Shift lever assembly

A shift lever assembly for a transfer case of a vehicle, the transfer case including a shifting arm for shifting between a plurality of gear shift positions, said shift lever assembly comprising:

• a detent plate including a slot means defining a plurality of positions corresponding to said gear shift positions, respectively, said detent plate including a first pivot-receiving means spaced from said slot means and also including means for mounting said detent plate to the transfer case;
• an actuator including first and second arms, said first arm including a connector adapted to be operably connected to the shifting arm of said transfer case and said second arm including a second pivot-receiving means;
• first pivot means operably engaging said first pivot-receiving means for pivotally mounting said actuator to a transfer case;
• a lever subassembly including a base and a shift lever extending from said base, said shift lever including a handle, said base including a detent pin .adapted for movement in said slot means;
• second pivot means operably engaging said second pivot-receiving means for pivotally mounting said lever subassembly to said actuator so that said detent pin is positioned in said slot means, said detent pin being movable between the positions by movement of said lever subassembly about said second pivot means and by movement of said actuator about said first pivot means;
• biasing means operatively connected to said lever subassembly and said actuator for biasing said lever subassembly in a rotative direction about said second pivot means relative to said actuator so that said detent pin operably engages said slot means;
• and
• said actuator including sides, said lever subassembly being operably connected to one of said sides and said detent plate being connected to the other of said sides.

A shift lever assembly for a transfer case of a vehicle, the transfer case including a shifting arm for shifting between a plurality of gear shift positions, said shift lever assembly comprising:

• a detent plate including a slot means defining a plurality of positions corresponding to said gear shift positions, respectively, said detent plate including a first pivot-receiving means spaced from said slot means and also including means for mounting said detent plate to the transfer case;
• an actuator including first and second arms, said first arm including a connector adapted to be operably connected to the shifting arm of said transfer case and said second arm including a second pivot-receiving means;
• first pivot means operably engaging said first pivot-receiving means for pivotally mounting said actuator to a transfer case;
• a lever subassembly including a base and a shift lever extending from said base, said shift lever including a handle, said base including a detent pin adapted for movement in said slot means;
• second pivot means operably engaging said second pivot-receiving means for pivotally mounting said lever subassembly to said actuator so that said detent pin is positioned in said slot means, said detent pin being movable between the positions by movement of said lever subassembly about said second pivot means and by movement of said actuator about said first pivot means;
• biasing means operatively connected to said lever subassembly and said actuator for biasing said lever subassembly in a rotative direction about said second pivot means relative to said actuator so that said detent pin operably engages said slot means;
• and
• a second detent plate operably movably mounted to said second pivot means, said second detent plate including a second slot means for engaging said detent pin.

A shift lever assembly for a transfer case of a vehicle, the transfer case including a shifting arm for shifting between a plurality of gear positions, said shifter lever assembly comprising:

• a detent plate including mounting means for mounting to the transfer case;
• an actuator including connector means for operably connecting to the shifting arm of the transfer case;
• a lever including a handle adapted to be grasp by an operator;
• and
• first interconnecting means for interconnecting said lever to said actuator, second interconnecting means for operatively interconnecting said actuator to said detent plate, and third interconnecting means for operably connecting said lever to said detent plate, said third interconnecting means including means for controlling the movement of the lever, said means for controlling including a Z-shaped slot, said first, second and third interconnecting means cooperating so that said handle moves through a first path during which said connector means is driven through a second path as required to shift between said plurality of gear positions, thus permitting art operator to shift between the gear positions with a continuous ergonomic "pull-down" shift motion of the handle, whereby an ergonomic shift motion of the handle is provided but with controlled movement as required to prevent accidental shifting between the plurality of gear positions.

