Knob assembly
AssigneeKongsberg Automotive AB
InventorBengt Hermansson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a knob assembly adapted to be secured to a top portion of a shaft (4) of a gearshift lever, the knob assembly comprising a knob (2) having a generally cylindrical bore adapted to fit over an end portion of the shaft (4), the knob assembly further having engaging members (6) connected to the knob and adapted to engage the shaft for securing the knob on the shaft (4), wherein the knob assembly is provided with at least two engaging members (6), a locking ring (30), and a compression ring (20).
Claims19
A knob assembly adapted to be secured to a top portion of a shaft (4) of a gearshift lever, the knob assembly comprising;
- a knob (2) having a generally cylindrical bore adapted to fit over an end portion of the shaft (4);
- engaging members (6) connected to the knob and adapted to engage the shaft for securing the knob on the shaft (4) with at least two of the engaging members (6) being circumferentially distributed in an angular distance pattern around the bore of the knob and axially extending away from the knob to be able to abut surface portions of the shaft (4) outside of the knob (2);
- a locking ring (30) embracing the engaging members (6) of the knob and having bulge regions (36) of increased material thickness which are distributed around a circumference of the locking ring in an angular distance pattern corresponding to the angular distance pattern of the engaging members (6), so that, by rotation of the locking ring, the locking ring may be brought to a position in which the bulge regions (36) overlap with the engaging members (6);
- and
- a compression ring (20) being concentrically positioned around and in an abutting relationship with the bulge regions (36) of the locking ring (30) to apply, when the locking ring is rotated to bring the bulge regions into overlapping relationship with the engaging members, a restraining force to the bulge regions which in turn apply a compressing force to the engaging members to secure the knob assembly to the shaft.
A gearshift lever comprising:
- a shaft (4);
- and
- a knob assembly comprising;
- a knob (2) having a generally cylindrical bore adapted to fit over an end portion of the shaft (4),
- engaging members (6) connected to the knob and adapted to engage the shaft for securing the knob on the shaft (4) with at least two of the engaging members (6) being circumferentially distributed in an angular distance pattern around the bore of the knob and axially extending away from the knob to be able to abut surface portions of the shaft (4) outside of the knob (2),
- a locking ring (30) embracing the engaging members (6) of the knob and having bulge regions (36) of increased material thickness which are distributed around a circumference of the locking ring in an angular distance pattern corresponding to the angular distance pattern of the engaging members (6), so that, by rotation of the locking ring, the locking ring may be brought to a position in which the bulge regions (36) overlap with the engaging members (6), and
- a compression ring (20) being concentrically positioned around and in an abutting relationship with the bulge regions (36) of the locking ring (30) to apply, when the locking ring is rotated to bring the bulge regions into overlapping relationship with the engaging members, a restraining force to the bulge regions which in turn apply a compressing force to the engaging members to secure the knob assembly to the shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.