Shift Element for a Vehicle Gearbox

Abstract

A shift element for a vehicle gearbox is designed to be displaced parallel to an actuation direction. The shift element has a mechanism which is designed to convert a drive movement applied to a drive interface of the mechanism into a displacement of the shift element parallel to the actuation direction.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A shift element for a shiftable vehicle gearbox which is constructed to be displaced parallel with an activation direction, comprising: a mechanism which is constructed to convert a drive movement which is applied to a drive interface of the mechanism into a displacement of the shift element parallel with the activation direction.

17. The shift element as claimed in claim 16, wherein the drive movement is constructed as a rotational movement and/or the activation direction is constructed to be linear.

18. The shift element as claimed in claim 16, wherein the mechanism has a gearbox which is constructed to convert the drive movement into the displacement of the shift element, and the gearbox has a movement thread, a ball screw drive or a combination of a pinion and a rack.

19. The shift element as claimed in claim 18, wherein the shift element is directly connected to a gearbox output of the gearbox.

20. The shift element as claimed in claim 16, wherein the mechanism is integrated in the shift element.

21. The shift element as claimed in claim 16, wherein the shift element is constructed to adjust a shift position in the vehicle gearbox, and the shift element is constructed as a shift fork.

22. The shift element as claimed in claim 16, wherein the shift element has a locking mechanism which is constructed to lock the shift element in at least one position parallel with the activation direction, and the locking mechanism is constructed as a positive-locking locking mechanism with resilient pretensioning force.

23. The shift element as claimed in claim 16, wherein the shift element has a detection mechanism which is constructed to detect a position of the shift element in the activation direction.

24. An actuator for a shiftable vehicle gearbox, comprising: a shift element as claimed in claim 16, wherein the actuator is constructed to adjust at least two shift positions of the shiftable vehicle gearbox with the shift element.

25. The actuator as claimed in claim 24, further comprising: a drive device which is constructed to apply the drive movement to the mechanism, wherein the drive device is directly connected to the drive interface of the mechanism.

26. The actuator as claimed in claim 25, wherein the actuator is constructed to be provided at least partially in the vehicle gearbox.

27. The actuator as claimed in claim 24, wherein the actuator has a control unit which is constructed to control the actuator.

28. The actuator as claimed in claim 16, further comprising: a signal interface which is constructed to receive a control signal in order to control the actuator and/or which is constructed to transmit a status signal of the actuator to a receiver, and/or an energy interface which is constructed to receive energy for operating the actuator.

29. A vehicle gearbox, comprising: a shift element as claimed in claim 16.

30. A vehicle gearbox, comprising: an actuator as claimed in claim 24.

31. The vehicle gearbox as claimed in claim 29, wherein the vehicle gearbox has at least two shift positions, is constructed for an electrically driven vehicle, and/or is constructed for a utility vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a shift element according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows the shift element from FIG. 1 with a drive device.

[0040] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of an actuator according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0041] FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of another embodiment of an actuator according to the invention.

[0042] FIG. 5 is a detailed illustration of an actuator according to the diagram of FIG. 3.

[0043] FIG. 6 is a detailed illustration of an actuator according to the diagram of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a shift element 1. This shift element 1 is indicated as an element which extends in a downward direction. At the upper end thereof, this shift element 1 has a mechanism M. The mechanism M has a drive interface 8 which extends to the left. The drive interface 8 is in this embodiment constructed so as to be able to rotate about an axis which is located horizontally in the drawing plane. The drive interface 8 is in this instance constructed, for example, as a shaft. Furthermore, an activation direction X which corresponds in the drawing to a direction from right to left or vice versa is illustrated. Finally, a drive movement Y is illustrated as a rotational movement of the drive interface 8.

[0045] The mechanism M is in this instance integrated in the shift element 1 and further constructed to convert the drive movement Y into a displacement of the shift element 1 parallel with the activation direction X. As a result of a drive movement Y which is applied to the drive interface 8, the shift element 1 is consequently displaced parallel with the activation direction X. As a result of the displacement of the shift element 1, a displacement of an element of a vehicle gearbox can be achieved in order to thus adjust a shift position in the vehicle gearbox or to change into a neutral position.

[0046] In further embodiments which are not illustrated, the drive movement Y is not constructed as a rotational movement but instead as a translational movement.

[0047] In further embodiments which are not illustrated, the activation direction X is not constructed as a translational movement but instead as a rotational or pivot movement.

[0048] FIG. 2 shows a possible connection of a drive device 7 to the drive interface 8.

[0049] The drive device 7 is constructed to apply the drive movement Y to the drive interface 8 and thus to bring about a displacement of the activation element 1 parallel with the activation direction X.

[0050] The drive device 7 is constructed in this instance as an electric motor.

[0051] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of an actuator A according to an embodiment of the invention. It has substantially the shift element 1 with the mechanism M and the drive interface 8, as described in relation to FIG. 1. The actuator A is constructed to be provided in a vehicle gearbox in order to adjust shift positions therein via the shift element 1.

