JP7559619B2 - Shifting device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a shift device.

A shift device for saddle-ride vehicles is known that employs a quick shift that detects the driver's shift operation and enables shift changes without clutch operation (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the shift device described in Patent Document 1, one end of a shift shaft protrudes from the upper side of the crankcase, and a shift lever extends rearward from the lower side of the crankcase. The upper end of a shift rod is connected to one end of the shift shaft via a link arm, and the lower end of the shift rod is connected to the middle position of the shift lever. A shift sensor is integrally provided on this vertically long shift rod, and the shift operation is detected according to the operating load acting on the shift rod.

Patent No. 6107621

However, to integrate a shift sensor into the shift rod, the shift rod must be long enough. In the shift device of Patent Document 1, the shift lever and shift rod are arranged so that they are perpendicular to each other, but in some models, the shift lever and shift rod are arranged so that both extend forward and backward. This type of shift device can be made smaller by bringing the shift sensor closer to the operating section at the tip of the shift lever, but there is a problem in that the driver's foot can easily hit the shift sensor.

The present invention was made in consideration of these points, and aims to provide a shift device that can protect the shift sensor from the driver's feet even when the layout is such that the shift sensor and the operating part of the shift lever are close to each other.

A shift device of one embodiment of the present invention is a shift device for a saddle-type vehicle that shifts gears in a transmission in response to the rotation of a shift shaft, and includes a shift lever having an operating portion that receives a shift operation, a shift sensor that is rotatable integrally with the shift shaft, and a shift rod that connects the shift lever and the shift sensor, wherein the shift sensor has a sensor body that holds the shift shaft and to which the shift rod is connected, a sensor portion that detects a shift operation to the shift lever from the movement of the shift rod, and a protective portion that protects the sensor portion from external forces from at least one of above and below, wherein the sensor portion protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction from the sensor body, and the protective portion solves the above problem by increasing the amount of protrusion outward in the vehicle width direction from at least a portion of the upper and lower parts of the sensor body as it approaches the sensor portion .

According to a shift device of one aspect of the present invention, in addition to the shift sensor's function of detecting a shift operation, the shift sensor also functions as a link arm that connects the shift shaft and the shift rod. The shift sensor can be provided in the shift device even in a layout in which the length of the shift rod cannot be sufficiently secured. Furthermore, even if the shift sensor and the operating part of the shift lever are brought close to each other, the protective part can protect the sensor part from the driver's feet. Furthermore, the protective part can protect the sensor part from flying objects such as flying stones from above and below.

1 is a left side view of a saddle-ride type vehicle according to a first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 4 is a left side view of a shift device of a comparative example. FIG. 2 is a left side view of the engine and its surroundings according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the engine and its surroundings according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a left side view of the shift device of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a right side view of the shift device of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view of the shift shaft of the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a left side view of the periphery of the engine according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a left side view of the shift device of the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a right side view of the shift device of the second embodiment.

According to a shift device of one aspect of the present invention, the transmission is caused to perform a shift change in response to the rotation of the shift shaft of a saddle-type vehicle. The shift lever is provided with an operating portion that accepts a shift operation, and the shift shaft is provided with a shift sensor that can rotate integrally therewith, and the shift lever and the shift sensor are connected via a shift rod. The shift shaft is held by a sensor body of the shift sensor and the shift rod is connected thereto, and the shift operation of the shift lever is detected from the movement of the shift rod by the sensor portion of the shift sensor. In addition to the function of detecting the shift operation, the shift sensor also functions as a link arm that connects the shift shaft and the shift rod. Even in a layout in which the length of the shift rod cannot be sufficiently secured, the shift sensor can be provided in the shift device. In addition, the shift sensor is provided with a protective portion that protects the sensor portion from external forces from at least one of the above and below directions. Even if the shift sensor and the operating portion of the shift lever are brought close to each other, the protective portion can protect the sensor portion from the driver's feet. Furthermore, the protective portion can protect the sensor portion from flying objects such as flying stones from above and below.

The first embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Fig. 1 is a left side view of a saddle-type vehicle of the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a left side view of a shift device of a comparative example. In the following figures, the arrow FR indicates the front of the vehicle, the arrow RE indicates the rear of the vehicle, the arrow L indicates the left side of the vehicle, and the arrow R indicates the right side of the vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 1, the saddle-type vehicle 1 is constructed by mounting an engine 30, an electrical system, and various other components on a twin-spar body frame 10 formed by aluminum casting. The body frame 10 has a pair of main frames 12 that branch off to the left and right from a head pipe 11 and extend rearward, and a pair of down frames 13 that branch off to the left and right from the head pipe 11 and extend downward. The pair of main frames 12 support the rear of the engine 30, and the pair of down frames 13 support the front of the engine 30. The rigidity of the entire vehicle is ensured by supporting the engine 30 on the body frame 10.

