Shift lever mechanism of an automatic transmission

Abstract

In a shift lever mechanism of a vehicle automatic transmission, there is provided a detent feeling generating mechanism which gives the driver an assured detent feeling upon shifting from "D" position to "2" position or vice versa. The detent feeling generating mechanism comprises a plate member which is stationary relative to the vehicle body and which has a stepped cam surface, a cylindrical rod swingable about its axis in response to the shifting movement of a shift lever relative to the plate member, a tubular housing fixed to the cylindrical rod to be swingable therewith and having a ball rotatably mounted in the free end thereof, and a spring disposed in the tubular housing to bias the ball to project outwardly so that the ball is forced to engage the stepped cam surface of the plate member.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.