JPH0277332A - Selector lever device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a sudden starting of an AT vehicle owing to an error operation by composing the system to prevent to convert a selector from the parking position to the other position without depressing a brake pedal, in a vehicle which furnishes an automatic transmission. CONSTITUTION:When a selector lever 10 is set at the parking position in a vehicle which furnishes an automatic transmission, an operation lever 46 is rotated by depressing a brake pedal 34, and the cable of a lock cable 48 pulls in a lock pin 32 to a guide sleeve 38. As a result, the locking of a detent pin 18 is released, and the converting operation of the selector lever 10 is allowed. Consequently, an error operation of the driver is prevented, and a sudden starting of the vehicle is prevented securely.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Field of Application) The present invention relates to a selector lever device for a vehicle equipped with an automatic transmission.

(Prior Art) In general, the selector lever of a vehicle equipped with an automatic transmission (hereinafter referred to as an AT vehicle) has a parking position P where the output shaft of the transmission is mechanically fixed, and a reverse position R1 output where the vehicle is moved backwards. It is possible to selectively switch to a neutral position N1 where transmission of engine output to the shaft is completely cut off, and a drive position D1 where automatic gear changes are performed between a plurality of forward gears. The switching operation of the selector lever from the parking position to another position is performed while pressing a button provided on the selector lever.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) Normally, in order to ensure that the vehicle stops while parking,
The selector lever of the T car is set to the parking position.

When the vehicle starts, the selector lever is switched from the parking position to another position after starting the engine. In this case, if the selector lever is operated while the brake pedal is depressed, the vehicle will not start suddenly and there will be no problem. However, for example, if you release the parking brake and switch the selector lever from the parking position to another position without depressing the brake pedal, immediately after the engine starts racing or when the engine is running at high speeds, such as during warm-up. In this case, the driving force is suddenly transmitted to the drive wheels of the vehicle, and as a result, the driver
The vehicle starts suddenly. A sudden start of a vehicle can cause an accident.

Therefore, in recent years, it has been desired to provide a technology that can reliably prevent sudden starts of automatic transmission vehicles.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and its purpose is to provide a selector lever device for a vehicle that can reliably prevent sudden start of the vehicle without causing erroneous operation by the driver. .

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the selector lever device of the present invention switches to a plurality of setting positions including a parking position where the output shaft of the automatic transmission is fixed. and a locking mechanism that locks the selector lever in the parking position when the brake pedal is not depressed while the selector lever is in the parking position. a lock pin that is movable between a lock position that locks the selector lever in the parking position and an unlock position that allows switching of the selector lever;
A biasing means that biases the lock pin to the lock position, one end connected to the brake pedal, and the other end connected to the lock pin are configured to press the lock pin in conjunction with the depression operation of the brake pedal. and a connecting means for moving the lock to the unlocked position.

(Operation) According to the device configured as described above, the selector lever cannot be switched from the parking position to any other position unless the brake pedal is depressed to unlock the selector lever.

Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the AT vehicle from suddenly starting due to driver's erroneous operation.

(Embodiments) Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 to 5 show a floor type selector lever device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, this selector lever device includes a selector lever 10 formed of a hollow metal rod. A knob 12 is fixed to the tip of the selector lever 10, and an operation button 14 is provided on this knob. The base end of the selector lever 10 is inserted into a through hole 20a of an installation plate 20 fixed to the vehicle body, and is rotatably supported by a rotation mechanism 21 below the installation plate. Therefore, by rotating the selector lever 10, a parking position (P), an IJ berth position (R), a neutral position (N), a drive position 1ii2 (D), a second gear position (2), and a low gear position, which will be described later, are moved. It is possible to selectively switch to either (1). Further, a slit 16 extending in the axial direction of the selector lever is formed at the lower end of the selector lever 10, and a dint pin 18 projects outward from this slit. As best seen in FIG. 2, the detent pin 18 is movable along the slit 16 between a first position shown in solid lines and a second position shown in broken lines.

