Sliding electronic gear shifter

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of sliding electronic gear shifters, including operating mechanism and the gear shift mechanism connected with the operating mechanism, the gear shift mechanism includes gear shifter housing and the slider body in the gear shifter housing, the slider body is connected with the operating mechanism, can be slid relative to the gear shifter housing under the driving of the operating mechanism, the operating mechanism includes the operating part base connected with the slider body, the operating part top cover opposite to the operating part base, and the holding portion between the operating part base and the operating part top cover.This sliding electronic gear shifter of the present application sets holding portion between operating part top cover and operating part base, it is convenient to hold electronic gear shifter and operate when sliding operation, novel structure and simple operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automotive gear shift technology, and in particular to a sliding electronic gear shifter. Background Technology

[0002] A typical automotive electronic gear shifter includes a gear lever, a P (Park) button, and an unlock button. Moving or pushing the gear lever changes the vehicle's gears. Pressing the P button locks the vehicle in the P (Park) position.

[0003] Currently, all lever-type electronic shifters in this technical field rotate around a fixed axis. This structural method is not novel and has drawbacks such as difficulty in controlling the operation feel and poor durability of wire connections.

[0004] The preceding description is intended to provide general background information and does not necessarily constitute prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a sliding electronic gear shifter.

[0006] The present invention provides a sliding electronic gear shifter, including an operating mechanism and a shifting mechanism connected to the operating mechanism. The shifting mechanism includes a shifter housing and a slider body disposed within the shifter housing. The slider body is connected to the operating mechanism and can slide relative to the shifter housing under the action of the operating mechanism. The operating mechanism includes an operating part base connected to the slider body, an operating part top cover opposite to the operating part base, and a gripping part located between the operating part base and the operating part top cover.

[0007] Furthermore, a light indicator is provided between the top cover of the control unit and the base of the control unit.

[0008] Furthermore, the light indicator includes an upper transparent body connected to the top cover of the control part and a lower transparent body connected to the base of the control part, and the surfaces of the upper transparent body and the lower transparent body are provided with diamond-cut facets.

[0009] Furthermore, the upper transparent body is provided with an embossed logo.

[0010] Furthermore, the outer side of the grip is provided with a P-position button, and the inside of the grip is provided with a lighting circuit board corresponding to the P-position button and a light source provided on the lighting circuit board. A light guide ring is provided between the light source and the light indicator, and the light guide ring guides the light emitted by the light source to the light indicator.

[0011] Furthermore, the slider body has embedded wires that are connected to the lighting circuit board for signal transmission, and a shifter circuit board is located below the slider body. The shifter circuit board and the lighting circuit board are connected by the wires for signal transmission.

[0012] Furthermore, the base of the control unit is provided with a connector circuit board, on which a second connector and a third connector are provided, and on which a first connector is provided. The second connector is connected to the wire through a connector joint, and the third connector and the first connector are connected through a flexible flat cable.

[0013] Furthermore, the connector includes a first anti-foolproof connector disposed on the slider body and a second anti-foolproof connector disposed on the operating part base. The first anti-foolproof connector and the second anti-foolproof connector are inserted together to electrically connect the second connector and the wire.

[0014] Furthermore, the slider body is provided with several sets of sliding plates located at different positions below it, and the shifter circuit board is provided with several sets of copper-clad sheets corresponding to the sliding plates. When the slider body slides along the shifter housing to different positions, different sets of sliding plates contact the corresponding copper-clad sheets to form different conduction circuits.

[0015] Furthermore, the operating mechanism includes an upper shell of the operating part, a lower shell of the operating part, and an operating part bracket. The operating part bracket includes a lower bracket, an upper bracket, and a bracket body located between the lower bracket and the upper bracket. The bracket body is smoothly connected to the lower bracket and the upper bracket. The upper shell of the operating part is fixed above the upper bracket and the bracket body, and the lower shell of the operating part is fixed to the lower part of the lower bracket and the bracket body.

[0016] The sliding electronic shifter of the present invention has a gripping part between the top cover of the control part and the base of the control part, which makes it easy to hold the electronic shifter for operation during sliding operation. The structure is novel and the operation is simple. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a sliding electronic gear shifter provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the shifting mechanism of the sliding electronic shifter of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the slider body.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the exploded state of the slider body and the sliding bushing.

[0021] Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of the upper housing of the gear shifter.

[0022] Figure 6 and Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the lower housing of the gear shifter.

[0023] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the longitudinal section of the shift mechanism, showing the fit between the middle part of the slider body and the shifter housing.

[0024] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the longitudinal section of the end of the shift mechanism, showing the fit between the end of the slider body and the shifter housing.

[0025] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the transverse cross-section of the gear shifting mechanism.

[0026] Figure 11 and Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the slider support structure.

[0027] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the slider.

[0028] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram showing the disassembled state of the circuit board bracket and the shifter circuit board.

[0029] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the slider and the copper cladding sheet.

[0030] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram showing the position and length relationship of the copper-clad sheet on the shifter circuit board.

[0031] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram showing the circuit conduction state when the slider body slides to different positions.

[0032] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram showing the disassembled state of the control mechanism.

[0033] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of the upper shell of the control unit.

