plunger 223 is engaged with the engagement hole 224 in the highest position. At this position, the center line of the rack shaft 166 of the shift actuator 134 intersects the rotation center axis of the joint 152A. If the operator pulls the plunger 223 with his / her fingers to release the engagement with the engagement hole 224 from this state, the height position of the L-shaped bracket 151A can be easily moved to the upper second position or the third position. Can be changed. For example, FIG. 43 shows the state in which the L-shaped bracket 151A is in the highest position, and the plunger 223 is engaged with the engagement hole 224 in the lowest position.

Therefore, the height position of the shift actuator 134 with respect to the height position of the select actuator 133 can be easily adjusted in three stages.

[Pedal actuator 41 attachment / detachment structure]
As described above, the vehicle automatic driving device 1 of the embodiment includes three pedal actuators 41, that is, an accelerator pedal actuator 41A, a brake pedal actuator 41B, and a clutch pedal actuator 41C. These pedal actuators 41 are supported by the pedal actuator support slide rail 31 attached to the front end of the frame 11 via the pedal actuator support 51.

FIG. 32 shows the details of the pedal actuator support slide rail 31 and the pedal actuator support 51 arranged at the front end of the frame 11. Further, FIGS. 28 to 30 show the details of the brake pedal actuator 41B as a typical configuration of the pedal actuator 41.

The slide rail 31 for supporting the pedal actuator has a strip shape extending in the vehicle width direction, and is made of a relatively thick and rigid metal plate. Then, in order to reduce the weight, unnecessary parts are lightened and openings are formed, and the upper edge portion and the lower edge portion form a rod shape with a semicircular cross section. A first guide surface 31a forming a semi-cylindrical surface is continuously formed on the upper edge of the slide rail 31 in the vehicle width direction, and a second guide forming a semi-cylindrical surface is formed on the lower edge of the slide rail 31. The surfaces 31b are continuously formed in the vehicle width direction. The first guide surface 31a and the second guide surface 31b have semicircular cross sections that are opposite to each other.

The pedal actuator support 51 is formed by integrally molding each part using, for example, a hard synthetic resin, and has a vertically long length having dimensions extending above and below the slide rail 31 in a front view (meaning a state seen from the front of the vehicle). It has a rectangular shape. The pedal actuator support 51 has a rectangular base 51a that overlaps the front surface of the slide rail 31, an upper wall 51b that extends rearward of the vehicle above the first guide surface 31a, and an upper wall 51b that extends rearward of the vehicle below the second guide surface 31b. It includes a lower wall 51c and a pair of left and right side walls 51d. In other words, the pedal actuator support 51 is formed in a box shape having an open back surface toward the slide rail 31. The pair of side walls 51d has a semi-circular upper notch 51e that is slidably engaged with the first guide surface 31a and a semi-circular lower notch 51f that is slidably engaged with the second guide surface 31b. .. By engaging these

notches

51e and 51f with the first and second guide surfaces 31a and 31b, the pedal actuator support 51 is slidably supported by the pedal actuator supporting slide rail 31.

Therefore, each of the accelerator pedal actuator 41A, the brake pedal actuator 41B, and the clutch pedal actuator 41C can be easily positioned in the vehicle interior in the vehicle width direction so as to correspond to the positions of the

pedals

45, 46, and 47, which are different for each vehicle type. Can be adjusted. The pedal actuator support 51 can be inserted along the longitudinal direction (vehicle width direction) of the slide rail 31 while engaging the

notches

51e and 51f from both ends of the slide rail 31.

Further, at the lower part of the box-shaped pedal actuator support 51, a connector accommodating portion 51g is integrally formed so as to project forward from the base portion 51a. The connector accommodating portion 51g has a lower wall 51c on the base 51a side extending forward, has a front wall 51h rising upward from the front end of the lower wall 51c, and has a pair of left and right side walls 51j. The lower wall 51c, the front wall 51h, and the pair of side walls 51j form the connector accommodating portion 51g in a box shape having an upper surface opened upward, and the connector accommodating portion 51g is supported in the internal space of the connector accommodating portion 51g. Each side connector 53 is housed. The support-side connector 53 has the same configuration as the transmission actuator unit connector 123 and the like described above, and the terminal pieces are configured to float so as to allow some positional deviation from the mating side. The type is provided with a guide pin 53a and a guide sleeve 53b for guiding at the time of insertion. As shown in FIG. 32, the support side connector 53 is arranged upward, that is, the guide pin 53a and the guide sleeve 53b in the insertion direction are along the vertical direction.

A cable (not shown) is pulled out from the support side connector 53 to the rear, and this cable extends to the connection box 106 through the opening of the slide rail 31.

The side wall 51j of the connector accommodating portion 51g is located slightly outside the side wall 51d along the side edge of the base portion 51a in the vehicle width direction. That is, there is a predetermined step between the side wall 51d and the side wall 51j, and a concave groove portion 52 along the vertical direction is formed on the side surface of the pedal actuator support 51 by utilizing this step. In other words, the concave groove portion 52 is formed in a shape recessed in the vehicle width direction from the surface of the side wall 51j of the connector accommodating portion 51g. The concave groove portion 52 is formed so as to extend downward from the upper edge of the connector accommodating portion 51g and enter the side surface of the connector accommodating portion 51g. Further, in the portion above the connector accommodating portion 51g, the guide portion 52a relatively recessed so as to be continuous with the concave groove portion 52 is provided by the ridge portion 51ja formed by extending the side wall 51j of the connector accommodating portion 51g upward. It is configured. The bottom surface of the concave groove portion 52 and the bottom surface of the guide portion 52a continuous with the recessed groove portion 52 form a part of the side wall 51d of the pedal actuator support 51. Further, the side surface of the ridge portion 51ja adjacent to the guide portion 52a forms a continuous guide surface 52b on the side surface of the concave groove portion 52.