The front part of the main frame 12 is a tank rail 14 located above the engine 30, and a fuel tank 16 is supported by the tank rail 14. The rear part of the main frame 12 is a body frame 15 located behind the engine 30, and a swing arm 17 is supported so as to be able to swing at approximately the middle position in the vertical direction of the body frame 15. The swing arm 17 is connected to the upper part of the body frame 15 via a link plate 18 and a rear suspension 19. A seat rail 21 and a back stay 22 extend rearward from the upper part of the body frame 15, and a rider seat 23 is supported on the seat rail 21.

A pair of front forks 24 are supported on the head pipe 11, and a front wheel 25 is rotatably supported on the lower ends of the front forks 24. A swing arm 17 extends rearward from the body frame 15, and a rear wheel 26 is rotatably supported on the rear end of the swing arm 17. An engine 30 is connected to the rear wheel 26 via a chain drive type transmission mechanism, and power from the engine 30 is transmitted to the rear wheel 26 via the transmission mechanism. A footrest 28 is also provided on the body frame 15 via a footrest bracket 27. A shift device 50 is provided between the lower part of the engine 30 and the left footrest 28.

As shown in FIG. 2(A), the comparative shift device 130 has a shift sensor 132 attached to a shift rod 131. In this shift device 130, a shift lever 133 is connected to the rear end of the shift rod 131, and a shift shaft 135 is connected to the front end of the shift rod 131 via a link arm 134. The shift operation of the shift lever 133 is transmitted to the shift shaft 135, which rotates to change the gear shift of the transmission mechanism. However, in a layout where the shift rod 131 cannot be secured to be long, the shift sensor 132 cannot be attached to the shift rod 131.

As shown in FIG. 2B, by replacing the link arm 134 with a link arm-shaped shift sensor 136, the shift sensor 136 can be provided even in a layout in which the shift rod 131 is short. In this case, the shift sensor 136 and the operating part 137 of the shift lever 133 are brought close to each other, and the foot of the driver operating the operating part 137 is likely to come into contact with the shift sensor 136, which may damage the sensor part of the shift sensor 136. Therefore, in this embodiment, a pair of protective parts 64, 65 are provided for the shift sensor 60 (see FIG. 5) to protect the sensor part of the shift sensor 60 from the driver's feet, etc.

The arrangement of the shift device will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a left side view of the engine and its surroundings in the first embodiment. Figure 4 is a bottom view of the engine and its surroundings in the first embodiment. Note that Figures 3 and 4 show the engine with the sprocket cover removed.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the engine 30 has a crankcase 31 with a vertically split structure consisting of an upper case 32 and a lower case 33. The upper case 32 is integrated with the cylinder, and a cylinder head 34 and a cylinder head cover (not shown) are attached to the top of the upper case 32. A valve mechanism (not shown) that operates the intake and exhaust valves is housed inside the cylinder head 34 and the cylinder head cover. An oil pan 35 that stores oil for lubrication and cooling is attached to the bottom of the lower case 33. A magneto cover 36 that covers the magneto (not shown) from the side is attached to the left side of the crankcase 31.

The crankshaft 41 is disposed inside the magneto cover 36, and the countershaft 42 and driveshaft 43 are disposed behind the crankshaft 41 in parallel to the crankshaft 41. In this way, the crankshaft 41, countershaft 42, and driveshaft 43 are disposed side by side in the front-to-rear direction. A water pump 44 is disposed below the countershaft 42, and a shift cam 45 is disposed below the driveshaft 43 in parallel to the driveshaft 43. Furthermore, a shift shaft 51 is disposed behind the shift cam 45 in parallel to the shift cam 45, and a shift sensor 60 is attached to one end of the shift shaft 51 protruding from the left side of the lower case 33 so as to be able to rotate together with it.

The shift sensor 60 is positioned below the drive shaft 43, between the water pump 44 and the body frame 15. The shift sensor 60 is also located above the bottom end of the water pump 44 and inside the magneto cover 36 in the vehicle width direction (see FIG. 4 in particular). The water pump 44 is positioned to cover the shift sensor 60 from the front, so the water pump 44 effectively protects the shift sensor 60 from flying objects such as stones from the front. A lead wire 74 extends diagonally upward from the front of the shift sensor 60, so that the lead wire 74 does not become entangled in the operating portion 56 of the shift lever 52 behind the shift sensor 60.

