Electronic shifter with ball-and-socket structure

Abstract

An electronic gear shifter with a ball-and-socket structure includes a housing, a shift lever, and two hemispherical sleeves. The housing has an internal mounting groove and limiting grooves located on the left and right sides of the mounting groove. The two hemispherical sleeves are respectively mounted at the front and rear of the mounting groove. Each hemispherical sleeve has a receiving groove on its opposite surface. The shift lever has a ball joint in its middle that movably engages with the receiving grooves of the two hemispherical sleeves. The ball joint has protruding shafts on its left and right sides, extending into the two limiting grooves. The upper and lower walls of the limiting grooves are spaced apart from the protruding shafts, and the front and rear walls of the limiting grooves have abutment areas relative to the protruding shafts. This design, by separating the hemispherical sleeves from the housing, allows for easy disassembly and replacement, improving maintainability. Furthermore, the engagement of the limiting grooves and protruding shafts limits the rotation angle of the ball joint, preventing excessive movement due to ball joint wear that could cause problems with the engagement between the shift lever end and the guide rail.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of gear shifters, and more specifically to an electronic gear shifter with a ball-and-socket structure. Background Technology

[0002] As a core interactive component between the driver and the transmission, the reliability of the automotive gear shifter directly affects the driving experience and road safety. Currently, the widely used push-rod type gear shifter mainly consists of a housing and a shift lever. The housing has a ball-and-socket structure on the upper part and a guide rail on the lower part. The shift lever is movably connected to the ball-and-socket structure via a ball joint, allowing it to rotate. Simultaneously, the end of the shift lever slides against the guide rail, which restricts the direction of rotation, thus enabling the switching of different gears.

[0003] However, with increased usage time, the ball joint and ball socket structure will continue to wear down and gradually loosen, which will not only affect the normal rotation of the shift lever, but may also cause deviations in the rotation direction of the shift lever, resulting in problems with the fit between the end of the shift lever and the guide rail. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problem in the prior art that, with the increase of usage time, the ball joint of the shift lever and the ball-and-socket structure of the outer shell will continue to wear and gradually become loose. This not only affects the normal rotation of the shift lever, but may also cause the rotation direction of the shift lever to deviate, resulting in problems with the fit between the end of the shift lever and the guide rail.

[0005] To address the aforementioned problems, this utility model provides an electronic gear shifter with a ball-and-socket structure, comprising a housing, a shift lever, and two hemispherical sleeves. The housing has an internal mounting groove and limiting grooves located on the left and right sides of the mounting groove. The two hemispherical sleeves are respectively mounted on the front and rear parts of the mounting groove, with a gap between them. The opposing surfaces of the two hemispherical sleeves each have a hemispherical receiving groove. The middle part of the shift lever has a ball joint that movably fits between the receiving grooves of the two hemispherical sleeves. The upper side of the two hemispherical sleeves has an upper opening for the upper end of the shift lever to extend out, and the lower side has a lower opening for the lower end of the shift lever to extend out. The left and right sides of the ball joint each have a convex shaft. The two convex shafts pass through the gap between the two hemispherical sleeves and extend into the two limiting grooves respectively. The upper and lower groove walls of the limiting grooves are spaced apart from the convex shafts, and the front and rear groove walls of the limiting grooves have abutment areas relative to the convex shafts.

[0006] Compared with existing technologies, the above solution sets two hemispherical sleeves in the mounting groove of the outer shell. The two hemispherical sleeves are used to achieve the movable cooperation with the ball joint of the shift lever through the receiving groove of the two hemispherical sleeves. Since the hemispherical sleeves are independent of the outer shell, they can be easily disassembled and replaced, and the maintainability is good. At the same time, by setting limiting grooves on the left and right sides of the mounting groove of the outer shell, and setting convex shafts on the left and right sides of the ball joint, the abutment of the front groove wall and the rear groove wall of the limiting groove relative to the convex shaft restricts the ball joint from rotating around the left and right axis. The gap between the upper groove wall and the lower groove wall of the limiting groove relative to the convex shaft allows the ball joint to rotate around the front and back axis. That is, the cooperation of the limiting groove and the convex shaft limits the rotation angle of the ball joint to match the guide rail, avoiding the problem of the end of the shift lever and the guide rail cooperating due to excessive movement after the ball joint wears out.

[0007] In an improved embodiment, the outer shell includes an upper shell and a lower shell that are detachably connected to each other. The mounting groove is located in the middle of the lower shell and the groove opening faces upward. The two limiting grooves are located on the left and right sides of the lower shell, respectively. Thus, by separating the upper shell and the lower shell, the hemispherical sleeve can be disassembled and assembled relative to the mounting groove, which is simple and convenient to operate.

[0008] In an improved embodiment, the front and rear walls of the mounting groove are provided with vertical positioning grooves, and the outer peripheral wall of the hemispherical sleeve is provided with positioning ribs that are inserted into the positioning grooves, thereby achieving accurate positioning of the hemispherical sleeve relative to the mounting groove through the cooperation of the positioning grooves and positioning ribs.

