Vehicle control device

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device capable of preventing damage or wear of a parking brake mechanism and allowing the parking brake mechanism to perform its intended function for a long period of time. The vehicle includes a control unit (115) configured to suppress the generation of vehicle driving force caused by operation of an accelerator pedal (109) when an operation state detection sensor (111) provided near a brake element in a parking brake mechanism (120) detects that the parking brake mechanism (120) is in an activated state. The brake element is formed by a dog clutch (130) that mechanically engages to prohibit rotation of the axle on which the wheels are mounted.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, when stopping an automatic transmission vehicle, the shift lever is shifted to P range to mechanically lock the gears, and the parking brake is applied by operating the parking brake operating unit to lock the rotation of the wheels, thereby maintaining the vehicle's stopped state and preventing the vehicle from moving unintentionally. For example, in the case of a front-wheel drive vehicle, the movement of the front wheels as drive wheels is locked by operating the shift lever, and the rotation of the rear wheels as driven wheels is locked by the parking brake.

[0003] A parking brake mechanism generally applies the parking brake by frictional force generated by pressing a friction member such as a pad or shoe against a rotating member such as a rotor or drum. Known power transmission mechanisms for parking brake mechanisms include mechanical types that operate friction members by transmitting the force generated by operations such as pulling the parking brake lever or pressing the parking brake pedal with the foot via a wire, and electric types that operate friction members by driving an electric motor through the operation of a button or switch.

[0004] On the other hand, a parking lock mechanism that mechanically locks a gear by operating a shift lever is known that includes a dog clutch (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the parking brake mechanism described above, the braking force of the parking brake decreases due to aging deterioration such as wear of the friction members and stretching of the wire, etc. For this reason, it is conceivable to apply a dog clutch to the parking brake mechanism and lock the wheels by mechanical engagement. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-137064 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Therefore, in the case of a parking brake mechanism, when starting a vehicle that has been stopped, it is not uncommon for the accelerator pedal to be operated with the parking brake still applied. If the parking brake mechanism applies the parking brake by friction, there is little risk of the parking brake mechanism itself being damaged due to slippage between the friction member and the rotating member, even if an attempt is made to start the vehicle with the parking brake applied. However, if a dog clutch is simply applied to a parking brake mechanism, the rotation of the axle is prevented when the parking brake mechanism is activated, and if excessive driving force is transmitted in an attempt to force the vehicle to start, there is a risk that the parking brake mechanism will be damaged. Furthermore, in a vehicle equipped with an electric parking brake mechanism that is controlled based on an electrical signal generated by operating the parking brake operating unit, if the vehicle driver switches the parking brake mechanism from a released state to an activated state while the vehicle is in motion, the parking brake will be activated to prevent the axle from rotating while an external force is being applied to the axle, which creates a risk of damaging the parking brake mechanism. As such, simply applying a dog clutch to a parking brake mechanism poses a problem of dramatically increasing the risk of damage to the parking brake mechanism. Naturally, this problem occurs not only in automatic transmission vehicles but also in manual transmission vehicles.

[0007] The present invention has been made in light of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a vehicle control device that can prevent damage or wear to the parking brake mechanism and enable the parking brake mechanism to perform its intended function for a long period of time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention is a vehicle control device having a control unit that has a function of controlling the operation of a parking brake mechanism having a brake element configured to be able to switch its operating state between an operating state that prohibits rotation of an axle element that rotates in conjunction with wheel rotation and a released state that allows rotation of the axle element, the vehicle control device further comprising an operating state detection sensor that is provided near the brake element and detects the operating state of the parking brake mechanism, and the control unit is configured to suppress the generation of vehicle driving force due to operation of the accelerator pedal when the operating state detection sensor detects that the parking brake mechanism is in an operating state, The brake element is constituted by a dog clutch that prohibits rotation of the shaft element by mechanical meshing, and the dog clutch includes an outer ring and an inner ring that are coaxially rotatable relative to each other, a plurality of rollers arranged between the outer ring and the inner ring, a biasing member that radially biases the rollers toward roller accommodating portions provided on one of the outer ring and the inner ring, and a selector that switches the operation mode of the dog clutch, and the selector is configured to be rotatable independently of the outer ring and the inner ring between an operating position where the rollers are supported by roller support portions provided on the other of the outer ring and the inner ring to prohibit relative rotation between the outer ring and the inner ring, thereby bringing the parking brake mechanism into an operating state, and a release position where the rollers are accommodated in the roller accommodating portions to allow relative rotation between the outer ring and the inner ring, thereby bringing the parking brake mechanism into a released state. By doing so, the above-mentioned problems are solved. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the invention of claim 1, when the parking brake mechanism is activated, the driving force of the drive unit is not transmitted to the parking brake mechanism, and the driving force of the drive unit is transmitted to the drive wheels when the parking brake mechanism is released. Therefore, the parking brake mechanism is not damaged when the accelerator pedal is operated while the parking brake mechanism is activated, and the parking brake mechanism can perform its intended function for a long period of time.