The detent pin 18 is normally held at the position 1 by a return spring (not shown) provided in the selector lever 10, and the detent pin 18 is normally held at the position 1 in conjunction with the depression operation of the operation button 14.
It is configured to move to the position.

On the installation plate 20, a detent plate 22 for holding the selector lever 10 at a desired switching position is provided with a through hole 2.
It is erected so as to straddle 0a, and is located opposite to the selector lever. The detent plate 22 has an opening 24 through which the detent pin 18 is inserted. Among the side edges of the opening 24, a plurality of step portions P, R, N, D, 2.1 corresponding to the selector levers are formed on the side edge of the side spaced apart from the rotation mechanism 21. In particular, the stepped portion P is formed deeper than the other stepped portions and has a substantially recessed shape. Then, by engaging the detent pin 18 with the corresponding step while the selector lever 10 is rotated to the desired switching position, the selector lever can be held at the desired switching position.

Note that the detent pin 18 can engage with a desired step when it is in the first position, and disengages from the step when it moves to the second position to prevent the switching operation of the selector lever 10. Allow. The side edge of the opening 24 facing the step portion constitutes an arcuate guide surface 26 centered on the rotation axis 21a of the rotation mechanism 21. The guide surface 26 guides the movement of the detent pin 18 when switching the selector lever 10. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the selector lever 10 is set at the parking position.

The selector lever device also includes a locking mechanism 30 for locking the selector lever 10 in the parking position P. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the lock mechanism 30 includes a lock pin 32 that is movable between a lock position where the selector lever 10 is locked in the parking position and a release position where the lock is released. , a coupling mechanism 36 that moves the lock pin between the lock position and the release position in conjunction with depression and release operations of the brake pedal 34.

The lock pin 32 has a cylindrical shape with a closed tip,
It is supported by a guide sleeve 38. In other words,
The guide sleeve 38 has a large diameter portion 38a having an inner diameter approximately equal to the outer diameter of the lock pin 32, and a small diameter portion 38b having an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the lock pin.

The lock pin 32 is slidably inserted into the large diameter portion 38a, and is supported so as to be protrusive and retractable from the tip of the large diameter portion. The guide sleeve 38 is fixed to the detent plate 22 by a mounting plate 40.

In particular, when the lock pin 32 protrudes from the tip of the large diameter portion 38a as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, that is, when the guide sleeve 38 moves to the lock position, the selector lever 10 located at the parking position detent pin 1
8 from the first position to the second position. In this example,
In the lock position, the lock pin 32 is located at a position that is substantially orthogonal to the moving direction of the detent pin 18 in the parking position and overlaps with the second position of the detent pin. Further, the guide sleeve 38 is connected to the lock pin 32.
When the detent pin 18 is pulled into the guide sleeve, that is, moved to the unlocked position, the detent pin 18 is positioned outside the movement path of the detent pin 18.

A compression coil spring 42 as a biasing member is housed in the large diameter portion 38a of the guide sleeve 38, and one end of the spring is connected to the base end of the lock pin 32, and the other end is connected to the guide sleeve 3.
8 step portions 38c, respectively. The spring 42 is
It has a free length longer than the length L of the large diameter portion 38a, and is in a compressed and stored state when housed in the large diameter portion as shown in FIG. Therefore, the lock pin 32 is
It is always biased by the spring 42 in the direction of protruding from the guide sleeve 38, that is, toward the locked position.

