The present disclosure relates to a gearshift lever and a method for producing a gearshift lever for a motor vehicle.
For a gearshift lever, which is used for the shifting of gears in a motor vehicle transmission, electronic components can be attached to base body so that additional functions can be operated via this gearshift lever.
DE 198 01 526 A1 depicts a combined gearshift arrangement for a motor vehicle.
In this context, the present disclosure provides an improved gearshift lever and an improved method for producing a gearshift lever in accordance with the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments can be derived from the dependent claims and from the following description.
The assembling of electronic components, mechanic components and/or of mechatronic components to a base body requires a lot of work. By using an assembly injection molding procedure, such components can be produced in an automated way by means of a corresponding injection molding tool. This reduces a large portion of the assembling effort. By means of the herein presented approach of a gearshift lever with at least one mechatronic or mechanical component that is connected in a one-piece manner, it is possible to reduce costs and weight. Such a gearshift lever furthermore features a high durability and a low creep tendency. Additionally, a good electrical insolation is provided by means of the use of plastic material. The lower stiffness when compared to metal can be easily compensated by means of constructive adjustments.
A gearshift lever for selecting a gear ratio in a motor vehicle transmission is presented, wherein the gearshift lever features an injection molded plastic material and at least one mechatronic or mechanical component of the gearshift lever which is at least partially integrated into the gearshift lever.
A gearshift lever can be understood to be an operating element that can be operated by a person. The gearshift lever can be referred to as a selector lever. A plastic material can refer to a thermoplastic and/or to a thermoset or to a material mixture. The plastic material can be fiber-reinforced. An integrating can be understood to refer to a one-piece connection.
The component can be a pressure piece, which features at least one locking element that is mounted within the gearshift lever and a spring that is arranged between the locking element and a counter bearing. The counter bearing can be overmolded by the plastic material. The assembling effort can be reduced by means of an overmolding of a pressure piece.
The component may refer to a permanent magnet that is overmolded by means of the plastic material. A mechanically durable connection can be produced by means of an overmolding of a permanent magnet.
The component can be a contacting device in which electrically conductive conducting paths are overmolded by the plastic material. Conducting paths can be integrated into the gearshift lever in the form of leadframes, flex foils, circuit boards or stranded wires. The conducting paths are arranged within the gearshift lever and thus also protected by means of the overmolding of the conducting paths. An outer contour of the gearshift lever can be shaped in a simpler manner. The conducting paths can function as reinforcement elements for the gearshift lever.
The component can include at least one sensor. A sensor may refer to a magnetic field sensor or to a position sensor. The sensor can be contacted via at least partially injection molded conducting paths. Due to the overmolded sensor, it is possible to detect a measured value at a location within the gearshift lever that would overwise be inaccessible.
The component can be a damping element. The damping element can feature an elastic damping material, which is overmolded onto the plastic material by means of injection molding. By means of an overmolding of another material onto the plastic material of the gearshift lever, it is possible to simplify the interface geometry. Due to the overmolding, gaps can be prevented.
The component may include a magnetizable material. The material can be attached to the plastic material by means of the injection molding and be subsequently magnetized. An aligning of the magnetic field can be easily controlled by means of a subsequent magnetizing. Thus, a precise position detection can be achieved by means of magnetic field sensors.
The plastic material can be fiber-reinforced. A high mechanical stability of the gearshift lever can be achieved by means of incorporated fibers, such as glass fiber, carbon fiber or also natural fiber.
The gearshift lever can comprise an inlay that is made of a reinforcement material. The inlay can be overmolded by the plastic material. The reinforcement material may feature a higher stiffness than the plastic material. An inlay can be arranged at such positions of the gearshift lever that are particularly exposed to strain. The inlay may be made of carbon fiber, glass fiber or metal. The inlay can feature a simple geometry.
Furthermore, a method for producing a gearshift lever is presented, wherein the method includes the following steps:
providing of an injection molding tool for the gearshift lever;
injection molding of a plastic material into the injection molding tool, in order to form the gearshift lever; and
integrating of at least one mechatronic or mechanical component of the gearshift lever into the gearshift lever and/or into the injection molding tool, wherein the component is at least partially overmolded by the plastic material in the step of the injection molding, when the component is arranged within the injection molding tool.
