Patent ID: 8353226

Claim:
A shift lever assembly for a vehicle transmission, comprising: an escutcheon body including an opening formed on an outer surface thereof, and at least one guide rail extending substantially parallel to the outer surface, wherein the at least one guide rail has an upper surface, a lower surface facing a direction opposite to the upper surface, and an edge surface connecting the upper surface to the lower surface; a shift lever extending outwardly though the opening in the escutcheon body, the shift lever including an upper portion having a shift knob, and a lower portion opposite the upper portion and connected to and within the escutcheon body, wherein the shift lever is configured to move relative to the escutcheon body within the opening in the escutcheon body; and a slider body coupled with the shift lever, the slider body including a bottom surface configured to slide along the upper surface of the at least one guide rail, the slider body further including at least one spring member extending toward the escutcheon body and around the edge surface of the at least one guide rail, and having at least one contact structure extending toward the lower surface of the at least one guide rail, wherein the at least one spring member presses the contact structure towards the lower surface of the guide rail such that the contact structure is maintained in contact with the lower surface of the at least one guide rail and the bottom surface of the slider body is maintained in contact with the upper surface of the at least one guide rail during movement of the shift lever relative to the escutcheon body.