Shift device, shift device base, and shift lever support structure
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho
InventorShigetoshi Tomida
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device for shifting an automatic transmission of a vehicle is provided. The shift device includes a shift lever and a case. The shift lever is moved among a plurality of shift positions. The case receives a lower portion of the shift lever. The housing accommodates the lower portion of the shift lever and has a guide hole that guides the movement of the shift lever. The case includes a housing and a base, which is formed integrally with the housing and is attached to the vehicle.
Claims23
A shift device for shifting an automatic transmission of a vehicle, comprising:
- a shift lever, wherein the shift lever is moved among a plurality of shift positions;
- and
- a case, wherein the case receives a lower portion of the shift lever, and the case includes:
- a housing, wherein the housing accommodates the lower portion of the shift lever and has a guide hole that guides the movement of the shift lever;
- a base, wherein the base is formed integrally with the housing and is attached to the vehicle;
- and
- a positioning mechanism, wherein the positioning mechanism includes:
- a positioning surface, which is located in the case, wherein the positioning surface has a plurality of concave portions for positioning the shift lever;
- and
- a positioning component, which is located in the shift lever, wherein the positioning component is moved among the concave portions and is pressed against the positioning surface;
- wherein the shift lever pivots in a first direction and a second direction transverse to the first direction, and the concave portions include:
- a plurality of first concave portions, which extend in the first direction;
- and
- a plurality of second concave portions, which extend in the second direction, wherein the first concave portions are formed integrally with the second concave portions.
A shift device for shifting an automatic transmission of a vehicle, comprising:
- a shift lever, wherein the shift lever is moved among a plurality of shift positions;
- a cable connector, which is connected to a control cable that transmits the movement of the control cable to the automatic transmission, wherein the cable connector is formed integrally with the shift lever and the cable connector has a spherical projection;
- a case, wherein the case receives a proximal portion of the shift lever and the cable connector;
- and
- a positioning mechanism, wherein the positioning mechanism permits the shift lever to be manipulated accurately, and the positioning mechanism includes:
- a positioning surface, which is located in the case, wherein the positioning surface includes a plurality of concave portions;
- and
- a positioning component, which is located in the shift lever, wherein the positioning component is pressed against the positioning surface.
A base for a shift device with an electric component, wherein the base is secured to a vehicle body, wherein the base comprises an accommodating portion, wherein the accommodating portion is formed integrally with the base for accommodating the electric component, wherein the accommodating portion includes a top plate that covers at least an upper portion of the electric component, and the electric component is secured to the top plate and wherein the accommodating portion has a bottom opening through which the electric component is received.
A support structure for rotationally supporting a shift lever that shifts an automatic transmission of a vehicle, wherein a case receives a proximal portion of the shift lever, and the support structure comprises:
- a support shaft, wherein the support shaft has a distal end and a proximal end and is connected to a proximal end of the shift lever;
- an engagement piece, wherein the engagement piece is formed integrally with the support shaft and projects radially from the support shaft;
- and
- first and second bearing pieces, which are located in the case, wherein the first and second bearing pieces rotationally support the support shaft, at least one bearing piece has a slit for accommodating the engagement piece and an attachment hole connected to the slit, a step is formed between the slit and the attachment hole, the engagement piece moves in the slit when the support shaft rotates around the axis of the support shaft, the support shaft becomes inseparable from the first and second bearing pieces through the attachment hole when the engagement piece engages with the step at a predetermined engagement position in the slit, and the support shaft becomes separable from the first and second bearing pieces through the attachment hole when the engagement piece is located at a position other than the engagement position in the slit;
- wherein the engagement piece is formed at the proximal end of the support shaft, the attachment hole and the slit are formed in the first bearing piece, the first bearing piece has a first shaft hole that is connected to the attachment hole and the slit and receives the proximal end of the support shaft, and the second bearing piece has a second shaft hole that receives the distal end of the support shaft;
- and
- wherein the diameter of the second shaft hole is smaller than that of the first shaft hole, the engagement piece is formed at the proximal end of the support shaft, and the support shaft includes a distal projection that is formed at the distal end of the support shaft and has a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the second shaft hole.
A shift device for shifting an automatic transmission of a vehicle, comprising:
- a shift lever, wherein the shift lever is moved among a plurality of shift positions;
- a cable connector, wherein the cable connector is formed integrally with the shift lever and is connected to a control cable that transmits the movement of the shift lever to the automatic transmission;
- a case, wherein the case receives a proximal portion of the shift lever and the cable connector, and the case includes:
- a housing, wherein the housing accommodates a portion of the shift lever and has a guide hole that guides the movement of the shift lever;
- and
- a base, wherein the base is formed integrally with the housing and is attached to the vehicle;
- a positioning mechanism, wherein the positioning mechanism enables the shift lever to be manipulated accurately and includes:
- a positioning surface, which is located in the case, wherein the positioning surface has a plurality of concave portions for positioning the shift lever;
- and
- a positioning component, which is located in the shift lever, wherein the positioning component is pressed against the positioning surface;
- a support shaft, wherein the support shaft has a distal end and a proximal end and is connected to a proximal end of the shift lever;
- an engagement piece, wherein the engagement piece is formed integrally with the support shaft and projects radially from the support shaft;
- and
- first and second bearing pieces, which are located at a lower side of the base, wherein the first and second bearing pieces rotationally support the support shaft, at least one bearing piece has a slit for receiving the engagement piece and an attachment hole connected to the slit, a step is formed between the slit and the attachment hole, the engagement piece moves in the slit when the support shaft rotates around the axis of the support shaft, the support shaft becomes inseparable from the first and second bearing pieces through the attachment hole when the engagement piece engages with the step at a predetermined engagement position in the slit, and the support shaft becomes separable from the first and second bearing pieces through the attachment hole when the engagement piece is located at a position other than the predetermined engagement position in the slit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.