Vehicle having a gearbox and a manually operated selector device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9470304-B2
Application number	US-201313914771-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2013
Priority date	Feb 18, 2011
Publication date	Oct 18, 2016
Grant date	Oct 18, 2016

Abstract

A vehicle having a gearbox, a gear control unit and a manually operable selector device, which is electrically connected to the gear control unit and which is provided for selecting different states of the gearbox, includes a sensor device, by which it is possible on actuation of the selector device, to detect whether the selector device is being actuated by a human body part or in some other way.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle, comprising:
a gearbox;
a gearbox control unit electrically coupled to the gearbox;
a selector device actuatable by hand and being electrically coupleable to the gearbox control unit, the selector device being operatively configured to select various positions of the gearbox; and
a sensor device operatively configured and arranged to detect whether the selector device, when actuated, is actuated via a human body part or in another manner, wherein
the selector device comprises a selector element arranged to pivot about a pivot axis,
the selector element is pivotable in a first direction and in a second direction opposite the first direction,
the selector element has first and second piezometric surfaces, and
the selector element is a rocker switch, the pivot axis of the rocker switch being located in a region between the first and second piezometric surfaces.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein at least one component of the sensor device is integrated into the selector device.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a restoring device operatively configured to always restore the selector device back into a predefined, non-actuated position following actuation of the selector device.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the selector device is movable into a first actuated position, against a return force of the restoring device, starting from the non-actuated position.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the selector device is further movable into a second actuated position, against a return force of the restoring device, starting from the first actuated position.

6. The vehicle according to claim 5 , further comprising a pressure point of the selector element, the pressure point being designed such that it must be overcome at a transition between the first actuated position and the second actuated position.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the selector device is operatively configured to be actuatable by a human body finger.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the selector device is operatively configured to be actuatable via only one finger.

9. The vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the selector device is operatively configured to be actuable via an actuating force of less than 10 N.

10. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the selector device is operatively configured to be actuable via an actuating force of less than 10 N.

11. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the gearbox comprises drive, neutral, and reverse operating positions.

12. The vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein the gearbox control device is operatively configured to only generate a control signal to shift from the drive or neutral operating positions into the reverse operating position and/or, from the reverse operating position into the drive operating position if a signal generated by the sensor device is present, said signal indicating that the selector device has been actuated by the human body part.

13. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the selector element is a lever element, and further wherein the first and second piezometric surfaces are formed on opposing sides of the lever element.

14. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the selector device is arranged in a center console region of the vehicle.

15. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the selector device is arranged in a region of or on a steering wheel of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag

Inventors

• Lindner Matthias
• Tille Thomas

Classifications

• F16H59/105

  consisting of electrical switches or sensors · CPC title

• Y10T74/2014

  Manually operated selector [e.g., remotely controlled device, lever, push button, rotary dial, etc.] · CPC title

• F16H59/0278 Primary

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