Shift control device

Abstract

To improve operability of a shift lever, while preventing the lever from being erroneously operated in shift down.SOLUTION: A shift control device comprises an operating part that receives shift operation, a base on which the operation part is provided, and an operation restricting part that restricts shift operation. Shift transmission stages include a first shift transmission stage, a second shift transmission stage and a third shift transmission stage. The base is provided with a first region, a second region and a third region set corresponding to the first shift transmission stage, the second shift transmission stage and the third shift transmission stage respectively. The shift transmission stages are switched depending on which of the regions in which the operation part is operated. The operation restricting part does not restrict the operation part from operating in the second region and the third region when the operating part is in the first region, does not restrict the operating part from operating in the first region and the third region when the operating part is in the second region, and does not restrict the operating part from operating in the second region but restricts the operating part from operating in the first region, when the operating part is in the third region.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a shift control device for use in a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] A manual transmission for a vehicle has multiple gears with different gear ratios. In the case of a manual transmission having 1st to 6th gears in descending order of gear ratio, the driver changes gears by, for example, shifting from 1st to 2nd (upshifting) or shifting from 5th to 4th (downshifting) according to the engine speed and vehicle speed.

[0003] A driver shifts gears by moving a shift lever located inside the vehicle cabin to a shift position corresponding to the desired gear. For example, the shift positions corresponding to each of the first through sixth gears may be arranged in an H-pattern, with odd-numbered gears arranged in ascending order from left to right of the vehicle, and even-numbered gears arranged in ascending order from left to right behind the odd-numbered gears. This can lead to erroneous operations, such as accidentally downshifting from fifth gear to fourth gear to second gear, which is located further back. Shifting to a gear unintended by the driver places excessive strain on the engine, which may result in damage.

[0004] Therefore, the technology described in Patent Document 1 prevents shifting from 5th gear to 2nd gear by providing a plate at the shift position corresponding to 2nd gear, thereby preventing the shift lever from being moved from the 5th gear shift position to the 2nd gear shift position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-185536 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, the driver realizes that he has made an error in shifting when the shift lever comes into contact with the plate at the shift position corresponding to second gear. With this technology, the shift lever has already passed the fourth gear position when it comes into contact with the plate, so the driver must return the shift lever toward the fifth gear position and then move it back to the fourth gear position, which can be a cumbersome shifting operation for the driver.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a shift control device that can improve the operability of the shift lever while preventing erroneous downshifting. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, a shift control device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a device for controlling a shift operation by a driver to change gear positions of a transmission, an operation unit that accepts the shift operation; a base on which the operation unit is provided; an operation limiting unit that is provided movably parallel to the surface of the base and limits the shift operation; Equipped with The gears include a first gear, a second gear having a smaller gear ratio than the first gear, and a third gear having a smaller gear ratio than the second gear, The base is provided with a first region corresponding to the first gear position, a second region corresponding to the second gear position, and a third region corresponding to the third gear position, The gear position is switched depending on whether the operation unit is operated to the first region, the second region, or the third region, the operation restriction unit, when the operation unit is in the first area, does not restrict operation of the operation unit to the second area and operation of the operation unit to the third area; the operation restriction unit, when the operation unit is in the second area, does not restrict operation of the operation unit to the first area and operation of the operation unit to the third area; When the operation unit is in the third area, the operation restriction unit does not restrict operation of the operation unit to the second area, but restricts operation to the first area. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the operability of the shift lever while preventing erroneous downshifting. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a general configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of an ECU according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a shift position of the shift control device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 4A and 4B are schematic diagrams showing the configuration of a shift control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in particular, Fig. 4A is a front view of the shift control device according to the embodiment, and Fig. 4B is a plan view of the shift control device according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an operation limiting unit in the shift control device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating transitions of a shift position and an operation restriction unit in the shift control device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating transitions of a shift position and an operation restriction unit in the shift control device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating a lock mechanism of an operation limiting unit in the shift control device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating a lock mechanism of an operation limiting unit in the shift control device according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Specific dimensions, materials, numerical values, etc. shown in the embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention and, unless otherwise specified, do not limit the present invention. Furthermore, the relative sizes of components shown in each drawing do not necessarily accurately represent the actual size relationships between the components. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same function and configuration are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant description, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown.

