US 9,423,020 B2Granted

Shift device

AssigneesKabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

InventorsKenji Nakanishi, Daisuke Yamamoto, Ryo Saito

Life of this patent

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Abstract

In a shift lever device, a width dimension of left ribs and right ribs is set larger than a diameter dimension of a left support shaft portion and a right support shaft portion. In the event of an impact load being imparted to a shift lever in different directions to a control lever axial direction, the left rib and the right rib are broken in this impact load direction since the left rib and the right rib are formed so as to face the whole diameter of the left support shaft portion and the right support shaft portion. Impact load can accordingly be absorbed even in the event that an impact load is imparted to the shift lever in different directions to a control lever axial direction. Namely, impact load can be absorbed for impact load directions within a range of a specific angle. Dependency on the impact load direction is accordingly suppressed when absorbing an impact load imparted to the shift lever.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A shift device comprising:

a shift operation member that includes a support shaft portion provided along a vehicle width direction, and that is configured to be capable of rotation operation about an axis of the support shaft portion;
a support body that includes a support portion that supports the support shaft portion rotatably;
and
a weakened portion that is provided at the support body, the weakened portion extending around a circumferential direction of the support portion at a lower side in an axial direction of the shift operation member and at a periphery of the support portion, and a width dimension of the weakened portion being set larger than a diameter dimension of the support shaft portion,
wherein the weakened portion is curved and circumferentially extends around the support portion for an angle α such that an impact load applied along an axis of the shift operation member within the range of the angle α can be absorbed by the breaking of the weakened portion.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/346,972Filed 21 Aug 2012
Priority: JP 2011-21133527 Sep 2011
Published: US 2014/0238172 A128 Aug 2014
Granted: 23 Aug 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

F16H 59/10
Range selector apparatus: comprising levers
B60R 21/0286
Occupant safety arrangements or fittings , e.g. crash pads: padded or energy absorbing driving control initiating means, e.g. gear lever, pedals
F16H 2059/026
Selector apparatus: details or special features of the selector casing or lever support
F16H 2059/0291
Selector apparatus: comprising safety means for preventing injuries in case of accidents