Parking lock device

Abstract

To provide a parking lock device for reducing an operation force required for manually switching from a locked state to an unlocked state while reducing a part count.SOLUTION: A parking lock device includes: an electric motor; and a mechanism that has a lock member that engaged with a parking gear in a detachable manner and is operated based on an output of the electric motor. The mechanism includes: a first mechanism for switching between a locked state and an unlocked state of the parking gear by moving the lock member based on the output of the electric motor; and a second mechanism for switching between the locked state and the unlocked state of the parking gear by moving the lock member based on a manually generated external input. In the locked state of the parking gear, the first mechanism is provided with a gap for mechanically separating the electric motor from the second mechanism based on the output of the electric motor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a parking lock device. [Background technology]

[0002] In a parking lock device, in order to reduce the operating force required to manually switch from a locked state to an unlocked state, a technology is known in which a clutch is installed between the actuator (electric motor) and the mechanism to disconnect the power transmission between the actuator and the mechanism. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-174188 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above-described conventional technology requires a clutch, which increases the number of parts.

[0005] Therefore, in one aspect, an object of the present disclosure is to reduce the number of parts in a parking lock device and to reduce the operating force required when manually switching from a locked state to an unlocked state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In one aspect, a powertrain includes an electric motor; a mechanism including a lock member that is releasably engaged with the parking gear and that operates based on the output of the electric motor; The mechanism includes a first mechanism unit that switches the state of the parking gear between a locked state and an unlocked state by moving the locking member based on an output of the electric motor, and a second mechanism unit that switches the state of the parking gear from the locked state to the unlocked state by moving the locking member based on a manually generated external input, There is provided a parking lock device that, when the parking gear is in a locked state, can form a gap in the first mechanism portion based on the output of the electric motor to mechanically separate the electric motor from the second mechanism portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, in a parking lock device, it is possible to reduce the number of parts and also reduce the operating force required to manually switch from a locked state to an unlocked state. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram (locked state) showing a schematic view of a main part of a parking lock device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram (unlocked state) showing a schematic view of a main part of a parking lock device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a first mechanism unit according to the first embodiment (locked state). [Figure 4] 3 is a plan view of the main parts of the first mechanism unit according to the first embodiment, viewed from below. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a first mechanism unit according to the first embodiment (unlocked state). [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a control device of a parking lock device. [Figure 7] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a preferred driving example (control example) of the electric motor when transitioning from a locked state to an unlocked state. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a first mechanism unit according to a second embodiment (locked state). [Figure 8A] FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of part Q8 in FIG. 8. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the main parts of the first mechanism unit according to the second embodiment, as viewed from above. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a first mechanism unit according to a third embodiment (locked state). [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a plan view of the main parts of the first mechanism unit according to the third embodiment, viewed from below. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Each embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the dimensional ratios in the drawings are merely examples and are not limiting. Furthermore, shapes and the like in the drawings may be partially exaggerated for the sake of explanation. Furthermore, in the drawings, for ease of viewing, reference symbols may be assigned only to some of the parts that exist with the same attribute.

[0010] In the following description, unless otherwise specified, "connection" means "mechanical connection" and refers to a connection in a manner that allows power transmission.

[0011] 1 and 2 are diagrams schematically showing the main parts of a parking lock device 1 according to this embodiment, with Fig. 1 showing the locked state and Fig. 2 showing the unlocked state. In Figs. 1 and 2, a mechanism 20, which will be described later, is shown very diagrammatically.

[0012] The parking lock device 1 includes an electric motor 10 and a mechanism 20.

[0013] The electric motor 10 is controlled by a control device (not shown). When driven, the electric motor 10 generates a rotational output. The electric motor 10 is connected to the mechanism 20 so that the rotational output can be transmitted to the mechanism 20.

[0014] The mechanism 20 includes a first mechanism portion 21 and a second mechanism portion 22 .