A shift lever assembly for a transfer case of a vehicle, the transfer case including a shifting arm for shifting between a plurality of positions, said shifter lever assembly comprising:

• a detent plate including mounting means for mounting to the transfer case;
• an actuator including connector means for operably connecting to the shifting arm of the transfer case;
• a lever including a handle adapted to be grasp by an operator;
• and
• first interconnecting means for interconnecting said lever to said actuator, second interconnecting means for operatively interconnecting said actuator to said detent plate, and third interconnecting means for operably connecting said lever to said detent plate, said third interconnecting means including means for controlling the movement of the lever, said first, second and third interconnecting means cooperating so that said handle moves through a first path during which said connector means is driven through a second path as required to shift between said plurality of gear positions, thus permitting an operator to shift between the gear positions with a continuous ergonomic "pull-down" shift motion of the handle, whereby an ergonomic shift motion of the handle is provided but with controlled movement as required to prevent accidental shifting between the plurality of gear positions, said second interconnecting means pivotally mounting said lever to said actuator, said first interconnecting means pivotally mounting said actuator to said detent plate;
• and
• said first interconnecting means includes pivotally mounting said actuator to said detent plate.

A shift lever assembly for a transfer case having a shifting arm movable between a plurality of gear positions, said shift lever assembly comprising:

• a detent plate including a detented surface defining a plurality of positions corresponding to said gear positions, respectively, said detent plate including a first aperture with the detented surface being spaced from said first aperture;
• an actuator including a second aperture and further including first and second arms, said first arm including a connector adapted to operably connect to the shifting arm on said transfer case and said second arm including a second aperture;
• a first pivot pin engaging said first and second apertures to pivotally mount said actuator to said detent plate;
• a lever subassembly including a base and a shift lever extending from said base, said shift lever including a handle, said base including a third aperture and a detent pin spaced from said third aperture, said detent pin being adapted for movement on said detented surface;
• said actuator including a fourth aperture spaced from said second aperture and said connector;
• a second pivot pin engaging said third aperture and said fourth aperture to pivotally mount said lever subassembly to said actuator so that said detent pin engages said detented surface, said detent pin being movable between the positions on said detented surface by movement of said lever subassembly about said second pivot pin and by movement of said actuator about said first pivot pin;
• and
• means connected to said lever subassembly for biasing said lever subassembly relative to said actuator so that said detent pin operably engages said detented surface.

A shift lever assembly for a transfer case of a vehicle, the transfer case including a shifting arm for shifting between a plurality of gear positions, said shift lever assembly comprising:

• a lever subassembly;
• an actuator including a first arm adapted to operably connect to said lever subassembly and a second arm including a connector adapted to operably attach to the shifting arm of said transfer case;
• first mounting means for movably mounting said actuator to the transfer case;
• second mounting means for movably mounting said lever subassembly to one of said actuator and said transfer case so that by moving said lever subassembly along a first path, said connector moves along a corresponding path corresponding to said first path to thus shift between the plurality of gear positions;
• one of said lever subassembly and said first mounting means including a Z-shaped slot corresponding to said plurality of gear positions;
• and
• the other of said lever subassembly and said first mounting means including a detent pin for operably engaging said Z-shaped slot, said detent pin cooperatingly engaging said Z-shaped slot as said actuator is pivotally moved on said first mounting means and said lever subassembly is pivotally moved on said second mounting means, said first path being oriented with respect to an operator operating the shift lever assembly to thus permit a continuous "pull-down" motion by the operator.

A shift lever assembly for a transfer case of a vehicle, including a shifting arm on said transfer case rotatable for shifting between a plurality of positions, said shift lever assembly comprising:

• a detent plate including a Z-shaped slot defining a plurality of positions corresponding to said gear shift positions, respectively, said detent plate including a first pivot-receiving means spaced from said slot and also including means for mounting said detent plate to the transfer case;
• an actuator including first and second arms, said first arm including a connector adapted to be operably connected to the shifting arm of said transfer case and said second arm including a second pivot-receiving means;
• first pivot means operably engaging said first pivot-receiving means for pivotally mounting said actuator to a transfer case;
• a lever subassembly including a base and a shift lever extending from said base, said shift lever including a handle, said base including a detent pin adapted for movement in said slot;
• second pivot means operably engaging said second pivot-receiving means for pivotally mounting said lever subassembly to said actuator so that said detent pin is positioned in said slot, said detent pin being movable between the positions by movement of said lever subassembly about said second pivot means and by movement of said actuator about said first pivot means;
• and
• biasing means operatively connected to said lever subassembly and actuator for biasing said lever subassembly in a rotative direction about said second pivot means relative to said actuator so that said detent pin operably engages said slot.

