Driving assistance devices

Abstract

To enable a physically disabled driver to drive freely and operate a normal brake and an engine brake manually in an easy manner.SOLUTION: A driving assist device includes a brake operation part 13 which enables manual brake operation in a passenger compartment. The brake operation part 13 is disposed at a position near the vehicle left side of a steering wheel 6 and includes: a brake operation main part 15; and a holding part 16 provided at an upper end of the brake operation main part 15. The holding part 16 is provided with a shift down switch 7b which enables manual shift down operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving assistance device for physically disabled persons, and more particularly to a driving assistance device that enables a person with a lower limb disability seated in the driver's seat to manually operate the brakes using a brake operating unit provided inside the vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Vehicles equipped with an operating lever that allows manual brake operation have been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The vehicle of Patent Document 1 is useful because even if the driver has a disability in his or her lower limbs, the driver can operate the steering wheel with one hand and the brake using the control lever with the other hand.

[0003] On the other hand, when driving a vehicle such as an automobile, frequent use of normal braking can lead to phenomena such as vapor lock and fade, and when driving downhill on mountain roads or other slopes where frequent braking is required, it is preferable to slow down using engine braking in addition to normal braking.

[0004] Therefore, the driver can utilize the engine brake by operating the paddle shift switch provided on the steering wheel, but operating the steering wheel with one hand and also using the paddle shift switch with the same hand to change gears is difficult to operate, and there is a concern that the engine brake may not be activated properly.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the inventors of the present invention have conducted extensive research into a structure that allows even physically disabled drivers to freely drive and operate the vehicle, and also allows easy operation of the normal brake and engine brake. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-120590 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a driving assistance device that allows even physically disabled drivers to freely operate the vehicle and that allows easy manual operation of the normal brake and engine brake. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] This invention relates to a driving assistance device that includes a brake operation unit in a vehicle cabin that allows manual brake operation. The brake operation unit is disposed near the steering wheel and includes a brake operation main body and a grip provided at the upper end of the brake operation main body. The grip has a shift-down switch that allows manual downshift operation. and a shift-up switch that allows for shift-up operation. Set up The steering wheel is provided with paddle shift switches that can be manually operated for shifting, and the paddle shift switches are composed of paddle shift up switches that can be used for shifting up and paddle shift down switches that can be used for shifting down. The paddle shift switches are arranged in a positional relationship such that the paddle shift up switches are on one side of a central axis of the steering wheel and the paddle shift down switches are on the other side of the central axis. The grip portion is provided with the shift up switches and the shift down switches in a positional relationship similar to the positional relationship between the paddle shift up switches and the paddle shift down switches in the paddle shift switches provided on the steering wheel. It is characterized by the fact that

[0009] According to the above configuration, even when driving while steering with one hand and braking with the other, it is possible to downshift while braking with the other hand, allowing safe deceleration while applying engine braking.

[0010] Therefore, even physically handicapped drivers can freely drive and operate the vehicle, and can easily operate the normal brake and engine brake.

[0011] The steering wheel is also equipped with paddle shift switches that can be manually shifted, and the paddle shift switches are composed of paddle shift up switches that can be used to shift up and paddle shift down switches that can be used to shift down. The paddle shift switches are arranged in a positional relationship where the paddle shift up switch is on one side of the central axis of the steering wheel and the paddle shift down switch is on the other side of the central axis, and the shift up switch and the shift down switch are provided on the grip portion in a positional relationship similar to the positional relationship between the paddle shift up switch and the paddle shift down switch in the paddle shift switch provided on the steering wheel.

[0012] According to the above configuration, by making the paddle shift switch provided on the grip side have the same layout as the paddle shift switch provided on the steering wheel side, the driver can operate the paddle shift switch provided on the grip side with the same feeling as the shift operations (shift-up operations and shift-down operations) performed using the paddle shift switch provided on the steering wheel side.

[0013] In one aspect of the present invention, the shift-down switch is positioned on the back surface of the grip portion opposite the driver, in a position that allows it to be operated with the driver's fingertips while gripping the grip portion.

