Abstract:
A transmission shifter for a vehicle includes a base, a transmission shift lever, a cable bracket adapted for connection to a transmission control member, and a yoke. The yoke and the cable bracket are assembled and define a first pivot axis on the base. The shift lever is pivoted to the yoke for movement about a second pivot axis generally perpendicular to the first pivot axis. The shift lever and the cable bracket include vertically-elongated mating engagement features that, when the shift lever is in a fully engaged position, lock the shift lever and the cable bracket together preventing relative movement therebetween. The shift lever is movable from the fully engage position to a partially disengaged position where the mating engagement features are sufficiently disengaged to permit at least limited movement of the shift lever without concurrent movement of the cable bracket.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of provisional application Ser. No. 61/426,557, filed Dec. 23, 2010, entitled TRANSMISSION SHIFTER WITH REDUCED CROSS CAR TRAVEL. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to transmission shifters for vehicles, and more particularly relates to a shifter moveable along an automatic shift path including park, reverse, neutral, and drive positions and along a manual shift path including an up shift position and a down shift position. 
         [0003]    On known automatic transmission shifter with manual shift mode is disclosed in Rempinski U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,197. This shift lever is moveable along an automatic shift path including park, reverse, neutral, and drive shift positions, and movable along a transverse path to a parallel manual shift path including an up shift position and a down shift position. The shift lever when moved in either the automatic shift path or the manual shift path pivots about a cross-car horizontal axis defined by a pin 60 and sphere 59 and socket-shaped bearing 52. The shift lever in Rempinski &#39;197 when moved between the automatic and manual shift paths is movable about a fore-aft horizontal axis defined by the sphere 59/socket-shaped bearing 52 and that is perpendicular to the first cross-car horizontal axis. For example, see FIG. 13 in U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,197 which discloses shift paths 36 (automatic shift path), 37 (manual shift path), and 38 (transition path between shift paths), and also the engagement structure of the U-shaped member 70/72 and the shifter engagement block 61 (FIGS. 6 and 9). 
         [0004]    A problematic dilemma occurs as shifters become more compact, and as shifters have reduced travel due to their compact size. For example, the engagement structure permitting operation of the shift lever in its various shift positions must be sufficiently small to allow disengagement of the transmission control cable/transmission rod/linkage for operation of the shifter when in the manual shift path, yet sufficiently large to provide sufficient engagement structure and movement to operate the transmission control cable/transmission rod/linkage for operation of the shifter when in the automatic shift path. This dilemma is not easily solved, particularly given the relatively complex nature of modern transmission shifters, and the structural requirements and durability requirements of modern transmission shifters. 
       SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
       [0005]    In one aspect of the present invention, a transmission shifter for a vehicle includes a base, a transmission shift lever with lever component, a cable bracket adapted for connection to a transmission control member, and a yoke. The yoke and the cable bracket are assembled and define a first pivot axis on the base. The shift lever is pivoted to the yoke for movement about a second pivot axis generally perpendicular to the first pivot axis. The lever component and the cable bracket include mating engagement features that, when the shift lever is in a fully engaged position, lock the shift lever and the cable bracket together preventing relative movement therebetween. The shift lever is movable from the fully engage position to a disengaged position where the mating engagement features are sufficiently disengaged to permit movement of the shift lever without concurrent movement of the cable bracket. 
         [0006]    In another aspect of the present invention, a transmission shifter for a vehicle includes a base, a transmission shift lever including an engagement feature, a cable bracket adapted for connection to a transmission control member and including a mating engagement feature, and a yoke. The yoke and the cable bracket being assembled and defining a first pivot axis on the base with the engagement features being less than 50 mm from the first pivot axis. The shift lever is pivoted to the yoke for movement about a second pivot axis generally perpendicular to the first pivot axis with pivoting movement of the shift lever being limited by the base and yoke and cable bracket to a rotational angle of less than 7 degrees, the engagement features being shaped to disengage with a disengagement movement of less than 5 mm. The engagement features lock the shift lever and the cable bracket together preventing relative movement therebetween when in a fully engaged position. The shift lever are movable from the fully engaged position to a partially disengaged position where the mating engagement features are sufficiently disengaged to permit movement of the shift lever without concurrent movement of the cable bracket. 
