Transmission operating apparatus for automatic transmission

• US 4,880,092 A
• Filed: 01/13/1989
• Issued: 11/14/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Imai, Hajime, Harada, Shoichi, Kito, Shozo, Suzuki, Masamitsu, Muramatsu, Tadao, Ohta, Hisatoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Braun, Leslie A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Whitelaw, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US07/296,994
• Time in Patent Office: 305 Days
• Field of Search: 192/4 A, 192/4 C, 192/4 R, 74/475, 74/483, 74/898
• US Class Current: 477/96
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/02144 interlocked with gear box or gear lever
• 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 59/10 comprising levers
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/54 dependent on signals from the brakes, e.g. parking brakes
• 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 74/2011 with detent, recess, notch, or groove
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20238 Interlocked

Abstract

A transmission operating apparatus for automatic transmission wherein, when a shift lever of the automatic transmission is shifted to a specific position such as a parking position, a detent pin provided for the shift lever is engaged with a movable body and is moved to a first position so as to be engaged with detent means so that the shift to another shift position is prevented. A lock is engaged with the movable body which has been moved, together with the detent pin, to the first shift position so that the lock means cannot be separated from the movable body if a driver does not perform any special operation such as footing the brake or the like. Therefore, the movable body cannot be moved to the second position, and the shift lever cannot be moved to another shift position. The movable body is positioned at the second position when the shift lever is positioned at another shift position, while the same is engaged with the detent pin immediately after the shift lever is operated to the specific position.

Claims

1. A transmission operating apparatus for automatic transmissions comprising:

(a) a shift lever to be moved in a shifting direction by a driver when gear shift is intended;

(b) a detent pin secured to said shift lever substantially perpendicularly to the shifting direction of the same and being able to be moved from a first position to a second position by an operation of a pushbutton performed by the driver;

(c) detent means for preventing movement of said shift lever to another shift position by being engaged with said detent pin when said detent pin is positioned at said first position and at a specific shift position of said shift lever, while said detent means permitting a possibility for said shift lever to move to another shift position when said detent pin is positioned at said second position;

(d) a movable body which moves between said first position and said second position together with said detent pin in such a manner that the same is engaged with this detent pin when said shift lever is positioned at said specific position, this movable body being retained at said second position when said shift lever has been moved from said specific position to another shift position, while the same is engaged with said detent pin when said shift lever returns to said specific position;

(e) detection means for detecting whether said detent pin is positioned at said first position or said second position by detecting the movement of said movable body; and

(f) lock means for, when said movable body is positioned at said first position together with said detent pin, preventing movement of said movable body and detent pin to said second position by being engaged with said movable body, this lock means needs to be released by the driver to conduct a shifting operation of said shift lever to the position other than said specific position.

2. A transmission operating apparatus for automatic transmissions according to claim 1, wherein said movable body is provided with a securing groove to accommodate said detent pin of said shift lever, this securing groove preventing a relative movement of said detent pin and said movable body in the moving direction between said first position and said second position by accommodating said detent pin when said shift lever returns to said specific shift position.

3. A transmission operating apparatus for automatic transmissions according to claim 2, wherein an inlet portion of said securing groove is arranged to be a gradually widened guide surface for the purpose of making accommodation of said detent pin into said securing groove when said shift lever is moved from said shift position to said specific position.

4. A transmission operating apparatus for automatic transmissions according to claim 1, wherein said detent means is provided with a detent plate having a lock recessed portion into which said detent pin is engaged with, said movable body is arranged to be moved along said lock recessed portion of said detent plate, and said securing groove is arranged along said lock recessed portion.

5. A transmission operating apparatus for automatic transmissions according to claim 4, wherein a holder for accommodating said movable body is secured to said detent plate, and said movable body is moved by the guide of this holder.

6. A transmission operating apparatus for automatic transmissions according to claim 5, wherein said holder is provided with an opening through which said lock means passes, and engagement of said lock means with said movable body is realized through said opening.

7. A transmission operating apparatus for automatic transmission according to claim 1, wherein said lock means is moved perpendicular to the moving direction of said movable body between said first and second positions so as to be engaged with said movable body.

8. A transmission operating apparatus for automatic transmissions according to claim 7, wherein said lock means is urged in the direction in which the same is engaged with said movable body, while said lock means is moved in the direction in which the same is separated from said movable body by an operation of the driver.

9. A transmission operating apparatus for automatic transmissions according to claim 8 further comprising a solenoid for separating said lock means from said movable body, this solenoid being operated by braking operation or the like performed by the driver.

10. A transmission operating apparatus for automatic transmissions according to claim 1, wherein said detection means is provided with fixed contacts and movable contacts, said movable contacts being secured to said movable body.