[0014] According to the above configuration, while operating the brake operating lever while holding the grip portion, the index finger and middle finger of the hand holding the grip portion can be moved around from the driver's side surface of the grip portion to the back side opposite the driver's side, and the shift down switch can be easily operated with the fingertips of the index finger and middle finger. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the above configuration, even a physically disabled driver can freely drive and operate the vehicle, and the normal brake and engine brake can be easily operated manually. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is an external view showing a state in which a vehicle equipped with a manual brake operation device of this embodiment is being driven; [Figure 2] 1 is an external view of a manual brake operation device according to an embodiment of the present invention installed in a vehicle interior, as viewed from the driver's seat side; [Figure 3] 1 is a plan view of a vehicle interior showing a manual brake operating device and its surroundings according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part taken along line AA in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the upper part of the operation bar as viewed from the rear and diagonally above to the right. [Figure 7] A bottom view of the top of the operation bar seen from the side opposite the driver. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a steering wheel equipped with paddle shift switches, viewed from the right side opposite the driver. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the figure, arrow F indicates the front of the vehicle, arrow U indicates the top of the vehicle, arrow R indicates the right side of the vehicle, arrow L indicates the left side of the vehicle, arrow X indicates the axial direction of the steering wheel, arrow Xu indicates the upper side of the axial direction of the steering wheel (driver's side), and arrow Xd indicates the lower side of the axial direction of the steering wheel (opposite the driver's side).

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the vehicle of this embodiment is a right-hand drive vehicle and is equipped with a brake manual operation device 10 that allows a driver with a disability in his or her lower limbs who has difficulty operating the brake pedal or accelerator pedal with his or her feet to manually operate the brakes while sitting in the driver's seat, and an accelerator manual operation device 30 (see Figures 1 to 3) that allows the driver to manually operate the accelerator. The manual brake operation device 10 of this embodiment corresponds to the driving assist device of the present invention.

[0019] The brake manual operation device 10 and the accelerator manual operation device 30 are incorporated into a base vehicle by modifying the base vehicle. The brake manual operation device 10 and the accelerator manual operation device 30 will be described below, but before that, the general structure of the base vehicle will be described.

[0020] A driver's seat 8 and a passenger seat (not shown) are mounted on each of the left and right sides of the front of the floor panel 2 (see Figure 4) of the vehicle's passenger compartment, and a steering wheel 6 is provided in front of the driver's seat 8, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, to be held and operated by the driver seated in the driver's seat 8.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 8, the steering wheel 6 is also provided with paddle shift switches 7a, 7b, which are a pair of an upshift switch 7a for upshifting and a downshift switch 7b for downshifting.

[0022] In this example, the upshift switch 7a is provided on the rear surface of the right spoke portion 6a, and the downshift switch 7b is provided on the rear surface of the left spoke portion 6b.

[0023] 1 to 4, an instrument panel 80 is provided at the front end of the passenger compartment, spanning the entire width of the passenger compartment. A center console 85 extending in the front-to-rear direction is provided between the driver's seat 8 and the passenger seat at the front of the passenger compartment floor panel 2. Both the instrument panel 80 and the center console 85 form part of the interior components of the passenger compartment, and the front portion of the center console 85 is integrally connected to the center portion of the instrument panel 80 in the vehicle width direction.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3, on the upper surface of center console 85 extending in the front-to-rear direction, various operating parts such as a shift knob 86 for shifting gears and a start switch 87, drink holders 88a, 88b, and an armrest 90 are provided in this order from the front to the rear.

[0025] Drink holders 88a, 88b are recessed to accommodate drink containers and are equipped with lids 89 for opening and closing the openings. In this example, drink holder 88b for the passenger seated in passenger seat 3 and drink holder 88a for the driver are provided side by side on each side in the intermediate area between armrest 90 and the various operating components in the front-to-rear direction on the top surface of center console 85.

[0026] Furthermore, the intermediate area on the upper surface of the center console 85 is not limited to being configured as a concave drink holder 88a, 88b as in this embodiment, but may also be configured as a concave box portion for storing small items, for example.

[0027] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, in front of the driver's seat 8 on the instrument panel 80, a display section 81 of various instruments such as a tachometer and speedometer is arranged so that it can be seen through the steering wheel 6, and above the connection section with the front of the center console 85 on the left side, an air conditioning outlet 82 is arranged, and further below that, a display 84 of a navigation device is provided.

