Park lock system
OwnerMichael C. Vermeersch, Richard L. Kramer +1inventors
InventorsMichael C. Vermeersch, Richard L. Kramer, Larry W. Burr
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A park lock mechanism for a steering column of a vehicle has a key cylinder rotatable about an axis between off and on positions. A shift lever is movable between a park position and a non-park position and an inhibitor free from any mechanical cable attachment has a locked and unlocked position operably communicating with the key cylinder. When the key cylinder is in the off position, the inhibitor is operably maintained in the locked position to prevent movement of the shift lever from the park position. When the key cylinder is rotated to the on position, the inhibitor is moveable to the unlocked position in response to movement of the shift lever from the park position to the non-park position.
Claims26
A park lock mechanism for a steering column, comprising:
- a key cylinder rotatable about an axis between an off position and an on position;
- a shift lever moveable between a park position and a non-park position;
- and
- an inhibitor free from any mechanical cable attachment having a locked and an unlocked position operably communicating with said key cylinder so that when said key cylinder is in said off position, said inhibitor is operably maintained in said locked position preventing movement of said shift lever from said park position and when said key cylinder is in said on position, said inhibitor is moveable to said unlocked position in response to movement of said shift lever from said park position to said non-park position.
A park lock mechanism for a steering column, comprising:
- a housing having an opening and a channel extending generally transversely from said opening;
- an actuator received at least in part in said opening and operable between off and on positions;
- an inhibitor disposed in said channel and receiving a free end of a shift lever for slidable movement between locked and unlocked positions in response to pivotal movement of the shift lever from a park position to a non-park position, respectively, wherein said inhibitor is maintained in said locked position and substantially prevented from said slidable movement in said channel when said actuator is in said off position to prevent the shift lever from moving out of the park position and said inhibitor being slidably moveable from said locked position to said unlocked position when said actuator is in said on position to allow the shift lever to move from the park position to the non-park position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.