Gear selector safety lock
OwnerOwen L. Thompsoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gear shift safety lock for selectively preventing and permitting movement of a motor vehicle gear shift selector mechanism between a non-drive position and a drive position, including a solenoid actuated plunger that is movable between a position in the path of the gear shift selector mechanism and a removed position out of the path when a motor vehicle brake pedal is actuated.
Claims9
In combination:
- vehicle steering means including a steering column for steering a vehicle;
- transmission gear selector means mounted on said steering column means for movement between a non-drive position and steering column means for movement between a non-drive position and a drive position;
- fluid pressure operated brake means movable between a non-braking position and a braking position for selectively braking movement of said vehicle;
- and
- means responsive to said brake means being in said non-braking position for preventing movement of said gear selector means from said non-drive position to said drive position and responsive to a predetermined fluid pressure at which said brake means is operated as said brake means is moved in a direction from said non-braking position toward said braking position for permitting movement of said selector means.
Apparatus for selectively preventing movement of a motor vehicle transmission gear selector from non-drive position to a drive position as fluid pressure operated motor vehicle brake means moves between a non-braking position and a braking position for braking said vehicle comprising:
- plunger stop means movable between an extended position and a retracted position;
- electrically energizable means, adapted to be connected in circuit with a power source, for moving said plunger means between said extended and said retracted positions depending on whether the energizable means is energized;
- means for mounting said plunger means such that said plunger means in said extended position, is in the path of a portion of said gear selector and in said retracted position, is out of said path;
- and
- means responsive to a predetermined pressure at which said brake means is operated as said brake means is moved in a direction from said non-braking position to said braking position for selectively energizing said energizable means to move said plunger means to said extended position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.