[0028] An accelerator pedal (not shown) is provided on the floor panel 2 in front of the driver's seat 8 inside the vehicle cabin at the position where the right foot of the driver seated in the driver's seat 8 is placed, and a brake pedal (not shown) is provided to the left of the accelerator pedal (towards the center in the vehicle width direction).

[0029] The accelerator pedal is an organ-type pedal that operates the engine throttle valve, and the brake pedal is a hanging pedal that operates the brakes, and both are common pedals that are provided on the base vehicle.

[0030] The manual brake operating device 10 will now be described. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the brake manual operating device 10 is installed near the front side of the driver's seat 8, on the left side of the steering wheel 6, i.e., near the right wall 85a (see Figure 2) of the connection portion between the center console 85 and the instrument panel 80.

[0031] 2, the manual brake operating device 10 includes a brake operating unit 11 at its upper portion and an operation amount transmission unit 12 at its lower portion. Furthermore, the brake operating unit 11 includes an operating bar 13 and a pivot support portion 14.

[0032] The operation bar 13 is made of a metal pipe material (so-called round pipe) having a circular cross section perpendicular to the axial direction, and is disposed in a tilted position from front-to-bottom to rear-to-top. Specifically, the operation bar 13 is located near the left side of the steering wheel 6 (a position corresponding to the boundary between the center console 85 and the floor panel in a plan view) (see FIG. 3), with the upper part at a height that allows the driver seated in the driver's seat 8 to operate it with his left hand. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the operation bar 13 extends in a front-to-downward direction toward the floor panel 2 near the front side of the driver's seat 8.

[0033] The operating bar 13 is pivotally supported at its lower part by the pivot support part 14 so that it slides downward and forward relative to the pivot support part 14 when pushed downward and forward along the axial direction of the operating bar 13 (i.e., brake operation).

[0034] The operation bar 13 slides in the axial direction between a neutral position and a maximum pushed-in position where it is pushed forward and downward by a predetermined distance from the neutral position. Note that the operation bar 13 shown in Figures 1 to 7 all shows the state where it is disposed in the neutral position.

[0035] The operation amount transmission unit 12 is interposed between the brake operation unit 11 and a brake pedal (not shown), and is configured to transmit the operation force (operation amount) caused by the forward and downward sliding displacement of the operation bar 13 to the brake pedal. In other words, the brake pedal provided on the base vehicle is configured to be linked to the axial sliding movement of the operation bar 13 caused by manual brake operation.

[0036] As a result, when manually operating the brakes using the operating bar 13, the manual brake operating device 10 can rotate the brake pedal with an amount of depression that corresponds to the amount of sliding (push) of the operating bar 13 in the forward and downward direction, thereby activating the brakes.

[0037] Furthermore, the operating bar 13 is biased to the neutral position in the same manner as the brake pedal, and the respective neutral positions of the operating bar 13 and the brake pedal correspond to each other. Therefore, when the driver releases the pressing of the operating bar 13 in the forward and downward direction from the neutral position, the operating bar 13 and the brake pedal are simultaneously restored to their respective neutral positions.

[0038] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the accelerator manual operation device 30 of this embodiment is provided with an accelerator lever 31 as an accelerator operation member disposed near the radially inner side of the rim portion 61 of the steering wheel 6. As shown in FIGS.

[0039] The accelerator lever 31 is configured so that the driver can push it downward (toward the opposite side of the driver) in the steering axis direction from the neutral position with the thumb or the like of the hand gripping the steering wheel 6. Furthermore, the accelerator lever 31 is biased toward the neutral position so that it can be restored to the neutral position from a position pushed further in than the neutral position.

[0040] This allows the driver to press the accelerator lever 31 between the neutral position and a maximum depression position where it is depressed a predetermined distance, and the driver can control the opening of the engine throttle valve, i.e., accelerate or decelerate the vehicle, depending on the amount of depression.

[0041] Next, the above-mentioned operation bar 13 provided in the manual brake operation device 10 of this embodiment will be described in more detail. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, the operation bar 13 is integrally formed of an operation bar main body 15 and a grip portion 16 provided at the upper end of the operation bar main body 15.

