Gearshift device for a vehicle transmission and method for determining a selector lever position in a gearshift device for a vehicle transmission

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10544859-B2
Application number	US-201515535192-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2015
Priority date	Dec 12, 2014
Publication date	Jan 28, 2020
Grant date	Jan 28, 2020

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a shifting device for a vehicle transmission. The shifting device comprises a gearshift lever for selecting a transmission setting of the vehicle transmission, wherein the gearshift lever can move along at least one first shift gate and one second shift gate, a marking element mechanically coupled to the gearshift lever, having at least one first marking line dedicated to the first shift gate and one second marking line dedicated to the second shift gate, a guide assembly, which is configured to guide the marking element along the first marking line to a detection position when the gearshift lever is moved along the first shift gate, and to move the marking element along the second marking line to the detection position when the gearshift lever is moved along the second shift gate, and lastly, a detection device, which is disposed at the detection position and is configured to create a movement signal representing a movement of the first marking line and/or the second marking line in relation to the detection position, in order to determine a position of the gearshift lever in the first shift gate and/or the second shift gate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A shifting device for a vehicle transmission, the shifting device comprising:
a gearshift lever for selecting a transmission setting, wherein the gearshift lever can move along a first shift gate and one second shift gate;
a marking element mechanically coupled to the gearshift lever, having a first marking line dedicated to the first shift gate and one second marking line dedicated to the second shift gate;
a guide assembly configured to guide the marking element to a detection position along the first marking line when the gearshift lever is moved along the first shift gate, and guide the marking element to the detection position along the second marking line when the gearshift lever is moved along the second shift gate; and
a detection device disposed at the detection position and configured to create a movement signal representing a movement of the first marking line or the second marking line in relation to the detection position in order to determine a position of the gearshift lever in the first shift gate or the second shift gate,
further comprising an evaluation device, which is configured to determine a speed of the movement of the first marking line or the second marking line on the basis of the movement signal, to determine a distance travelled on the first marking line or the second marking line as a function of the speed, and to determine the position of the gearshift lever in the first shift gate or the second shift gate as a function of the distance.

2. The shifting device according to claim 1 , wherein the first marking line has numerous different markings for marking predetermined positions of the gearshift lever in the first shift gate, and the second marking line has numerous different markings for marking predetermined positions of the gearshift lever in the second shift gate, wherein the detection device is configured to create the movement signal on the basis of the markings on the first marking line, and on the basis of the markings on the second marking line.

3. The shifting device according to claim 2 , wherein the first marking line has numerous spacing lines of different lengths for marking a respective spacing between the markings on the first marking line, and the second marking line has numerous spacing lines of different lengths for marking a respective spacing between the markings on the second marking line, wherein the detection device is configured to also create the movement signal on the basis of the spacing lines on the first marking line and the spacing lines on the second marking line.

4. The shifting device according to claim 3 , wherein the first marking line has a first middle position marking for marking a middle position of the gearshift lever in the first shift gate, and the second marking line has a second middle position marking for marking a middle position of the gearshift lever in the second shift gate, wherein a respective length of the spacing lines on the first marking line represents a respective spacing of the spacing line to the first middle position marking and a respective length of the spacing lines on the second marking line represents a respective spacing of the spacing line to the second middle position marking.

5. The shifting device according to claim 1 , wherein the gearshift lever is disposed such that it can move along a changing gate in order to change between the first shift gate and the second shift gate, wherein the marking element has a third middle position marking dedicated to the changing gate, wherein the guide assembly is configured to guide the marking element to the detection position along a third marking line when the gearshift lever is moved along the changing gate and wherein the detection device is configured to create a movement signal representing a movement of the third marking line in relation to the detection position in order to determine a position of the gearshift lever in the changing gate.

6. The shifting device according to claim 5 , wherein the third marking line is substantially oriented perpendicular to the first marking line and to the second marking line.

7. The shifting device according to claim 5 , wherein the third marking line is substantially oriented perpendicular to the first marking line or to the second marking line.

8. The shifting device according to claim 1 , further comprising a housing base part, a housing insert disposed in the housing base part, and a crosspiece, which is pivotably disposed in the housing insert, in order to move the gearshift lever between the first shift gate and the second shift gate, wherein the gearshift lever is pivotably disposed in the crosspiece, in order to be moved along the first shift gate and the second shift gate, and wherein the crosspiece is mechanically coupled to the guide assembly, in order to change a position of the guide assembly in relation to the detection position when the gearshift lever is moved between the first shift gate and the second shift gate.

9. The shifting device according to claim 1 , wherein a main plane of extension of the marking element is disposed substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the gearshift lever.

10. A system comprising a computer mouse sensor system as the detection device in a shifting device according to claim 1 .

11. The shifting device according to claim 1 , wherein the first marking line has numerous different markings for marking predetermined positions of the gearshift lever in the first shift gate, and the second marking line has numerous different markings for marking predetermined positions of the gearshift lever in the second shift gate, wherein the detection device is configured to create the movement signal on the basis of the markings on the first marking line, or on the basis of the markings on the second marking line.

12. The shifting device according to claim 11 , wherein the first marking line has numerous spacing lines of different lengths for marking a respective spacing between the markings on the first marking line, and the second marking line has numerous spacing lines of different lengths for marking a respective spacing between the markings on the second marking line, wherein the detection device is configured to also create the movement signal on the basis of the spacing lines on the first marking line or the spacing lines on the second marking line.

13. The shifting device according to claim 12 , wherein the first marking line has a first middle position marking for marking a middle position of the gearshift lever in the first shift gate, and the second marking line has a second middle position marking for marking a middle position of the gearshift lever in the second shift gate, wherein a respective length of the spacing lines on the first marking line represents a respective spacing of the spacing line to the first middle position marking, or a respective length of the spacing lines on the second marking line represents a respective spacing of the spacing line to the second middle position marking.

14. The shifting device according to claim 1 , further comprising a housing base part, a housing insert disposed in the housing base part, and a crosspiece, which is pivotably disposed in the housing insert, in order to move the gearshift lever between the first shift gate and the second shift gate, wherein the gearshift lever is pivotably disposed in the crosspiece, in order to be moved along the first shift gate or the second shift gate, and wherein the crosspiece is mechanically coupled to the guide assembly, in order to change a position of the guide assembly in relation to the detection position when the

Assignees

• Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen

Inventors

• Fribus Vitali
• Kirilenko Alexander
• Strassburg Karsten
• Tränkner Sascha
• Rake Ludger

Classifications

• F16H59/0204 Primary

  for automatic transmissions with means for range selection and manual shifting, e.g. range selector with tiptronic · CPC title

• G05G1/04

  Controlling members for hand actuation by pivoting movement, e.g. levers · CPC title

• F16H59/105

  consisting of electrical switches or sensors · CPC title

• G01D5/26

  characterised by optical transfer means, i.e. using infrared, visible, or ultraviolet light · CPC title

• F16H59/044 Primary

  consisting of electrical switches or sensors · CPC title