A footrest bracket 27 is attached to the rear edge of the body frame 15, and a shift lever 52 is attached to the footrest bracket 27 coaxially with the footrest 28. The shift lever 52 is formed into a roughly L-shape in side view by a long arm 53 and a short arm 54. A mounting part 55 (see FIG. 5) that is swingably supported by the footrest bracket 27 is formed at the bent portion of the shift lever 52. A long arm 53 extends diagonally downward and forward from the mounting part 55, and an operating part 56 that accepts shift operations is provided at the tip of the long arm 53. The tip side of the long arm 53 overlaps the body frame 15 in a side view of the vehicle.

A short arm 54 extends substantially downward from the footrest 28, and the rear end of a shift rod 57 is connected to the tip of the short arm 54 via a joint 58. The shift rod 57 extends diagonally upward and forward from the joint 58, crossing the outer side of the body frame 15 in the vehicle width direction. The upper part of a shift sensor 60 is connected to the front end of the shift rod 57 via a joint 59. The shift sensor 60, shift lever 52, and shift rod 57 are located below the drive shaft 43 and swing arm 17, and above the lower end of the water pump 44. In this way, the components of the shift device 50 are compactly arranged below the vehicle.

In the shift device 50, when the driver operates the shift lever 52, the shift shaft 51 rotates integrally with the shift sensor 60 by a predetermined angle via the shift rod 57. The rotation of the shift shaft 51 is transmitted to the shift cam 45, which rotates the shift cam 45 by a predetermined angle, causing the shift fork (not shown) to change the combination of the transmission gears on the counter shaft 42 and drive shaft 43, thereby executing a shift change. At this time, the shift sensor 60 detects the shift operation of the shift lever 52 in response to the movement of the shift rod 57, making it possible to perform a shift change without operating the clutch.

The detailed configuration of the shift device will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 7. Figure 5 is a left side view of the shift device of the first embodiment. Figure 6 is a right side view of the shift device of the first embodiment. Figure 7 is a front view of the shift shaft of the first embodiment.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the shift lever 52 has a long arm 53 that extends diagonally downward and forward from an attachment part 55 that serves as a pivot point, and a short arm 54 that extends substantially downward from the attachment part 55. The long arm 53 extends toward the lower end of the shift sensor 60, and an operating part 56 at the tip of the long arm 53 is positioned behind the shift sensor 60. A shift rod 57 extends from a joint 58 at the tip of the short arm 54 to a joint 59 at the top of the shift sensor 60. The long arm 53 crosses the outer side of the shift rod 57 in the vehicle width direction, and the long arm 53 and the shift rod 57 cross diagonally.

When the shift lever 52 is not operated, the inclination of the short arm 54 approximately matches the inclination of the shift sensor 60. The shift rod 57 extends in a direction perpendicular to the inclinations of the short arm 54 and the shift sensor 60, and the distance L1 from the front end of the shift sensor 60 to the front end of the operating part 56 in the extension direction of the shift rod 57 is less than half the length L2 of the shift rod 57. This brings the operating part 56 closer to the shift sensor 60, and reduces the front-to-rear length of the shift device 50. By reducing the front-to-rear length of the shift device 50, the step position is not positioned biased in the front-to-rear direction, and the driver's riding position is not impaired.

In a side view of the vehicle, the operating unit 56 and shift sensor 60 are provided below the shift rod 57, and the lower parts of the operating unit 56 and shift sensor 60 are positioned at the same height. This prevents the operating unit 56 from being too low, making it easy to ensure the bank angle. Also, by locating the shift sensor 60 below the shift rod 57, the shift shaft 51, which rotates integrally with the shift sensor 60, is separated from the drive shaft 43 (see Figure 3) of the transmission. This improves the freedom of shaft arrangement of the transmission, and also makes it easier to arrange the sprocket cover 29 (see Figure 1) by separating the shift device 50 from the drive chain.

In a side view of the vehicle, the mounting part 55 of the shift lever 52 is provided above the shift rod 57, and the mounting part 55 and the upper part of the shift sensor 60 are positioned at the same height. In addition, the rear end of the shift rod 57 is positioned lower than the front end, and the joint 58 at the rear end of the shift rod 57 is positioned at the same height as the lower part of the shift sensor 60 and the operating part 56. The shift lever 52 and shift rod 57 fit within the range from the top to the bottom of the shift sensor 60, so the height of the shift device 50 is kept low. In addition, the long arm 53 extends diagonally from the mounting part 55 toward the operating part 56, ensuring sufficient length for the shift lever 52.

In this way, the shift lever 52 and the shift rod 57 are compactly arranged so that they intersect, thereby reducing the front-to-rear length and height of the shift device 50 and making the shift device 50 more compact. Note that the operating part 56, the lower part of the shift sensor 60, and the joint 58 at the rear end of the shift rod 57 do not need to be positioned at exactly the same height, and there may be a slight misalignment that allows these heights to be considered to be the same. Similarly, the mounting part 55 and the upper part of the shift sensor 60 do not need to be positioned at exactly the same height, and there may be a slight misalignment that allows these heights to be considered to be the same.

