Shifter with noiseless BITSI shift lever control

• US 10,267,417 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2016
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GHSP Incorporated (JSJ Corporation)
• Original Assignee: GHSP Incorporated (JSJ Corporation)
• Inventors: Mitteer, David Michael, Bays, Jeffrey Lee, Vecellio, Bradley John
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, Jacob S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Lori
• Application Number:
  US15/238,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20170059039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/0282 Lever handles with lock mechanisms, e.g. for allowing selection of reverse gear or releasing lever from park position
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/223 Electrical gear shift lock, e.g. locking of lever in park or neutral position by electric means if brake is not applied; Key interlock, i.e. locking the key if lever is not in park position
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/0278 Constructional features of the selector lever, e.g. grip parts, mounting or manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/10 comprising levers
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/22 Locking of the control input devices constructional features of locking or disabling mechanisms F16H63/34

Abstract

A transmission shifter includes a base, a shift lever movable between gear positions, and a pawl, a pawl blocker, a permanent magnet, an electro-magnet, and an electrical circuit for selectively activating the electro-magnet when a predetermined vehicle condition is sensed. The permanent magnet'"'"'s attraction to an iron based surface of the electro-magnet normally holds the blocker in a pawl-blocking position, keeping the shift lever in park position, until the electrical circuit activates the electro-magnet and the pawl is depressed. When activated, the electro-magnet biases the blocker toward a pawl-unblocked position. A ramp lever keeps the pawl blocker in the park position until the pawl mechanically moves the ramp lever and magnetically-biased blocker together, thus allowing the shift lever to be moved from park position. The park lock system is characterized by an absence of movement in response to an electrical signal to an electro-mechanical device and thus operates noise-free.

Claims

1. A transmission shifter comprising:

a base defining a plurality of gear positions including a park position;

a shift lever movably supported by the base for movement between the gear positions and a pawl on the shift lever operably selectively engaging the gear positions; and

a park lock system including a ramp lever and a blocker both movably supported on the base, and also including a permanent magnet on the blocker and an electro-magnet on the base, and still further including an electrical circuit for selectively activating the electro-magnet when a predetermined vehicle condition is sensed;

wherein;

the ramp lever having an under-pawl position and an out-from-under-pawl position, and including an angled surface engaged with the pawl when the pawl is operated to shift out of the park position, and the park lock system including a bias spring biasing the ramp lever to the under-pawl position, and the ramp lever configured to abuttingly engage the blocker when the ramp lever is moved to the under-pawl position but to not engage the blocker when the ramp lever is moved to the out-from-under-pawl position;

the blocker having a pawl-blocking position and a pawl-unblocked position, and supporting the permanent magnet near the electro-magnet when in the pawl-blocking position;

when the shift lever is in the park position, the electrical circuit is not operating the electro-magnet, and the pawl is not depressed, the bias spring biases the ramp lever and the blocker into the under-pawl position and pawl-blocking position, respectively, and hence the shift lever cannot be shifted out of the park position;

when the shift lever is in the park position, the electrical circuit is not activating the electro-magnet, and the pawl is depressed, the ramp lever is moved to the out-from-under-pawl position by the pawl, but the blocker remains in the pawl-blocking position such that the shift lever cannot be shifted out of the park position;

when the shift lever is in the park position, the electrical circuit is activating the electro-magnet, and the pawl is not depressed, the electro-magnet creates a magnetic force pressing the blocker against the ramp lever, but the magnetic force is less than a spring force of the bias spring such that the ramp lever and the blocker remain in the under-pawl position and pawl-blocking position, respectively; and

when the shift lever is in the park position, the electrical circuit is activating the electro-magnet, and the pawl is depressed, the electro-magnet creates the magnetic force biasing the blocker toward the pawl-unblocked position and pressing the blocker against the ramp lever, and concurrently the ramp lever is moved by the pawl, such that both the ramp lever and the blocker move to the out-from-under-pawl position and pawl-unblocked position, respectively, thus allowing the shift lever to be moved from the park position to another one of the gear positions.

