Shift device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9765878-B2
Application number	US-201313932184-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2013
Priority date	Jul 11, 2012
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A shift lever is movable from a home position in a left or rear direction. A reverse mode selection position is set in a route extending in the left direction from the home position. A drive mode selection position is set in a route extending in the rear direction from the home position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A shift device for a transmission, the shift device comprising:
a shift lever movable along a movement route;
a momentary type lever unit including a home position and a plurality of mode selection positions in the movement route, the plurality of mode selection positions including a reverse mode selection position in which a reverse mode of the transmission is selected and a drive mode selection position in which a drive mode of the transmission is selected, wherein the momentary type lever unit automatically returns the shift lever from the reverse mode selection position to the home position along the movement route upon release of the shift lever after selecting the reverse mode and automatically returns the shift lever from the drive mode selection position to the home position along the movement route upon release of the shift lever after selecting the drive mode, wherein
the shift lever is movable from the home position in two intersecting directions,
the reverse mode selection position is set in a route extending in at least one of the two directions,
the drive mode selection position is set in a route extending in at least the other one of the two directions, and
the movement route is a two-terminal end bent route that is free from a three-way junction and includes an L-shaped route and a straight route respectively extending from the home position to the two terminal ends, the home position is set at a corner of the movement route, and the plurality of mode selection positions includes at least one neutral mode selection position that is set at a non-terminal end that is at an intermediate position in the straight route and/or at a non-terminal end that is at an intermediate position in a straight section of the L-shaped route;
wherein the shift lever is movable in a straight first shift direction including the home position,
a straight second shift direction free from the home position and parallel to the first shift direction, and
a straight selection direction including the home position and intersecting the first and second shift directions;
the shift lever is moved from the home position to just before the reverse mode selection position along one of the first and second shift directions; and
the shift lever is moved from the home position to just before the drive mode selection position along the other one of the first and second shift directions.

2. The shift device according to claim 1 , wherein the two directions are orthogonal to each other.

3. The shift device according claim 1 , wherein the shift lever moves to just before the reverse mode selection position in a direction opposite to a direction in which the shift lever moves to just before the drive mode selection position.

4. The shift device according to claim 1 , when the shift lever automatically returns to the home position from the reverse mode selection position or the drive mode selection position, a wall restricts movement of the shift lever beyond the home position.

5. A transmission mode selector for a transmission, comprising:
a selector lever;
a momentary type lever unit including
a movement route which is a two-terminal end bent route that is free from a three-way junction and includes two terminal ends and first and second L-shaped bent portions arranged between the two terminal ends, the first and second L-shaped bent portions each including a corner,
a home position set at the corner of the first L-shaped bent portion of the movement route, and
a plurality of mode selection positions set at positions other than the corners of the first and second L-shaped bent portions, the plurality of mode selection positions including a reverse mode selection position in which a reverse mode of the transmission is selected and a drive mode selection position in which a drive mode of the transmission is selected, and
wherein the momentary type lever unit automatically returns the selector lever from the reverse mode selection position to the home position along the movement route upon release of the selector lever after selecting the reverse mode and automatically returns the selector lever from the drive mode selection position to the home position along the movement route upon release of the selector lever after selecting the drive mode, and the reverse mode selection position and the drive mode selection position are respectively set at the two terminal ends of the movement route, and
the plurality of mode selection positions includes at least one neutral mode selection position set at a non-terminal end that is at an intermediate position in a straight section of the movement route;
wherein the selector lever is movable in a straight first shift direction including the home position,
a straight second shift direction free from the home position and parallel to the first shift direction, and
a straight selection direction including the home position and intersecting the first and second shift directions;
the selector lever is moved from the home position to just before the reverse mode selection position along one of the first and second shift directions; and
the selector lever is moved from the home position to just before the drive mode selection position along the other one of the first and second shift directions.

6. The transmission mode selector according to claim 5 , wherein the corner of the second L-shaped bent portion of the movement route is located between the home position, which is set at the corner of the first L-shaped bent portion, and the reverse mode selection position.

7. The transmission mode selector according to claim 5 , wherein the corner of the second L-shaped bent portion of the movement route is located between the home position, which is set at the corner of the first L-shaped bent portion, and the drive mode selection position.

8. The transmission mode selector according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one neutral mode selection position is set between the home position and one of the two terminal ends.

9. The shift device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one neutral mode selection position is next to the home position.

10. The transmission mode selector according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one neutral mode selection position is next to the home position.

Assignees

• Tokai Rika Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yamamoto Makoto
• Miwa Katsushi

Classifications

• F16H59/10 Primary

  comprising levers · CPC title

• F16H59/08

  Range selector apparatus · CPC title

• Y10T74/2014

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

• F16H2059/0295

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

• F16H2061/242

  Mechanical shift gates or similar guiding means during selection and shifting · CPC title