A MOTOR VEHICLE PROVIDED WITH GEARCHANGE AND HANDBRAKE-LEVERS

Abstract: The gear change and hand brake levers (2,3) of a motor vehicle are mounted on a support frame (4) which consti­ tutes, with these levers, a sub-assembly which is subse­ quently fixed to the body of the motor vehicle. The sub-­ assembly is preferably fixed below the body and the latter is provided with apertures (7, 8) enabling the said levers (2, 3) to pass through the body when the support frame is brought towards the body. Fastening may be carried out by automa­ tic screw devices. The support frame (4) is preferably constituted by a stamped sheet metal component and is also provided with support means (23, 26) enabling the exhaust tubing (22) of the motor vehicle to be resiliently suspended below the support frame (4) and with pulley means (18) for the return of the control cable of the hand brake.

Description: A meted for wanting the change ard hand brake levers an ffie body of a nobt vehicle, and a n#tr vehicle in iic31 these levers are granted by of this process The present invention relates to motor vehicles and in particular to a method of mounting the gear change and hand brake levers on the body of a motor vehicle. In accordance with conventional techniques, the abovementioned levers are mounted individually, by manual methods, within the passenger space of the body, on the upper surface of the base wall of the body itself. In order to rationalize the assembly method and make it possible to use automated assembly systems, the present invention relates to a method for mounting the gear change and hand brake levers on the body of a motor vehicle which is characterised in that it comprises the following steps: - the provision of a support frame, - mounting of the said levers on this support frame and - fastening of the sub-assembly formed by the said support frame and the levers mounted thereon to the body of the motor vehicle. In accordance with a further characteristic, the said subassembly is fastened below the body, and the latter is provided with apertures enabling the said levers to pass through the body when the support frame is brought towards the body. The support frame is preferably fastened to the body by screws, and use may be made of automatic screw devices. The present invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising a stamped sheet metal body and gear change and hand brake levers mounted on this body, characterised in that the said levers are mounted on a support frame constituting, with these levers, a sub-assembly which is, in turn, fixed to the body. In accordance with a further characteristic, the support frame is fastened below the body, and the latter is provided with apertures enabling the passage of the gear change and hand brake levers. In a preferred embodiment, the above-mentioned support frame is constituted by a stamped sheet metal element and is provided with support means enabling the exhaust tubing of the motor vehicle to be resiliently suspended below the support frame. In addition to the said support frame, pulley means are also preferably provided for the return of the control cable of the hand brake. In the above-mentioned preferred embodiment, the support frame has an elongate body having a cross-section which is substantially shaped as an upturned U and is provided with a series of lateral flanges which are screwed to the body of the motor vehicle. The use, therefore, of the above-mentioned support frame enables, on one hand, the assembly of the gear change and hand brake levers by means of automated systems and, on the other hand, provides a support for the resilient suspension of the exhaust tubing and is also used to support a return pulley for the hand brake. In addition, as it is located in an intermediate position between the base of the motor vehicle body and the exhaust device, the abovementioned support frame also has the advantage that it acts as a shield against the heat given off by the exhaust device. Further characteristic features and advantages of the present invention are illustrated in the following description with reference to the attached drawings, given purely by way of non-limiting example, in which: Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional diagram showing the gear change and hand brake levers of a motor vehicle of the invention, when mounted on the body, Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view corresponding to Fig. 1, and Figs. 3 and 4 are cross-sections along the lines III-III and IV-IV of Fig. 1. In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates the overall body of a motor vehicle, on which two levers 2, 3 are mounted for gear change and hand brake purposes for the motor vehicle respectively. The reference numeral 4 indicates an overall support frame of stamped metal sheet, having an elongate body with a cross-section substantially in the shape of an upturned U (see also Fig. 3) on which the levers 2, 3 are mounted in order to form a sub-assembly which is then fastened to the body 1 of the motor vehicle. In the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the support frame 4 is fastened below the body, and is provided for this purpose with lateral flanges 5 which are fastened to the body 1 by screws 6. As shown in Fig. 2, the body 1 has apertures 7, 8 enabling the passage of the levers 2, 3 when the sub-assembly formed by the support frame 4 and the above-mentioned levers are brought towards the lower surface of the body 1. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the mechanical transmission controlling the gear change of the motor vehicle which leads to the lever 2 includes two tie rods 9, 10, of which the tie rod 9 is connected to the lower end of the control lever 2 and the tie rod 10 constitutes the support therefor. The tie rod 10 extends rearwardly (with respect to the direction of forward movement of the motor vehicle) beyond the corresponding end of the tie rod 9 and has its end portion engaged in an articulated support 11 having lateral flanges 12 which are fixed to the front portion (also with reference to the direction of forward movement of the motor vehicle) of the support frame 4 by screws 13. The reference numeral 14 indicates the normal accordion cover which protects the body of the gear change lever 2. In the rear zone of the support frame 4 there are welded two nuts 15 which enable the screw connection of a support 16 on which the hand brake lever 3 is articulated. This lever is connected to a cable 17 for controlling the hand brake which engages a return pulley 18 which is supported in a rotary manner by a U-shaped stirrup 19 having end flanges 20 fastened to the lower surface of the support frame 4 in the rear zone of the latter (see also Fig. 5). In the assembled condition of the motor vehicle, the support frame 4 is located in the vicinity of the exhaust silencer 21 which is disposed below this frame. In Fig. 2, the reference numeral 22 indicates the exhaust tubing which is connected to the rear end of the silencer device 21. This exhaust tubing is suspended in a resilient manner from the support frame by a pair of resilient rings 23 (see Fig. 4) which are engaged at the top by two lateral hooks 24 of the support frame 4 and at the bottom by two hook-shaped ends 25a of a cradle support stirrup 26 on which the exhaust tubing 22 is supported. By means of the construction described above, it is possible, on one hand, to assemble the levers 2, 3 on the body using automated screw systems and, on the other hand, to use the support frame not only for supporting the levers 2, 3 but also for the resilient suspension of the exhaust tubing and to support the return pulley for the control cable of the hand brake. As it is disposed in an intermediate position between the silencer device 21 and the body, the said support frame also acts as a shield against the heat generated by the said silencer device. Without changing the principle of the invention, many variants may be provided with respect to the embodiments and constructional details illustrated and described by way of example, without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A method for mounting the gear change and hand brake levers on the body (1) of a motor vehicle, characterised in that it comprises the following steps: - the provision of a support frame (4), - mounting of the said levers (2, 3) on this support frame (4) and, - fastening of the sub-assembly formed by the said support frame (4) and the levers (2, 3) mounted thereon to the body (1) of the motor vehicle. 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the said sub-assembly is fastened below the body (1) and in that the latter is provided with apertures (7, 8) enabling the levers (2, 3-) to pass therethrough when the support frame (4) is brought towards the body (1). 3. A method as claimed-in claim 2, characterised in that the support frame (4) is fastened to the body by automated screw devices. 4. A motor vehicle comprising a body (1) of stamped sheet metal, and levers (2, 3) for gear change and hand brake purposes mounted on this body (1), characterised in that the said levers (2, 3) are mounted on a support frame (4) which constitutes, together with these levers, a subassembly which is in turn fixed to the body (1) of the motor vehicle. 5. A motor vehicle as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the support frame (4) is fastened below the body (1) and in that the latter is provided with apertures (7, 8) for the passage of the gear change and hand brake control levers (2, 3). 6. A motor vehicle as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the support frame is constituted by a stamped sheet metal element (4). 7. A motor vehicle as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the said supp¯t frame (4) is provided with support means (24, 23, 26) for the resilient suspension of the exhaust tubing (22) of the motor vehicle below the said support frame (4). 8. A motor vehicle as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the said support frame (4) is provided with pulley means (18) for the return of the control cable (17) of the hand brake. 9. A motor vehicle as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that the said support frame (4) has an elongate body having a substantially U-shaped cross-section, this body having a series of lateral flanges (5) which are screwed to the body of the motor vehicle (1). 10. A motor vehicle as claimed in claim 9, characterised in that the said support frame (4) has at least two lateral hooks (24) for the resilient suspension of the exhaust tubing (22) from the said support frame (4). 11. A motor vehicle as claimed in claim 10, characterised in that the said exhaust tubing (22) is supported in the vicinity of one of its zones on a cradle support element (26) having hook-shaped ends (25a) connected by elastic rings (23) to the two lateral hooks (24) of the support frame (4). 12. A motor vehicle as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the said gear change lever (2) is connected to the said support frame (4) by the fastening to this support frame (4) of an element (11) forming part of the mechanical transmission (9, 10, 11) which connects the control lever (2) to the gearbox of the motor vehicle.

Inventors: BRUSOTTI, LUIGI
Applicants: FIAT AUTO S.P.A.
Application year: 1984
Main classification: B60K20
IPC codes: B60T7, B60K20