[0012] (Vehicle configuration) 1 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of a vehicle 1 according to this embodiment. Vehicle 1 is an engine vehicle that uses an engine as a drive source. Vehicle 1 may also be an electric vehicle that uses a motor as a drive source, or a hybrid vehicle that uses both an engine and a motor as drive sources.

[0013] 1, the direction of travel of the vehicle 1 when moving forward will be referred to as the forward direction, the direction of travel of the vehicle 1 when moving backward will be referred to as the backward direction, the right side of the direction of travel of the vehicle 1 when moving forward will be referred to as the right direction, and the left side of the direction of travel of the vehicle 1 when moving forward will be referred to as the left direction. Also, the upper side vertically will be referred to as the upward direction, and the lower side vertically will be referred to as the downward direction.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle 1 includes an engine 11, a transmission 12, a differential device 13, drive wheels 14, a shift control device 15, a shift position sensor 16, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 17.

[0015] The engine 11 outputs power for driving the drive wheels 14. An output shaft of the engine 11 is connected to the transmission 12. The power output from the engine 11 is transmitted to the transmission 12.

[0016] The transmission 12 has a plurality of gear stages. The output shaft of the transmission 12 is connected to the differential device 13. The rotation speed of the power transmitted to the transmission 12 is changed by the transmission 12 at a gear ratio corresponding to each gear stage, and the power is then transmitted to the differential device 13.

[0017] The power transmitted to the differential device 13 is distributed by the differential device 13 to a pair of left and right drive wheels 14. The drive wheels 14 may be either the front wheels or the rear wheels. The power output from the engine 11 may also be transmitted to both the front wheels and the rear wheels. In this case, the output shaft of the transmission 12 is connected to a front differential device that distributes the power to the pair of left and right front wheels, and a rear differential device that distributes the power to the pair of left and right rear wheels.

[0018] The shift control device 15 is a device that controls the shift operation for changing the gear positions of the transmission 12. The shift control device 15 is provided with a shift lever 151 that accepts shift operations by the driver. When the driver changes the shift position, which is the position of the shift lever 151, the gear position of the transmission 12 changes to the gear position corresponding to the shift position. The shift control device 15 will be described in detail later.

[0019] The shift position sensor 16 detects the shift position of the shift lever 151 and outputs the detection result to the ECU 17. The shift position sensor 16 is provided in the shift control device 15.

[0020] The ECU 17 has one or more processors 17a and one or more memories 17b connected to the processors 17a. The processor 17a includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The memory 17b includes, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The ROM is a storage element that stores programs and calculation parameters used by the CPU. The RAM is a storage element that temporarily stores data such as variables and parameters used in processing executed by the CPU.

[0021] The ECU 17 communicates with each device (for example, the transmission 12, the shift control device 15, and the shift position sensor 16) provided in the vehicle 1. The communication between the ECU 17 and each device is realized, for example, by using CAN (Control Area Network) communication.

[0022] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the ECU 17. For example, as shown in Fig. 2, the ECU 17 has an acquisition unit 171, a control unit 172, and a storage unit 173. Note that various processes performed by the acquisition unit 171 and the control unit 172 may be executed by the processor 17a. In detail, the various processes are executed by the processor 17a executing programs stored in the memory 17b. The function of the storage unit 173 is realized by the memory 17b.

[0023] The acquisition unit 171 acquires various types of information and outputs the information to the control unit 172 and the storage unit 173. For example, the acquisition unit 171 acquires information from the shift position sensor 16.

[0024] The control unit 172 controls the operation of each device in the vehicle 1. For example, the control unit 172 can change the gear position of the transmission 12 by controlling the operation of the transmission 12. Specifically, the control unit 172 changes the gear position of the transmission 12 to a gear position corresponding to the shift position detected by the shift position sensor 16. The gear position of the transmission 12 can be changed in response to a control command output from the ECU 17, for example.

