Claims
- 1. A park lock mechanism for a steering column, comprising:
a key cylinder rotatable about an axis between an off position and an on position; a shift lever moveable between a park position and a non-park position; and an inhibitor free from any mechanical cable attachment having a locked and an unlocked position operably communicating with said key cylinder so that when said key cylinder is in said off position, said inhibitor is operably maintained in said locked position preventing movement of said shift lever from said park position and when said key cylinder is in said on position, said inhibitor is moveable to said unlocked position in response to movement of said shift lever from said park position to said non-park position.
- 2. The park lock mechanism of claim 1 further comprising a barrier member moveable within a path between said key cylinder and said inhibitor so that when said key cylinder is in said off position, said barrier member obstructs movement of said inhibitor from said locked position, and when said key cylinder is in said on position, said barrier member is removed from obstructing said inhibitor allowing said inhibitor to move to said unlocked position.
- 3. The park lock mechanism of claim 2 wherein said inhibitor has a lower surface and a barrier pocket extending inwardly from said lower surface with said barrier pocket aligning with said barrier member to receive said barrier member when said key cylinder is in said off position and said barrier pocket being misaligned with said barrier member when said key cylinder is in said on position.
- 4. The park lock mechanism of claim 3 wherein said barrier pocket has a recessed surface and a shoulder extending between said recessed surface and said lower surface of said inhibitor with said shoulder engaging said barrier member when said key cylinder is in said off position and said shift lever is moved from said park position toward said non-park position to maintain said shift lever in said park position.
- 5. The park lock mechanism of claim 4 wherein said shoulder is inclined relative to said recessed surface.
- 6. The park lock mechanism of claim 4 wherein said shoulder is generally perpendicular to said recessed surface.
- 7. The park lock mechanism of claim 2 wherein said key cylinder has a groove for receiving said barrier member at least in part when said key cylinder is rotated to said on position.
- 8. The park lock mechanism of claim 7 wherein said key cylinder has an outer surface and said groove extends generally circumferentially at least in part about said outer surface.
- 9. The park lock mechanism of claim 8 wherein said groove has a base and an inclined surface extending between said outer surface and said base wherein said inclined surface engages said barrier member and biases said barrier member toward said inhibitor when said key cylinder is rotated from said on position toward said off position.
- 10. The park lock mechanism of claim 3 wherein said lower surface of said inhibitor prevents said barrier member from moving into said barrier pocket of said inhibitor when said key cylinder is in said on position and said shift lever is in said non-park position to prevent said key cylinder from moving into said off position.
- 11. The park lock mechanism of claim 3 further comprising a spring received at least in part within said barrier pocket acting to bias said barrier member toward said key cylinder.
- 12. The park lock mechanism of claim 1 further comprising a spring biasing said inhibitor toward said locked position.
- 13. The park lock mechanism of claim 12 wherein said inhibitor has a spring pocket in which said spring is received at least in part.
- 14. The park lock mechanism of claim 1 wherein said shift lever has a free end and said inhibitor has a slot releasably receiving said free end providing for mating engagement between said free end and said inhibitor during movement of said shift lever from said park position toward said non-park position and from said non-park position toward said park position.
- 15. The park lock mechanism of claim 2 wherein said key cylinder has an outer surface that defines a first distance between said outer surface and said inhibitor providing for interference between said barrier member and said inhibitor when said key cylinder is moved from said on position toward said off position and when said shift lever is in said non-park position to maintain said key cylinder in said on position.
- 16. The park lock mechanism of claim 15 wherein said key cylinder has a groove extending inwardly from said outer surface to a base, said base defining a second distance between said base and said inhibitor providing for clearance between said barrier member and said inhibitor when said key cylinder is in said on position.
- 17. The park lock mechanism of claim 1 wherein said key cylinder is free from any mechanical cable attachment.
- 18. A park lock mechanism for a steering column, comprising:
a housing having an opening and a channel extending generally transversely from said opening; an actuator received at least in part in said opening and operable between off and on positions; an inhibitor disposed in said channel and receiving a free end of a shift lever for slidable movement between locked and unlocked positions in response to pivotal movement of the shift lever from a park position to a non-park position, respectively, wherein said inhibitor is maintained in said locked position and substantially prevented from said slidable movement in said channel when said actuator is in said off position to prevent the shift lever from moving out of the park position and said inhibitor being slidably moveable from said locked position to said unlocked position when said actuator is in said on position to allow the shift lever to move from the park position to the non-park position.
- 19. The park lock mechanism of claim 18 wherein said actuator comprises a solenoid.
- 20. The park lock mechanism of claim 18 further comprising an inhibitor switch remaining in an extended position when said shift lever is in said park position allowing power to actuate said actuator to said on position when a brake is applied and a key cylinder is rotatated to an on position and said inhibitor switch being depressed when said shift lever is in said non-park position preventing power from actuating said actuator when the brake is applied.
- 21. The park lock mechanism of claim 20 wherein said inhibitor depresses said inhibitor switch when in said locked position and releases said inhibitor switch to said extended position when in said unlocked position.
- 22. The park lock mechanism of claim 21 wherein said inhibitor has a chamfered surface facilitating engagement with said inhibitor switch when said inhibitor is moving toward said unlocked position.
- 23. The park lock mechanism of claim 18 further comprising a key cylinder switch wherein said key cylinder switch remains depressed when the shift lever is in the park position allowing for rotation of a key cylinder and said key cylinder switch being in an extended position when the shift lever is in a non-park position preventing rotation of the key cylinder.
- 24. The park lock mechanism of claim 23 wherein said inhibitor depresses said key cylinder switch when in said unlocked position and releases said key cylinder switch to said extended position when in said locked position.
- 25. The park lock mechanism of claim 24 wherein said inhibitor has a chamfered surface facilitating engagement with said key cylinder switch when said inhibitor is moving toward said unlocked position.
- 26. The park lock mechanism of claim 18 further comprising a spring biasing said inhibitor toward said locked position.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 60/377,496, filed May 1, 2002.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60377496 |
May 2002 |
US |