Spherical Restrictor Patents (Class 74/473.27)
  • Patent number: 10711893
    Abstract: A number of variations may include a product comprising an output shaft having a radial flange comprising a plurality of teeth; a range shifter operatively connected to the output shaft constructed and arranged to selectively shift a vehicle between a low range, high range, and neutral mode; a mode shifter operatively connected to the output shaft constructed and arranged to shift the vehicle between a four-wheel and two-wheel drive mode; a dual drive gear operatively attached to the output shaft between the range shifter and the mode shifter constructed and arranged so that rotation of the dual drive gear drives the range shifter and the mode shifter; and at least one plunger radially displaced around the output shaft which is actuated by the dual drive gear to engage a slot between the plurality of teeth on the output shaft to prevent rotation of the shaft during a range shift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventors: Larry A. Pritchard, Joseph D. Mastie
  • Patent number: 9506556
    Abstract: The present invention provides separately adjustable right and left spring centering forces for the gearshift lever of manual automobile transmissions by locating individual coil springs to bear on separate spring biasing members extending from the shift lever ball with a separate spring force adjusting screw for each spring and further provides for relocating the gearshift lever of a non-original transmission with a horizontally keyed offset arm connecting the transmission gearshift stub shaft to the gearshift lever with vertical screw connections loaded in tension rather than bending or shear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Inventor: Gray G. Fredrick
  • Publication number: 20140283640
    Abstract: A detent assembly for selectively engaging a gear in a transmission of a motor vehicle is provided. The detent assembly includes a lever having a first groove and a second groove formed therein. The lever is configured to selectively engage a gear. A ball is provided, which is configured to selectively seat in the first groove, the further, to selectively seat in the second groove. A plate is configured to selectively bias the ball into the first groove, and the plate is further configured to selectively bias the ball into the second groove.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2013
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Ganesha Neelappa
  • Patent number: 8336418
    Abstract: An actuating device for selecting shift positions of a shift-by-wire gearshift transmission. The actuating device comprises a selector lever that is movable between stable lever positions from at least one drive mode position to a parking lock position, a detent device with a spring-loaded detent element, a detent guide-plate and a separating device with an actuator-operated thrust wedge. The detent element and the detent guide-plate can be moved by the thrust wedge from a first position, in which the detent element engages in a shift track of the detent guide-plate, to another second position in which the detent element is disengaged from the shift track of the guide-plate. The actuating device enables automatic return of the selector lever to the parking lock position and thus provides the driver with correct visual and tactile feedback about the actual shift status of the transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Andreas Giefer, Jorg Meyer, Ludger Rake
  • Patent number: 8327732
    Abstract: An actuating device for selecting shift positions of a shift-by-wire gear shifting transmission. The actuating device comprises a selector lever that may be moved between at least a drive position and a parking lock position, the lever having stable selector lever settings, and a locking device for locking the selector lever in the parking lock position. The locking device comprises an actuator device such that the selector lever may be moved from the drive position into the park position by way of the locking and actuator devices. The actuating device makes it possible that the position of the selector lever of the actuating device matches the actual shifting state of the transmission at all times, and thereby offers reliable optical and tactile feedback for the driver of the actual shifting state of the transmission and may also serve as a mechanical emergency actuator for the parking lock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Andreas Giefer, Jorg Meyer, Ludger Rake
  • Patent number: 8272287
    Abstract: A device for latching and locking of shift rockers (1, 1?) of a shift device of a transmission. The device has a lock part (3, 3?), for each shift rocker (1, 1?), which resides in a receptacle (2) of the shift rocker (1, 1?), which interacts with a lock contour (5, 5?), positioned in a non-moving area of the transmission, for the latching purpose, whereby the lock part (3, 3?) also serves, in addition to the latching, as an interlock for the shift rocker (1, 1?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Michael Drabek, Matthias Retsch
  • Patent number: 8024990
    Abstract: A shift lever apparatus includes a detent pin, and the distal end portion thereof is attached to a shift lever so as to be movable in the direction of coming into and out of contact with the shift lever. A lever guide is formed with a transition sliding surface on which the distal end of the detent pin slides along the operation of the shift lever on the back surface thereof. A gate portion is provided on the transition sliding surface, and limits the direction of movement of the detent pin in the direction practically matching the selecting direction by coming into contact with the distal end portion of the sliding detent pin. Accordingly, the direction of movement of the shift lever is limited only to the direction practically matching the selecting direction by a force transmitted from the gate portion via the detent pin when the shift lever passes through a transition guide groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventor: Morimichi Hirano
  • Patent number: 7845252
    Abstract: A transmission shift mechanism for use with a vehicle transmission. The transmission shift mechanism includes a user-operated selector and a sub-assembly operably disposed between said user-operated selector and the vehicle transmission. The sub-assembly includes a torque-transfer member having a first portion and a second portion wherein the first portion is pivotally secured to the transmission shift mechanism about a pivot axis and the second portion defines a section of a substantially spherical surface which is engageably disposed within a non-linear camming slot defined by the transmission shift section. The torque-transfer member takes the form of a molded polymeric body with a sheet metal insert disposed within the molded polymeric body. The second portion of the torque-transfer member may include flats to reduce the volume of polymeric material required in the manufacture of the member. A method of manufacturing such a torque-transfer member or crank arm is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael C. Vermeersch
