JPH0210865Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) This invention relates to a select return mechanism in a control shaft for changing the shift position of an automobile transmission.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, there is a select return mechanism having a column shift type control shaft as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

In FIG. 2, a control shaft 5 disposed along a steering column 51 of an automobile
4 is provided vertically slidably between a bracket 52 and a bracket 53 fixed to the steering column 51. That is, the hand lever 55 provided at the upper end of the control shaft 54
When operated by the driver, the control shaft 54 is slid up and down along the steering column 51 to change the shift position of the transmission.

In FIG. 2, the spring support 56 fixed to the bracket 53 houses the select return mechanism of the control shaft 54.The details will be explained in FIG. A compression spring 57 is installed inside. Washers 58a and 58 are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the compression spring 57.
b is provided, and the washers 58a and 58b
are engaged with the upper and lower surface pieces of the spring support 56. A control shaft 54 passes through the center of the washers 58a, 58b and the compression spring 57.
An upper spring seat 54a and a lower spring seat 54b are fixed to 4 by welding or the like.

In such a device, for example, by operating the hand lever 55, the control shaft 54 is
When sliding in the second gear direction (upward), as the control shaft 54 moves upward, the lower spring seat 54b
presses the washer 58b and compresses the compression spring 57. Therefore, when the hand lever 55 is released, the control shaft 54 is moved by the biasing force of the compression spring 57.
is forced downward and returns to its original position (neutral position)
will be returned to.

Next, when the hand lever 55 is operated to slide the control shaft 54 in the reverse direction (downward), the upper spring seat 54a presses the washer 58a and compresses the compression spring 57 as the control shaft 54 moves downward. Therefore, the hand lever 5
5, the control shaft 54 is returned to its original position (neutral position) by the biasing force of the compression spring 57.

(Problems to be solved by the invention) In the select return mechanism of the conventional structure described above, the control shaft 54 can be moved upward (sliding in the 1st and 2nd gear directions) and downward (sliding in the reverse direction). Since the structure is such that both the upper and lower parts are returned to the original neutral position by the biasing force of the compression spring 57, when the control shaft 54 moves up and down, both the upward and downward directions are returned by the same biasing force. It has become commonplace.
However, due to the weight of the hand lever 55, when the control shaft 54 is slid upward, the compression spring 5 is compressed by the weight of the hand lever 55.
The control shaft 54 is easily returned to the neutral position with the biasing force of the hand lever 57, but when the control shaft 54 is moved downward, the biasing force of the compression spring 57 is reduced by the weight of the hand lever 55 and the control shaft 54 is returned to the neutral position. As a result, the force is weakened, and there is a problem in that there is a difference in return force depending on the upward movement and downward movement of the control shaft 54, resulting in a difference in operating force, and the operation becomes heavy depending on the shift position. There was a problem that there were cases.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention was devised in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and its purpose is to provide a select return mechanism with uniform operating force. a control shaft for changing the shift position of a transmission, the control shaft having a pair of spring seats installed at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction, the control shaft being slidably arranged in the vertical direction along the
A compression spring is provided between both spring seats of the control shaft, the upper and lower surfaces of which are supported by a spring support fixed to the steering column, and which penetrate through the center of the control shaft, and when the control shaft slides, This is a select return mechanism for an automobile column shift device in which a compression spring pressed by a spring seat urges a control shaft in a direction opposite to the direction in which it is pressed. The select return mechanism of a column shift device for an automobile is fixed, and the spring support is provided with a blocking means for preventing upward movement of the stopper when the control shaft moves upward.

(Function) For example, when the control shaft is slid in the 1st and 2nd gear direction (upward), the compression spring is compressed by the lower spring seat fixed to the control shaft, and the compression spring is applied downward. Forces arise. In that case, in the conventional structure, the compression spring is compressed between the lower spring seat fixed to the control shaft and the upper surface of the spring support, but in the present invention, the compression spring is compressed in the form of a washer at a position below the upper surface of the compression spring. The stopper is fixed, and the stopper is prevented from moving upward by a blocking means provided in the spring support.
When the stopper comes into contact with this blocking means, the compression spring is compressed between the stopper and the lower spring seat. Therefore, the downward biasing force of the compression spring corresponds to the length between the stopper and the lower spring seat fixed to the control shaft. Therefore,
The biasing force is weaker than the biasing force when the entire compression spring is compressed, and the control shaft is returned to the lower neutral position by the weak biasing force.

