192 clutches and power-stop control – Transmission and brake – Motor vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-05
2001-07-31
Lorence, Richard M. (Department: 3681)
192 clutches and power-stop control
Transmission and brake
Motor vehicle
C074S473150, C074S502600, C029S469000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267217
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a console assembly for a vehicle interior and, in one of its aspects, to a console assembly having transmission shifter and parking brake mechanisms mounted thereto prior to being mounted to the vehicle interior. In another aspect, the invention relates to a method for assembling the transmission shifter and parking brake mechanisms to the console assembly prior to installation of the console assembly within the vehicle interior and interconnection of the transmission shifter and parking brake mechanisms to the respective transmission shifter and parking brake components of the vehicle by quick-connect mechanisms.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vehicles and, more specifically, passenger vehicles typically include a console located between the front driver and passenger seats of the vehicle.
FIG. 13
shows an exploded perspective view of a prior art console assembly
10
for mounting to a tunnel reinforcement member
12
of a vehicle interior. The console assembly
10
comprises a molded console member
14
, a transmission shifter mechanism
16
, a shifter bezel
18
, a shifter knob
20
, and a parking brake mechanism
22
. In some cases, the console assembly
10
can also include an air bag module
24
for controlling the deployment of air bags in various areas of the vehicle.
The console member
14
typically comprises a forward end portion
26
having a flange
28
adapted to interengage with a dashboard portion (not shown) of the vehicle interior, an ashtray or other storage unit
30
, and perhaps one or more container holders
32
. The console member
14
can also have an intermediate portion
34
having an aperture
36
adapted to receive the shifter mechanism
16
and its associated components. Moreover, the console member
14
can include a rearward portion
38
typically provided with a storage compartment
40
having a lid
42
thereon and an aperture
68
adapted to receive a portion of the parking brake mechanism
22
. The console member
14
is typically molded from a rigid synthetic resin material and is formed as an elongated shell.
The transmission shifter mechanism
16
typically comprises a bracket
44
having one or more mounting flanges
46
thereon adapted to receive fasteners for mounting the transmission shifter mechanism
16
to either the console member
14
or the tunnel reinforcement member
12
of the vehicle interior. The transmission shifter mechanism
16
also includes an upwardly-extending shifter rod
48
adapted to pass through the shifter bezel
18
and receive the shifter knob
20
. When the shifter mechanism
16
, shifter bezel
18
, and shifter knob
20
are appropriately mounted between the tunnel reinforcement member
12
and the console member
14
, an aesthetically-pleasing upper surface
50
of the shifter bezel
18
is positioned within the aperture
36
at the intermediate portion
34
of the console member
14
. Typically, the shifter mechanism
16
also has a detent mechanism
52
for positioning the shifter rod
48
in a number of discrete positions—park, reverse, neutral, drive, and low gears for automatic transmissions and first through fifth and reverse for typical manual transmissions.
The parking brake mechanism
22
typically comprises a bracket
54
adapted to be mounted between the tunnel reinforcement member
12
and the console member
14
which includes a pivotal mounting
56
for a parking brake lever
58
as is conventionally known.
Also shown in
FIG. 13
are a transmission actuator rod
60
and a parking brake actuator cable
62
each having well-known threaded portions
64
and
66
, respectively, provided on the tunnel reinforcement member
12
. The interconnections
64
and
66
of the transmission actuator rod
60
and parking brake actuator cable
62
are adapted to be interconnected to the transmission shifter mechanism
16
and parking brake mechanism
22
, respectively.
Several problems and costs have arisen during the assembly and installation of the console assembly
10
to the tunnel reinforcement member
12
of a vehicle interior. This assembly typically requires several expensive and time-consuming steps: (1) the transmission shifter mechanism
16
is installed between the tunnel reinforcement member
12
and the console member
14
; (2) the shifter mechanism
16
is interconnected to the transmission actuator rod
60
via the interconnection
64
; (3) the parking brake mechanism
22
must be installed between the tunnel reinforcement member
12
and the console member
14
so that the parking brake lever
58
extends through the aperture
68
in the rearward portion
38
of the console member
14
; (4) the parking brake lever
58
must be interconnected to the parking brake actuator cable
62
via the interconnection
66
; (5) the air bag module
24
must be mounted between the tunnel reinforcement member
12
and the console member
14
; (6) the console member
14
must be mounted to the tunnel reinforcement member
12
to enclose the transmission shifter mechanism
16
and its associated components, the parking brake mechanism
22
and the air bag module
24
.
Manufacturing costs and installation problems have arisen due to the number of steps which must be performed on an automaker's assembly line to complete the installation of the console member
14
to the tunnel reinforcement member
12
as well as to install the transmission shifter mechanism
16
, parking brake mechanism
22
and air bag module
24
. These steps require several workers and several stations along the assembly line to complete an adequate installation. Further, the automaker must track several parts, namely, the components
14
-
24
as individual components to be installed within the vehicle interior creating inventory requirements as well as part tracking problems throughout the automaker's plant.
Interconnection of the transmission shifter mechanism
16
to the transmission actuator rod
60
and the parking brake mechanism
22
to the parking brake actuator cable
62
is often difficult due to space requirements as well as the awkward positioning of the console member
14
relative to the tunnel reinforcement member
12
within the confines of the vehicle interior on the automaker's assembly line.
Servicing the shifter mechanism
16
, parking brake mechanism
22
, and air bag module
24
within the console member
14
is also difficult because each of the components must be individually removed from the tunnel reinforcement member
12
to replace the defective component.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect, the invention relates to a console assembly for mounting to a vehicle support member in an area between a pair of seats and having a first quick connect fastener mounted thereto. The console assembly preferably has a carrier adapted to mount to a vehicle support member in an area between the seats and an operational lever pivotally mounted on the carrier for movement between first and second positions. A quick connect fastener is preferably connected to the operational lever at a lower portion thereof and adapted to mate with the first quick connect fastener on the vehicle support member. The operational lever and carrier can thereby be assembled as a unit to the vehicle and the shift lever can be assembled to a vehicle shifting/braking mechanism through the quick connect fasteners.
A housing can be mounted to the carrier and can cover a portion of the operational lever. The housing and carrier can thereby be assembled as a unit to a vehicle and thereafter the operational lever can be assembled to a vehicle transmission. The operational lever can comprise a transmission shift lever. The operational lever can also comprise a parking brake lever mounted to the carrier for pivotal movement between first and second positions. The housing can also cover at least a portion of the parking brake lever.
A third quick connect fastener can be connected to a lower portion of the parking brake lever and the vehicle support member furthe
Cogswell Marc R.
Kelly Timothy J.
Malone Brian J.
Lorence Richard M.
Meridian Automotive Systems, Inc.
Rader, Fishman, Grauer & McGarry, An Office of Rader, Fishman &
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