[0025] The storage unit 173 stores various types of information. For example, the storage unit 173 stores information acquired by the acquisition unit 171. The information stored in the storage unit 173 is used in the processing performed by the control unit 172.

[0026] (Shift position) 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of shift positions of shift control device 15. Shift control device 15 has a first range P1, a second range P2, a third range P3, a fourth range P4, a fifth range P5, a sixth range P6, and a reverse range PR as shift positions. Transmission 12 has a first gear, a second gear, a third gear, a fourth gear, a fifth gear, a sixth gear, and a reverse gear as gear positions. First range P1, second range P2, third range P3, fourth range P4, fifth range P5, sixth range P6, and reverse range PR correspond to first gear, second gear, third gear, fourth gear, fifth range, sixth gear, and reverse gear, respectively.

[0027] When the transmission 12 is in the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth gear, power is transmitted to the drive wheels 14 in a direction that moves the vehicle 1 forward, and when the transmission 12 is in the reverse gear, power is transmitted to the drive wheels 14 in a direction that moves the vehicle 1 backward. The gear ratio decreases in the order of first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth gears.

[0028] In the example shown in FIG. 3, the first range P1, third range P3, and fifth range P5, which are shift positions corresponding to odd-numbered gears (first, third, and fifth gears), are arranged in ascending order to the right, followed by the second range P2, fourth range P4, and sixth range P6, which are shift positions corresponding to even-numbered gears (second, fourth, and sixth gears), also arranged in ascending order to the right. The first range P1 and second range P2, the third range P3 and fourth range P4, and the fifth range P5 and sixth range P6, which correspond to the front-rear direction, are all connected by shift grooves extending in the front-rear direction, and the shift grooves are connected by select grooves extending in the left-right direction, forming so-called H-pattern shift positions. Here, the shift grooves and select grooves are guide grooves that guide the movement of the shift lever 151.

[0029] In the shift operation for changing gears as described above, the driver moves the shift lever 151 to a shift position corresponding to the desired gear. At this time, the driver moves the shift lever 151 along the shift groove and the select groove. When the shift lever 151 is moved to the desired shift position, the shift position sensor 16 detects the shift position and outputs the detected shift position to the ECU 17. Among shift operations, a shift operation for changing from a gear with a large gear ratio to a gear with a small gear ratio is called an upshift, and a shift operation for changing from a gear with a small gear ratio to a gear with a large gear ratio is called a downshift.

[0030] With the H-pattern shift position as described above, a downshift from fifth gear to fourth gear may be performed, as indicated by the solid arrow in FIG. 2. When downshifting from fifth gear to fourth gear, the driver may operate the shift lever 151 without looking at their hands, causing the shift lever 151 to move further left than usual, as indicated by the dashed arrow in FIG. 2, resulting in a downshift to second gear adjacent to fourth gear. Downshifting from fifth gear to second gear can cause the engine to over-rev, potentially resulting in engine damage. Therefore, the shift control device 15, which is provided with the H-pattern shift position, employs a configuration that prevents an accidental downshift to second gear when downshifting from fifth gear to fourth gear.

[0031] The first, second, and reverse gears described above correspond to an example of the first gear according to the present invention. The fourth gear corresponds to an example of the second gear according to the present invention. The fifth gear corresponds to an example of the third gear according to the present invention. The first range P1, the second range P2, and the reverse range PR correspond to an example of the first region according to the present invention. The fourth range P4 corresponds to an example of the second region according to the present invention. The fifth range P5 corresponds to an example of the third region according to the present invention.

[0032] (Configuration of shift control device 15) Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of shift control device 15. Fig. 4A is a front view showing shift control device 15. Fig. 4B is a plan view showing shift control device 15. As shown in Figs. 4A and 4B, shift control device 15 includes shift lever 151, base 152, operation limiter 153, winding mechanism 154, and protrusion 155.