[0042] The operation bar main body 15 includes a base 15a and an inclined portion 15c that is inclined upward relative to the base 15a, and the base 15a and the inclined portion 15c are integrally formed via a bent portion 15b.

[0043] 1 to 4, the base 15a extends in a direction coinciding with the front-to-rear direction in a plan view of the vehicle, extends linearly inclined front-to-bottom and rear-to-rear-top so as to be coaxial with the pivotal support 14, and is formed with approximately the same diameter along the axial direction. As shown in Fig. 2, the lower part of the base 15a is fitted into the cylindrical pivotal support 14 and pivotally supported thereon through an opening 14a that opens rearward and upward in the pivotal support 14.

[0044] As shown in Figure 4, the inclined portion 15c is inclined in a front-to-back, lower-front, and upper-rear direction, similar to the base portion 15a, but is inclined in a front-to-back, lower-back, and upper-rear direction in a steeper posture (standing posture) than the base portion 15a, and as shown in Figure 3, the inclined portion 15c extends upward relative to the base portion 15a, inclining toward the left side of the vehicle (toward the center console 85 in the vehicle width direction).

[0045] 7, the upper end of the inclined portion 15c is joined to the lower portion of the grip portion 16 at a position closer to the right of the vehicle, and the inclined portion 15c supports the grip portion 16 from below. The lower end of the inclined portion 15c is formed to have approximately the same diameter as the base portion 15a, and is formed to taper upward.

[0046] 4 and 5, the grip portion 16 is provided at an angle from the upper end of the operation bar main body 15 (inclined portion 15c) obliquely upward toward the front of the vehicle, is formed to a size that can be held by the driver in the left hand, and has a rounded shape overall to make it easy for the driver to hold. That is, the grip portion 16 is disposed in an angled position with a front-upper-rear-lower shape.

[0047] 5 to 7, the grip portion 16 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape having a left side surface 16a, a right side surface 16b (see FIG. 7), a rear upper surface 16c (also referred to as the front surface) (see FIGS. 5 and 6), a front lower surface 16d (also referred to as the back surface) (see FIG. 7), a front upper surface 16e, and a lower surface 16f. The left side surface 16a, the right side surface 16b, the rear upper surface 16c, the front lower surface 16d, the front upper surface 16e, and the lower surface 16f are formed to face the right, left, rear upper, front lower, front upper, and downward directions, respectively.

[0048] During normal driving, the driver's left hand grips mainly the upper front portion of grip portion 16. For example, when the driver grips grip portion 16 with his left hand, the palm of the left hand is positioned so as to cover the upper front portion of upper rear surface 16c of grip portion 16, and in this state, the tip of the thumb of the left hand is positioned in the upper right portion of left side surface 16a (a portion corresponding to hazard switch 18, which will be described later), and the first and middle fingers wrap around to lower front surface 16d over upper front surface 16e, and the tips of the first and middle fingers are positioned in the upper right portion of lower front surface 16d (a portion corresponding to paddle shift switches 23a, 23b, which will be described later).

[0049] For this reason, the surface of the upper front portion of grip portion 16 is formed in a particularly smooth curved shape so that it can be easily gripped with the driver's left hand. For example, the upper front portion of grip portion 16 extends smoothly and continuously from upper rear surface 16c, via upper front surface 16e, to lower front surface 16d, and is formed in a curved shape (arc shape) that protrudes smoothly in the upper front direction when viewed from the side of the vehicle (see FIG. 5).

[0050] The grip portion 16 is provided with a plurality of operation switches that allow the driver to perform various operations while holding the grip portion 16.

[0051] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, a brake lock switch 17 and a hazard switch 18 are disposed on the left side surface 16a of the grip portion 16.

[0052] The brake lock switch 17 can lock and maintain the brake state when the brake is in an actuated state. That is, by pressing the brake lock switch 17 while the operation bar 13 for brake operation is in a depressed state, the operation bar 13 can be maintained in a depressed state. By pressing the brake lock switch 17 again, the brake state can be released.

[0053] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the brake lock switch 17 is located near the lower end of the left side surface 16a, more specifically, at a position near the rear and lower relative to the vertical center of the left side surface 16a, which extends front-upper, rear-lower.

