Gear shift lever assembly for vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a shift lever assembly for a vehicle, comprising a housing having an interior space and an opening. The opening is provided at the lower portion of the housing and opens in both upward and downward directions. The shift lever is inserted into the interior space from the lower side to the upper side by passing through the opening, thereby being rotatably mounted in the interior space. A bracket is assembled with the lower portion of the housing to close the opening and allow the housing to be secured to the vehicle body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to a shift lever assembly for a vehicle, and more particularly to a shift lever assembly for a vehicle that simplifies the housing structure for mounting the shift lever, thereby improving assembly efficiency and reducing manufacturing costs. Background Art

[0002] In conventional automatic transmission vehicles, the P, R, N, and D gear positions are typically arranged in a straight line, and one of these positions is selected by rotating the shift lever. (P stands for Park; R for Reverse; N for Neutral; and D for Drive.) As the shift lever rotates, it pulls on a cable, transmitting its operating force to the transmission.

[0003] In other words, the point where the cable connects to the shift lever is spaced upward from the lever's center of rotation. Therefore, when the cable is pulled or released, depending on the angle of rotation of the shift lever, an operating force is transmitted to the transmission. Once the operating force is detected, the gear position is changed.

[0004] Meanwhile, the shift lever device includes an M shift position in addition to the P, R, N, and D shift positions. The M shift position is a manual mode, and is configured so that the manual mode is selected by moving the shift lever in a direction that is linear with the P, R, N, and D shift positions and in a direction perpendicular to the P, R, N, and D shift positions. In this manual mode, the shift lever device is configured so that + and - direction manipulations of the shift lever are detected by signals transmitted to a sensor of the transmission.

[0005] This shift lever device includes a shift lever housing to which the shift lever is mounted. The shift lever housing is mounted to cover the shift lever and is configured to be assembled with the shift lever. The shift lever housing has upper, lower, left, and right sections. Specifically, the shift lever housing is injection-molded in multiple sections, with the left and right sections mating with each other for assembly, and then assembled with the upper and lower sections.

[0006] Therefore, with the conventional shift lever housing, as the number of components constituting the plurality of sections increases, the number of assembly operations increases, and the manufacturing cost also increases.

[0007] The above is only intended to help understand the background of the present invention and is not intended to mean that the present invention falls within the scope of the prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The present invention generally relates to a shift lever assembly for a vehicle. Specific embodiments of the present invention relate to a shift lever assembly for a vehicle that simplifies the housing structure for mounting the shift lever, thereby improving assembly efficiency and reducing manufacturing costs.

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention take into consideration the above-mentioned problems occurring in the related art.

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, a shift lever assembly for a vehicle is provided. The shift lever assembly includes a housing having an interior space and an opening portion disposed at a lower portion of the housing and open in both upward and downward directions. The shift lever is inserted into the interior space from the lower side to the upper side of the interior space by passing through the opening portion, thereby being rotatably mounted within the interior space. A bracket is assembled with the lower portion of the housing to close the opening portion and allow the housing to be secured to the vehicle body.

[0011] The electric module portion may be mounted to a side surface portion of the housing to detect a rotational movement of the shift lever or to fix a position thereof.

[0012] A mounting hole may be provided in a side surface portion of the housing so that the electric module is partially inserted therein, the mounting hole communicating with the internal space and positioned to face a side portion of the shift lever inserted into the internal space.

[0013] An opening may be provided in the upper surface portion of the housing, which opening may be opened to allow rotational movement of the shift lever when changing the shift position of the shift lever, the opening being divided into an automatic shift position section and a manual shift position section extending from the automatic shift position section; and in the side surface portion of the housing, a mounting hole may be arranged at a position adjacent to the manual shift position section.

[0014] The bracket may be configured to have a seat portion having the same shape as that of a lower portion of the housing to allow the housing to be seated therein, and a space portion opened in upward and downward directions.

