Patent Description:
Electronic applications are more and more widely applied in modern automobiles, and an auto gear automobile is developed with the participation of high technology. In order to enable the auto gear automobile to limit its movement through a gear like a manual gear automobile, a P gear is set in an automatic gearbox. The P gear mainly uses a pawl and a ratchet in a parking mechanism as a locking mechanism and a locking gear, and the pawl can be engaged with the ratchet to directly fix a gearbox output shaft connected to wheels of the automobile, and the wheels can be locked through an axle shaft. <CIT>, which represents the basis for the two-part form, discloses a park lock system comprising a park lock pawl that is adjustable between a park position in which the park lock pawl is engaged with a park gear and a non-park position in which the park lock pawl is disengaged from the park gear. <CIT> discloses a parking lock module mounted on an automotive gearbox. <CIT>provides a bracket assembly body <NUM> sandwiching a parking rod <NUM> furnished with a cam <NUM> between these parking pole <NUM> and the support <NUM>. <CIT> provide a parking lock device which allows manual operation to release locking of a parking gear easily. <CIT> provides an automobile gear-driven parking brake device. <CIT> provides a novel electronic parking mechanism and a parking system.

For the current transmissions, there are various types of commercial available parking mechanisms, and for parking mechanisms with a same structure, guide blocks also have different fixing manners. At present, most of guide blocks are fixed by the following four fixing methods. In a first fixing method, the guide block is formed into a special-shaped part and is positioned by means of a housing hole and fixed on a housing by means of two bolts. In a second fixing method, the guide block is formed into a guide plate through stamping forming and is positioned by means of a housing hole groove and fixed on the housing by means of two bolts. In a third fixing method, a rotary body guide block is positioned by means of a housing hole, and an axial displacement of the guide block is limited by two bolts and a press plate. In a fourth fixing method, a rotary body guide block is positioned by means of a housing hole, and an axial movement of the guide block is limited by an interference amount between the housing hole and an outer circle of the guide block.

According to a whole arrangement of the transmission, the guide block may be fixed by the fourth fixing method. This fourth fixing method has the advantage such as low space requirements and the disadvantage such as significant influence of strength and rigidity of the housing on a holding force of the guide block. With an influence of space, a wall thickness of a mounting hole, material rigidity of the guide block, and the like are insufficient to satisfy parking mechanism's requirements for a harsh operating condition, resulting in disengagement of the guide block during test.

In order to solve the problem of disengagement of the guide block, in combination with consideration for influences of space and cost, an axially-limited guide device, a parking mechanism, and an automobile are needed to be provided.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a parking mechanism, which has a simple structure and low cost. By optimizing a structure of a bracket of the existing parking mechanism, a limiting portion of a parking bracket can press against a guide block to limit an axial displacement of the guide block. Thus, it is possible to ensure that the guide block has no interference with a parking pawl to avoid the risk of failure of a parking function of the pawl.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a parking mechanism according to claim <NUM>.

The parking mechanism includes a housing, a rotary shaft, a parking pawl, parking shift fork that is axially movable, and an axially-limited guide device. The parking shift fork is axially movable to realize engagement or disengagement of the parking pawl in a parking gear. The axially-limited guide device includes a parking bracket assembly and a guide block. The guide block is configured to be slidably engaged with an execution member disposed at an end of the parking shift fork to allow for a relative rotation of the parking pawl and the rotary shaft. The parking bracket assembly is configured to axially limit the parking pawl and guide the parking shift fork. The parking bracket assembly being fixedly connected to the housing includes a parking bracket and a limiting portion abutting against the guide block. The limiting portion is configured to limit an axial movement of the guide block when the execution member disposed at the end of the parking shift fork is axially disengaged from the guide block. The guide block includes a first guide portion having a support surface. The limiting portion is in contact with the support surface. An end of the limiting portion has a forced surface matching with the support surface. The first guide portion has a first guide surface. The execution member is guided by the first guide surface. A projection of the limiting portion on a radial plane of the guide block has no overlap with a projection of the first guide surface on the radial plane of the guide block. The first guide surface is of a sector-ring shape. A straight line where one of side edges of the forced surface is located is tangent to an outer ring of the first guide surface.

In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the guide block includes a second guide portion having a second guide surface. The parking pawl is guided by the second guide surface. A projection of the limiting portion on a radial plane of the guide block has no overlap with a projection of the second guide surface on the radial plane of the guide block.

In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the forced surface has a width greater than or equal to a difference between an outer arc radius and an inner arc radius of the first guide surface.

In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the limiting portion has a sector-ring-shaped longitudinal cross section.

