Machine element or mechanism – Control lever and linkage systems – Multiple controlled elements
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-22
2004-07-13
Fenstermacher, David (Department: 3682)
Machine element or mechanism
Control lever and linkage systems
Multiple controlled elements
C074S473180, C074S473210
Reexamination Certificate
active
06761084
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shift lever device for operating a transmission of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an operation device for changing shift ranges set in an automatic transmission of a vehicle by operating automatic transmission of the vehicle from within the vehicle, there has been generally used a shift lever device which has a bar-shaped shift lever and which operates the automatic transmission by pivot-operating the shift lever.
Among such shift lever devices, there is a so-called straight-type shift lever device in which a shift lever is pivot-operated (linearly operated as seen from above) only about an axis whose direction corresponds substantially to the vehicle transverse direction. Other than the straight-type shift lever device, there is also provided a so-called gate-type shift lever device in which a shift lever is pivot-operated in a zigzag pattern about an axis which corresponds substantially to the vehicle transverse direction and about an axis which corresponds substantially to the vehicle longitudinal direction.
In this gate-type shift lever device, as described above, the shift lever is operated in a zigzag pattern. Thus the shift lever of the gate-type shift lever device can be operated for a longer distance as seen from above, in a range for disposing the shift lever device which range is as large as or shorter than that of the straight-type shift lever device, in which the shift lever is linearly operated as seen from above. Accordingly, an automatic transmission which uses the gate-type shift lever device has an advantage that more shift ranges can be set than in the automatic transmission which uses the straight-type shift lever device.
FIG. 10
is a plan view of an example of a housing
402
used in a gate-type shift lever device
400
. The housing
402
is a molded product which is integrally molded from, for example, a synthetic resin material. The housing
402
is usually formed in a plate shape or in a box shape so as to open substantially toward the vehicle downward side. Further, the housing
402
is disposed between a driver's seat and a front passenger's seat such that a main surface thereof faces substantially in the vehicle upward direction. A shift hole
406
, through which a bar-shaped shift lever
404
whose longitudinal direction is substantially along the vehicle vertical direction passes, is formed in the main surface of the housing
402
. The shift hole
406
is a zigzag substantially along the vehicle longitudinal direction and the vehicle transverse direction. The shift lever
404
moves in a zigzag pattern, as seen from above, within the shift hole
406
. In
FIG. 10
, circles formed by solid lines or two-dot-chain lines indicate particular positions of the shift lever
404
. Characters and numbers within the circles indicate shift ranges at respective positions. Arrows A through G which are indicated by the solid lines and which connect the circles indicate a locus of movement of the shift lever
404
.
As shown in
FIG. 10
, in a case in which an automatic transmission is set to a parking range (which hereinafter is simply referred to as the “P range”) in which driving wheels of the vehicle are locked, the shift lever
404
is positioned at a “P position” at which “P” is shown within the circle. When the setting of the automatic transmission is changed from the P range to a reverse range (which hereinafter is simply referred to as the “R range”) in which the driving wheels of the vehicle are rotated in reverse, the shift lever
404
is zigzag-moved along the arrow A shown in
FIG. 10
to an “R position” at which “R” is shown within the circle. When the setting of the automatic transmission is changed from the R range to a neutral range (which hereinafter is simply referred to as the “N range”) in which the driving wheels of the vehicle become free, the shift lever
404
is moved along the arrow B shown in
FIG. 10
to an “N position” at which “N” is shown within the circle. As described above, when the setting of the automatic transmission is changed to a drive range (which hereinafter is simply referred to as the “D range”) in which the driving wheels of the vehicle are rotated forward, a 4 range, a 3 range, a 2 range and a low range (which hereinafter is simply referred to as the “L range”) in which ranges the driving wheels of the vehicle are rotated forward in transmission modes different from that of the D range, the shift lever
404
is moved along the arrows C, D, E, F and G to a “D position”, a “4 position”, a “3 position”, a “2 position” and an “L position” at which positions characters corresponding to respective ranges are shown within the circles.
In the gate-type shift lever device
400
with the above-described structure, a mechanical microswitch
408
is provided at a back surface side of the housing
402
. Movements of the shift lever
404
between the D position and the 4 position are detected by the microswitch
408
. Further, another microswitch
410
is provided at the back surface side of the housing
402
. Movements of the shift lever
404
between the 2 position and the L position are detected by the microswitch
410
.
However, providing the microswiches
408
and
410
may cause a high manufacturing cost. The above-described shift lever device
400
needs to be further improved.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the aforementioned facts, an object of the present invention is to provide a gate-type shift lever device with an inexpensive manufacturing cost.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a shift lever device including a shift lever operable along first and second directions which are perpendicular to each other, the shift lever device switching shift ranges set in a transmission by operations of the shift lever, the operations including a first operation in which the shift lever is moved in the second direction from a predetermined position along the first direction and a second operation in which the shift lever is moved in a direction opposite to the direction of the first operation from a position which is displaced along the first direction from the predetermined position, and the shift lever device including: a movement body axially supported to be rotatable about a third direction which is perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction, the movement body having a first abutting portion which abuts the shift lever at a second direction side of the shift lever during the first operation, the movement body being rotated from an initial position to a first detection position by pressing force from the shift lever abutting the first abutting portion, the movement body having a second abutting portion which abuts the shift lever at a side thereof opposite the second direction side during the second operation, and the movement body being rotated to a second detection position, which is at a side of the initial position opposite from the first detection position, by pressing force from the shift lever abutting the second abutting portion; and a detector which detects presence of the movement body at the initial position, at the first detection position and at the second detection position.
In the shift lever device with the above-described structure, the shift range of the transmission of the vehicle is switched to a shift range corresponding to the position of the shift lever (shift position) by moving (shift-operating) the shift lever in the first and second directions, which are perpendicular to each other.
In the shift lever device of the present invention, when the shift lever is shift-operated from a predetermined position along the first direction to the second direction (that is, when the first operation is effected), the shift lever abuts the first abutting portion of the movement body and presses the first abutting portion in an operation direction thereof. The movement body receives pressing force from the shift lever at the first abutti
Fukuda Keizo
Suzuki Yutaka
Fenstermacher David
Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
Nixon & Peabody LLP
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