Shift knob
AssigneeZF Lemförder Metallwaren AG
InventorsJörg Meyer, Klemens Meyer, Jan Szekeres-Kriselius
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A shift knob (1) for a gearshift lever (3) of an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle has a locking bar (5) guided axially in the gearshift lever (3) and a release button (2) which can be actuated manually for actuating the locking bar (5) in relation to the gearshift lever (3). The release button (2) is arranged in the shift knob (1) at the top end of the gearshift lever (3). The release button (2) is connected to the shift knob (1) by means of at least one lever arm (16) via a mounting site (17). The length of the lever arm (16) of the release button (2) is selected such in relation to the path traveled by the release button (2) during the actuation that the release button (2) performs an essentially linear movement.
Claims21
A shift knob for a gearshift lever of an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle, the shift knob comprising:
- a lever arm;
- a mounting site, said lever arm being rotatably mounted to said mounting site;
- a spring;
- a mount, said mount supporting said spring, said mount being located at a position offset from the position of said mounting site;
- a locking bar guided axially in said gearshift lever;
- a release button for manually actuating said locking bar in relation to said gearshift lever, wherein said release button is arranged in said shift knob at the top end of said gearshift lever, said release button being pivotally mounted to said shift knob by means of said lever arm via said mounting site, wherein the length of said lever arm of said release button is selected such that said release button performs a linear movement during actuation;
- and
- a deflecting lever formed independent of said release button, said deflecting lever being movable relative to said release button, said deflecting lever being in contact with said spring such that said release button is free from clearance in each shift position, said deflecting lever converting said linear movement of said release button into a rotary movement acting on said lock bar for releasing said locking bar, said deflecting lever pivoting about said mount relative to said release button when said release button pivots about said mounting site.
A motor vehicle automatic transmission shift knob and gearshift lever comprising:
- a gearshift lever;
- a locking bar guided axially in said gearshift lever;
- a shift knob at the top end of said gearshift lever, said shift knob having a mounting site;
- a release button arranged in said shift knob and movable over a linear travel path from a locked position to an unlocked position;
- a spring;
- a mount for supporting said spring;
- a deflecting lever formed as a separate element from said release button, said spring being in contact with said deflecting lever, said release button actuating said deflecting lever, said deflecting lever being movable with respect to said release button such said deflecting lever pivots about said mount and compresses said spring when said release button is actuated from said locked position to said unlocked position, said linear movement of said release button being converted into a rotary movement of said deflecting lever to release said locking bar in a linear direction, said spring maintaining said deflecting lever in a fixed position when said spring is in a non-compressed state, whereby said release button is maintained in said locked position when said spring is in said non-compressed state;
- and
- a lever arm pivotally mounted to said mounting site, said lever arm connecting said release button to said shift knob at said mounting site, said lever arm having a length longer than the travel path of said release button during the actuation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.