Patent Application
20190368599
This document relates generally to the motor vehicle equipment field and, more particularly, to an apparatus having a sports shift knob and push button transmission that provide a unique and innovative sport/elegance driving experience.
This document relates to a new and improved apparatus adapted to provide seemingly conflicting luxury push button transmission control and full manual transmission shift knob operation as desired at any particular moment by the motor vehicle operator. Thus, the apparatus allows the motor vehicle operator to experience the best of the luxury motor vehicle and sports car transmission experience.
In accordance with the purposes and benefits as described herein, a new and improved apparatus is provided for furnishing a motor vehicle operator with an elegant push button transmission or a sporty manual transmission shift knob experience at the desire of the motor vehicle operator. That apparatus comprises an electronic transmission selector, and a foldable, electronic shift knob. The electronic transmission selector allows one to operate the transmission in the simplest manner possible. In contrast, the foldable shift knob allows one to operate the transmission by means of a manual transmission experience. The foldable electronic shift knob is displaceable between a stowed position and a deployed position. A mechanical shift action module, connected to the foldable, electronic shift knob, provides the electronic shift knob with the feel of a mechanical linkage when used by the operator to shift the transmission electronically.
In one or more of the many possible embodiments of the apparatus, the electronic transmission selector includes a plurality of push buttons and a push button transmission electric module that allow one to select an operating mode of the transmission of a motor vehicle equipped with the apparatus by simply depressing a selected push button.
The electronic transmission selector may be provided at a first discrete location and the foldable electronic shift knob may be provided at a second discrete location within an interior of the motor vehicle. Thus, for example, the apparatus may include a console trim panel having a first receiver configure to receive the electronic transmission selector and a second receiver configured to receive the foldable electronic shift knob.
That foldable electronic shift knob may include a shank, a ball joint at a proximal end of the shank and a shift knob feature at a distal end of the shank. That shift knob feature may nest within a pocket of the second receiver when the foldable, electronic shift knob is displaced into the stowed position.
The plurality of push buttons of the electronic transmission selector may include a PARK mode push button, a REVERSE mode push button and a DRIVE mode push button. In one or more of the many possible embodiments of the apparatus, the plurality of push buttons may include a NEUTRAL mode push button. In one or more of the many possible embodiments of the apparatus, the plurality of push buttons may include a SPORT mode push button.
In one or more of the many possible embodiments, the apparatus may further include a human interface. That human interface may be configured to select operating parameters of the foldable, electronic shift knob when the foldable, electronic shift knob is in the deployed position. That human interface may comprise a touchscreen display such as a touchscreen display provided in the center stack of the motor vehicle, motor vehicle forward of the center console upon which the electronic transmission selector and the foldable, electronic shift knob are provided. In such an embodiment, the electronic transmission selector may be located between the foldable, electronic shift knob and a driver of the motor vehicle.
In one particularly useful embodiment of the apparatus, the mechanical shift action module connected to the foldable, electronic shift knob comprises a linear magnetic actuator—HD rumble—spherical—encoder module. Such a module is particularly adapted for providing a shift knob of an electronic shift-by-wire system with the feel of a mechanical linkage transmission.
In the following description, there are shown and described several preferred embodiments of the apparatus. As it should be realized, the apparatus is capable of other, different embodiments and their several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the apparatus as set forth and described in the following claims. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
The accompanying drawing figures incorporated herein and forming a part of the specification, illustrate several aspects of the apparatus and together with the description serve to explain certain principles thereof.
Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the apparatus, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures.
Reference is now made to
In the illustrated embodiment, the electronic transmission selector 12 comprises a plurality of push buttons 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 connected to a push button transmission electric module 28. More particularly, in the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of push buttons include a PARK mode push button 18, a REVERSE mode push button 20, a NEUTRAL mode push button 22, a DRIVE mode push button 24 and a SPORT mode push button 26. Thus, an operator may depress any of the push buttons 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 to select the desired operating mode of the motor vehicle transmission. Thus, for example, the motor vehicle operator may place the transmission of the motor vehicle equipped with the apparatus 10 into park by depressing the PARK mode push button 18. When the PARK mode push button 18 is depressed, the connected push button transmission electronic module 28 sends an appropriate control signal to the transmission control module causing the transmission control module 54 to place the motor vehicle transmission into park.
Other operating modes of the transmission may be selected by pushing the other push buttons 20, 22, 24, 26. Thus, for example, DRIVE mode may be selected by depressing the DRIVE mode push button 24 while SPORT mode may be selected by depressing the SPORT mode push button 26.
As best illustrated in
As illustrated in
In the illustrated embodiment, the foldable, electronic shift knob 14 is displaceable between a stowed position, illustrated in
In contrast, when the transmission of the motor vehicle is operated in sport mode (such as by depressing the sport mode push button 26 twice), the foldable, electronic shift knob 14 is displaced into the deployed position illustrated in
As illustrated in
More particularly, the human interface 46 may provide the operator of the motor vehicle with a plurality of shift configuration options including various standard shift patterns of a type known in the art, a sequential shift pattern in the fore-and-aft direction as illustrated in
Toward this end, it should be appreciated that the apparatus 10 may incorporate a main control module 48 connected to the human interface 46 and adapted or configured to control the mechanical shift action module 16 and provide the desired mechanical linkage experience to the operator when shifting the foldable, electronic shift knob 14 between gears. Such a control module 48 may comprise a computing device such as a dedicated microprocessor or electronic control unit (ECU) operating in accordance with instructions from appropriate control software. Thus, the control module 48 may comprise one or more processors, one or more memories and one or more network interfaces all in communication with each other over one or more communication buses.
When the sport mode push button 26 has been depressed once, the transmission is operated in sport mode with the foldable, electronic shift knob 14 maintained in the stowed position. In contrast, when the sport mode push button 26 is depressed twice, full sport mode is activated and the foldable, electronic shift knob 14 is displaced into the deployed position illustrated in
When the sport mode push button 26 is depressed three or more times, the apparatus 10 returns to normal/eco operating mold and the foldable, electronic shift knob 14 is displaced back into the stowed position illustrated in
The foregoing has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. For example, the electronic transmission selector 12 of the illustrated embodiment is a push button selector. In alternative embodiments, the electronic transmission selector 12 may comprise a dial selector or other appropriate means of selecting the operating mode of the transmission of the motor vehicle. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled.
