Shifter assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9377100-B2
Application number	US-201313930793-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2013
Priority date	Jul 6, 2012
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

A shifter assembly for selecting one of a plurality of gears of a transmission of a vehicle includes a housing having an index track for defining a first mode and a second mode. A shift lever is movably coupled to the housing and interfaces with the index track as the shift lever moves between the modes. A blocker coupled to the housing has a first engagement surface engageable by the shift lever when in the first mode to prevent the shift lever from entering the second mode with the blocker moving in a first direction when the shift lever abuts the first engagement surface. The blocker has a second engagement surface engaged by the shift lever when moving from the first mode to the second mode with the blocker moving in a second direction substantially transverse to the first direction when the shift lever abuts the second engagement surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shifter assembly for selecting one of a plurality of gears of a transmission of a vehicle, said shifter assembly comprising:
a housing having an index track defining a plurality of positions, a first mode having at least a park position, and a second mode having at least one other position, with said index track having a length defined by said plurality of positions;
a shift lever movably coupled to said housing with said shift lever interfacing with said index track along said length as said shift lever moves between said positions and said first and second modes;
a blocker coupled to said housing with said blocker having a first engagement surface engageable by said shift lever when in a position of said first mode to prevent said shift lever from entering said second mode with said blocker moving in a first direction relative to said housing and said index track when said shift lever abuts said first engagement surface, and said blocker having a second engagement surface engaged by said shift lever when moving from a position of said first mode to a position of said second mode with said blocker moving in a second direction relative to said housing transverse to said first direction when said shift lever abuts said second engagement surface;
when said shift lever is in at least said park position, said blocker is spaced from said shift lever and furthermore said blocker is spaced along said length of said index track from said shift lever.

2. A shifter assembly as set forth in claim 1 further including a retaining member engaged with said housing and wherein said blocker is further defined as a head coupled to said retaining member with said head presenting said first and second engagement surfaces and moving in said first and second directions.

3. A shifter assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said retaining member is rotatably and slideably coupled to said housing.

4. A shifter assembly as set forth in claim 2 further comprising a pin fixed to said housing with said retaining member being resiliently bendable about said pin as said head moves in said first direction.

5. A shifter assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein portions of said retaining member are configured to resiliently bend relative to said housing as said head moves in both said first and second directions.

6. A shifter assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said index track presents an engagement wall and wherein said shift lever includes an extension that is movable to a position abutting said engagement wall when in said first mode to selectively retard movement of said shift lever into said second mode.

7. A shifter assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein said index track presents a protrusion and wherein said extension of said shift lever abuts said blocker and moves said blocker in said first direction until said blocker abuts said protrusion.

8. A shifter assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said blocker has a third engagement surface spaced from said first engagement surface with said third engagement surface and said protrusion being configured to prevent rotation of said blocker relative to said shift lever.

9. A shifter assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said first engagement surface of said blocker aligns with said engagement wall of said index track when said blocker abuts said protrusion for aligning said extension with said position abutting said engagement wall.

10. A shifter assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein said second engagement surface of said blocker faces said extension of said shift lever when said shift lever is adjacent said engagement wall.

11. A shifter assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said blocker moves along a substantially arcuate path relative to said housing and said index track when moving in said first direction.

12. A shifter assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said blocker moves along a linear path relative to said first direction when moving in said second direction.

13. A shifter assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said housing includes a first half and a second half and wherein said blocker is further defined as a first blocker coupled to said first half, and further including a second blocker spaced from said first blocker coupled to said second half.

14. A shifter assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein said shift lever includes a shaft and an extension extending outwardly in opposite directions relative to said shaft for simultaneously engaging said first and second blockers during selective movement of said shift lever.

15. A shifter assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said shift lever is movable between said first and second modes along a substantially linear path with said shift lever engaging said blocker as said shift lever moves from said first mode toward said second mode along said substantially linear path.

16. A shifter assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first direction is along said length of said index track.

17. A shifter assembly for selecting one of a plurality of gears of a transmission of a vehicle, said shifter assembly comprising:
a housing having an index track defining a first mode and a second mode with at least one of said modes defining a plurality of positions and said index track having a length defined by said positions;
a shift lever movably coupled to said housing with said shift lever interfacing with said index track along said length as said shift lever moves between said modes and said positions;
a blocker coupled to said housing and spaced from said shift lever when said shift lever is in at least one of said positions and furthermore said blocker is spaced along said length of said index track when said shift lever is in at least one of said positions with said blocker having a first engagement surface engageable by said shift lever when in a position of said first mode to prevent said shift lever from entering said second mode with said blocker moving in a first direction relative to said housing and said index track when said shift lever abuts said first engagement surface, and said blocker having a second engagement surface engaged by said shift lever when moving from said first mode to said second mode with said blocker moving in a second direction relative to said housing transverse to said first direction when said shift lever abuts said second engagement surface;
wherein said second engagement surface is oriented transverse to said first engagement surface to facilitate said transverse movement between said first and second directions.

18. A shifter assembly as set forth in claim 17 further including a retaining member engaged with said housing and wherein said blocker is further defined as a head coupled to said retaining member with said head presenting said first and second engagement surfaces and moving in said first and second directions.

19. A shifter assembly as set forth in claim 18 wherein said retaining member is rotatably and slideably coupled to said housing.

20. A shifter assembly as set forth in claim 19 further comprising a pin fixed to said housing with said retaining member being rotatable about said pin as said head moves in said first direction.

21. A shifter assembly as set forth in claim 20 wherein said pin is further defined as a first pin and said housing includes a second pin spaced from said first pin with said retaining member being slideable between said first pin and said second pin relative to said housing as said head move

Assignees

• Kongsberg Automotive Ab

Inventors

• Fredriksson Robert

Classifications

• F16H2059/026

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

• F16H59/0278 Primary

  Constructional features of the selector lever, e.g. grip parts, mounting or manufacturing · CPC title

• F16H59/02 Primary

  Selector apparatus · CPC title

• F16H2059/0282

  Lever handles with lock mechanisms, e.g. for allowing selection of reverse gear or releasing lever from park position · CPC title

• F16H59/0204

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