Electronic shift operation apparatus

1 . An electronic shift operation apparatus comprising:

a shift rod configured to be operable in a selection direction along a selection rail and operable in a shift direction along a plurality of shift rails connected to the selection rail;

a mode selection portion configured for selecting an automatic shift mode or a manual shift mode;

a mode switching solenoid configured to operate to switch a mode to the automatic shift mode or the manual shift mode; and

a shifter controller operatively connected to the mode selection portion and the mode switching solenoid and configured to control an operation of the mode switching solenoid by receiving a signal of the mode selection portion,

wherein the mode is switched to the automatic shift mode in which an automatic shift manipulation is enabled or the manual shift mode in which a manual shift manipulation is enabled in accordance with an input of the mode selection portion,

wherein in response that the shift rod is manipulated in the selection direction along the selection rail, a movable route of the shift rod varies depending on the automatic shift mode and the manual shift mode,

wherein in response that the shift rod is manipulated in the shift direction along the shift rail, a shift direction stroke of the shift rod varies depending on the automatic shift mode and the manual shift mode, and

wherein the shifter controller is configured to control the operation of the mode switching solenoid so that a selection operating force in response that the shift rod is manipulated in the selection direction in the automatic shift mode is higher than a selection operating force in response that the shift rod is manipulated in the selection direction in the manual shift mode.

2 . The electronic shift operation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shifter controller is configured to control the operation of the mode switching solenoid so that movement of the shift rod in the selection direction is restricted to a selection position positioned at an edge portion of the selection rail in the automatic shift mode.

3 . An electronic shift operation apparatus comprising:

a shift rod configured to be operable in a selection direction along a selection rail and operable in a shift direction along a plurality of shift rails connected to the selection rail;

a mode selection portion configured for selecting an automatic shift mode or a manual shift mode;

a mode switching solenoid configured to operate to switch a mode to the automatic shift mode or the manual shift mode; and

a shifter controller operatively connected to the mode selection portion and the mode switching solenoid and configured to control an operation of the mode switching solenoid by receiving a signal of the mode selection portion,

wherein the mode is switched to the automatic shift mode in which an automatic shift manipulation is enabled or the manual shift mode in which a manual shift manipulation is enabled in accordance with an input of the mode selection portion,

wherein in response that the shift rod is manipulated in the selection direction along the selection rail, a movable route of the shift rod varies depending on the automatic shift mode and the manual shift mode,

wherein in response that the shift rod is manipulated in the shift direction along the shift rail, a shift direction stroke of the shift rod varies depending on the automatic shift mode and the manual shift mode,

wherein the shifter controller is configured to control the operation of the mode switching solenoid so that movement of the shift rod in the selection direction is restricted to a selection position positioned at an edge portion of the selection rail in the automatic shift mode, and

wherein in the automatic shift mode, in response that the shift rod is manipulated in the selection direction, the selection movement of the shift rod is restricted to a 5/6 stage selection position and a Reverse (R) stage selection position in the manual shift mode.

4 . The electronic shift operation apparatus of claim 1 , further including a shift solenoid operatively connected to the shifter controller and configured to be operated by being controlled by the shifter controller and operate to differently restrict shift direction strokes of the shift rod in accordance with the automatic shift mode and the manual shift mode.

5 . The electronic shift operation apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the shifter controller is configured to control the operation of the shift solenoid so that the shift direction stroke of the shift rod in the automatic shift mode is relatively shorter than the shift direction stroke of the shift rod in the manual shift mode.

6 . The electronic shift operation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein in the manual shift mode, an end portion of the shift rail is defined as a fixed end portion, the shift rod is manipulated in the shift direction, and then an operating force is eliminated so that the shift rod is fixed at any one shift position among a first stage, a second stage, a third stage, a fourth stage, a fifth stage, a sixth stage, and an R stage.

7 . An electronic shift operation apparatus comprising:

a shift rod configured to be operable in a selection direction along a selection rail and operable in a shift direction along a plurality of shift rails connected to the selection rail;

a mode selection portion configured for selecting an automatic shift mode or a manual shift mode;

a mode switching solenoid configured to operate to switch a mode to the automatic shift mode or the manual shift mode;

a shifter controller operatively connected to the mode selection portion and the mode switching solenoid and configured to control an operation of the mode switching solenoid by receiving a signal of the mode selection portion; and

a shift solenoid operatively connected to the shifter controller and configured to be operated by being controlled by the shifter controller and operate to differently restrict shift direction strokes of the shift rod in accordance with the automatic shift mode and the manual shift mode,

wherein the mode is switched to the automatic shift mode in which an automatic shift manipulation is enabled or the manual shift mode in which a manual shift manipulation is enabled in accordance with an input of the mode selection portion,

wherein in response that the shift rod is manipulated in the selection direction along the selection rail, a movable route of the shift rod varies depending on the automatic shift mode and the manual shift mode,

wherein in response that the shift rod is manipulated in the shift direction along the shift rail, a shift direction stroke of the shift rod varies depending on the automatic shift mode and the manual shift mode,

wherein the shifter controller is configured to receive an operating signal of a clutch pedal, and

wherein in response that the automatic shift mode signal is inputted in accordance with a manipulation of the mode selection portion, the shifter controller is configured to control the operation of the shift solenoid so that the movement of the shift rod in the shift direction is allowed to a target shift position regardless of the operating signal of the clutch pedal.