[0033] As described above, the shift lever 151 accepts a shift operation by the driver. The driver changes the gear of the transmission 12 by moving the shift lever 151 to a shift position corresponding to the desired gear. Generally, the shift lever 151 is moved to the first range P1 when the vehicle 1 starts, and then, as the engine speed and the speed of the vehicle 1 increase, the shift lever 151 is shifted up to the second range P2, the third range P3, the fourth range P4, the fifth range P5, and the sixth range P6. Furthermore, as the engine speed and the speed of the vehicle 1 decrease during deceleration, the shift lever 151 is shifted down to the fifth range P5, the fourth range P4, the third range P3, the second range P2, and the first range P1.

[0034] A shift lever 151, a protrusion 155, and H-pattern shift positions corresponding to the gears are provided on the base 152. The shift lever 151 is inserted into the base 152 through a first opening 153a of the operation limiting portion 153, and is movable in the front-rear and left-right directions.

[0035] The base 152 also has a marking on it indicating the gears that correspond to each shift position. For example, as shown in FIG. 4B, the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and reverse gears are marked as "1," "2," "3," "4," "5," "6," and "R," respectively, at the front-rear ends of the shift groove. This allows the driver to visually identify the shift positions that correspond to the gears of the transmission 12.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 4A, the operation limiting unit 153 is a plate-like member disposed on the upward surface (top surface) of the base 152. A winding area f, which is indicated by the area surrounded by a solid line in Fig. 4A, is provided near the left end of the operation limiting unit 153. This winding area f is wound up by a winding mechanism 154 (described later), causing the operation limiting unit 153 to move leftward relative to the top surface of the base 152. Furthermore, when the shift lever 151 is moved rightward, the winding area f of the operation limiting unit 153 is pulled out and moved rightward relative to the top surface of the base 152. Therefore, the winding area f of the operation limiting unit 153 is made of a flexible material that can be wound up by the winding mechanism 154.

[0037] 4B, operation limiting portion 153 includes first opening 153a formed by openings 153b and 153c, and second opening 153d having recessed portion h. Operation limiting portion 153 moves in the front-to-rear direction relative to the upper surface of base 152 as shift lever 151 presses the front-to-rear edge of first opening 153a. Operation limiting portion 153 will be described in detail later.

[0038] As described above, the winding mechanism 154 moves the operation limiting unit 153 to the left by winding up the winding region f of the operation limiting unit 153. For example, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the winding mechanism 154 has a cylindrical shape and rotates around an axis that extends in the front-to-rear direction. A force is always acting on the winding mechanism 154 to rotate it in the direction of winding up the winding region f of the operation limiting unit 153. Then, as shown in FIG. 4B, the right edge of the first opening 153a comes into contact with the shift lever 151, thereby positioning the operation limiting unit 153.

[0039] On the other hand, as the shift lever 151 moves to the right, the shift lever 151 pushes the right edge of the first opening 153a, causing the winding mechanism 154 to rotate in the opposite direction against the winding force, thereby pulling out the winding area f to the right and moving the operation limiting portion 153 to the right.

[0040] In the winding mechanism 154, the force that rotates the operation limiting unit 153 in the winding direction may be the power of a motor or may be the elastic force based on an elastic body such as a spring or rubber. Furthermore, when the operation limiting unit 153 is moved within a predetermined range, the winding mechanism 154 may be provided with an upper winding limit that corresponds to the movable range of the operation limiting unit 153.

[0041] The protruding portion 155 protrudes upward from the upper surface of the base 152 and is inserted into the second opening 153d of the operation limiting portion 153. For example, the protruding portion 155 has a shape corresponding to the recessed portion h of the second opening 153d.

[0042] (Configuration of operation restriction unit 153) FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a more detailed configuration of operation limiter 153. As shown in FIG. 5, first opening 153a is provided to the right of approximately the center of operation limiter 153. First opening 153a has a shape in which openings 153b and 153c, which are approximately rectangular openings, are arranged side by side in the left-right direction and offset in the front-to-rear direction. Here, openings 153b and 153c are both arranged so that their longitudinal directions are the front-to-rear direction. For example, the length of the long sides of openings 153b and 153c is K, and the length of the short sides is L / 2, where L is the width of first opening 153a in the left-to-right direction.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 5, the second opening 153d is provided rearward of the first opening 153a and has a recessed portion h. Specifically, the second opening 153d is a substantially rectangular opening arranged so that its longitudinal direction is the left-right direction, and has a shape in which a portion of its rearward edge protrudes forward. The recessed portion h is formed by a portion of the rearward edge protruding forward, and is recessed rearward. Here, the width of the second opening 153d in the front-to-rear direction is M, and the width in the left-to-right direction is N.

