Control lever assembly

• US 6,065,365 A
• Filed: 02/23/1998
• Issued: 05/23/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Blue Leaf IP Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.), CNH America Llc (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Case Corporation (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Lourigan, Patrick M., Gregory, Ted W., Ostler, William L., Christopher, William L., Regep, Hermann H., Svendsen, Darrel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LUONG, VINH
• Application Number:
  US09/027,763
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 74/527, 74/526, 74/528, 74/523, 74/471 R, 74/475, 74/431, 74/543, 74/544, 74/545, 74/568, 74/569, 702/94, 180/53.4, 180/333, 180/334, 364/176
• US Class Current: 74/528
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 25/00 Auxiliary drives B60K16/00 takes precedence; arrangements of tyre-inflating pumps mounted on vehicles B60C23/10; driving tyre-inflating pumps B60C; driving engine auxiliaries F02B
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2004 Control mechanisms, e.g. control levers control levers per se G05G
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/04 Controlling members for hand actuation by pivoting movement, e.g. levers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20012 Multiple controlled elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20612 Hand
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20636 Detents
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20642 Hand crank
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20732 Handles

Abstract

A control lever assembly for generating an electrical signal representative of the position of a linearly-moveable control lever which extends through an elongated passage in a console cover includes a control lever guide rotatably mounted to a bracket beneath the console cover. An arm projecting above the console cover is provided for moving the guide between rotational positions. The guide has an opening with slots of predetermined length associated with the rotational positions which define ranges of linear movement of the control lever. The movement of the control lever causes a sensing circuit to generate the electrical signal representative of the position of the control lever. The assembly also includes a switch actuated by a cam on an end of the guide depending upon the rotational position of the guide. The assembly also includes detent mechanisms for releasably retaining the control lever and the guide in various detent positions.

Claims

1. A control lever assembly for generating an electrical signal representative of the position of a linearly-moveable control lever, comprising:

a bracket;

a control lever guide coupled to the bracket for rotational movement about an axis parallel to the direction of linear movement of the control lever, the guide including an arm for rotating the guide about the axis between a plurality of rotational positions, the guide having an opening with a longitudinal slot associated with each rotational position, each longitudinal slot having a predetermined length within which the control lever is positionable, wherein the range of linear movement of the control lever depends upon the rotational position of the guide; and

a sensing circuit coupleable to the control lever and configured to generate the electrical signal representative of the position of the control lever.

2. The control lever assembly of claim 1 wherein the guide includes first and second ends and an elongated center portion between the first and the second ends, the center portion having the opening with the longitudinal slots defining the ranges of linear movement of the control lever.

3. The control lever assembly of claim 2 wherein one of the longitudinal slots retains the control lever against linear movement in a neutral lever position.

4. The control lever assembly of claim 3 further comprising a spring coupleable to the control lever configured to bias the control lever into the neutral lever position.

5. The control lever assembly of claim 1 wherein the sensing circuit includes a potentiometer.

6. A control lever assembly for generating an electrical signal representative of the position of a linearly-moveable control lever, comprising:

a bracket;

a control lever guide coupled to the bracket for rotational movement about an axis parallel to the direction of linear movement of the control lever, the guide including an arm for rotating the guide about the axis between a plurality of rotational positions, the guide having an opening with a longitudinal slot associated with each rotational position, each longitudinal slot having a predetermined length within which the control lever is positionable, wherein the range of linear movement of the control lever depends upon the rotational position of the guide;

a sensing circuit coupleable to the control lever and configured to generate the electrical signal representative of the position of the control lever; and

a switch having at least two states coupled to the guide, wherein actuation of the switch depends upon the rotational position of the guide.

7. The control lever assembly of claim 6 wherein the guide includes first and second ends and an elongated center portion between the first and the second ends, the center portion having the opening with the longitudinal slots defining the ranges of linear movement of the control lever.

8. The control lever assembly of claim 7 wherein one of the longitudinal slots retains the control lever against linear movement in a neutral lever position.

9. The control lever assembly of claim 8 further comprising a spring coupleable to the control lever configured to bias the control lever into the neutral lever position.

10. The control lever assembly of claim 8 wherein the first end of the guide includes a cam coupled to the switch and configured to open the switch when the guide is in one of the rotational positions, and close the switch when the guide is in a second of the rotational positions.

11. The control lever assembly of claim 10 wherein the arm extends from the second end of the guide.

12. The control lever assembly of claim 6 wherein the sensing circuit includes a potentiometer.

13. A control lever assembly for generating an electrical signal representative of the position of a linearly-moveable control lever, comprising:

a bracket;

a control lever guide coupled to the bracket for rotational movement about an axis parallel to the direction of linear movement of the control lever, the guide including an arm for rotating the guide about the axis between a plurality of rotational positions, the guide having an opening with a longitudinal slot associated with each rotational position, each longitudinal slot having a predetermined length within which the control lever is positionable, wherein the range of linear movement of the control lever depends upon the rotational position of the guide;

a detent mechanism including a protrusion on one of the bracket and the guide and recesses on the other of the bracket and the guide, the protrusion being engageable with the recesses to releasably retain the guide in one of the rotational positions of the guide; and

a sensing circuit coupleable to the control lever and configured to generate the electrical signal representative of the position of the control lever.