The shift sensor 60 is also formed to protect it from the foot of the driver who operates the shift lever 52. The sensor body 61 of the shift sensor 60 is formed in a rounded triangular shape when viewed from the side. A Hall IC (Integrated Circuit) 63 is provided as a detection unit on an outer surface 62 of the sensor body 61 on the outer side in the vehicle width direction, and a pair of protection units 64, 65 are provided to sandwich the Hall IC 63 from above and below. The Hall IC 63 detects the shift operation of the shift lever 52 from the movement of the shift rod 57. A lead wire 74 extends from the front end of the Hall IC 63 toward a control device (not shown).

The pair of protective parts 64, 65 protect the Hall IC 63 from external forces from above and below. The Hall IC 63 protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction from the outer surface 62 of the sensor body 61, and the pair of protective parts 64, 65 increase the amount of protrusion outward in the vehicle width direction as they approach the Hall IC 63 from the upper and lower parts of the sensor body 61. That is, the outer surface of the upper protective part 64 is inclined downward toward the outer side in the vehicle width direction, and the outer surface of the lower protective part 65 is inclined upward toward the outer side in the vehicle width direction. Even if an external force acts on the protective parts 64, 65 from above or below by the driver's feet, the external force is deflected outward in the vehicle width direction, and the Hall IC 63 is effectively protected.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the sensor body 61 has a retaining portion 67 that retains the shift shaft 51 and a fastening boss 68 that is connected to the front side of the retaining portion 67 when viewed from the inside of the vehicle width direction. When viewed from the side of the vehicle, the retaining portion 67 has an opening formed at approximately the center of the sensor body 61, and a female serration 69 is attached to this opening. A slit 71 is formed from the fitting hole of the female serration 69 toward the outside in the radial direction so as to divide the fastening boss 68. A straight line S on the slit 71 is sandwiched between the retaining portion 67 and the lower part of the fastening boss 68 and the lower part of the fastening boss 68 are connected to the inner surface 66 of the sensor body 61, and the upper part of the retaining portion 67 and the fastening boss 68 are spaced apart from the inner surface 66 of the sensor body 61.

The male serrations of the shift shaft 51 are inserted into the female serrations 69, and the tip of the shift shaft 51 is positioned by abutting against the abutment surface 72 of the sensor body 61. The abutment surface 72 of the sensor body 61 is one step higher than the inner surface 66 of the sensor body 61. The fastening boss 68 extends to the bottom end of the sensor body 61, and a bolt 73 is fastened from below the fastening boss 68. By fastening the bolt 73 to the fastening boss 68, the slit width is narrowed and the shift shaft 51 is held by the female serrations 69 of the holding portion 67. In this way, the shift sensor 60 is attached to the shift shaft 51 so that they can rotate together.

Because the bolt 73 is tightened from below the vehicle using a tool, the tool line is secured without affecting the layout of other components such as the water pump 44. When the shift device 50 (shift lever 52) is not in operation, the shift sensor 60 is tilted so that the front side of the lower end of the shift sensor 60 is higher than the rear side. In other words, the shift sensor 60 is tilted slightly rearward with the shift shaft 51 at the center. As described above, the tightening boss 68 is formed on the front side of the shift sensor 60, making it easier to see the head of the bolt 73 from the front and easier to tighten the bolt 73 against the tightening boss 68.

The front end of the shift rod 57 is connected to the top of the sensor body 61 via a joint 59. In this way, the shift shaft 51 is held approximately in the center of the sensor body 61, and the shift rod 57 is connected to the top of the sensor body 61, with the sensor body 61 functioning as a link arm connecting the shift shaft 51 and the shift rod 57. Because the shift sensor 60 is not provided on the shift rod 57, there is no need to ensure that the shift rod 57 is long enough to attach the shift sensor 60. Because the shift sensor 60 is used instead of a link arm, an increase in the number of parts is suppressed and the shift sensor 60 can be easily attached.

In the shift device 50 configured in this manner, the operating unit 56 is positioned behind the shift sensor 60 in the front-to-rear direction when viewed from the side of the vehicle, and is positioned at the same height as the shift sensor 60 in the up-down direction. More specifically, the front end of the operating unit 56 is brought close to the front end of the shift sensor 60 in the front-to-rear direction by a distance equal to or less than half the length of the shift rod 57, and the operating unit 56 is positioned between the lower end of the shift sensor 60 and the Hall IC 63 in the up-down direction. Since the operating unit 56 and the Hall IC 63 are brought close to each other, there is a possibility that the driver's feet may come into contact with the Hall IC 63, but the Hall IC 63 is effectively protected from the driver's feet by a pair of protective parts 64, 65 located above and below the Hall IC 63.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, in addition to the function of the shift sensor 60 detecting the shift operation, the shift sensor 60 also functions as a link arm connecting the shift shaft 51 and the shift rod 57. The shift sensor 60 can be provided in the shift device 50 even in a layout in which the length of the shift rod 57 cannot be sufficiently secured. Furthermore, even if the shift sensor 60 and the operating part 56 of the shift lever 52 are brought close to each other, the protective part 64 can protect the Hall IC 63 from the driver's foot. Furthermore, the protective part 64 can protect the Hall IC 63 from flying objects such as flying stones from above and below.