[0034] Figure 20 and Figure 21 This is a schematic diagram of the control unit support.

[0035] Figure 22 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the manipulator structure.

[0036] Figure 23 and Figure 24 This is a schematic diagram of the light guide ring.

[0037] Figure 25 and Figure 26 This is a schematic diagram of the optical path of the light guide ring.

[0038] The reference numerals and components involved in the accompanying drawings are shown below:

[0039] 1. Gear shifter circuit board 11, main connector 111, first main connector

[0040] 112. Second main connection; 12. Fourth copper clad laminate group; 13. Second copper clad laminate group

[0041] 14. Third copper-clad laminate group 15. First copper-clad laminate group

[0042] 2. Lighting circuit board 21, First connector 22, P-position silicone head

[0043] 23. Light source 24. Lighting circuit board mounting bracket

[0044] 3. Fourth sliding plate group; 4. Second sliding plate group; 5. Third sliding plate group

[0045] 6. First sliding plate group 61, melting tank 62, deformation tank

[0046] 63. Precious metal contacts

[0047] 7. Wire

[0048] 8. Gear shifting mechanism; 80. Gear shifter housing; 81. Slider body

[0049] 811. First operating element connector; 812. Connector terminal; 813. Contact deformation groove

[0050] 814. Positioning recess; 815. First friction surface; 816. Fixing hole

[0051] 817. Fasteners; 818. Buffer pads; 82. Sliding bushings

[0052] 821. Spring-loaded contact; 822. Positioning protrusion; 83. Gear shifter upper housing

[0053] 831. Connecting post through hole; 833. Screw hole; 834. Front and rear positioning recesses.

[0054] 835. Left and right positioning recesses; 836. Second friction surface; 84. Lower housing of gear shifter.

[0055] 84b, lower housing mounting base 841, position sensor groove 841a, first inclined surface

[0056] 841b, Second inclined surface; 842, Bracket slide; 843, Self-tapping screw hole

[0057] 844. Front and rear positioning blocks; 845. Left and right positioning blocks; 846. Assembly mounting holes

[0058] 847, Bushing; 85, Circuit Board Support; 851, Rectangular Opening

[0059] 86. Sliding plate bracket; 861. Mounting hole; 862. Welding groove

[0060] 863. Wire connection groove

[0061] 9. Control mechanism 91, control unit bracket 91a, upper bracket

[0062] 91b, lower bracket; 91c, bracket body; 911, connecting bracket

[0063] 911b, Second operating component connector 912, Connector circuit board 912a, Connector circuit board mounting base

[0064] 913, Second connector; 914, Third connector; 915, Flexible flat cable

[0065] 916. Upper transparent body mounting hole; 917. Indicator positioning groove; 918. Lower transparent body mounting groove

[0066] 919, Light guide ring positioning part; 9191, Light guide ring clamping part; 92, Upper shell of the operating part.

[0067] 92a. Upper shell mounting base; 92b. Upper shell mounting part; 92c. Protrusion.

[0068] 921. P-gear button slot; 922. P-gear button; 93. Lower housing of control unit.

[0069] 931, through hole 94, upper transparent body 941, indicator positioning block

[0070] 943. Diamond-cut facets; 944. Embossed logo; 95. Transparent bottom.

[0071] 96. Light guide ring; 961. Light guide ring body; 962. Conduction arm

[0072] 963, Reflector wall; 965, Beam splitter; 966, Convex lens surface

[0073] 97. Lighting indicator section Detailed Implementation

[0074] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0075] The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," etc., used in the specification and claims of this invention are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0076] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this invention provides a sliding electronic gear shifter, including an operating mechanism 9 and a shifting mechanism 8 connected to the operating mechanism 9. The shifting mechanism 8 includes a shifter housing 80 and a slider body 81 disposed within the shifter housing 80. The slider body 81 is connected to the operating mechanism 9 and can slide relative to the shifter housing 80 under the drive of the operating mechanism 9. The bottom of the slider body 81 is provided with several sets of sliding plates located at different positions. Below the sliding plates is a shifter circuit board 1, which is provided with several sets of copper-clad sheets corresponding to the sliding plates. When the slider body 81 slides along the shifter housing 80 to different positions, different sets of sliding plates contact the corresponding copper-clad sheets, forming different conductive circuits to realize the switching of different gears.

[0077] Specifically, please refer to the following: Figure 3 The slider body 81 is a columnar body with an octagonal cross-section. A first operating connector 811 protrudes from the top of the middle part of the slider body 81. The slider body 81 is connected to the operating mechanism 9 through the first operating connector 811. The first operating connector 811 has a connector terminal 812 protruding from the corresponding surface of the first operating connector 811, making the first operating connector 811 a male connector terminal. The connector terminal 812 is connected to the wire 7 embedded inside the slider body 81. The wire 7 extends downward from the top of the slider body 81 to the bottom of the slider body 81 and is connected to the slider signal provided at the bottom of the slider body 81. The first operating connector 811 has a foolproof design. In this embodiment, the cross-section of the first operating connector 811 is approximately U-shaped, making it a first foolproof connector. The operating mechanism 9 is provided with a second foolproof connector corresponding to the first foolproof connector. The sides of the first and second foolproof connectors are provided with fixing holes 816. The slider body 81 is connected to the operating mechanism 9 through the insertion and engagement of the first and second foolproof connectors and the fixing member 817 inserted into the fixing hole 816. The periphery of the first operating connector 811 is also provided with a buffer pad 818, which is located in the through hole 831 of the connecting post on the first operating connector 811 and the shifter housing 80 (see...). Figure 5 Between ), to reduce the vibration and friction generated during the sliding process of the slider body 81.