Strictly speaking, the semicircular lower notch 51f that slidably engages with the second guide surface 31b of the slide rail 31 is formed on the side wall 51j of the connector accommodating portion 51g.

A grommet 54, which is a part of a lock mechanism 65 described later for the pedal actuator 41, is attached to the central portion of the upper wall 51b of the pedal actuator support 51. The grommet 54 is similar to the grommet 121 in the actuator support plate 105 and the grommet 162 in the shift actuator 134 described above, and the lock hole 54a opens forward.

As shown in FIGS. 31 and 34, the pedal actuator support bracket 61 of each pedal actuator 41 is detachably attached to the pedal actuator support 51, and the pedal actuator 41 is supported via the pedal actuator support bracket 61. NS.

The pedal actuator support bracket 61 is shown in FIGS. 28 to 30 and 33. Like the pedal actuator support 51, the pedal actuator support bracket 61 is integrally molded of each part using, for example, a hard synthetic resin, and the slide rail 31 is viewed from the front (meaning a state viewed from the front of the vehicle). It has a vertically long rectangular shape with dimensions extending above and below. Basically, the pedal actuator support bracket 61 has a shape complementary to the pedal actuator support 51 so that both of them form a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape when combined with the pedal actuator support 51. As shown in FIGS. 33 and 30, the pedal actuator support bracket 61 overlaps the upper wall 61a that overlaps the upper wall 51b of the pedal actuator support 51 and the side wall 51d of the pedal actuator support 51, and the connector accommodating portion 51g. A box having a pair of left and right side walls 61b that are flush with the side wall 51j and a front wall 61c connected to the upper wall 61a and the side wall 61b, and the rear (rear surface) and the lower side (lower surface) are open. It is in shape. The front wall 61c is formed so as to be continuously flush with the front wall 51h of the connector accommodating portion 51g on the actuator support 51 side.

The side wall 61b has a shape that covers the side wall 51d of the pedal actuator support 51 that is recessed in the vehicle width direction with respect to the side wall 51j of the connector accommodating portion 51g, that is, a shape corresponding to the side wall 51d. In particular, a substantially rectangular protrusion 55 having a shape complementary to the concave groove 52 on the pedal actuator support 51 side is formed so as to project downward. Further, the upper portion of the side wall 61b is formed so as to pass above the slide rail 31 and extend rearward, and the upper portion of the side wall 61b can be fitted to the first guide surface 31a of the slide rail 31 from above. A semi-circular rail fitting portion 61d is notched. In the illustrated example, the rail fitting portion 61d has the same shape as the upper notch portion 51e of the actuator support 51.

A lock pin 67 corresponding to the grommet 54 on the pedal actuator support 51 side is attached to the central portion of the upper wall 61a of the pedal actuator support bracket 61 that overlaps the upper wall 51b of the pedal actuator support 51. The lock pin 67 is located at a position corresponding to the lock hole 54a of the grommet 54 of the pedal actuator support 51, and has a knob portion 66 on the head so that the lock pin 67 can be rotated by a finger. The lock mechanism 65 composed of the lock pin 67 and the grommet 54 includes the lock mechanism 143 (lock pin 144, grommet 121) for fixing the transmission actuator unit 131 and the lock mechanism 154 (lock) for fixing the shift actuator 134. It has substantially the same configuration as the pin 155 and the glomet 162).

Further, a metal support pin 72 to which the pedal actuator 41 is connected is embedded in the upper and front corners of the pedal actuator support bracket 61, as will be described later. The support pin 72 is located at a position where it does not interfere with the pedal actuator support 51, and is arranged along the vehicle width direction. The head 72a at one end having a cylindrical surface is exposed at one corner of the pedal actuator support bracket 61 in the vehicle width direction.

Further, in the space inside the pedal actuator support bracket 61, the bracket side connector 63 corresponding to the support side connector 53 of the pedal actuator support 51 is housed. The bracket side connector 63 is the same as each of the above-mentioned connectors, and the terminal piece is configured to be in a floating state so as to allow a slight positional deviation from the mating side, and a guide at the time of insertion is provided. The form is provided with a guide pin 63a and a guide sleeve 63b for performing the above. The bracket-side connector 63 is arranged downward so as to face the support-side connector 53.

FIG. 34 shows a state in which the pedal actuator support bracket 61 is combined with the pedal actuator support 51. In such a combined state, the pedal actuator support bracket 61 and the pedal actuator support 51 exhibit a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box-like appearance. That is, the lower edge of the front wall 61c of the pedal actuator support bracket 61 and the upper edge of the front wall 51h of the connector accommodating portion 51g match, and the side wall 61b of the pedal actuator support bracket 61 becomes the side wall 51d of the pedal actuator support 51. Overlapping, the upper wall 61a of the pedal actuator support bracket 61 overlaps the upper wall 51b of the pedal actuator support 51. The outer edge of the side wall 61b of the pedal actuator support bracket 61 is formed on the upper edge of the side wall 51j of the connector accommodating portion 51g of the pedal actuator support bracket 61, the periphery of the concave groove portion 52, and the side edge of the ridge portion 51ja serving as the guide portion 52a. It matches, and the upper rail fitting portion 61d is in a state of being fitted to the first guide surface 31a of the slide rail 31.