  • Patent number: 6923083
    Abstract: A shift manipulating device for an automatic transmission includes a shift lever of an automatic transmission device and a path formed on an upper cover of a control switch device. The path includes manipulating positions arranged in at least P range, R range, N range and D range in this order, and on three lines, that is, second line, third line and fourth line in right and left directions. The P range is arranged in a first path on the second line and at an end of the path, the R range is arranged in a second path on the fourth line of the first path, the N range is in a third path on the second line of the second path, and the D range is in a fourth path on the second line. Thus the number of parts and man-hour for assembling are reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: Niles Parts Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takao Fujinuma
  • Patent number: 6658959
    Abstract: A shifting device (1) for a speed change gearbox with a transmission component that can be shifted in a longitudinal direction and/or about its longitudinal axis in a pivoting manner, which for transmitting the shifting movements is equipped with a damping component (8), which is constructed from at least one ramp-shaped profile (9a), and at least one roller component (12) which is pre-loaded against ramp-shaped profile (9a) by means of spring action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: INA Schaeffler KG
    Inventors: Walter Wildeshaus, Boris Landa, Andreas Grieshammer, Wolfgang Steinberger, Manfred Winkler, Rainer Schübel
  • Publication number: 20030154812
    Abstract: A vehicle transmission detent assembly is provided that includes a housing having a bore. A movable shift rail is supported by the housing and includes a recess at least partially aligned with the bore. A detent is at least partially arranged within the bore and engages the recess. A biasing member generates a force on the detent and urges the detent into engagement with the recess. An adjustment member threadingly received within a portion of the housing coacts with the biasing member. Upon manipulation of the adjustment member, the biasing member may be moved between a plurality of compressive states in which each of the states generates a different force on the detent. In this manner, the biasing spring may be compressed or uncompressed to provide a desired shift feel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2002
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Inventors: Matthew Girlando, Landon Ball, Patrick L. Scheib
  • Patent number: 6494111
    Abstract: A change lever mechanism for manipulating a change lever, and more particularly to a change lever mechanism of a vehicle constructed and arranged to provide a good shifting feel to a change lever and to absorb vibrations transmitted from engine to thereby prevent transmission of the vibration from a body of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Yang-Soo Lee
  • Publication number: 20020112557
    Abstract: In a gear shift device for a manual gear change transmission with a plurality of shift rails disposed in the transmission housing and a shift lever pivotally mounted on a joint carrier supported on a shift dome above the shift rails, the shift lever has a forked downwardly extending end in which a shift finger is received and pivotably supported by the joint carrier so as to project from the shift lever downwardly into engagement grooves of the shift rails and the shift finger is snugly engaged by the lower forked lever end of the shift lever for pivoting the shift finger at a rate which is increased with respect to that of the lower shift lever end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2002
    Publication date: August 22, 2002
    Inventor: Hans Burger
  • Patent number: 6401560
    Abstract: A shift mechanism of an outboard engine has a shift cam which is remotely-operable to effect change-over of the direction of rotation of a propeller shaft in a gear case. A shift cam support member is a member separate from and detachably secured to the gear case. The shift mechanism permits use of a single design of the gear case adapted to either a rotary shift cam or a vertically-movable shift cam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
    Inventor: Takuya Sato
  • Patent number: 6397698
    Abstract: The present invention intends to provide a controlling device for transmission in which locking action of the locking mechanism is not hindered by a part of the controlling device such as an actuator, when a fork shaft as an operating mechanism is held at a neutral position. For such purpose, the controlling device for transmission includes plural fork shafts, a selecting member selectively engaging with one of the fork shafts, a selecting actuator for moving the selecting member to engage with the fork shaft, a shifting actuator for applying load to the fork shaft engaged by the selecting member, and locking mechanism for locking the fork shafts. In such controlling device, the selecting actuator is constructed to move the selecting member to a non-engaging position not engaging with any of the fork shafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Aisin AI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsutoshi Kamiya, Takeshige Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 6382045
    Abstract: An assembly for shifting gear positions (10 and 110) in an electronically controlled transmission including a single lever control for moving between various gear positions. The assembly includes a shift lever (118) mounted to either a column support (14) or a base (112). The shift lever (118) either moves a detent finger (38) between a plurality of gear positions or moves a plurality of detent valleys (26) of a detent housing (20) into contact with a detent finger mechanism (22). The distal end (36) of the detent finger (38) includes a magnet (32) for generating a magnetic field. The detent valleys (26 and 126) represent each gear position and a Hall effect sensor (30) is disposed in the predetermined depth of each detent valley (26 and 126). The sensor (30) is activated by the magnetic field generated by the magnet (32) attached to the distal end (36) of the detent finger (38). In response, the sensor (30) generates an output voltage to a control module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Teleflex Incorporated
    Inventor: Douglas J. Wheeler