[0015] A coupling protrusion may be provided at the lower portion of the shell by protruding downward from the lower portion of the shell, and a coupling hole may be provided in the seat portion of the bracket to match the coupling protrusion, so that the shell may be fixed to the bracket when the coupling protrusion is inserted into and retained in the coupling hole.

[0016] A support portion may be provided in the bracket, the support portion spanning the space portion and positioned to face a lower side of the shift lever provided in the inner space of the housing.

[0017] The housing may include a hinge shaft passing through the inner space from the side surface portion, and the shift lever is rotatably assembled with the hinge shaft.

[0018] An assembly hole can be provided in the shell by linearly forming it from a side surface portion of the shell through the shell in a lateral direction thereof so as to communicate with the internal space; a hinge hole can be provided in the shift lever to match the assembly hole in a lateral direction when the shift lever is inserted into the internal space of the shell; when the shift lever is inserted into the internal space of the shell, the hinge shaft can pass through the assembly hole and the hinge hole, so that the shift lever can be rotatably mounted to the shell through the hinge shaft.

[0019] A hinged connection portion may be provided at the lower portion of the shell, and a hinged joint portion may be provided in the bracket to surround the hinged connection portion and place the hinged connection portion in the hinged joint portion, so that the shell can be rotatably mounted to the bracket by a hinge pin passing through the hinged connection portion and the hinged joint portion.

[0020] With the shift lever assembly for a vehicle having the above structure, the housing to which the shift lever is mounted is constructed as a single piece, rather than being composed of multiple parts. This simplifies its overall structure and reduces manufacturing costs. Furthermore, the shift lever is easily assembled to the housing, simplifying the housing mounting structure, thereby reducing the number of assembly operations and improving assembly efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description presented in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0022] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a shift lever assembly for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of the assembly of a shift lever assembly for a vehicle is shown;

[0024] Figure 3 It shows Figure 1 A perspective view of an electric module portion of a shift lever assembly for a vehicle is shown;

[0025] Figures 4 to 7 is used to describe Figure 1 A view of a shift lever assembly for a vehicle is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Hereinafter, a shift lever assembly for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a shift lever assembly for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 It shows Figure 1An exploded perspective view of the assembly of a shift lever assembly for a vehicle is shown; Figure 3 It shows Figure 1 A perspective view of an electric module portion of a shift lever assembly for a vehicle is shown; Figures 4 to 7 is used to describe Figure 1 A view of a shift lever assembly for a vehicle is shown.

[0028] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the shift lever assembly for a vehicle according to the present invention includes: a housing 10, which has an interior space 11 and an opening portion 12, the opening portion is provided at the lower portion of the housing and is open in the upward and downward directions, the shift lever 20 is inserted into the interior space from the lower side of the interior space to the upper side of the interior space by passing through the opening portion 12, and is thereby rotatably installed in the interior space 11; and a bracket 30, which is assembled with the lower portion of the housing 10 to close the opening portion 12 and fix the housing 10 to the vehicle body.

[0029] Therefore, the housing 10 of the present invention is constructed to have an internal space 11 therein so that the shift lever 20 is installed in the housing. That is, in the past, it was necessary to construct a plurality of parts separately and assemble them to each other to constitute the housing 10. The housing 10 of the present invention is constructed as one component, and the shift lever 20 is mounted to the housing so that the shift lever 20 can operate normally. In particular, the lower portion of the housing 10 of the present invention is constructed to be open in the upward and downward directions, so that mold manufacturing is easy and greater rigidity can be obtained compared to the conventional housing 10 composed of multiple parts. The housing 10 may include an opening h on its upper surface portion 10b so that the shift lever 20 can be rotated during the change of the shift gear position of the shift lever 20, wherein the opening portion 12 is constructed to be closed when the bracket 30 is assembled with the lower portion of the housing.