[0078] The slider body 81 has several inclined first friction surfaces 815 in its middle part. The first friction surfaces 815 are distributed along the circumference of the slider body 81 at the corner positions of the upper and lower sides of the slider body 81. The shifter housing 80 includes an upper shifter housing 83 and a lower shifter housing 84, such as... Figure 8As shown, the upper and lower housings of the gear shifter are provided with a plurality of second friction surfaces 836. These second friction surfaces 836 are distributed inside the upper and lower housings of the gear shifter. The second friction surfaces 836 and the first friction surfaces 815 form a friction pair. During the sliding process of the slider body 81 relative to the gear shifter housing 80, the second friction surfaces 836 and the first friction surfaces 815 come into contact. It should be noted that a sufficient gap is left between the second friction surfaces 836 and the first friction surfaces 815, and this gap is coated with grease to ensure smooth operation.

[0079] Please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 9 The slider body 81 has sliding bushings 82 installed at both ends. The sliding bushings 82 are made of wear-resistant engineering plastics (such as POM, PA, etc.) and have an octagonal cross-section. The sliding bushings 82 are fixed to the slider body 81 by the fit between the positioning recesses 814 on the four surfaces of the slider body 81 and the positioning protrusions 822 at the corresponding positions of the sliding bushings 82. It can be understood that the sliding bushings 82 can be fixed by swapping the positions of the positioning recesses 814 and the positioning protrusions 822. The upper and lower corners of the sliding bushings 82 are provided with a number of elastic contacts 821 that can expand outward or contract inward. The elastic contacts 821 are located between adjacent positioning protrusions 822 and have protrusions that make line contact with the shifter housing 80, thereby reducing the contact area between the elastic contacts 821 and the shifter housing 80. The slider body 81 has contact deformation grooves 813 at both ends corresponding to the positions of the elastic contacts 821. The elastic contacts 821 move along the depth direction of the contact deformation grooves 813 during outward expansion or inward contraction. (See also...) Figure 6 and Figure 10The gear shift housing 80 has gear position sensing grooves 841 at both ends into which elastic contacts 821 can extend. The middle part of the gear position sensing groove 841 is recessed inward and includes a first inclined surface 841a extending from the middle part of the gear position sensing groove 841 to the middle part of the corresponding gear shift housing 80 and a second inclined surface 841b extending from the middle part of the gear position sensing groove 841 to both ends of the corresponding gear shift housing 80. The inclination angle of the first inclined surface 841a is smaller than that of the second inclined surface 841b, resulting in a different height difference between the two ends of the gear position sensing groove 841. When the slider body 81 slides forward, the elastic contact 821 on the front sliding bushing 82 contacts the second inclined surface 841b of the corresponding gear sensing groove 841, and the elastic contact 821 on the rear sliding bushing 82 contacts the first inclined surface 841a of the corresponding gear sensing groove 841. Since the inclination angles of the first inclined surface 841a and the second inclined surface 841b are different, the height difference between them is different. The deformation of the elastic contact 821 in contact with the second inclined surface 841b is greater than that of the elastic contact 821 in contact with the first inclined surface 841a. The elastic contacts 821 at both ends of the two slider bodies 81 will generate a return force opposite to the direction of movement of the slider body 81. When moving forward, the return force of the front sliding bushing 82 is greater than that of the rear sliding bushing 82. When the operating mechanism 9 is released, the return force of the sliding bushing 82 will push the slider body 81 back to the steady position in the middle of the shifter, realizing the self-reset function. Furthermore, by providing elastic contacts 821 on the sliding bushing 82, line contact can be formed between the sliding bushing 82 and the shifter housing 80, reducing the contact area and increasing the smoothness of the slider body 81 during sliding. The elastic contacts 821 also eliminate the slight gaps between the four sliding friction pairs formed by the first friction surface 815 and the second friction surface 836, preventing the slider body 81 from wobbling during sliding. Moreover, since the elastic contacts 821 are symmetrically distributed around the sliding bushing 82, the elastic force generated by the elastic contacts 821 is internally balanced and not output externally, ensuring smooth operation, no play, and a solid, excellent feel during the sliding process of the slider body 81.

[0080] Please see Figures 5 to 7The lower gear shift housing 84 has four self-tapping screw holes 843, and the upper gear shift housing 83 has four screw holes 833. The lower gear shift housing 84 and the upper gear shift housing 83 are connected together by self-tapping screws that pass through the screw holes 833 and the self-tapping screw holes 843. In addition, the lower gear shift housing 84 has a front and rear positioning block 844 in the middle of its long side and a left and right positioning block 845 in the middle of its short side. The upper gear shift housing 83 has a front and rear positioning recess 834 in the middle of its long side and a left and right positioning recess 835 in the middle of its short side. When the upper gear shift housing 83 and the lower gear shift housing 84 are connected, the front and rear positioning block 844 is engaged in the front and rear positioning recess 834, and the left and right positioning block 845 is engaged in the left and right positioning recess 835, further preventing relative sliding between the upper gear shift housing 83 and the lower gear shift housing 84. In addition, there are assembly mounting holes 846 at the four corners of the lower housing 84 of the gear shifter. Bushings 847 are installed in the assembly mounting holes 846. When the sliding electronic gear shifter is installed on the car, the assembly mounting holes 846 are fixedly connected to the car.

