Shift device

Abstract

To miniaturize a shift body.SOLUTION: In a shift device 10, a position of a slider 14 is detected by capacitance between a metal plate 14B part of the slider 14 and a detection sheet 28. The urging pin 24 and the spring 22 of the urging mechanism 18 urge the slider 14 toward the H position side. Here, the urging pin 24 and the spring 22 are disposed at the outer side of the slider 14. Therefore, the slider 14 can be downsized.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a shift device in which a shift body is slid to change a shift position. [Background technology]

[0002] In the selector device described in Patent Document 1 below, a slider unit is slid to change the shift position. Furthermore, the position of the slider unit is detected by the capacitance between a sensor device of the slider unit and a printed circuit board. Furthermore, a latching mechanism biases the slider unit toward the shift position.

[0003] In this selector device, the slider unit is provided with a sensor device, and a latching mechanism is disposed inside the slider unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] US Patent Application Publication No. 2022 / 0136597 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In consideration of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a shift device that can reduce the size of the shift body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A first aspect of the shift device of the present invention includes a shift body that is slid to change the shift position, and a detection body that detects the position of the shift body by the capacitance between the shift body and the finger of a passenger sliding the shift body.

[0007] A shift device according to a second aspect of the present invention is the shift device according to the first aspect of the present invention, further comprising a biasing portion that is disposed outside the shift body and biases the shift body toward a shift position.

[0008] A third aspect of the shift device of the present invention includes a shift body having a detectable portion and sliding to change the shift position, a detection body that detects the position of the shift body by the capacitance between the detection portion and the shift body, and a biasing portion that is arranged outside the shift body and biases the shift body toward the shift position.

[0009] A shift device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the shift device according to the third aspect of the present invention, wherein the detected part is disposed inside the shift body.

[0010] A shift device of a fifth aspect of the present invention is the shift device of any one of the second to fourth aspects of the present invention, wherein the biasing portion is arranged on one side of the shift body in the slide width direction.

[0011] A sixth aspect of the shift device of the present invention is a fifth aspect of the shift device that is dependent on the third or fourth aspect of the present invention, wherein the detectable portion is arranged on the opposite side of the biasing portion in the sliding width direction of the shift body.

[0012] A seventh aspect of the present invention is a shift device according to any one of the second to sixth aspects of the present invention, wherein the biasing portion is plate-shaped. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] In the shift device of the first aspect of the present invention, the shift body is slid to change the shift position.

[0014] The position of the shift body is detected by the capacitance between the detection body and the finger of the driver sliding the shift body. This reduces the need to provide a detection target on the shift body for the detection body to detect the shift body, allowing the shift body to be made smaller.

[0015] In the shift device according to the second aspect of the present invention, the biasing portion biases the shift body toward the shift position.

[0016] Here, the biasing portion is disposed outside the shift body, which allows the shift body to be made even more compact.

[0017] In a shift device according to a third aspect of the present invention, the shift body is slid to change the shift position. Furthermore, the position of the shift body is detected by the capacitance between the detection body and the detection target portion of the shift body. Furthermore, a biasing portion biases the shift body toward the shift position.

[0018] Here, the biasing portion is disposed outside the shift body, which allows the shift body to be made smaller.

[0019] In the shift device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the detection target is disposed inside the shift body, which allows the shift body to be made smaller.

[0020] In the shift device of the fifth aspect of the present invention, the biasing portion is disposed on one side of the shift body in the sliding width direction, which allows the shift device to be made smaller in size in the sliding width direction of the shift body.

[0021] In the shift device according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the detected portion is disposed on the opposite side of the shift body from the biasing portion in the sliding width direction of the shift body, which makes it easy to provide the detected portion on the shift body.

[0022] In the shift device according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the biasing portion is formed in a plate shape, which allows the biasing portion to be made smaller. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a shift device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, where FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view seen from the left, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view seen from the rear. [Figure 2]1A is a cross-sectional view from the rear of a shift device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view from the rear of a shift device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a shift device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, where 10A is a cross-sectional view seen from the left, and 10B is a cross-sectional view seen from the rear. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a shift device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the left. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] [First embodiment] Fig. 1(A) shows a cross-sectional view of a shift device 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention as seen from the left, and Fig. 1(B) shows a cross-sectional view of the shift device 10 as seen from the rear. In the drawings, the front of the shift device 10 is indicated by an arrow FR, the right of the shift device 10 is indicated by an arrow RH, and the top of the shift device 10 is indicated by an arrow UP.

