Method and device for producing a bearing element of a shifting device for a vehicle transmission, and bearing element and shifting device for a vehicle transmission

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10400884-B2
Application number	US-201615549100-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2016
Priority date	Feb 5, 2015
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for the manufacturing of a bearing element of a shift device for a motor vehicle transmission. In a first process step a bearing element is provided, which comprises at least one projection and a coupling joint for the mechanical coupling of a selector lever in order to select a shift position of a motor vehicle transmission. The projection is overmolded by means of an assembly injection molding process with a bearing bushing material in order to form a bearing bushing to mount the bearing element in a moveable manner.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for the manufacturing of a bearing element of a shift device for a motor vehicle transmission, the method comprises the following steps:
providing a bearing element with a projection and a coupling joint for the mechanical coupling of a selector lever to select a shift position of the motor vehicle transmission; and
overmolding the projection through an assembly injection molding procedure with a bearing bushing material in order to form a bearing bushing for the moveable mounting of the bearing element.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the step of providing, the projection or the bearing element is made out of a plastic material or metal, and in the step of overmolding, a plastic material is used as the bearing bushing material.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the step of providing, the coupling joint is provided with an opening to insert the selector lever through the bearing element and to hold the selector lever within the bearing element, whereby the coupling joint comprises a first opening to accommodate a bearing bolt of the selector lever in the area of the opening, whereby in particular in the step of overmolding, the bearing bushing material is additionally injected into the first opening in order to form a bearing shell for the rotatable mounting of the bearing bolt.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the step of providing, the bearing element is provided with at least one further projection, whereby the further projection is overmolded with the bearing bushing material in the step of overmolding in order to form another bearing bushing for the mounting of the bearing element.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein in the step of providing, the bearing element is formed in such a way that the projection and the further projection extend along a common projection axis, whereby the projection is formed on a first outer wall of the bearing element and the further projection on a second outer wall of the bearing element that is opposite to the first outer wall.

6. A bearing element for a shift device for a motor vehicle transmission, the bearing element comprising:
a projection and
a coupling joint for the mechanical coupling of a selector lever to select a shift position of the motor vehicle transmission,
whereby the projection is overmolded through an assembly injection molding procedure with a bearing bushing material in order to form a bearing bushing for the mounting of the bearing element, whereby the bearing element and the bearing bushing are mounted in a way that they are moveable towards each other.

7. The bearing element according to claim 6 , wherein the bearing element comprises at least one further projection which is overmolded with the bearing bushing material, in order to form another bearing bushing, whereby the projection and the further projection extend along a common projection axis, whereby the projection is formed on a first outer wall of the bearing element and the further projection on a second outer wall of the bearing element that is opposite to the first outer wall.

8. A shift device for a motor vehicle transmission, the shift device comprising:
a bearing element according to claim 6 ,
wherein the selector lever comprises a first bolt element and a second bolt element, whereby the coupling joint forms an opening, whereby the selector lever is inserted through the opening, whereby the coupling joint comprises a first opening and a second opening in the area of the opening, whereby the bearing bushing material is injected into the first opening in order to form a first bearing shell, and the bearing bushing material is injected into the second opening in order to form a second bearing shell, and whereby the first bolt element in the first bearing shell and the second bolt element in the second bearing shell are mounted in such a way that they are rotatable around a swivel axis in order to allow a movement of the selector lever around the swivel axis.

9. The shift device according to claim 8 , wherein a projection axis through the projection and the swivel axis run substantially perpendicular to each other.

10. A device coupled to a memory that comprises a program code to perform or control all of the steps of a method according to claim 5 .

11. The device according to claim 10 , wherein the device is designed to carry out or control all the steps of the method according to claim 5 .

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the step of overmolding, the bearing bushing material shrinks away less than the material of the bearing element expands.

13. The method according to claim 3 , wherein in the step of providing, an element protruding into the opening in the coupling joint is further provided in order to prevent twisting of the bearing shell.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the step of overmolding, the bearing bushing is formed with an element protruding at an outer circumference of the bearing bushing in order to secure against twisting of the bearing element within a housing mounted to the motor vehicle.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the step of overmolding, the bearing bushing is formed with depression at an outer circumference of the bearing bushing in order to secure against twisting of the bearing element within a housing mounted to the motor vehicle, wherein the depression is configured to engage a corresponding protrusion on the housing.

16. The bearing element according to claim 6 , wherein the bearing bushing includes an element protruding at an outer circumference of the bearing bushing in order to secure against twisting of the bearing element within a housing mounted to the motor vehicle.

17. The bearing element according to claim 6 , wherein the bearing bushing includes a depression at an outer circumference of the bearing bushing in order to secure against twisting of the bearing element within a housing mounted to the motor vehicle, wherein the depression is configured to engage a corresponding protrusion on the housing.

18. The bearing element according to claim 6 , wherein the bearing bushing material shrinks away less than the material of the bearing element expands after the overmolding.

19. The bearing element according to claim 7 , wherein the coupling joint comprises an opening to insert the selector lever through the bearing element and to hold the selector lever within the bearing element, whereby the coupling joint further comprises a first opening to accommodate a bearing bolt of the selector lever in the area of the opening, whereby the bearing bushing material is additionally overmolded into the first opening in order to form a bearing shell for the rotatable mounting of the bearing bolt.

20. The bearing element according to claim 6 , wherein the bearing element further comprises honeycomb bracing.

Assignees

• Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen

Inventors

• Rake Ludger
• Giefer Andreas

Classifications

• F16H59/02 Primary

  Selector apparatus · CPC title

• B29C2045/14762

  using shrinkage · CPC title

• B29C45/14754 Primary

  being in movable or releasable engagement with the coating, e.g. bearing assemblies · CPC title

• F16H59/0204 Primary

  for automatic transmissions with means for range selection and manual shifting, e.g. range selector with tiptronic · CPC title

• F16H2059/0273

  Cardan or gimbal type joints for supporting the lever · CPC title