Further, by fastening the upper lock mechanism 65 composed of the lock pin 67 and the grommet 54, the pedal actuator support bracket 61 and the pedal actuator support 51 are relatively tightened in the vertical direction, and both having a complementary shape are formed. It will be in a tighter and closer state. Therefore, by fastening the lock mechanism 65, the pedal actuator support bracket 61 and thus the pedal actuator 41 are firmly supported by the pedal actuator support 51.

Here, the rail fitting portion 61d of the pedal actuator support bracket 61 is attached to the first guide surface 31a of the slide rail 31 when the lock mechanism 65 is fastened and the pedal actuator support bracket 61 is pulled relatively downward. Its position and dimensions are set so that it is strongly pressed. As a result, the pedal actuator support bracket 61 and the pedal actuator support 51 cannot slide along the slide rail 31, and are fixed in the vehicle width direction. In other words, the upper notch 51e and the lower notch 51f of the pedal actuator support 51 are sized so as to allow the pedal actuator support 51 to slide with respect to the slide rail 31. On the other hand, when the lock mechanism 65 is tightened and the pedal actuator support bracket 61 and the pedal actuator support 51 are integrated, the first and first slide rails 31 are located between the rail fitting portion 61d and the lower notch portion 51f. 2 The dimensions of each part are set so as to tighten the guide surfaces 31a and 31b up and down. Therefore, if the pedal actuator 41 is assembled to the pedal actuator support 51 together with the pedal actuator support bracket 61, adjusted to an appropriate position along the vehicle width direction, and then the lock mechanism 65 is fastened, the pedal actuator support bracket 61 and the pedal can be engaged. At the same time that the actuator support 51 is fixed to each other, the entire pedal actuator 41 is fixed to the slide rail 31.

That is, one lock mechanism 65 includes a lock mechanism for fixing the position of the pedal actuator 41 slidable in the vehicle width direction, and a pedal actuator support 51 and a pedal actuator support that are divided into two so as to be detachable. It has two functions, a lock mechanism for integrating the bracket 61 and the bracket 61.

Further, when the vehicle automatic driving device 1 is mounted on the driver's seat 2, the pedal actuator 41 is previously assembled to the pedal actuator support bracket 61, and the pedal actuator 41 including the pedal actuator support bracket 61 is installed in the vehicle interior. Although it is attached to the frame 11, in the above configuration, the pedal actuator support bracket 61 is temporarily held by the pedal actuator support 51, so that it can be easily assembled in a narrow vehicle interior.

The pedal actuator support bracket 61 and the pedal actuator support 51 are combined in the vertical direction, and the operator attaches the pair of protrusions 55 of the pedal actuator support bracket 61 along the guide portion 52a on the pedal actuator support 51 side. It is fitted into the concave groove portion 52 and combined with the pedal actuator support 51 from above. Basically, the pedal actuator support bracket 61 is mounted on the pedal actuator support 51. At this time, the protrusion piece 55 enters the concave groove portion 52 from above, and at the same time, the rail fitting portion 61d on the upper portion of the pedal actuator support bracket 61 engages with the first guide surface 31a of the slide rail 31. At about the same time, the lock pin 67 of the lock mechanism 65 enters the lock hole 54a of the grommet 54 and is temporarily engaged.

Since the load of the pedal actuator 41, which is a heavy object, acts on the support pin 72 at the upper part of the pedal actuator support bracket 61, when the lower protrusion piece 55 is engaged with the concave groove portion 52, the protrusion piece 55 and the concave groove portion A forward moment is generated with the engaging portion (first engaging portion) with 52 as a fulcrum. With respect to this moment, the engaging portion between the rail fitting portion 61d and the guide surface 31a at the upper part or the engaging portion between the lock pin 67 and the lock hole 54a bears the moment as the second engaging portion. Therefore, even if the operator puts the pedal actuator support bracket 61 on the pedal actuator support 51 and then releases the hand supporting the pedal actuator 41, the pedal actuator 41 does not fall and is temporarily attached to the slide rail 31. It will be in a held state. Therefore, the operator can easily attach the pedal actuator 41 to the slide rail 31, that is, the frame 11 while adjusting the position of the pedal actuator 41 in a narrow vehicle interior.

The support side connector 53 in the pedal actuator support 51 and the bracket side connector 63 in the pedal actuator support bracket 61 are connected to each other by assembling the pedal actuator support 51 and the pedal actuator support bracket 61 in the vertical direction as described above. Will be done. Both

connectors

53 and 63 are aligned by fitting the guide pins 53a and 63a with the

guide sleeves

53b and 63b, but preferably before the both

connectors

53 and 63 come into contact with each other, that is, the guide pins 53a, The protruding length of the protruding piece 55 is set so that the tip of the protruding piece 55 is inserted into the concave groove portion 52 before the 63a and the

guide sleeves

53b and 63b come into contact with each other (see FIG. 35). As a result, the guide pins 53a and 63a and the

guide sleeves

53b and 63b are engaged with each other in a state where the alignment is performed to some extent, and damage to the

connectors

53 and 63 is surely avoided.