[0015] The first mechanism unit 21 switches the state of the parking gear 41 between a locked state (FIG. 1) and an unlocked state (FIG. 2) by moving the parking pole 42 based on the output of the electric motor 10. Specifically, the first mechanism unit 21 generates a force F1 (see FIG. 1) that causes the parking pole 42 to engage with the parking gear 41. The first mechanism unit 21 also generates a force F2 (see FIG. 2) that causes the parking pole 42 to disengage from the parking gear 41 based on the output of the electric motor 10. The force F2 may be generated directly based on the output of the electric motor 10, or may be generated indirectly based on the output of the electric motor 10. The force F2 may also be a force that reduces the magnitude of the above-mentioned force F1 acting on the parking pole 42.

[0016] The second mechanism unit 22 switches the state of the parking gear 41 from a locked state (FIG. 1) to an unlocked state (FIG. 2) by moving the parking pole 42 based on a manually generated external input. The second mechanism unit 22 generates a force F2 (see FIG. 2) for disengaging the parking pole 42 from a state in which the parking pole 42 is engaged with the parking gear 41 based on the manually generated external input. Note that the force F2 may be a force that reduces the magnitude of the above-described force F1 acting on the parking pole 42.

[0017] The second mechanism unit 22 may be formed independently of the first mechanism unit 21, or may be formed in a manner that shares a portion of the first mechanism unit 21. In the example shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the second mechanism unit 22 is formed in a manner that shares a portion of the first mechanism unit 21 (a portion that terminates at the parking pole 42), as shown schematically. Note that the second mechanism unit 22 is connected to the electric motor 10 when there is no gap Δ, which will be described later.

[0018] In this embodiment, when the parking gear 41 is in a locked state (FIG. 1), a gap Δ is formed in the first mechanism portion 21 of the mechanism 20 in such a manner that the electric motor 10 is mechanically disconnected from the second mechanism portion 22. In this embodiment, the gap Δ is formed based on the output of the electric motor 10, without using a special gap forming mechanism (special device) such as a clutch. Specifically, the gap Δ is formed by moving one of the two members forming the power transmission path away from the other based on the output of the electric motor 10.

[0019] When this gap Δ is formed, the electric motor 10 is mechanically disconnected from the second mechanism 22. That is, the second mechanism 22 and the electric motor 10 are unable to transmit power to each other. This reduces the force (see force F2 in FIG. 2) required to manually switch the parking gear 41 from the locked state (FIG. 1) to the unlocked state (FIG. 2). That is, when the output member 2100 of the linear motion mechanism 210 (see FIG. 3) and the parking gear 41 are integrated, an external input (operating force) must be applied to resist the reaction force of the electric motor 10 during manual operation, and the required operating force (correlated with the magnitude of force F2 in FIG. 2) increases accordingly. In contrast, when the output member 2100 of the linear motion mechanism 210 and the parking gear 41 are separate bodies, there is no need to resist the reaction force of the electric motor 10, and the required operating force (correlated with the magnitude of force F2 in FIG. 2) can be reduced accordingly.

[0020] In this embodiment, when the state of the parking gear 41 is switched from the locked state (FIG. 1) to the unlocked state (FIG. 2) electrically, rather than manually, the following operation is performed: First, the electric motor 10 is driven to eliminate the gap Δ, and then the parking pole 42 is moved based on the output of the electric motor 10, thereby setting the parking gear 41 in the unlocked state.

[0021] In this way, according to this embodiment, the operating force required to manually switch from the locked state to the unlocked state can be reduced without using a special gap forming mechanism such as a clutch in the parking lock device 1. Therefore, the operating force required to manually switch from the locked state to the unlocked state can be reduced while reducing the number of parts in the parking lock device 1.

[0022] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, by forming (maintaining) such a gap Δ when the parking gear 41 is in the locked state, it is possible to eliminate load input to the output shaft of the electric motor 10 during ratcheting (load input via the linear motion mechanism 210).