         [0007]    These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present invention will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon studying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIGS. 1-3  are side schematic views illustrating the problem solved by the present inventive transmission shifter, including  FIG. 1  which illustrates movements like an existing production shifter in prior art,  FIG. 2  which is modified to have an engagement feature much closer to the pivot axis of the shift lever (one aspect of the present invention), and  FIG. 3  which is modified to have an engagement feature that is both much closer to the pivot axis and also much shorter angular throw of the shift lever. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a shift lever assembly including an over-molded lever component, a cable bracket connected to a transmission shift cable, and a yoke, the lever component including a shouldered protrusion engagement feature and the cable bracket including a lever engagement feature (T-shaped recess) for engaging and disengaging the protrusion. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a cross section taken along line V-V in  FIG. 4 , with the cable bracket tipper outward to pull protrusion sufficiently to remove the shoulders of the protrusion from the recess but allowing a tip of the protrusion to move between and engage wide portions of the recess (thus allowing limited fore-aft movement of the shift lever when in the manual shift mode and effectively preventing movement of the cable bracket). 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a cross section similar to  FIG. 5  (taken along line V-V in  FIG. 4 ), but with the protrusion fully engaging the recess such that the protrusion is locked in the recess (thus locking movement of the cable bracket to the shifter and preventing any relative fore-aft movement when in the automatic shift mode). 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view similar to  FIG. 4  but with the shift lever pivoted to engage the engagement features. 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is an exploded view of the shift lever in  FIGS. 4 and 7 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 9  is a schematic view of a shift path including a shift lever&#39;s movement along an automatic shift path, a manual shift path, and also a transition path between the automatic shift path and the manual shift path. 
           [0015]      FIG. 10  is a schematic of the present shifter including a base and the present shift lever pivoted thereto for movement along the automatic shift path, the manual shift path, and also the transition path therebetween. 
           [0016]      FIG. 11  is a front view of the present shift lever in  FIG. 10  when in the automatic shift path, and showing engagement of the protrusion and recess to lock the cable bracket to the shift lever. 
           [0017]      FIG. 12  is a cross section through the protrusion and showing the recess in  FIG. 11 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 13  is a front view of the present shift lever in  FIG. 10  when in the manual shift path, and showing partial disengagement of the protrusion and recess to provide limited movement of the shift lever without moving the cable bracket. 
           [0019]      FIG. 14  is a cross section through the protrusion and showing the recess in  FIG. 13 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0020]    The present vehicle transmission shifter  20  ( FIG. 10 ) includes a base  21 , a shift lever  22 , a cable bracket  23 , and a yoke  24 . The shift lever  22  is moveable along an H-shaped shift pattern ( FIG. 9 ), including an automatic shift path  28  (with gear positions park, reverse, neutral, drive, and manual-access position), a manual shift path  29  (with gear positions up-shift, down-shift and neutral), and a transition path  30  therebetween. As described below, when assembled and in the automatic shift path  28  ( FIG. 9 ), engagement mating features  40 / 50  on the shift lever  22  and the cable bracket  23  engage and cause the shift lever  22  and cable bracket  23  and yoke  24  pivot as a unit about a cross-car horizontal axis  25  ( FIGS. 9-12 ) to actuate a transmission control cable/rod/linkage  48  to shift between the gear positions PRND. The shift lever  22  can be pivoted about axis  26  to move from the automatic shift path  28  along transverse shift path  30  ( FIG. 9 ) to the manual shift path  30  for up and down shifting (i.e. + and − shifting). When in the manual shift path  29  ( FIGS. 9 ,  13 - 14 ), the engagement mating features  40 / 50  on the shift lever  22  and the cable bracket  23  disengage such that the shift lever  22  is released from the cable bracket  23 , such that the shift lever  22  can be pivoted by itself about the axis  25  along the manual shift path  29  (without moving the cable bracket  23 ). The shift lever  22  can also pivot by itself about a fore-aft horizontal axis  26  along a transition path  30  ( FIG. 9 ), which allows the shift lever  22  to release (or engage) the cable bracket  23 . (Compare  FIGS. 11-12  and  13 - 14 .) 
         [0021]      FIG. 1  is a schematic of a current production (prior art) shifter showing a shift lever&#39;s movement when moved along a transition path between an automatic shift path and a manual shift path, including data relating to engagement and disengagement of components during this movement. Notably, in this schematic, the distance of the transition path P 1  is about 13.2 mm when the shift lever pivots an angle A 1  of about 9.5 degrees and when the engagement feature is at a radius R 1  of about 80 mm from the axis of rotation of the shift lever. Smaller shifter encounter limitations both in the distance that an engagement feature is from a pivot point of the shift lever, and also in the angular rotation that the shift lever can undergo. The distance limitation is illustrated in  FIG. 2 , and the combination of distance limitation and angular limitation are illustrated in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 2  is a schematic similar to  FIG. 1  but showing requirements of a compact shifter where the shift lever is limited to a shorter movement and showing related data. Specifically, in  FIG. 2 , the distance of the transition path P 2  is only about 6.6 mm when the shift lever pivots an angle A 2  of about 9.5 degrees because the engagement feature is limited to a radius R 2  of about 40 mm from the axis of rotation of the shift lever. 