[Structure of Pedal Actuator 41 and Its Attitude Adjustment Mechanism]
This will be described with reference to FIGS. 28 to 31. The pedal actuator 41 is also a pinion rack type linear motion actuator, and is attached to an elongated actuator housing 78 that slidably supports and accommodates a rack shaft 80 serving as an actuator rod, and a side surface of the tip of the actuator housing 78. The motor housing 81 is provided, and the speed reducer and the electric motor are housed in the motor housing 81. Since the required capacity of the electric motor is different for each pedal actuator 41, the size of the motor housing 81 is also different. In the illustrated example, the accelerator pedal actuator 41A includes a return spring 82 formed of a coil spring in parallel with the rack shaft 80. As a result, for example, when the power is lost, unnecessary depression of the accelerator pedal does not occur. The brake pedal actuator 41B does not include the return spring 82, and the accelerator pedal actuator 41A and the brake pedal actuator 41B have substantially the same configuration except for this difference. The clutch pedal actuator 41C is different from the accelerator pedal actuator 41A and the brake pedal actuator 41B in some respects as will be described later.

Since the

pedals

45, 46, 47 are located relatively lower than the height of the seat cushion 3, the actuator housing 78 (in other words, the rack shaft 80) has the tip side toward the

pedals

45, 46, 47. It is inclined so as to be lower than the base end side near the frame 11. The rack shaft 80 has a rod shape with a circular cross section, and the tip portion protruding from the actuator housing 78 presses the

pedals

45, 46, 47.

In the accelerator pedal actuator 41A to the brake pedal actuator 41B, a cylindrical pressing member 86 is attached to the tip of the rack shaft 80, and the pressing member 86 presses the

pedals

45 and 46.

As shown in FIGS. 30, 31 and 33, the actuator housing 78 is attached to the pedal actuator support 51 via the pedal actuator support bracket 61, the link arm 68, the slide bracket 69, and the support arm 70 described above. It is supported.

The slide bracket 69 supports the actuator housing 78 so as to be slidable back and forth on the lower surface side of the actuator housing 78. The slide bracket 69 includes a fixing screw 79 for fixing the actuator housing 78, which has been slid and adjusted in position, to the slide bracket 69. That is, a guide slit 71 is formed on the lower surface of the actuator housing 78 along the axial direction (front-back direction) of the pedal actuator 41, and the shaft portion of the fixing screw 79 penetrates the guide slit 71 and the actuator housing. It is screwed into the pad 69A located inside the 78. Therefore, when the fixing screw 79 is loosened, the pad 69A is loosened, and the slide bracket 69 and the actuator housing 78 can be relatively slidable. Then, the actuator housing 78 is fixed to the slide bracket 69 by tightening the fixing screw 79. The fixing screw 79 is provided with an L-shaped lever portion on the head, and can be tightened with fingers. Therefore, the front-rear position of the actuator housing 78 can be easily adjusted according to the positions of the

pedals

45, 46, 47 in the vehicle.

As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 36 (cross-sectional view taken along the line DD of FIG. 29), a cylindrical bearing portion 74 is formed at the rear end portion of the slide bracket 69, and the bearing portion 74 is formed. The support arms 70 are oscillatingly connected to each other. That is, the support arm 70 sandwiches the first cylindrical portion 70a rotatably fitted to the bearing portion 74, the lever portion 70b extending downward from the first cylindrical portion 70a to the slide bracket 69, and the lever portion 70b. It has a second cylindrical portion 70c extending in the axial direction, which is opposite to the first cylindrical portion 70a. In the illustrated example, the first cylindrical portion 70a and the second cylindrical portion 70c are configured so that their central axes coincide with each other and have the same diameter.

The link arm 68 is a member having cylindrical shaft connecting portions at both ends, and one end portion 68a forming a cylindrical shape is swingably connected to the outer circumference of the head portion 72a of the support pin 72 in the pedal actuator support bracket 61. The other end portion 68b forming a cylindrical shape is swingably connected to the outer circumference of the second cylindrical portion 70c of the support arm 70. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 36, the link arm 68 is adjacent to the axially outer side of the lever portion 70b of the support arm 70, and the other end portion 68b of the link arm 68 is fitted to the outer periphery of the second cylindrical portion 70c. There is.

In the link arm 68, the central rod portion 68c is formed in a halved shape (half-split shape), and the

cylindrical end portions

68a and 68b are similarly substantially C-shaped along the radius line. It is separated so that it becomes a shape. At the center of the rod portion 68c, a fixing screw 73 is provided so as to tighten each end portion having a substantially C shape in the radial direction. Like the fixing screw 79 of the slide bracket 69, the fixing screw 73 includes an L-shaped lever portion for tightening operation with fingers.

When the fixing screw 73 is loosened, each of the pair of

end portions

68a and 68b of the link arm 68 is an inner shaft member (the head 72a of the support pin 72 and the second cylindrical portion which is a part of the support arm 70). It is swingable with respect to 70c). Therefore, the swing height position of the slide bracket 69 centered on the support pin 72 can be freely changed, and the support arm 70 swings freely with respect to the link arm 68.

On the other hand, when the fixing screw 73 is tightened, each of the pair of

end portions

68a and 68b of the link arm 68 is an inner shaft member (head 72a of the support pin 72 and a part of the support arm 70). It is fixed to the second cylindrical portion 70c). Therefore, the angle of the link arm 68 with respect to the pedal actuator support bracket 61 is fixed, and the angle of the support arm 70 with respect to the link arm 68 is fixed. At this time, the first cylindrical portion 70a on the inner circumference of the bearing portion 74 of the support arm 70 is not subjected to the tightening force, and therefore the slide bracket 69 is swingably connected to the support arm 70 and the link arm 68. ing.