[0030] Meanwhile, the shift lever 20 may include an operating lever and an engagement lever, wherein the engagement lever may be provided with a cable connection structure and a stop structure. Furthermore, a stop portion may be provided in the housing 10 to produce a moderation corresponding to the stop structure of the shift lever 20. The detailed structure of the shift lever 20 is generally applicable to the field of shift levers, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0031] At the same time, if Figures 3 and 4 As shown, the electric module portion 40 can be mounted to the side surface portion 10a of the housing 10 to detect the rotational movement of the shift lever 20 or to fix its position. This electric module portion 40 includes a solenoid 41 that fixes the position of the shift lever 20, a sensor 42 that detects the position of the shift lever 20, and a switch 43. Since the electronic components are mounted in a housing, the electric module portion 40 is assembled with the housing 10, so that the shift lever 20 can operate in conjunction with the electric module portion 40.

[0032] The electric module portion 40 can be inserted from the side surface portion 10a of the housing 10 toward the shift lever 20 and mounted to the housing so as to have the same plane as the side surface portion 10a of the housing 10. Therefore, although the electric module portion 40 is mounted to the housing 10, the thickness of the housing 10 is not increased in the width direction thereof, and thus the overall size thereof is not increased.

[0033] To this end, a mounting hole 13 may be provided in the side surface portion 10a of the housing 10 so that the electric module portion 40 is inserted therein, the mounting hole 13 being in communication with the interior space 11 and positioned to face the side portion of the shift lever 20 inserted into the interior space 11. Therefore, the electric module portion 40 inserted into the mounting hole 13 of the housing 10 may be fixed thereto by a plurality of bolts.

[0034] That is, the electric module portion 40 is inserted into the mounting hole 13 provided in the side surface portion 10a of the housing 10, wherein the mounting hole 13 is communicated with the internal space 11. Therefore, according to the detection and fixation of the position of the shift lever 20, the electric module portion 40 inserted into the mounting hole 13 can be positioned at the side portion of the shift lever 20 and has a kinematic relationship with the shift lever.

[0035] In addition, if Figure 4 As shown, the mounting hole 13 can be provided in the side surface portion 10a of the housing 10 so as to be adjacent to the manual shift position section h-2. Specifically, an opening h is provided in the upper surface portion 10b of the housing 10. When the shift position of the shift lever 20 is changed, the opening h opens to allow rotational movement of the shift lever 20. The opening h is divided into an automatic shift position section h-1, which constitutes the RND shift position, and a manual shift position section h-2, which extends from the automatic shift position section h-1 to form the + and - shift positions. Here, the mounting hole 13 is provided adjacent to the manual shift position section h-2 in the side surface portion 10a of the housing 10.

[0036] Therefore, the position of the shift lever 20 can be detected according to whether the shift lever 20 is operated in automatic or manual shift mode, without increasing the thickness of the housing 10 in its width direction, and thus, the overall size of the housing. That is, when the electric module portion 40 is located on the opposite side of the manual shift stage h-2, it is necessary to add a sensor module to the manual shift stage h-2, or to increase the size of the electric module portion to detect the movement of the shift lever 20. Therefore, the mounting hole 13 must be arranged at a position adjacent to the manual shift stage h-2 in the side surface portion 10a of the housing 10. Therefore, although the electric module portion 40 is mounted to the housing 10, the thickness of the housing in its width direction does not increase, and thus, the overall size of the housing does not increase.

[0037] Therefore, the electric module part 40 having electronic components for detecting and fixing the position of the shift lever 20 is inserted into the mounting hole 13 of the housing 10 and mounted thereon. Thus, the assembly of the electronic components for controlling the shift lever 20 is completed, thereby simplifying the assembly process.

[0038] At the same time, if Figures 5 and 6 As shown, the bracket 30 may be configured to have a seat portion 31 having the same shape as the lower portion of the housing to allow the housing 10 to be seated therein and a space portion 32 open in upward and downward directions.

[0039] That is, the bracket 30 may include a seat portion 31 on which the lower portion of the housing 10 is seated, and a leg portion 36 provided along the circumference of the seat portion 31 and fixed to the vehicle body. Here, the bracket 30 has a recessed shape, and since the seat portion 31 is provided in the recessed portion, the lower portion of the housing 10 can be configured to be seated on the seat portion 31 by being inserted into the seat portion 31. Therefore, the movement of the housing 10 in the front, rear, and side directions within the bracket 30 is restricted, and the position of the housing 10 can be reliably fixed.

