Vanity shift knob assembly and method of replacement

• US 5,846,617 A
• Filed: 06/09/1997
• Issued: 12/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James A Whelan, Robert J Whelan
• Original Assignee: James A Whelan, Robert J Whelan
• Inventors: Whelan, Robert J., Whelan, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Epstein, Henry F.
• Application Number:
  US08/872,001
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 428/11, 428/28, 428/31, 156/98
• US Class Current: 428/31
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/0286 with range or splitter selector on selector lever
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/0217 with electric switches or sensors not for gear or range selection, e.g. for controlling auxiliary devices for gear selection F16H59/044; for range selection F16H59/105
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/0278 Constructional features of the selector lever, e.g. grip parts, mounting or manufacturing

Abstract

A replacement shift knob assembly for use on a truck transmission. Many truck transmissions have shift knob assemblies that contain a removable knob element with a specific bottom configuration and at least one manual switch that relies upon the specific bottom configuration of the knob element to function. The present invention replacement shift knob assembly includes a knob element made from an aesthetically pleasing material such as wood, stone, ceramic of the like. A base plate is attached to the bottom of the knob element. The base plate has a first side and an opposite second side, wherein the second side of the base plate is configured to generally physically mimic the specific bottom configuration of the original shift knob being replaced. The base plate is made from a material that differs from the replacement knob element in order to provide the base plate with greater material strength and wear resistance. As a result, a replacement shift knob assembly is provided that is aesthetically pleasing yet contains the same strength and functional elements as does the original knob element that is being replaced.

Claims

1. A shift knob assembly, comprising:

a knob element having a top end and a bottom end, wherein a relief is disposed in said bottom end;

a base plate having a peripheral edge and a center, wherein said base plate is sized to fit within said relief of said knob element;

a cylindrical pivot element extending downwardly from said base plate at a point proximate said center of said base plate;

at least one spacer extending downwardly from said base plate from a point proximate said peripheral edge of said base plate; and

a fastening mechanism for selectively affixing said base plate to said knob element within said relief of said knob element.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said knob element is fabricated from a first material that is selected from a group consisting of wood, stone, glass and porcelain.

3. The assembly according to claim 1, further including a display plate affixed to said top end of said knob element.

4. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said base plate is fabricated from a material selected from a group consisting of plastic and metal.

5. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said relief that is disposed in said bottom end of said knob element is generally cylindrical in shape.

6. The assembly according to claim 5, wherein said knob element has a side surface and an aperture is disposed through said side surface that communicates with said circular relief.

7. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein a first plurality of bores are disposed through said knob element from said top end through to said relief and said base plate includes a second plurality of bores that align with said first plurality of bores when said base plate is positioned within said relief.

8. The assembly according to claim 7, further including a set of mounting screws that extend through said first set of bores in said knob element and said second set of bores in said base plate.

9. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said fastening mechanism for selectively joining said base plate to said knob element includes screws.

10. In a shift knob assembly containing a removable knob with a pivot element and spacers on its bottom surface, and a manual switch that interacts with pivot element and the spacers during the operation of said manual switch, a replacement knob assembly comprising:

a knob element having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a relief disposed within said bottom surface;

a base plate sized to fit within said relief, wherein said base plate contains a pivot element and spacers depending therefrom that are configured to interact with the manual switch during the operation of the manual switch; and

mechanical fasteners for selectively attaching said base plate to said knob element within said relief.

11. The assembly according to claim 10, wherein said knob element is fabricated from a first material that is selected from a group consisting of wood, stone, glass and porcelain.

12. The assembly according to claim 11, wherein said base plate is fabricated from a material that is selected from a group consisting of metal and plastic.

13. The assembly according to claim 11 wherein a first plurality of bores are disposed through said knob element from said top surface through to said bottom surface and said base plate includes a second plurality of bores that align with said first plurality of bores when said base plate is positioned within said relief.

14. The assembly according to claim 11 wherein said pivot element is a cylindrical post that extends downwardly from said base plate at a point near its center.

15. A method of replacing an original knob element on a shift knob assembly that contains a manual switch, wherein the original knob element has a predetermined physical configuration on its bottom surface that is required for the operation of the manual switch, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a replacement knob element;

providing a base plate having generally the same physical configuration as the bottom surface of the original knob element;

affixing said base plate to said replacement knob element to form a replacement knob assembly;

removing the original knob element from the shift knob assembly; and

attaching the replacement knob assembly to the shift knob assembly.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said step of providing a replacement knob element includes fabricating said replacement knob element from wood.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said step of providing a base plate includes molding said base plate from a moldable material.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said step of affixing said base plate to said replacement knob element includes fastening said base plate to said replacement knob element with screws.