Machine element or mechanism – Control lever and linkage systems – Multiple controlled elements
Reexamination Certificate
2003-01-22
2004-12-14
Fenstermacher, David (Department: 3682)
Machine element or mechanism
Control lever and linkage systems
Multiple controlled elements
C074S473100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06829960
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shift control device for a transmission mechanism of a motor vehicle, and more particularly to a column-type shift control device.
2. Related Art
A column-type shift control device is now used on a part of motor vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission (AT) or a continuously variable transmission (CVT). In this shift control device, a shift control lever provided in the vicinity of a steering wheel is swung about a lever mounting axis or pulled up to thereby set a desired shift range. When compared with a floor-type shift control device, the column-type shift control device can help expand the effective space within a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle and improve the occupying properties thereof, much attention being thus paid to the latter.
FIG. 14
is a drawing explaining a conventional column-type shift control device. In the figure, reference numerals
1
and
2
denote a steering wheel and a shift control lever for column shifting, respectively. The steering wheel
1
is mounted on a steering shaft not shown, and the shift control lever
2
is mounted on a shift shaft not shown. The conventional shift control device is mounted such that an axis S
1
of the steering shaft is parallel with an axis of the shift shaft. Therefore, when the shift control lever
2
is swung (moved in a direction indicated by reference numeral d
1
), the shift shaft rotates through an angle corresponding to a distance that the shift control lever is shifted. On the contrary, when the shift control lever
2
is pulled up toward the driver (moved in a direction indicated by reference numeral d
2
), the shift shaft moves in the axial direction thereof a distance corresponding to a distance that the shift control lever is shifted. In other words, these mean that the shift control lever
2
has to be moved in the direction d
2
in order to move the shift shaft in the axial direction without rotating the same shaft, while the shift control lever
2
has to be moved in the direction d
1
in order to move the shift shaft axially without rotating the same shaft.
In the shift control device in which the shift shaft is disposed in parallel with the steering shaft as described above, when swing operating the shift control lever
2
to try to shift the transmissions, the driver tends to move the same lever in a direction indicated by reference numeral d
1
′ which deviates from the direction d
1
. In addition, when pulling up the shift control lever
2
, the driver tends to move the same lever in a direction indicated by reference numeral d
2
′ which deviates the direction d
2
. The reason for these deviations from the intended operating directions is because the driver tends to operate the shift control lever
2
with reference to a rotational center P of his or her shoulder. When thinking of swing operations by the driver, the driver tends to rotate the shift control lever
2
at a distance equal to a distance from the rotational center P of his or her shoulder to the shift control lever
2
. In other words, the driver tends to swing the shift control lever while pulling it up by a distance equal to a deviation between the direction d
1
′ and the intended direction d
1
. If a distance the shift control lever
2
is pulled up due to the aforesaid lever operation exceeds a predetermined pull-up distance which regulates lever shifting between two gear positions, an unintended gear position (for instance, a parking gear position) is engaged irrespective of a driver's intention to engage a currently intended gear position (for instance, a drive range position).
Next, a pull-up operation of the shift control lever
2
will be considered with reference to a case where the gears are shifted from the parking position to any of the other gear positions. This gear shifting needs a lever operation in which the shift control lever
2
which is being located at the parking position is pulled up a predetermined distance in the direction d
2
before it is swung. In this pull-up operation, the shift control lever
2
can be shifted in the direction d
2
, but the lever is restricted from being shifted in the direction d
1
by the mechanism of this shift control device. Since the driver tends to pull up the shift control lever in a direction toward the rotational center P of his or her shoulder (move the shift control lever in the direction d
2
′), the shift control lever
2
tends to be shifted toward the direction d
2
′. In other words, the driver tends to pull up the shift control lever
2
while applying thereto a force in a direction deviating from the intended direction d
2
toward the direction d
1
′. However, since the movement in the direction d
1
′ is restricted, the shift control lever
2
is shifted in the direction d
2
which is different from the driver's intended direction d
2
′. As a result of this, there may be a risk of the driver eventually feeling an unnatural shift lever operation feeling.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the problem inherent in the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a shift control device for a transmission mechanism for a motor vehicle which can prevent the occurrence of a gear shift which the driver does not intend to have.
It is another object of the present invention to improve the operability of the shift control device that will be so provided.
With a view to solving the aforesaid problem, a first aspect of the present invention provides a shift control device for a transmission mechanism for a motor vehicle in which gear shifting is performed by a shift control lever provided in the vicinity of a steering wheel for column shifting, comprising:
a guide member movable in a first direction by swing operating the shift control lever and in a second direction different from the first direction by pull-up operating the shift control lever; and a regulating member having a plurality of steps for regulating the movement of the guide member in said first direction, whereby the operating distance to pull up the shift control lever is regulated by heights of the plurality of steps, respectively; wherein the heights of said plurality of steps for regulating the operating distance to pull up the shift control lever at the time of gear shifting accompanied by a pull-up operation of the shift control lever are greater than a travelling distance of the guide member in the second direction when the shift control lever is caused to travel from a position before the gear shifting to a position thereafter with a distance between a position of the shift control lever before the gear shifting and a shoulder point of the driver at his or her own driving position being maintained substantially constant.
A second aspect of the present invention provides a shift control device for a transmission mechanism for a motor vehicle in which gear shifting is performed by a shift control lever provided in the vicinity of a steering wheel for column shifting, comprising:
a shift shaft movable in response to operation of the shift control lever; a guide member movable in a first direction by swing operating the shift control lever and in a second direction different from the first direction by pull-up operating the shift control lever; and a regulating member having a slidable portion for regulating a direction in which the shift control lever is pulled up through abutment with the guide member; wherein a first angle forming an acute angle by a travelling direction of the guide member in which the guide member travels while kept in abutment with the slidable member through the pull-up operation of the shift control lever and a reference line is smaller than a second angle forming an acute angle by an axial direction of the shift shaft and the reference line, and wherein; the reference line is a line connecting the position of the shift control lever and the shoulder point of the driver at his or her own driving position.
A thir
Arai Yoshimitsu
Hasumi Noritosi
Uchijima Nobuhiro
Fenstermacher David
Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Hansen Colby
LandOfFree
Shift control device for a transmission mechanism does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Shift control device for a transmission mechanism, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Shift control device for a transmission mechanism will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3318630