GB2339864A

GB2339864A - Anti-vibration gear lever guide

Info

Publication number: GB2339864A
Application number: GB9816233A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sylvain Cospin
Original assignee: Draftex Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Laird Holdings Ltd
Priority date: 1998-07-24
Filing date: 1998-07-24
Publication date: 2000-02-09
Also published as: GB9816233D0

Description

2339864 ANTI-VTBRATIQM GUIDING RP PMENTS The invention relates to an

anti-vibration guiding arrangement. Embodiments of the invention to be described below, by way of example only, are for guiding the movement of a gear change lever in a motor vehicle and for damping its vibrations. However, they may be used in other applications.

According to the invention, there is provided an anti-vibration guiding arrangement for a movable member, comprising edge means for guiding the member as it is moved into a predetermined position, the edge means at least partly being formed by flexible material which resiliently contacts and damps the vibration of the member.

According to the invention, there is further provided an antivibration guiding arrangement for guiding and damping the vibration of a longitudinally extending gear lever which is pivotable into any one of a plurality of gear positions for respectively selecting any one of a plurality of gears in a gearbox, comprising relatively rigid material extending in a plane transverse to the extension of the gear lever, the rigid material defining an open area lying in the plane and through which the gear lever passes and a plurality of slots one for each of the plurality of gear positions of the gear lever, each slot having a closed end and an open end with the open ends of the 2 slots all communicating with the open area and the widths between the two opposite edges of each slot being sized to receive the gear lever when it is moved into the corresponding gear position, the two opposite edges of each slot carrying flexible material for resiliently contacting and damping the vibration of the gear lever in that slot, substantially without impeding movement of the gear lever into that slot.

Anti-vibration guiding arrangements embodying the invention, and for guiding the movement of a gear lever in a motor vehicle, will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic cross-section through part of the gear change mechanism of a vehicle and which includes one of the antivibration guiding arrangements; Figure 2A shows, by way of example only, the movements and positions of the top or knob of the gear lever which are required in order to select different gears (including reverse gear); Figure 2B corresponds to Figure 2A but shows the corresponding movement and positions of the lower part of the gear lever; Figure 3 is a section on the line III-III of Figure 1; and 3 Figure 4 is a section on the line IV-IV of Figure 3.

Figure 1 shows the gear lever 5 having an upper part 5A and a lower part 5B. The lever is pivotally mounted by means of a rotary coupling 6 in the upper part 8 of a housing 10. The rotary coupling 6 comprises a ball 12 having a through bore by means of which it is mounted on the gear lever 5 and secured in position as by means of a sleeve 14. The ball 12 is made of suitable hard, low friction plastics or similar material. The ball is mounted within an annular ring 16, also made-of suitable relatively hard low friction plastics or similar material. In this way, the lever 5 is pivotally mounted in the upper part of the housing 10.

The annular ring 16 is integral with the lower part 18 of the housing which has an enlarged volume to accommodate the pivotting movement of the lower part 5B of the lever 5. The lower part 18 of the housing 10 is secured in a suitable manner, such as to the floor or central console, in the vehicle, so as to be adjacent to the driver, fixtures 20 being used for this purpose.

A flexible bellows 22 extends between the lower part 5B of the gear lever and the internal wall of the lower part 18 of the housing 10 to reduce the transmission of noise and prevent the transmission of dust etc.

4 The end 24 of the lower part 5B of the gear lever is connected, by a suitable linkage not shown, to the gear box for carrying out gear changing in accordance with appropriate positioning of the gear lever by the driver.

Figure 2A shows the different positions into which the top of the gear lever can be moved by the driver to select the different gears, including reverse gear. The layout shown in Figure 2A is of course merely an example of possible layouts.

Figure 2B shows the corresponding positions into which the lower end 22 of the gear lever will move.

It will be apparent that the moving parts of the gear box will tend to transmit vibrations along the control linkage (not shown) between the gear box and the lower end 22 of the gear lever. There will thus also be a tendency for such vibrations to be transmitted through the gear lever 5 itself and thus into the vehicle passenger compartment into which the vibrating gear lever may radiate acoustic noise. Furthermore, such vibrations will be sensible by the driver during gear changing. The transmission of such vibrations can be reduced by incorporating elastic antivibration joints in the linkage between the gear lever and the gear box. However, such a solution is not entirely satisfactory because it may produce imprecise movement of the gear lever and make it more difficult for the driver to select a desired gear.

