JPH08128519A - Change lever unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To surely apply automatic return function to a change lever, when the change lever is tilted to a specified position. CONSTITUTION: This change lever unit 20 is constituted so that both ends of a shaft 2 penetrating through a change lever 1 are respectively supported on the side walls 3a, 3b of a casing 3 opposed to each other, the change lever 1 is supported on the shaft 2 through a pin 4, the change lever 1 can be rotationally moved in the circumferential direction relative to the shaft 2 and supported capably of being tilted relative to the axis, and a torsion coil spring 24 is arranged in the lengthwise direction of the change lever 1, on the separated position from the axis, on either inside of the side walls 3a, 3b. Both ends 24a of the torsion coil spring 24 are arranged on the almost same plane so as to sandwich the change lever 1, and when the change lever 1 is tilted to a specified position, the change lever 1 is engaged between both ends 24a of the spring 24.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a change lever unit, and more particularly to an automatic return mechanism for a specific position of the change lever.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIGS. 8 to 11 show a change lever unit U used in an electro-pneumatic transmission such as a large automobile. In this change lever unit U, both ends 2a and 2b of a shaft 2 which penetrates through the change lever 1 are rotatably supported on opposite side walls 3a and 3b of a casing 3, respectively, and the change lever 1 is connected to the shaft 2 The pins are engaged with each other by a pin 4 at substantially the center of the shaft, whereby the change lever 1 can be rotated together with the shaft 2 in the circumferential direction of the shaft 2 and can be tilted in the longitudinal direction of the shaft 2. .

Further, in this change lever unit U, an arm 5 for detecting displacement is attached to one end 2a of the shaft 2.
Is fixed by a pin 5a, and a short shaft 6 is rotatably disposed on one side wall 3c of the casing 3 on the extension of the axis of the pin 4, and an arm 7 for detecting displacement is attached to the short shaft 6. Are fixed by the pin 7a. A strip 8 in the shape of a letter "" is locked on the short shaft 6, a long hole 8a is formed in the strip 8, and the change lever 1 is inserted through the long hole 8a. The movement of the change lever 1 is
The displacement of the arms 5 and 7 is transmitted to the arms 7 via the arms 5 and the strips 8, respectively, and the sensors 9 and
It is electrically detected by 10.

On the other hand, the change lever unit U is
It has a Roman H-shaped shift pattern. That is, one shift line in this shift pattern is reverse R, neutral N, and traveling (starting to automatic shifting) D, and the other shift line is upshift U for manual operation and hold (constant traveling holding) H. And downshift D, and normally, the change lever 1 is moved from the position D during forward traveling by automatic shifting to the position H during constant traveling on the other shift line U-HD. Then, the upshift or downshift is manually performed.

[0005]

By the way, in such a change lever unit U, an automatic return mechanism 11 is provided in order to facilitate the operation of the change lever 1 in the other shift line U-H-D. ing. The automatic return mechanism 11 has a cam block 12 in which the shaft 2 is slidably held only in the axial direction thereof, and a projection 12a is provided upright, and a side wall 3d facing the side wall 3c of the casing 3. The torsion coil spring 13 is provided. Both ends 13a, 13 of the torsion coil spring 13 are
b is the movement range of the protrusion 12a of the cam block 12,
The change lever 1 is arranged on the same plane so as to sandwich the protrusion 12a, and the change lever 1 is connected to the shift line U-H-
When the vehicle is tilted to the H position while D is running for a certain period, the cam block 12 is moved by the change lever 1 so that the projection 12a is engaged between both ends of the spring 13. (JP-A 6-174057)

At the same time, the automatic return mechanism 11 constantly urges the change lever 1 to the position of the hold H,
After the change lever 1 is put into the upshift U or the downshift D, the change lever 1 is immediately returned to the hold H position.

However, the conventional change lever unit U has the following problems. (1) Since the cam block 12 is accompanied by the key member 14, the spring 15, etc., it has a large number of parts and is expensive. (2) Since the cam block 12 has a large number of parts,
By accumulating the processing errors of the respective members, the projections 12a of the cam block 12 have the ends 13 of the torsion coil spring 13
With respect to a and 13b, from the ideal arrangement shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 12 (the arrangement in which the voids A on both sides of the projection 12a are the same), as shown by the solid line in FIG. I will end up. For this reason, it is difficult for both of them to engage with each other, and even if they are engaged with each other, it becomes difficult to pull them out when they are pulled out.