Next, the shift device of the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 8 to 10. The shift device of the second embodiment differs from the shift device of the first embodiment mainly in that the operating portion of the shift lever is positioned forward of the shift sensor. Fig. 8 is a left side view of the engine and its surroundings of the second embodiment. Fig. 9 is a left side view of the shift device of the second embodiment. Fig. 10 is a right side view of the shift device of the second embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 8, the engine 80 of the second embodiment has a crankcase 81 with a left-right split structure. A front cylinder 82 and a rear cylinder 83 are arranged in a V-shape on the crankcase 81. A cylinder head 84 and a cylinder head cover (not shown) are attached to the front cylinder 82, and a cylinder head 86 and a cylinder head cover 87 are attached to the rear cylinder 83. A valve train (not shown) that operates the intake and exhaust valves is housed inside the cylinder heads 84, 86. A magneto cover 89 that covers the magneto (not shown) from the side is attached to the left side of the crankcase 81.

A crankshaft 91 is disposed in the magneto cover 89, and a countershaft 92 and a driveshaft 93 are disposed behind the crankshaft 91 in parallel to the crankshaft 91. In this way, the crankshaft 91, countershaft 92, and driveshaft 93 are disposed side by side in the front-to-rear direction. A shift cover 94 is disposed below the driveshaft 93, and a shift cam 95 and a shift shaft 101 are disposed inside the shift cover 94 in parallel to the driveshaft 93. Furthermore, one end of the shift shaft 101 protrudes from the outer surface of the shift cover 94, and a shift sensor 110 is attached to one end of the shift shaft 101 so as to be able to rotate integrally with it.

The shift sensor 110 is positioned below the counter shaft 92 and drive shaft 93 and in front of the footrest 79. The shift sensor 110 is also located behind the magneto cover 89 and inward of the magneto cover 89 in the vehicle width direction. The front of the shift sensor 110 is partially covered by the magneto cover 89, which effectively protects the shift sensor 110 from flying objects such as stones from the front. A lead wire 124 is laid diagonally upward from the rear surface of the shift sensor 110 along the front edge of the body frame 77, so that the lead wire 124 does not get tangled in the operating part 106 of the shift lever 102 in front of the shift sensor 110.

A footrest bracket 78 is attached to the outer surface of the body frame 77, and a footrest 79 and a shift lever 102 are attached to the footrest bracket 78. The shift lever 102 is formed into a roughly L-shape in side view by a long arm 103 and a short arm 104. A mounting portion 105 that is supported so as to be swingable by the footrest bracket 78 is formed at the bent portion of the shift lever 102. A long arm 103 extends diagonally upward and forward from the mounting portion 105, and an operating portion 106 that accepts shift operations is provided at the tip of the long arm 103. The tip side of the long arm 103 is positioned in front of the shift sensor 110.

A short arm 104 extends substantially downward from the mounting portion 105, and the rear end of a shift rod 107 is connected to the tip of the short arm 104 via a joint 108. The shift rod 107 extends forward from the joint 108 along the long arm 103. The lower part of a shift sensor 110 is connected to the front end of the shift rod 107 via a joint 109. The shift rod 107 is formed shorter than the long arm 103, and the operating portion 106 at the tip of the long arm 103 is positioned forward of the front end of the shift rod 107. In this way, the shift sensor 110 and the shift lever 102 are connected by the short shift rod 107.

In a side view of the vehicle, the operating unit 106, shift sensor 110, and footrest 79 are all aligned in a straight line from front to rear. This reduces the height of the shift device 100, and the operating unit 106 is located in front of the footrest 79, improving the operability of shifting. The footrest 79 is located between the shift sensor 110 and the mounting portion 105 of the shift lever 102. The mounting portion 105 is located behind the footrest 79, and the operating unit 106 is located in front of the shift sensor 110, ensuring a sufficient length of the long arm 103 from the mounting portion 105 of the shift lever 102 to the operating unit 106.