The angle of the slide bracket 69 with respect to the support arm 70 and the link arm 68 (and thus the tilted posture of the pedal actuator 41) is finally arranged between the tip of the lever portion 70b of the support arm 70 and the front end portion of the slide bracket 69. It is adjusted and fixed by a variable length rod 83 using a screw mechanism (see FIG. 34).

As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 37, the variable length rod 83 has a pair of

screw rods

84A and 84B having threads opposite to each other, and the tips of these two

screw rods

84A and 84B are screwed into the central screw hole. A combined adjusting nut 85 and a pair of

locknuts

85A and 85B adjacent to the end faces of the adjusting nut 85 are provided. The base end of the screw rod 84A is swingably connected to the connecting portion 70d at the tip of the lever portion 70b, and the base end of the screw rod 84B is swingably connected to the connecting portion 69a of the front end portion of the slide bracket 69. .. The adjusting nut 85 and the

locknuts

85A and 85B are both formed in a disk shape having irregularities around them so that they can be rotated by fingers. The variable length rod 83 is a mechanism similar to a so-called turnbuckle, and by combining a pair of screws in opposite directions, the total length (that is, the distance between the two connecting

portions

70d and 69a) is accompanied by the rotation operation of the adjusting nut 85. ) Changes. After adjusting the angle with the adjusting nut 85, if the

locknuts

85A and 85B are tightened so as to be in contact with the adjusting nut 85, careless rotation, that is, loosening of the adjusting nut 85 is restricted.

As can be easily understood, since the variable length rod 83 corresponds to one side of the triangle, if the total length of the variable length rod 83 is increased, the inclination angle of the pedal actuator 41 becomes loose (that is, the tip position of the rack shaft 80 becomes high). If the total length of the variable length rod 83 is shortened, the inclination angle of the pedal actuator 41 becomes steeper (that is, the tip position of the rack shaft 80 becomes lower). Since the length of the variable length rod 83 can be continuously changed by the screw mechanism, the inclination angle of the pedal actuator 41 can also be continuously variably adjusted.

The relative angle between the slide bracket 69 and the support arm 70 changes as the variable length rod 83 expands and contracts. The cylindrical base of the support arm 70 is composed of a stopper piece 75a provided on the support arm 70 side and a pair of

stopper pieces

75b and 75c provided on the slide bracket 69 side so as to sandwich the stopper piece 75a. A stopper mechanism 75 is provided, and the stopper mechanism 75 limits the change in the angle of the slide bracket 69 with respect to the support arm 70 within a predetermined range.

As described above, the pedal actuator 41 is detachably attached to the frame 11 of the vehicle automatic driving device 1 via the pedal actuator support bracket 61, specifically, the slide rail 31 for supporting the pedal actuator. The slide rail 31 adjusts the position of the pedal actuator 41 along the vehicle width direction. Then, the height position on the rear end side of the pedal actuator 41 can be changed by adjusting the tilt angle of the link arm 68, and the tilt posture of the pedal actuator 41 can be changed along the plane orthogonal to the vehicle width direction by the variable length rod 83. It can be adjusted and can be adjusted in the front-rear direction via the slide bracket 69. Therefore, by combining these, it is possible to deal with different pedal positions and pedal inclinations depending on the vehicle type.

The cable leading to the electric motor of the pedal actuator 41 is arranged through the inside of the actuator housing 78, and the end portion thereof is pulled out from the end portion of the actuator housing 78 on the link arm 68 side and then the pedal. It is connected to the bracket side connector 63 through the inside of the actuator support bracket 61.

Therefore, by attaching the pedal actuator support bracket 61 to the pedal actuator support 51, at the same time, electrical connection is made via the

connectors

53 and 63. Therefore, there are no external cables or connectors between the pedal actuator support 51 and the pedal actuator 41.

Since the pedal actuator 41 can be easily attached and detached in this way, when the vehicle automatic driving device 1 is mounted on the vehicle, the pedal actuator 41 is left removed from the frame 11 (slide rail 31), and the frame 11 is placed in the driver's seat. 2 The pedal actuator 41 can be mounted in the vehicle after being fixed and supported on the vehicle. On the contrary, when the vehicle automatic driving device 1 is removed from the vehicle, the pedal actuator 41 can be removed first, and then the frame 11 can be taken out of the vehicle. As a result, the vehicle automatic driving device 1 can be easily carried in and out of the vehicle through the door opening. Further, the position adjustment of the pedal actuator 41 with respect to the

pedals

45, 46, 47 can be easily performed in the vehicle after the pedal actuator 41 is attached to the frame 11.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, a relatively small LED light 76 is provided on the lower surface of each pedal actuator support 51, that is, the lower surface of the lower wall 51c. Each LED light 76 is arranged so as to point diagonally downward, in other words, is configured to illuminate the vicinity of the tip of the pedal actuator 41 supported by each pedal actuator support 51.

The LED light 76 is basically a light for being used when the vehicle automatic driving device 1 is carried into the vehicle interior to install or adjust the position of the pedal actuator 41, and is built in the connection box 106. More specifically, it operates using a capacitor as a power source. When an external power source is connected to the connection box 106 via the main connector 107, the capacitor serving as the secondary battery is automatically charged via the charging circuit inside the connection box 106. In other words, during the test operation using the vehicle automatic driving device 1, the vehicle is repeatedly charged without requiring any particular operation.