(3) The projection 12 of the cam block 12
Due to the bias of a, both ends 13 of the torsion coil spring 13 are
When the biasing force in a and 13b is not uniform and the shift operation angle is particularly small, automatic return failure may occur. (4) At the same time, in the projection 12a of the cam block 12 that engages with the torsion coil spring 13, the distance L1 from the axis of the shaft 2 to the tip of the projection 12a is short as shown in FIG. The urging force from the torsion coil spring 13 is hard to be transmitted to the change lever 1 and there is a possibility that automatic return failure may occur.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points.
An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a change lever unit that surely causes an automatic return action on the change lever when the change lever is tilted to a specific position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a change lever unit which is compact.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, the structure of the present invention is such that both ends of a shaft penetrated by a change lever are supported on opposite side walls of a casing, and the change lever is provided by a pin. A change lever unit supported by the shaft so as to be rotatable about the shaft in the circumferential direction thereof and tiltable with respect to the shaft center thereof, in a longitudinal direction of the change lever. A torsion coil spring is disposed at a position distant from the shaft core inside one of the side walls, and both ends of the torsion coil spring are arranged on substantially the same plane so as to sandwich the change lever, When the change lever is tilted to a specific position, the change lever is engaged between both ends of the spring.

[0012]

Since the present invention has the above-described structure, it is provided at both ends of the torsion coil spring arranged at a position apart from the axis of the shaft penetrating the change lever in the longitudinal direction of the change lever. Since the change lever is directly engaged, the distance between the shaft core and the engagement position is increased, and therefore, the biasing force from the torsion coil spring is
It is easily transmitted to the change lever, and the automatic return function is improved.

Since the cam block used in the conventional change lever unit is deleted, the reliability of the unit as a whole is improved accordingly and the unit can be made compact.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be exemplarily described in detail below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 7 are views showing an embodiment of the change lever unit of the present invention.
The same members as those shown in FIG. 11 are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

The change lever unit 20 detects the displacement of the change lever 1 via the arms 5 and 7 in XY coordinates, converts the displacement sensors 9 and 10 into electric signals, and outputs the electric signals to the outside. . Of the displacement sensors (photointerrupters) 9 and 10, the displacement sensor 9 is composed of three shift side sensors, and the displacement sensor 10 is composed of two select side sensors.
7 are arranged at appropriate intervals in the moving area. Therefore, when the change lever 1 is moved, one of the shift side displacement sensor 9 and the select side displacement sensor 10 detects the position of the arms 5 and 7, and the position of the change lever 1 is detected. To do.

A guide plate 21 is arranged above the casing 3 of the change lever unit 20. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the guide plate 21 is provided with a groove 22 in a Φ (chai) shape of a Russian character following the shift pattern. This Ч
The mold-shaped groove 22 has a first shift line composed of reverse R, neutral N and traveling (starting to automatic shifting) D, and a second shift line comprising upshift U, hold (maintaining constant traveling) H and downshift D. Of shift lines and a select line composed of running D and hold H. The upper portion of the change lever 1 is inserted into the groove 22.

Further, the change lever unit 20
Has an automatic return mechanism 23 for the change lever 1. The automatic return mechanism 23 includes a torsion coil spring 24.
1, a spring holder 25 for holding the spring 24, and a guide plate 26, and as shown in FIG. 1, the shaft inside the side wall 3a of the casing 3 below the change lever 1 in the longitudinal direction. It is arranged at a position away from the axis of the second shaft.

The automatic return mechanism 23 is provided on the side wall 3a of the casing 3 as shown in FIGS.
The spring holder 25 is attached by screws. The spring holder 25 has a boss 25a. The torsion coil spring 24 is loosely fitted in the boss 25a, and is held by the guide plate 26 so that the spring 24 does not fall off. And this spring 2
As shown in FIG. 7, the two leading ends 24a and 24b of No. 4 have their directions on the same plane by the guide plate 26.
Further, the change lever 1 is guided in a direction parallel to the axis of the shaft 2 and is arranged so as to directly sandwich the change lever 1 in the movement range of the U-H-D second shift line of the change lever 1. Has been done.

When the change lever 1 is on the first shift line (R-N-D) (states shown in FIGS. 1 to 3), the automatic return mechanism 23 twists the change lever 1 when the change lever 1 is twisted. Since the change lever 1 is not engaged with the coil spring 24, the torsion coil spring 2 is attached to the change lever 1.
There is no return action by the biasing force of 4.