[0025] The shift device 10 according to this embodiment is installed in the passenger compartment of a vehicle (automobile), and the front, right, and top of the shift device 10 are oriented, for example, toward the front, right, and top of the vehicle, respectively.

[0026] 1A and 1B, the shift device 10 is provided with a resin housing 12 in the shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box, which serves as a container. The housing 12 is fixed to the vehicle, and the shift device 10 is installed in the passenger compartment. A rectangular opening 12A is formed through the center of the upper wall of the housing 12 in the left-right direction, and the opening 12A extends in the front-rear direction.

[0027] A rectangular support plate 12B is provided within the housing 12 as a support portion, and the entire outer circumferential surface of the support plate 12B is integral with the entire inner circumferential surface of the housing 12. The support plate 12B is disposed vertically in the up-down direction, and divides the interior of the housing 12 into an upper portion and a lower portion. A rectangular exposure hole 12C is formed through the center of the support plate 12B in the left-right direction and extends in the front-to-rear direction. The exposure hole 12C faces an opening 12A in the upper wall of the housing 12 in the up-down direction, and the left-to-right dimension of the exposure hole 12C is larger than the left-to-right dimension of the opening 12A.

[0028] A resin slider 14 having a generally rectangular plate shape is accommodated in the upper portion of the housing 12 and serves as a shift body. The slider 14 is supported on a support plate 12B within the housing 12. A rectangular parallelepiped operating unit 14A is integrally provided in the center of the top surface of the slider 14, and the operating unit 14A protrudes upward and protrudes upward from an opening 12A in the top wall of the housing 12. The operating unit 14A is fitted in the opening 12A in the left-right direction, and is moved in the front-rear direction along the opening 12A, thereby sliding the slider 14 in the front-rear direction. The operating unit 14A can be operated in the front-rear direction by a vehicle occupant 16 (see FIG. 4 ) holding it between a thumb 16B and a finger 16C (e.g., an index finger) of a hand 16A.

[0029] The slider 14 is positioned at an H position (home position) as a shift position, and the slider 14 is slid forward from the H position to be positioned at an R position (reverse position) as a shift position, and is slid rearward from the H position to be positioned at a D position (drive position) as a shift position.

[0030] A rectangular metal plate 14B made of metal and serving as a part to be detected is fixed to the center of the underside of the slider 14, and the metal plate 14B is inserted into an exposure hole 12C in the housing 12 (support plate 12B) and is exposed at the lower part of the housing 12. When the slider 14 is slid in the front-rear direction, the metal plate 14B slides in the front-rear direction together with the slider 14 along the exposure hole 12C.

[0031] The slider 14 is provided with a biasing mechanism 18 (moderating mechanism) on each of its left and right sides.

[0032] The biasing mechanism 18 is provided with a cylindrical biasing cylinder 20, which is fixed to the left or right surface of the upper portion of the housing 12. The axial direction of the biasing cylinder 20 is in the left-right direction, and the bottom surface of the biasing cylinder 20 forms the left or right surface of the housing 12, with the interior of the biasing cylinder 20 opening to the inside in the left-right direction of the housing 12 (toward the slider 14). A spring 22 is inserted into the biasing cylinder 20 as a biasing part constituting the biasing portion, and the spring 22 is a compression coil spring. A substantially cylindrical biasing pin 24 is fitted into the biasing cylinder 20 on the slider 14 side of the spring 22 as a contact part constituting the biasing portion, and the biasing pin 24 is biased toward the slider 14 by the spring 22 at its base end surface, and its tip surface is convexly curved.

[0033] Concave surfaces 26 are formed on the left and right surfaces of the slider 14 as biased portions, and the concave surfaces 26 are inclined outward in the left-right direction of the slider 14 as they move upward and downward from the center in the up-down direction, and are also inclined outward in the left-right direction of the slider 14 as they move forward and backward from the center in the front-to-back direction. The tip surface of the biasing pin 24 abuts against the center in the front-to-back direction of the concave surfaces 26 due to the biasing force of the spring 22, thereby positioning the slider 14 at position H. When the slider 14 slides forward and backward from position H, the concave surfaces 26 move the biasing pin 24 to the opposite side of the slider 14 against the biasing force of the spring 22. When the operating force acting on the slider 14 is released while the slider 14 is positioned other than at the H position, the biasing force of the spring 22 moves the biasing pin 24 toward the slider 14, causing the concave surface 26 to slide to a position where it abuts against the biasing pin 24 at the center in the front-to-rear direction, and the slider 14 slides (returns) to the H position.