[0010] Also, By preventing rotation of the shaft elements through mechanical meshing, there is no need to provide a parking brake mechanism for each wheel that requires the parking brake to be applied, making it possible to simplify the structure.

[0011] Furthermore,By sandwiching the rollers circumferentially between the roller support portion and the roller accommodating portion, relative rotation between the inner and outer rings is prohibited, so windup (elastic deformation) does not occur in the operating state, and the dog clutch can be configured with high rigidity. Furthermore, stable meshing can be achieved with a simple structure, allowing for miniaturization and the placement of many rollers in a small space, making it possible to obtain the desired braking force. Furthermore, since the surface pressure acting on the rollers and the wall surfaces sandwiching the rollers in the operating state can be reduced, it is possible to design the clutch using inexpensive materials that are resistant to chipping and wear due to impact. Furthermore, because the rollers themselves rotate, meshing at the same point is less likely to occur, improving durability and enabling a longer lifespan.

[0012] Claim 2 According to the invention, the operating state of the parking brake mechanism can be reliably detected with a simple structure, and the reliability of the operation can be improved.

[0013] Claim 3 According to the invention, the shaft element is not rotated when the parking brake mechanism is activated, so that it is possible to reliably prevent damage to the parking brake mechanism.

[0014] Claim 4 According to the invention, the parking brake mechanism is not switched to an activated state due to operation of the parking brake operating unit while the vehicle is traveling, so it is possible to reliably prevent damage to the parking brake mechanism. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle control device according to the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of a main configuration of an example of a vehicle control device according to the present invention; [Figure 3]FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a dog clutch that constitutes a parking brake mechanism. [Figure 4] 4 is an enlarged view showing the main configuration of the dog clutch shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] 4 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the rotation axis, showing the configuration of the dog clutch shown in FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 6A] 4 is a schematic diagram showing a state when the drive rod is driven toward a lock position in order to switch the dog clutch shown in FIG. 3 from a released state to an activated state. FIG. [Figure 6B] 4 is a schematic diagram of the dog clutch shown in FIG. 3 in a standby state. FIG. [Figure 6C] 4 is a schematic diagram of the dog clutch shown in FIG. 3 when switched to an actuated state. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the outer ring and the inner ring are meshed with each other. [Figure 8A] FIG. 10 is a perspective view schematically showing a state when the selector is positioned at a release position where it is not detected by a selector position detection sensor. [Figure 8B] FIG. 10 is a perspective view schematically showing a state when the selector is positioned at an operating position detected by a selector position detection sensor. [Figure 9A] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of the installation position of the parking brake mechanism in the vehicle. [Figure 9B] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating yet another example of the installation position of the parking brake mechanism in the vehicle. [Figure 9C] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating yet another example of the installation position of the parking brake mechanism in the vehicle. [Figure 9D] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating yet another example of the installation position of the parking brake mechanism in the vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle control device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of the configuration of the main parts of the example of the vehicle control device according to the present invention. The vehicle 100 according to this embodiment is a vehicle that can run using a drive source powered by electricity supplied from a battery, such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, and has left and right rear wheels 101a driven by the driving force of the drive source, and left and right front wheels 101b driven wheels. In Fig. 1, 102b is a drive wheel axle, and 103 is a driven wheel axle. In this vehicle 100, a parking brake mechanism 120 configured to be able to suppress rotation of the shaft element that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the drive wheel 101a is assembled to a drive device 105 that drives the vehicle 100.

[0018] The vehicle control device 110 according to this embodiment includes an operation state detection sensor 111 that detects the operation state of a parking brake mechanism 120, a vehicle speed sensor 116 that detects the speed of the vehicle, and a control unit 115 that has at least the function of controlling the operation of a drive unit 105 that drives the vehicle and the function of controlling the operation of the parking brake mechanism 120 based on a detection signal from the operation state detection sensor 111. The control unit 115 is configured with a single electronic control unit (ECU) or multiple electronic control units (ECUs).