2. A transmission shifter comprising:

a base defining a plurality of gear positions including a park position;

a shift lever movably supported by the base for movement between the gear positions and a pawl on the shift lever operably selectively engaging the gear positions; and

a park lock system constructed to prevent moving the shift lever out of the park position until predetermined vehicle conditions are met;

the park lock system including a pawl blocker, a permanent magnet, an electro-magnet, and an electrical circuit for selectively activating the electro-magnet when a predetermined vehicle condition is sensed;

the park lock system being characterized by an absence of an electro-mechanical device having a movable member connected to the blocker for moving the blocker;

wherein;

when the shift lever is in the park position and the electrical circuit is not activating the electro-magnet and the pawl is depressed, the blocker prevents the pawl from being moved out of the park position;

when the shift lever is in the park position and the electrical circuit is activating the electro-magnet and the pawl is depressed, the electro-magnet creates a magnetic force biasing the blocker toward a pawl-unblocked position which thus allows the shift lever to be moved from the park position to another one of the gear positions; and

the park lock system further includes a ramp lever movable relative to the pawl blocker, the ramp lever having an angled surface engaged by the pawl when the pawl is operated, the ramp lever being configured to abuttingly engage the pawl blocker in a first direction biasing the pawl blocker toward the electro-magnet and including a bias device biasing the ramp lever in the first direction.

3. A transmission shifter comprising:

a base defining a plurality of gear positions including a park position;

a shift lever movably supported by the base for movement between the gear positions and a pawl on the shift lever operably selectively engaging the gear positions; and

a park lock system having a blocker constructed to prevent moving the shift lever out of the park position until predetermined vehicle conditions are met, the park lock system including a magnetic arrangement for holding the blocker in a pawl-blocking position without movement of any component when the predetermined vehicle conditions are not met and where the magnetic arrangement biases the blocker to a pawl-unblocked position when the vehicle conditions are met,

wherein the magnetic arrangement includes a permanent magnet and an electro-magnet, and the park lock system further includes a ramp lever movable relative to the pawl blocker, the ramp lever having an angled surface engaged by the pawl when the pawl is operated, the ramp lever being configured to abuttingly engage the pawl blocker in a first direction biasing the pawl blocker toward the electro-magnet and including a bias device biasing the ramp lever in the first direction.

4. The transmission shifter of claim 3, wherein the permanent magnet is mounted to the blocker and the electro-magnet is mounted on the base.

5. The transmission shifter of claim 4, wherein the blocker is a pawl blocker configured to abut the pawl and prevent undesired movement of the pawl.

6. A method of shifting a transmission shifter comprising:

providing a base defining a plurality of gear positions including a park position;

providing a shift lever movably supported by the base for movement between the gear positions and a pawl on the shift lever operably selectively engaging the gear positions;

providing a park lock system including a ramp lever and a blocker both movably supported on the base, and also including a permanent magnet on the blocker and an electro-magnet on the base, and still further including an electrical circuit for selectively activating the electro-magnet when a predetermined vehicle condition is sensed;

the ramp lever having an under-pawl position and an out-from-under-pawl position, and including an angled surface engaged with the pawl when the pawl is operated to shift out of the park position, and the park lock system including a bias spring biasing the ramp lever to the under-pawl position, and the ramp lever configured to abuttingly engage the blocker when the ramp lever is moved to the under-pawl position but not to engage the blocker when the ramp lever is moved to the out-from-under-pawl position;

the blocker having a pawl-blocking position and a pawl-unblocked position, and supporting the permanent magnet near the electro-magnet when in the pawl-blocking position;

when the shift lever is in the park position, the electrical circuit is not operating the electro-magnet, and the pawl is not depressed, the bias spring biasing the ramp lever and the blocker into the under-pawl position and pawl-blocking position, respectively, and hence the shift lever cannot be shifted out of the park position;

when the shift lever is in the park position, the electrical circuit is not activating the electro-magnet, and the pawl is depressed, moving the ramp lever to the out-from-under-pawl position by the pawl, but keeping the blocker in the pawl-blocking position such that the shift lever cannot be shifted out of the park position;

when the shift lever is in the park position, the electrical circuit is activating the electro-magnet, and the pawl is not depressed, operating the electro-magnet to create a magnetic force pressing the blocker against the ramp lever, but with the magnetic force being less than a spring force of the bias spring such that the ramp lever and the blocker remain in the under-pawl position and pawl-blocking position, respectively; and

when the shift lever is in the park position, the electrical circuit is activating the electro-magnet, and the pawl is depressed, operating the electro-magnet to create the magnetic force biasing the blocker toward the pawl-unblocked position and pressing the blocker against the ramp lever, and concurrently the ramp lever is moved by the pawl, such that both the ramp lever and the blocker move to the out-from-under-pawl position and pawl-unblocked position, respectively, thus allowing the shift lever to be moved from the park position to another one of the gear positions.