The present embodiments are explained by means of the attached drawings in more detail in an exemplified manner. It is shown:
In the following description of preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, identical or similar reference signs are used for the elements that are shown in the various figures, which function in a similar way, wherein a repeated description of these elements is omitted.
Gearshift lever 100 may be arranged within a motor vehicle in the area of the center console. Thus far, such a gearshift lever 100 is made up of a selector control that is made of metal materials such as of steel, aluminum and/or zinc die casting. Mechanical and mechatronic sub-systems are only integrated into gearshift lever 100 by means of additional components and assembling procedures.
In other words,
Gearshift lever 100 of a selector control is a component for choosing a gear ratio in a motor vehicle transmission and thus far it is made of metal materials and in accordance with the herein presented approach, it is substituted by means of a gearshift lever that is made of a thermoplastic with short-glass fiber, long-glass fiber or also with a thermoset material.
All integrated sub-systems feature different advantages in their use and can be combined with each other according to necessity. Costs and weight of the component are reduced, and the functional variety is increased.
Thermoplastics or thermoplastic materials with short-glass fibers, long-glass fibers, carbon fibers or also thermosets or thermoset materials can be used for a plastic gearshift lever 100. For example, the herein used plastic material features a density of 1770 kg/m3, an E-Modul of 25000 MPa, a breaking tension of 280 MPa and a breaking strain of 1.9%. Thus, gearshift lever 100 may have a weight of about 43 g.
Gearshift lever 100 is mounted within the gear shifting system by means of a ball or cardan joint in the gearshift housings. The ball can be designed with or also without a ball socket and the cardan joint can be called a cross piece.
Gearshift lever 100 is optimized in a constructive manner with regard to its durability and stiffness in that grooves are minimized, locking contours are configured with a material thickening, an overall material thickening is included to increase the geometrical moment of inertia and the rib structure is changed. For example, gearshift lever 100 features a wall thickness of 2.5 mm to 3 mm.
Gearshift lever 100 can be produced from a thermoplastic material with glass fibers (short-glass fibers GF/long-glass fibers LGF) or also carbon fibers (CF) by means of the injection molding procedure. Another variant is to manufacture the gearshift lever from thermoset. Due to the use of plastic material, the component is electrically insulated.
If the stiffness of the used thermoplastics with short-glass or also long-glass fibers is not sufficient, an increase of the durability can be achieved in partial component sections. Steel inlays or also carbon fiber stripes can be used as inlays. The inlays are overmolded with the plastic material. This results in a greater stiffness of the unit. The steel inlays can be designed with a simple geometry. These reinforcements can be overmolded with a specific alignment of the fibers. Reinforcements can be used in the area with a maximum strain in the direction of the main deformation.
Pressure piece 300 is shown in a detailed depiction. The pressure piece 300 features a cup-shaped shell 302 in which a pressure spring 304 is arranged. Pressure spring 304 rests on a base of shell 302 and pushes a locking element 306 into a locking position at the open end of shell 302. In this example, locking element 306 is a ball. Locking element 306 can also be designed as a locking pin.
Conventionally, locking systems usually consist of two components, such as pin 306 and pressure spring 304 and are subsequently installed at a base body of the gearshift lever.
A plastic material gearshift lever 100 with an embedded spring-loaded pressure piece 300 is depicted, which is overmolded in the assembly injection molding process as an inlay made of the above-mentioned plastic material types. Pressure piece 300, which is to be overmolded, comprises a ball or a pin 306, a pressure spring 304 and a shell 302 that is made of steel or plastic. Gearshift lever 100 with the integrated spring-loaded pressure piece 300 forms a part of the locking systems in the shifting arrangement.
The plastic material gearshift lever 100 with pressure piece 300 allows for a miniaturization of shifting arrangements. In other words, much smaller shifting arrangements can be implemented. The overmolding of pressure piece 300 minimizes tolerances in the overall system and elasticities of the locking system. It furthermore results in an improvement of the hysteresis or friction characteristics in the locking system. The assembling effort is eliminated or reduced. In an ideal case, no lubrication will be needed. The herein depicted plastic material gearshift lever 100 features improved acoustic characteristics.