[0081] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 7 The lower part of the slider body 81 is fixed with a slider bracket 86. The lower housing 83 of the shifter is provided with two inner flanges extending along the length direction of the shifter lower housing 83 near the bottom. A bracket sliding opening 842 is formed between the inner flanges, in which the slider bracket 86 can slide. The lower surface of the inner flange is provided with an inner stud for fixing the shifter circuit board 1.

[0082] like Figures 11 to 13 As shown, the slider bracket 86 is provided with a wire connection groove 863. The wire 7 passes through the wire connection groove 863 and connects to the slider below the slider bracket 86. The slider bracket 86 is provided with three mounting holes 861, through which screws are used to fix the slider bracket 86 to the slider body 81. The slider bracket 86 is also provided with a welding groove 862, through which the slider is welded to the slider bracket 86 using an ultrasonic welding process. The slider is provided with a melting groove 61, a deformation groove 62, and a precious metal contact 63. The melting groove 61 is used for molten plastic to enter and fix the slider to the slider body 81. The deformation groove 62 is set along the length of the slider to eliminate slider stress and increase slider elasticity. The precious metal contact 63 is used to increase the wear resistance of the slider and the oxidation resistance of the electrode.

[0083] like Figure 14As shown, the shifter circuit board 1 is mounted on a circuit board bracket 85. The circuit board bracket 85 is fixed to the lower part of the slide bracket 86 by bolts that pass through the circuit board bracket 85, the shifter circuit board 1, and the inner studs at the bottom of the shifter lower housing 83. The upper surface of the shifter circuit board 1 has copper-clad sheets corresponding to the slides, and the lower surface has a main connector 11. The main connector 11 includes a first main connector 111 and a second main connector 112, which are connected to the vehicle MCU. The circuit board bracket 85 has two rectangular openings 851, and the first main connector 111 and the second main connector 112 are respectively inserted into the corresponding rectangular openings 851. It should be noted that the shifter circuit board 1 also has a main ECU, a CAN transceiver, and a power module (not shown in the figure).

[0084] Please see Figures 12 to 15 The sliding contacts include a first sliding contact group 6, a second sliding contact group 4, a third sliding contact group 5, and a fourth sliding contact group 3. The first sliding contact group 6, the second sliding contact group 4, and the third sliding contact group 5 are arranged in a row along the length of the sliding contact bracket 86, with the second sliding contact group 4 and the third sliding contact group 5 located on the front and rear sides of the first sliding contact group 6, respectively. The fourth sliding contact group 3 is arranged along the width of the first sliding contact group 86, and the precious metal contacts 63 of the fourth sliding contact group 3 and the first sliding contact group 6 are arranged in a row. The copper-clad sheets include a first copper-clad sheet group 15, a second copper-clad sheet group 13, a third copper-clad sheet group 14, and a fourth copper-clad sheet group 12. The first copper-clad sheet group 15, the second copper-clad sheet group 13, and the third copper-clad sheet group 14 are arranged in a row along the length of the shifter circuit board 1, with the second copper-clad sheet group 13 and the third copper-clad sheet group 14 located on the front and rear sides of the first copper-clad sheet group 15, respectively. The fourth copper-clad sheet group 12 is arranged in a row with the first copper-clad sheet group 15 along the width of the shifter circuit board 1. When the slider body 81 is located in the middle of the shifter housing 80, the first slider group 6 and the first copper-clad sheet group 15 are in contact. When the slider body 81 slides forward, the second slider group 4 and the second copper-clad sheet group 13 are in contact. When the slider body 81 slides backward, the third slider group 5 and the third copper-clad sheet group 14 are in contact. The fourth slider group 3 is connected to the wire 7 inside the slider body 81, and the fourth slider group 3 and the fourth copper-clad sheet group 12 are in contact throughout the entire sliding stroke of the slider body 81.