[0054] In other words, the brake lock switch 17 is located in a position that is not covered (touched) by at least the fingertip of the left thumb when the driver is holding mainly the upper front part of the grip portion 16 with his / her left hand during normal driving (hereinafter referred to as the "normal grip state").

[0055] Specifically, the brake lock switch 17 is provided on the left side surface 16a at a position that is lower than the position where the tip of the thumb is positioned in the normal grip state and directly below the position where the base of the thumb is positioned. The brake lock switch 17 is provided within a movable range that allows the tip of the thumb to move rearward and downward with the base of the thumb as a fulcrum from the position of the thumb when the driver grips the grip portion 16 in the normal grip state.

[0056] On the other hand, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the hazard switch 18 is located on the left side surface 16a of the grip portion 16, closer to the upper end than the position of the brake lock switch 17, more specifically, closer to the front and upper side of the center position in the vertical direction of the left side surface 16a, which extends front-upper, rear-lower.

[0057] That is, the hazard switch 18 is provided at a position on the left side surface 16a of the grip portion 16 where the tip of the driver's thumb would be located when the driver grips the grip portion 16 in a normal grip state. This allows the driver to press the hazard switch 18 more quickly than the brake lock switch 17 without moving the thumb much from the normal grip state.

[0058] In this embodiment, the hazard switch 18, like the hazard switch (not shown) located in front of the driver's seat 8 on the instrument panel 80, can be pressed by the driver to flash the hazard lamps (emergency flashers), thereby alerting people around the vehicle to the risk of danger. The hazard switch 18 is configured so that the flashing of the hazard lamps stops when pressed again.

[0059] As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the hazard switch 18 and the brake lock switch 17 are arranged at positions spaced apart on each of the upper and lower sides, and a protrusion 21 that protrudes outward (to the right) from the left side surface 16a of the grip portion 16 is provided between the hazard switch 18 and the brake lock switch 17.

[0060] The protrusion 21 is provided adjacent to the brake lock switch 17 at a position on the left side surface 16a near the front upper part of the brake lock switch 17, and is also provided adjacent to the hazard switch 18 at a position near the rear lower part of the hazard switch 18.

[0061] Similar to the hazard switch 18 and the brake lock switch 17, the protrusion 21 protrudes almost entirely outward (to the right), and the end face 21a (see Figure 6) in the protruding direction is formed in an approximately horizontal plane (flat) in the vertical and longitudinal directions.

[0062] The hazard switch 18 and the brake lock switch 17 have approximately the same outward protruding height, whereas the protruding portion 21 is provided so that its outward protruding height is equal to or greater than the hazard switch 18 and the brake lock switch 17. In this embodiment, the protruding portion 21 is provided so that its outward protruding height is slightly higher than the hazard switch 18 and the brake lock switch 17 (see FIG. 7).

[0063] 5, the hazard switch 18, the protrusion 21, and the brake lock switch 17 are arranged in a line on the left side surface 16a, slanting from front to back and downward. That is, the longitudinal direction of the left side surface 16a extends slanting from front to back and downward, and the hazard switch 18, the protrusion 21, and the brake lock switch 17 are arranged in a line along the longitudinal direction of the left side surface 16a.

[0064] The lower side 21d of the protrusion 21 and the upper side 17u of the brake lock switch 17 both extend horizontally in the front-to-rear direction, and are arranged to face each other in the up-down direction over substantially the entire front-to-rear direction. The upper side 21u of the protrusion 21 and the lower side 18d of the hazard switch 18 both extend horizontally in the front-to-rear direction, and are arranged to face each other in the up-down direction over substantially the entire front-to-rear direction.

[0065] The rear upper edges 18r, 21r, 17r of the hazard switch 18, the protrusion 21, and the brake lock switch 17 all extend on the same straight line that slopes front-upper, rear-downward, and the front lower edges 18f, 21f, 17f of the hazard switch 18, the protrusion 21, and the brake lock switch 17 all extend on the same straight line that slopes front-upper, rear-downward.