8 . The electronic shift operation apparatus of claim 4 ,

wherein the shifter controller is configured to receive an operating signal of a clutch pedal, and

wherein the shifter controller is configured to control the operation of the shift solenoid so that the movement of the shift rod in the shift direction is allowed to a target shift position only in a state in which both a manual shift mode signal in accordance with a manipulation of the mode selection portion and the operating signal of the clutch pedal are inputted.

9 . The electronic shift operation apparatus of claim 4 ,

wherein the shifter controller is configured to receive an operating signal of a clutch pedal, and

wherein in response that a manual shift mode signal is inputted to the shifter controller in accordance with a manipulation of the mode selection portion and the operating signal of the clutch pedal is not inputted, the shifter controller is configured to control the operation of the shift solenoid to restrict the movement of the shift rod in the shift direction to prevent the shift rod from moving to a target shift position.

10 . The electronic shift operation apparatus of claim 1 , further including:

a printed circuit board (PCB), configured to detect and output a shift position selected in accordance with the manipulation of the shift rod in the selection direction and in the shift direction,

wherein the shifter controller is configured for transmitting a shift position signal, which is outputted from the PCB, to the vehicle controller, and a drive portion operatively connected to the vehicle controller is operated by receiving the signal of the vehicle controller.

11 . The electronic shift operation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein in the manual shift mode, the shifter controller is configured to control the operation of the mode switching solenoid so that the shift rod moves to a plurality of selection positions positioned along the selection rail in accordance with a manipulation of the shift rod in the selection direction, and

wherein in the automatic shift mode, the shifter controller is configured to control the operation of the mode switching solenoid to restrict the movement of the shift rod to any at least one of the plurality of selection positions positioned along the selection rail.

12 . The electronic shift operation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein in the automatic shift mode, a route along which the shift rod is movable along the selection rail by operation of the mode switching solenoid is restricted to be relatively shorter than a route along which the shift rod is movable along the selection rail in the manual shift mode.

13 . The electronic shift operation apparatus of claim 11 , wherein in the manual shift mode, the plurality of selection positions includes:

an initial position at which the shift rod is returned by a spring force in response that an operating force of the shift rod in the selection direction is released;

a 5/6 stage selection position positioned in a first direction along the selection rail from the initial position so that a fifth stage or a sixth stage is selected in accordance with the manipulation of the shift rod in the shift direction;

a 1/2 stage selection position positioned in a second direction along the selection rail from the initial position so that a first stage or a second stage is selected in accordance with the manipulation of the shift rod in the shift direction; and

an R stage selection position positioned at an edge portion in the second direction along the selection rail from the initial position so that an R stage is selected in accordance with the manipulation of the shift rod in the shift direction, and

wherein the initial position is a 3/4 stage selection position at which a third stage or a fourth stage is selected in accordance with the manipulation of the shift rod in the shift direction.

14 . The electronic shift operation apparatus of claim 13 , wherein in the manual shift mode, the shift rod performs a selection manipulation to the 5/6 stage selection position, the 1/2 stage selection position, or the R stage selection position, and then the operating force is eliminated so that the shift rod is returned to the initial position.

15 . The electronic shift operation apparatus of claim 13 ,

wherein in the automatic shift mode, one of two selection positions is alternatively selected in accordance with the manipulation of the shift rod in the selection direction, and

wherein the two selection positions include:

an initial position at which an R stage or a D stage is selected in accordance with the manipulation of the shift rod in the shift direction; and

an M position positioned in the second direction along the selection rail from the initial position so that a (+) stage or a (−) stage is selected in accordance with the manipulation of the shift rod in the shift direction.

16 . The electronic shift operation apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the initial position in the automatic shift mode is a selection position identical to the initial position in the manual shift mode, and the M position in the automatic shift mode is a selection position identical to the 1/2 stage selection position in the manual shift mode.

17 . The electronic shift operation apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the selection position of the shift rod is fixed so that a motion in the selection direction is stopped at the M position, and the shift rod does not return to the initial position in the automatic shift mode even though an operating force is eliminated at the M position.

18 . The electronic shift operation apparatus of claim 15 , wherein in the automatic shift mode, an end portion of the shift rail is defined as a non-fixed end portion, the shift rod positioned at the initial position in the automatic shift mode or the M position is manipulated in the shift direction, and then an operating force is eliminated so that the shift rod is returned to the initial position in the automatic shift mode or the M position.