In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the limiting portion has a third guide surface perpendicular to the forced surface. The third guide surface is configured to guide an axial sliding of an execution rod.

In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the parking bracket assembly including the limiting portion and the parking bracket is integrally formed.

In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the parking bracket is connected to the limiting portion by welding.

In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the parking bracket is fixedly connected to the housing by means of a bolt and two positioning pins and has a rotary shaft fitting hole. The parking pawl, the parking bracket, and the parking shift fork are sequentially sleeved over the rotary shaft. A parking torsion spring is disposed between the parking pawl and the rotary shaft and configured to reset the parking pawl. The parking shift fork is engaged with the guide block by the execution member to allow for a slidable connection between the guide block and the parking pawl.

In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, an anti-rotation pin slot is defined on the parking bracket. An anti-rotation pin is disposed on the parking shift fork and slidably connected to the anti-rotation pin slot.

In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, a guide block fitting hole is defined on the housing. The guide block is press-fitted in the guide block fitting hole through an interference fit.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, there is provided an automobile according to claim <NUM>.

The automobile includes the parking mechanism as described above.

According to the embodiments as described above, the present invention has the following technical effects.

In order to describe the technical solutions of the present invention more clearly, the accompanying drawings that need to be used in the description of the embodiments or the related art will be discussed briefly below. The accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention.

Here, reference numerals in the drawings are described below.

<NUM>-parking bracket assembly, <NUM>-parking bracket, <NUM>-guide block, <NUM>-first guide portion, <NUM>-first guide surface, <NUM>-support surface, <NUM>-second guide portion, <NUM>-second guide surface, <NUM>-limiting portion, <NUM>-forced surface, <NUM>-third guide surface, <NUM>-rotary shaft, <NUM>-parking pawl, <NUM>-parking shift fork, <NUM>-execution member, <NUM>-anti-rotation pin, <NUM>-parking torsion spring.

Technical solutions according to embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in combination with accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. The embodiments described below are only a part, rather than all, of the embodiments of the present invention, which is defined by the appended claims.

According to embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a parking mechanism, which has a simple structure, a low cost, and the like. A structure of a bracket of an existing parking mechanism is optimized, enabling a limiting portion of a parking bracket to press against the guide block to limit an axial displacement of the guide block. Thus, it is possible to ensure that the guide block has no interference with the parking pawl to avoid a risk of failure of a parking function of a pawl.

In order to clarify and explain the above objects, features and advantages of the specification, the present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

In an embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in <FIG>, a parking mechanism includes a housing, a rotary shaft <NUM>, a parking pawl <NUM>, a parking shift fork <NUM>, and the axially-limited guide device as described above. A parking bracket <NUM> is fixedly connected to the housing by means of a bolt and two positioning pins. A rotary shaft fitting hole is defined on the parking bracket <NUM>. The parking pawl <NUM>, the parking bracket <NUM>, and the parking shift fork <NUM> are sequentially sleeved over the rotary shaft <NUM>. A parking torsion spring <NUM> for resetting the parking pawl <NUM> is disposed between the parking pawl <NUM> and the rotary shaft <NUM>. An execution member <NUM> is disposed at the end of the parking shift fork <NUM>. The parking shift fork is engaged with a guide block <NUM> by the execution member <NUM> to allow for a slidable connection between the guide block <NUM> and the parking pawl <NUM>.

An anti-rotation pin slot is defined on the parking bracket <NUM>. An anti-rotation pin <NUM> is disposed on the parking shift fork <NUM>. The anti-rotation pin <NUM> is slidably connected into the anti-rotation pin slot. The parking shift fork <NUM> can prevent a relative rotation of the parking shift fork <NUM> and the rotary shaft <NUM> through an engagement between the anti-rotation pin <NUM> and the anti-rotation pin slot. A guide block fitting hole is defined on the housing. The guide block <NUM> is press-fitted in the guide block fitting hole through an interference fit.