When installing the vehicle automatic driving device 1 in the vehicle interior, the cable from the external power supply is generally not connected to the main connector 107. Under such circumstances, by turning on the LED light 76 using the secondary battery, it is possible to illuminate the vicinity of the pedal in front of the driver's seat, which is the darkest, and the operability is improved.

As described above, the light switch 109c is arranged on the display panel 109 on the upper surface of the connection box 106, and the LED light 76 is turned on / off by the light switch 109c. Since the LED light 76 is located near the support side connector 53 of the pedal actuator support 51, the wiring in the pedal actuator support 51 can be easily routed.

[Modification example of slide rail 31 for supporting pedal actuator]
As described above, the height position of the rear end portion (base portion) of the pedal actuator 41 can be changed by adjusting the angle of the link arm 68, but the height position of the slide rail 31 for supporting the pedal actuator with respect to the frame 11 can be changed. If adjusted, it will be possible to respond more flexibly to various vehicle types.

FIGS. 45 to 47 show a modified example in which the height of the slide rail 31 for supporting the pedal actuator can be adjusted. In this configuration, the metal rail support bracket plate 32A having a substantially rectangular shape whose vertical dimension is larger than the vertical dimension of the slide rail 31 replaces the rail support bracket 32 described above with a slide for supporting the pedal actuator. It is provided separately from the main body portion of the rail 31. The rail support bracket plate 32A is attached to the front end surface of the main frame 15 in detail on the front end surface of the main beam 15a, and closes the open end of the front end of the main frame 15 (see FIGS. 46 and 47).

The slide rail 31 is fixed to the rail support bracket plate 32A by a plurality of screws 77A. In the rail support bracket plate 32A, screw holes 77B are arranged at a plurality of locations having different height positions so that the height position (mounting position) of the rail support bracket plate 32A can be changed up and down. Therefore, the slide rail 31 can be attached and detached and the height position can be changed as needed.

FIGS. 45 to 47 show a state in which the slide rail 31 is attached at the lowest position.

[Structure of clutch pedal actuator 41C]
In a vehicle equipped with a manual transmission, the clutch pedal 47 generally operates in an arc, and its stroke (stepping operation amount) is also relatively large. In this embodiment, the clutch pedal actuator 41C is different from the other two

pedal actuators

41A and 41B in detail in consideration of such characteristics of the clutch pedal 47. Hereinafter, the differences will be described with reference to FIGS. 31, 33 and 34.

One of the differences is the configuration of the connecting portion by the link arm 68 and the support arm 70 between the pedal actuator support bracket 61 and the pedal actuator 41. Also in the clutch pedal actuator 41C, the actuator housing 78 is supported by the pedal actuator support 51 via the pedal actuator support bracket 61, the link arm 68, the slide bracket 69, and the support arm 70. The main parts such as the pedal actuator support bracket 61, the link arm 68, the slide bracket 69, and the support arm 70 are the same as those of the accelerator pedal actuator 41A and the brake pedal actuator 41B.

However, in the clutch pedal actuator 41C, a sleeve (not shown) is interposed between the inner peripheral surface of one end portion 68a of the link arm 68 and the head portion 72a of the support pin 72 of the pedal actuator support bracket 61. Therefore, even if the fixing screw 73 of the link arm 68 is tightened, the link arm 68 is not fixed to the support pin 72 and maintains a swingable state with respect to the support pin 72. That is, in the clutch pedal actuator 41C, the pedal actuator support bracket 61 and the link arm 68 are swingably connected to each other. At the other end 68b of the link arm 68, the support arm 70 is fixed as described above by tightening the fixing screw 73. That is, the angle between the link arm 68 and the lever portion 70b is fixed to be constant.

Further, as shown in FIG. 34 and the like, a fixed length rod member 88 is attached between the connecting portion 70d at the tip of the lever portion 70b and the connecting portion 69a of the slide bracket 69 instead of the variable length rod 83 described above. Has been done. As a result, the angular relationship between the support arm 70 and the slide bracket 69 and thus the actuator housing 78 is always constant.

Therefore, the clutch pedal actuator 41C is supported so as to be swingable around the support pin 72 of the pedal actuator support bracket 61 as a whole. Further, the position of the other end 68b of the link arm 68, that is, the position of the connection point between the link arm 68 and the actuator housing 78 (mainly the height position) can be changed by the adjustment via the fixing screw 73.

In the above embodiment, the main parts such as the link arm 68 are shared with the other two

pedal actuators

41A and 41B.

The second difference is that the clutch pedal actuator 41C is provided with a swing plate 87 at the tip of the rack shaft 80 instead of the above-mentioned pressing member 86. That is, as shown in FIGS. 31 and 5, a swing plate 87 is swingably attached to the tip of the rack shaft 80. The swing plate 87 is arranged so as to be overlapped with the pedal portion of the clutch pedal 47, and is fixed to the pedal portion by an appropriate jig or fixture (not shown). The swing plate 87 is swingably supported by a pin 87a so as to have a rotation center axis along the vehicle width direction.

In the clutch pedal 47, in general, the inclination of the pedal surface changes relatively greatly with the stroke (depression) of the clutch pedal 47. Specifically, when the pedal is not depressed, the pedal surface is directed diagonally upward, and when the clutch pedal 47 is depressed, the pedal surface becomes almost vertical, and in a more extreme case, the pedal surface is oblique. It turns downward.

