Abstract:
A vehicle control device including: a support; a steering member mounted mobile relative to the support; and at least one speed ratio shifting member including a base rigidly fixed to the support and having a single end, the at least one speed ratio shifting member including one part mounted mobile on the base and forming the end.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     I. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to gear ratio shift control devices for vehicles. 
     II. Description of Related Art 
     Document FR-2 855 792, in the name of the Applicant, discloses a gear ratio shift control device for a vehicle, comprising a support bearing two arms on which control buttons are placed. The buttons are arranged on the rear face of the arms, that is to say the face directed toward the steering wheel and the driver. Using his thumbs and without taking his hands off the steering wheel, the driver can actuate the buttons to modify the vehicle gear ratio. 
     However, this method of control may prove uncomfortable in certain situations. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is to improve the gear support shift control. 
     Accordingly, there is provided according to the invention a vehicle control device comprising:
         a support;   a steering member mounted movably with respect to the support; and   at least one gear ratio shift member comprising a base fastened rigidly to the support and having a single end, the or each gear ratio shift member comprising a part mounted movably on the base and forming said end.       

     Thus, this arrangement makes it possible to optimize the position of the driver&#39;s fingers on the control members. Some of the four fingers of the hand apart from the thumb now serve, instead of the thumb, for control purposes. Moreover, the driver does not necessarily have to pass his fingers completely to the front of the members, that is to say in a plane parallel to the plane of the steering wheel. He only need arrange them in the plane of the front face, which corresponds to a more natural position of the driver&#39;s hands when they are placed on the steering wheel. A slightly beveled form of the control members makes it possible to optimize the position of the driver&#39;s fingers on these members and thus offers better ergonomics. 
     The device according to the invention may additionally have at least any one of the following features:
         the ratio shift control members extend facing an upper half of the steering member;   the or each control member has a front face extending in a substantially vertical plane, this plane being inclined with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle, in a direction away from the steering member;   the inclination corresponds to an angle of between 60 and 80°;   the major portion of the movable part extends in the continuation of the base;   the movable part has a curved peripheral edge of which a center of curvature is situated on the same side of the edge as the movable part; and   it comprises two gear ratio shift members.       

    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the appended drawings, in which: 
         FIGS. 1 and 2  are two perspective views, respectively a rear view and a front view with reference to the direction of travel of the vehicle, of a device according to the invention; 
         FIGS. 3 to 5  are three views, respectively a rear view, a top view and a left view, of the device shown in  FIG. 1  in the presence of a steering wheel; 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the device shown in  FIG. 3  on the plane VI-VI; and 
         FIG. 7  is a diagram illustrating the orientation of the front face of the gear ratio shift members. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference to the figures, the driving system  2  according to the invention in this case comprises a control device  4  and a steering wheel  6 . The steering wheel has a conventional circular shape and is intended to be rotatably mounted, with reference to a vehicle dashboard, about its axis  8 . The device  4  comprises a support  10  having an orifice  12  at its center through which members  13  of the steering column which is associated with the steering wheel  6  pass. The axis  8  is the axis of this orifice and forms a main axis of the support  10 . The steering wheel is mounted movably, in particular rotatably, with respect to the support. 
     The support  10  has a rectangular general shape in a rear view as shown in  FIG. 3 . It consists in this case of a shell whose rear face  14 , intended to be situated facing the steering wheel and the driver, has a convex shape in the form of a portion of a sphere whose center of curvature is situated on the same side of this face as the steering wheel, as can be seen in particular from  FIG. 4 . 
     The support  10  bears various vehicle control members arranged, for example, on stalks  16  and  18  which project to the left and right from the support on lateral sides thereof. 
     The device  4  comprises two paddles  20  arranged on an upper edge of the support at the left and right upper corners of the rectangle, respectively. Each paddle  20  in this case comprises an arm or base  22  and a control part  24 , formed here by an electric switch connected to an appropriate electronic circuit (not shown). The two paddles are situated facing an upper half of the steering wheel. Each part  24  is rotatably mounted with respect to the fixed arms  22 . 
     The arms  22  are rigidly fastened to the support  10 . They have a generally elongate shape and have a longitudinal axis arranged with a radial orientation with respect to the axis  8 , and are inclined with respect to the vertical. 
     The two paddles  20  are symmetrical to one another with respect to a vertical mid-plane  25 , passing through the axis  8 , of the driving system. 
     The major portion of each switch extends in the continuation of the base. Each switch  24  has a peripheral edge  26  extending over a part of the switch that is directed away from the arm  22  which bears it. The edge  26  has a curved shape whose center of curvature is situated on the same side of this edge as the switch. 
     Each control part  24  has a front face  30  and a rear face  32  both extending on opposite sides of the part starting from the edge  26 . The rear face  32  is situated in particular facing the steering wheel  6 . The rear face  32  generally extends in a plane perpendicular to the axis  8 . 
     The front face  30  extends in a vertical plane and is inclined with respect to the axis  8  in a direction away from this axis. As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , the vertical plane of the front face  30  is inclined with respect to the direction of travel  31  of the vehicle in a direction away from the steering wheel. This inclination in this case corresponds to an angle β of between 60 and 80° C. and equal here to 70° C. In other words, the vertical plane of the front face is inclined with respect to a plane P perpendicular to the direction of travel  31 , and by an angle α of between 20 and 40° and here equal to 20°. 
     In the present example, each part  24  is formed by an electric switch such that, when the driver&#39;s fingers press on the face  30  while he is holding the steering wheel, this contact commands the switch to modify the gear ratio. 
     In the present example, the left paddle  20  allows a reduction of the gear or transmission ratio while the right paddle allows an increase thereof. 
     Given the shape and dimensions of the paddles  20 , when the driver has placed his hands on the steering wheel in the recommended ten past ten position, his fingers are naturally in place to push against the switches. For this purpose, the driver places his fingers on the front face  30  and exerts a pushing action using a movement directed substantially toward the rear of the vehicle. 
     The paddles are designed such that, even if the driver has relatively large hands, he can place at least three fingers on the paddle, thereby enabling it to be actuated in a comfortable manner. 
     The paddles according to the invention require little space and are small in size. Their integration within a driver&#39;s station is relatively straightforward. 
     The invention makes it possible to shift the gear ratio at the top of the steering column without the driver having to take one of his hands off the steering wheel. 
     Of course, the existence of the paddles according to the invention does not prevent the vehicle from additionally having a gear ratio shift lever situated on the floor or on the dashboard. 
     It goes without saying that many modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the scope thereof.