Patent ID: 6634248
Filing Date: 2003-10-21
Classification: F16H,Y10T

Abstract:
A shift control apparatus for a vehicle having a drive mechanism, the apparatus comprising:a first solenoid operative to enable the drive mechanism for forward vehicle motion; a second solenoid operative to enable the drive mechanism for reverse vehicle motion; a shift switch operative to selectively supply electric current to forward and reverse output terminals thereof when forward and reverse vehicle directions, respectively, are selected; a first control switch operative between first and second switched states to electrically couple and decouple, respectively, the first solenoid and the forward output terminal of the shift switch; a second control switch operative between first and second switched states to electrically couple and decouple, respectively, the second solenoid and the reverse output terminal of the shift switch; a switch control circuit operative to control the respective states of the first and second control switches so that the respective forward and reverse output terminals of the shift switch can at all times be coupled to only one of the first and second solenoids but not the other of said solenoids until and unless the speed of the vehicle is less than a threshold value.