If the pressing member 86 is simply in contact with the pedal surface as in the accelerator pedal actuator 41A and the brake pedal actuator 41B, there is a concern that the pressing member 86 may fall off from the pedal surface as the angle of the pedal surface changes. Accurate stroke cannot be obtained.

On the other hand, in the clutch pedal actuator 41C of the above embodiment, since the swing plate 87 at the tip is fixed to the pedal portion, the clutch pedal actuator 41C reliably holds the pedal portion regardless of the change in the angle of the pedal surface. It can be pressed.

Further, the height position of the pedal portion changes with the swing around the lever pin on the upper part of the clutch pedal 47, and this change allows the link arm 68 and the pedal actuator support bracket 61 to swing freely. It is absorbed by being. By allowing the actuator housing 78 to freely change its angle, the rack shaft 80 can reliably press the pedal portion to the stroke limit.

In other words, the accelerator pedal actuator 41A and the brake pedal actuator 41B press the accelerator pedal 45 and the brake pedal 46 in a linear motion, whereas the clutch pedal actuator 41C presses the clutch pedal 47 while swinging.

In the above embodiment, the actuator housing 78 is supported from below by the pedal actuator support bracket 61 via the slide bracket 69 and the link arm 68, and the extension line of the rack shaft 80 passes above the pedal actuator support bracket 61. .. Therefore, the direction of load acting on the swinging pedal portion becomes appropriate, and the motor housing 81 protruding downward from the actuator housing 78 does not excessively lower during the stroke, so that interference with the vehicle body floor 6 is unlikely to occur.

At the same time, the height position of the slide rail 31 that supports the pedal actuator 41 can be lowered, and as shown in FIG. 2 and the like, the slide rail 31 is arranged at a height position near the front end of the seat cushion 3. Is possible. This point is the same in the accelerator pedal actuator 41A and the brake pedal actuator 41B.

If the stroke of the clutch pedal 47 is small or if the pedal portion can be pressed via the pressing member 86 due to the structure of the clutch pedal 47 or the like, the three pedal actuators 41 may have the same configuration.

Conversely, as the accelerator pedal actuator 41A or the brake pedal actuator 41B, it is possible to apply a configuration like the clutch pedal actuator 41C of the above embodiment.

[Application to automatic transmission type vehicles]
As described above, the pedal actuator 41 can be attached to the frame 11 in the vehicle interior after the frame 11 is carried into the vehicle interior. For example, when applied to an automatic transmission type vehicle that does not have a clutch pedal 47, only the accelerator pedal actuator 41A and the brake pedal actuator 41 may be attached except for the clutch pedal actuator 41C.

Thereby, as shown in FIG. 38, the mode of the vehicle automatic driving device 1 used for the automatic transmission type vehicle can be adopted.

As described above, the pedal actuator 41 can be easily attached and detached, so even if the vehicle under test in the chassis dynamometer is changed from a manual transmission type vehicle to an automatic transmission type vehicle, it can be handled. It's easy.

[Action / Effect]
In the vehicle automatic driving device 1 of the above embodiment, one end is swingably connected to the tip of the support arm 70 fixed to the pedal actuator support bracket 61, and the other end is swingably connected to the actuator housing 78. The variable length rod 83 is provided. The variable length rod 83 is a screw mechanism in which the length between these two connecting points changes according to the rotation of the adjusting nut. The actuator housing 78 is supported so as to be swingable up and down with respect to the pedal actuator support bracket 61. Further, the support arm 70 extends below the actuator housing.

Variable length in a triangle whose apex is a connecting portion between the support arm 70 and the actuator housing 78, a connecting portion between the variable length rod 83 and the actuator housing 78, and a connecting portion between the support arm 70 and the variable length rod 83. When the length of the rod 83 changes according to the rotation of the adjusting nut 85, the inclination angle of the actuator housing 78 (pedal actuator 41) changes continuously.

Therefore, in the vehicle automatic driving device 1, since the entire length of the variable length rod 83 changes according to the rotation of the adjusting nut 85, the angle of the pedal actuator 41 can be continuously and easily adjusted according to the rotation of the adjusting nut 85. Can be adjusted to.

The actuator housing 78 and the slide bracket 69 can be integrally formed. In that case, one end of the variable length rod 83 is swingably connected to the tip of the support arm 70, and the other end is swingably connected to the actuator housing 78.

The actuator housing 78 of the vehicle automatic driving device 1 is supported by the pedal actuator support bracket 61 via the link arm 68, and is swingably supported by the tip of the link arm 68. Further, the link arm 68 is swingable up and down with respect to the pedal actuator support bracket 61, and is provided with a fixing screw 73 as a first locking mechanism for fixing after adjustment.

Therefore, the vehicle automatic driving device 1 can fix the angle of the link arm 68 with respect to the pedal actuator support bracket 61 by tightening the fixing screw 73.

The support arm 70 of the vehicle automatic driving device 1 is supported by the tip of the link arm 68 so as to be swingable up and down, and a fixing screw 73 as a second lock mechanism for fixing to the link arm 68 after adjustment. It has.

Therefore, the vehicle automatic driving device 1 can fix the angle of the support arm 70 with respect to the link arm 68 by tightening the fixing screw 73.