The parking bracket <NUM> is mounted on the housing by means of one bolt and two positioning pins. The rotary shaft <NUM> is supported by a transmission housing hole, a clutch housing hole, and the parking bracket <NUM>. According to an application situation, the rotary shaft <NUM> may be supported by the parking bracket <NUM>, or may not be supported by the parking bracket <NUM>. The rotary shaft <NUM> is axially limited by the parking bracket <NUM> and a bottom of the transmission housing hole. The parking shift fork <NUM> is sleeved over the rotary shaft <NUM> to provide support. The anti-rotation pin <NUM> on the parking shift fork <NUM> is inserted into an anti-rotation pin fitting hole of the parking bracket <NUM> to provide an anti-rotation function. The execution member <NUM> is disposed on the parking shift fork <NUM>. A guide sleeve is disposed on the parking pawl <NUM>, and the execution member <NUM> passes through the guide sleeve. The guide sleeve is of a structure recessed inwards and having a U-shaped surface. The parking shift fork <NUM> is slidably connected to the parking pawl <NUM> through an engagement of the guide sleeve with the execution member <NUM>. The execution member <NUM> is stably slidable along the guide sleeve. Under the action of the rotary shaft <NUM> and the parking bracket <NUM>, the parking shift fork moves axially to realize engagement or disengagement of a P gear. The parking pawl <NUM> is sleeved over the rotary shaft <NUM>. An axial displacement of the parking pawl <NUM> is limited by an end surface of the housing and the parking bracket <NUM>. The guide block <NUM> is press-fitted in a housing hole through the interference fit. The limiting portion <NUM> presses against the guide block <NUM> to provide an axial limiting.

Reference is made to <FIG> showing an axially-limited guide device applied in a parking mechanism. The parking mechanism includes a parking pawl <NUM> and a parking shift fork <NUM> that is axially movable. The guide device includes a parking bracket assembly <NUM> and a guide block <NUM>. The guide block <NUM> is configured to be slidably engaged with an execution member <NUM> at an end of the parking shift fork <NUM> to allow for a relative rotation of the parking pawl <NUM> and a rotary shaft <NUM>. The parking bracket assembly <NUM> is configured to axially limit the parking pawl <NUM> and guide the parking shift fork <NUM>. The parking bracket assembly <NUM> includes a limiting portion <NUM> abutting against the guide block <NUM>. The limiting portion <NUM> is configured to limit an axial movement of the guide block <NUM> when the execution member <NUM> at the end of the parking shift fork <NUM> is axially disengaged from the guide block <NUM>. By optimizing a structure of the bracket of the existing parking mechanism to press the limiting portion of the parking bracket against the guide block, the axial displacement of the guide block can be limited. Thus, it is possible to ensure that the guide block has no interference with the parking pawl to avoid a risk of failure of a parking function of the pawl.

The guide block <NUM> includes a first guide portion <NUM> having a support surface <NUM>. The limiting portion <NUM> is in contact with the support surface <NUM>. An end of the limiting portion <NUM> has a forced surface <NUM> matching with the support surface <NUM>. Through an engagement of the forced surface <NUM> and the support surface <NUM>, a stress between the parking bracket <NUM> and the guide block <NUM> is stronger.

The first guide portion <NUM> has a first guide surface <NUM>. A projection of the limiting portion <NUM> on a radial plane of the guide block <NUM> has no overlap with a projection of the first guide surface <NUM> on the radial plane of the guide block <NUM>. The guide block <NUM> includes a second guide portion <NUM> having a second guide surface <NUM>. A projection of the limiting portion <NUM> on a radial plane of the guide block <NUM> ha no overlap with a projection of the second guide surface <NUM> on the radial plane of the guide block <NUM>. The limiting portion <NUM> is disposed on the support surface <NUM>, and has no overlap with both the first guide surface <NUM> of the first guide portion <NUM> and the second guide surface <NUM> of the second guide portion <NUM>, which can ensure that a guiding effect of the guide block <NUM> on the execution member <NUM> is not affected while the limiting portion <NUM> severs as a pressing plate to press against the guide block <NUM>. The first guide surface <NUM> has a sector-ring shape. In this case, a straight line where one of side edges of the forced surface <NUM> is located is tangent to an outer ring of the first guide surface <NUM>. Therefore, the stress between the limiting portion <NUM> and the guide block <NUM> is stronger without influence of the limiting portion <NUM> on the guiding of the guide block <NUM>.

The forced surface <NUM> has a width greater than or equal to a difference between an outer arc radius and an inner arc radius of the first guide surface <NUM>. In a case where the guide block <NUM> has no change, a contact area between the forced surface <NUM> of the limiting portion <NUM> and the support surface <NUM> of the guide block <NUM> is maximized, and thus the stress between the limiting portion <NUM> and the guide block <NUM> is stronger. In this embodiment, the forced surface <NUM> is square, and the width of the forced surface <NUM> is a length of a shorter side of the forced surface. In other embodiments, the forced surface may have a non-square shape. In this case, the width of the forced surface <NUM> is a vertical distance between two longer sides of the forced surface.