Next, when the change lever 1 is moved to the second shift line (U-H-D), the change lever 1 moves, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the torsion coil spring 24. Is directly engaged between both ends 24a and 24b. Therefore, when the change lever 1 is put into the upshift U or the downshift D on the second shift line (U-H-D), the urging force of the torsion coil spring 24 directly acts on the change lever 1. Then, when the driver releases his / her hand from the change lever 1, the change lever 1 is held by the urging force of the spring 34.
Will be automatically returned to the position.

In this case, the torsion coil spring 24 is
It is arranged at a position away from the axis of the shaft 2 and has both ends 2
Since the change lever 1 is directly engaged between 4a and 24b, as shown in FIG. 1, the distance L2 between the shaft core and the engagement position becomes considerably larger than that of the conventional one.
The urging force from the torsion coil spring 24 is easily transmitted to the change lever 1, and the automatic return action is good and reliable.

Further, the change lever unit 20
Then, as shown in FIG. 1, a bottom plate 29 is disposed in the lower portion of the casing 3. The bottom plate 29 is formed in a spherical shape so as to keep a constant distance from the lower end of the change lever 1 within the movement range of the lower end of the change lever 1. A detent mechanism 30 is formed at the lower end of the change lever 1 between the lower end and the bottom plate 29. The detent mechanism 30 includes a ball 32 which is arranged at the lower end of the change lever 1 so as to be retractable via a spring 31 and a recess 33 formed in the bottom plate 29.
And is constituted by.

The recesses 33 are formed at positions corresponding to the reverse R position, the neutral N position, the traveling (starting to automatically shift) D position, and the hold (constant traveling holding) H position of the shift pattern. Therefore, when the change lever 1 is moved to those positions, the ball 32
Is dropped into the recess 33, the change lever 1 is positioned there. However, since the change lever unit 20 is provided with the automatic return mechanism 23 on the second shift line (U-H-D), the change lever unit 20 is located at the upshift U position and the downshift D position of the second shift line. As a matter of course, the recess 33 is not provided.

Note that the technique of the present invention is not limited to the technique in the above-described embodiment, and may be implemented by means of another mode that achieves the same function, and the technique of the present invention can be variously modified within the scope of the above configuration. Can be changed or added.

[0025]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, a torsion coil spring is arranged at a position apart from the shaft core inside one of the side walls in the longitudinal direction of the change lever, And when both ends of the torsion coil spring are arranged on substantially the same plane so as to sandwich the change lever, and when the change lever is tilted to a specific position,
Since the change lever is engaged between both ends of the spring, when the change lever is tilted to a specific position, the change lever can be surely operated to automatically return. In particular, even if the shift operation angle is small, the automatic return can be reliably performed.

Further, according to the present invention, since the cam block used in the conventional change lever unit is deleted, the reliability of the unit as a whole is improved accordingly and the unit can be made compact. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view in a select direction showing an embodiment of a change lever unit of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view in the shift direction of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing shift patterns shown in FIGS. 1 and 4;

5 is a view taken along the line VV of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which an automatic return action is performed in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the automatic return mechanism and the change lever unit taken along the line VII-VII in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a conventional change lever unit in the select direction.

9 is a cross-sectional view in the shift direction of FIG.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of FIG.

11 is a view taken along the line XI-XI of FIG.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged explanatory view of the automatic return mechanism of FIG. 11.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Change Lever 2 Shaft 2a, 2b Shaft End 3 Casing 3a, 3b Side Wall 4 Pin 20 Change Lever Unit 23 Automatic Return Mechanism 24 Torsional Coil Spring 24a, 24b Spring End 25 Spring Holder 25a Boss 26 Guide Plate

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A shaft which is passed through a change lever is supported at opposite side walls of a casing respectively, and the change lever is supported on the shaft by a pin so that the change lever is supported by the shaft. In a change lever unit supported so as to be rotatable in the circumferential direction and tiltable with respect to its axis, at a position apart from the axis in one of the side walls in the longitudinal direction of the change lever. A torsion coil spring is provided, and both ends of the torsion coil spring are arranged on substantially the same plane so as to sandwich the change lever. When the change lever is tilted to a specific position, the change lever is moved to the spring. A change lever unit characterized in that it is engaged between both ends of the change lever unit.