Actuating device having a selector lever actuator

An actuating device for selecting a control stage of a shift-by-wire gear shifting transmission, the actuating device comprising:

• a selector lever (1) being pivotable, about a pivot point (5), between a a stable park position (P), a stable reverse position (R), at least one stable drive position (D) and a stable neutral position (N), the selector lever (1) having a spring loaded catch mechanism (3) that communicates with a contoured surface to provide tactile response to the pivot position of the selector lever (1), the selector lever (1) further having a locking cam (12) such that, with an automatically engaged parking lock, the selector lever does not misleadingly remain in one of the drive position settings;
• the contoured surface comprises a plurality of distinct indentations which receive the catch mechanism (3), each of the distinct indentations corresponds to one of the stable park position (P), the stable reverse position (R), the stable drive position (D) and the stable neutral position (N), the catch mechanism (3) being receivable in the distinct indentations such that the selector lever (1) is stable in the respective stable position
• a locking rocker (6) being pivotally coupled to an end of a pivoting lever (9) to pivot between a locked position and an unlocked position, the locking rocker (6) having a first end (11) with a locking contour that, when in the locked position, is engagable with the locking cam (12) of the selector lever (1), and an opposite second end (13) with a locking contour that is engagable with an emergency release (14);
• a control wire (7) comprising a lock hook (18) which pivots to releasably engage a lock lug (19) of the pivoting lever (9), between the end of the pivoting lever (9) coupled to the locking rocker (6) and a remote end of the pivoting lever (6) that is pivotally coupled to a housing (4), such that operation of the transmission actuator (8) biases the pivoting lever (9) and the locking rocker (6) into the locked position to lock the selector lever (1) in the parking lock position;
• and
• an unlocking actuator (15) communicating with the locking rocker (6) for biasing the locking rocker (6) from the locked position to the unlocked position thereby releasing the selector lever (1) from the parking lock position.