[0019] In this embodiment, the driving device 105 includes a motor 106 as a driving source, and a reducer 107 that connects the output shaft of the motor 106 to the driving wheel drive shaft 102a.

[0020] In this embodiment, the operating state of the parking brake mechanism 120 is controlled by the control unit 115 based on an electrical signal generated by the operation of the parking brake operation unit 108. The parking brake mechanism 120 may be any of a "lever type" that is operated by operating a parking lever serving as the parking brake operation unit 108 installed next to the driver's seat, a "foot type" that is operated by operating a parking brake pedal serving as the parking brake operation unit 108 installed at the feet of the driver's seat, and an "electric type" that is operated by operating a button or switch serving as the parking brake operation unit 108 installed next to the driver's seat.

[0021] The parking brake mechanism 120 according to this embodiment includes a dog clutch 130 as a brake element, and a selector drive mechanism 121 that drives a selector 150 in the dog clutch 130. In this embodiment, the dog clutch 130 as a braking element is arranged, for example, between the output shaft (not shown) of the motor 106 and the input shaft (not shown) of the reducer 107, and is designed to prevent the rotation of the input shaft of the reducer 107 as a shaft element that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the drive wheel 101a by mechanical engagement, thereby preventing the rotation of the drive wheel 101a when the vehicle is stopped.

[0022] 3 to 5, the dog clutch 130 according to this embodiment includes an outer ring 131, an inner ring 136, a plurality of rollers 140, a biasing member 145, and a selector 150. C in FIGS. 3 and 5 denotes the rotation axis.

[0023] The outer ring 131 and the inner ring 136 are coaxially rotatable relative to each other such that the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring 131 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring 136 are closely opposed to each other, and in this embodiment, the outer ring 131 is fixed and the inner ring 136 is allowed to rotate. Reference numeral 133 in Fig. 3 denotes a mounting portion that is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the outer ring 131 and that is used to fix the dog clutch 130 to an object to which it is to be attached, for example, with a fixing bolt (not shown).

[0024] In this embodiment, a plurality of roller accommodating portions 132 corresponding to each of the plurality of rollers 140 are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring 131, and a plurality of roller support portions 137 are formed at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring 136. The roller accommodating portion 132 is configured as a recessed groove whose cross-sectional shape is, for example, a shape formed by combining an isosceles trapezoid and a circle tangent to two equal sides of the isosceles trapezoid. The roller support portion 137 is configured by a recessed groove having a substantially flat bottom wall portion and peripheral wall portions with an arc-shaped cross section continuing on both sides of the bottom wall portion, and the opening edge portion is, for example, C-chamfered.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 5, each of the rollers 140 is configured to protrude axially outward from one end face of the inner ring 136 when supported by the roller support portion 137, and a biasing member mounting groove 141 extending around the entire circumference is formed on the circumferential surface of the protruding portion.

[0026] In this embodiment, the biasing member 145 is common to each of the rollers 140 and is formed of, for example, an annular spring. The biasing members 145 are attached to the biasing member attachment grooves 141 of the rollers 140 from the radially inner side so as to bias the rollers 140 radially outward toward the roller accommodating portions 132 .

[0027] The selector 150 is arranged coaxially with the outer ring 131 and the inner ring 136, axially in front of and behind the outer ring 131 in which the roller accommodating portion 132 is formed, and is provided so as to be rotatable independently of the outer ring 131 and the inner ring 136.

[0028] The selector 150 in this embodiment includes a main body 151 in the shape of an annular disk, and is configured so that, in an operating state in which relative rotation between the outer ring 131 and the inner ring 136 is prohibited, the roller 140 is pressed by the inner peripheral surface of the main body 151, thereby allowing the roller 140 to be supported by the roller support portion 137. The inner peripheral surface of the main body 151 is also formed with a pocket 152 configured so that the roller 140 can be accommodated in the roller accommodating portion 132. Therefore, when the selector 150 is rotated, it moves the roller 140 in the radial direction, thereby enabling the operating state of the dog clutch 130 to be switched between a released state in which relative rotation between the outer ring 131 and the inner ring 136 is permitted, and an operating state in which relative rotation between the outer ring 131 and the inner ring 136 is prohibited.

