Shift gate assembly for vehicle including gate seal and method of using same
AssigneeHonda Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorsShane R. Smith, Scott D. Batdorf, Lee N. Bowers, Bradford A. McDavid
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A shift gate assembly that can include a shift plate, a gate seal and a shift lever. The shift plate can include a lever opening having an opening centerline. The gate seal can be made of an elastic material and connected to the shift plate and extend along the lever opening. The gate seal can include a slit extending along the lever opening and offset with respect to the opening centerline. The shift lever can extend through the lever opening and the slit, be selectively movable along the lever opening and the slit, and elastically deform the gate seal as the shift lever moves along the slit.
Claims19
A shift gate assembly, comprising:
- a shift plate including a lever opening, the lever opening including an opening centerline located equidistant from opposing sides of the opening,
- a gate seal made of an elastic material and connected to the shift plate and extending along the lever opening, and including a slit extending along the lever opening and offset with respect to the opening centerline;
- and
- a shift lever extending through the lever opening and the slit, selectively movable along the lever opening and the slit, and configured to elastically deform the gate seal as the shift lever moves along the slit, wherein
- the shift plate includes a first edge defined by the lever opening, and
- the gate seal includes a second edge defined by the slit and which colinearly overlaps with at least a portion of the first edge when viewed from above the shift plate.
A shift gate assembly for a vehicle including an internal combustion engine, a multiple gear ratio transmission, and a plurality of wheels selectively driven by the transmission, the shift gate assembly comprising:
- a shift plate including a first gate formed by a first main slot and a plurality of first gate slots extending from and spaced along the first main slot, the first main slot including a first opening centerline, the first gate slots corresponding to a respective one of the gear ratios,
- a gate seal made of an elastic material, connected to the shift plate, and extending along the first main slot and the plurality of first gate slots, and including a first slit extending along the first main slot and offset with respect to the first opening centerline as viewed from a position normal to the shift plate and directly above the first main slot of the shift plate, such that air from a front compartment of the vehicle is prevented from entering a passenger compartment of the vehicle;
- and
- a shift lever extending through the first slit, selectively movable along the first main slot and the first slit and into any of the first gate slots, configured to elastically deform the gate seal as the shift lever moves along the first slit and when the shift lever is in any of the first gate slots, and configured to cause the transmission to selectively engage a respective one of the gear ratios when the shift lever is in a corresponding one of the first gate slots, wherein
- the shift plate includes a first edge defined by the first gate, and
- the gate seal includes a second edge defined by the first slit which colinearly overlaps with at least a portion of the first edge when viewed from above the shift plate.
A shift gate assembly for selecting one of a plurality of gear ratios of a multiple gear ratio transmission, comprising:
- a shift plate including a lever opening slot defined by a left side edge and a right side edge, the lever opening slot including an opening centerline running between and equidistance from each of the left side edge and right side edge,
- a gate seal made of an elastic material and connected to the shift plate and extending along the lever opening slot, and including a slit extending along the lever opening slot and offset with respect to the opening centerline such that the gate seal includes a seal edge defined by the slit which colinearly overlaps with at least a portion of one of the left side edge and right side edge when viewed from above the shift plate;
- and
- a shift lever extending through the lever opening slot and the slit, selectively movable along the lever opening slot and the slit, and configured to elastically deform the gate seal as the shift lever moves along the slit, and to cause the transmission to selectively engage a respective one of the gear ratios based on a stopping position of the shift lever in the lever opening slot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.