The plastic material gearshift lever 100 can furthermore also be additionally used along with the locking system comprising the pressure spring and locking pin.
The pressure piece can be overmolded or ball 306 can be pressed into the bore hole after the injection molding procedure. This results in a minimizing of the tolerances, a minimizing of the elasticities, an improvement of the hysteresis due to rolling friction, a cost reduction due to the reduction from three components to one component, since an assembling can be omitted. It is furthermore possible that a lubrication of the bearing location between pressure piece 300 and the locking arrangement is omitted and significantly smaller shifting arrangements can be implemented. The locking arrangement can be realized within the housing without any additional component.
In one embodiment, the locking system comprising pressure spring 304 and ball 306 is pressed or thermoformed in succession of the injection molding process, so that gearshift lever 100 and the locking system form one unit.
In an embodiment that is not depicted, a locking magnet is integrated into gearshift lever 100. The locking contour is depicted in the housing.
Elements 400 for noise reduction are usually produced as individual components and are then subsequently attached to the base body.
In accordance with an embodiment, a plastic material gearshift lever 100 with overmolded damping elements 400 is depicted in
By means of this assembling procedure, it is possible to achieve cost advantages when compared to a damping via a sealing ring and an acoustic improvement in the limit stops or the bearing.
Gliding material 500 is herein arranged at bearing location 104. Bearing location 104 is designed as ball joint. Gliding material 500 forms a gliding layer of the ball joint. Gliding material 500 can be used for a bearing damping and/or for a vibration damping.
In one embodiment, magnet 600 is manufactured in a magnetizing procedure that follows the injection molding process by means of a magnetizable material which is injected into gearshift lever 100. To accomplish this, gearshift lever 100 has been placed into an injection molding tool comprising a pocket for the magnetizable material after the injection molding process with the plastic material, just like in
The permanent magnet 600 is herein attached to gearshift lever 100 without any additional components. In other words, the permanent magnet 600 or also components 600, into which the magnetic field is magnetized in a subsequent procedure, is directly connected to gearshift lever 100.
An embedding of permanent magnets 600 and/or of magnetizable components 600 for a detection of the position of gearshift lever 100 by means of sensors within the shifting system is depicted.
Pressed plastic bonded or injection molded magnets and sintered magnets 600 can be overmolded in the injection molding process into partial sections of gearshift lever 100. It is also possible to inject a magnetizable components into the gearshift lever base body by means of the 2k-process. In a subsequent procedure the magnetic field will be magnetized. The detection of the positions within the gearshift lever in the shifting system is carried out by means of Hall or also 3D sensors.
A mechanical gliding system can thus be left out and the assembly is not necessary. The result is a minimizing of the mechanical tolerances as well as a minimizing of the electrical tolerances. Furthermore, a minimizing of the magnetic tolerances is achieved by means of a later application of the magnetic field, resulting in a minimization of the angular error.
In other words, an integrating of permanent magnet 600 for a detection of the position by means of Hall sensors or 3D sensors is realized by means of an overmolding or an attachment by means of clips. The permanent magnet can also be designed as a 2k-section with magnetizable plastic materials 600. A gliding system can thereby be left out, tolerances can be minimized, and an additional assembly is no longer necessary. To accomplish this, sintered magnets 600, pressed plastic material bound magnets 600 and/or plastic material bound injected magnets can be used.
The conducting paths 700 and the plugs 702, 704 have been allocated within the injection molding tool before the injection molding procedure and are at least partially enclosed by plastic material during the injection molding process.
It is possible to describe conducting paths 700 as knob connectors and they are an integrated sub-system comprising overmolded conducting paths 700 or flex foils and/or leadframes.