[0085] Please see Figure 16Each copper-clad sheet group includes a first copper-clad sheet, a second copper-clad sheet, a third copper-clad sheet, and a fourth copper-clad sheet arranged in a row along the width direction of the shift circuit board 1. The first, second, third, and fourth copper-clad sheets of each copper-clad sheet group are arranged from the middle of the shift circuit board 1 outwards. For easy differentiation, the first to fourth copper-clad sheets of the first copper-clad sheet group 15 are labeled as O-1, O-2, O-3, and O-4, respectively; the first to fourth copper-clad sheets of the second copper-clad sheet group 13 are labeled as F1-1, F1-2, F1-3, and F1-4, respectively; the first to fourth copper-clad sheets of the third copper-clad sheet group 14 are labeled as R1-1, R1-2, R1-3, and R1-4, respectively; and the first to fourth copper-clad sheets of the fourth copper-clad sheet group 12 are labeled as GND, VBAT, LIN-out, and LIN-in, respectively. The four copper-clad sheets in the first copper-clad sheet group 15 are all of equal length, L1. The lengths L3 of the first copper-clad sheets F1-1, R1-1 and the third copper-clad sheets F1-3, R1-3 in the second copper-clad sheet group 13 and the third copper-clad sheet group 14 are not equal to the lengths L2 of the second copper-clad sheets F1-2, R1-2 and the fourth copper-clad sheets F1-4, R1-4. In this embodiment, the lengths L3 of the first copper-clad sheets F1-1, R1-1 and the third copper-clad sheets F1-3, R1-3 in the second copper-clad sheet group 13 and the third copper-clad sheet group 14 are half the lengths L2 of the second copper-clad sheets F1-2, R1-2 and the fourth copper-clad sheets F1-4, R1-4. The purpose of this setting is to reduce the frequency of switching signal switching when two sliders simultaneously contact the corresponding copper-clad sheets, and at the same time, to facilitate the adjustment of the shift lever accuracy.

[0086] Furthermore, the fourth copper-clad sheet group 12 also includes a fifth copper-clad sheet P-SW. The fifth copper-clad sheet P-SW is located between the first copper-clad sheet GND of the fourth copper-clad sheet group 12 and the first copper-clad sheet O-1 of the first copper-clad sheet group 15. The length of the fifth copper-clad sheet P-SW of the fourth copper-clad sheet group 12 is equal to the length L1 of each copper-clad sheet in the first copper-clad sheet group 15. The length L4 of the first to fourth copper-clad sheets GND, VBAT, LIN-out, and LIN-in of the fourth copper-clad sheet group 12 is three times the length L1 of the fifth copper-clad sheet P-SW. The length of the first to fourth copper-clad sheets GND, VBAT, LIN-out, and LIN-in of the fourth copper-clad sheet group 12 is relatively long, covering the entire range of motion of the slider body 81. During the movement of the slider body 81, the circuits corresponding to the first to fourth copper-clad sheets GND, VBAT, LIN-out, and LIN-in of the fourth copper-clad sheet group 12 are all in the conducting state. The fifth copper-clad sheet P-SW of the fourth copper-clad sheet group 12 is relatively short, mainly to shield the operation of the P gear button during gear shifting (even if it is operated, no signal is transmitted).

[0087] like Figure 15As shown, corresponding to each copper-clad sheet in each copper-clad sheet group, the first slider group 6, the second slider group 4, the third slider group 5, and the fourth slider group 3 each include a first slider, a second slider, a third slider, and a fourth slider arranged in a row along the width direction of the slider support 86. The first slider, second slider, third slider, and fourth slider in each slider group are arranged outwards from the center of the slider support 86. The fourth slider group 3 also includes a fifth slider located between the first slider of the first slider group 6 and the first slider of the fourth slider group 3. The precious metal contacts 63 at the bottom of each slider in each slider group are arranged in a row along the width direction of the slider support 86 so that they can simultaneously contact the corresponding copper-clad sheet during the sliding of the slider body 81.

[0088] like Figure 17 As shown, the sliding electronic gear shifter of the present invention has three operating positions: a steady-state position (0 position), an F1 position, and an R1 position. When not in operation, the slider body 81 is in the steady-state position. Moving the slider body 81 forward will reach the F1 position, and moving it backward will reach the R1 position. When a gear shift is required, operating the control mechanism 9 once forward or backward to reach the F1 or R1 position will send a gear shift request. For example, if the current gear is N, move the slider body 81 forward to the F1 position to change to R, and move the slider body 81 backward to the R1 position to shift into D. If the current gear is D, move the slider body 81 forward to the F1 position to shift into N, and move the slider body 81 backward to the R1 position, the gear remains unchanged. If you want to shift from D to R, you need to move the slider body 81 to the F1 position twice, or keep the slider body 81 in the F1 position for more than 2 seconds. The specific control strategy can be specified according to the requirements, and will not be elaborated further in this invention.

[0089] During the movement of the slider body 81, when the slider body 81 is in a stable position (O position) in the middle of the shifter housing 80 or within a certain range near the stable position, the sliders of the first slider group 6 contact the copper sheets of the first copper sheet group 15, and are connected to the I / O port of the MCU through the internal circuit of the shifter circuit board 1, so that the spaced sliders of the first slider group 6 and the corresponding copper sheets of the first copper sheet group 15 (e.g., O-1 and O-3, O-2 and O-4) form a path; when the slider body 81 slides forward and leaves the stable position area, the sliders of the first slider group 6 and the copper sheets of the first copper sheet group 15 no longer contact each other, and the path is broken. The whole process is like a normally closed switch. When the operating mechanism 9 is not operated, the slider body 81 is in a stable position and the switch is closed; otherwise, it is open.

