Shift device

Abstract

In this shift device, a knob is fixed to a lever body in a lever, and a shift position is changed by gripping the knob and rotating the lever. An LED emits light, and shift display of the knob is illuminated through a guide hole of a partition part. Further, the partition part shields leakage, from the guide hole, of the light from the LED. Here, the lever body constitutes the partition part. Therefore, the number of components of the knob can be reduced.

Description

Shift device

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

[0002] In the shift device described in the specification of Chinese Patent Application Publication No. 113090744, a knob is fixed to an operation lever, and the shift position is changed by gripping the knob and moving the knob and the operation lever. In addition, an identification portion is provided on the knob, a gear light emits light, and the identification portion is illuminated through a second light-transmitting hole. Further, the side wall of the second light-transmitting hole shields leakage of light from the gear light.

[0003] Here, in this shift device, the side wall of the second light-transmitting hole constitutes a knob skeleton, and the knob skeleton is a component of the knob.

[0004] In consideration of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to obtain a shift device capable of reducing the number of parts of a gripping portion.

[0005] The shift device according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a shift body configured such that a gripping portion is fixed to a main body portion, and the shift position is changed by gripping the gripping portion and moving it by rotation or sliding, a radiation portion that emits light to illuminate the gripping portion, and a shielding portion that is constituted by the main body portion and shields leakage of light from the radiation portion.

[0006] The shift device according to the second aspect of the present invention is the shift device according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the gripping portion covers the shielding portion.

[0007] The shift device according to the third aspect of the present invention is the shift device according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, wherein the gripping portion and the radiation portion are opposed in the moving direction of the shift body.

[0008] The shift device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention is the shift device according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, wherein wiring from the radiation portion passes through the main body portion.

[0009] In the shift device according to the first aspect of the present invention, a gripping part is fixed to the main body to form a shift body, and the shift position is changed when the gripping part is gripped and the shift body is moved by rotation or sliding. In addition, a radiating part emits light to illuminate the gripping part. Furthermore, a shielding part blocks the leakage of light from the radiating part.

[0010] Here, the main body constitutes the shielding portion. This allows for a reduction in the number of parts in the gripping portion.

[0011] In the shift device according to the second aspect of the present invention, the gripping portion covers the shielding portion. Therefore, the configuration for illuminating the gripping portion can be easily made.

[0012] In the shift device according to the third aspect of the present invention, the gripping portion and the radiating portion are opposite each other in the direction of movement of the shift body. Therefore, the shielding portion of the main body can be easily positioned between the gripping portion and the radiating portion.

[0013] In the shift device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the wiring from the radiating section passes through the main body. Therefore, damage to the wiring can be suppressed by the main body.

[0014] This is a perspective view from the upper left showing a shift device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is an exploded perspective view from the upper left showing a shift device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a side view from the left showing the main part of the shift device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a perspective view from the front showing the knob of the shift device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a perspective view from the upper left showing the lever body, etc., of the shift device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a broken perspective view from the upper left showing the lever body, etc., of the shift device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a perspective view from the upper left showing the lever body and light-emitting substrate, etc., of the shift device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a perspective view from the lower right showing the lever body and light-emitting substrate, etc., of the shift device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the shift device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the upper left, and Figure 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the shift device 10, also viewed from the upper left. In the drawings, the front of the shift device 10 is indicated by the arrow FR, the right side of the shift device 10 is indicated by the arrow RH, and the top of the shift device 10 is indicated by the arrow UP.

[0016] The shift device 10 according to this embodiment is installed on the instrument panel (not shown) of a vehicle (automobile), and the front, right, and top of the shift device 10 are directed towards the front, right, and top of the vehicle, respectively.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the shift device 10 is provided with a roughly rectangular box-shaped housing 12 as a housing, and the housing 12 is fixed inside the instrument panel, so the shift device 10 is installed on the instrument panel.

[0018] A roughly columnar lever 14, which serves as a shift mechanism, is housed within the housing 12, and the lever 14 extends in the front-rear direction.

[0019] The lever 14 is provided with a lever body 16 (see Figures 3A, 4A, and 4B) made of opaque resin, which is roughly rectangular in shape and serves as the main body (skeletal component). The lever 14 is supported at the front (base) end of the lever body 16 within the housing 12 so as to be able to rotate (move) vertically within a predetermined range. The lever body 16 is rotatably penetrated through the rear wall of the housing 12 and the instrument panel, and the rear (tip) end of the lever body 16 is located in the passenger compartment behind the instrument panel.