[0040] In addition, a coupling protrusion 14 is provided at the lower portion of the shell 10 by protruding downward from the lower portion of the shell 10, and a coupling hole 33 is provided in the seat portion 31 of the bracket 30 to match the coupling protrusion 14, so that when the coupling protrusion 14 is inserted into the coupling hole 33 and retained in the coupling hole 33, the shell 10 can be fixed to the bracket 30.

[0041] The positions where the coupling protrusion 14 and the coupling hole 33 are formed can be changed, so the coupling protrusion 14 and the coupling hole 33 can be formed in the seat portion 31 of the bracket 30 and the lower portion of the housing 10, respectively. The coupling protrusion 14 can be formed into a hook shape and retained in the coupling hole 33 when inserted. Therefore, only the upward and downward movement of the housing 10 and the bracket 30 allows the coupling protrusion 14 to mate with the coupling hole 33 so as to be retained. As a result, the housing 10 can be securely fixed to the bracket 30.

[0042] Meanwhile, the bracket 30 includes a space portion 32 opened in the upward and downward directions, thereby reducing the weight of the bracket 30. In addition, a support portion 34 is provided in the bracket 30 to span the space portion 32. Therefore, the entire rigidity of the bracket 30 is ensured.

[0043] like Figure 7As shown, the support portion 34 can be positioned facing the underside of the shift lever disposed in the interior space 11 of the housing 10. This prevents the shift lever 20, mounted in the interior space 11 of the housing 10, from deviating from the housing through the space 32 of the bracket 30. Of course, the support portion 34 is spaced apart from the shift lever 20 mounted in the interior space 11 of the housing 10 so that it does not contact the shift lever 20. When the shift lever 20 is free to move due to the fracture, the support portion 34 supports the shift lever 20, thereby preventing the shift lever 20 from completely deviating from the housing.

[0044] At the same time, if Figure 2 As shown, the housing 10 may include a hinge shaft P1 extending from the side surface portion 10a through the internal space 11, and the shift lever 20 may be rotatably assembled with the hinge shaft. Therefore, the hinge shaft P1 is installed by passing through the side surface portion 10a of the housing 10 from the outside so as to pass through the internal space 11, and the shift lever 20 disposed in the internal space 11 is rotatably connected to the hinge shaft, thereby allowing the shift lever 20 to be mounted to the housing 10 in a simple process.

[0045] Specifically, conventional shift levers are provided with a hinged protrusion and a hole for inserting the hinged protrusion in each of the opposing parts of the housing. When the opposing parts of the housing are assembled, it is difficult to verify that the hinged protrusion and the hole match. Furthermore, the three components cannot be assembled unless they are fully matched, thus increasing the difficulty of assembly.

[0046] However, according to the present invention, the hinge shaft P1 passing through the side surface portion 10a of the housing 10 passes through the inner space 11 to be connected to the housing, and the shift lever 20 is rotatably mounted to the housing 10, wherein the lower portion of the housing 10 is opened. Therefore, whether the assembled portions of the hinge shaft P1 and the shift lever 20 match each other can be visually checked, thereby enabling easy assembly.

[0047] Specifically, if Figure 2 As shown, an assembly hole 15 is provided in the housing 10, and the assembly hole 15 is formed linearly through the housing from the side surface portion 10a to its side direction so as to communicate with the internal space 11; a hinge hole 21 is provided in the shift lever 20 so as to match the assembly hole 15 in the lateral direction when the shift lever is inserted into the internal space 11 of the housing 10; when the shift lever 20 is inserted into the internal space 11 of the housing 10, the hinge shaft P1 passes through the assembly hole 15 and the hinge hole 21, so that the shift lever 20 is rotatably mounted to the housing 10 through the hinge shaft P1.