[0044] 4B and 5, in this embodiment, the length K of the long sides of openings 153b and 153c is equal to the length of the shift groove in the front-to-rear direction on base 152, i.e., the length from the front end to the rear end of the shift groove, and the width L of first opening 153a in the left-to-right direction is equal to the width of two adjacent shift grooves in the left-to-right direction on base 152, i.e., the length from the left end to the right end of the two adjacent shift grooves. Therefore, in order to make it possible to move shift lever 151 to any of first range P1, second range P2, third range P3, fourth range P4, fifth range P5, sixth range P6, and reverse range PR, operation limiting portion 153 must move in the left-to-right direction in accordance with movement of shift lever 151. For example, the operation limiting portion 153 may be movable left and right from a position where the opening 153b of the first opening 153a includes the shift groove of the reverse range PR to a position where the opening 153c includes the shift groove connecting the fifth range P5 and the sixth range P6.

[0045] When operation limiting portion 153 moves in the left-right direction, the left-right position of protrusion 155 changes in second opening 153d. Therefore, if operation limiting portion 153 is movable in the left-right direction from a position where opening 153b of first opening 153a includes the shift groove for reverse range PR to a position where opening 153c includes the shift groove connecting fifth range P5 and sixth range P6, width N of second opening 153d in the left-right direction should be equal to or greater than the left-right movement distance from the position where opening 153b of first opening 153a includes the shift groove for reverse range PR to the position where opening 153c includes the shift groove connecting fifth range P5 and sixth range P6.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 4B, first opening 153a is shaped to be offset in the front-rear direction so that when opening 153c includes two shift positions corresponding to each other in the front-rear direction, only the forward shift position of the two shift positions corresponding to each other in the front-rear direction is included in opening 153b. For example, when opening 153c includes fifth range P5 and sixth range P6, opening 153b includes only third range P3. Here, "including a shift position in an opening" refers to a state in which the entire shift position indicated by the dotted circle in Fig. 3 is located within the opening, and does not include a state in which only a portion of the shift position is located within the opening.

[0047] Therefore, in order to allow the shift lever 151 to be moved to any of the first range P1, second range P2, third range P3, fourth range P4, fifth range P5, sixth range P6, and reverse range PR, the operation limiting unit 153 must be able to move in the front-to-rear direction in accordance with the movement of the shift lever 151. For example, it is sufficient that the operation limiting unit 153 is able to move in the front-to-rear direction from a position where the opening 153b of the first opening 153a includes any of the first range P1, third range P3, and fifth range P5 to a position where the opening 153c includes any of the second range P2, fourth range P4, sixth range P6, and reverse range PR.

[0048] When operation limiter 153 moves in the front-rear direction, the front-rear position of protrusion 155 changes in second opening 153d. Therefore, if operation limiter 153 is movable in the front-rear direction from a position where opening 153b of first opening 153a includes any one of first range P1, third range P3, and fifth range P5 to a position where opening 153c includes any one of second range P2, fourth range P4, sixth range P6, and reverse range PR, width M of second opening 153d in the front-rear direction should be equal to or greater than the distance of movement in the front-rear direction from the position where opening 153b of first opening 153a includes any one of first range P1, third range P3, and fifth range P5 to the position where opening 153c includes any one of second range P2, fourth range P4, sixth range P6, and reverse range PR.

[0049] (Movement of operation limiter 153) As described above, the operation limiting unit 153 moves in the front-rear and left-right directions in response to the movement of the shift lever 151. Below, with reference to Figures 6 and 7, the shift position during an upshift, which switches gears in order from 1st gear to 6th gear, and the transition of the operation limiting unit 153 will be described, as well as the shift position during a downshift, which switches gears in order from 6th gear to 1st gear, and the transition of the operation limiting unit 153.

