Vehicle Shift Lever Structure With Branched Control Lever Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing shift device for vehicles experiences deformation and increased resistance due to low rigidity in the control lever, leading to reduced operability and wear on the shift lever, with attempts to mitigate these issues resulting in increased size or weight of the device.
Innovation Solution
The shift device incorporates a control lever with a branched part extending towards the turning shafts, allowing separate support by the baseplate, reducing direct reaction force on the turning shafts and maintaining a compact size by avoiding increased distance or hole diameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the distance between turning shaft parts is increased to reduce deformation, then the rigidity improves, but the control lever becomes larger
Solution Approach 1:
The control lever is divided into multiple parts: a main body part, a branched part extending in the vehicle width direction, and a lower-side part. The turning shaft parts are separately supported by the baseplate rather than being integrally provided, which segments the support structure and allows independent optimization of each component's rigidity without increasing overall size.
Solution Approach 2:
The branched part extends in the vehicle width direction (lateral dimension) rather than increasing the distance between turning shaft parts in the vertical dimension. This dimensional shift allows the reaction force to be distributed through a different spatial path, improving rigidity without increasing the vertical size of the control lever.
2Ease of operation
If the inside diameters of support holes are increased to reduce resistance to turning, then the operability improves, but the turning shaft parts rattle
Solution Approach 1:
The support holes in the baseplate are designed with different local qualities: they have sufficient diameter to allow smooth rotation and reduce resistance to turning, while the turning shaft parts are equipped with positioning features (such as ridges or keys) that locally engage with corresponding features in the support holes. This local engagement prevents rattling while maintaining ease of rotation.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the thickness of lower-side part of lever holding part is increased to secure rigidity, then the resistance to deformation improves, but the control lever becomes larger and heavier
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the thickness of the entire lever holding part, the support structure is segmented into the baseplate with separately supported turning shaft parts. This segmentation allows rigidity to be achieved through the distributed support structure rather than through increased material thickness, thereby avoiding weight increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical rigidity provided by increased thickness is substituted by a mechanical support system where the turning shaft parts are separately supported by the baseplate. This support system provides the necessary rigidity through the arrangement and support mechanism rather than through material volume, reducing the weight of the control lever.
Data Source
AI summary
A shift device for a vehicle includes a baseplate, a shift lever having a spherical shaft part at a lower end, and a control lever connected to the shift lever. The spherical shaft part of the shift lever is supported by the baseplate and configured to turn relative to the baseplate. A cable coupling part is provided at an upper part of the control lever. A turning shaft part supported by the baseplate is provided at a lower part of the control lever outward of the spherical shaft part of the shift lever in a vehicle width direction, and the turning shaft part is configured to turn relative to the baseplate. The control lever has a branched part between the cable coupling part and the turning shaft parts, and the branched part is located above the spherical shaft part and branched in the vehicle width direction.