[0048] That is, during the insertion of the shift lever 20 into the interior space 11 of the housing 10, the assembly hole 15 of the housing 10 and the hinge hole 21 of the shift lever 20 match each other, and the hinge shaft P1 is coupled with the housing 10 by passing through the assembly hole 15 and the hinge hole 21 from the side surface portion 10a of the housing 10, so that the shift lever 20 is rotatably mounted to the housing 10 via the hinge shaft P1. Therefore, only the coupling of the hinge shaft P1 with the housing 10 allows the shift lever 20 to be rotatably mounted to the housing 10, thereby improving the efficiency of the assembly work.

[0049] At the same time, if Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a hinged connection portion 16 is provided at the lower portion of the shell 10, and a hinged joint portion 35 is provided in the bracket 30 to surround and place the hinged connection portion 16 therein, so that the shell 10 can be rotatably assembled with the bracket 30 by passing the hinge pin P2 through the hinged connection portion 16 and the hinged joint portion 35.

[0050] Thus, the housing 10 is rotatably assembled with the bracket 30, thereby improving the efficiency of the assembly of the housing 10 and the bracket 30. Here, the hinged connection portion 16 of the housing 10 is accommodated in the hinged joint portion 35 of the bracket 30 so as to be covered by the hinged joint portion 35. Therefore, the lateral movement of the housing 10 is restricted, and the hinged connection portion 16 is rotatably connected to the hinged joint portion 35 via the hinge pin P2, so that the housing 10 can be rotated at the bracket 30. Therefore, during the process of installing the shift lever assembly to the housing, when the opening portion 12 of the housing 10 is exposed to the outside by rotating the housing 10 at the bracket 30, the shift lever 20 is inserted into and installed in the internal space 11 of the housing 10. When the housing 10 is rotated toward the bracket 30, the coupling protrusion 14 of the housing 10 and the coupling hole 33 of the bracket 30 are held and fixed to each other, thereby completing the assembly of the components.

[0051] According to the shift lever assembly for a vehicle having the above structure, the housing 10 to which the shift lever 20 is mounted is constructed as a single piece, rather than being composed of multiple parts. This simplifies its overall structure and reduces manufacturing costs. Furthermore, the shift lever 20 is easily mounted to the housing 10, simplifying the mounting structure of the housing 10, thereby reducing the number of assembly operations and improving assembly efficiency.

[0052] Although exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A shift lever assembly for a vehicle, the shift lever assembly comprising: a housing having an internal space and an opening portion provided at a lower portion of the housing and opening in upward and downward directions; a shift lever inserted into the interior space from a lower side of the interior space to an upper side of the interior space by passing through the opening portion so as to be rotatably mounted in the interior space; as well as a bracket assembled with the lower portion of the housing to close the opening portion and allow the housing to be fixed to the vehicle body; wherein the bracket is configured to have a seat portion having the same shape as that of the lower portion of the housing so as to allow the housing to be seated therein, and a space portion opening in upward and downward directions; A support portion is provided in the bracket, the support portion spanning the space portion and positioned to face a lower side of the shift lever provided in the inner space of the housing. 2 . The shift lever assembly for a vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising an electric module portion mounted to a side surface portion of the housing to detect the rotational movement of the shift lever or fix a position thereof.

3. The shift lever assembly for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein: A mounting hole is provided in a side surface portion of the housing so that the electric module portion is inserted therein, the mounting hole communicating with the interior space and positioned to face a side portion of the shift lever inserted into the interior space.

4. The shift lever assembly for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein: An opening is provided in an upper surface portion of the housing, the opening opening being open to allow rotational movement of the shift lever when changing a shift position of the shift lever, the opening opening being divided into an automatic shift position section and a manual shift position section extending from the automatic shift position section; A mounting hole is arranged in a side surface portion of the housing at a position adjacent to the manual shift stage section.

