Shift actuator for a transmission

• US 7,222,554 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2004
• Issued: 05/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Isuzu Motors Limited
• Original Assignee: Isuzu Motors Limited
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Yasushi, Hayashi, Masahiko, Iwao, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): JOYCE, WILLIAM C
• Application Number:
  US10/946,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20050034550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: 743/35, 744/731.2, 744/733, 744/733.3, 335/229, 335/234, 335/266
• US Class Current: 74/473.12
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/32 Electric motors actuators or related electrical control means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19251 Control mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20024 Fluid actuator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2003 Electrical actuator

Abstract

A shift actuator for a transmission for turning, in a direction of shift, a shift lever support mechanism mounting the shift lever of the transmission, wherein it comprises an operation lever coupled, at its intermediate portion, to said shift lever support mechanism, the first electromagnetic solenoid and the second electromagnetic solenoid which are each coupled to both ends of said operation lever so as to operate in the upward and downward directions; and an operation rod of said first electromagnetic solenoid is coupled to one end of said operation lever and an operation rod of said second electromagnetic solenoid is coupled to the other end of said operation lever.

Claims

1. A shift actuator for a transmission, said shift actuator comprising:

a shift lever support mechanism mounting a shift lever of the transmission;

an operation lever having an intermediate portion coupled to said shift lever support mechanism;

a first actuator having an operation rod pivotally coupled to one end of said operation lever and operable in an upward direction, to push said one end of said operation lever upward, causing pivoting of said shift lever support member in a first angular direction, and operable in a downward direction, to pull said one end of said operation lever downward, causing pivoting of said shift lever support member in a second angular direction, opposite the first angular direction;

a second actuator having an operation rod pivotally coupled to the other end of said operation lever and operable in an upward direction, to push said other end of said operation lever upward, causing pivoting of said shift lever in the second angular direction, and operable in a downward direction, to pull said other end of said operation lever downward, causing pivoting of said operation lever support member in the first angular direction, wherein;

each of said first actuator and said second actuator comprises a magnetic moving member on an outer peripheral surface of said operation rod, a cylindrical fixed yoke surrounding said magnetic moving member, and a pair of coils arranged side by side in the axial direction of said operation rod inside said fixed yoke.

2. A shift actuator according to claim 1, wherein said shift lever support mechanism is arranged nearly in a horizontal state, and said first actuator and said second actuator are below said shift lever support mechanism.

3. A shift actuator for a transmission according to claim 1, wherein magnetic members are arranged on both sides of said pair of coils.

4. A shift actuator for a transmission according to claim 3, wherein said magnetic members are arranged in bobbins on which said pair of coils is wound.

5. A shift actuator according to claim 1, wherein said first and second actuators are arranged and configured to operate simultaneously.

6. A shift actuator according to claim 5, wherein said first and second actuators operate simultaneously in opposite directions.

7. A shift actuator according to claim 1, wherein said first and second actuators are arranged and operable to offset effects of gravity such that the first actuator is operable to offset effects of gravity on the second actuator, and the second actuator is operable to offset effects of gravity on the first actuator.