[0066] More specifically, as described above, the hazard switch 18 and the protrusion 21, as well as the protrusion 21 and the brake lock switch 17, are spaced apart by a small gap in the vertical direction. Therefore, at the boundary between the hazard switch 18 and the protrusion 21, the rear upper edges 18r and 21r extend substantially in the same straight line, with a discontinuity, and at the boundary between the protrusion 21 and the brake lock switch 17, the rear upper edges 21r and 17r extend substantially in the same straight line, with a discontinuity.

[0067] Similarly, the front lower edges 18f, 21f of the hazard switch 18 and the protrusion 21 extend in approximately the same straight line, interrupted at their boundary, and the front lower edges 21f, 17f of the protrusion 21 and the brake lock switch 17 extend in approximately the same straight line, interrupted at their boundary. The rear upper side 21r and the front lower side 21f of the protrusion 21 extend parallel to each other.

[0068] When the driver operates the brake lock switch 17 while holding the grip portion 16 in the normal grip position with his / her left hand, the driver moves the tip of the thumb located on the hazard switch 18 rearward and downward to the position of the brake lock switch 17 and presses the brake lock switch 17.

[0069] As described above, the hazard switch 18, the protrusion 21, and the brake lock switch 17 are arranged in a row on the left side surface 16a, inclined from front to back, and further, the front lower edges 18f, 21f, and 17f extend in the same straight line from front to back, and the rear upper edges 18r, 21r, and 17r extend in the same straight line from front to back.

[0070] That is, the hazard switch 18, the protrusion 21, and the brake lock switch 17 are arranged along the downward and rearward path of the thumb. This allows the driver to quickly move the thumb from the hazard switch 18 to the brake lock switch 17. Furthermore, since the driver's thumb always goes over the protrusion 21 when moving between the hazard switch 18 and the brake lock switch 17, the feel of the thumb going over the protrusion 21 makes it easier for the driver to distinguish between the two switches 17, 18, and in particular prevents the brake lock switch 17 from being accidentally operated.

[0071] In addition, because the hazard switch 18, the protrusion 21, and the brake lock switch 17 are provided on the left side surface 16a in the manner described above, they can be provided as little as possible on the left side surface 16a other than the area along the path of the thumb tip (i.e., they are not formed unnecessarily large). This reduces the chance that the thumb of the driver's left hand holding the grip 16 will accidentally touch the switches 17, 18 and the protrusion 21, thereby reducing the risk of erroneous operation.

[0072] 7, paddle shift switches 23a and 23b are provided on the front lower surface 16d (the back surface opposite the driver's side) of the grip portion 16. The paddle shift switches 23a and 23b are seesaw-type switches in which a downshift switch 23b for downshifting and an upshift switch 23a for upshifting are arranged side by side as a pair.

[0073] The paddle shift switches 23a, 23b are positioned in the upper front part of the lower front surface 16d of the grip portion 16, i.e., in the area closer to the upper front surface 16e, in a position where they can be operated, for example, with the fingertips of the index finger and middle finger when the driver is holding the grip portion 16 in the normal grip position.

[0074] Specifically, the driver places the palm of his or her left hand on the upper rear surface 16c (the surface on the driver's side) of the grip portion 16, and in this state, grips the grip portion 16 by, for example, wrapping the index finger and middle finger from the upper rear surface 16c, over the upper front surface 16e, and onto the lower front surface 16d (the back surface opposite the driver's side) of the grip portion 16. When gripping the grip portion 16 with the left hand in this manner, the paddle shift switches 23a, 23b are provided on the lower front surface 16d of the grip portion 16 at positions where the tips of the index finger and middle finger of the left hand will be placed.

[0075] As described above, the paddle shift switches 7a, 7b provided on the steering wheel 6 side are positioned such that the upshift switch 7a is on the right side of the central axis (horn) of the steering wheel 6 in a plan view, and the downshift switch 7b is on the left side of the central axis of the steering wheel 6 (see Figure 8).

[0076] The paddle shift switches 23a, 23b provided on the grip portion 16 side are also positioned in a similar manner to the above-mentioned positional relationship of the paddle shift switches 7a, 7b on the steering wheel 6, with the shift-up switch 23a on the right side in a plan view (left side when viewed from the front of the front lower surface 16d) and the shift-down switch 23b on the left side in a plan view (right side when viewed from the front of the front lower surface 16d).