In the embodiment, the limiting portion <NUM> has a sector-ring-shaped longitudinal cross section. In other embodiments, which are not encompassed by the wording of the appended claims, the limiting portion <NUM> has an irregular longitudinal cross-section composed of two curves and two short straight lines. The parking bracket assembly <NUM> further includes a parking bracket <NUM>. The parking bracket assembly <NUM> including the limiting portion <NUM> and the parking bracket <NUM> is integrally formed. On the basis of the existing parking bracket <NUM>, by lengthening the parking bracket <NUM> and bending the lengthened portion, the parking bracket <NUM> severs as the pressing plate to press against the guide block <NUM> to limit the axial displacement of the guide block <NUM>. By optimizing the structure of the bracket of the existing parking mechanism, it is possible for a same part to realize two functions, which can eliminate additional pressing plate and bolt and avoid a bolt hole from being additionally formed on the housing, thereby minimizing modification cost in a case of the modification. Due to no additionally added parts, there is no influence on an assembling process, the existing production line, and a production device. In addition, for the existing parking mechanism, the existing spatial arrangement, and the existing test, modification and influence are minimum with high mass production reliability.

For the parking mechanism, the parking bracket assembly <NUM> is mainly used to support the rotary shaft <NUM> and to axially stop the parking pawl <NUM> to axially limit the parking pawl <NUM>. The anti-rotation pin <NUM> is mounted in the parking shift fork <NUM> through the interference fit. The anti-rotation pin <NUM> is inserted into the anti-rotation pin slot of the parking bracket <NUM> to guide the parking shift fork <NUM>. The guiding is implemented by the anti-rotation pin <NUM> and the anti-rotation pin slot of the parking bracket <NUM> during the engagement or disengagement of the P gear. The parking bracket <NUM> is lengthened and bent to form the limiting portion <NUM>. The limiting portion <NUM> can press against the guide block <NUM> to limit the axial displacement of the guide block <NUM>.

In another embodiment of the present invention, this embodiment is different from the above embodiment in that the limiting portion <NUM> has a third guide surface <NUM>.

Reference is made to <FIG> showing a parking mechanism according to some embodiments of the present invention. The parking bracket <NUM> is mounted on the housing by means of one bolt and two positioning pins. The rotary shaft <NUM> is supported by a transmission housing hole, a clutch housing hole, and the parking bracket <NUM>. According to an application situation, the rotary shaft <NUM> may be supported by the parking bracket <NUM>, or may not be supported by the parking bracket <NUM>. The rotary shaft <NUM> is axially limited by the parking bracket <NUM> and a bottom of the transmission housing hole. The parking shift fork <NUM> is sleeved over the rotary shaft <NUM> to provide support. The anti-rotation pin <NUM> on the parking shift fork <NUM> is inserted into an anti-rotation pin fitting hole of the parking bracket <NUM> to provide an anti-rotation function. The execution member <NUM> is disposed on the parking shift fork <NUM>. A guide sleeve is disposed on the parking pawl <NUM>, and the execution member <NUM> passes through the guide sleeve. The guide sleeve is of a structure recessed inwards and having a U-shaped surface. The parking shift fork <NUM> is slidably connected to the parking pawl <NUM> through an engagement of the guide sleeve with the execution member <NUM>. The execution member <NUM> is stably slidable along the guide sleeve. Under the action of the rotary shaft <NUM> and the parking bracket <NUM>, the parking shift fork moves axially to realize engagement or disengagement of a P gear. The parking pawl <NUM> is sleeved over the rotary shaft <NUM>. An axial displacement of the parking pawl <NUM> is limited by an end surface of the housing and the parking bracket <NUM>. The guide block <NUM> is press-fitted in a housing hole through the interference fit. The limiting portion <NUM> presses against the guide block <NUM> to provide an axial limiting.

Reference is made to <FIG> showing an axially-limited guide device applied in a parking mechanism. The parking mechanism includes a parking pawl <NUM> and a parking shift fork <NUM> that is axially movable. The guide device includes a parking bracket assembly <NUM> and a guide block <NUM>. The guide block <NUM> is configured to be slidably engaged with an execution member <NUM> at an end of the parking shift fork <NUM> to allow for a relative rotation of the parking pawl <NUM> and a rotary shaft <NUM>. The parking bracket assembly <NUM> is configured to axially limit the parking pawl <NUM> and guide the parking shift fork <NUM>. The parking bracket assembly <NUM> includes a limiting portion <NUM> abutting against the guide block <NUM>. The limiting portion <NUM> is configured to limit an axial movement of the guide block <NUM> when the execution member <NUM> at the end of the parking shift fork <NUM> is axially disengaged from the guide block <NUM>. The limiting portion <NUM> has a third guide surface <NUM> perpendicular to the forced surface <NUM>. The third guide surface <NUM> is configured to guide and limit an axial sliding of the execution member <NUM>.