[0020] At the rear of the lever body 16, a partition portion 18 with a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape is formed in the center in the left-right direction, and a plurality of rectangular guide holes 18A (three in this embodiment) are formed in the partition portion 18, and the plurality of guide holes 18A penetrate the partition portion 18 in the vertical direction and are arranged in the front-back direction.

[0021] A through hole 16A, which is L-shaped in side view, is formed in the middle section of the lever body 16 in the front-rear direction. The lower part of the through hole 16A extends in the front-rear direction and opens to the rear, while the front part of the through hole 16A extends in the vertical direction and opens to the upper side.

[0022] On the upper surface of the lever body 16, a pair of substantially rectangular plate-shaped hooks 20 are integrally provided at the front of the front portion of the through hole 16A, serving as a holding part. The pair of hooks 20 protrude upward and face each other in the left-right direction. A substantially trapezoidal columnar projection 20A is integrally provided at the upper end (tip) of the pair of hooks 20, and the projection 20A protrudes inward in the left-right direction from the pair of hooks 20.

[0023] A roughly rectangular plate-shaped light-emitting substrate 22 (circuit board, see Figures 5A and 5B) is fixed to the lower rear side of the lever body 16. The upper surface of the light-emitting substrate 22 is in surface contact with the lower surface of the partition portion 18 of the lever body 16, and the light-emitting substrate 22 closes the lower side of the guide hole 18A of the partition portion 18. Multiple pairs (three pairs in this embodiment) of LEDs 24 as radiating elements are fixed to the upper surface of the light-emitting substrate 22, and each pair of LEDs 24 is arranged in the left-right direction. Multiple pairs of LEDs 24 are arranged in the front-back direction, and each pair of LEDs 24 is inserted into each guide hole 18A.

[0024] A wire 26 is electrically connected to the lower part of the light-emitting substrate 22, and the wire 26 is electrically connected to the LED 24 via the light-emitting substrate 22. The wire 26 passes through the through hole 16A in the lever body 16 and is held between the hooks 20.

[0025] A resin knob 28 (see Figure 3B) serving as a gripping portion is fixed to the rear of the lever body 16, and the knob 28 rotates integrally with the lever body 16. The knob 28 is provided with a roughly rectangular box-shaped projection 28A, the projection 28A which is open to the front, and the rear of the lever body 16 (including the partition 18) is inserted into it. The upper surface of the partition 18 is in surface contact with the lower surface of the upper wall of the projection 28A, and the upper wall of the projection 28A closes the upper side of the guide hole 18A of the partition 18. A roughly rectangular frame-shaped cover 28B is integrally provided around the entire front end of the projection 28A, and the cover 28B is curved along the rotation direction of the lever 14.

[0026] Multiple shift indicators 30 (three in this embodiment) are formed on the upper wall of the protruding portion 28A, and the shift indicators 30 are made transparent to allow light to pass through. The multiple shift indicators 30 are arranged in the front-to-back direction, and each shift indicator 30 is positioned above each guide hole 18A. In this embodiment, the multiple shift indicators 30 are arranged from the front as R indicator 30, N indicator 30, and D indicator 30, with the R indicator 30 displaying the letter R, the N indicator 30 displaying the letter N, and the D indicator 30 displaying the letter D.

[0027] The knob 28 is located inside the vehicle, and the lever 14 is designed to be rotated by the vehicle's occupants (especially the driver) by gripping the knob 28 (protruding portion 28A).

[0028] Inside the housing 12, a roughly rectangular plate-shaped detection board 32 (circuit board, see Figure 3A) is fixed to the left side of the lever body 16. The detection board 32 detects the rotational position of the lever 14 (lever body 16). The detection board 32 is electrically connected to the vehicle's control device 34, and the vehicle's transmission 36 is electrically connected to the control device 34. When the lever 14 is rotated upward, the control device 34 controls the shift position of the transmission 36, changing it from the N position (neutral position) to the R position (reverse position). When the lever 14 is rotated downward, the control device 34 controls the shift position of the transmission 36, changing it from the N position to the D position (drive position).

