Adjustable Vehicle Transmission Shifters

• US 20090218160A1
• Filed: 02/29/2008
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Baluch, Stephen William, Dawe, Brandon
• Granted Patent: US 7,845,457 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/336
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 20/06 mounted on steering column or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/0247 with lever or paddle behind steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/0204 for automatic transmissions with means for range selection and manual shifting, e.g. range selector with tiptronic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20152 Control lever movable through plural planes

Abstract

Disclosed herein are embodiments of a vehicle transmission shifter and methods of adjusting the vehicle transmission shifter. The vehicle transmission shifter comprises a stalk, a paddle extending from the stalk, and an adjustment mechanism responsive to a driver input to position the paddle in relation to the steering wheel. The paddle is configured to receive a driver'"'"'s fingers while manually engaging the steering wheel. The method comprises providing driver input to the adjustment mechanism through a user control and adjusting the adjustment mechanism in response to the driver input to position the paddle in relation to the steering wheel.

Claims

1. A vehicle transmission shifter mounted to a steering column of a steering wheel comprising:

a stalk;

a paddle extending from the stalk, the paddle configured to receive a driver'"'"'s fingers while manually engaging the steering wheel; and

an adjustment mechanism responsive to a driver input to position the paddle in relation to the steering wheel.

2. The vehicle transmission shifter of claim 1, wherein the paddle is integral with the stalk and the adjustment mechanism is mounted between the stalk and the steering column, the adjustment mechanism integrally moving the stalk and paddle in relation to the steering wheel.

3. The vehicle transmission shifter of claim 1, wherein the stalk is mounted to the steering column and the adjustment mechanism is mounted between the stalk and the paddle, the adjustment mechanism moving the paddle in relation to the steering wheel.

4. The vehicle transmission shifter of claim 1, wherein the adjustment mechanism is mechanically operated.

5. The vehicle transmission shifter of claim 2, wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises at least one track and the stalk comprises at least one releasable pawl coupled to the track to fixedly position the paddle.

6. The vehicle transmission shifter of claim 1, wherein the adjustment mechanism is electrically operated.

7. The vehicle transmission shifter of claim 1, wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises an actuator and one of the stalk and the paddle comprises a user control switch, the actuator being responsive to the user control switch to position the paddle along or about an axis.

8. The vehicle transmission shifter of claim 7, wherein the actuator is at least one stepper motor.

9. A vehicle steering wheel comprising at least one of the vehicle transmission shifter of claim 1.

10. A method of using a vehicle transmission shifter comprising an adjustment mechanism, a stalk, and a paddle, wherein the vehicle transmission shifter is mounted on a steering column of a steering wheel, the method comprising:

providing driver input to the adjustment mechanism through a user control;

adjusting the adjustment mechanism in response to the driver input to position the paddle in relation to the steering wheel.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the paddle is integral with the stalk and the adjustment mechanism is mounted between the stalk and the steering column, the adjustment mechanism integrally adjusting the stalk and paddle in relation to the steering wheel.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the stalk is mounted to the steering column and the adjustment mechanism is mounted between the stalk and the paddle, the adjustment mechanism adjusting the paddle in relation to the steering wheel.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the driver input is a mechanical input.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the driver input is an electrical input.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the driver input is a control switch and the adjustment mechanism is an actuator responsive to the control switch, the adjusting step comprising moving the paddle along or about an axis.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the actuator is a stepper motor.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises at least one track and the stalk comprises at least one releasable pawl coupled to the track to fixedly position the paddle, and the adjusting step comprises moving the releasable pawl along the track.