JP2007071370A - Vehicle control device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle control device for preventing the operation of a selecting operation means by an occupant other than a driver in a vehicle adopting a shift-by-wire system. <P>SOLUTION: The vehicle control device comprises the selecting operation means 30 for selecting the shift range of an automatic transmission, the selecting operation means 30 being arranged only on a counter front passenger seat side beyond the center in the cross direction of a steering wheel 31 in view from a driver's seat side, and a control means for controlling an actuator in accordance with the selected shift range to change over the shift range of the automatic transmission into the selected shift range. Since the selecting operation means 30 is arranged only on the counter front passenger seat side beyond the center of the steering wheel 31 in view from the driver's seat side, another crew than the driver hardly gets at the selecting operation means 30. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle control device.

  Conventionally, as a selection operation means for selecting and operating a shift range of an automatic transmission mounted on a vehicle, a shift lever arranged between a driver seat and a passenger seat, a column type extending from a steering column to a passenger seat side There are known shift levers (column-type levers), paddle-type shift levers (paddle-type levers) disposed on the passenger seat side of the steering column and behind the steering wheel as viewed from the driver's seat side. Some paddle levers are provided on the passenger seat side and on the anti-passenger seat side, and the paddle lever on the passenger seat side is shifted down and the paddle lever on the anti-passenger seat side is shifted up. In addition, Patent Document 1 discloses operation means (selection operation means) supported on the passenger seat side of the steering column.

As described above, all or part of the conventional selection operation means is arranged on the passenger seat side as viewed from the driver seat side. The passenger seat side is easily reachable from other occupants, and if the selection operation means is arranged at such a position, the selection operation means may be operated by other occupants, which is preferable for safety. Absent.
In recent years, a so-called shift-by-wire vehicle control device that switches the shift range of an automatic transmission using an actuator has been adopted. According to the shift-by-wire method, the driver can switch the shift range with a small force compared to the conventional method in which the operation force of the selection operation means operated by the driver is mechanically transmitted to switch the shift range. . Therefore, the operability is good for the driver. However, since this means that it is easy for other occupants to operate, the shift-by-wire system further requires measures to prevent the selection operation means from being operated by other occupants.

Japanese Patent Publication No.8-2735

  The present invention was created in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device that prevents an operation of a selection operation means by a passenger other than a driver in a vehicle that employs a shift-by-wire system. To do.

According to the first to sixth aspects of the present invention, since the selection operation means is disposed only on the counter-passenger seat side from the center in the left-right direction of the steering handle when viewed from the driver seat side, the selection operation means can be selected by a passenger other than the driver. It is hard to reach. Therefore, the operation of the selection operation means by other occupants can be prevented, and the safety of the vehicle is further improved.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the column type lever as the selection operation means is arranged on the side opposite to the passenger seat from the center in the left-right direction of the steering handle, it is difficult for other passengers to reach the column type lever.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the paddle type lever as the selection operation means is disposed on the side opposite to the passenger seat from the center in the left-right direction of the steering handle, so that it is difficult for other passengers to reach the paddle type lever.
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the push button switch as the selection operation means is arranged on the side of the passenger seat from the center in the left-right direction of the steering handle, so that it is difficult for other passengers to reach the push button switch.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the selection operation means is arranged on the opposite side of the passenger seat from the center of the steering wheel in the left-right direction on the instrument panel, it is difficult for other passengers to reach the selection operation means.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the selection operation means is disposed on the driver door disposed on the anti-passenger seat side, it is difficult for other passengers to reach the selection operation means.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In each embodiment, the component with the same code | symbol respond | corresponds with the component of the other embodiment to which the code | symbol was attached | subjected. In the following description, “electronic control unit” is abbreviated as “ECU”.
(First embodiment)
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the shift-by-wire system 10 as the vehicle control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The shift-by-wire system 10 is a system for switching a shift range of an automatic transmission (not shown) by a shift-by-wire system, and is electrically or optically connected to an automatic transmission control ECU, an engine control ECU, a brake control ECU, etc. (not shown) via an in-vehicle LAN line. Connected. The shift-by-wire system 10 is mechanically connected to the automatic transmission control device 17 by connecting the actuator 13 to the control shaft 15 of the automatic transmission control device 17.