[0050] (Shift up) Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the transition of the shift position and operation limiting unit 153 in the shift control device 15. Fig. 6 particularly shows the transition of the shift position and operation limiting unit 153 when shifting up the gears in order from the first gear to the sixth gear.

[0051] 6(1), when the gear is in first gear, the shift lever 151 is in the first range P1. At this time, the operation limiting part 153 is in a position where the opening 153b of the first opening 153a includes the reverse range PR, and the opening 153c includes the first range P1 and the second range P2.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 6(2), when the gear position is changed from the first gear position to the second gear position, the operation limiting portion 153 is not moved, and only the shift lever 151 is moved to the second range P2.

[0053] As shown in (3) of Figure 6, when the gear position is changed from second to third, the shift lever 151 is moved to the third range P3. As the shift lever 151 moves to the third range P3, the right edge of the first opening 153a is pushed by the shift lever 151, and the operation limiting part 153 moves rightward. The operation limiting part 153 moved rightward includes only the first range P1 in the opening 153b of the first opening 153a, and includes the third range P3 and the fourth range P4 in the opening 153c.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 6(4), when the gear position is changed from the third gear position to the fourth gear position, the operation limiting portion 153 is not moved, and only the shift lever 151 is moved to the fourth range P4.

[0055] As shown in (5) of Figure 6, when shifting from fourth gear to fifth gear, the shift lever 151 is moved to fifth range P5. As the shift lever 151 moves to fifth range P5, the right edge of the first opening 153a is pushed by the shift lever 151, and the operation limiting part 153 moves rightward. The operation limiting part 153 moved rightward includes only the third range P3 in the opening 153b of the first opening 153a, and includes the fifth range P5 and the sixth range P6 in the opening 153c.

[0056] As shown in (6) of FIG. 6, when the gear position is changed from the fifth gear position to the sixth gear position, the operation limiting portion 153 is not moved, and only the shift lever 151 is moved to the sixth range P6.

[0057] Although the above description has been given of an upshift in which the gears are switched in order from 1st gear to 6th gear, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a so-called skip shift, such as a shift from 1st gear to 3rd gear, may also be performed.

[0058] (Shift down) Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the transition of the shift position and operation limiting unit 153 in the shift control device 15. Fig. 7 particularly shows the transition of the shift position and operation limiting unit 153 when shifting down the gears in order from sixth gear to first gear.

[0059] 7(1), when the sixth gear is selected, the shift lever 151 is positioned in the sixth range P6. In this state, the operation limiting portion 153 is positioned such that the opening 153b of the first opening 153a includes only the third range P3, and the opening 153c includes the fifth range P5 and the sixth range P6.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 7(2), when the gear position is changed from the sixth gear position to the fifth gear position, the operation limiting portion 153 is not moved, and only the shift lever 151 is moved to the fifth range P5.

[0061] As shown in (3) of Figure 7, when the gear position is changed from fifth gear to fourth gear, the shift lever 151 is moved to the fourth range P4. Thereafter, the winding mechanism 154 winds up the winding region f of the operation limiting unit 153, thereby moving the operation limiting unit 153 to the left. The operation limiting unit 153 moved to the left includes the first range P1 and the second range P2 in the opening 153b of the first opening 153a, and includes only the fourth range P4 in the opening 153c.

[0062] As shown in (4) of Figure 7, when the gear position is changed from fourth to third, the shift lever 151 is moved to the third range P3. As the shift lever 151 moves to the third range P3, the front edge of the first opening 153a is pushed by the shift lever 151, and the operation limiting part 153 moves forward. The operation limiting part 153 moved forward includes only the first range P1 in the opening 153b of the first opening 153a, and includes the fourth range P4 and the fifth range P5 in the opening 153c.