[0009] In an improved embodiment, the front and rear walls of the limiting groove are spaced apart from the convex shaft. The end of the convex shaft away from the ball joint has a stepped platform with a reduced outer diameter. The front and rear walls of the limiting groove are respectively provided with vertical bosses, and there is a gap between the bosses and the stepped surfaces of the stepped platform. The bosses abut against the outer peripheral wall of the stepped platform to form an abutment area.

[0010] In an improved embodiment, the outer peripheral wall of the ball joint is covered with a plastic coating layer, thereby improving the fit between the ball joint and the receiving groove of the hemispherical sleeve and enhancing the stability of the ball joint when rotating between the receiving grooves of the two hemispherical sleeves.

[0011] In an improved embodiment, a magnetic component is provided on the front or rear side of the ball joint, and an identification chip corresponding to the magnetic component is provided on the outer shell. When the ball joint rotates, the magnetic component generates a changing magnetic field, and the identification chip identifies the ball joint posture according to different magnetic fields to correspond to different gears. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an electronic gear shifter with a ball-and-socket structure.

[0013] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an electronic gear shifter with a ball-and-socket structure, with the upper housing removed.

[0014] Figure 3 A front view schematic diagram of an electronic gear shifter with a ball-and-socket structure;

[0015] Figure 4 For along Figure 3 Cross-sectional view of section AA in the middle;

[0016] Figure 5 A top view schematic diagram of an electronic gear shifter with a ball-and-socket structure;

[0017] Figure 6 For along Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the BB section line.

[0018] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures.

[0019] 1. Outer shell; 101. Upper shell; 102. Lower shell; 11. Mounting groove; 111. Positioning groove; 12. Limiting groove; 121. Boss; 2. Shift lever; 21. Ball joint; 211. Protruding shaft; 212. Stepped platform; 22. Magnetic component; 23. Plastic coating layer; 3. Hemispherical sleeve; 31. Receiving groove; 32. Upper opening; 33. Lower opening; 34. Positioning rib. Detailed Implementation

[0020] It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the following embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical principles of the embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the embodiments of this application. Those skilled in the art can make adjustments as needed to adapt to specific application scenarios.

[0021] In the following description of the embodiments, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0022] In the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0023] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0024] Please see Figures 1-6 An embodiment of this utility model provides an electronic gear shifter with a ball-and-socket structure, comprising a housing 1, a shift lever 2, and two hemispherical sleeves 3. The housing 1 has an internal mounting groove 11 and limiting grooves 12 located on the left and right sides of the mounting groove 11. The two hemispherical sleeves 3 are respectively mounted on the front and rear parts of the mounting groove 11 with a gap between them. The opposing surfaces of the two hemispherical sleeves 3 each have a hemispherical receiving groove 31. The middle of the shift lever 2 has a receiving groove 3 that movably engages with the two hemispherical sleeves 3. The ball joint 21 between the two hemispherical sleeves 3 has an upper opening 32 on the upper side for the upper end of the shift lever 2 to extend out and a lower opening 33 on the lower side for the lower end of the shift lever 2 to extend out. The ball joint 21 has a convex shaft 211 on the left and right sides respectively. The two convex shafts 211 pass through the gap area between the two hemispherical sleeves 3 and extend into the two limiting grooves 12 respectively. The upper and lower groove walls of the limiting grooves 12 are spaced apart from the convex shafts 211. The front and rear groove walls of the limiting grooves 12 have a contact area with the convex shafts 211.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the above solution sets two hemispherical sleeves 3 in the mounting groove 11 of the outer shell 1. The receiving grooves 31 of the two hemispherical sleeves 3 realize the movable cooperation with the ball joint 21 of the shift lever 2. Since the hemispherical sleeves 3 are independent of the outer shell 1, they can be easily disassembled and replaced, and the maintainability is good. At the same time, by setting limiting grooves 12 on the left and right sides of the mounting groove 11 of the outer shell 1, and setting convex shafts 211 on the left and right sides of the ball joint 21, the abutment of the front groove wall and the rear groove wall of the limiting groove 12 relative to the convex shaft 211 restricts the ball joint 21 from rotating around the axis in the left and right direction. The gap between the upper groove wall and the lower groove wall of the limiting groove 12 relative to the convex shaft 211 allows the ball joint 21 to rotate around the axis in the front and back direction. That is, the cooperation of the limiting groove 12 and the convex shaft 211 limits the rotation angle of the ball joint 21 to be compatible with the external guide rail, avoiding the problem of the end of the shift lever 2 and the guide rail being incompatible due to excessive movement direction after the ball joint 21 is worn. It should be noted that in the prior art, the guide rail typically restricts the rotation direction of the shift lever 2 to rotation with the left-right direction as the axis and rotation with the front-back direction as the axis.

[0026] The outer casing 1 includes an upper casing 101 and a lower casing 102 that are detachably connected to each other. In this embodiment, both the upper casing 101 and the lower casing 102 are provided with corresponding screw holes, and the detachable connection between the upper casing 101 and the lower casing 102 is achieved by bolts. Of course, the upper casing 101 and the lower casing 102 can also be connected by snap-fit ​​or other means.