The first guide portion <NUM> has a first guide surface <NUM>. A projection of the limiting portion <NUM> on a radial plane of the guide block <NUM> has no overlap with a projection of the first guide surface <NUM> on the radial plane of the guide block <NUM>. The guide block <NUM> includes a second guide portion <NUM> having a second guide surface <NUM>. A projection of the limiting portion <NUM> on a radial plane of the guide block <NUM> has no overlap with a projection of the second guide surface <NUM> on the radial plane of the guide block <NUM>. The limiting portion <NUM> is disposed on the support surface <NUM>, and has no overlap with both the first guide surface <NUM> of the first guide portion <NUM> and the second guide surface <NUM> of the second guide portion <NUM>, which can ensure that a guiding effect of the guide block <NUM> on the execution member <NUM> is not affected while the limiting portion <NUM> severs as a pressing plate to press against the guide block <NUM>.

In another embodiment of the present invention, this embodiment is different from the above embodiments in different connecting manner between the parking bracket <NUM> and the limiting portion <NUM>.

Reference is made to <FIG> showing an axially-limited guide device applied in a parking mechanism. The parking mechanism includes a parking pawl <NUM> and a parking shift fork <NUM> that is axially movable. The guide device includes a parking bracket assembly <NUM> and a guide block <NUM>. The guide block <NUM> is configured to be slidably engaged with an execution member <NUM> at an end of the parking shift fork <NUM> to allow for a relative rotation of the parking pawl <NUM> and a rotary shaft <NUM>. The parking bracket assembly <NUM> is configured to axially limit the parking pawl <NUM> and guide the parking shift fork <NUM>. The parking bracket assembly <NUM> includes a limiting portion <NUM> abutting against the guide block <NUM>. The limiting portion <NUM> is configured to limit an axial movement of the guide block <NUM> when the execution member <NUM> at the end of the parking shift fork <NUM> is axially disengaged from the guide block <NUM>.

The parking bracket assembly <NUM> further includes a parking bracket <NUM> connected to the limiting portion <NUM> by welding. On the basis of existing parking bracket <NUM>, optimization is performed by welding the limiting portion <NUM> on the parking bracket <NUM>, it is possible for a same part to realize two functions, which can eliminate additional pressing plate and bolt and avoid a bolt hole from being additionally formed on the housing, thereby minimizing modification cost in a case of the modification. Since only the limiting portion is additionally added without other additionally added parts, there is no influence on an assembling process, the existing production line, and a production device. In addition, for the existing parking mechanism, the existing spatial arrangement, and the existing test, modification and influence are minimum with high mass production reliability.

Claim 1:
A parking mechanism, comprising:
a housing;
a rotary shaft (<NUM>);
a parking pawl (<NUM>);
a parking shift fork (<NUM>) that is axially movable, the parking shift fork (<NUM>) being axially movable to realize engagement or disengagement of the parking pawl (<NUM>) in a parking gear; and
an axially-limited guide device comprising:
a parking bracket assembly (<NUM>) configured to axially limit the parking pawl (<NUM>) and guide the parking shift fork (<NUM>); and
a guide block (<NUM>) configured to be slidably engaged with an execution member (<NUM>) disposed at an end of the parking shift fork (<NUM>) to allow for a relative rotation of the parking pawl (<NUM>) and the rotary shaft (<NUM>), wherein:
the parking bracket assembly (<NUM>) being fixedly connected to the housing comprises a parking bracket (<NUM>) and a limiting portion (<NUM>) abutting against the guide block (<NUM>), the limiting portion (<NUM>) being configured to limit an axial movement of the guide block (<NUM>) when the execution member (<NUM>) disposed at the end of the parking shift fork (<NUM>) is axially disengaged from the guide block (<NUM>);
the guide block (<NUM>) comprises a first guide portion (<NUM>) having a support surface (<NUM>), the limiting portion (<NUM>) being in contact with the support surface (<NUM>);
an end of the limiting portion (<NUM>) has a forced surface (<NUM>) matching with the support surface (<NUM>);
the first guide portion (<NUM>) has a first guide surface (<NUM>), the execution member (<NUM>) being guided by the first guide surface (<NUM>); and
a projection of the limiting portion (<NUM>) on a radial plane of the guide block (<NUM>) has no overlap with a projection of the first guide surface (<NUM>) on the radial plane of the guide block (<NUM>),
characterized in that:
the first guide surface (<NUM>) is of a sector-ring shape; and
a straight line where one of side edges of the forced surface (<NUM>) is located is tangent to an outer ring of the first guide surface (<NUM>).