Patents by Inventor Eugene H. Polan

Eugene H. Polan has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9970530
    Abstract: A transmission gear shifter arrangement includes a shift lever assembly and a position sensor assembly each associated with a shifter housing. The shift lever assembly is operably coupled to a vehicle transmission, and is selectively movable to gear select positions corresponding to respective transmission gears. The position sensor assembly includes a light source and light sensor, where the sensor is configured to selectively receive light emitted from the light source. When the shift lever assembly is in a predetermined one of the gear select positions, the shift lever assembly enables light emitted from the light source to reach the sensor thereby indicating that the shift lever assembly is in the predetermined one of the gear select positions, and when the shift lever assembly is not in the predetermined one of the gear select positions, the shift lever assembly prevents light emitted from the light source from reaching the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventor: Eugene H Polan
  • Publication number: 20170198806
    Abstract: A transmission gear shifter arrangement includes a shift lever assembly and a position sensor assembly each associated with a shifter housing. The shift lever assembly is operably coupled to a vehicle transmission, and is selectively movable to gear select positions corresponding to respective transmission gears. The position sensor assembly includes a light source and light sensor, where the sensor is configured to selectively receive light emitted from the light source. When the shift lever assembly is in a predetermined one of the gear select positions, the shift lever assembly enables light emitted from the light source to reach the sensor thereby indicating that the shift lever assembly is in the predetermined one of the gear select positions, and when the shift lever assembly is not in the predetermined one of the gear select positions, the shift lever assembly prevents light emitted from the light source from reaching the sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2016
    Publication date: July 13, 2017
    Inventor: Eugene H. Polan
  • Patent number: 9506557
    Abstract: A shifter assembly for a manual transmission includes a shifter housing, a shift lever and a gear blockout. The shift lever includes a shift plane select member configured to move to a first and second gear shift plane and a gear engagement member configured to move along the first and second gear shift plane to a first gear position. The shift plane select member and the gear engagement member are each operatively coupled to the transmission. The gear blockout is positioned within the shifter housing and configured to be selectively actuated to (i) block movement of the shift plane select member to the shift plane position thereby preventing the manual transmission from being shifted into first and second gears, and (ii) block movement of the gear engagement member to the first gear position thereby preventing the manual transmission from being shifted into first gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Robert A Benson, Lawrence K Laba, Eugene H Polan, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9394990
    Abstract: A system for lash reduction of a shifter for a manual transmission includes a shifter assembly having a housing, a shift lever and a shift lever guide device positioned in the housing. The guide device includes a plurality of shift channels connected by a select channel and defines a shift pattern for the shift lever. The transmission gate guide includes a corresponding plurality of shift finger slots connected by a select slot and defines a pattern for a shift finger of the transmission. Movement of the shift lever into one of the channels operatively moves the shift finger into a corresponding one of the slots. Each of the channels includes a channel width complimentary to a width of the shift lever so as to substantially reduce lateral free play of the shift lever when received in the channels while allowing longitudinal motion of the shift lever in the channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Robert A Benson, Jeffrey J Sawruk, Lawrence K Laba, Eugene H Polan, Jr., Michael W Gapski, Christopher W Collins
  • Publication number: 20140373660
    Abstract: A system for lash reduction of a shifter for a manual transmission includes a shifter assembly having a housing, a shift lever and a shift lever guide device positioned in the housing. The guide device includes a plurality of shift channels connected by a select channel and defines a shift pattern for the shift lever. The transmission gate guide includes a corresponding plurality of shift finger slots connected by a select slot and defines a pattern for a shift finger of the transmission. Movement of the shift lever into one of the channels operatively moves the shift finger into a corresponding one of the slots. Each of the channels includes a channel width complimentary to a width of the shift lever so as to substantially reduce lateral free play of the shift lever when received in the channels while allowing longitudinal motion of the shift lever in the channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Inventors: Robert A. Benson, Jeffrey J. Sawruk, Lawrence K. Laba, Eugene H. Polan, JR., Michael W. Gapski, Christopher W. Collins
  • Publication number: 20140373661
    Abstract: A shifter assembly for a manual transmission includes a shifter housing, a shift lever and a gear blockout. The shift lever includes a shift plane select member configured to move to a first and second gear shift plane and a gear engagement member configured to move along the first and second gear shift plane to a first gear position. The shift plane select member and the gear engagement member are each operatively coupled to the transmission. The gear blockout is positioned within the shifter housing and configured to be selectively actuated to (i) block movement of the shift plane select member to the shift plane position thereby preventing the manual transmission from being shifted into first and second gears, and (ii) block movement of the gear engagement member to the first gear position thereby preventing the manual transmission from being shifted into first gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Inventors: Robert A. Benson, Lawrence K. Laba, Eugene H. Polan, JR.