The embedding or overmolding of conducting paths 700, the contacting elements 702, 702, the plug contours and/or pins 702, 704 for an electronic contacting of gearshift lever 100 with the knob are depicted. The contacting elements 702, 702 can be referred to as knob interface. These contacting elements 702, 702 can be designed as a pin contact strip for the contacting to the knob. Flex foils, leadframes and contact pins can be used as conducting paths 700. The mentioned components are overmolded during the assembly injection molding process and are thus integrated as mechatronic sub-system in gearshift lever 100. By means of the overmolding, conducting paths 700 are located in a protected manner within the component and/or with the neutral fiber. Thus, no cable on the outside is required. The interface contour 704 for the electronic contacting of the knob is integrated in gearshift lever 100. It is furthermore possible to include grooves, domes, brackets and flattened portions, which are used for the attachment of a flex foil, in case it may not be overmolded due to space reasons. The counter contacting 702 towards the circuit board is placed in an area, which is secured from environmental influences within the shifting arrangement and which allows for only little movement.
Since the cables 700 or the flex foil is no longer located outside of the shifting arrangement, it is secured against damaging. Elements for the attachment or protection of flex foils or of cables are no longer necessary, which results in a reduction of components. The assembling procedure is no longer required and gearshift lever 100 features less components.
Sensor 800 can refer to, for example, a Hall sensor 800 or a 3D sensor 800 or another type of sensor. Sensor 800 is arranged in an area of the gearshift lever base body 100 that is free of strain. Thus, tolerances can be minimized, and gliding components can be omitted.
The gearshift lever 100 with the integrated sensor arrangement 800 is realized by means of the assembly injection molding process.
An integration of the sensors 800 into gearshift lever 100 is depicted. The sensors 800 are hereby placed on populated leadframes or flex foils 700. These mechatronic components 700, 800 are overmolded completely or only in partial areas by means of the assembly injection molding process. The magnets needed for the sensing when using Hall sensors 900 can be located within the housing. Just as it is the case in
By means of an integration of sensors 800 into gearshift lever 100, tolerances can be minimized, gliding components are no longer necessary, and the circuit board can be placed at any desired location within the shifting system. The necessary installation space for the shifting system is also reduced.
The electrical circuits 900 can be supplied with electrical energy by means of electrical conductors that are integrated into the gearshift lever 100.
In other words, a gearshift lever 100 is depicted comprising an integrated knob holder 902, which includes electrical components 900 such as buttons, light conductors, circuit boards or the like. For example, LED light technology can be integrated by means of populated leadframes into key holder 902.
In the herein presented approach, a substitution of metal components and an integration of mechatronic and mechanical sub-systems is carried out by means of the assembly injection molding procedure into gearshift lever 100. For example, spring-loaded pressure pieces, damping soft components, unpopulated and populated leadframes and flex foils, sections with magnetizable materials and the MID technology is used as mechanical and mechatronic sub-systems.
It is furthermore possible to integrate technologies for attaching such as locking hooks, domes, locking counter geometries and/or bore holes for holding and partially attaching of mounting parts such as gearshift lever knob, permanent magnet, plug interfaces, flex foils.
In this way, there is a transformation from a mechanical into a mechatronic component.
The cross piece 1002 is also designed as a plastic injection molded component.
It is possible to mount selector lever 100 by means of a ball 1100 or a cardan joint or cross piece 1002 within the housing or between the housing halves. If necessary, the bearing locations can be overmolded with a second plastic component in order to improve the tribological as well as also the acoustic characteristics.
In the
Due to the production of the gearshift lever 100 by means of plastic material, the possibility is provided to produce interface components such as knob holders 902 or key holders for the holding of knob mounting parts, and calottes 1300 for the protection of the shifting arrangement against and entry of objects, in a one-piece manner. The component can be produced from one material or also from several materials by means of the injection molding procedure.
Gearshift lever 100 thus comprises less components and a lower assembling effort as well as a lower effort for an interface adjusting is achieved.
If an embodiment includes an “and/or” link between a first characteristic and a second characteristic, this can be understood in such a way that the embodiment in accordance with one design form features both, the first characteristic as well as the second characteristic and in accordance with a further design form either only the first characteristic or only the second characteristic.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2015 225 494.1 | Dec 2015 | DE | national |
This application is a filing under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Patent Application PCT/EP2016/077639, filed Nov. 15, 2016, and claims the priority of German Patent Application 10 2015 225 494.1, filed Dec. 16, 2015. All applications listed in this paragraph are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2016/077639 | 11/15/2016 | WO | 00 |