Shifter assembly for electric vehicle
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsJacob Michael Haspiel, Martin Delonis, Michael Lozano
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A shifter assembly for an electric vehicle includes a base, a shifter handle, and a plurality of actuators. The base defines an opening. The shifter handle extends through the opening of the base and is pivotably coupled to the base. Each actuator of the plurality of actuators are pivotably coupled to the base at a first end and pivotably coupled to the shifter handle at a second end that is opposite the first end. The plurality of actuators are configured to permit movement of the shifter handle relative to the base in a predetermined virtual pathway and inhibit movement of the shifter handle relative to the base outside the predetermined virtual path.
Claims21
A shifter assembly for an electric vehicle, the shifter assembly comprising:
- a base defining an opening extending therethrough;
- a shifter handle extending through the opening of the base and pivotably coupled to the base;
- and
- a plurality of electronic actuators, each electronic actuator of the plurality of electronic actuators being pivotably coupled to the base at a first end of that electronic actuator and pivotably coupled to the shifter handle at a second end of that electronic actuator that is opposite the first end, wherein the plurality of electronic actuators are configured to permit movement of the shifter handle relative to the base in a predetermined virtual path and inhibit movement of the shifter handle relative to the base outside the predetermined virtual path.
(canceled)
A shifter assembly for an electric vehicle, the shifter assembly comprising:
- a base including a plate and at least one rigid support extending downward from a peripheral portion of the plate, the plate defining an opening near a center portion thereof;
- a shifter handle extending through the opening of the plate and pivotably coupled to the plate;
- a plurality of actuators, each actuator including a housing and a sleeve slidably engaged with the housing, one of the housing and the sleeve of each actuator of the plurality of actuators being pivotably coupled to the at least one rigid support at a first end of that actuator and the other of the housing and the sleeve of each actuator of the plurality of actuators being pivotably coupled to the shifter handle at a second end of that actuator that is opposite the first end, wherein the plurality of actuators are configured to permit movement of the shifter handle relative to the base in a predetermined virtual path and inhibit movement of the shifter handle relative to the base outside the predetermined virtual path.
A shifter assembly for an electric vehicle, the shifter assembly comprising:
- a base including an upper plate and a plurality of rigid supports extending downward from a peripheral portion of the upper plate, the upper plate defining an opening near a center portion thereof;
- a shifter handle extending through the opening of the upper plate of the base and pivotably coupled to the upper plate of the base;
- a plurality of actuators, each actuator of the plurality of actuators being pivotably coupled to a respective rigid support of the plurality of rigid supports at a first end of that actuator and pivotably coupled to the shifter handle at a second end of that actuator that is opposite the first end, wherein the plurality of actuators are configured to permit movement of the shifter handle relative to the base in a predetermined virtual path and inhibit movement of the shifter handle relative to the base outside the predetermined virtual path;
- a plurality of vertical drive posts secured to the upper plate of the base;
- a plurality of vertical guide posts secured to the upper plate of the base;
- a plurality of motors, each motor operatively connected to a respective vertical drive post of the plurality of vertical drive posts and configured to move the base in a vertical direction between a deployed position and a retracted position;
- a lower plate configured to be secured to a support structure of the electric vehicle and defining a plurality of drive post apertures and a plurality of guide post apertures, wherein each vertical drive post of the plurality of vertical drive posts is received in a respective drive post aperture of the plurality of drive post apertures, wherein each vertical guide post of the plurality of vertical guide posts is received in a respective guide post aperture of the plurality of guide post apertures;
- a controller in communication with the plurality of actuators and configured to send instructions to the plurality of actuators, the instructions corresponding to the predetermined virtual path;
- and
- a plurality of ribbon wires, each ribbon wire of the plurality of ribbon wires connected to the controller and a respective actuator of the plurality of actuators,
- wherein each rigid support of the plurality of rigid supports engages the lower plate when the base is in the retracted position and is spaced apart from the lower plate when the base is in the deployed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.