# US 10,865,876 B2 · Shift lever apparatus for vehicle

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- Number: US 10,865,876 B2
- Document ID: US10865876B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/544,119
- Filed: 2019-08-19
- Published: 2020-11-12
- Granted: 2020-12-15
- Earliest claimed: 2019-05-08
- Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corporation; Kyung Chang Industrial Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corporation; Kyung Chang Industrial Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Yong Ik Kim; Bum Jun Kim; Sun Il Kim; Ji Soo Kim
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10865876B2

## CPC

- F16H 59/10: comprising levers
- F16H 59/0204: {for automatic transmissions with means for range selection and manual shifting, e.g. range selector with tiptronic}
- F16H 59/0278: {Constructional features of the selector lever, e.g. grip parts, mounting or manufacturing}
- F16H: GEARING

## Abstract

A shift lever apparatus for a vehicle is an apparatus, in which by integrating P-range switch function into manual switch function, components for the P-range switch are eliminated and thus the configuration is simplified and cost reduction is achieved.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A shift lever apparatus for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
a shift lever configured to select an automatic mode when being rotated in a first direction and select a manual mode when being rotated in a second direction according to operation of a transmission lever;
an engaging lever coupled to the shift lever and configured to be moved along with the shift lever when the shift lever is operated to select the automatic mode, and to be separated from the shift lever when the shift lever is operated to select the manual mode;
an auxiliary lever connected to the shift lever to be moved along with the shift lever in the first direction;
a switching lever provided within a rotation radius of the auxiliary lever, configured to be moved by the auxiliary lever when the shift lever is operated to select P range of shift ranges of the automatic mode and to be connected to the shift lever and moved along with the shift lever when the shift lever is operated to select the manual mode, and provided with a brush portion; and
a substrate provided with a plurality of terminal portions having a P-range terminal, a + position terminal, and a − position terminal for the manual mode for detecting a rotational position of the switching lever, and configured to be electrically connected to generate a signal when the switching lever is rotated and the brush portion is positioned at a predetermined terminal portion, allowing a shift range to be switched.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1,
wherein the auxiliary lever is provided with a rotation shaft,
wherein the shift lever is coupled to the rotation shaft through an auxiliary pin penetrating through the rotation shaft to be rotated along with the auxiliary lever in the first direction or to be rotatable in the second direction via the auxiliary pin, and
wherein the engaging lever is connected to the shift lever while being provided to be rotatable relative to the rotation shaft, and is configured to be rotated along with the shift lever about the rotation shaft when the shift lever is operated to select the automatic mode, and not to be rotated by being separated from the shift lever when the shift lever is operated to select the manual mode.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further including:
a transmission module casing in which the switching lever is rotatably mounted, the substrate is accommodated, and a switching mechanism being moved upward and downward when the shift lever is moved in the second direction is provided,
wherein the plurality of terminal portions of the substrate further includes a mode conversion terminal which is electrically connected to the switching mechanism to allow switching to the manual mode when the switching mechanism is moved in a third direction as the shift lever is moved in the second direction.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3,
wherein the switching lever is provided with a stop portion which is rotatably provided in the transmission module casing and protrudes toward the shift lever through the transmission module casing, and
wherein the transmission module casing is provided with a guide hole receiving a rotation radius of the stop portion.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the switching lever is rotatably connected to the transmission module casing via a hinge pin and connected to a return spring.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the shift lever is formed with a stop groove in a surface thereof facing the transmission module casing such that the stop portion is inserted into the stop groove when the shift lever is operated to select the manual mode.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the switching mechanism includes:
a rotating bar rotatably connected to the transmission module casing to perform seesaw movement, and configured such that a first end portion of the rotating bar is connected to the shift lever through the transmission module casing and a second end portion of the rotating bar is positioned in the transmission module casing; and
a movable portion coupled to the second end portion of the rotating bar, moved linearly in conjunction with a rotation of the rotating bar, and provided with an electrical connection portion to be electrically connected to the mode conversion terminal when the electrical connection portion enters the mode conversion terminal, allowing a mode conversion of the manual mode.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of terminal portions of the substrate further includes a first ground terminal spaced from the mode conversion terminal, and the electrical connection portion of the movable portion being electrically connected to the first ground terminal continuously.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the transmission module casing includes:
a slit hole through which the rotating bar penetrates; and
a guide portion extending from the slit hole toward the mode conversion terminal to guide linear movement of the movable portion.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of terminal portions of the substrate further includes a second ground terminal in which the P-range terminal, the + position terminal, and the − position terminal are disposed along a rotation radius of the switching lever while being spaced from each other, with the brush portion of the switching lever being electrically connected to the second ground terminal continuously.