Vehicle shifter with offset cable actuator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10072751-B2
Application number	US-201615156840-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2016
Priority date	May 17, 2016
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

In at least some implementations, a shifter for a vehicle transmission includes a shift member and a cable actuator. The shift member is pivoted at a first pivot for movement between multiple positions corresponding to multiple transmission gears. The cable actuator pivoted at a second pivot, driven for movement about the second pivot by movement of the shift member about the first pivot and has a cable connector adapted to be connected to a shift cable that is associated with the vehicle transmission, wherein the first pivot is arranged about a first axis and the second pivot is arranged about a second axis that is not parallel to the first axis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A shifter for a vehicle transmission, the vehicle also having a steering assembly including a main shaft, comprising:
a shift member mounted separately from the main shaft and pivoted at a first pivot for movement between multiple positions corresponding to multiple transmission gears; and
a cable actuator pivoted at a second pivot, driven for movement about the second pivot by movement of the shift member about the first pivot and having a cable connector adapted to be connected to a shift cable associated with the vehicle transmission, wherein the first pivot is arranged about a first axis that is not parallel to the main shaft and the second pivot is arranged about a second axis that is not parallel to the first axis, and wherein a path of movement of the cable actuator is within an imaginary plane that is not parallel to the main shaft and is at an angle of at least 10 degrees to an imaginary plane that is perpendicular to the first axis.

2. The shifter of claim 1 wherein the cable actuator includes a cable connector adapted to be connected to the shift cable, and wherein the path of travel of the cable connector is at an angle of at least 10 degrees relative to a plane perpendicular to the first axis.

3. The shifter of claim 1 wherein the cable actuator includes a coupler that is engaged by the shift member to move the cable actuator as the shift member moves during a transmission shift.

4. The shifter of claim 3 wherein the engagement between the coupler and the shift member accommodates movement of the coupler relative to the shift member as the shift member moves.

5. The shifter of claim 4 wherein the shift member includes a coupling element that is movable relative to the cable actuator to permit the cable actuator to pivot about the second axis while the shift member pivots about the first axis.

6. The shifter of claim 4 wherein one of the shift member and the cable actuator includes a peg and the other of the shift member and the cable actuator includes a socket in which the peg is received.

7. The shifter of claim 4 wherein one of the shift member and the cable actuator includes a ball and the other of the shift member and the cable actuator includes a pocket in which the ball is received so that the ball may slide within the pocket.

8. The shifter of claim 1 wherein the second axis is perpendicular to the first axis.

9. The shifter of claim 2 which also comprises a shift cable having a core slidably received within a conduit and wherein the core is connected to the cable connector and movement of the cable actuator about the second pivot moves the core relative to the conduit.

10. A shifter for a vehicle transmission, comprising:
a shift member pivoted at a first pivot for movement between multiple positions corresponding to multiple transmission gears;
a cable actuator pivoted at a second pivot, driven for movement about the second pivot by movement of the shift member about the first pivot and having a cable connector, wherein the first pivot is arranged about a first axis and the second pivot is arranged about a second axis that is not parallel to the first axis;
a link coupled to the shift member at a coupler pivot so that the link moves with the shift member as the shift member moves and the link pivots relative to the shift member about the coupler pivot, the link including a portion that is engageable with the cable actuator to displace the cable actuator about the second pivot as the link moves; and
a shift cable having a core received within a conduit and movable relative to the conduit, wherein the core is connected to the cable connector and movement of the cable actuator about the second pivot moves the core relative to the conduit and wherein the shift cable is adapted to be connected to a transmission shift mechanism so that movement of the core causes a transmission shift when the shifter is installed on the vehicle.

11. The shifter of claim 10 wherein the cable actuator includes a coupler that is coupled to the link to move the cable actuator as the shift member moves during a transmission shift.

12. The shifter of claim 11 wherein the coupling between the coupler and the link accommodates movement of the coupler relative to the link as the shift member moves.

13. The shifter of claim 10 wherein a path of movement of the cable actuator is arcuate and within an imaginary plane that is at an angle to an imaginary plane that is perpendicular to the first axis.

14. A shifter for a vehicle transmission, comprising:
a shift member pivoted at a first pivot for movement between multiple positions corresponding to multiple transmission gears;
a cable actuator pivoted at a second pivot, driven for movement about the second pivot by movement of the shift member about the first pivot and having a cable connector adapted to be connected to a shift cable associated with the vehicle transmission, wherein the first pivot is arranged about a first axis and the second pivot is arranged about a second axis that is not parallel to the first axis; and
a link coupled to the shift member at a coupler pivot so that the link moves with the shift member as the shift member moves and the link pivots relative to the shift member about the coupler pivot, the link including a coupler that is engageable with the cable actuator to displace the cable actuator about the second pivot as the link moves.

15. The shifter of claim 14 wherein the coupler pivot defines a coupler pivot axis about which the coupler of the link moves relative to the shift member toward and away from the first axis.

16. The shifter of claim 14 which also comprises a cable actuator coupler carried by the cable actuator and which is engaged by the coupler of the link so that the cable actuator is moved as the shift member moves during a transmission shift, and wherein one of the coupler of the link and the cable actuator coupler includes a peg and the other includes a socket in which the peg is at least partially received.

17. The shifter of claim 16 wherein the peg may move relative to the socket.

18. The shifter of claim 14 wherein the shift member includes a base having a first portion coupled to the shift member and the first pivot, and a second portion that is pivotable relative to the first portion about a secondary pivot that is not parallel to the first pivot, and the shift member may pivot about both the first pivot and the secondary pivot.

19. The shifter of claim 18 wherein the first pivot is arranged to permit movement of the shift member in one of a fore-aft direction or a cross-car direction and the secondary pivot is arranged to permit movement of the shift member in the other of the fore-aft direction or a cross-car direction.

Assignees

• Dura Operating Llc

Inventors

• Abu-Soud Sami H
• Beattie Dale A
• Morales Alberto Polonio

Classifications

• F16H2059/0265

  Selector lever support with pivot axis offset, e.g. support by four bar linkage to create pivoting centre outside the mechanism · CPC title

• F16H59/10 Primary

  comprising levers · CPC title

• F16H61/36

  with at least one movement being transmitted by a cable · CPC title

• F16H2059/0247

  with lever or paddle behind steering wheel · CPC title

• B60K20/06

  mounted on steering column or the like · CPC title