  The automatic transmission control device 17 is a device that controls the automatic transmission, and includes a housing 19, an automatic transmission control ECU, a plurality of electromagnetic valves housed in the housing 19, a manual valve and an actuator housed in the housing 19. 13 includes a detent mechanism 14 that transmits a rotational driving force of 13 to the spool 18, a parking lock mechanism 22, and the like. The manual valve is provided with a spool 18 that can reciprocate in the axial direction. For example, the automatic transmission has a forward (D) range, a reverse (R) range, a parking (P) range, and a neutral (N) range. When the spool 18 moves in the axial direction, the moving position ( The hydraulic pressure applied to the oil passage in the automatic transmission is switched according to the range position, and the shift range is switched. The automatic transmission control ECU increases or decreases the hydraulic pressure applied to each friction element of the automatic transmission by electrically controlling each electromagnetic valve, and switches between engagement and release of the friction element. When the engagement and release of the friction element are switched, the shift stage of the automatic transmission is switched.

  The detent mechanism 14 includes a control shaft 15, a detent plate 16, a roller 21 that restricts rotation of the detent plate 16, a leaf spring 20 that cantilever-supports the roller 21, and the like. The control shaft 15 is arranged in a posture orthogonal to the axis of the spool 18. A detent plate 16 is fixed to the control shaft 15 so as to rotate integrally. The detent plate 16 is formed in a fan-like plate shape. As shown in the figure, the detent plate 16 is provided with a cylindrical output shaft 16a that projects perpendicularly to the board surface. The output shaft 16a is engaged with the spool 18, and when the detent plate 16 rotates, the spool 18 is driven by the output shaft 16a to reciprocate in the axial direction. In addition, as shown in the drawing, the detent plate 16 has a plurality of recesses 16b formed on the outer circumference of the arc shape. Each of the plurality of recesses 16b is formed corresponding to a specific range position. The roller 21 is selectively engaged with the plurality of recesses 16b, and when the rotational driving force is not applied to the detent plate 16, the roller 21 is engaged with any one of the recesses 16b, whereby the detent plate 16 The rotation is restricted.

  The parking lock mechanism 22 is configured to stop the rotation of the output shaft of the automatic transmission by engaging a claw 24a of the parking lock pole 24 with a recess formed in the outer peripheral portion of the parking gear 23. One end of the L-shaped park rod 25 is fixed to the detent plate 16, and a tapered cone-shaped cam 27 is fitted to the other end. The cam 27 is fitted to the park rod 25 while being pressed to the other end side by the spring 26, and can reciprocate along the park rod 25. As the detent plate 16 rotates, the park rod 25 reciprocates, so that the cam 27 moves the parking lock pole 24 up and down. The reason why the spring 26 is interposed is that the parking lock pole 24 and the parking gear 23 are quickly engaged when the synchronization is established. When the detent plate 16 rotates to the angle at which the recess 16c corresponding to the P range position in the detent plate 16 engages with the roller 21, the spool 18 moves to the P range position and the pawl 24a of the parking lock pole 24 moves to the parking gear. The rotation of the output shaft of the automatic transmission is mechanically prohibited. This achieves the P range.

Next, the shift-by-wire system 10 will be described.
The shift-by-wire system 10 includes a selection operation unit 11, a shift-by-wire control ECU (hereinafter referred to as “SBW control ECU”) 12 as a control unit, an actuator 13, and the like.
The SBW control ECU 12 is an electronic circuit mainly composed of a microcomputer. The selection operation means 11 and the actuator 13 are electrically connected to the SBW control ECU 12. The SBW control ECU 12 controls the actuator 13 based on the shift range signal received from the selection operation means 11.

The actuator 13 includes an electric motor, a speed reduction mechanism, and the like. The electric motor is rotated by being controlled by the SBW control ECU 12, and the rotation driving force is increased by the speed reduction mechanism and transmitted to the control shaft 15 of the detent mechanism 14.
In the shift-by-wire system 10, since the spool 18 is driven by the actuator 13, it is not necessary to mechanically transmit the operation force of the selection operation means 11 operated by the driver to the spool 18. Therefore, in the shift-by-wire system 10, the selection operation means 11 can be arranged at an arbitrary position around the driver's seat.

Next, the selection operation means 11 will be described.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the vicinity of a driver seat of a vehicle equipped with the automatic transmission and the automatic transmission control device 17 described above. In FIG. 1, the driver seat, the passenger seat, and the driver door are omitted. The driver's seat is disposed on the front side of the plane of the steering wheel 31 as a steering handle, and the passenger seat is disposed on the left side of the plane of the driver's seat. A driver door is disposed on the right side of the driver's seat, that is, on the side opposite to the driver's seat.

  The vehicle includes a shaft (hereinafter referred to as “steering shaft”) that is connected to the steering wheel 31 and rotates around an axis, and a column (hereinafter referred to as “steering column”) that supports the shaft. The selection operation means 11 is configured as a column-type lever 30 that extends from the steering column to the anti-passenger seat side. In FIG. 1, a virtual straight line P indicates the center of the steering wheel 31 in the left-right direction when viewed from the driver's seat side. Therefore, the column type lever 30 is disposed on the side opposite to the passenger seat from the center of the steering wheel 31 in the left-right direction. The steering column is provided with a shift device (not shown), and the column lever 30 is supported by the shift device so as to be swingable in the circumferential direction of the steering wheel 31 or the axial direction of the steering shaft, for example. The driver selects a target shift range by swinging the column type lever 30 in the circumferential direction or the axial direction.

  When the driver swings the column type lever 30 and selects the shift range, a shift range signal corresponding to the swing position is output from the shift device to the SBW control ECU 12. When receiving the shift range signal, the SBW control ECU 12 controls the actuator 13 to move the spool 18 to the range position corresponding to the shift range signal. As a result, the shift range of the automatic transmission is switched.

According to the first embodiment described above, the column type lever 30 is disposed only on the side of the anti-passenger seat from the center of the steering wheel 31 when viewed from the driver's seat side. Is difficult to reach.
(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the vicinity of the driver's seat of the vehicle according to the second embodiment. The selection operation means 11 of the second embodiment is configured as a paddle lever 32. The paddle lever 32 is provided on the side opposite to the passenger seat of the steering column. Therefore, the paddle lever 32 is disposed on the side opposite to the passenger seat from the center of the steering wheel 31 in the left-right direction. The steering column is provided with a range device (not shown), and the paddle type lever 32 is swingably supported by the range device. The range device may be provided on the steering wheel 31. The plurality of paddle levers 32 correspond to mutually different shift ranges. When one of the paddle levers 32 is pushed forward by the driver, a shift range signal corresponding to the pushed paddle lever 32 is output from the shift device to the SBW control ECU 12. According to the paddle lever 32, the selection can be directly switched from one shift range to another shift range, such as switching the selection directly from the D range to the P range. The paddle type lever 32 may be constituted by a single member so that the paddle type lever 32 is shifted up when it is pushed forward, and is shifted down when it is pushed backward.

According to the second embodiment, since the paddle lever 32 is disposed only on the side opposite to the passenger seat from the center in the left-right direction of the steering wheel 31 when viewed from the driver's seat side, it is difficult for other passengers to reach the paddle lever 32. .
The second embodiment is substantially the same as the first embodiment in other points.
(Third embodiment)

  FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the vicinity of the driver's seat of the vehicle according to the third embodiment. The selection operation means 11 of the third embodiment is configured as a plurality of push button switches 33 and is arranged on the instrument panel 34. More specifically, the instrument panel 34 is disposed on the side of the anti-passenger seat from the center in the left-right direction of the steering wheel 31 when viewed from the driver's seat side. The plurality of push button switches 33 correspond to mutually different shift ranges. When one of the push button switches 33 is pressed by the driver, a shift range signal corresponding to the pressed push button switch 33 is output to the SBW control ECU 12.