[0077] This allows the driver to press the shift-up switch 23a with, for example, the tip of the index finger of the left hand while holding the grip portion 16, and to press the shift-down switch 23b with, for example, the tip of the middle finger.

[0078] The paddle shift switches 23a, 23b provided on the front lower surface 16d of the grip portion 16 are not limited to being operated with the index finger and middle finger, and may be operated with other fingers, such as the middle finger and ring finger, or the index finger and ring finger. For example, when the paddle shift switches 23a, 23b are operated with the middle finger and ring finger, the shift-up switch 23a can be pressed with the tip of the middle finger of the left hand while gripping the grip portion 16, and the shift-down switch 23b can be pressed with the tip of the ring finger.

[0079] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the manual brake operation device 10 (driving assist device) of the above-described embodiment is provided with an operation bar 13 (brake operation portion) in the vehicle cabin that allows manual brake operation, and as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the operation bar 13 is disposed near the left side of the steering wheel 6, and includes an operation bar main body 15 (brake operation main body) and a grip portion 16 provided at the upper end of the operation bar main body 15, and as shown in FIG. 7, a shift down switch that allows manual downshift operation is provided on the grip portion 16. 23 b is provided.

[0080] According to the above configuration, even when driving while steering with one hand (right hand) and braking with the other hand (left hand), downshifting can be performed without removing the other hand (left hand) from the grip portion 16.

[0081] That is, the driver can downshift while braking with the other hand (left hand), allowing safe deceleration while applying engine braking.

[0082] More specifically, in the vehicle of this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 8, the accelerator lever 31 and paddle shift switches 7a, 7b (particularly the downshift switch 7b) are provided on the steering wheel 6 side. In this configuration, if the downshift switch 23b is not provided on the grip portion 16 side and the driver also performs a downshift operation using the downshift switch 7b provided on the steering wheel 6 side, the driver would need to perform three operations - steering, accelerator, and downshift - with one hand (right hand) while using the operation bar 13 to perform a brake operation with the other hand (left hand). This would require multiple operations with the right hand when driving manually, which could reduce operability.

[0083] Furthermore, when driving downhill on mountain roads or the like, it is preferable to slow down using engine braking in addition to normal braking, but as mentioned above, if the operations on the right hand side become complicated, there is a concern that the downshift operation using the downshift switch 7b provided on the steering wheel 6 side will be neglected, and as a result, it will become difficult to drive appropriately using engine braking.

[0084] Furthermore, the shift-down switch 7b provided on the steering wheel 6 side is usually provided on the left side of the central axis of the steering wheel 6, the same side as the side on which the brake operating bar 13 is provided.

[0085] Therefore, if the shift-down switch 23b is not provided on the grip portion 16 side of the operation bar 13, when the driver performs a downshift operation using, for example, the shift-down switch 7b provided on the steering wheel 6 side, the driver must temporarily remove the other hand (left hand) from the grip portion 16 and perform the downshift operation with the other hand.

[0086] During this time, the driver is restricted from manually operating the brakes using the operating bar 13, which may be dangerous.

[0087] In contrast, in this embodiment, by providing a shift-down switch 23b on the grip portion 16, it is possible to perform a shift-down operation while operating the brake with the other hand (left hand) without removing the other hand from the grip portion 16.

[0088] That is, the driver can perform a downshift operation without removing the other hand (left hand) from the grip portion 16.

[0089] Therefore, the driver can perform steering and accelerator operations with one hand (right hand) and brake and downshift operations with the other hand (left hand).

[0090] In other words, the driver can easily manually perform the four operations mentioned above (steering, braking, accelerating, and downshifting), and as a result, can safely decelerate while applying engine braking.

[0091] As shown in FIG. 7, in one embodiment of the present invention, a downshift switch 23 b is characterized by being positioned on the front lower surface 16d of the grip portion 16 (the back surface opposite the driver's side) in a position that can be operated with the tip of the thumb when the driver holds the grip portion 16 in the normal grip position.