As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the base end portion of the long arm 103 of the shift lever 102 extends diagonally downward toward the front from the mounting portion 105 that serves as the pivot point, and the portion of the long arm 103 forward of the base end portion extends diagonally upward toward the front. The long arm 103 crosses the outer side of the shift sensor 110 in the vehicle width direction, and the operating portion 106 at the tip of the long arm 103 is positioned in front of the shift sensor 110. The tip portion of the short arm 104 of the shift lever 102 is positioned inward in the vehicle width direction from the base end portion. A shift rod 107 extends parallel to the long arm 103 from the joint 108 at the tip of the short arm 104 to the joint 109 at the bottom of the shift sensor 110.

When the shift lever 102 is not operated, the inclination of the short arm 104 approximately matches the inclination of the shift sensor 110. The shift rod 107 extends in a direction perpendicular to the inclinations of the short arm 104 and the shift sensor 110, and the distance L3 from the front end of the shift sensor 110 to the front end of the operating unit 106 in the extension direction of the shift rod 107 is less than half the length L4 of the shift rod 107. As a result, the operating unit 106 is positioned forward of the shift sensor 110 to ensure the length of the shift lever 102, and the operating unit 106 is brought closer to the shift sensor 110 to reduce the front-to-rear length of the shift device 100.

In a side view of the vehicle, the operating unit 106 and the shift sensor 110 are positioned above the shift rod 107. The operating unit 106 is not too low, and the bank angle and minimum ground clearance are ensured. The shift rod 107 is provided parallel to the shift lever 102, and the long arm 103 crosses between the shift rod 107 and the Hall IC 113 of the shift sensor 110. Since the long arm 103 extends along the shift rod 107 between the shift rod 107 and the Hall IC 113, the length of the long arm 103 is ensured without increasing the height of the shift device 100. In addition, the shift rod 107 can be made shorter than when the shift rod 107 is not parallel to the long arm 103.

At this time, the shift lever 102 passes outside the shift sensor 110 in the vehicle width direction, and part of the long arm 103 overlaps the shift sensor 110. Even if the front end of the shift rod 107 is directly connected to the bottom of the shift sensor 110 via the joint 109, the long arm 103, which passes between the shift rod 107 and the Hall IC 113 of the shift sensor 110, does not interfere with the shift sensor 110. The attachment part 105 of the shift lever 102 is positioned above the shift rod 107 and below the upper end of the shift sensor 110. The attachment part 105 fits within the range from the upper end of the shift sensor 110 to the shift rod 107, reducing the height of the shift device 100.

In this way, the long arm 103 is arranged parallel to the shift rod 107 so as to pass between the Hall IC 113 of the shift sensor 110 and the shift rod 107, and the operating unit 106 is positioned forward of the shift device 100. This reduces the front-to-rear length and height of the shift device 100, making it more compact. Note that the configuration is not limited to the long arm 103 and the shift rod 107 being completely parallel when the shift lever 102 is not operated. The long arm 103 and the shift rod 107 being parallel means that they are approximately parallel to the extent that the shift rod 107 can be considered to extend along the long arm 103.

The shift sensor 110 of the second embodiment is formed in substantially the same manner as the shift sensor 60 of the first embodiment. The sensor body 111 of the shift sensor 110 is formed in an inverted triangular shape with rounded corners when viewed from the side, and a pair of protective parts 114, 115 are provided on the outer surface 112 on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the sensor body 111 so as to sandwich the Hall IC 113 from above and below. The pair of protective parts 114, 115 increase their outward protrusion in the vehicle width direction as they approach the Hall IC 113 from the upper and lower parts of the sensor body 111. The inclined outer surfaces of the protective parts 114, 115 deflect the external force of the driver's feet outward in the vehicle width direction, effectively protecting the Hall IC 113.

The sensor body 111 has an inner surface 116 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction, which is provided with a retaining portion 117 to which a female serration 119 is attached, and a fastening boss 118 to which a bolt 121 is fastened. The configurations of the retaining portion 117 and the fastening boss 118 are similar to those of the retaining portion 67 and the fastening boss 68 of the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described here. In the shift device 100 of the second embodiment, the sensor body 111 also functions as a link arm that connects the shift shaft 101 (see FIG. 8) and the shift rod 107. This allows the shift sensor 110 to be attached even if the shift rod 107 is short, suppressing an increase in the number of parts and making it easy to attach the shift sensor 110.

In the shift device 100 configured in this manner, the operating unit 106 is positioned in front of the shift sensor 110 in the front-rear direction when viewed from the side of the vehicle, and is positioned at the same height as the shift sensor 110 in the up-down direction. More specifically, the front end of the operating unit 106 is brought closer to the front end of the shift sensor 110 in the front-rear direction by less than half the length of the shift rod 107, and the operating unit 106 is positioned at the same height as the Hall IC 113 in the up-down direction. In addition, the shift lever 102 is positioned outside the shift sensor 110 in the vehicle width direction. A part of the shift lever 102 overlaps the shift sensor 110, and the shift lever 102 crosses below the Hall IC 113.