[0029] The wall surface of the pocket 152 on the rear side in the selector rotation direction (clockwise in FIG. 4) that puts the dog clutch 130 into the operating state forms an inclined surface 153 that slopes radially outward in the release direction, and by rotating the selector 150, the roller 140 housed in the roller housing portion 132 can be easily moved radially toward the roller support portion 137 by the action of the inclined surface 153 of the pocket 152. This makes it possible to easily switch from the released state to the operating state and achieve reliable meshing.

[0030] The selector 150 includes a selector arm 155 connected to the selector drive mechanism 121. In this embodiment, the selector arm 155 is a plate-like body extending along a plane parallel to the rotation axis C, and is configured to have a U-shape by forming a notch 156 at one axial end thereof, into which a drive rod 124 (described later) can be inserted.

[0031] The dog clutch 130 is provided with a rotation restriction mechanism that restricts the range of movement of the selector 150 . In this embodiment, the rotation restriction mechanism is composed of a pin member 160 that is erected to extend axially on one surface of the end wall portion of the outer ring 131, and a rotation restriction groove portion 161 that is formed to extend circumferentially on the inner surface of the selector 150 and into which the pin member 160 is slidably inserted.

[0032] In this dog clutch 130, a circular disk-shaped retaining plate 165 is positioned coaxially with the outer ring 131 and inner ring 136 at one axial end of the selector 150 and is fixed to the outer ring 131 by a pin member 160. This prevents the components of the dog clutch 130 from coming apart in the axial direction. As shown in Figure 5, the retaining plate 165 is disposed so as to cover the roller support portion 137, and also functions to prevent the roller 140 from coming off.

[0033] The selector drive mechanism 121 includes a linear actuator 122 having a drive shaft 123 that can be driven to move back and forth in one direction (for example, the left and right direction in FIG. 3), a drive rod 124 that has one end connected to the drive shaft 123 and the other end connected to the selector 150 and that can reciprocate in the one direction so that the selector 150 can be positioned within a range between a release position and an actuated position, and a standby spring 126 that is arranged so that it can elastically deform in the compression direction when the drive rod 124 is moved so that the selector 150 rotates in the direction that activates the dog clutch 130. In this embodiment, the standby spring 126 is made of a coil spring, and the drive rod 124 is inserted through it.

[0034] A pair of retaining rings 127a, 127b are provided on the drive rod 124 to sandwich the selector arm 155, and the drive rod 124 is connected to the selector arm 155 by having one retaining ring 127a engaged with a tip-end side engaging portion 125a of the drive rod 124 and the other retaining ring 127b being pressed against the selector arm 155 by a standby spring 126. The other end of the standby spring 126 is engaged with the other-end side engaging portion 125b of the drive rod 124.

[0035] In the dog clutch 130 according to this embodiment, when the selector 150 is located in the release position, as shown in Fig. 4, the rollers 140 are urged by the urging members 145 and are positioned in the roller accommodating portions 132 of the outer ring 131 and in the pockets 152 of the selector 150. In other words, the operating mode of the dog clutch 130 is in a release state in which relative rotation between the outer ring 131 and the inner ring 136 is permitted.

[0036] When switching the dog clutch 130 from the released state to the activated state, the drive rod 124 is moved so that the selector 150 is positioned from the released position to the activated position, and as shown in FIG. 6A, the selector 150 rotates and the inclined surface 153 of the pocket 152 in the selector 150 abuts against the roller 140. At this time, if the phases of roller accommodating portion 132 of outer ring 131 and roller support portion 137 of inner ring 136 are not aligned, as shown in Figure 6B, drive rod 124 is moved while selector 150 is prevented from rotating and standby spring 126 is compressed. Therefore, selector 150 is maintained in the release position, and dog clutch 130 is in a standby state. As a result, when inner ring 136 is rotating at a certain rotational speed or above, chipping or damage due to impact caused by sudden meshing between outer ring 131 and inner ring 136 can be reliably prevented, making it possible to achieve a long life and ensure high safety.

[0037] Then, when the phases of roller accommodating portion 132 and roller support portion 137 are aligned, the biasing force of standby spring 126 is released, causing selector 150 to rotate to the actuated position, as shown in Fig. 6C. As a result, roller 140 moves radially toward roller support portion 137 due to the action of inclined surface 153 of pocket 152, and dog clutch 130 enters an actuated state. At this time, the movable range of selector 150 is restricted by pin member 160 and rotation restricting groove portion 161, making it possible to prevent overrunning of selector 150 and ensure switching between the released state and the actuated state.