According to the third embodiment, the push button switch 33 is disposed only on the counter-passenger seat side from the center of the steering wheel 31 in the instrument panel 34 when viewed from the driver's seat side. It is hard to reach.
The third embodiment is substantially the same as the first embodiment in other points.

(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the selection operation means 11 according to the fourth embodiment. The selection operation means 11 of the fourth embodiment is configured as a plurality of push button switches 36 as in the third embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, the push button switch 36 is disposed on the console portion of the driver door 35. Since the driver door 35 is located on the counter-passenger seat side from the steering wheel 31, the push button switch 36 is therefore disposed on the counter-passenger seat side from the center in the left-right direction of the steering wheel 31. When one of the push button switches 36 is pressed by the driver, a shift range signal corresponding to the pressed push button switch 36 is output to the SBW control ECU 12 as in the third embodiment.

According to the fourth embodiment, since the push button switch 36 is disposed only on the driver door 35, it is difficult for other passengers to reach the push button switch 36.
The fourth embodiment is substantially the same as the first embodiment in other points.
According to the selection operation means 11 according to the first to fourth embodiments of the present invention described above, the selection operation means 11 is disposed only on the counter-passenger seat side from the center in the left-right direction of the steering wheel 31 when viewed from the driver seat side. Therefore, it is difficult to reach the selection operation means 11 from a passenger other than the driver. Therefore, the operation of the selection operation means 11 by another occupant can be prevented, and the safety of the vehicle is further improved.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said several embodiment, It can apply to various embodiment in the range which does not deviate from the summary. For example, a sliding shift lever may be arranged on the console part of the driver's door or on the counter-passenger side of the instrument panel, and the shift range may be selected by sliding the shift lever. A push button switch corresponding to the range may be arranged along the inner periphery of the steering wheel 31 on the side opposite to the passenger seat.

The schematic diagram which shows the driver's seat periphery which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The schematic diagram of the vehicle control apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The schematic diagram which shows the driver's seat periphery which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The schematic diagram which shows the driver's seat periphery which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The schematic diagram which shows the driver's seat periphery which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Shift-by-wire system (vehicle control apparatus), 11 Selection operation means, 12 Shift-by-wire control ECU (control means), 13 Actuator, 30 Column type lever (selection operation means), 31 Steering wheel (steering handle), 32 Paddle type lever (Selection operation means), 33 push button switch (selection operation means), 34 instrument panel, 34 push button switch (selection operation means), 35 door for driver

Claims (6)

Selection operation means for a driver to select and operate a shift range of an automatic transmission mounted on a driver's seat, a passenger seat arranged on either the left or right of the driver's seat, and a steering wheel. Selection operation means disposed only on the side opposite to the passenger seat from the center in the left-right direction of the steering handle as viewed from the driver seat side;
An actuator for switching a shift range of the automatic transmission;
Control means for controlling the actuator based on the shift range selected by the selection operation means, and for switching the shift range of the automatic transmission to the shift range selected by the selection operation means;
A vehicle control device comprising: The vehicle includes a shaft connected to the steering handle and a column supporting the shaft,
The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the selection operation means is a column-type lever extending from the column to the anti-passenger seat side.   2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the selection operation means is a paddle lever disposed behind the steering handle as viewed from the driver's seat side.   The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the selection operation means is a plurality of push button switches corresponding to different shift ranges.   The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the selection operation unit is disposed on an instrument panel. The vehicle includes a driver door on a side opposite to the driver's seat,
The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the selection operation means is disposed on the driver door.

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