On the other hand, the brake pedal 34 is rotatably supported by a rotating shaft 45 on a support bracket 44 fixed to the vehicle body. An operating lever 46 is fixed to one end of the rotating shaft 45 and rotates integrally with the rotating shaft in response to depression of the brake pedal 34. The lever 46 is connected to the lock pin 32 via a shift lock cable 48 of the connection mechanism 36.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the cable 48 has an outer tube 50 and an inner cable 52 slidably inserted through the tube. cable 5
Both ends of the tube 2 protrude from both ends of the tube 50, respectively. One end of the tube 50 is inserted and fixed within the small diameter portion 38b of the guide sleeve 38. Further, one end of the cable 52 passes through the spring 42 and is connected to the lock pin 32. Here, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a cylindrical spacer 54 as a first connecting member is fitted into the proximal opening of the lock pin 32. As shown in FIGS.

The spacer 54 has a plurality of protrusions 56 that protrude in the radial direction from its outer periphery, and these protrusions are fitted into a plurality of through holes 58 formed in the lock pin 32, respectively. The spacer 54 is made of synthetic resin.

One end of the cable 52 is inserted into the lock pin 32 through the inner hole of the spacer 54 and is fixed to a pull-out stop 60 located within the lock bin.

The retainer 60 has an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the spacer 54 and smaller than the inner diameter of the lock pin 32, and prevents the cable 52 from coming off from the lock pin. Further, each protrusion 56 of the spacer 54 is formed to have such strength that it can be torn off from the spacer when a force equal to or greater than a predetermined value is applied to the spacer along its axial direction. If these protrusions 56 are cut off from the spacer 54, the spacer will come off the locking pin 32, thereby allowing the cable 5
2 and the lock pin 32 are disconnected.

As a result, the locking pin 32 is pushed out of the guide sleeve 38 by the spring 42. In this way, the spacer 54 as the first connection member constitutes a part of the connection release means in this invention.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a cylindrical mounting member 60 is fixed to the other end of the outer tube 50. As shown in FIGS. A threaded portion is formed on the outer periphery of the member 60,
A pair of nuts 62 are screwed into this threaded portion. The other end of the tube 50 is fixed to the bracket 44 by a nut 62. Further, the other end of the cable 52 protruding from the attachment member 60 is connected to a cable end 64 as a second connecting member. The cable end 64 has a base 64a, which is rotatably attached to a support pin 66 that projects from the operating lever 46 of the brake pedal 34.

The cable end 64 also has a pair of parallel legs 64b extending from the base 64a. A ball 68 is fixed to the other end of the cable 52, and this ball is fitted between the legs 64b. Here, the cable end 64 is made of synthetic resin, and when a force of more than a predetermined value is applied between the cable end and the cable 52 in the direction in which they are separated from each other, the leg portions 64b are moved in the direction in which they are separated from each other. It is formed so that the ball 68 can be elastically deformed and come out from between the legs. The cable end 64 as the second connection member constitutes a part of the connection release means.

As described above, since the lock pin 32 is connected to the brake pedal 34 via the connection mechanism 36, when the brake pedal 34 is not depressed as shown by the solid line in FIG. A spring 42 within 38 holds it in a locked position protruding from the guide sleeve. Also, the brake pedal 34 is
When the pedal is depressed as shown by the dashed line in the figure, the cable 52 is pulled toward the brake pedal, thereby causing
The lock pin 34 is moved inward of the guide sleeve 38, that is, to the unlocked position, against the biasing force of the spring 42.

The dimensions of each part of the locking mechanism are set so that the following relationships hold when the locking mechanism 30 is properly attached to the vehicle body and the brake pedal 34 is not depressed. As shown in FIG.
The distance between the tip of the leg 64b and the end of the member 60 for installation is L2.
, when the distance between the ball 68 and the end of the mounting member 60 is LIs, and the overlap length of the lock pin 32 with respect to the guide sleeve 38 is L3, these dimensions are Ll>L3.
>L2 relationship is established.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 70 indicates a key cylinder, and this key cylinder has a key interface that allows the ignition key 72 to be removed from the key cylinder only when the selector lever 10 is set to the parking position. A locking mechanism is provided.

Next, the operation of the selector lever device configured as above will be explained.

