SHIFTER WITH ACTUATOR INCORPORATING MAGNETIC UNLOCK MECHANISM

• US 20080006115A1
• Filed: 07/03/2007
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GHSP Incorporated (JSJ Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Grand Haven Stamped Products Company (JSJ Corporation)
• Inventors: Mitteer, David M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,779,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 74/473.21
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20018 Transmission control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20085 Restriction of shift, gear selection, or gear engagement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20091 Prevention of reverse shift
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20098 Separate actuator to disengage restrictor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/22 Miscellaneous

Abstract

A shifter includes an actuator, such as a shape memory alloy wire, to control movement of a set of strategically placed magnets on lever-position-controlling components of a vehicle transmission shift lever. In one arrangement, the actuator controls movement of a carrier carrying one or more of the magnets, the magnets controlling a position of a blocking member to prevent moving a pawl out of park position until predetermined vehicle conditions are met. Alternatively, the magnets can be carried by a cam, or slide, or wheel.

Claims

1. In an apparatus including a blocking member for movement between a locked first position and an unlocked second position, comprising:

at least two permanent magnets, a first one of the magnets being coupled to the blocking member for movement therewith, a second one of the magnets being movably supported for selective magnetic interaction with the first magnet;

an actuator coupled to move the second magnet;

a circuit for motivating the actuator so that the actuator selectively causes the second magnet to move from a magnetic attracting position to a magnetic repelling position relative to the first magnet, thereby repelling the first magnet in a manner causing the blocking member to move from the first position toward the second position at least in part from forces of the magnetic interaction.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator includes a rotatable carrier supporting the second permanent magnet.

3. The actuator of claim 2, wherein a rotation of the rotatable carrier and of the second magnet is limited to between about 30 and 180 degrees.

4. The actuator of claim 1, wherein the first and second permanent magnets are positioned to repel each other when the actuator is in a de-energized state, and to attract each other when the actuator is in an energized state.

5. The actuator of claim 1, wherein the first and second permanent magnets are positioned to attract each other when the actuator is in a de-energized state, and to repel each other when the actuator is in an energized state.

6. The actuator of claim 1, wherein the circuit includes a power cutoff switch constructed to remove power from the actuator after the second magnet has reached a predetermined position.

7. The actuator of claim 6, wherein the cutoff switch is a hall effect sensor.

8. The actuator of claim 7, wherein the hall effect sensor is arranged in the circuit to be triggered by movement of the second magnet.

9. The actuator of claim 7, wherein the hall effect sensor is positioned to be triggered by movement of the first magnet.

10. The actuator of claim 1, wherein the first and second magnets are each a rare earth magnet selected from a group consisting of neodymium type magnet and samarium cobalt type magnet.

11. The actuator of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first and second magnets are a neodymium N42 type magnet.

12. An improved actuator for an apparatus including a blocking member for blocking movement of another component and a mechanism for moving the blocking member between a locked first position and an unlocked second position, comprising:

at least three permanent magnets, a first one of the magnets being affixed to the blocking member;

a mechanism including a movable carrier and an actuator for moving the carrier, second and third ones of the magnets being supported by the mechanism for movement and being offset from each other on the movable carrier, the actuator being operatively coupled to the movable carrier; and

a circuit for controlling the actuator when predetermined conditions are met, such that the circuit motivates the actuator, resulting in movement of the movable carrier, which in turn places a selected one of the second and third magnets into magnetic communication with the first magnet on the blocking member in a manner causing the blocking member to selectively move between the first position and the second position.

13. The actuator of claim 12, wherein the first and second magnets are positioned to repel when the actuator is in the de-energized state, and the first and third magnets are positioned to attract when the actuator is in an energized state.

14. The actuator of claim 12, wherein the first and second magnets are positioned to attract when the actuator is in the de-energized state and the first and third magnets are positioned to repel when the actuator is in the de-energized state.

15. The actuator of claim 12, including a power cutoff switch to remove power from the actuator after the mechanism has reached a predetermined position.

16. The actuator of claim 15, wherein the cutoff switch is a hall effect sensor.

17. The actuator of claim 16, wherein the hall effect sensor is triggered by one of the second and third permanent magnets on the mechanism.

18. The actuator of claim 16, wherein the hall effect sensor is triggered by the first permanent magnet on the blocking member.

19. The actuator of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first, second, and third magnets are a rare earth magnet selected from a group consisting of neodymium type magnets and samarium cobalt type magnets.

20. The actuator of claim 19, wherein the at least one magnet is a neodymium N42 type magnet.

21. A vehicle transmission shifter comprising:

a base;

a shift lever pivoted to the base for movement between different gear positions;

at least one shift-lever-controlling component on one of the base and the shift lever;

a blocking member arranged to block movement of the at least one shift-lever-controlling component;

at least two permanent magnets, a first one of the magnets being coupled to the blocking member for movement therewith, a second one of the magnets being movably supported for selective magnetic interaction with the first permanent magnet;

an actuator coupled to move the second permanent magnet; and

a circuit for motivating the actuator so that the actuator causes the second permanent magnet to move, thereby causing the second permanent magnet to change a magnetic bias on the first permanent magnet which in turn causes the blocking member to move between the first position and the second position.

22. The actuator of claim 21, wherein the circuit includes a power cutoff switch to remove power from the actuator after the drive mechanism has reached a predetermined position.

23. The actuator of claim 22, wherein the cutoff switch is a hall effect sensor.

24. The actuator of claim 23, wherein the hall effect sensor is triggered by the first permanent magnet.

25. The actuator of claim 23, wherein the hall effect sensor is triggered by one of the permanent magnets on the blocking mechanism.

26. The actuator of claim 21, wherein the actuator includes a rotatable shaft supporting the other magnets for movement between 30 and 180 degrees.