Since the shift lever 102 is positioned further outboard in the vehicle width direction than the shift sensor 110, the driver's foot is less likely to hit the Hall IC 113 from the side. On the other hand, since the Hall IC 113 is located above the shift lever 102, the driver's foot may step on the Hall IC 113 from above. Even if the driver places his/her foot on the operating unit 106, the driver's foot may hit the Hall IC 113 if the driver shifts the heel of his/her foot significantly. However, since a protective unit 114 is provided above the Hall IC 113, the protective unit 114 can protect the Hall IC 113 from the driver's foot.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, as with the first embodiment, the shift sensor 110 can be provided in the shift device 100 even in a layout in which the length of the shift rod 107 is not sufficiently secured. Also, even if the shift sensor 110 and the operating part 106 of the shift lever 102 are brought close to each other, the Hall IC 113 can be protected from the driver's feet and flying objects by the protective parts 114 and 115.

In the first and second embodiments, a Hall IC is used as the sensor unit, but the sensor unit is not limited to a Hall IC. The sensor unit may be any sensor capable of detecting the shift operation of the shift lever from the movement of the shift rod, and may be, for example, an AMR (Anisotropic Magneto Resistive) sensor.

In the first and second embodiments, the shift sensor is provided with a pair of protective parts that protect the sensor part from external forces from above and below, but the shift sensor may be provided with a single protective part to protect the sensor part from external forces from at least one of above and below.

In addition, in the first and second embodiments, the shift sensor is tilted backward so that the front side of the lower end of the shift sensor is higher than the rear side, but the shift sensor does not have to be tilted, or the shift sensor may be tilted forward.

In the first and second embodiments, the distance from the front end of the shift sensor to the front end of the operating part in the extension direction of the shift rod is less than half the length of the shift rod, but the distance from the front end of the shift sensor to the front end of the operating part is not particularly limited. As long as the length of the shift lever can be secured, the distance from the front end of the shift sensor to the front end of the operating part may be greater than half the length of the shift rod.

In addition, in the first embodiment, the operating unit is positioned between the lower end of the shift sensor and the Hall IC in the vertical direction, but the positional relationship between the lower end of the shift sensor and the operating unit is not particularly limited.

In addition, in the second embodiment, the operation unit is positioned at the same height as the Hall IC in the vertical direction, but the positional relationship between the Hall IC and the operation unit is not particularly limited.

In addition, in the second embodiment, the shift lever passes below the Hall IC, but the shift lever may pass above the Hall IC.

In addition, in this embodiment, the shift sensor is provided so as to be rotatable integrally with the shift shaft, but being rotatable integrally is not limited to a configuration in which rotation is transmitted from the shift shaft to the shift sensor without play. Being rotatable integrally may mean that rotation is transmitted from the shift shaft to the shift sensor with a predetermined amount of play.

The shift device is not limited to the illustrated saddle-ride vehicle, and may be used in other types of saddle-ride vehicles. A saddle-ride vehicle is not limited to vehicles in general on which the rider sits astride the seat, but also includes small scooter-type vehicles on which the rider does not sit astride the seat.

As described above, the shift device (50, 100) of this embodiment is a shift device for a saddle-type vehicle (1) that shifts gears in a transmission in response to the rotation of a shift shaft (51, 101), and includes a shift lever (52, 102) provided with an operating unit (56, 106) that receives a shift operation, a shift sensor (60, 110) that is provided on the shift shaft so as to be rotatable together with the shift shaft, and a shift rod (57, 107) that connects the shift lever and the shift sensor. The shift sensor has a sensor body (61, 111) that holds the shift shaft and connects the shift rod, a sensor unit (Hall IC 63, 113) that detects the shift operation to the shift lever from the movement of the shift rod, and a protective unit (64, 65, 114, 115) that protects the sensor unit from external forces from at least one of the above and below directions. According to this configuration, in addition to the function of the shift sensor detecting the shift operation, the shift sensor functions as a link arm that connects the shift shaft and the shift rod. Even in layouts where the length of the shift rod is insufficient, the shift sensor can be installed in the shift device. Also, even if the shift sensor and the operating part of the shift lever are close to each other, the protective part can protect the sensor part from the driver's feet. Furthermore, the protective part can protect the sensor part from flying objects such as flying stones from above and below.

In the shift device of this embodiment, the sensor portion protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction from the sensor body, and the protective portion protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction by an increasing amount as it approaches the sensor portion from at least a portion of the upper and lower parts of the sensor body. With this configuration, even if an external force acts on the protective portion from above or below, the external force is deflected outward in the vehicle width direction by the protective portion, effectively protecting the sensor portion.