[0029] Wiring 26 from the light-emitting substrate 22 is electrically connected to the detection substrate 32, and the LEDs 24 on the light-emitting substrate 22 are electrically connected to the control device 34 via the light-emitting substrate 22, the wiring 26, and the detection substrate 32.

[0030] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

[0031] In the shift device 10 configured as described above, a knob 28 is fixed to the lever body 16 of the lever 14. When the knob 28 is gripped and the lever 14 is rotated, the shift position of the transmission 36 is changed to the R position, N position, and D position.

[0032] When the shift position of the transmission 36 is set to the R, N, and D positions, the control device 34 controls the LEDs 24 on the light-emitting substrate 22 corresponding to the R, N, and D indicators 30, respectively on the knob 28, to emit light. This light is then directed onto the R, N, and D indicators 30 through the guide holes 18A of the partition 18, illuminating them. Furthermore, the partition 18 shields the light from the LEDs 24 from leaking through the guide holes 18A, preventing light from leaking from one guide hole 18A to another, thereby limiting illumination of the shift indicators 30 by light from other guide holes 18A.

[0033] Here, the lever body 16 constitutes the partition 18. This reduces the number of parts in the knob 28 and simplifies its construction. Furthermore, it eliminates the need for a separate partition 18, allowing the lever 14 to be miniaturized and reducing parts and assembly costs. Moreover, it eliminates the need for a structure in the lever 14 to accommodate the separate partition 18, allowing the lever 14 to be made even smaller. In addition, it eliminates placement errors of the separate partition 18, allowing for smaller spacing between the shift indicators 30 on the knob 28 and improving the design freedom of the knob 28.

[0034] Furthermore, the protruding portion 28A of the knob 28 covers the partition portion 18. As a result, the shift indicator 30 on the protruding portion 28A can be directly illuminated by light from the guide hole 18A of the partition portion 18, making it easy to configure the system to illuminate the shift indicator 30.

[0035] Furthermore, the shift indicator 30 on the knob 28 and the LED 24 on the light-emitting substrate 22 are facing each other in the rotational direction of the lever 14. Therefore, the partition portion 18 of the lever body 16 can be easily positioned between the shift indicator 30 and the LED 24.

[0036] Furthermore, the wiring 26 from the light-emitting substrate 22 (LED 24) to the detection substrate 32 passes through the through hole 16A inside the lever body 16. Therefore, damage to the wiring 26 can be suppressed by the lever body 16.

[0037] Furthermore, the wiring 26 is held between the hooks 20 of the lever body 16. This prevents the wiring 26 from moving unnecessarily relative to the lever body 16, thereby preventing damage to the wiring 26.

[0038] In this embodiment, the shift indicator (display unit) is represented by characters. However, the display unit may also be represented by a mark or a picture.

[0039] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the lever 14 (shift body) is rotated. However, the shift body may also slide (move).

[0040] In this embodiment, the shift device 10 is installed on the instrument panel. However, the shift device 10 may also be installed on other parts of the vehicle (such as the console or steering column).

[0041] The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-227715, filed on 24 December 2024, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0042] 10... Shift mechanism, 14... Lever (shift body), 16... Lever body (main body), 18... Partition (shielding part), 24... LED (radiating part), 26... Wiring, 28... Knob (grip part)

Claims

1. A shift device comprising: a shift body having a gripping portion fixed to a main body, the shift position of which is changed by the gripping portion being gripped and moved by rotation or sliding; a radiating portion that emits light to illuminate the gripping portion; and a shielding portion formed by the main body that shields against light leakage from the radiating portion.

2. The shift device according to claim 1, wherein the gripping portion covers the shielding portion.

3. The shift device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the gripping portion and the radiating portion are opposite each other in the direction of movement of the shift body.

4. The shift device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the wiring from the radiating portion passes through the main body portion.

5. The shift device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the wiring from the radiating portion is held in the main body.

6. The shift device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising a detection board that detects the movement position of the shift body and to which wiring from the radiating section is connected.

7. The shift device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the shielding portion guides light from the radiating portion to the gripping portion.

8. The shift device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a display unit provided on the gripping portion and illuminated by light from the radiating portion.

9. The shift device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the radiating portion is fixed to the main body portion.

Images