11. A transmission operating apparatus for automatic transmissions according to claim 10, wherein said movable contact moves to contact or separates from a first fixed contact at said first position so that a first circuit is actuated, while the same moves to contact or separates from a second fixed contact at said second position so that a second circuit is actuated, as a result of which, a first and second position of said detent pin is each detected.

12. A transmission operating apparatus for automatic transmissions according to claim 11, wherein said fixed contact is provided for a holder for guiding said movable body.

13. A transmission operating apparatus for automatic transmissions according to claim 12, wherein said movable contact can realize a state where both said first circuit and second circuit are actuated between said first position and said second position.

14. A transmission operating apparatus for automatic transmissions according to claim 11, wherein a pair of said first fixed contacts are, in parallel to each other, provided along the direction in which said detent pin moves within a specific shift position, whereby said first circuit is actuated by making said first movable contact connect between said two fixed contacts, and a pair of said second fixed contacts are similarly provided, whereby said second circuit is actuated by making said second movable contact connect between said two fixed contacts.

15. A transmission operating apparatus for automatic transmissions according to claim 14, wherein said first movable contacts and said first fixed contacts enable said movable body to move to said second position when an ignition key is at a turned-on position, a brake pedal is depressed, and said detent pin is positioned at said first position.

16. A transmission operating apparatus for automatic transmissions according to claim 14, wherein said second fixed contacts and said second movable contacts actuate a solenoid for the purpose of realizing movement of said ignition key from said ACC position to a lock position when said ignition key is at said ACC position and said detent pin is at said second position.

17. A transmission operating apparatus for an automatic transmission for vehicles comprising:

(a) a shift lever for switching a hydraulic pressure circuit for an automatic transmission;

(b) a detent pin arranged to be able to move in the axial direction of said shift lever between a first position and a second position, and being driven to said second position by an operation of the push-button of said shift lever;

(c) a detent plate which prevents the movement of said shift lever when said detent pin is positioned at said first position in a case where said shift lever has been moved to a parking position, and which permits for the shift lever to be able to move when said detent pin is positioned at said second position;

(d) a movable body disposed corresponding to said parking position of said shift lever, is arranged to be positioned at said second position when said shift lever is positioned at a shift position other hand said parking position, is engaged with said detent pin by a shifting operation of said shift lever to said parking position, and is thereby moved to said first position with said detent pin;

(e) lock means for preventing movement of said movable body to said second position by being engaged with said movable body which has been positioned at said first position;

(f) detection means for detecting said first position and said second position for said movable body in corresponding to said movable body; and

(g) lock release means for releasing said lock means by a special operation performed by a driver such as depression of said brake pedal, and in response to a signal from said detection means, and when said movable body is positioned at said first position so that said movable body can be moved to said second position.

18. A transmission operating apparatus for an automatic transmission for vehicles according to claim 17, wherein said movable body is formed a securing groove for accommodating said detent pin of said shift lever.

19. A transmission operating apparatus for an automatic transmission for vehicles according to claim 18, wherein said detection means is provided with fixed contacts and movable contact and said movable contacts are secured to said movable body:

20. A transmission operating apparatus for automatic transmission comprising:

a shift lever for selecting one of a plurality of positions by a moving operation;

a detent pin which is moved in a direction by a pushing operation of a button provided for said shift lever, while the same is moved to another direction by release of the pushing of said button;

a detent plate having a lock recessed position for limiting the moving operation of said shift lever in association with said detent pin and to which said detent pin is engaged with after said detent pin has been moved to another direction when said shift lever is shifted to a specific non-operation position;

a movable body which is engaged with said detent pin when said shift lever is shifted to said non-operation position so as to be moved between a lock position and a lock release position in synchronization with said detent pin;

a first and a second switch portion each of which is arranged to be operated in synchronization with the movement of said movable body and whose state is changed between an operation state and a non-operation state with respect to each of the switching points; and

a driving body whose state is changed between state where said movable body is restricted to said lock position and state where the same is released in accordance with a predetermined condition when said first switch portion or said second switch portion is brought into a predetermined state, and is brought to state when said movable body is released from said restriction when said first switch portion is brought into said non-operation state, wherein a switching point of said first switch portion is disposed at the position at which said movable body is not restricted by said driving body, while a switching point of said second switch portion is disposed at the position at which said detent pin can be assuredly engaged with said lock recessed portion and also said movable body can be restricted by said driving body, a region in which said first switch portion can be actuated and a region in which said second switch portion can be actuated are in part overlapped, whereby state of said driving body is changed or another loading device is driven in accordance with that said second switch portion is actuated.