         [0023]      FIG. 3  is a schematic similar to  FIG. 2  but showing a compact shifter  20  of the present invention where the shift lever  22  has a further reduced travel and showing related data. Specifically, in the shifter  20  illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the distance of the transition path P 3  is less than about 5 mm (such as only about 4.5 mm) because the shift lever can pivot an angle A 3  less than about 7 degrees (such as only about 6.5 degrees) and also the engagement feature is limited to a radius R 3  of less than about 50 mm (such as about 40 mm) from the axis of rotation of the shift lever. 
         [0024]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a shifter  20  (also called a shifter assembly) including the base  21 , shift lever  22 , the cable bracket  23 , and the yoke  24 . The shift lever  22  ( FIG. 8 ) includes a tubular post or shaft  34  (steel or other material of suitable strength), and an over-molded lever component  35  of polymeric material on a lower end of the shaft  34 . The over-molded lever component  35  includes sufficient ribs and other structure to be rigid enough for its intended purpose. It is contemplated that the polymeric material can be any structural polymer having adequate properties, such as nylon (polyamide). The component  35  includes a pivot-defining portion  36 , a body portion  37 , and an electrical accessory attachment feature  38  (such as for mounting a pawl-lock or other electrical device on the shift lever  22 ). The pivot-defining portion  36  includes opposing arms forming a space  39  therebetween for the yoke  24 . The component  35  further includes a vertically-elongated shouldered protrusion  40  (also called “engagement mating feature”) with shoulders  41  and a tip  42  that form a T-shaped cross section. The shoulders  41  and tip  42  and also the T-shaped recess  50  (also called a “mating engagement feature”) are elongated sufficiently and otherwise designed in shape and size to provide the surface area and support structure required to prevent undesired wear during use of the shifter  20  (i.e., based on thousands of cycles of operating the control cable/linkage  48 ). 
         [0025]    It is noted that these abutting surfaces of mating engagement features  40 / 50  can be elongated and otherwise sized as necessary for a particular vehicle application, as per OEM vehicle functional requirements and specifications, but also that they can be miniaturized to provide a smallest possible shift lever travel while also meeting functional wear and stress-related requirements. Also, it is contemplated that the protrusion  40  and recess  50  can be switched on the component  35  and cable bracket body  45 . As illustrated, a size of a lower portion of the stepped protrusion  40  is 14 mm×20 mm (including its shoulders) (and can be any reasonable height such as about 7 mm high), and a size of the upper portion of the protrusion  40  (i.e. the tip) is 7 mm×14 mm×11 mm wide. (The 14 mm on the protrusion&#39;s tip extends parallel the 14 mm on the lower portion, and the 11 mm on the protrusion&#39;s tip extends parallel the 20 mm on the lower portion and in a center thereof, such that the shoulder width is about 4.5 mm on each side.) The recess is matingly sized and shaped, including any clearance required. By vertically elongated the mating engagement features  40 / 50 , increased surface area and structure can be provided to resist undue wear and provide increased product life. 
         [0026]    The cable bracket  23  ( FIG. 8 ) includes a molded body  45  of polymeric material (such as polyamide polymeric material) with sufficient ribs and other structure to be rigid enough for its intended purpose. A cable-anchor  46  such as a ball-ended pin or linkage-connector is attached to the body  45  for attachment to the transmission control cable/linkage  48 . A channel-shaped recess  50  ( FIGS. 12 ,  14 ) (also called “engagement feature”) is shaped receive the protrusion  40 , and its cross section includes a wide dimension D 1  matching the shoulders  41  and a narrow dimension D 2  matching the tip  42 . The recess  50  ( FIGS. 11-12 ) matably fully engages the protrusion  40  to provide a rigid solid connection with sufficient surfaces engaging to provide the support necessary to move the shift lever  22  and cable bracket  23  together to thus operate the transmission control cable/linkage. 
         [0027]    Four locations  51  of engagement (i.e. four enlarged/elongated abutting surfaces, two pair in each direction) are shown in  FIG. 6  when the protrusion  40  is fully seated into the recess  50 . Alternatively, when the protrusion  40  is partially withdrawn ( FIGS. 13-14 ) (i.e. the shift lever  22  is pivoted along the transition path  30  from the automatic shift path  28  to the manual shift path  29 , only the tip  42  is positioned in the recess  50 , and only at a depth sufficient so that the tip  42  engages the wide dimension of the recess  50 . Thus, the tip  42  (i.e. the shift lever  22 ) is permitted to move a limited distance (i.e. the distance D 1  minus the width of the tip  42 ) while the cable bracket  23  remains stationary. Since the protrusion  40  and recess  50  are vertically elongated, the amount of surface area of engagement is relatively large, even though the distance of movement into (or out of) engagement is quite small, as shown in  FIG. 3 . By designing a width size of the tip  42  and of the shoulders  41  (and of the surfaces in the mating recess  50 ), the limited distance can be made to be basically any length desired, while still providing the abutting surface area desired. 