Conversely, when the control shaft is slid downward (reverse direction), the upper spring seat fixed to the control shaft presses the compression spring downward, and the upper spring seat and the lower surface of the spring support The compression spring is compressed. That is, the compression spring is compressed over its entire length, and a biasing force in the opposite direction is generated. In this manner, when the control shaft is slid downwardly, the stopper is not prevented from moving downward by the blocking means, so that the compression spring is compressed over its entire length.

Therefore, the biasing force toward the neutral position when the control shaft is operated upward is different from the biasing force toward the neutral position when the control shaft is operated downward because the amount of compression of the compression spring is different. . That is, when the control shaft is directed upward and then returned, the biasing force of the compression spring is set to be large, and when the control shaft is directed downward and returned, the biasing force of the compression spring is set to be small. ing.

Therefore, when the control shaft is returned upward, the biasing force is increased by the weight of the hand lever, and the operating force is equal when the control shaft moves upward and downward. This eliminates differences in operating force due to the weight of the hand lever.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described based on FIG. 1.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a bracket fixed to a steering column 1, and a cylindrical spring support 2 is fixed to an end of the bracket 1. As shown in FIG. This spring support 2 has an upper opening 2A and a lower opening 2B formed at the center of each of its upper and lower surfaces. The side wall of this spring support 2 has an upper piece 2a forming the upper opening 2A and a lower piece 2b forming the lower opening 2B, and a protrusion protruding inwardly below the upper piece 2a. A portion 2c is formed.

In the figure, reference numeral 5 denotes a compression spring, which is installed in the spring support 2 in a compressed manner, and has an upper washer 3 in contact with its upper surface, and a lower washer 4 in contact with its lower surface. . That is, this upper washer 3 is connected to the spring support 2.
It is formed to have a larger diameter than the upper opening 2A of the spring support 2, and is normally held between the upper surface of the compression spring 5 and the upper piece 2a of the spring support 2, and moves vertically within the spring support 2 as the compression spring 5 expands and contracts. It is something to do.

On the other hand, the lower washer 4 is always compressed by the compression spring 5.
The compression spring 5 is held between the lower surface of the spring support 2 and the lower piece 2b of the spring support 2, and the compression spring 5
It moves in the vertical direction as it expands and contracts.

In the figure, 6 is a washer-shaped stopper fixed to the compression spring 5, and its fixing position is above the center of the entire length of the compression spring 5, that is, from the top surface of the compression spring 5. It is fixed in the lower position. Furthermore, the upper surface of this stopper 6 is always connected to the spring support 2.
It comes into contact with a protrusion 2c provided on the top and is prevented from moving upward.

In the figure, reference numeral 7 denotes a control shaft that is slidable vertically in parallel with the steering column.
An upper spring seat 7a having a diameter that allows the upper washer 3 to be loosely inserted therein and to press the upper washer 3 from above is fixed by welding or the like. A lower spring seat 7b having a diameter that can be pressed from below is fixed by welding or the like.

The control shaft 7 is inserted into the spring support 2, passes through the center portions of the upper washer 3, the lower washer 4, the compression spring 5, and the stopper 6, and is provided so as to be slidable in the vertical direction. 7a faces the upper opening 2A of the spring support 2, and the lower spring seat 7
b is arranged at a position facing the lower opening 2B of the spring support 2.

In the select return mechanism of this example configured as described above, when the driver operates the hand lever 55 to shift to the first or second speed, the control shaft 7 is slid upward. By sliding the control shaft 7 upward, the lower spring seat 7b fixed to the control shaft 7 moves upward, and the lower opening 2 of the spring support 2
Move up within B. The upward movement of the lower spring seat 7b presses the lower washer 4, and the compression spring 5 is pressed via the lower washer 4. In this case, since the stopper 6 is fixed to the compression spring 5, the stopper 6 is attached to the projection 2c of the spring support 2.
It is prevented from moving upward and is in contact with the protrusion 2c. Therefore, the compression spring 5 is pressed and compressed between the stopper 6 and the lower washer 4. When the shift operation is completed, the control shaft 7 is moved downward by the biasing force of the compression spring 5 and returned to the neutral position. In this case, the amount of compression between the stopper 6 of the compression spring 5 and the lower washer 4 causes the return.

Next, when the driver operates the hand lever 55 to shift in the reverse direction, the control shaft 7 is slid downward. As the control shaft 7 slides downward, the upper spring seat 7a fixed to the control shaft 7 moves downward, and the upper spring seat 7a is moved down into the upper opening 2A of the spring support 2 and the upper washer 3 is moved downward.
Press from above. This pressing force compresses the compression spring 5 via the upper washer 3. In this case, since the stopper 6 can freely move downward, the compression spring 5 is applied to the lower washer 4.
and the upper washer 3, that is, the entire length of the compression spring 5 is compressed. Therefore, when the driver releases the hand lever, the control shaft 7 is returned upward by the urging force of the entire length of the compression spring 5. Therefore, even if the hand lever is quite heavy, the upward biasing force is obtained by the entire length of the compression spring, so the upward return force is increased.

In this way, in the select return mechanism of this example, the amount of compression of the compression spring 5 is set to be different depending on when the control shaft 7 is operated and slid downward and when it is slid upward. Therefore, there is no difference in the operating force when returning due to the weight of the hand lever, and the shift operation can always be performed with a constant operating force.

(Effects of the invention) The present invention provides a shift position for a transmission having a pair of spring seats that are arranged to be slidable in the vertical direction along the steering column and are attached at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction. The control shaft includes a control shaft for changing, and a compression spring disposed between both spring seats of the control shaft, the upper and lower surfaces of which are supported by a spring support fixed to the steering column and which penetrate through the center of the control shaft. When the shaft slides,
A select return mechanism for an automobile column shift device in which a compression spring pressed by a spring seat urges a control shaft in a direction opposite to the pressing direction, and a washer-shaped stopper is fixed at a position below the upper surface of the compression spring. , and the spring support is provided with a blocking means for preventing the stopper from moving upward when the control shaft 7 moves upward, so that when the control shaft 7 moves upward, the stopper is prevented from moving upward by the blocking means of the spring support. As a result, the amount of compression of the compression spring 5 is reduced, and the return force is reduced during a shift operation to move the control shaft upwards compared to a shift operation to move the control shaft downwards.
This has the effect of keeping the operating force constant compared to conventional devices where the return force varies depending on the weight of the hand lever.

By changing the set positions of the stopper and the blocking means, a return force corresponding to the weight of the hand lever can be obtained, and the simple structure makes it highly practical.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a select return mechanism of a column shift device showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a conventional column shift device, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a conventional select return mechanism. 2...Spring support, 5...Compression spring,
6...Stopper, 2c...Protrusion (blocking means),
7...Control shaft, 7a...Upper spring seat, 7b...Lower spring seat.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A control shaft for changing the shift position of a transmission, which is arranged to be slidable in the vertical direction along the steering column and has a pair of spring seats attached at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction; A compression spring is provided between both spring seats of the control shaft, the upper and lower surfaces of which are supported by fixed spring supports, and which penetrate through the center of the control shaft. A select return mechanism for an automobile column shift device in which a pressed compression spring urges a control shaft in a direction opposite to the pressing direction, wherein a washer-like stopper is fixed to the compression spring at a position below the upper surface thereof, A select return mechanism for a column shift device for an automobile, characterized in that the spring support is provided with a blocking means for preventing upward movement of the stopper when the control shaft moves upward.