[0052] The actuator A has, in order to be provided in the vehicle gearbox, a housing which is constructed for fitting in the vehicle gearbox. The housing is in this instance depicted as a dashed box.

[0053] To the left of the actuator A, there is illustrated a drive device 7 which is connected to the drive interface 8 and which is constructed to apply the drive movement Y to the drive interface 8. The drive device 7 is constructed in this instance as an electric motor.

[0054] Otherwise, the operating method of the actuator A is identical to that of the shift element 1 from FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0055] FIG. 4 is finally a schematic illustration of another embodiment as a development of the actuator A from FIG. 3. The structure of this actuator A is substantially identical to the actuator A from FIG. 3 but the drive device 7 is now integrated in the housing. This has the advantage that the actuator A can now be installed in its entirety, that is to say, with the drive device 7, in the vehicle gearbox.

[0056] Otherwise, the operating method is identical to the actuator A in FIG. 3.

[0057] FIG. 5 is a detailed illustration of an actuator A according to the diagram of FIG. 3. The drive device 7 is arranged in this instance outside the actuator A and connected to the drive interface 8 via a coupling 6. The drive interface 8 extends to the right and merges there into a spindle 3 which is supported in the actuator A by means of bearings 4.

[0058] The shift element 1 has the mechanism M which is constructed in this instance as follows.

[0059] The spindle 3 has at least on a portion of the periphery thereof a thread 3a which is in engagement with a nut 2 which has a corresponding inner thread (not shown). The spindle 3 extends to this end through the nut 2 from left to right, wherein the nut 2 and the spindle 3 are orientated coaxially relative to each other.

[0060] The nut 2 is further supported by means of bearings 5 in a rotationally secure manner, but so as to be able to be displaced parallel with the activation direction X so that the shift element 1 can also carry out a displacement of the nut 2 parallel with the activation direction X.

[0061] The operating method of the actuator A is as follows.

[0062] If a drive movement Y is applied to the drive interface 8 by the drive device 7, the spindle 3 is caused to carry out a rotational movement. The thread 3a on the spindle 3 causes the nut 2 to move parallel with the activation direction X, wherein a simultaneous rotational movement of the nut 2 about the axis of the spindle 3 is prevented by the bearings 5.

[0063] The activation element 1 can thereby be displaced parallel with the activation direction X without at the same time moving about the axis of the spindle 3.

[0064] FIG. 6 is finally a schematic illustration of another embodiment as a development of the actuator A from FIG. 5. The construction of this actuator A is substantially identical to the actuator A from FIG. 5, but the drive device 7 is now integrated in the housing. This has the advantage that the actuator A can be installed in its entirety, that is to say, with the drive device 7, in the vehicle gearbox.

[0065] Otherwise, the operating method is identical to that of the actuator A in FIG. 5.

[0066] The embodiments set out here do not have a limiting effect on the subject-matter of the invention. Instead, by adding, replacing or omitting individual features, other embodiments which also represent subject-matter of the present invention can be formed.

[0067] First, the embodiment of the mechanism M and shift element 1, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, can also be applied to the embodiments which are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0068] The mechanism M may further, in other embodiments in place of a combination of an outer thread 3a on the spindle 3 and inner thread in the nut 2, also have a corresponding ball screw drive. Alternatively, the mechanism M may also have a combination of a pinion and a rack, whereby a conversion of a rotational drive movement Y can also be converted into a translational displacement in the activation direction X.

[0069] In other embodiments of the invention, the mechanism has a gearbox which converts a rotational movement Y into a rotational displacement in the activation direction X. The activation direction X is in this instance constructed at least as part of a circular path. Such a gearbox may, for example, be constructed by means of a gear stage.

[0070] The drive interface 8 does not necessarily have to be constructed as a shaft which is constructed to carry out a rotational drive movement Y. It can instead also be constructed to absorb a translational drive movement. For example, the drive interface 8 is constructed to this end as a rod.

[0071] The drive device 7 shown can further also be constructed as a fluidic, that is to say, as a pneumatic or as a hydraulic drive device 7 or as a purely mechanical drive device 7. With a fluidic construction, there is provided, for example, a piston which is constructed to be able to be acted on with pressure from a fluid and which is further constructed to introduce a displacement, that is to say, a translational drive movement Y into the mechanism M via the drive interface 8. The mechanism M is then constructed, as described above, to accordingly convert the translational drive movement Y. With a mechanical construction of the drive device 7, a linkage or the like may further be provided in order to introduce a displacement into the mechanism M via the drive interface 8.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0072] 1 Shift element [0073] 2 Gearbox output [0074] 3 Spindle [0075] 3a Thread [0076] 4 Bearing [0077] 5 Bearing [0078] 6 Coupling [0079] 7 Drive device [0080] 8 Drive interface [0081] A Actuator [0082] M Mechanism [0083] X Activation device [0084] Y Drive movement