[0090] When the slider body 81 slides forward into the F1 position region (or backward into the R1 position region), the sliders of the second slider group 4 (or the third slider group 5) contact the copper sheets of the second copper sheet group 13 (or the third copper sheet group 14), forming a path between the shifter circuit board 1 and the MCU. However, the position of the slider forming the path is different from that of the slider body 81 in the steady-state position. When the slider body 81 is in the F1 or R1 position region, the adjacent sliders of the second slider group 4 (or the third slider group 5) form a path with the corresponding copper sheets of the second copper sheet group 13 (or the third copper sheet group 14). It is understood that in other embodiments of the present invention, the conductive positions of the slider and the copper-clad sheet can also be set in other ways. For example, when the slider body 81 is located in the middle of the shifter housing 80, the adjacent sliders of the first slider group 6 and the corresponding copper-clad sheets O-1 and O-2 of the first copper-clad sheet group 15 form a passage. When the slider body 81 slides forward, the spaced sliders of the second slider group 4 and the corresponding copper-clad sheets of the second copper-clad sheet group 13 form a passage. When the slider body 81 slides backward, the spaced sliders of the third slider group 5 and the corresponding copper-clad sheets of the third copper-clad sheet group 14 form a passage.

[0091] It should be noted that the present invention designs the pathways formed by the areas where the first copper-clad sheet group 15, the second copper-clad sheet group 13, and the third copper-clad sheet group 14 are located as two paths to achieve a limp-out function. When one path fails, the system reports a fault, but the other path can support normal operation, thus improving the overall system safety level. The second slider group 4 (or the third slider group 5) is designed with a different connection method from the first slider group 6 to prevent the second slider group 4 (or the third slider group 5) from moving to the O position when the slider body 81 moves to the F1 (or R1) position, thus preventing the slider at the O position from forming a pathway.

[0092] like Figure 1 and Figures 18 to 26As shown, the control mechanism 9 includes an upper control housing 92, a lower control housing 93, and a control bracket 91. The control bracket 91 is generally C-shaped and includes an upper bracket 91a, a lower bracket 91b, and a bracket body 91c. The bracket body 91c is located between the lower bracket 91b and the upper bracket 91a, extends downward and backward from the upper bracket 91a, and is smoothly connected to the upper bracket 91a and the lower bracket 91b at the top and bottom of the bracket body 91c by a rounded arc. The upper shell 92 of the control part is fixed above the upper bracket 91a and the bracket body 91c, and together with the upper bracket 91a, it forms the top cover of the control part. The lower shell 93 of the control part is fixed to the lower part of the lower bracket 91b and the bracket body 91c, and together with the lower bracket 91b, it forms the base of the control part. The bracket body 91c and the upper shell 92 and the lower shell 93 of the control part located on its outer side together form the grip part of the control mechanism 9. The grip part of the present invention adopts a backward tilting design, and the grip part, the top cover of the control part, and the base of the control part are smoothly connected by an arc, making the overall shape of the control mechanism more beautiful and ergonomic, and making it easy for a person to put their hand between the top cover of the control part and the base of the control part to push forward or pull backward the grip part.

[0093] Furthermore, a light indicator 97 is provided between the top cover of the control unit and the base of the control unit. The light indicator 97 includes an upper transparent body 94 connected to the top cover of the control unit and a lower transparent body 95 connected to the base of the control unit. In this embodiment, both the upper transparent body 94 and the lower transparent body 95 are frustum-shaped, and their surfaces are covered with diamond-cut facets 943 facing different directions. In this way, when light reaches the upper transparent body 94 and the lower transparent body 95, a diamond-like colorful light effect can be created, increasing the technological feel of the entire vehicle. In addition, the upper transparent body 94 also has multiple embossed logos 944 arranged in an array (see Figure 25 These embossed logos (944) are formed using laser engraving, are three-dimensional, and are arranged to form the logo of the vehicle manufacturer.

[0094] like Figure 18 and Figure 19As shown, the outer side of the grip is provided with a P-mode button 922 that can slide relative to the grip. The portion of the upper shell 92 of the control part corresponding to the grip is provided with a P-mode button groove 921 for accommodating the P-mode button 922. The P-mode button groove 921 is used to store and guide the P-mode button 922, so that the P-mode button 922 can slide relative to the upper shell 92 of the control part. The inside of the grip is also provided with an illumination circuit board 2 corresponding to the P-mode button 922. The illumination circuit board 2 is provided with a light source 23, a P-mode silicone head 22, and a first connector 21. In this embodiment, the light source 23 includes two LEDs. One of these two LEDs is located below the P-mode button 922 and is used to provide backlighting for the P-mode button 922, illuminating the "P" character on the P-mode button 922. The other of these two LEDs faces the light-incident surface of the light guide ring 96 so that the light emitted by it is guided to the light indicator part 97 through the light guide ring 96. The P-gear silicone head 22 is located below and connected to the P-gear button 922. When the user presses the P-gear button 922, it pushes the P-gear silicone head 22 to contact the contacts on the lighting circuit board 2, causing the light source 23 on the lighting circuit board 2 to emit light. Since the P-gear signal is a critical signal, the lighting circuit board 2 has two sets of lighting circuits, each with two corresponding P-gear silicone heads 22, to provide redundancy for the P-gear function and ensure a high safety level. To improve the reliability of signal transmission, the P-gear operation signal is transmitted to the automotive MCU in two ways: one via the LIN bus, and the other via a PSW copper-clad sheet and a GND copper-clad sheet. This redundancy design of the transmission path complies with relevant standards.