[0038] 7, when a rotational torque is input to the inner ring 136, the roller 140 is sandwiched between the roller accommodating portion 132 of the outer ring 131 and the roller support portion 137 of the inner ring 136, regardless of the rotational direction of the inner ring 136, and further, the load acting at this time in a direction that moves the roller 140 toward the roller accommodating portion 132 is supported by the selector 150, thereby causing the outer ring 131 and the inner ring 136 to mesh together. Figure 7 shows the state when the inner ring 136 is rotated counterclockwise.

[0039] In this embodiment, the operating state detection sensor 111 that detects the operating state of the parking brake mechanism 120 is composed of a selector position detection sensor that can detect the operating state of the parking brake mechanism 120 by detecting that the selector 150 in the dog clutch 130 is positioned in the operating position. 8A and 8B, the selector position detection sensor in this embodiment has a sensor target 112 provided at one axial end of the selector arm 155, and a proximity sensor 113 installed at a position where it can detect the sensor target 112 when the selector 150 is positioned at the operating position. Note that a configuration may also be adopted in which the proximity sensor 113 is provided on the selector arm 155, and the sensor target 112 is fixed at a predetermined position.

[0040] Thus, when the operation state detection sensor 111 detects that the parking brake mechanism 120 is in an activated state, the control unit 115 of the vehicle control device 110 controls the drive unit 105 to suppress the generation of vehicle drive force due to operation of the accelerator pedal 109. Specifically, the control unit 115 controls the motor 106 so that the motor 106 does not generate drive force due to operation of the accelerator pedal 109, thereby suppressing the generation of vehicle drive force. Therefore, according to the above-described vehicle control device 110, when the parking brake mechanism 120 is activated, the driving force of the drive unit 105 is not transmitted to the parking brake mechanism 120, and the driving force of the drive unit 105 is transmitted to the drive wheels 101a when the parking brake mechanism 120 is released. Therefore, the parking brake mechanism 120 will not be damaged due to operation of the accelerator pedal 109 while the parking brake mechanism 120 is activated, and it is possible for the parking brake mechanism 120 to perform its intended function for a long period of time.

[0041] Furthermore, when the vehicle speed sensor 116 detects that the vehicle speed is not 0, i.e., that the vehicle is in a traveling state, the control unit 115 controls the parking brake mechanism 120 to suppress the generation of a brake element switching force caused by operation of the parking brake operation unit 108 from a release position that releases the dog clutch 130 to an actuation position that actuates the dog clutch 130. In this embodiment, when the vehicle is traveling, the control unit 115 controls the actuator 122 so that the actuator 122 does not operate due to operation of the parking brake operation unit 108, thereby suppressing the generation of a brake element switching force. Therefore, according to the above-mentioned vehicle control device 110, the parking brake mechanism 120 is not switched to an activated state due to operation of the parking brake operating unit 108 while the vehicle is traveling, so it is possible to reliably prevent damage to the parking brake mechanism 120 even while the vehicle is traveling, and it is possible for the parking brake mechanism 120 to perform its intended function for a long period of time.

[0042] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various design modifications can be made without departing from the present invention as set forth in the claims. For example, in the above embodiment, a configuration was described in which the operating state of the parking brake mechanism is detected by detecting the position of the selector in the dog clutch using a proximity sensor, but the operating state detection sensor may also be one that detects, for example, the rotation angle of the selector or the amount of movement of the drive shaft of the actuator. In addition, in the above embodiment, a configuration was described in which the control unit controls the motor to prevent the generation of vehicle driving force, but the control unit may also be configured to, for example, control the operation of a reducer to prevent the driving force of the drive unit from being transmitted to the axle. Furthermore, the control unit may be configured to only control the driving force when the accelerator pedal is operated with the parking brake mechanism activated while the vehicle is stopped, but in reality, there is a risk of damage if the dog clutch acts in the locking direction due to an external force caused by some kind of disturbance.For this reason, it is desirable that the control unit be configured to have the functions of both controlling the driving force when the accelerator pedal is operated with the parking brake mechanism activated while the vehicle is stopped, and controlling the operation of the parking brake mechanism when the parking brake operating unit is operated while the vehicle is moving.