As shown in FIG. 1, when the selector lever 10 is set to the parking position, the suppression button 14 is not pressed, and the brake pedal 34 is not depressed, for example when the vehicle is parked. , the detent pin 18 is located in the first position and the detent plate 22
It is engaged with the stepped portion P of. And the brake pedal 34
Since the lock pin 32 of the lever lock mechanism 30 is not depressed, the lock pin 32 of the lever lock mechanism 30 is held at the lock position.

Therefore, the detent pin 18 is prevented from moving from the first position to the second position by the lock pin 32, and is locked in the first position shown.

Therefore, even if the operation button 14 is pressed, the detent pin 18 cannot be moved to the second position, and the selector lever 10 is held in a state where it cannot be switched.

The switching operation of the selector lever 10 is performed using the brake pedal 3.
This becomes possible only by stepping on step 4.

That is, when the brake pedal 32 is depressed, the operating lever 46 is rotated clockwise around the rotation shaft 45. Then, as the lever 46 rotates, the cable 52 of the lock cable 48 pulls the lock pin 32 into the guide sleeve 38. As a result, the lock pin 32 is moved to the unlocked position away from the movement path of the detent pin 18, as shown in FIG. As a result, the detent pin 18 is unlocked and can be moved from the first position to the second position. In this state, when the press button 14 of the selector lever 10 is pressed, the detent pin 18 moves from the first position to the second position and leaves the step P.
As a result, switching operation of the selector lever 10 becomes possible. After the selector lever 10 is switched from the parking position to, for example, the drive position, when the depression force on the brake pedal 34 is released, the lock pin 32 is urged by the spring 42 to return to the lock position and wait there.

When switching the selector lever 10 from the drive position to the parking position P again, for example, the operation button 14 is first pressed to move the detent pin 18 to the second position and remove it from the step. In this state, the selector lever 10 is rotated to the parking position P. Here, the lock pin 32 is held in the lock position and the detent pin 18
protruding from the moving path. Therefore, while the selector lever 10 is rotating, the detent pin 18 comes into contact with the tip of the lock pin 32 and pushes the lock pin toward the unlocked position against the biasing force of the spring 42. Therefore, the selector lever 10 can be rotated to the parking position P. Subsequently, when the pressing force applied to the pressing button 14 is removed, the detent pin 18 returns from the second position to the first position by the action of the return spring, and engages with the stepped portion P of the detent plate 22. match. Thereby, the selector lever 10 is held at the parking position P.

At the same time, as the detent pin 18 moves to the first position, the pressing force that presses the lock pin 32 toward the unlocked position is released. Therefore, the locking pin 32 is again moved to the locking position by the spring 42, locking the detent pin 18 in the first position. As a result, the state shown in FIG. 1 is set again, and the selector lever 10 is locked to the parking position P.

According to the selector lever device configured as above,
Since the lever lock mechanism 30 is provided which operates in conjunction with the depression of the brake pedal, it is possible to obtain a structure in which the selector lever cannot be switched from the parking position to any other position unless the brake pedal is depressed. . Therefore, there is no possibility of erroneous operation by the driver.
Even if the selector lever is switched during warm-up or immediately after revving, sudden start of the vehicle can be reliably prevented.

On the other hand, if the lock mechanism 30 breaks down for some reason,
For example, if the lock pin 32 is stuck to the guide sleeve 38 and cannot be moved toward the unlocked position, the brake pedal will not rotate even if the brake pedal 34 is depressed with a normal depression force. In such a case, the brake pedal 34 is depressed even more forcefully. As a result, a larger tension is applied to the inner cable 52 of the shift lock cable 48 than that applied during normal braking operation. This excessive tension acts as a shearing force on the proximal end of each protrusion 56 of the spacer 54, and when this shearing force exceeds the aforementioned predetermined value, each protrusion is severed from the spacer at its proximal end.