In accordance with the invention, the lower part 18 of the housing 10 (see Figure 1) incorporates an anti-vibration guiding arrangement 26 which comprises a slotted plate 26 which is secured in position in the lower part 18 of the housing 10 by any suitable means. The plate 26 can be made of any suitable material such as stiff plastics material or metal. Its shape is shown more clearly in the sectional view of Figure 3. As shown there, it is provided with an open central area 28,-'connecting to the open ends of slots 28A,28B,28C,28D,28E an 28F having a pattern corresponding to the desired positions of the lower part 5B of the gear lever as shown in Figure 2B.

As shown in Figure 4, at least part of opposite edges of each slot 28A to 28F is covered with flexible anti-vibration material 30. The material 30 is held in position by any suitable way on the plate 26, such as by overmoulding, adhesive, clipping or in any other suitable way. The material 30 can be any suitable material. However, it needs to have the required characteristics of wear- resistance, resilience and low-friction. By way of example, suitable materials are silicone, thermoplastics TPE, cellular rubber and the like.

As the lower part 5B of the gear lever 5 is moved into the 6 required position in order to select each gear, it moves into the corresponding slot 28A to 28F and into resilient contact with the material 30. In this way, the lower part 5B of the gear lever is positively located in each required position but is also resiliently supported by the material 30 which accordingly damps vibration of the lever, reducing the transmission of vibration and sound to the driver's hand and into the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

It is not necessary for the material 30 to extend-- completely along and around the edges of each slot 28A to 28F. It may be sufficient for it to extend along only part of each such edge, sufficient to receive and resiliently hold the lower part 5B of the gear lever.

In a modification of the invention, the material 30 may be positioned on the edges of only one or some of the slots 28A to 28F.

The anti-vibration support 26 and the resilient material 30 thus serve to control the movement of the gear lever, providing a more precise location of the gear lever in each required position, and at the same time damp vibrations of the lever.

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Claims

1. An anti-vibration guiding arrangement for a movable member, comprising edge means for guiding the member as it is moved into a predetermined position, the edge means at least partly being formed by flexible material which resiliently contacts and damps the vibration of the member.

2. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, in which there are a plurality of the edge means each for guiding the member into a respectively different predetermined position.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, in which the or each edge means comprises means defining a rigid edge at least part of the length of which carries the resilient material.

4. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, in which the or each edge means comprises a respective pair of edges spaced apart from each other for guidingly receiving the member between them.

5. An arrangement according to claim 4, in which the edges of the or each pair of edges are part of a slot or recess.

6. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, in which 8 the member extends longitudinally and the primary component of the movement of the member is translational movement sideways.

7. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, in which the member is pivotally mounted.

8. An arrangement according to claim 2, in which each of the plurality of edge means comprises the opposite edges of a respective slot, and in which each slot has a closed end and an open end, the open ends of the slots being open to a zommon area in which the member is movable so as to be capable of respectively entering each slot.

9. An arrangement according to claim 8, in which the member is a longitudinally extending pivotted member, and in which the slots are positioned side-by-side and lying in a plane generally transverse to the longitudinal extension of the member, the member extending through the common area or one of the slots according to its pivotted position.

10. An arrangement according to claim 9, in which the slots and the open area are formed in a generally planar sheet.

11. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, in which the member is a gear change lever for a gear box.

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12. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, in which the flexible material is mounted on the edge means by overmoulding.

13. An arrangement according to any preceding claim, in which the flexible material has substantially no impeding effect on the member as it is moved into the predetermined position.

14. An anti-vibration guiding arrangement for guiding and damping the vibration of a longitudinally extending.,,gear lever which is pivotable into any one of a plurality of gear positions for respectively selecting any one of a plurality of gears in a gearbox, comprising relatively rigid material extending in a plane transverse to the extension of the gear lever, the rigid material defining an open area lying in the plane and through which the gear lever passes and a plurality of slots one for each of the plurality of gear positions of the gear lever, each slot having a closed end and an open end with the open ends of the slots all communicating with the open area and the widths between the two opposite edges of each slot being sized to receive the gear lever when it is moved into the corresponding gear position, the two opposite edges of each slot carrying flexible material for resiliently contacting and damping the vibration of the gear lever in that slot, substantially without impeding movement of the gear lever into that slot.

15. An arrangement according to claim 14, in which the flexible material extends only partially along each edge.

16. An arrangement according to claim 15, in which the flexible material extends wholly along each edge.

17. An arrangement according to any one of claims 14 to 16, in which the flexible material is mounted on the edge by overmoulding.

18. An anti-vibration guiding arrangement for guiding the position and damping the vibration of a gear lever, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.