[0027] In this embodiment, the mounting groove 11 is located in the middle of the lower housing 102 and the groove opening faces upward. The two limiting grooves 12 are located on the left and right sides of the lower housing 102, respectively. Thus, by separating the upper housing 101 and the lower housing 102, the hemispherical sleeve 3 can be disassembled and assembled relative to the mounting groove 11, which is simple and convenient to operate.

[0028] Furthermore, the front and rear walls of the mounting groove 11 are provided with vertical positioning grooves 111, and the outer peripheral wall of the hemispherical sleeve 3 is provided with positioning ribs 34 that are inserted into the positioning grooves 111, thereby achieving accurate positioning of the hemispherical sleeve 3 relative to the mounting groove 11 through the cooperation of the positioning grooves 111 and the positioning ribs 34.

[0029] In this embodiment, the front and rear walls of the limiting groove 12 are spaced apart from the convex shaft 211. The end of the convex shaft 211 away from the ball joint 21 has a stepped platform 212 with a reduced outer diameter. The front and rear walls of the limiting groove 12 are respectively provided with vertical bosses 121, and there is a gap between the bosses 121 and the stepped surface of the stepped platform 212. The bosses 121 abut against the outer peripheral wall of the stepped platform 212 to form an abutment area.

[0030] Furthermore, the outer peripheral wall of the ball joint 21 is covered with a plastic coating layer 23, which improves the fit between the ball joint 21 and the receiving groove 31 of the hemispherical sleeve 3, thereby improving the stability of the ball joint 21 when rotating between the receiving grooves 31 of the two hemispherical sleeves 3.

[0031] In this embodiment, a magnetic element 22 is provided on the front or rear side of the ball joint 21, and an identification chip corresponding to the magnetic element 22 is provided on the outer shell 1. When the ball joint 21 rotates, the magnetic element 22 generates a changing magnetic field, and the identification chip identifies the posture of the ball joint 21 according to different magnetic fields to correspond to different gears.

[0032] It should be noted that in the description of this application, the terms "inner" and "outer," etc., indicating directions or positional relationships, are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. This is only for the convenience of description and does not indicate or imply that the device or component must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation of this application. All directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, inner, and outer) are only used to explain the relative positional relationships and movement between components in a specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0033] In the description of this application, the references to terms such as "an embodiment," "some embodiments," "in this embodiment," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0034] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application 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 this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An electronic gear shifter with a ball-and-socket structure, characterized in that, The device includes a housing (1), a shift lever (2), and two hemispherical sleeves (3). The housing (1) has an internal mounting groove (11) and limiting grooves (12) located on the left and right sides of the mounting groove (11). The two hemispherical sleeves (3) are respectively installed in the front and rear parts of the mounting groove (11) with a gap between them. The opposing surfaces of the two hemispherical sleeves (3) are respectively provided with hemispherical receiving grooves (31). The middle part of the shift lever (2) is provided with a ball joint (21) that is movably fitted between the receiving grooves (31) of the two hemispherical sleeves (3). The upper side of the ball sleeve (3) is provided with an upper opening (32) for the upper end of the shift lever (2) to extend out, and the lower side is provided with a lower opening (33) for the lower end of the shift lever (2) to extend out. The left and right sides of the ball joint (21) are respectively provided with convex shafts (211). The two convex shafts (211) pass through the gap area between the two hemispherical sleeves (3) and extend into the two limiting grooves (12) respectively. The upper and lower groove walls of the limiting grooves (12) are spaced relative to the convex shafts (211). The front and rear groove walls of the limiting grooves (12) have abutment areas relative to the convex shafts (211).

2. The electronic shifter with a ball-and-socket structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer shell (1) includes an upper shell (101) and a lower shell (102) that are detachably connected to each other. The mounting groove (11) is located in the middle of the lower shell (102) and the groove opening is upward. The two limiting grooves (12) are located on the left and right sides of the lower shell (102) respectively.

3. The electronic shifter with a ball-and-socket structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The front and rear walls of the mounting groove (11) are provided with vertical positioning grooves (111), and the outer peripheral wall of the hemispherical sleeve (3) is provided with positioning ribs (34) that are inserted into the positioning grooves (111).

4. The electronic shifter with a ball-and-socket structure according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The front and rear walls of the limiting groove (12) are spaced apart from the convex shaft (211). The end of the convex shaft (211) away from the ball joint (21) has a stepped platform (212) with a reduced outer diameter. The front and rear walls of the limiting groove (12) are respectively provided with vertical bosses (121), and there is a gap between the bosses (121) and the stepped surface of the stepped platform (212). The bosses (121) abut against the outer peripheral wall of the stepped platform (212) to form an abutment area.

5. The electronic shifter with a ball-and-socket structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer peripheral wall of the ball joint (21) is covered with a plastic coating layer (23).

6. The electronic shifter with a ball-and-socket structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ball joint (21) is provided with a magnetic element (22) on the front or rear side, and the outer shell (1) is provided with an identification chip corresponding to the magnetic element (22).

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