14. The control lever assembly of claim 13 wherein the guide includes first and second ends and an elongated center portion between the first and the second ends, the center portion having the opening with the longitudinal slots defining the ranges of linear movement of the control lever.

15. The control lever assembly of claim 14 wherein one of the longitudinal slots retains the control lever against linear movement in a neutral lever position.

16. The control lever assembly of claim 15 further comprising a spring coupleable to the control lever to bias the control lever into the neutral lever position.

17. The control lever assembly of claim 14 further comprising a switch having at least two states coupled to the guide, wherein actuation of the switch depends upon the rotational position of the guide.

18. The control lever assembly of claim 17 wherein the first end of the guide includes a cam coupled to the switch and configured to open the switch when the guide is in one of the rotational positions, and close the switch when the guide is in a second of the rotational positions.

19. The control lever assembly of claim 18 wherein the arm extends from the second end of the guide.

20. The control lever assembly of claim 13 wherein the protrusion of the detent mechanism is on the bracket and the recesses are on the guide.

21. The control lever assembly of claim 20 wherein the protrusion is a coined semisphere.

22. The control lever assembly of claim 13 wherein the protrusion is "v"-shaped.

23. The control lever assembly of claim 13 wherein the sensing circuit includes a potentiometer.

24. A control lever assembly, comprising:

a bracket;

a linearly-moveable control lever;

a control lever guide coupled to the bracket for rotational movement about an axis parallel to the direction of linear movement of the control lever, the guide including an arm for rotating the guide about the axis between a plurality of rotational positions, the guide having an opening with a longitudinal slot associated with each rotational position, each longitudinal slot having a predetermined length within which the control lever is positionable, wherein the range of linear movement of the control lever depends upon the rotational position of the guide;

a lever detent mechanism including a lever detent protrusion associated with one of the bracket and the control lever, and lever detent recesses on the other of the bracket and the control lever, the lever detent protrusion being engageable with the lever detent recesses to releasably retain the control lever in one of a plurality of lever detent positions; and

a sensing circuit coupled to the control lever and configured to generate an electrical signal representative of the position of the control lever.

25. The control lever assembly of claim 24 wherein the guide includes first and second ends and an elongated center portion between the first and the second ends, the center portion having the opening with the longitudinal slots defining the ranges of linear movement of the control lever.

26. The control lever assembly of claim 25 wherein one of the longitudinal slots retains the control lever against linear movement in a neutral lever position.

27. The control lever assembly of claim 26 further comprising a spring coupled to the control lever to bias the control lever into the neutral lever position.

28. The control lever assembly of claim 25 further comprising a switch having at least two states coupled to the guide, wherein actuation of the switch depends upon the rotational position of the guide.

29. The control lever assembly of claim 28 wherein the first end of the guide includes a cam coupled to the switch and configured to open the switch when the guide is in one of the rotational positions, and close the switch when the guide is in a second of the rotational positions.

30. The control lever assembly of claim 29 wherein the arm extends from the second end of the guide.

31. The control lever assembly of claim 24 further comprising a guide detent mechanism including a guide detent protrusion on one of the bracket and the guide and guide detent recesses on the other of the bracket and the guide, the guide detent protrusion being engageable with the guide detent recesses to releasably retain the guide in one of the rotational positions of the guide.

32. The control lever assembly of claim 31 wherein the guide detent protrusion is on the bracket and the guide detent recesses are on the guide.

33. The control lever assembly of claim 32 wherein the guide detent protrusion is a coined semisphere.

34. The control lever assembly of claim 31 wherein the guide detent protrusion is "v"-shaped.

35. The control lever assembly of claim 24 wherein the lever detent mechanism includes a track mounted to the bracket, the track defining the lever detent recesses and a sliding groove between the lever detent recesses, the lever detent protrusion associated with the control lever being in sliding engagement with the track during linear movement of the control lever, whereby the lever detent protrusion is moveable between the lever detent recesses.

36. The control lever assembly of claim 35 wherein the track includes raised portions adjacent to the lever detent recesses, thereby increasing the force required to move the control lever into the lever detent positions.

37. The control lever assembly of claim 35 wherein the control lever has an aperture, and the lever detent protrusion includes a ball bearing located within the aperture and biased against the track by a detent spring.

38. The control lever assembly of claim 31 further comprising a switch having at least two states coupled to the guide, wherein actuation of the switch depends upon the rotational position of the guide.

39. The control lever assembly of claim 24 wherein the sensing circuit includes a potentiometer.