Collapsible shift lever having a shock absorbing spring
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho
InventorsHajime Iwata, Hitoshi Kanazawa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a shift lever to which operating force for changing a transmission by a driver is applied, a basal end thereof is inserted in a hole formed in a lever holder. Movement of the shift lever in the axial direction is prevented by an elastic member. When large force acts in the axial direction of the shift lever, the elastic member deflects and the shift lever moves in the axial direction, thereby allowing absorption of the load applied to the shift lever.
Claims20
A shift lever device for operating a transmission of a vehicle, comprising:
- (a) a lever holder supported rotatably on a vehicle and transmitting shift operation to a transmission;
- (b) a shift lever inserted in an insertion hole formed in said lever holder, said shift lever rotating said lever holder;
- and
- (c) a spring member which deforms due to a large axial force acting on the shift lever to allow said shift lever to move in the axial direction and thus absorb a load applied to said shift lever.
A shift lever device comprising:
- (a) a lever holder which rotates pivotally in a transverse direction of a vehicle and is movable in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle;
- (b) a shift lever for operating a transmission by a driver, a basal end of the shift lever being inserted in a hole formed in said lever holder and the other end of the shift lever projecting into the interior of the vehicle;
- and
- (c) a spring member supported on said lever holder and abutting against the basal end of said shift lever to prevent movement of said shift lever in the axial direction, whereby when axial load applied to said shift lever is small, said spring member returns said shift lever to its original position after slight movement of said shift lever in the axial direction, and when axial load applied to said shift lever is large, said spring member allows a large movement of said shift lever in the axial direction without returning said shift lever to its original position and decreases an amount by which said shift lever projects into the interior of the vehicle to absorb the load applied to said shift lever.
A shift lever device comprising:
- (a) a lever holder which swings pivotally in a transverse direction of a vehicle and is movable in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle;
- (b) a shift lever for operating a transmission by a driver, a basal end of the shift lever being inserted in a hole formed in said lever holder and other end of the shift lever projecting into the interior of the vehicle;
- and
- (c) a spring member supported on said lever holder and abutting against an intermediate portion of said shift lever in the axial direction to prevent movement of said shift lever in the axial direction, whereby when the axial load applied to said shift lever is small, said spring member returns said shift lever to its original position after slight movement of said shift lever in the axial direction, and when axial load applied to said shift lever is large, said spring member allows a large movement of said shift lever in the axial direction without returning said shift lever to its original position and decreases the amount by which said shift lever projects into the interior of the vehicle to absorb the load applied to said shift lever.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.