[0095] like Figure 23-26As shown, the light guide ring 96 includes a light guide ring body 961 surrounding the light indicator part 97 and a transmission arm 962 connected to the light guide ring body 961. The transmission arm 962 extends horizontally backward from the rear end of the light guide ring body 961 and then tilts downward. A convex lens surface 966 facing the light source is provided on the inner side of the tilted part of the transmission arm 962. The surfaces opposite to the convex lens surface 966 and the side surfaces of the transmission arm 962 are coated with a reflective coating, forming a reflective wall 963 on the transmission arm 962. A V-shaped beam splitting groove 965 is provided on the inner surface of the light guide ring body 961 corresponding to the position of the transmission arm 962. Light rays incident from the convex lens surface 966 are reflected by the reflective wall 963 and then directed to the beam splitting groove 965. Light rays emitted from the beam splitting groove 965 are directed to the light guide ring body 961 in two different directions. The inner and outer surfaces of the light guide ring body 961 are both polygonal, and each segment of the inner surface of the light guide ring body 961 forms an angle with each segment of the outer surface. In this embodiment, the inner and outer surfaces of the light guide ring body 961 are both dodecagonal. The outer surface of the light guide ring body 961 is coated with a reflective coating, while the inner surface is not coated with a reflective layer. The light entering the light guide ring body 961 from the beam splitter 965 is reflected by the outer surface of the light guide ring body 961 and reflected and refracted by the inner surface of the light guide ring body 961, and finally shines on the embossed LOGO 944 and diamond-cut facet 943 of the upper transparent body 94, illuminating the upper transparent body 94. At the same time, some light also enters the lower transparent body 95, illuminating the lower transparent body 95.

[0096] like Figure 20As shown, the upper bracket 91a of the control unit bracket 91 is provided with an upper transparent body mounting hole 916, and the lower bracket 91b is provided with a lower transparent body mounting groove 918. The upper transparent body 94 is inserted into the upper transparent body mounting hole 916 from top to bottom, and the bottom of the lower transparent body 95 is placed in the lower transparent body mounting groove 918 and fixed in the lower transparent body mounting groove 918 by adhesive. The area below the lower transparent body 95 is a non-transparent area. A light guide ring positioning part 919 is recessed around the upper end of the upper transparent body mounting hole 916. The inner surface of the light guide ring positioning part 919 matches the shape of the outer surface of the light guide ring 96, and an indicator positioning groove 917 is provided on the light guide ring positioning part 919. An indicator positioning block 941 is protruding from the outer edge of the light indicator part 97. The indicator positioning block 941 is engaged in the indicator positioning groove 917 to facilitate the positioning of the upper transparent body 94. A light guide ring positioning part 9191 is provided on the outer side of the light guide ring positioning part 919 near the bracket body 91c, with spaced-apart light guide ring clamping parts 9191. The light guide ring 96 is located between the light guide ring positioning part 919 and the light guide ring clamping parts 9191, and the transmission arm 962 of the light guide ring 96 passes through the light guide ring clamping parts 9191 to facilitate the positioning of the light guide ring 96. The operating part bracket 91 has a plurality of upper shell mounting seats 92a at the position of the upper bracket 91a near the bracket body 91c and at the position of the bracket body 91c near the lower bracket 91b. The operating part upper shell 92 has upper shell mounting parts 92b corresponding to the upper shell mounting seats 92a. The operating part upper shell 92 is fixed to the operating part bracket 91 by screws screwed into the upper shell mounting seats 92a and the upper shell mounting parts 92b. The upper housing 92 of the control unit is also provided with several protrusions 92c corresponding to the light guide ring 96. These protrusions 92c abut against the upper surface of the light guide ring 96 to prevent the light guide ring 96 from wobbling in the Z direction. The middle part of the bracket body 91c is also provided with several lighting circuit board mounting seats 24, which serve as mounting points for the lighting circuit boards 2.

[0097] like Figure 18 and Figure 21As shown, a second operating connector 911b is provided inside the base of the operating unit. The cross-section of the second operating connector 911b is U-shaped, forming a second foolproof connector. It is used together with the first operating connector 811 to form a connector connector, realizing the mechanical connection between the shift mechanism 8 and the operating mechanism 9, as well as the signal connection between the lighting circuit board 2 and the shifter circuit board 1. A connector circuit board 912 is fixed on the second operating connector 911b. The connector circuit board 912 is fixed to the second operating connector 911b and the lower bracket 91b through the connector circuit board mounting seat 912a. The shifter lower housing 84 is fixed to the lower bracket 91b through the lower housing mounting seat 84b. The connector circuit board 912 is provided with a second connector 913 and a third connector 914. The plug of the second connector 913 faces downward and the plug of the third connector 914 faces backward. The plug of the first connector 21 on the lighting circuit board 2 faces diagonally downward and backward. The third connector 914 and the first connector 21 are connected by a flexible flat cable 915. The second connector 913 serves as the female connector end and is inserted into the male connector end after passing through the through hole 931 opened on the lower shell 93 of the control part.