[0092] According to the above configuration, while holding the grip portion 16 and pressing down the operating bar 13 that can be used to operate the brakes, the index finger and middle finger of the left hand holding the grip portion 16 can be moved from the rear upper surface 16c (the surface on the driver's side) of the grip portion 16 to the front lower surface 16d to easily operate the shift down switch 7b with the fingertips.

[0093] As an aspect of this invention, as shown in FIG. 8, the steering wheel 6 is provided with paddle shift switches 7a, 7b that can be manually shifted, and the paddle shift switches 7a, 7b are made up of an upshift switch 7a and a downshift switch 7b that can be shifted up, and the paddle shift switches 7a, 7b are arranged in a positional relationship such that the upshift switch 7a is on one side of the central axis of the steering wheel 6 (the right side of the vehicle) and the downshift switch 7b is on the other side of the central axis (the left side of the vehicle), and as shown in FIG. 7, the grip portion 16 is provided with a shift up switch 23a and a shift down switch 23b in a positional relationship similar to the positional relationship of the paddle shift switches 7a, 7b on the steering wheel 6.

[0094] According to the above configuration, for example, even a driver who is accustomed to shifting using the paddle shift switches 7a, 7b on the steering wheel 6, or a driver who uses both the paddle shift switches 7a, 7b on the steering wheel 6 and the paddle shift switches 23a, 23b on the grip portion 16, can operate each of the paddle shift switches (7a, 7b) (23a, 23b) without feeling uncomfortable, and erroneous operation can be suppressed.

[0095] The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, but can be formed in various other embodiments. For example, in this embodiment, the left side surface 16a of the grip portion 16 is configured to have a brake lock switch 17 and a hazard switch 18, but the grip portion of the present invention may be configured not to have the brake lock switch 17 or the hazard switch 18, or to have only at least one of these switches 17, 18.

[0096] In addition, in this embodiment, the shift-up switch 23a and the shift-down switch 23b are arranged side by side on the front lower surface 16d of the grip portion 16, but this configuration is not limited to this, and only the shift-down switch 23b may be arranged, or the shift-down switch 23b may be arranged in a location other than the front lower surface 16d of the grip portion 16.

[0097] For example, if the brake lock switch 17 and the hazard switch 18 are not provided on the left side surface 16a of the grip portion 16, the paddle shift switches 23a and 23b may be provided on the left side surface 16a instead of the front lower surface 16d of the grip portion 16.

[0098] Furthermore, the grip portion of the present invention may be provided with other switches, such as switches for controlling the ON / OFF of various in-vehicle devices (air conditioner, audio, etc.), as long as it is configured to have at least the shift-down switch 23b. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 6...Steering wheel 7a, 7b... Paddle shift switches (paddle shift switches on the steering wheel) 7a...Shift-up switch (shift-up switch on the steering wheel) 7b...Shift down switch (shift down switch on the steering wheel) 10...Manual brake operation device (driving assistance device) 13...Operation bar (brake operation section) 15...Operation bar main body (brake operation main body) 16...Gripping part 16d...Front lower surface of grip part (back surface opposite driver side) 23a...Shift-up switch (shift-up switch on the grip side) 23b...Shift down switch (shift down switch on the grip side)

Claims

1. A driving assistance device equipped with a brake operating unit that allows manual brake operation inside the vehicle, The brake operation unit is disposed near the steering wheel and includes a brake operation main body and a grip portion provided at an upper end of the brake operation main body, a downshift switch that can be manually operated to downshift and an upshift switch that can be manually operated to upshift are provided on the grip portion, The steering wheel is provided with paddle shift switches that can be manually operated for shifting, and the paddle shift switches are configured with paddle shift up switches that can be operated for shifting up and paddle shift down switches that can be operated for shifting down, the paddle shift switches are disposed in a positional relationship such that the paddle shift up switch is on one side of a central axis of the steering wheel and the paddle shift down switch is on the other side of the central axis, The grip portion is provided with the up-shift switch and the down-shift switch in a positional relationship similar to the positional relationship between the paddle up-shift switch and the paddle down-shift switch in the paddle shift switch provided on the steering wheel. Driving aids.

2. The shift-down switch is disposed on the rear surface of the grip portion on the side opposite the driver, in a position that allows the driver to operate it with his / her fingertips while gripping the grip portion. The driving assistance device according to claim 1 .

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