[0023] Next, the present embodiment will be described in further detail with reference to FIG. 3 and subsequent figures.

[0024] 3 to 5 are diagrams showing an example of the first mechanism unit 21 of this embodiment, with Fig. 3 showing the parking gear 41 in a locked state and Fig. 5 showing the parking gear 41 in an unlocked state. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the main parts of the first mechanism unit 21 as viewed from below. Figs. 3 and 5 also show the first mechanism unit 21, the electric motor 10, the parking pole 42, etc.

[0025] In Fig. 3, the X direction (an example of a first direction) is defined along with the X1 side and the X2 side, and the Z direction (an example of a second direction) is defined along with the Z1 side and the Z2 side. For ease of explanation, the Z direction is defined as the up-down direction, with the Z1 side as the upper side and the Z2 side as the lower side. The X direction is also assumed to be parallel to the direction in which the rotation shaft of the electric motor 10 extends. In Fig. 4, the Y direction is defined as the direction perpendicular to both the X direction and the Z direction, along with the Y1 side and the Y2 side.

[0026] The first mechanism portion 21 of this embodiment includes a linear motion mechanism 210 , a parking rod 212 , a spring 214 , and a support member 216 .

[0027] The linear motion mechanism 210 converts the rotational output of the electric motor 10 into linear motion in the X direction. In this embodiment, the linear motion mechanism 210 is a slide screw mechanism, but it may also be formed by a ball screw mechanism. The linear motion mechanism 210 includes an output member 2100 for extracting the motion in the X direction as an output. In this embodiment, the output member 2100 has an end face 2102 perpendicular to the X direction on the X2 side in the X direction. Note that the end face 2102 of the output member 2100 is formed by a flat plane, but may have irregularities or the like.

[0028] When the electric motor 10 rotates in a first direction, the end face 2102 of the output member 2100 moves to the X1 side, and when the electric motor 10 rotates in a second direction (opposite to the first direction), the end face 2102 of the output member 2100 moves to the X2 side.

[0029] The parking rod 212 faces the output member 2100 of the linear motion mechanism 210 in the X direction. In this embodiment, the parking rod 212 is disposed on the X2 side of the output member 2100. An end face 2122 of the parking rod 212 can abut against an end face 2102 of the output member 2100 of the linear motion mechanism 210 in the X direction. When the parking rod 212 and the output member 2100 of the linear motion mechanism 210 are in contact with each other in the X direction, force in the X direction can be transmitted via the contact surfaces between the end faces 2102 and 2122. In this embodiment, the parking rod 212 has an end face 2122 that is perpendicular to the X direction on the X1 side in the X direction. Note that the end face 2122 of the parking rod 212 is formed by a flat plane, but may have irregularities or the like.

[0030] In this embodiment, the parking rod 212 includes two rollers 2124, 2126. The rollers 2124, 2126 have rotation axes 80, 81 in the Y direction. The rotation axis 80 is supported by the parking rod 212 so as to be movable in the X direction together with the parking rod 212. In this case, the rollers 2124, 2126 are movable in the X direction together with the parking rod 212 while rotating around the rotation axes 80, 81, respectively.

[0031] Specifically, the rollers 2124, 2126 are movable in the X direction between a locked position on the X1 side shown in Fig. 3 and an unlocked position on the X2 side shown in Fig. 5. Hereinafter, the range of movement of such rollers 2124, 2126 in the X direction is also referred to as a "predetermined stroke range." Note that by using such rollers 2124, 2126, the force required to move the parking rod 212 can be reduced.

[0032] The two rollers 2124, 2126 are preferably arranged at the same position in the X direction, and are in contact with each other in the vertical direction, so that they can transmit forces to each other in the vertical direction.

[0033] Of the two rollers 2124, 2126, the upper roller 2124 is in vertical contact with the lower surface (the lower surface normal to the Z direction) of a support member 216, which will be described later. Therefore, the upward displacement of the two rollers 2124, 2126 is restricted mainly by the support member 216 via the roller 2124. The upper roller 2124 is in contact with the lower surface of the support member 216 and can roll on the lower surface.