A shift lever assembly for a transfer case of a vehicle, including a shifting arm on said transfer case rotatable for shifting between a plurality of gear shift positions, said shift lever assembly comprising:

• a detent plate including a slot means defining a plurality of positions corresponding to said gear shift positions, respectively, said detent plate including a first pivot-receiving means spaced from said slot means and also including means for mounting said detent plate to the transfer case;
• an actuator including first and second arms, said first arm including a connector adapted to be operably connected to the shifting arm of said transfer case and said second arm including a second pivot-receiving means;
• first pivot means operably engaging said first pivot-receiving means for pivotally mounting said actuator to a transfer case;
• a lever subassembly including a base and a shift lever extending from said base, said shift lever including a handle, said base including a detent pin adapted for movement in said slot means;
• second pivot means operably engaging said second pivot-receiving means for pivotally mounting said lever subassembly to said actuator so that said detent pin is positioned in said slot means, said detent pin being movable between the positions by movement of said lever subassembly about said second pivot means and by movement of said actuator about said first pivot means;
• biasing means operatively connected to said lever subassembly and said actuator for biasing said lever subassembly in a rotative direction about said second pivot means relative to said actuator so that said detent pin operably engages said slot means;
• said slot means defining a 2H position, a 4H position, a N position and a 4L position and being constructed so that said lever subassembly can be moved from the 2H position through each of the 4H, N and 4L positions with an ergonomic and substantially continuous "pull-down" motion by the operator, said slot means being Z-shaped and including a middle portion configured so that said connector experiences lost motion as said lever subassembly is moved from the 4H position to the N position;
• said detent pin engaging said slot to abruptly change the angle of movement of said lever subassembly as said lever subassembly is moved from the 2H position to the 4H position and then to the N position, thus substantially eliminating the possibility of accidentally shifting from the 4H through the N position to the 4L position;
• and
• a second biasing means connected to said lever subassembly for providing an elevated biasing force which must be overcome to move said detent pin from the 4H position to the N position.

A shift lever assembly for a transfer case of a vehicle, the transfer case including a shifting arm for shifting between a plurality of gear shift positions, said shift lever assembly comprising:

• a detent plate including a slot means defining a plurality of positions corresponding to said gear shift positions including a 2H position, a 4H position, a N position and a 4L position, said detent plate including a first pivot-receiving means spaced from said slot means and also including means for mounting said detent plate to the transfer case;
• an actuator including first and second arms, said first arm including a connector adapted to be operably connected to the shifting arm of said transfer case and said second arm including a second pivot-receiving means;
• first pivot means operably engaging said first pivot-receiving means for pivotally mounting said actuator to a transfer case;
• a lever subassembly including a base and a shift lever extending from said base, said shift lever including a handle., said base including a detent pin adapted for movement in said slot means;
• second pivot means operably engaging said second pivot-receiving means for pivotally mounting said lever subassembly to said actuator so that said detent pin is positioned in said slot means, said detent pin being movable between the positions by movement of said lever subassembly about said second pivot means and by movement of said actuator about said first pivot means;
• biasing means operatively connected to said lever subassembly and said actuator for biasing said lever subassembly in a rotative direction about said second pivot means relative to said actuator so that said detent pin operably engages said slot means;
• and
• a second biasing means connected to said lever subassembly for providing an elevated biasing force which must be overcome to move said detent pin from the 4H position to the N position.