US 6,634,248 B2 · Shift control apparatus and method for vehicle

Abstract

A vehicular shift control apparatus, including a drive mechanism, has first and second solenoids, first and second switches, a shift switch and a controller. The first and second solenoids control the drive mechanism in forward and reverse modes, respectively, and connect with the first and second switches, respectively, which supply the solenoids with a current when actuated. The shift switch selectively supplies the first and second switches with the current. The controller actuates and de-actuates the first and second switches based on the speed of the vehicle. The first and second switches can be actuated when the speed is lower than a predetermined value and a corresponding forward or reverse gear is selected when one of the first and second switches corresponding to the shift mode of the moving vehicle remains closed the other switch is open and cannot be closed except when the speed is below the predetermined value.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A shift control apparatus for a vehicle having a drive mechanism, the apparatus comprising:

a first solenoid operative to enable the drive mechanism for forward vehicle motion;
a second solenoid operative to enable the drive mechanism for reverse vehicle motion;
a shift switch operative to selectively supply electric current to forward and reverse output terminals thereof when forward and reverse vehicle directions, respectively, are selected;
a first control switch operative between first and second switched states to electrically couple and decouple, respectively, the first solenoid and the forward output terminal of the shift switch;
a second control switch operative between first and second switched states to electrically couple and decouple, respectively, the second solenoid and the reverse output terminal of the shift switch;
a switch control circuit operative to control the respective states of the first and second control switches so that the respective forward and reverse output terminals of the shift switch can at all times be coupled to only one of the first and second solenoids but not the other of said solenoids until and unless the speed of the vehicle is less than a threshold value.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Shift control apparatus and method for vehicle

Life of this patent

Shift control apparatus and method for vehicle

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12