[0098] In summary, the working principle of the sliding electronic shifter of the present invention is as follows: When the shifting mechanism 8 is in the steady-state position region, the sliders of the first slider group 6 contact the copper-clad sheets of the first copper-clad sheet group 15, and are connected to the I / O port of the MCU through the internal circuit of the shifter circuit board 1. The spaced sliders of the first slider group 6 and the corresponding copper-clad sheets of the first copper-clad sheet group 15 form a path; when the operating mechanism 9 drives the slider body 81 to slide forward to the F1 position region, the adjacent sliders of the second slider group 4 and the corresponding copper-clad sheets of the second copper-clad sheet group 13 form a path, and the MCU, according to the setting... The strategy sends a shift signal; when the operating mechanism 9 drives the slider body 81 to slide backward to the R1 position area, the adjacent slider of the third slider group 5 and the corresponding copper sheet of the third copper sheet group 14 form a path, and the MCU sends a shift signal according to the set strategy; during the sliding process of the slider body 81, if the MCU sends a shift signal, the shift signal can be transmitted upward to the lighting circuit board 2 through the wire 7 at the same time, so that the lighting circuit board 2 can perform variable light output according to the set strategy (such as realizing the breathing light effect, the welcome mode, or lighting up the "P" character in the P position, etc.).

[0099] As described above, the sliding electronic shifter of this invention forms different conductive circuits when the slider body slides to different positions, realizing position detection similar to a mechanical sliding switch. This eliminates the permanent magnet required by Hall sensors, reducing costs and magnetic field influences while enhancing reliability. The sliding plate structure ensures that the shift ball head remains conductive throughout its forward and backward movement, eliminating the risk of circuit breakage caused by wire bending or interference during the wire-spinning method. Furthermore, because this invention uses a contact sliding design, the lower part of the operating mechanism can be designed as a flat surface and can be designed in a large size, reducing the gap between the operating mechanism and the panel. In addition, the outer surfaces of the upper and lower transparent bodies of this invention have diamond-cut facets, which aligns with the development trend of new shift ball head technologies in recent years. Moreover, it innovatively adds lighting to the transparent body to illuminate a suspended three-dimensional logo.

[0100] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A sliding electronic gear shifter, characterized in that: The device includes an operating mechanism (9) and a shifting mechanism (8) connected to the operating mechanism (9). The shifting mechanism (8) includes a shifter housing (80) and a slider body (81) disposed in the shifter housing (80). The slider body (81) is connected to the operating mechanism (9) and can slide relative to the shifter housing (80) under the drive of the operating mechanism (9). The operating mechanism (9) includes an operating part base connected to the slider body (81), an operating part top cover opposite to the operating part base, and a grip part located between the operating part base and the operating part top cover. The operating part top cover is suspended relative to the bottom of the operating part. A light indicator part (97) is provided between the operating part top cover and the operating part base. A light source (23) is provided inside the grip part. A light guide ring (96) is provided between the light source (23) and the light indicator part (97). The light guide ring (96) guides the light emitted by the light source (23) to the light indicator part (97).

2. The sliding electronic shifter as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The light indicator (97) includes an upper transparent body (94) connected to the top cover of the control part and a lower transparent body (95) connected to the base of the control part. The surfaces of the upper transparent body (94) and the lower transparent body (95) are provided with diamond-cut facets (943).

3. The sliding electronic shifter as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The upper transparent body (94) has an embossed logo (944) inside.

4. The sliding electronic shifter as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The outer side of the grip is provided with a P-mode button (922), and the inside of the grip is provided with a lighting circuit board (2) corresponding to the P-mode button (922). The lighting circuit board (2) is connected to the light source (23) via signal.

5. The sliding electronic shifter as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The slider body (81) is internally embedded with a wire (7) that is connected to the lighting circuit board (2) for signal transmission. A shifter circuit board (1) is located below the slider body (81). The shifter circuit board (1) and the lighting circuit board (2) are connected by the wire (7) for signal transmission.

6. The sliding electronic shifter as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The base of the control unit is provided with a connector circuit board (912), the connector circuit board (912) is provided with a second connector (913) and a third connector (914), the lighting circuit board (2) is provided with a first connector (21), the second connector (913) is connected to the wire (7) through a connector connector, and the third connector (914) and the first connector (21) are connected by a flexible flat cable (915).

7. The sliding electronic shifter as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The connector includes a first anti-fool connector on the slider body (81) and a second anti-fool connector on the operating part base. The first anti-fool connector and the second anti-fool connector are inserted together to electrically connect the second connector (913) and the wire (7).

8. The sliding electronic shifter as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The slider body (81) has several sets of sliding plates located at different positions below it. The shifter circuit board (1) has several sets of copper-clad sheets corresponding to the sliding plates. When the slider body (81) slides along the shifter housing (80) to different positions, different sets of sliding plates contact the corresponding copper-clad sheets to form different conduction circuits.

9. The sliding electronic shifter as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The operating mechanism (9) includes an upper shell (92) of the operating part, a lower shell (93) of the operating part, and an operating part bracket (91). The operating part bracket (91) includes a lower bracket (91b), an upper bracket (91a), and a bracket body (91c) located between the lower bracket (91b) and the upper bracket (91a). The bracket body (91c) is smoothly connected to the lower bracket (91b) and the upper bracket (91a). The upper shell (92) of the operating part is fixed above the upper bracket (91a) and the bracket body (91c). The lower shell (93) of the operating part is fixed to the lower part of the lower bracket (91b) and the bracket body (91c).

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