[0034] A sheet-like detection sheet 28 serving as a detection body is fixed to the underside of the housing 12. The metal plate 14B of the slider 14 faces the detection sheet 28, and the capacitance of the detection sheet 28 at the portion facing the metal plate 14B is equal to or greater than a threshold. Therefore, by detecting the portion of the detection sheet 28 where the capacitance is equal to or greater than the threshold, the front-rear position of the metal plate 14B is detected, and the front-rear position (shift position) of the slider 14 is detected.

[0035] The detection sheet 28 is electrically connected to a vehicle control device 30, which is electrically connected to a vehicle transmission 32. When the detection sheet 28 detects that the slider 14 is placed in the R position or the D position, the shift range of the transmission 32 is changed to the R range (reverse range) or the D range (drive range) under the control of the control device 30, respectively.

[0036] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

[0037] In the shift device 10 configured as described above, the slider 14 slides from the H position to the R position and the D position. Furthermore, the position of the slider 14 is detected by the electrostatic capacitance between the metal plate 14B of the slider 14 and the detection sheet 28. Furthermore, the biasing pin 24 and spring 22 of the biasing mechanism 18 bias the slider 14 toward the H position via the concave surface 26 of the slider 14.

[0038] Here, the biasing pin 24 and the spring 22 are disposed on the outside of the slider 14. Therefore, unlike when the biasing pin 24 and the spring 22 are disposed on the inside of the slider 14, the slider 14 can be made smaller in size in the vertical direction, the shift device 10 can be made smaller in size in the vertical direction, and the degree of freedom in the mounting position of the shift device 10 on the vehicle can be increased.

[0039] Furthermore, a metal plate 14B is fixed to the underside of the slider 14. Therefore, the slider 14 (including the metal plate 14B) can be made smaller in size in the vertical direction, and the shift device 10 can be made smaller in size in the vertical direction.

[0040] [Second embodiment] FIG. 2(A) shows a cross-sectional view of a shift device 50 according to a second embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the rear.

[0041] The shift device 50 according to this embodiment has substantially the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, but differs in the following respects.

[0042] 2(A), in shift device 50 according to this embodiment, support plate 12B is provided only at the left end portion inside housing 12, and the position of the bottom wall of housing 12 is displaced upward. Support surface 12D is formed on the right portion of the bottom surface inside housing 12, and support surface 12D is disposed above the bottom surface inside housing 12 (portion other than support surface 12D), and is disposed below the top surface of support plate 12B and above the bottom surface of support plate 12B.

[0043] A rectangular plate-shaped recess 14C is formed on the underside of the slider 14 except for the right portion, and the recess 14C is open to the bottom, left, front, and rear. The left end of the upper surface of the recess 14C of the slider 14 is supported on a support plate 12B inside the housing 12, and the right portion of the slider 14 is supported on a support surface 12D inside the housing 12. A metal plate 14B is disposed to the right of the left end of the recess 14C, and is fixed to the upper and right surfaces of the recess 14C, with the bottom surface of the metal plate 14B being flush with the bottom surface of the slider 14.

[0044] The biasing mechanism 18 (biasing cylinder 20 , spring 22 , biasing pin 24 and concave surface 26 ) is provided only on the right side of the slider 14 , and the left surface of the slider 14 abuts against the left wall of the housing 12 .

[0045] A detection sheet 28 is fixed to the lower surface inside the housing 12, and the metal plate 14B of the slider 14 faces the detection sheet 28.

[0046] Here, this embodiment can also achieve the same functions and effects as the first embodiment.

[0047] In particular, metal plate 14B is disposed inside (recess 14C) slider 14. This allows slider 14 (including metal plate 14B) to be made smaller in size in the vertical direction, and thus allows shift device 50 to be made smaller in size in the vertical direction.

[0048] Furthermore, the biasing mechanism 18 is provided on one side in the left-right direction (slide width direction) of the slider 14. This allows the shift device 50 to be made smaller in size in the left-right direction.

[0049] Moreover, the metal plate 14B is disposed on the opposite side of the slider 14 in the left-right direction from the biasing mechanism 18. Therefore, the metal plate 14B can be easily provided on the slider 14.

[0050] [Third embodiment] FIG. 2(B) shows a cross-sectional view of a shift device 60 according to a third embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the rear.

