Vehicle operating device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9227560-B2
Application number	US-201414328315-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2014
Priority date	Jul 31, 2013
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

A cancelling drive member includes a biasing cam portion having a first biasing contact portion and a second biasing contact portion formed therein. A deflectable spring member that biases the cancelling drive member forward is provided. If the cancelling drive member rotates, an elastic pressure portion of the deflectable spring member is brought into contact with the first biasing contact portion. Thus, a forward biasing force and a returning force for rotation are effectively given from the deflectable spring member to the cancelling drive member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle operating device comprising:
a control lever configured to rotate from a neutral position to an operating position;
a rotation member configured to rotate together with the control lever;
a return biasing mechanism configured to generate a biasing force to return the control lever to the neutral position;
a temporary fixing mechanism configured to temporarily fix the control lever that is rotated to the operating position;
a cancelling drive member configured to be movably led by a fixing side guide between a retreat position and a protruding position and rotate when moving to the protruding position and receiving a cancelling force from the outside;
a deflectable spring member having a fixed base portion, the deflectable spring member extending in a plane that is perpendicular to a rotation shaft of the rotation member, the deflectable spring member urging the cancelling drive member toward the protruding position;
an advance/retreat control cam provided in one of the rotation member and the cancelling drive member, the advance/retreat control cam moving the cancelling drive member to the retreat position when the control lever is located at the neutral position and moving the cancelling drive member to the protruding position when the control lever rotates to the operating position;
an intermediate member configured to receive a rotational force generated when the cancelling drive member that has received the canceling force rotates;
a transfer guide unit provided between the intermediate member and the rotation member, the transfer guide unit transferring the rotational force exerted on the intermediate member by the cancelling drive member to the control lever, the transfer guide unit moving the rotation member relative to the intermediate member when a rotational force is exerted on the intermediate member by the cancelling drive member with the control lever restrained; and
an elastic member provided between the intermediate member and the rotation member, the elastic member urging the intermediate member toward an initial position at which position the rotational force is transferred to the rotation member.

2. The vehicle operating device according to claim 1 , wherein the cancelling drive member includes a biasing contact portion for receiving an elastic pressing force of the deflectable spring member, and rotation axes of the biasing contact portion and the cancelling drive member are disposed with a space therebetween in a direction that intersects a direction in which the cancelling drive member moves and protrudes.

3. The vehicle operating device according to claim 2 , wherein the control lever is set at one of two operating positions that are located on the opposite sides of the neutral position in a rotational direction, and the control lever is temporarily fixed at the operating position by the temporary fixing mechanism,
wherein the cancelling drive member is set so as to receive a canceling force in each of both the directions from the outside, and
wherein the biasing contact portion is located on both sides of the rotation axis of the cancelling drive member, a bent portion is formed in the free end portion of the deflectable spring, and each of portions on both sides of the bent portion is capable of being in contact with the biasing contact portion.

4. The vehicle operating device according to claim 2 , wherein the cancelling drive member has a groove formed therein in the middle of a thickness direction that is perpendicular to the plane, and the deflectable spring member enters the inside of the groove and is in contact with the biasing contact portion.

5. The vehicle operating device according to claim 1 , wherein the advance/retreat control cam is formed in the rotation member and has a shape of a protrusion protruding toward the rotation shaft, and a driven portion provided in the cancelling drive member is in contact with the advance/retreat control cam from the rotation shaft side.

6. The vehicle operating device according to claim 1 , wherein in the transfer guide unit, a slide protrusion is formed on one of the rotation member and the intermediate member, a slide cam is formed on the other, and the slide protrusion is slidably led by the slide cam,
wherein the intermediate member in an initial state in which the intermediate member does not receive a rotational force from the cancelling drive member is urged in a protruding direction of the cancelling drive member by the biasing force of the elastic member, and the intermediate member and the rotation member are rotatable together by the rotational force exerted on the intermediate member, and
wherein if the rotational force is exerted on the intermediate member by the cancelling drive member with the control lever restrained, the slide protrusion slides on the slide cam and, thus, the intermediate member rotates in a direction opposite to the protruding direction, and the intermediate member is retreated.

Assignees

• Alps Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kikuchi Tsuyoshi
• Masuya Yu
• Tanabe Nobuyuki

Classifications

• Y10T74/20396

  Hand operated · CPC title

• G05G1/04

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

• G05G5/05

  Means for returning or tending to return controlling members to an inoperative or neutral position, e.g. by providing return springs or resilient end-stops (G05G5/28 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60Q1/425 Primary

  using a latching element for resetting a switching element · CPC title

• G05G5/06

  for holding members in one or a limited number of definite positions only ({G05G5/005}, G05G5/03, G05G5/05, G05G5/28 take precedence) · CPC title