[0063] As shown in (5) of FIG. 7, when the gear position is changed from third to second, the shift lever 151 is moved to the second range P2. As the shift lever 151 moves to the second range P2, the rear edge of the first opening 153a is pushed by the shift lever 151, and the operation limiting unit 153 is moved rearward. Thereafter, the winding mechanism 154 winds up the winding region f of the operation limiting unit 153, and the operation limiting unit 153 is moved leftward. The operation limiting unit 153 moved leftward includes the reverse range PR in the opening 153b of the first opening 153a and only the first range P1 in the opening 153c.

[0064] As shown in (6) of Figure 7, when the gear position is changed from second gear to first gear, the shift lever 151 is moved to the first range P1. As the shift lever 151 moves to the first range P1, the front edge of the first opening 153a is pushed by the shift lever 151, and the operation limiting part 153 moves forward. The operation limiting part 153 moved forward includes only the reverse range PR in the opening 153b of the first opening 153a, and includes the first range P1 and the second range P2 in the opening 153c.

[0065] Although the downshift from sixth gear to first gear has been described here, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a so-called skip shift, such as a shift from fourth gear to first gear, may also be performed.

[0066] (locking mechanism) Shift control device 15 according to this embodiment is provided with a locking mechanism for preventing accidental downshifting from fifth gear to fourth gear to prevent accidental downshifting to second gear. The locking mechanism is made up of second opening 153d of operation limiter 153 and protrusion 155 provided on base 152. Details of the locking mechanism will be described below with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

[0067] 8 and 9 are diagrams illustrating the locking mechanism in the shift control device 15. As shown in FIG. 8(1), when shifting from fourth gear to fifth gear, the shift lever 151, which is in the fourth range P4, is moved to the fifth range P5. First, the shift lever 151 is moved forward to the select groove and then moved rightward along the select groove. As this movement occurs, the operation limiter 153 is pushed by the shift lever 151 and moved rightward. When the operation limiter 153 is moved rightward, the protrusion 155 moves leftward along the inclined portion in the second opening 153d, as shown in FIG. 8(2). This causes the operation limiter 153 to also move rearward. As a result, the protrusion 155 is positioned forward of the recessed portion h in the second opening 153d.

[0068] Next, as shown in FIG. 8 (3), the shift lever 151 is moved forward along the shift groove connecting the fifth range P5 and the sixth range P6. As this movement occurs, the operation limiting part 153 is pushed forward by the shift lever 151 and moved accordingly. When the operation limiting part 153 is moved forward, the protruding part 155 is positioned in the recessed part h at the second opening 153d. As a result, even if an attempt is made to move the operation limiting part 153 left or right, the protruding part 155 is caught in the recessed part h, preventing the operation limiting part 153 from moving left or right. In other words, the operation limiting part 153 is in a locked state in which its movement left or right is restricted.

[0069] In the locked state, the operation limiter 153 cannot be moved left or right, so the shift lever 151 in the fifth range P5 can only be moved to the third range P3, the fourth range P4, and the sixth range P6. Therefore, the shift lever 151 cannot be moved to the second range P2, which corresponds to the second gear, so it is not possible to shift from the fifth gear to the second gear. As a result, it is possible to prevent an erroneous shift from the fifth gear to the second gear, which could cause the engine to overspeed.

[0070] Furthermore, even if the shift lever 151 is operated to shift from fifth gear to second gear, the shift lever 151 will hit the left edge of the first opening 153a when it is positioned in the shift groove connecting the third range P3 and the fourth range P4, causing the driver to notice an erroneous operation of the shift lever 151. Therefore, if the shift lever 151 is operated backward at the time the erroneous operation is noticed, the shift lever can be moved to fourth range P4. Therefore, the shift control device 15 according to this embodiment can notice an erroneous operation at a position closer to fourth range P4, which corresponds to the desired fourth gear, thereby improving operability.

[0071] The locked state described above is released when the gear is shifted from fifth gear to fourth gear, as shown in FIG. 9. When the gear is shifted from fifth gear to fourth gear, as shown in FIG. 9(1), the shift lever 151, which is in fifth range P5, is moved to fourth range P4. As this movement occurs, the operation limiting unit 153 is pushed and moved rearward by the shift lever 151. When the operation limiting unit 153 is moved rearward, the protruding portion 155 in the second opening 153d moves forward and disengages from the recessed portion h, as shown in FIG. 9(2). This releases the locked state of the operation limiting unit 153, allowing it to move left and right.

