Machine element or mechanism – Control lever and linkage systems – Multiple controlled elements
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-16
2001-09-18
Bucci, David A. (Department: 3682)
Machine element or mechanism
Control lever and linkage systems
Multiple controlled elements
C403S132000, C403S145000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06289760
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a change lever in a transmission and more particularly to a mounting structure of a change lever in a vehicle constructed and arranged to absorb an allowance between a housing and a ball rotatively pivoting a lower end of the change lever to rule out generation of noise and to prevent leakage of lubricant coated on a frictional part located therebetween, thereby improving a lever-shifting feeling.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a vehicle is equipped with a transmission for changing a driving force generated from an engine to appropriately suit to a running state and the transmission is operated by manipulation of a change lever provided at a side of a driver. Particularly, a rod-type change lever mechanism in a vehicle mounted with a manual transmission is illustrated in FIG.
1
.
In other words, a change lever
1
is mounted with a change lever knob
2
at an upper end thereof for a driver to hold and a hollow member extended lengthwise downwards, where a lower part of the change lever
1
covered with a dust cover
3
for preventing inroad of foreign objects is pivoted and rotatively fixed to the body of the vehicle.
At this time, the lower part of the change lever
1
centrally pierces a ball
4
via a pin
5
to thereafter be coupled to the ball
4
. The ball
4
is supportively accommodated in a housing
6
to form an inner spherical space therein.
The housing
6
is opened at a top side thereof to accommodate the change lever
1
therein, and includes an upper member
6
a
formed with an inner circumferential surface to encompass an upper side of the ball
4
and a lower member
6
b
formed to encompass a lower part of the ball
4
.
Furthermore, the change lever
1
is disposed via a ball joint
7
a
with a shift rod
7
for transmitting an operation direction of the change lever
1
to a transmission to enable changing speed. The housing
6
is arranged at a front side thereof with an extension bar
8
for preventing the so-called Gear Jump Out state, where meshing among teeths in the transmission is released while a sudden change of inertia such as sudden acceleration occurs.
Between the ball
4
fixed via the pin
5
to a lower end of the change lever
1
and the housing
6
for accommodating the ball
4
therein there is coated grease as lubricant to reduce friction which occurs therebetween during changing speed.
When a driver holds the change lever knob
2
to manipulate the change lever
1
back and forth, a manipulating force thereof is transmitted to a transmission via the shift rod
7
to get the vehicle shifted in gears.
However, there is a problem in the conventional change lever
1
thus constructed in that, when there occurs an allowance between the ball
4
and the housing
6
encompassing and supporting the ball
4
, an intermittent contact is generated between the ball
4
and the housing
6
due to vibration of the body generated by the operation of the engine to thereby generate noise between the ball
4
and the housing
6
.
There is another problem in that lubricant coated for reduction of friction between the ball
4
and the housing
6
drips down along a gap generated therebetween due to repeated manipulation of lever shifting, causing decrease of the lubricant and deteriorated shifting feel to the driver during change lever shifting.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is disclosed to solve the aforementioned problems and it is an object of the present invention to provide a mounting structure of change lever in a vehicle constructed and arranged to absorb an allowance generated between the ball rotatively supporting a lower part of the change lever and a housing and to prevent leakage of lubricant coated therein, thereby ruling out generation of noise and improving a change lever shifting feel.
In accordance with the object of the present invention, there is provided a mounting structure of change lever in a vehicle, the change lever having a change lever knob thereon and a ball thereunder and accommodated in a housing forming a spherical inner space therein for rotation, the structure comprising a support member integrally formed at a lower end of the change lever with a cylindrical upper body unit inserted into a change lever and a spherical inner lower body unit having its diameter expanded at a lower part of the upper body unit and its upper surface adhered to a lower surface of the ball is and its lower surface adhered to an inner surface of the housing.
Furthermore, the mounting structure according to the present invention comprises an O-ring between the upper surface of the lower body unit and the lower surface of the ball.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2857190 (1958-10-01), Mioskovitz
patent: 2933309 (1960-04-01), Heiss
patent: 2942901 (1960-06-01), Booth
patent: 3216753 (1965-11-01), Oishei
patent: 3347576 (1967-10-01), Tempeleton
patent: 3731957 (1973-05-01), Uchida
patent: 4305676 (1981-12-01), Wallbank
patent: 5509749 (1996-04-01), Eifert et al.
patent: 41 22 677 (1993-01-01), None
Bucci David A.
Christie Parker & Hale LLP
Hyundai Motor Company
Joyce William C
LandOfFree
Mounting structure of change lever in 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 Mounting structure of change lever in vehicle, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Mounting structure of change lever in vehicle will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2471753