Therefore, the spacer 54 is pulled out of the locking pin 32 by the cable 52, and at the same time the locking pin is pulled out from the locking pin 32 by the spring 42.
It is pushed out from the tip of the guide sleeve 38 and falls. As a result, the cable 52 can be freely moved according to the operation of the brake pedal, and the brake operation can be prevented from being obstructed by the lock mechanism 30. Also,
Since the lock pin 32 falls off from the guide sleeve 38, the detent pin 18 is unlocked. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the shift lever 10 from becoming impossible to switch from the parking position P to another position.

Note that the excessive tension of the cable 52 also acts on the cable end 64 via the ball 68.

Therefore, the leg portion 64b of the cable end 64 tends to deform in the direction in which the ball 68 comes off from the cable end. However, in this embodiment, cable end 64 is configured to deform when subjected to a force greater than the force that causes protrusion 56 of spacer 54 to sever. Therefore, when the brake pedal 34 is strongly depressed with the lock pin 32 fixed, the protrusion 56 of the spacer 54 breaks first, and the cable end 64 does not deform.

Furthermore, even if the cable 52 is cut for some reason, the lock pin 32 is pushed out from the tip of the guide sleeve 38 along with a portion of the cable 52 by the biasing force of the spring 42, in the same manner as described above. Therefore, even in such a case, brake operation can be ensured and the selector lever 1
0 switching is guaranteed.

Furthermore, if the middle part of the lock cable 48 is compressed and the inner cable 52 is stuck, making it impossible for the inner cable to move in the direction of the brake pedal 34, even if the brake pedal 34 is depressed with a normal force, The brake pedal does not turn. In such a case, the brake pedal 34 is depressed even more forcefully. As a result, a larger tension than that applied during normal braking operation is applied to the portion of the inner cable 52 between the fixed portion and the cable end 64. This excessive tension may damage the ball 68 at the fitting portion between the cable end 64 and the ball 68.
acts in the direction of pulling it out from the cable end. When this tension exceeds the aforementioned predetermined value, the legs 64b of the cable end 64 are elastically deformed in the direction of separating from each other, and the ball 68 is pulled out from the cable end. Thereby, the brake pedal 34 becomes freely rotatable, and as a result,
Brake operation can be performed without being hindered by the lock mechanism 30. At the same time, due to the biasing force of the spring 42, the cable 52 is moved to the guide sleeve 38 together with the lock pin 32.
The lock pin and the distal end of the cable 52 fall out of the guide sleeve 38. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the selector lever 10 from being unlocked and becoming unable to switch the lever 10 from the parking position P to another position.

As shown in FIG. 3, the overlapping length L3 of the lock pin 32 with respect to the guide sleeve 38 is set smaller than the protruding length Ll of the cable 52 from the mounting member 60. Therefore, when the ball 68 comes off from the cable end 64, the lock pin 32 reliably falls off from the guide sleeve 38.

As described above, even if some kind of failure occurs in the lock mechanism 30, the connection between the brake pedal 34 and the lock pin 32 can be released by the connection release means, and as a result, the brake operation and the selector lever 10 cannot be operated. It is possible to reliably prevent the switching operation from becoming impossible.

Further, since the dimensions of each part of the locking mechanism 30 are set in the relationship Ll>L3>L2 as described above, the locking mechanism can be easily assembled to the vehicle body. In other words,
Before the lock mechanism 30 is assembled to the brake pedal 34 and the detent plate 22, the lock pin 32 is urged by the spring 42 in a direction to protrude from the guide sleeve 38. Similarly, the inner cable 52 and the cable end 64 are also urged in the same direction by the spring 42, and they move in the above direction until the tip of the cable end 64 abuts the attachment member 60. Here, if L3 is set to L2, the lock pin 32 will fall out of the guide sleeve 38 when the cable end 64 moves by L2. Therefore, while assembling the locking mechanism 30 to the vehicle body, some means is used to push the lock pin into the guide sleeve 38 against the biasing force of the spring 42.
Work must be carried out with it pushed inside.