[0043] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the parking brake mechanism is described as having a so-called roller-type dog clutch, but the dog clutch may be a ratchet type or a dog clutch. Furthermore, the parking brake mechanism may be configured to operate the brake element by a mechanical mechanism in response to the operation of a parking brake operating unit by the vehicle driver, or may be configured to operate the brake element using an electrical signal. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the vehicle control device according to the present invention has been described as being applied to a vehicle that can run using an electric drive source as power, but the vehicle control device according to the present invention may also be applied to a vehicle that is driven by an internal combustion engine. In this case, the control unit may be configured to control the operating state of a power transmission element disposed in a power transmission path from the internal combustion engine (engine) to the axle, thereby inhibiting transmission of the driving force of the internal combustion engine to the axle. It goes without saying that the present invention is applicable to both automatic and manual transmission vehicles.

[0044] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a configuration was described in which the brake element in the parking brake mechanism is provided on the drive wheel drive shaft, but the location at which the brake element is provided is not particularly limited, as long as it is a location where rotation of the shaft element that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the wheel can be prohibited. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 9A, the brake element of the parking brake mechanism 120 may be provided on the driving wheel drive shaft 102a; as shown in FIG. 9B, the brake element of the parking brake mechanism 120 may be provided on the driving wheel axle 102b; as shown in FIG. 9C, the brake element of the parking brake mechanism 120 may be assembled to the in-wheel type drive unit 104; or as shown in FIG. 9D, the brake element of the parking brake mechanism 120 may be provided on the driven wheel axle 103. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 100 ··· Vehicle 101a Drive wheel 101b... Driven wheel 102a Driving wheel drive shaft 102b Driving wheel axle 103 Driven wheel axle 104 In-wheel drive unit 105 Drive unit 106 Motor 107... Reducer 108 Parking brake operation section 109 Accelerator pedal 110 Vehicle control device 111 ··· Operation status detection sensor 112 Sensor Target 113 Proximity Sensor 115 Control section 116 Vehicle speed sensor 120 Parking brake mechanism 121 Selector drive mechanism 122 Actuator 123 Drive shaft 124 Drive rod 125a... Tip side engaging part 125b...Other end side engaging part 126 ··· Standby spring 127a Retaining ring 127b Retaining ring 130 Dog clutch 131 Outer ring 132 Roller housing 133 Mounting part 136 ··· Inner circle 137 Roller support 140 ··· Laura 141... Urging member mounting groove 145 ..... biasing member 150 ··· Selector 151 Main body 152 ··· Pocket 153... Slope 155 ··· Selector arm 156 Notch 160 Pin member 161 Rotation restriction groove 165 · · Holding plate C...Rotation axis center

Claims

1. A vehicle control device including a control unit having a function of controlling the operation of a parking brake mechanism having a brake element configured to be able to switch an operating state between an operating state that prohibits rotation of an axle element that rotates in accordance with rotation of a wheel and a release state that allows rotation of the axle element, an operation state detection sensor provided near the brake element to detect the operation state of the parking brake mechanism; the control unit, when the operation state detection sensor detects that the parking brake mechanism is in an activated state, suppresses generation of vehicle driving force due to operation of an accelerator pedal; The brake element is constituted by a dog clutch that prohibits rotation of the shaft element by mechanical engagement, The dog clutch includes an outer ring and an inner ring that are coaxially and relatively rotatably arranged, a plurality of rollers arranged between the outer ring and the inner ring, a biasing member that biases the rollers in a radial direction toward a roller accommodating portion that is provided in one of the outer ring and the inner ring, and a selector that switches an operation mode of the dog clutch, a selector arranged to be rotatable independently of the outer and inner wheels between an operating position in which the roller is supported by a roller support portion provided on the other of the outer and inner wheels to prohibit relative rotation between the outer and inner wheels, thereby activating the parking brake mechanism, and a release position in which the roller is accommodated in the roller accommodating portion to allow relative rotation between the outer and inner wheels, thereby activating the parking brake mechanism.

2. A vehicle control device as described in Claim 1, characterized in that the operating state detection sensor is a selector position detection sensor configured to detect that the selector is positioned in an operating position.

3. A drive device for driving a vehicle includes a motor, The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the motor so that the motor does not generate a driving force when the parking brake mechanism is in an activated state.

4. Further comprising a vehicle speed sensor for detecting the speed of the vehicle; 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit suppresses generation of a brake element switching force caused by operation of a parking brake operating unit from a release position that releases the brake element to an actuation position that actuates the brake element when the vehicle speed sensor detects that the vehicle is in a traveling state.

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