Machine element or mechanism – Control lever and linkage systems – Multiple controlled elements
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-11
2002-09-03
Joyce, William C (Department: 3682)
Machine element or mechanism
Control lever and linkage systems
Multiple controlled elements
C074S473230, C192S220200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06443026
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shift lever operating apparatus for an automatic transmission in an automotive vehicle and the like, and more particularly to a shift lever operating apparatus for an automatic transmission which is arranged in a side portion of a steering column fixed to a vehicle body end and connected to a key interlock mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 1-3
show a typical shift lever operating apparatus for an automatic transmission designed in accordance with the conventional prior art. The shift lever operating apparatus for an automatic transmission is connected to an automatic transmission through a transmitting member including a control tube
1
rotatably provided in a side portion of a steering column apparatus (not shown) and a shift lever
2
axially attached to a socket la provided in the control tube
1
and projecting so as to freely stand in an axial direction by a mounting pin
2
a
. A recess portion
3
a
engages a spherical engaging portion
2
b
formed in a base portion of the shift lever
2
and is fixed to a side portion of the steering column apparatus with a compression rod
3
sliding within the control tube
1
in an axial direction in accordance with an operation of the shift lever
2
. A return spring
4
biases the compression rod
3
toward the shift lever
2
in the axial direction. A selector member
5
is fixed to the compression rod
3
and a plurality of detent grooves
6
a
in a detent bracket
6
selectively engage a detent portion
5
c
formed in the selector member
5
. The detent bracket
6
rotatably supports a lower end of the control tube
1
.
The selector member
5
is inserted through an insertion hole
3
b
formed through a middle portion of the compression rod
3
in a diametrical direction. A portion projecting from an outer peripheral surface of the compression rod
3
is slidably inserted through an oblong hole
1
b
formed by extending therethrough in a diametrical direction along an axis of the control tube
1
.
The selector member
5
is fixed to the compression rod
3
by pressing two mounting pins
5
a
through the control tube
1
from a pair of aligned oblong holes
1
c
formed in control tube
1
in a diametrical direction along an axis perpendicular to oblong holes
1
b
. Both ends of each pin
5
a
project from the outer peripheral surface of the control tube
1
and pass through two mounting holes
3
c
and
5
b
formed in the compression rod
3
and the selector member
5
respectively. In addition, the compression rod
3
is structured to integrally rotate with the control tube
1
.
The detent bracket
6
is oriented perpendicular to the control tube
1
in such a manner that the middle portion of the control tube
1
is inserted through it. A lock member
7
restricts movement in a selecting direction of the selector member
5
when the selector member is at a parking position, that is, in the direction of an arrow R shown in FIG.
1
. Lock member
7
is axially attached to the detent bracket
6
by a mounting shaft
7
a.
The apparatus is structured such that the selector member
5
is brought into contact with the lock member
7
and the detent
5
c
of the selector member
5
does not come out from the parking position groove, that is, the shift lever
2
can be locked at the parking position even by operating the shift lever
2
in a select direction, that is, a direction of an arrow S when the selector member
5
is at the parking position, that is, the detent portion
5
c
of the selector member
5
engages with a parking position groove of the detent groove
6
a.
In the shift lever operating apparatus for an automotive vehicle described above, since the selector member
5
is arranged in the middle portion of the compression rod
3
, it is difficult to mount the selector member
5
to the compression rod
3
. Further, since the detent groove
6
a
engaging with the selector member
5
is provided at the middle portion of the control tube
1
in the detent bracket
6
supporting the lower end of the control tube
1
, the detent bracket
6
is made large.
Further, when the selector member
5
is at the parking position and the shift lever
2
is locked, forceful operation of the shift lever
2
in a shift direction, for example, the direction of an arrow T (see FIG.
2
), places a great load on each of the end surfaces of oblong holes
1
b
and
1
c
in the control tube
1
through the selector member
5
and pins
5
a
. The great load presents a risk that a portion near the oblong holes
1
b
and
1
c
will become deformed and a sliding motion of the selector member
5
is not going to be smooth. Thus, it is necessary to make the control tube
1
and the detent bracket
6
very thick to thereby prevent the portion near the oblong holes
1
b
and
1
c
and the portion near the detent groove
6
a
from deforming. Accordingly, the weight of the whole apparatus is increased and the apparatus becomes very large.
Further, in the shift lever operating apparatus for an automatic transmission described above, operation of the shift lever
2
in the selecting direction places a great load on compression rod
3
in the axial direction. The great load acts on the lock member
7
and mounting shaft
7
a
through the selector member
5
when the shift lever
2
is at the parking position thus, a thick large-sized and strong member is used for the lock member
7
and mounting the shaft
7
a
to sufficiently stand the great load. The lock member
7
rotates from a locked position, where the lock member
7
engages with the selector member
5
, to an unlocked position, where the lock member
7
disengages with the selector member
5
, by driving a solenoid as an actuator (not shown).
Accordingly, the whole apparatus becomes large and the weight thereof becomes increased. Further, since the mass of an inertia in the lock member
7
increases in accordance with an increase of the weight, when stepping on a brake to cancel an excitation of the solenoid to permit shifting the shift lever
2
from the parking position to another position rapid operation of the shift lever
2
delays rotation from a locked position of the lock member
7
to an unlocked position. In other words, the responsiveness of the lock member
7
is decreased, so that a lock removal by the lock member
7
cannot be quickly performed.
Still further, since the lock member
7
is mounted to the detent bracket
6
by the mounting shaft
7
a
, the space necessary for mounting and operating the lock member
7
is large, and the whole apparatus becomes large.
Furthermore, in this kind of shift lever operating apparatus for an automotive vehicle, when the shift lever is shifted to the parking position it is locked by the lock member. The lock member rotates from the locked position to the unlocked position in response to the solenoid as the actuator, as stated above.
Accordingly, it is structured so that when the shift lever is shifted to the parking position, the solenoid becomes electrified so as to rotate the lock member to the locked position, thereby locking the shift lever in the parking position. When the brake is stepped on at a time of starting the vehicle, the solenoid becomes de-electrified so as to rotate the lock member to the unlocked position, thereby shifting the shift lever from the parking position to the other position.
Further, an engine key can be removed from a key interlock mechanism only when the shift lever is shifted to the parking position. When in a parked state and the engine key is taken out the key lock lever, which is arranged between the lock member and the key interlock mechanism, is locked and the lock member, which is disposed at the locked position, is prevented from rotating in the unlocked direction by the locked key lock lever.
Then, it is structured such that when the shift lever is moved from the parking position to another position, a lock of the key lock lever is canceled by inserting the engine key into the key interlock mechanism
Arakawa Tetuya
Kataumi Yoshimasa
Fujikiko Kabushiki Kaisha
Howard & Howard
Joyce William C
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