[0034] Of the two rollers 2124, 2126, the lower roller 2126 abuts against the upper side surface of the parking pole 42 in the vertical direction and is capable of rolling on the upper side surface of the parking pole 42. The roller 2126 cooperates with the parking pole 42 to change the vertical force acting on the parking pole 42 depending on the X-direction position of the parking rod 212 including the two rollers 2124, 2126.

[0035] Specifically, when rollers 2124, 2126 are in the locked position (see FIG. 3), roller 2126 strengthens the downward force F1 that rotates the parking pole 42 about the rotation axis 420 due to the shape of the upper side surface of the parking pole 42 (the shape when viewed in the Y direction). The downward force F1 acts to rotate the parking pole 42 to the locked position (the position where it meshes with the parking gear 41). The parking pole 42 is biased about the rotation axis 420 by a spring 422. The spring 422 biases the parking pole 42 to rotate to the unlocked position. When the downward force F1 is strengthened and exceeds the reaction force due to the biasing force of the spring 422, the parking pole 42 rotates to the locked position (the position where it meshes with the parking gear 41).

[0036] When rollers 2124, 2126 are in the unlocked position (see FIG. 5), the roller 2126 weakens the downward force F1 that rotates around the rotation axis 420 (i.e., the force F2 shown in FIG. 2 is generated) due to the shape of the upper side surface of the parking pole 42 (the shape when viewed in the Y direction). When the downward force F1 is weakened and becomes smaller than the reaction force due to the biasing force of the spring 422, the parking pole 42 rotates to the unlocked position (a position away from the parking gear 41).

[0037] The parking rod 212 including these two rollers 2124, 2126 can change the magnitude of the force acting in the vertical direction on the parking pole 42 depending on the position in the X direction.

[0038] The spring 214 biases the parking rod 212 toward the X1 side. The biasing force of the spring 214 may be adapted so that the locked state of the parking gear 41 can be maintained under appropriate conditions. For example, the biasing force of the spring 214 is adapted so that unintended release (transition of the parking gear 41 from the locked state to the unlocked state) does not occur due to input from external disturbances or the like.

[0039] The support member 216 is fixed to a structure (not shown) on the vehicle body side. The support member 216 supports the parking rod 212 in a manner that allows the parking rod 212 to move linearly in the X direction. The support member 216 may have guide holes 2142 that support the rotating shafts 80, 81 and allow the rollers 2124, 2126 to move within a predetermined stroke range. For example, the support member 216 may be a bracket that supports both ends of the rotating shafts 80, 81 in the Y direction and has a side surface (a side surface whose normal direction is the Y direction) with the guide holes 2142.

[0040] In this embodiment, the boundary position on the X1 side of the predetermined stroke range of the rollers 2124, 2126 corresponds to the position where the rollers 2124, 2126 are stopped from moving toward the X1 side by the guide hole 2142. In other words, the guide hole 2142 forms the boundary position on the X1 side of the predetermined stroke range of the rollers 2124, 2126. However, in modified examples, other stopper structures may be provided on the support member 216. The boundary position on the X2 side of the predetermined stroke range of the rollers 2124, 2126 may also be similar.

[0041] The support member 216 supports the spring 214. Specifically, the support member 216 has a seat 2160 (see FIG. 4) on the X2 side in the X direction. The seat 2160 supports the end of the spring 214 on the X2 side in the X direction, whose coil axis is in the X direction. In this case, the end of the spring 214 on the X1 side in the X direction abuts against the seat 2120 (see FIG. 4) of the parking rod 212 from the X2 side in the X direction. The spring 214 expands and contracts in the X direction between the seat 2120 of the parking rod 212 and the seat 2160 of the support member 216, thereby generating the above-mentioned biasing force.

[0042] In this embodiment, as described above, when the parking gear 41 is in the locked state (see FIG. 3), the gap Δ is formed in the first mechanism portion 21 in such a manner that the electric motor 10 is mechanically disconnected from the second mechanism portion 22. Specifically, the gap Δ is formed between the X2-side end face 2102 of the output member 2100 of the linear motion mechanism 210 and the X1-side end face 2122 of the parking rod 212. This provides the above-described effect.

[0043] Next, the operation of the parking lock device 1 including the first mechanism portion 21 of this embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 will be outlined.

[0044] In the locked state shown in FIG. 3 , when the electric motor 10 is driven (when the electric motor 10 rotates in the first direction), the output member 2100 of the linear motion mechanism 210 moves toward the X2 side. As a result, the gap Δ between the X2-side end face 2102 of the output member 2100 of the linear motion mechanism 210 and the X1-side end face 2122 of the parking rod 212 approaches zero. When the electric motor 10 is further driven and the gap Δ disappears, the output member 2100 of the linear motion mechanism 210 and the parking rod 212 come into contact with each other in the X direction. Then, when the electric motor 10 is further driven, the output member 2100 and the parking rod 212 move together toward the X2 side against the biasing force of the spring 422. At this time, the rollers 2124 and 2126 also move together with the parking rod 212 toward the X2 side. When the rollers 2124, 2126 move toward the X2 side, the force F1 weakens as described above, the parking pole 42 rotates (clockwise around the rotation axis 420 in Figure 3, etc.), and a transition from the locked state to the unlocked state is achieved.

[0045] Although not shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the second mechanism 22 (see FIG. 1, etc.) includes a member (not shown) connected to the parking rod 212 in a manner that allows the parking rod 212 to be moved toward the X2 side. That is, the second mechanism 22 may include a mechanism (e.g., a link mechanism) that moves the parking rod 212 toward the X2 side. In this case, when an input is generated from the second mechanism 22, the parking pole 42 rotates in the same manner as the drive by the electric motor 10 described above, and a transition from the locked state to the unlocked state is realized. That is, manual switching to the unlocked state (releasing the locked state) is realized.

[0046] 5, when the electric motor 10 is driven (when the electric motor 10 rotates in the second direction), the output member 2100 of the linear motion mechanism 210 moves toward the X1 side. At this time, the biasing force of the spring 422 causes the parking rod 212 (and the rollers 2124, 2126) to move toward the X1 side together with the output member 2100. Then, when the lower roller 2126 overcomes the convex shape on the upper side surface of the parking pole 42, the force F1 increases, causing the parking pole 42 to rotate (counterclockwise around the rotation axis 420 in FIG. 5 etc.), thereby achieving a transition from the unlocked state to the locked state.

[0047] In this locked state (see FIG. 3), the rollers 2124, 2126 engage with the X1-side end of the guide hole 2142, restricting further displacement toward the X1 side. Then, in this embodiment, the electric motor 10 is further driven after the locked state is established. In this case, of the output member 2100 and the parking rod 212 of the linear motion mechanism 210, only the output member 2100 moves toward the X1 side, and the output member 2100 separates from the parking rod 212, forming the gap Δ described above.

[0048] Here, the gap Δ may be formed immediately after such a locked state is established. That is, the gap Δ may be formed during a series of movements for establishing the locked state of the parking rod 212. Alternatively, the gap Δ may be formed after a relatively long time has elapsed after such a locked state is established.

[0049] In this embodiment, the rollers 2124, 2126 engage with the X1 side end of the guide hole 2142 at the same time as the locked state of the parking rod 212 is established, but the rollers 2124, 2126 may also engage with the X1 side end of the guide hole 2142 when they move further toward the X1 side after the locked state of the parking rod 212 is established. In this case, too, the above-mentioned gap Δ can be formed by further driving the electric motor 10.

[0050] Next, the control system of the electric motor 10 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0051] 6 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the control device 100 of the parking lock device 1. The control device 100 controls the electric motor 10 to thereby control the parking lock device 1.

[0052] FIG. 6 schematically illustrates other in-vehicle electronic devices 130 in association with the hardware configuration of the control device 100.

[0053] The other on-vehicle electronic devices 130 may include, in addition to the electric motor 10, various sensors such as a parking brake switch 131 and a motor rotation speed sensor.

[0054] The parking brake switch 131 generates an operation signal for releasing the locked state of the parking gear 41 (transition to an unlocked state). The motor rotation speed sensor 134 generates a signal corresponding to the rotation speed of the electric motor 10.

[0055] The control device 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 111, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 112, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 113, an auxiliary storage device 114, a drive device 115, and a communication interface 117, all connected by a bus 119, as well as a wired transceiver unit 125 connected to the communication interface 117.

[0056] The auxiliary storage device 114 is, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD), and is a storage device that stores data related to application software and the like.

[0057] The wired transceiver 125 includes a transceiver capable of communicating using a wired network 128 based on a protocol such as CAN (Controller Area Network) or LIN (Local Interconnect Network). The wired transceiver 125 is connected to other in-vehicle electronic devices 130. However, some or all of the other in-vehicle electronic devices 130 may be connected to the bus 119.

[0058] The control device 100 may be connectable to a recording medium 116. The recording medium 116 stores a predetermined program. The program stored in the recording medium 116 is installed in the auxiliary storage device 114 of the control device 100 via the drive device 115. The installed predetermined program can be executed by the CPU 111 of the control device 100. For example, the recording medium 116 may be a recording medium that records information optically, electrically, or magnetically, such as a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM, a flexible disk, or a magneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory that records information electrically, such as a ROM or a flash memory.

[0059] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a preferred driving example (control example) of the electric motor 10 when transitioning from the locked state to the unlocked state.

[0060] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing time series changes in various parameters when controlling the electric motor 10 to transition from a locked state to an unlocked state. From the top, Fig. 7 shows the motor rotation speed, the stroke of the parking rod 212 (indicated as "ACT stroke" in the diagram), and the load of the parking rod 212 (indicated as "parking rod load" in the diagram).

[0061] In the example shown in FIG. 7, at time t1, the electric motor 10 starts to be driven to transition from the locked state to the unlocked state. The rotation speed of the electric motor 10 is increased by utilizing the section of the gap Δ described above. In this case, the rotation speed of the electric motor 10 may be increased to the maximum. This allows the output member 2100 of the linear motion mechanism 210 to come into contact with the parking rod 212 at a relatively high speed, facilitating the initial movement of the parking rod 212.

[0062] At time t2, the output member 2100 of the linear motion mechanism 210 abuts against the parking rod 212, and the parking rod 212 starts to move (stroke) toward the X2 side. As a result, the load increases rapidly. The section where the parking rod 212 starts to move toward the X2 side is a high-load region where the load is large. In this embodiment, as described above, the gap Δ can be used to cause the output member 2100 of the linear motion mechanism 210 to abut against the parking rod 212 with relatively great force, so that the parking rod 212 can be moved toward the X2 side even in this high-load region. Then, when the high-load region ends, the rotation speed of the electric motor 10 increases from time t3, and the parking rod 212 quickly moves toward the X2 side.

[0063] If the movement of the parking rod 212 toward the X2 side is stopped due to a high load, the electric motor 10 may be rotated in the reverse direction to re-create the gap Δ, and then the electric motor 10 may be driven again. In this case, the output of the electric motor 10 may be increased from that of the initial drive.

[0064] In this way, according to this embodiment, by forming the above-mentioned gap Δ, it is possible to reduce the operating force required to manually switch from the locked state to the unlocked state as described above, while facilitating the initial movement of the parking rod 212 toward the X2 side based on the output of the electric motor 10.

[0065] Next, other embodiments that may be implemented instead of the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 8 onwards. Hereinafter, the above-described embodiment will be referred to as "embodiment 1", and other embodiments, embodiment 2 and onwards, will be described.

[0066] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the first mechanism unit 21A according to the second embodiment, and corresponds to FIG. 3 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8A is an enlarged view of part Q8 in FIG. 8. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the main parts of the first mechanism unit 21A as viewed from above. FIG. 8 shows the electric motor 10, the parking pole 42, and the like together with the first mechanism unit 21A. FIG. 9 shows the electric motor 10 together with the first mechanism unit 21A.

[0067] The first mechanism section 21A according to the second embodiment differs from the first mechanism section 21 according to the first embodiment described above in that the linear motion mechanism 210 and the parking rod 212 are replaced with a linear motion mechanism 210A and a parking rod 212A, respectively.

[0068] The linear motion mechanism 210A differs from the linear motion mechanism 210 according to the first embodiment in that the output member 2100 is replaced with an output member 2100A. The linear motion mechanism 210A, together with the electric motor 10, is disposed on the X2 side with respect to the parking rod 212A and the support member 216.

[0069] The output member 2100A differs from the output member 2100 according to the first embodiment in that it has an engagement portion 2106A.

[0070] The parking rod 212A differs from the parking rod 212 according to the first embodiment in that it has an engaged portion 2128A.

[0071] The engaging portion 2106A is engageable with the engaged portion 2128A in a manner that allows transmission of a force toward the X2 side in the X direction. In the example shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the engaging portion 2106A includes a groove 2107A extending in the X direction and a locking portion 2108A. The locking portion 2108A forms the X1 side end of the groove 2107A. The engaged portion 2128A is in the form of a protrusion that fits into the groove 2107A and is movable in the X direction along the groove 2107A. In this case, when the engaged portion 2128A abuts against the locking portion 2108A in the X direction, the engaging portion 2106A is able to transmit a force toward the X2 side in the X direction to the engaged portion 2128A.

[0072] In this embodiment, as in the above-described embodiment 1, the second mechanism unit 22 (not shown) includes a member (not shown) that is connected to the parking rod 212A in a manner that allows the parking rod 212A to be moved toward the X2 side.

[0073] In this embodiment as well, when the parking gear 41 is in the locked state, a gap Δ is formed in the first mechanism unit 21A in such a manner that the electric motor 10 is mechanically disconnected from the second mechanism unit 22 (not shown). Specifically, a gap Δ in the X direction is formed between the engaging portion 2106A of the output member 2100A of the linear motion mechanism 210A and the engaged portion 2128A of the parking rod 212A. This makes it possible to obtain the same effect as in the first embodiment described above.

[0074] Fig. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the first mechanism unit 21B according to the third embodiment, and corresponds to Fig. 3 according to the third embodiment. Fig. 11 is a plan view of the main parts of the first mechanism unit 21B as viewed from below. Fig. 10 also shows the electric motor 10, the parking pole 42, etc., along with the first mechanism unit 21B.

[0075] In the third embodiment, the arrangement of the electric motor 10 differs from that of the first embodiment. Specifically, in the first embodiment, the electric motor 10 is arranged in series (coaxially) with the parking rod 212, whereas in the third embodiment, the electric motor 10 is arranged in parallel with the parking rod 212. Specifically, in the third embodiment, the rotation axis of the electric motor 10 is parallel to the central axis of the parking rod 212 but offset in the Y direction.

[0076] The first mechanism section 21B according to the third embodiment differs from the first mechanism section 21 according to the first embodiment in that the linear motion mechanisms 210 are replaced with linear motion mechanisms 210B.

[0077] The linear motion mechanism 210B differs from the linear motion mechanism 210 according to the first embodiment in that the output member 2100 is replaced with an output member 2100B.

[0078] The output member 2100B differs from the output member 2100 according to the first embodiment in that it has a link structure. Specifically, the output member 2100B has two movable members 2108B and 2109B connected via a link arm 2107B. The movable member 2108B is arranged coaxially with the linear motion mechanism 210B. In this case, when the movable member 2108B moves linearly toward the X1 side, the movable member 2109B moves linearly toward the X2 side due to the action of the link arm 2107B. The movable member 2109B is arranged in series (coaxially) with the parking rod 212, similar to the output member 2100 according to the first embodiment. The movable member 2109B performs the same function as the output member 2100 according to the first embodiment.

[0079] In this embodiment, as in the above-described embodiment 1, the second mechanism unit 22 (not shown) includes a member (not shown) that is connected to the parking rod 212 in a manner that allows the parking rod 212 to be moved toward the X2 side.

[0080] In this embodiment as well, when the parking gear 41 is in the locked state, a gap Δ is formed in the first mechanism unit 21B in such a manner that the electric motor 10 is mechanically disconnected from the second mechanism unit 22 (not shown). Specifically, a gap Δ in the X direction is formed between the movable member 2109B of the output member 2100B of the linear motion mechanism 210B and the parking rod 212. This makes it possible to obtain the same effect as in the first embodiment described above.

[0081] Although each embodiment has been described in detail above, it is not limited to the specific embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the claims. It is also possible to combine all or a plurality of components of the above-described embodiments.

[0082] For example, in each of the above-described embodiments, the gap Δ is always formed (i.e., maintained) when the parking gear 41 is in the locked state, but this is not limited to this. For example, when a command is given to release the locked state of the parking gear 41, the gap Δ may be formed and then the transition to the unlocked state described above may be realized.

[0083] Furthermore, in each of the above-described embodiments, as a preferred example, the gap Δ is formed when the parking gear 41 is in the locked state, but the gap Δ does not have to be formed. That is, the gap Δ may be 0. In this case, too, the operating force required to manually switch from the locked state to the unlocked state can be reduced. This is because the output member 2100 and the parking rod 212 of the linear motion mechanism 210 are separate bodies, and the direction of movement of the parking rod 212 for transition from the locked state to the unlocked state is a direction away from the output member 2100. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1 Parking lock device, 10 Electric motor, 41 Parking gear, 42 Parking pole (lock member), 20 Mechanism, 21, 21A, 21B First mechanism, 210, 210A, 210B Linear motion mechanism, 212, 212A Parking rod (movable member), 22 Second mechanism, 100 Control device, Δ Gap

Claims

1. An electric motor; a mechanism including a lock member that is releasably engaged with the parking gear and that operates based on the output of the electric motor; The mechanism includes a first mechanism unit that switches the state of the parking gear between a locked state and an unlocked state by moving the locking member based on an output of the electric motor, and a second mechanism unit that switches the state of the parking gear from the locked state to the unlocked state by moving the locking member based on a manually generated external input, a parking lock device capable of forming a gap in the first mechanism portion based on the output of the electric motor when the parking gear is in a locked state, the gap mechanically separating the electric motor from the second mechanism portion.

2. The first mechanism unit includes: a linear motion mechanism that converts the rotational output of the electric motor into linear motion in a first direction; a movable member that faces the output member of the linear motion mechanism in the first direction and that moves linearly in the first direction based on an input in the first direction received from the linear motion mechanism, the locking member operates based on linear movement of the movable member in the first direction; the second mechanism causes the movable member to move linearly in the first direction based on the external input; The parking lock device according to claim 1 , wherein the gap is formed between the movable member and the output member of the linear motion mechanism in the first direction.

3. the first mechanism changes a force acting on the locking member in a second direction intersecting the first direction based on the linear movement of the movable member in the first direction; The parking lock device according to claim 2 , wherein the locking member switches the state of the parking gear from an unlocked state to a locked state based on a change in the force in the second direction.

4. Further, a control device for controlling the electric motor is provided.

4. The parking lock device according to claim 2, wherein when switching the state of the parking gear from a locked state to an unlocked state, the control device moves the output member of the linear motion mechanism in the first direction via the electric motor, thereby eliminating the gap and applying an input in the first direction to the movable member.

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