However, according to this embodiment, since L3>t, 2 is set, even if the cable end 64 moves by L2, the lock pin 32 is still held by the guide sleeve 38 and falls off from the guide sleeve. Never. Therefore, when assembling the lock mechanism 30, it is not necessary to use any means to hold the lock pin 32 within the guide sleeve 38, and work efficiency is greatly improved.

Note that this invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified in various ways within the scope of this invention.

For example, in the embodiment described above, the spacer 54 is configured to separate from the lock pin 32 when the brake pedal 34 is strongly depressed with the lock pin 32 fixed. However, the cable end 64 and the inner cable 52 may be disconnected from each other at the same time as the spacer 54 is removed. Further, the cable end 64 and the inner cable 52 may be disconnected from each other before the spacer 54 is removed.

The lock pin 32 and the spacer 54 may be configured as shown in FIG.

According to this modification, an annular engagement groove 70 is formed in the inner peripheral surface of the lock pin 32. The spacer 54 has an annular protrusion 72 fitted in the engagement groove 70 instead of a protrusion.
have. The protrusion 72 is formed so as to be cut off from the spacer 54 when a tension equal to or greater than a predetermined value is applied to the spacer 54 via the inner cable 52 of the lock cable 48 .

When using the spacer 54 configured in this way,
The same advantages as in the above embodiment can be obtained.

Further, in the above embodiment, the connection release means is configured to have the first and second connection members, but even if only one of the connection members is provided, that is, only one end of the inner cable 52 is provided. The same advantages as in the above embodiment can be obtained even when the connection is detachable.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, the selector lever device of the present invention is configured such that the selector lever cannot be switched from the parking position to any other position unless the brake pedal is depressed to release the lock of the selector lever. ing. Therefore, a sudden start of the vehicle can be reliably prevented without causing any erroneous operation by the driver.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 5 show a selector lever device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a side view showing the entire device, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the selector lever, and FIG. 3 is a side view showing the entire device. FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the connecting member; FIG. 5 is a side view of a part of the device in a different operating state from FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a modification of the connecting member. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Selector lever, 18... Detent pin, U2... Detent plate, 30... Lock mechanism, 34... Brake pedal, 36... Connection mechanism,
48...Shift lock cable. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue 81 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 2 Figure 3

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) In a selector lever device for a vehicle equipped with an automatic transmission, the selector mechanism includes a selector lever that can be switched to a plurality of setting positions including a parking position where the output shaft of the automatic transmission is fixed. , a locking mechanism that locks the selector lever in the parking position when the brake pedal is not depressed while the selector lever is in the parking position, and the locking mechanism is a lock that locks the selector lever in the parking position. a lock pin that is movable between a position and an unlock position that allows switching of the selector lever; a biasing means that biases the lock pin to the lock position; and one end connected to the brake pedal and the lock pin. and a connecting means for moving the lock pin to an unlock position in conjunction with depression of a brake pedal. (2) The selector mechanism includes a detent plate that is provided adjacent to the selector lever and has a plurality of engaging portions corresponding to the plurality of set positions of the selector lever, and the selector lever has a detent plate that is provided adjacent to the selector lever. It is movable between a first position in which it engages with one of the engaging parts to hold the selector lever at a corresponding set position and a second position in which it disengages from said engaging part and allows switching of the selector lever. a detent pin provided in the locking position, the locking pin is configured to restrict movement of the detent pin of the selector lever switched to the parking position from the first position to the second position in the locking position; The vehicle selector lever device according to claim 1, wherein the detent pin is provided to allow movement between the first position and the second position in the unlocked position. . (3) The connecting means includes a cable member that connects the lock pin and the brake pedal, and a disconnection release that releases the link between the lock pin and the brake pedal when a tension of a predetermined value or more is applied to the cable member. The selector lever device for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: means.