Teleflex, Inc.

Telefex Incorporated

Allen G Irish

Michael V Reasoner

Grant A Webb

Jeffrey G Cunningham

David J Sherman

A park-lock follower (,) for a shifter assembly (,) is provided which coacts with a shifter (,) pawl to lock and unlock a key in an ignition switch (,). The pawl (,) is disposed within a gate (,) having a plurality of stepped regions (,) that is supported by a base (,). The follower (,) is attached to one end (,) of a cable assembly (,) and is supported by the base (,) adjacent to a park stepped region (,) for rectilinear movement along an axis (A). The follower (,) is moved linearly to an unlocked position (X) in response to the pawl (,) being moved to the park stepped region (,) for unlocking the key in the ignition switch (,). The follower (,) is moved linearly to a locked position (Y) in response to the pawl (,) being moved to one of the non-park stepped regions (,) for locking the key in the ignition switch (,).

Park-lock shifter cable

A motion transmitting remote control assembly (10) comprises a protective tubular conduit (12) and a flexible motion transmitting core element (14) slidably disposed in the conduit (12) for conveying longitudinal forces. A length adjuster (18) adjusts the longitudinal length of the core element (14). The length adjuster (18) includes a housing (20) having a plurality of transverse teeth (22), and a slider (26) which is longitudinally moveable within a track (24) of the housing (20) between maximum and minimum length adjusted positions. A toothed interlock (36) is transversely movable relative to the slider (26) between a shipping condition in which its teeth (44) are disengaged from the teeth (22) of the housing (20) and an engaged condition in which its teeth (44) engage the teeth (22) of the housing (20). A cantilever tang (48) within the interlock (36) is effectively isolated from the longitudinal forces of the core element (14) for automatically restraining the interlock (36) in the locked condition and selectively releasing the interlock (36) to return to the shipping condition for service or readjustment. The cantilever tang (48) has a cam foot (50) which seats in a stop groove (54) of the slider (26) when the interlock (36) is in the shipping condition and seats behind a rear edge (56) of the slider (26) when the interlock (36) is in the engaged condition. The blade of a screw driver (60) or the like can be used to pry the cantilever tang (48) upwardly so that its cam foot (50) unseats from behind the rear edge (56), thereby permitting service and readjustment without damaging the assembly (10) so that it can be reused.

Cable length adjustment mechanism

A terminal (24) is attached to the end of a flexible core element (12) slidably supported in a conduit (14) and connects the core element (12) to a disc-shaped head (26) supported on a post (28). The terminal (24) includes a body (30) and a flange (32) spaced and parallel to the body (30) to define a pocket (34) between the flange (32) and the body (30) for receiving the disc-shaped head (26) with the flange (32) defining a circular opening (36) for surrounding the post (28) and an entrance (38) more narrow than the circular opening (36) for retaining the post (28) in the opening (36). The terminal (24) is characterized by the flange (32) including a pair of holes (44) adjacent the entrance (38) for rendering the flange (32) more flexible at the entrance (38) than the remainder of the flange (32) to facilitate the enlargement of the entrance (38) by the forced movement of the post (28) therethrough and to snap back as the post (28) seats in the circular opening (36).

C-shaped pin-connector with flex holes

A motion transmitting remote control assembly (10) of the type for transmitting forces along a curved path by a motion transmitting core element (12) movably supported by a conduit (18) with a fitting (20) supporting the assembly in a U-shaped seat (14) in a bulkhead (16). A pair of flanges (22 and 24) position the fitting (20) in the U-shaped seat (14) and an L-shaped arm (30) is alligned with one of the flanges (22) for disposing a locking projection (32) in a hole (34) in the bulkhead (16) to prevent the fitting (20) from moving out of the U-shaped seat (14). The assembly is characterized by a lock tab (38) hingedly supported on the fitting (20) for movement between an unlocked position, to allow movement of the L-shaped arm (30) to the deflected position, and a locked position, to prevent the L-shaped arm (30) from moving out of gripping engagement with the bulkhead (16).

Growing community of inventors

Flint, MI, United States of America

Allen G Irish