Joystick control for a change speed gearbox

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9291258-B2
Application number	US-201113703424-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2011
Priority date	Jun 15, 2010
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

A joystick control is disclosed for a change speed gearbox in which two selector are separately controllable remotely. The joystick control comprises a support body, an axle rotatably supported by the body, and an operating lever connected to the axle by a pivot pin such that the operating lever is rotatable about the axis of the axle in one plane and is pivotable relative to the axle about the axis of the pivot pin in an orthogonal plane. Two actuating members are rotatably supported by the axle and arranged one on each side of the operating lever. Each actuating member is connectable by a respective Bowden cable to one of the selectors of the gearbox and extends and retracts the cable in response to rotation of the actuating member about the axle. Mating formations on the operating lever and the actuating members allow the operating lever to be engaged selectively for rotation with one or the other of the actuating members in dependence upon the direction in which the operating lever is pivoted relative to the axle about the pivot pin.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A joystick control for a change speed gearbox, comprising:
a support body;
an axle rotatably supported by the body;
an operating lever connected to the axle by a pivot pin having an axis perpendicular to that of the axle such that the operating lever is rotatable about the axis of the axle and is pivotable relative to the axle about the axis of the pivot pin;
first and second actuating members rotatably supported by the axle, the first actuating member being disposed on a first side of the operating lever and defining a first opening configured to receive one end of the axle, the second actuating member being disposed on an opposite second side of the operating lever and defining a second opening configured to receive an opposed end of the axle, each actuating member being connectable to a respective Bowden cable to extend and retract the cable in response to rotation of the actuating member about the axle; and
mating formations on the operating lever and each of the first and second actuating members to engage the operating lever selectively for rotation with one of the first actuating member or the second actuating member in dependence upon a direction in which the operating lever is pivoted relative to the axle about the pin.

2. A joystick control as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second actuating members is rotatable by the operating lever between a neutral position, an up position in which the associated Bowden cable is extended and a down position in which the associated Bowden cable is retracted.

3. A joystick control as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the mating formations on the operating lever and the first and second actuating members are such that the operating lever can only be disengaged from one of the actuating members and engaged with the other when both the first and second actuating members are in their respective neutral positions.

4. A joystick control as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the mating formations comprise a first notch defined in the first actuating member and a second notch defined in the second actuating member, the first and second notches being configured to selectively receive in the operating lever in dependence upon a direction in which the operating lever is pivoted relative to the axle about the pin.

5. A joystick control as claimed in claim 4 , wherein a spring is provided to urge the operating lever to engage one of the first notch or the second notch.

6. A joystick control as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the support body, the axle, the operating lever, and the first and second actuating members are formed of a plastics material.

7. A joystick control as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the plastics material of the operating lever, the first and second actuating members and the support body is a glass fibre reinforced nylon.

8. A joystick control as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a gearbox connected by two Bowden cables to the joystick control, wherein the gearbox has two gear ratio selectors, a first selector being movable by a first Bowden cable from a neutral position in one direction to select a first gear ratio and from the neutral position in an opposite direction to select a second great ratio, and a second selector being movable by a second Bowden cable from a neutral position in one direction to select a third gear ratio and from the neutral position in the opposite direction to select a fourth gear ratio, wherein pivoting of the operating lever about the pin relative to the axle has no effect on the Bowden cables nor the positions of the gear ratio selectors.

9. A joystick control as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the operating lever is rotatable about the axis of the axle in one plane and is pivotable relative to the axle about the axis of the pivot pin in an orthogonal plane.

10. A joystick control as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the operating lever is rotatable about the axis of the axle in one plane and is pivotable relative to the axle about the axis of the pivot pin in an orthogonal plane.

11. A joystick control as claimed in claim 10 , wherein each of the first and second actuating members lever is rotatable by the operating lever between a neutral position, an up position in which the associated Bowden cable is extended and a down position in which the associated Bowden cable is retracted.

12. A joystick control as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the mating formations on the operating lever and the first and second actuating members are such that the operating lever can only be disengaged from one of the actuating members and engaged with the other when both the first and second actuating members are in their respective neutral positions.

13. A joystick control as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the mating formations comprise a first notch defined in the first actuating member and a second notch defined in the second actuating member, the first and second notches being configured to selectively receive the operating lever in dependence upon a direction in which the operating lever is pivoted relative to the axle about the pin.

14. A joystick control as claimed in claim 13 , wherein a spring is provided to urge the operating lever to engage one of the first notch or the second notch.

15. A joystick control as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the first notch is configured to receive the operating lever when the operating lever is pivoted relative to the axle about the pin in a first direction, the second notch being configured to receive the operating lever when the operating lever is pivoted relative to the axle about the pin in a second direction.

16. A joystick control as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the first and second notches are aligned when the first and second actuating members are in the neutral position and are misaligned when one of the first actuating member or the second actuating member is in one of the up position or the down position.

17. A joystick control as claimed in claim 4 , wherein, when the operating lever is received within the first notch and the first actuating member is moved to the up position or the down position, the second actuating member is maintained in the neutral position.

Assignees

• Magrini Sergio
• Salvini Tiziano
• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Magrini Sergio
• Salvini Tiziano

Classifications

• F16H59/0204

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

• F16H2059/0295

  with mechanisms to return lever to neutral or datum position, e.g. by return springs · CPC title

• F16H2059/026

  Details or special features of the selector casing or lever support · CPC title

• F16H2059/0273

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

• F16H59/042 Primary

  comprising a final actuating mechanism · CPC title