[0051] The shift device 60 according to this embodiment has almost the same configuration as that of the second embodiment, but differs in the following respects.

[0052] 2(B), in shift device 60 according to this embodiment, support plate 12B is not provided inside housing 12, and the position of the bottom wall of housing 12 is shifted upward. A support surface 12D is formed at the left end of the bottom surface inside housing 12.

[0053] A recess 14C is formed in the left portion of the underside of the slider 14. A rectangular plate-shaped arrangement recess 14D is formed in the upper surface of the recess 14C to the right of the left end, and the arrangement recess 14D is open downward. The slider 14 is supported by a support surface 12D inside the housing 12 at the left end of the upper surface of the recess 14C, and is supported by the underside of the housing 12 from the center to the right in the left-right direction. A metal plate 14B is placed and fixed in the arrangement recess 14D by insert molding or press fitting, and the underside of the metal plate 14B is flush with the upper surface of the recess 14C.

[0054] A detection sheet 28 is fixed to the left part of the lower surface inside the housing 12, and the detection sheet 28 is placed in the recess 14C of the slider 14, with the metal plate 14B of the slider 14 facing it.

[0055] Here, this embodiment can also achieve the same functions and effects as the second embodiment.

[0056] Furthermore, the detection sheet 28 is disposed on the inner side (recess 14C) of the slider 14. This allows the shift device 60 to be made smaller in size in the vertical direction.

[0057] In the second and third embodiments, the biasing mechanism 18 is disposed on the right side of the slider 14, and the metal plate 14B and the detection sheet 28 are disposed on the left side of the slider 14. However, the biasing mechanism 18 may be disposed on the left side of the slider 14, and the metal plate 14B and the detection sheet 28 may be disposed on the right side of the slider 14.

[0058] Furthermore, in the first to third embodiments described above, the biasing mechanism 18 biases the slider 14 toward one shift position (H position). However, the biasing mechanism 18 may bias the slider 14 toward multiple shift positions. In this case, multiple recessed surfaces 26 are provided in the slider 14 in the front-to-rear direction, and when the slider 14 is positioned at multiple shift positions, the biasing pins 24 are inserted into the respective recessed surfaces 26 by the biasing force of the springs 22.

[0059] [Fourth embodiment] FIG. 3(A) shows a cross-sectional view of a shift device 70 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the left, and FIG. 3(B) shows a cross-sectional view of the shift device 70 as viewed from the rear.

[0060] The shift device 70 according to this embodiment has substantially the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, but differs in the following respects.

[0061] As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, in the shift device 70 according to this embodiment, the vertical dimension (thickness) of the slider 14 is reduced except for the operating portion 14A.

[0062] The biasing mechanism 18 does not have a biasing cylinder 20 or a biasing pin 24. The biasing mechanism 18 has springs 22 on its front and rear sides, each of which has a long plate shape. The base end of the spring 22 is fixed to the upper surface inside the housing 12. The spring 22 extends downward as it moves outward in the front-to-rear direction of the housing 12, and its tip end is curved downward in a convex shape in the front-to-rear direction. The biasing mechanism 18 has return springs 72 on its front and rear sides as additional biasing members, each of which is a coil spring. The front return spring 72 is suspended between the front end of the slider 14 and the front wall of the housing 12 in the front-to-rear direction, and the rear return spring 72 is suspended between the rear end of the slider 14 and the rear wall of the housing 12 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0063] Convex surfaces 74 are formed on the upper surfaces of the front and rear portions of the slider 14 as biased portions, and the convex surfaces 74 are curved upward in a convex shape in the front-to-rear direction. The tip of the spring 22 abuts against the outer portion of the convex surface 74 in the front-to-rear direction of the slider 14 due to the biasing force of the spring 22, thereby positioning the slider 14 at position H.

[0064] When the slider 14 is slid from the H position to the R position, the slider 14 slides forward against the biasing force of the front return spring 72, and the front convex surface 74 overcomes the tip of the front spring 22 against the biasing force of the spring 22. When the operating force acting on the slider 14 is released while the slider 14 is disposed in the R position, the slider 14 slides rearward due to the biasing force of the front return spring 72, and the front convex surface 74 overcomes the tip of the front spring 22 against the biasing force of the spring 22, causing the slider 14 to slide (return) to the H position.