[0072] 9(3), the operation limiting unit 153 is moved leftward by the winding mechanism 154 winding up the winding region f of the operation limiting unit 153. As a result, the operation limiting unit 153 stops at a position where the first range P1 and the second range P2 are included in the opening 153b to the left of the first opening 153a, and where only the fourth range P4 is included in the opening 153c.

[0073] As described above, in the vehicle 1 according to this embodiment, by shifting the gear from fourth to fifth, the shift control device 15 enters a locked state in which the protrusion 155 is positioned in the recessed portion h of the second opening 153d. This limits the left-right movement of the operation limiting portion 153, preventing an accidental shift to second gear when shifting from fifth to fourth gear. Furthermore, even if the shift lever 151 is erroneously operated to shift the gear from fifth to second, the driver can be made aware of the erroneous operation near the fourth range P4 corresponding to fourth gear, thereby improving operability.

[0074] The above describes a preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modified or altered examples within the scope of the claims also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0075] For example, in the above example, the operation limiting portion 153 of the shift control device 15 is moved to the left by the winding mechanism 154. However, similar to the movement in the forward / backward direction and the rightward direction, the movement of the operation limiting portion 153 to the left may also be manually performed by the driver pressing the left edge of the first opening 153a with the shift lever 151 when moving the shift lever 151.

[0076] For example, in the above description, the vehicle 1 is a manual vehicle. However, the vehicle 1 may be an automatic vehicle having a manual mode in which the gears are changed in response to a shift operation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 1 vehicle 11 Engine 12. Transmission 13 Differential device 14 drive wheels 15 Shift control device 151 Shift lever (operation part) 152 Foundation 153 Operation Restriction Unit 153a First opening 153d Second opening 154 Winding mechanism 155 Protrusion 16 Shift position sensor 17 ECU 17a processor 17b memory

Claims

1. A shift control device that controls a shift operation by a driver to change gear stages of a transmission, an operation unit that accepts the shift operation; a base on which the operation unit is provided; an operation limiting unit that is provided movably parallel to the surface of the base and limits the shift operation; Equipped with the gears include a first gear, a second gear having a smaller gear ratio than the first gear, and a third gear having a smaller gear ratio than the second gear, The base is provided with a first region corresponding to the first gear position, a second region corresponding to the second gear position, and a third region corresponding to the third gear position, The gear position is switched depending on whether the operation unit is operated to the first region, the second region, or the third region, the operation restriction unit, when the operation unit is in the first area, does not restrict operation of the operation unit to the second area and operation of the operation unit to the third area; the operation restriction unit, when the operation unit is in the second area, does not restrict operation of the operation unit to the first area and operation of the operation unit to the third area; The operation limiting unit, when the operating unit is in the third region, does not limit operation of the operating unit to the second region, but limits operation of the operating unit to the first region.

2. the first region, the second region, and the third region are provided on the base in the left-right direction of the vehicle in the order of the gear ratios corresponding to each region; the operation limiting portion is a plate-like member including first openings corresponding to two adjacent regions among the first region, the second region, and the third region; the operation unit is inserted into the base through the first opening, and is capable of moving the operation limiting unit by moving the operation unit in a front-rear direction of the vehicle or a left-right direction of the vehicle; The shift control device according to claim 1 , further comprising a lock mechanism that restricts movement of the operation restricting portion when the operating portion is in the third region.

3. The locking mechanism is a second opening provided in the operation limiting portion and having a recessed portion recessed in the front-rear direction of the vehicle; a protrusion provided on the base and insertable from a surface of the base into the second opening; Equipped with The shift control device according to claim 2 , wherein when the operating portion is in the third region, the protrusion is positioned in the recess to limit the movement of the operation limiting portion in the left-right direction.

4. 4. The shift control device according to claim 3, wherein when the operating portion is operated from the third region to the second region, the protrusion disengages from the recess, thereby releasing the restriction on the left-right movement of the operation limiting portion.

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