Shift Lever Tilting Support via Load Transfer Bracket
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shift lever devices fail to properly support the shift member during tilting due to insufficient load transfer from the shift lever to the upper side bracket member, leading to potential misalignment of the shift rotating shaft and improper tilting support.
Innovation Solution
A shift device with a supporting shaft, a through member, a strength member, and a stopping member, where the strength member is stronger than the through member, and the stopping member restricts displacement caused by load input, ensuring proper nipping and support of the shift member during tilting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the shift lever is made to tilt without load transfer to the upper side bracket member, then the shift lever can move freely, but the shift rotating shaft cannot be properly nipped and the shift lever cannot be tiltably supported
Solution Approach 1:
The upper side bracket member acts as an intermediary component between the shift lever and the housing. It receives load from the shift lever during tilting and transfers it to the housing, enabling proper nipping of the shift rotating shaft while maintaining shift lever movement freedom
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure is segmented into multiple components: the through member for initial support, the upper side bracket member for load transfer, and the housing for final load reception. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function in the load transfer chain
2Strength
If the strength member is made stronger than the through member, then the nipping rigidity of the supporting shaft is increased, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The strength member is specifically designed with higher strength properties than the through member, but only in the critical regions where load transfer and nipping occur. This localized strengthening achieves the required nipping rigidity without unnecessarily increasing the strength (and complexity) of the entire device
Data Source
AI summary
In a shift lever device (10), due to a tilt shaft (58) being nipped between peripheral surfaces of lower supporting holes (20) of a shift lever plate (12) and peripheral surfaces of upper supporting holes (38A) of a shift lever guide (26), a shift lever (52) is supported so as to be able to tilt around the tilt shaft (58). A shift position of the shift lever (52) is changed due to the shift lever (52) being tiltingly operated while being guided by a guide hole (30) of the shift lever guide (26) and passed within a passage hole (64) of a cover (62). Here, the strength of the shift lever guide (26) is made to be large as compared with that of the cover (62). Moreover, when load is inputted from the shift lever (52) to the shift lever guide (26), rotation of the shift lever guide (26) is stopped by the shift lever plate (12). Therefore, the shift lever (52) can be tiltably supported properly.