5. The shift lever assembly for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: providing a coupling protrusion at a lower portion of the housing by protruding downward from the lower portion of the housing; A coupling hole is provided in the seat portion of the bracket to mate with the coupling protrusion, so that when the coupling protrusion is inserted into and retained in the coupling hole, the housing is fixed to the bracket.

6. The shift lever assembly for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The housing includes a hinge shaft passing through the inner space from a side surface portion, and the shift lever is rotatably assembled with the hinge shaft.

7. The shift lever assembly for a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein: providing an assembly hole in the housing by linearly forming it from a side surface portion of the housing toward a side thereof through the housing so as to communicate with the internal space; providing a hinge hole in the shift lever to mate with the assembly hole in a lateral direction when the shift lever is inserted into the interior space of the housing; When the shift lever is inserted into the inner space of the housing, the hinge shaft passes through the assembling hole and the hinge hole, so that the shift lever is rotatably mounted to the housing via the hinge shaft.

8. The shift lever assembly for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: A hinged connection portion is provided at the lower portion of the shell; A hinge joint portion is provided in the bracket to surround the hinge connection portion and seat the hinge connection portion in the hinge joint portion, so that the housing is rotatably mounted to the bracket by a hinge pin passing through the hinge connection portion and the hinge joint portion.

9. A method of assembling a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: providing a housing having an internal space and an opening portion provided at a lower portion of the housing and opening in upward and downward directions; installing the shift lever in the interior space by inserting the shift lever into the interior space from a lower side of the interior space to an upper side of the interior space through the opening portion; Assembling the bracket with the lower portion of the housing to close the opening portion; fixing the housing to the vehicle body; in, The bracket is configured to have a seat portion having the same shape as that of the lower portion of the housing so as to allow the housing to be seated therein, and a space portion open in upward and downward directions; A support portion is provided in the bracket, the support portion spanning the space portion and positioned to face a lower side of the shift lever provided in the inner space of the housing. 10 . The method of assembling a vehicle according to claim 9 , further comprising mounting an electric module portion to a side surface portion of the housing, the electric module portion configured to detect a rotational movement of the shift lever or fix a position of the shift lever.

11. The method of assembling a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein: A mounting hole is provided in the side surface portion of the housing, the mounting hole communicating with the interior space and positioned to face a side portion of the shift lever inserted into the interior space, and mounting the electric module portion includes inserting the electric module portion into the mounting hole.

12. The method of assembling a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein: an opening provided in an upper surface portion of the housing, the opening opening being open to allow rotational movement of the shift lever when changing a shift position of the shift lever, the opening opening being divided into an automatic shift position section and a manual shift position section extending from the automatic shift position section; A mounting hole is arranged in a side surface portion of the housing at a position adjacent to the manual shift stage section.

13. The method of assembling a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein: providing a coupling protrusion at a lower portion of the housing by protruding downward from the lower portion of the housing; A coupling hole is provided in the seat portion of the bracket to mate with the coupling protrusion, so that when the coupling protrusion is inserted into and retained in the coupling hole, the housing is fixed to the bracket.

14. The method of assembling a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein: The housing includes a hinge shaft that passes through the inner space from a side surface portion, and the shift lever is rotatably assembled with the hinge shaft.

15. The method of assembling a vehicle according to claim 14, wherein: providing an assembly hole in the housing by linearly forming it from a side surface portion of the housing toward a side thereof through the housing so as to communicate with the internal space; providing a hinge hole in the shift lever to mate with the assembly hole in a lateral direction when the shift lever is inserted into the interior space of the housing; When the shift lever is inserted into the inner space of the housing, the hinge shaft passes through the assembling hole and the hinge hole, so that the shift lever is rotatably mounted to the housing via the hinge shaft.

16. The method of assembling a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein: A hinged connection portion is provided at the lower portion of the shell; A hinge joint portion is provided in the bracket to surround the hinge connection portion and seat the hinge connection portion in the hinge joint portion, so that the housing is rotatably mounted to the bracket by a hinge pin passing through the hinge connection portion and the hinge joint portion.

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