Selector levers for variable-ratio transmissions of motor vehicles

Claim 2

A selector lever for a variable-ratio transmission of a motor vehicle, comprising: an upper lever member of one-piece construction of plastics material, an enlarged upper end portion of saiD upper lever member forming a control knob for said selector lever, and a tubular lower end portion of said upper lever member having a hollow interior; a lower lever member, means for connecting said lower lever member to said variable-ratio transmission, and an upper end portion of said lower lever member extending with play into the hollow interior of said tubular lower end portion of said upper lever member; and vibration damping means disposed between said lower end portion of said upper lever member and said upper end portion of said lower lever member, and resiliently interconnecting said upper and lower lever members.

Claim 3

A selector lever according to claim 1, in which said upper lever member has an axially extending aperture leading from said hollow interior of said lower end portion, said vibration damping means being operatively disposed in said hollow interior, and said lower lever member being an elongated metallic rod extending through said vibration damping means into said aperture.

Claim 4

A selector lever according to claim 1 in which said upper lever member has an aperture extending from said hollow interior of said lower portion, said lower lever member being a metal rod disposed in said hollow end portion and having an extension projecting into said aperture and terminating intermediate the ends of said upper lever member.

Claim 5

A selector lever according to claim 1, in which said lower lever member is an elongated metallic member, said upper end portion of said metallic member being disposed in said hollow interior upper lever member and having an extension fitting into said upper lever member, and said vibration damping means comprising axially spaced rubber-like rings operatively disposed in said hollow interior and secured to said lower lever member and contacting the inner walls of said upper lever member forming said hollow interior.

Claim 6

A selector lever according to claim 1, in which said vibration damping means comprises axially spaced rings of a rubber-like material secured in said hollow interior of said upper lever member to provide a yielding connection between said upper and lower lever member, said rings having openings therein, and said lower lever member being a metallic rod having an end portion which extends into said openings and are gripped by the walls of said rings forming the openings therein.

Claim 7

A selector lever for a variable-ratio transmission of a motor vehicle, comprising: an upper lever member which is of one-piece construction of plastics material, an enlarged upper end portion of said upper lever member forming a control knob for said selector lever and having a hollow interior, and a tubular lower end portion of said upper lever member having a hollow interior in communication with the hollow interior of said control knob; a lower lever member of metal, means for connecting said lower lever member to said variable-ratio transmission, and an upper end portion of said lower lever member extending with play into the hollow interior of said tubular lower end portion of said upper lever member; damping means disposed between said lower end portion of said upper lever member and said upper end portion of said lower lever member, and resiliently interconnecting said upper and lower lever members; and a vibration-damper weight disposed in said hollow interior of said control knob.

Claim 8

A selector lever for a variable-ratio transmission of a motor vehicle, comprising: an upper lever member which is of one-piece construction of plastics material, an enlarged upper end portion of said upper lever member forming a control knob for said selector lever and having a hollow interior, and a tubular lower end portion of said upper lever member having a hollow interior in communication with the hollow interior of said control knob; a lower lever member of metal, means for connecting said lower lever member to said variable-ratio transmission, and an upper end portion of said lower lever member extending with play into the hollow interior of said tubular lower end portion of said upper lever member; damping means disposed between said lower end portion of said upper lever member and said upper end portion of said lower lever member, and resiliently interconnecting said upper and lower lever members; and a vibration-damper weight disposed in said hollow interior of said control knob.

Claim 9

A selector lever for a variable-ratio transmission of a motor vehicle, comprising: an upper lever member which is of one-piece construction of plastics material and has an axially extending through aperture, and an enlarged upper end portion of said upper lever member formed as a control knob for said selector lever; a lower lever member of metal, means for connecting said lower lever member to said variable-ratio transmission, and an upper end portion of said lower lever member extending with play into said axially extending through aperture in said upper lever member such that said upper end portion of said lOwer lever member and a lower end portion of said upper lever member are in coaxial spaced overlapping relation; axially spaced first and second annular damping means disposed between said overlapping portions and resiliently interconnecting said upper and lower lever members; a vibration-damper weight disposed in said axially extending through aperture in said upper lever member in the vicinity of said control knob; and a closure member closing an upper end portion of said axially extending through aperture.

Claim 10

A selector lever for a variable-ratio transmission of a motor vehicle, comprising: an upper lever member which is of one-piece construction of plastics material and has an axially extending through aperture, and an enlarged upper end portion of said upper lever member formed as a control knob for said selector lever; a lower lever member of metal, means for connecting said lower lever member to said variable-ratio transmission, and an upper end portion of said lower lever member extending with play into said axially extending through aperture in said upper lever member such that said upper end portion of said lOwer lever member and a lower end portion of said upper lever member are in coaxial spaced overlapping relation; axially spaced first and second annular damping means disposed between said overlapping portions and resiliently interconnecting said upper and lower lever members; a vibration-damper weight disposed in said axially extending through aperture in said upper lever member in the vicinity of said control knob; and a closure member closing an upper end portion of said axially extending through aperture.

Claim 11

A selector lever according to claim 7, in which said vibration-damper weight is of generally frustoconical form, and said closure member is arranged to maintain said vibration-damper weight in vibration-free engagement with a corresponding frustoconical internal wall surface portion of said axially extending through aperture.

Claim 12

A selector lever for a variable-ratio transmission of a motor vehicle, comprising: an upper lever member which is of one-piece construction of plastics material and has an axially extending through aperture, and an enlarged upper end portion of said upper lever member formed as a control knob for said selector lever; a lower lever member of metal, means for connecting said lower lever member to said variable-ratio transmission, and an upper end portion of said lower lever member extending with play into said axially extending through aperture in said upper lever member such that said upper end portion of said lower lever member and a lower end portion of said upper lever member are in coaxial spaced overlapping relation; axially spaced first and second annular damping means disposed between said overlapping portions and resiliently interconnecting said upper and lower lever members; an annular vibration-damper weight disposed in said axially extending through aperture in said upper lever member in the vicinity of said control knob; a push-button slidable in, and projecting from, an upper end portion of said axially extending through aperture in said upper lever member; a control rod operatively connected to said push-button and extending through said axially extending through aperture in said upper lever member, and through respective apertures in said damping means; means associated with said control rod for operating a reverse blocker arrangement of said variable-ratio transmission; and a compression coil spring disposed coaxially within said vibration-damper weight and seated at its respective ends on said push-button and on said upper lever member, to thereby form a return spring for said push-button.

Claim 13

A selector lever for a variable-ratio transmission of a motor vehicle, comprising: an upper lever member which is of one-piece construction of plastics material and has an axially extending through aperture, and an enlarged upper end portion of said upper lever member formed as a control knob for said selector lever; a lower lever member of metal, means for connecting said lower lever member to said variable-ratio transmission, and an upper end portion of said lower lever member extending with play into said axially extending through aperture in said upper lever member such that said upper end portion of said lower lever member and a lower end portion of said upper lever member are in coaxial spaced overlapping relation; axially spaced first and second annular damping means disposed between said overlapping portions and resiliently interconnecting said upper and lower lever members; an annular vibration-damper weight disposed in said axially extending through aperture in said upper lever member in the vicinity of said control knob; a push-button slidable in, and projecting from, an upper end portion of said axially extending through aperture in said upper lever member; a control rod operatively connected to said push-button and extending through said axially extending through aperture in said upper lever member, and through respective apertures in said damping means; means associated with said control rod for operating a reverse blocker arrangement of said variable-ratio transmission; and a compression coil spring disposed coaxially within said vibration-damper weight and seated at its respective ends on said push-button and on said upper lever member, to thereby form a return spring for said push-button.