Patent ID: 6945349

Claim:
A control device for a vehicle for connection to and for operating a semi-automatic vehicle gearbox, wherein the gearbox is operable for being changed into various gear positions including at least one gear position for the vehicle traveling forward and wherein the vehicle has a steering wheel used for steering the vehicle, conventional brakes and a supplementary retarder brake in addition to the conventional brakes; the control device being connected with the gearbox and the control device being settable in various gearchange function positions for setting the various gear positions of the gearbox; and the control device also being connected to the supplementary retarder brake for operating the supplementary retarder brake, whereby the control device operates both the semi-automatic gearbox and the supplementary retarder brake, the control device having a lever positioned in an area close to the vehicle steering wheel such that a vehicle operator may operate the lever; the lever has a plurality of different respective patterns of movement with respect to the steering wheel, the lever is so connected to the gearbox as to set the various gear positions of the gearbox upon movement of the lever through a first pattern of the movements and the lever is connected to operate the supplementary brake upon the lever being moveable through a second pattern of the movements.