[0065] When the slider 14 is slid from the H position to the D position, the slider 14 slides rearward against the biasing force of the rear return spring 72, and the rear convex surface 74 overcomes the tip of the rear spring 22 against the biasing force of the spring 22. When the operating force acting on the slider 14 is released while the slider 14 is disposed in the D position, the slider 14 slides forward due to the biasing force of the rear return spring 72, and the rear convex surface 74 overcomes the tip of the rear spring 22 against the biasing force of the spring 22, causing the slider 14 to slide (return) to the H position.

[0066] Here, this embodiment can also achieve the same functions and effects as the first embodiment.

[0067] Furthermore, the spring 22 is formed in a plate shape. Therefore, the spring 22 can be made smaller in size in the vertical direction than the biasing pin 24, and the shift device 70 can be made smaller in size in the vertical direction.

[0068] Moreover, since the biasing pin 24 does not abut against the slider 14, the portion of the slider 14 excluding the operating portion 14A can be made smaller in size in the vertical direction, and the shift device 70 can be made smaller in size in the vertical direction.

[0069] In this embodiment, the biasing mechanism 18 biases the slider 14 toward one shift position (H position). However, the biasing mechanism 18 may bias the slider 14 toward multiple shift positions. In this case, the return spring 72 is not provided, and multiple convex surfaces 74 are provided on the front and rear of the slider 14, so that when the slider 14 is positioned at multiple shift positions, the tip ends of the springs 22 are inserted between the convex surfaces 74 due to the biasing force of the springs 22.

[0070] [Fifth embodiment] FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of a shift device 80 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the left.

[0071] A shift device 80 according to this embodiment has substantially the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, but differs in the following respects.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 4, in a shift device 80 according to this embodiment, a metal plate 14B is not fixed to the lower surface of the slider 14.

[0073] When the occupant 16 pinches the operating portion 14A of the slider 14 between the thumb 16B and a finger 16C (for example, the index finger) of the hand 16A and operates it in the front-rear direction, the thumb 16B and the finger 16C face (approach) an upper side of the detection sheet 28 inside the housing 12, causing the capacitance of the detection sheet 28 at a portion facing the thumb 16B and a portion facing the finger 16C to exceed a threshold value. Therefore, by detecting the portions of the detection sheet 28 where the capacitance is above the threshold value, the front-rear position of the thumb 16B and the finger 16C is detected, and the front-rear position (shift position) of the slider 14 is detected.

[0074] Here, this embodiment can also achieve the same functions and effects as the first embodiment.

[0075] In particular, detection sheet 28 detects the front-to-rear position of the fingers of hand 16A, thereby detecting the front-to-rear position of slider 14. This eliminates the need to provide metal plate 14B on slider 14, allowing slider 14 to be made smaller in the vertical direction, and shift device 80 to be made smaller in the vertical direction.

[0076] Furthermore, the detection sheet 28 detects the front-to-back positions of the thumb 16B and other fingers 16C of the hand 16A, thereby detecting the front-to-back position of the slider 14. Therefore, the detection accuracy of the front-to-back position of the slider 14 can be improved compared to when the detection sheet 28 detects the front-to-back position of one finger of the hand 16A, thereby detecting the front-to-back position of the slider 14.

[0077] This embodiment is applied to the first embodiment, but may also be applied to the second to fourth embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 10 shift device, 14 slider (shift body), 14B metal plate (detected part), 22 spring (biasing part), 24 biasing pin (biasing part), 28 detection sheet (detection body), 50 shift device, 60 shift device, 70 shift device, 80 shift device

Claims

1. a shift body that is slid to change the shift position; a detection body that detects the position of the shift body based on capacitance between the detection body and a finger of a passenger who slides the shift body; A shift device comprising:

2. The shift device according to claim 1, further comprising a biasing portion disposed outside the shift body and biasing the shift body toward the shift position.

3. a shift body that is provided with a detection portion and that slides to change the shift position; a detection body whose position is detected by capacitance between the detection body and the detection target part; a biasing portion disposed outside the shift body and biasing the shift body toward a shift position; A shift device comprising:

4. The shift device according to claim 3 , wherein the detection target is disposed inside the shift body.

5. 4. The shift device according to claim 2, wherein the biasing portion is disposed on one side of the shift body in the slide width direction.

6. The shift device according to claim 3 , wherein the detected portion is disposed on the opposite side of the shift body in the sliding width direction from the biasing portion.

7. 4. The shift device according to claim 2, wherein the biasing portion is plate-shaped.

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