Alarm system for vehicle automatic transmission
First Claim
1. An alarm system for an automotive vehicle provided with an automatic transmission including a gear selector lever having a park position and a parking pawl engageable with a parking gear provided with radially extending circumferentially spaced teeth for parking said vehicle in response to movement of said gear selector lever to said park position;
- (a) first and second control switches positioned to close when the gear selector lever is set to any position other than the park position;
(b) a third control switch in series with one of said first and second control switches and positioned to close when a door of the automotive vehicle is opened;
(c) a first alarm device in series with said third control switch and said one of said first and second control switches for producing a first alarm signal when both of said switches are closed;
(d) a fourth control switch in series with the other of said first and second control switches and positioned to close whenever a driver leaves his seat in the automotive vehicle; and
(e) a second alarm device in series with said fourth control switch and the other of said first and second control switches for producing a second alarm signal distinctly different from said first alarm signal when both of said fourth control switch and said other of said first and second control switches are closed.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An alarm system which signals to the driver a first alarm whenever he opens a vehicle door and the selector lever of an automatic transmission is not in its full park position. The system signals to the driver and also to persons external to the vehicle a second different alarm whenever, in addition, the driver leaves his seat and the selector lever is not in its full park position or the parking pawl fails to properly engage the parking gear even though the selector lever is in its proper park position. A manual switch may be operated to selectively disconnect the alarms, with an automatic operator being provided to close this switch should it accidently be left in its open condition.
27 Citations
12 Claims
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1. An alarm system for an automotive vehicle provided with an automatic transmission including a gear selector lever having a park position and a parking pawl engageable with a parking gear provided with radially extending circumferentially spaced teeth for parking said vehicle in response to movement of said gear selector lever to said park position;
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(a) first and second control switches positioned to close when the gear selector lever is set to any position other than the park position; (b) a third control switch in series with one of said first and second control switches and positioned to close when a door of the automotive vehicle is opened; (c) a first alarm device in series with said third control switch and said one of said first and second control switches for producing a first alarm signal when both of said switches are closed; (d) a fourth control switch in series with the other of said first and second control switches and positioned to close whenever a driver leaves his seat in the automotive vehicle; and (e) a second alarm device in series with said fourth control switch and the other of said first and second control switches for producing a second alarm signal distinctly different from said first alarm signal when both of said fourth control switch and said other of said first and second control switches are closed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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- 11. An alarm system for an automotive vehicle provided with an automatic transmission including a gear selector lever selectively movable between parking and operating positions, a shift linkage operable by said gear selector lever between said parking and operating positions, a first control switch positioned to be closed only when said gear selector lever is in park position, a second control switch in series with said first control switch and positioned to close when a door of the automotive vehicle is opened, a third control switch in series with said first and second control switches and positioned to be closed when said shift linkage is in any position except part, and an alarm device in series with said first, second and third switches for producing an alarm signal whenever said first, second and third switches are closed.
Specification