In the shift device of this embodiment, the operating unit (56) is located behind the shift sensor (60) and is positioned at the same height as the shift sensor in the vertical direction. With this configuration, the height of the shift device can be kept low, while the protective part protects the sensor unit from the foot of the driver who operates the operating unit.

In the shift device of this embodiment, the distance from the front end of the shift sensor to the front end of the operating part in the extension direction of the shift rod (57) is less than half the length of the shift rod, the operating part and the lower part of the shift sensor are positioned at the same height, and protective parts (64, 65) are provided above and below the sensor part. With this configuration, the operating part is brought closer to the shift sensor to reduce the front-to-rear length of the shift device, and the lower part of the shift sensor and the operating part are positioned at the same height to reduce the height of the shift device. Even if the shift device is made smaller in this way, the protective parts can protect the sensor part from the feet of the driver who operates the operating part.

In the shift device of this embodiment, the operating unit (106) is located in front of the shift sensor (110) and is positioned at the same height as the shift sensor in the downward direction. With this configuration, the height of the shift device can be kept low while the protective unit protects the sensor unit from the foot of the driver who operates the operating unit.

In the shift device of this embodiment, the shift lever (102) is positioned outboard of the shift sensor in the vehicle width direction, and in a side view of the vehicle, a part of the shift lever overlaps the shift sensor and the shift lever crosses above or below the sensor unit (Hall IC 113). With this configuration, since the shift lever is positioned outboard of the shift sensor in the vehicle width direction, the driver's foot is less likely to hit the sensor unit from the side. Since the shift lever is positioned above or below the sensor unit, the driver's foot is more likely to hit the sensor unit from above or below, but the sensor unit can be protected by the protective unit.

In the shift device of this embodiment, when viewed from the side of the vehicle, the operating unit is positioned at the same height as the sensor unit, the shift lever is positioned below the sensor unit, and the protection unit is positioned above the sensor unit. With this configuration, since the shift lever is positioned above the sensor unit, it is easy for the driver's foot to hit the sensor unit from above, but the protection unit can protect the sensor unit.

Although this embodiment has been described, other embodiments may be combinations of the above embodiments and variations in whole or in part.

Furthermore, the technology of the present invention is not limited to the above examples, and may be modified, substituted, or altered in various ways without departing from the spirit of the technical idea. Furthermore, if the technical idea can be realized in a different way due to technological advances or other derived technologies, it may be implemented using that method. Therefore, the claims cover all embodiments that may fall within the scope of the technical idea.

1: Saddle-type vehicle 50, 100: Shift device 51, 101: Shift shaft 52, 102: Shift lever 56, 106: Operation unit 57, 107: Shift rod 60, 110: Shift sensor 61, 111: Sensor body 63, 113: Hall IC (sensor unit)
64, 114: Protective part 65, 115: Protective part

Claims (6)

A shift device for a saddle-type vehicle that shifts a transmission in response to rotation of a shift shaft,
A shift lever having an operation unit that accepts a shift operation;
a shift sensor provided on the shift shaft so as to be integrally rotatable;
a shift rod connecting the shift lever and the shift sensor,
The shift sensor is
a sensor body that holds the shift shaft and to which the shift rod is connected;
a sensor unit that detects a shift operation on the shift lever from a movement of the shift rod;
a protection portion that protects the sensor portion from an external force from at least one of an upper direction and a lower direction ,
The sensor portion protrudes outward in a vehicle width direction from the sensor main body,
The protective portion protrudes outward in a vehicle width direction from at least a portion of an upper portion and a portion of a lower portion of the sensor body toward the sensor portion . 2. The shift device according to claim 1 , wherein the operation portion is located behind the shift sensor and at the same height as the shift sensor in the up-down direction. In the extension direction of the shift rod, a distance from a front end of the shift sensor to a front end of the operation unit is equal to or less than half the length of the shift rod,
3. The shift device according to claim 2 , wherein the operating portion and a lower portion of the shift sensor are positioned at the same height, and the protection portions are provided above and below the sensor portion. 2. The shift device according to claim 1 , wherein the operation portion is located in front of the shift sensor and is positioned at the same height as the shift sensor in a downward direction. The shift lever is disposed outboard of the shift sensor in a vehicle width direction,
5. The shift device according to claim 4 , wherein a part of the shift lever overlaps the shift sensor in a side view of the vehicle, and the shift lever passes above or below the sensor portion. 6. The shift device according to claim 5, wherein, in a side view of the vehicle, the operating unit is positioned at the same height as the sensor unit, the shift lever is positioned below the sensor unit, and the protection unit is positioned above the sensor unit .

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