The link arm 68 of the vehicle automatic driving device 1 has two members (first and first) that sandwich both a support pin 72 that serves as a connecting shaft with the pedal actuator support bracket 61 and a cylindrical portion 70c that serves as a connecting shaft with the support arm 70. It is composed of two members) in a half-split shape. The link arm 68 includes a fixing screw 73 as a common lock mechanism for tightening these two members (first and second members) to each other.

In other words, the fixing screw 73 of this embodiment is a first locking mechanism for fixing the link arm 68 to the pedal actuator support bracket 61, and a second locking mechanism for fixing the support arm 70 to the link arm 68. It is also a lock mechanism.

The lock mechanism for fixing the link arm 68 to the pedal actuator support bracket 61 and the lock mechanism for fixing the support arm 70 to the link arm 68 may be configured individually.

In the vehicle automatic driving device 1, the first cylindrical portion 70a and the second cylindrical portion 70c of the support arm 70 are configured so that their central axes coincide with each other. That is, in the vehicle automatic driving device 1, the swing center axis between the link arm 68 and the actuator housing 78 coincides with the swing center axis between the link arm 68 and the support arm 70.

In the vehicle automatic driving device 1, the swing center axis between the link arm 68 and the actuator housing 78 may not coincide with the swing center axis between the link arm 68 and the support arm 70. It is possible.

That is, in the vehicle automatic driving device 1, it is possible to configure the central axis of the first cylindrical portion 70a and the central axis of the second cylindrical portion 70c so as not to coincide with each other.

Further, the vehicle automatic driving device 1 can be configured such that the first cylindrical portion 70a and the second cylindrical portion 70c are separate members.

The vehicle automatic driving device 1 includes a stopper mechanism 75 that regulates a relative angle change between the actuator housing 78 (slide bracket 69) and the support arm 70 within a predetermined range.

Therefore, the vehicle automatic driving device 1 can prevent the relative angle change between the actuator housing 78 (slide bracket 69) and the support arm 70 from becoming excessively large when adjusting the angle of the pedal actuator 41.

The variable length rod 83 of the vehicle automatic driving device 1 has a screw rod 84A as a first screw shaft connected to the support arm 70 side and a screw rod connected to the actuator housing 78 side in the opposite direction to the screw rod 84A. It includes a screw rod 84B as a second screw shaft, and an adjusting nut 85 coaxially provided with a screw hole into which the screw rod 84A and the screw rod 84A are screwed.

With the variable length rod 83 configured in this way, the total length of the variable length rod 83 can be changed according to the rotation of the adjusting nut 85.

The variable length rod 83 of the vehicle automatic driving device 1 includes a lock nut 85A in contact with the adjustment nut 85 on the screw rod 84A, and a lock nut 85B in contact with the adjustment nut 85 on the screw rod 84B.

The variable length rod 83 can prevent (limit) the careless rotation (looseness) of the adjusting nut 85 by tightening the lock nuts 85A and 85B so as to be in contact with the adjusting nut 85.

The variable length rod 83 may be provided with a locknut on at least one of the

screw rods

84A and 84B.

Further, the adjusting nut 85 of the variable length rod 83 is formed in a disk shape having irregularities formed on the peripheral surface. Therefore, the adjusting nut 85 can improve the operability when operated by fingers.

Claims

Pedal actuator support bracket and
An actuator housing that is swingably supported up and down with respect to the pedal actuator support bracket,
A support arm fixed to the pedal actuator support bracket and extending downward of the actuator housing,
One end is swingably connected to the tip of the support arm, and the other end is swingably connected to the actuator housing, and the length between these two connecting points is adjusted according to the rotation of the adjusting nut. A pedal actuator for an autonomous vehicle driving device with a changing screw mechanism.
The actuator housing is supported by the pedal actuator support bracket via a link arm.
The link arm can swing up and down with respect to the pedal actuator support bracket, and also has a first lock mechanism for fixing after adjustment.
The pedal actuator of the vehicle automatic driving device according to claim 1, wherein the actuator housing is swingably supported at the tip of the link arm.
The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the support arm is supported by the tip of the link arm so as to be swingable up and down, and is provided with a second lock mechanism that is fixed to the link arm after adjustment. Pedal actuator for autonomous driving equipment.
The link arm is formed in a half-split shape on the first and second members that sandwich both the connecting shaft with the pedal actuator support bracket and the connecting shaft with the support arm, and these first and second members are formed. Equipped with a common lock mechanism that tightens each other
The pedal actuator of the vehicle automatic driving device according to claim 3, wherein the common lock mechanism constitutes the first lock mechanism and the second lock mechanism.
The vehicle automatic according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the swing center axis between the link arm and the actuator housing coincides with the swing center axis between the link arm and the support arm. Driving device pedal actuator.
The pedal actuator of the vehicle automatic driving device according to claim 5, further comprising a stopper mechanism that regulates a relative angle change between the actuator housing and the support arm within a predetermined range.
The above screw mechanism
The first screw shaft connected to the support arm side and
A second screw shaft connected to the actuator housing side and having a thread opposite to that of the first screw shaft,
The vehicle automatic driving device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising the adjusting nut coaxially provided with a screw hole into which the first screw shaft and the second screw shaft are screwed. Pedal actuator.
The pedal actuator of the vehicle automatic driving device according to claim 7, wherein a locknut in contact with the adjusting nut is provided on at least one of the first screw shaft and the second screw shaft.
The pedal actuator of the vehicle automatic driving device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the adjustment nut is formed in a disk shape having irregularities on the peripheral surface so that it can be rotated by fingers.