         [0028]      FIG. 5  is a cross section taken along line V-V in  FIG. 4 , with the protrusion  40  pulled sufficiently to remove the shoulders  41  of the protrusion  40  from the recess  50  but allowing a tip  42  of the protrusion  40  to engage wide portions of the recess  50  (thus allowing limited fore-aft movement of the shift lever  22  when in the manual shift path  29  and effectively preventing undesired movement of the cable bracket  23 ). 
         [0029]    There is an additional more subtle advantage of the stepped shoulder protrusion  40  and mating recess  50 . Due to the reduced size of the present shifter and components, there is insufficient room to put side structure along the transitional path  30  ( FIG. 9 ) to define sides of the transitional path  30 . Restated, the shift lever  22  moves such a short distance along transitional path  30 , that any side structure forming a gate to force the shift lever  22  to stay along the transitional path  30  interferes with movement of the shift lever  22  when trying to move the shift lever  22  along one of the automatic shift path  28  or the manual shift path  29 . Contrastingly, the tip  42  of the protrusion  40  allows movement to “+” and “−” positions along manual shift  29  ( FIG. 9 ), and causes the movement along transitional path  30  to stay in the defined path (i.e. as the tip  42  engages the smaller portion of the recess  50 , the tip  42  forces the shift lever  22  to stay on path  30 ). 
         [0030]      FIG. 6  is a cross section similar to  FIG. 5  (taken along line V-V in  FIG. 4 ), but with the protrusion  40  fully engaging the recess  50  such that the protrusion  40  is locked in the recess  50  (thus locking movement of the cable bracket  23  to the shift lever  22  and preventing any relative fore-aft movement when in the automatic shift mode  28 ). 
         [0031]      FIG. 8  is an exploded view of the shift lever  22  in  FIGS. 4 and 7 . The yoke  24  includes a block portion  60  that fits in space  39  between the arms of the pivot-defining portion  36  of the shift lever  22 , and includes opposing circular protrusions  61  that rotatably engage the arcuate surfaces of the arms to pivotally support the shift lever  22  for movement about the axis  26 . An axle-defining stub  62  extends laterally from the block portion  60 . A tube  63  (such as a metal hollow tube or shaft) is attached to a lower end of the body of the cable bracket  23  and extends laterally through the block portion  60  and partially into the axle-defining stub  62 . The tube  63  and axle-defining stub  62  define aligned holes that receive an axle pin  64  for pivotally supporting the shift lever  22  on the base  21  for fore-aft pivoting movement. The axle pin  64  defines axis  25 . 
         [0032]      FIG. 9  is a schematic view of the H-shaped shift path including a shift lever&#39;s movement along an automatic shift path  28 , a manual shift path  29 , and also a transition path  30  between the automatic shift path  28  and the manual shift path  29 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 10  is a schematic of the present shifter  20  including the base  21  and the present shift lever  22  pivoted thereto for movement along the automatic shift path  28 , the manual shift path  29 , and also the transition path  30  therebetween. 
         [0034]      FIG. 11  is a front view of the present shift lever  22  in  FIG. 10  when in the automatic shift path  28 , and showing engagement of the protrusion  40  and recess  50  to lock the cable bracket  23  to the shift lever  22 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 12  is a cross section through the protrusion  40  and showing the recess  50  in  FIG. 11 . 
         [0036]      FIG. 13  is a front view of the present shift lever  22  in  FIG. 10  when in the manual shift path  29 , and showing partial disengagement of the protrusion  40  and recess  50  to provide limited movement of the shift lever  22  without corresponding moving the cable bracket  23 . It is contemplated that the disengagement can be partial disengagement (where the tip  42  remains partially in a wider part of the recess  50 ) or a full complete disengagement (where the tip  42  and shoulders  41  are completely pulled out of the recess  50 ). This of course depends on functional requirements and limitations on movement of the shift lever by the vehicle manufacturer. 
         [0037]      FIG. 14  is a cross section through the protrusion  40  and showing the recess  50  in  FIG. 13 . 
         [0038]    It is to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned structure without departing from the concepts of the present invention, and further it is to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise.