Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-19
2001-08-14
Dickson, Paul N. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C296S035200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06273466
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an impact energy absorption structure for a shifting device of vehicular transmission, and more particularly to an impact energy absorption structure for a shifting device of a vehicular transmission which comprises a main body and a shift lever protruding from the main body.
Conventionally known as an impact energy absorption structure of this type is an impact energy absorption structure constructed such that a main body is swingably provided on a vehicle body frame in such a manner as to be constrained with a constraining member against rocking thereof, whereby when an impact energy is applied to a shifting device of the vehicular transmission, the constraint with the constraining member is released so that the device main body is allowed to rock (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei. 10-16597).
However, if the impact absorption structure is constructed using a rock constraining system as seen in the prior art, there is caused a problem in which the construction of such a structure gets complicated to thereby increase its production costs. This is a first problem of the prior art.
In addition to this, conventionally known as an impact energy absorption structure of this type is an impact energy absorption structure in which a manipulating knob of a shift lever is formed of an elastic material and in which a part of a rod-like lever main body of the shift lever which resides in the manipulating knob is bent to the left of the driver, a notch being formed in the bent portion (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei. 5-246262).
In the conventional impact energy absorption structure, however, since a distal end portion of the shift lever is constructed so as to be bent by virtue of an impact energy from the driver, there is a drawback in which an impact energy absorption stroke is short, a low impact energy absorption performance being thereby provided. This is a second problem of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an impact energy absorption structure that is simple in construction and low in cost.
The object above can be achieved by an impact energy absorption structure for a shifting device of a vehicular transmission, the structure, according to the present invention, comprising:
a main body;
a shift lever protruding from the main body;
an impact absorption member, through which the main body is fixed to a vehicle body, adapted to be broken by an impact force more than a predetermined force applied to the shifting device, to thereby allow the shifting device to move in an impact force applied direction.
In addition, the object above can also be achieved by an impact energy absorption structure for a shifting device of a vehicular transmission which comprises a main body and a shift lever protruding from the main body, wherein the main body is fixed to a vehicle body via an impact absorption body adapted to be broken by an impact energy applied to the shifting device, whereby the shifting device is allowed to move in an impact energy applied direction.
Thus, if the main body is constructed using a fixing system as described above, it is possible to make the construction simpler and the cost lower than as with the rock conventional constraining system.
Further, it is also an object of the present invention to provide an impact energy absorption structure having a high impact energy absorption performance.
The object above can be achieved by an impact energy absorption structure for a shifting device of a vehicular transmission, the structure, according to the present invention, comprising:
a main body;
a shift lever protruding from the main body;
an impact absorption member, through which the main body is fixed to a vehicle body, adapted to be broken by an impact force more than a predetermined force applied to the shifting device, to thereby allow the shifting device to move in an impact force applied direction,
wherein the main body comprises a shift gate from which the shift lever protrudes, and the shift lever is provided with a rod-like lever main body which is disposed on the main body in such a manner that an axis of said rod-like lever main body intersects with the impact force applied direction.
Furthermore, the object above can also be achieved by an impact energy absorption structure for a shifting device of vehicular transmission, according to the present invention, comprising a main body and a shift lever protruding from a shifting gate of the main body, wherein a rod-like lever main body of the shift lever is disposed on the main body such that an axis of the rod-like lever main body intersects with an impact energy applied direction in order that the rod-like lever main body is bent by an edge portion of the shift gate by virtue of an impact energy applied to the shift lever.
In the aforesaid construction, when an impact energy equal to or larger than a predetermined value is applied, for instance, by the head of the driver to a distal end portion, i.e., the manipulating knob of the rod-like lever main body of the shift lever, the rod-like lever main body is bent at an edge portion of the shift gate as a fulcrum, whereby the impact energy is absorbed. In this case, since the rod-like lever main body is bent at an intermediate portion thereof, there is provided a relatively long impact energy absorption stroke.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3750492 (1973-08-01), Holmes, Jr.
patent: 4055230 (1977-10-01), Kestian et al.
patent: 4077275 (1978-03-01), Kluge et al.
patent: 6082216 (2000-07-01), Watanabe et al.
patent: 44 04 569 (1994-09-01), None
patent: 5-246262 (1993-09-01), None
patent: 9-58288 (1997-03-01), None
patent: 10-16597 (1998-01-01), None
Furusawa Yoshinori
Koike Kunihiro
Maehara Kazutaka
Suzuki Hiroyoshi
Yoshida Yuji
Dickson Paul N.
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
LandOfFree
Impact energy absorption structure for a vehicle... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Impact energy absorption structure for a vehicle..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Impact energy absorption structure for a vehicle... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2436945