Kuster North America, Inc.

Christopher Soave

Calogero Alu

Brian Andrew Mayville

Yong Qiang Wang

Christopher Edward Curtis

Scott Hengy

Michael Benedetto D'Annunzio

Thorsten Dirk Connemann

A gear seeking shifter including a housing containing a shift lever with a rotatable base and outer tube supporting a depressible inner push rod. A CAM shaft component is driven by a gear seeking motor. An upwardly biased gate pawl located in the inner push rod contacts with any of PRND shifter position gates configured along an opposing underside of the housing. At least one detent cartridge contains a pawl supported within the rotatable base of the shift lever in biasing contact with a detent plate profile configured upon an opposing inside surface of the housing. The CAM shaft component, upon being rotated by the motor, includes each of a first profile for retracting the gate pawl and a second profile for inwardly displacing the detent pawl away from the detent plate profile to permit the CAM component to rotate the shift lever to a desired gear position.

Gear seeking polystable shifter

A rotary shifter having a cylindrical shaped knob with an inner circumferential surface defining an open interior and exhibiting a detent profile. A stationary inner housing is positioned within an open interior of the knob and supports outwardly biased pawls establishing an interface with the detent profile in a selected rotational position. The inner housing supports a rotating spur gear having an end secured magnet positioned above a sensor incorporated into a printed circuit board (PCB), rotation of the knob resulting in the sensor to communicate to a processor component of the PCB a given rotational position designating a given shift or mode selection. The knob includes an illuminating surface for presenting menu options of the shift or mode selection.

Rotary selector knob with graphical display

A rotary shifter having a knob bi-directionally and biasingly supported upon a housing in a monostable and return-to-center orientation. A printed circuit board assembly is incorporated into the housing and includes a sensor and a processor. A spur gear is rotatably supported within the housing and actuated by the knob, the spur gear supporting a magnet in proximity to the sensor. Rotation of the knob causing rotational displacement of the magnet relative to the sensor in order for the processor to instruct a change in shifter position. The knob incorporating a graphical display for indicating a current shifter position of the assembly.

One bump rotary monostable shifter

A steering wheel mounted visual display including a housing incorporated at a location defined within a circumference of the steering wheel and having a graphical display output. Upon rotation of the steering wheel, the display adjusts to remain in an upright orientation. The housing further includes a main lower housing and an assemble-able upper housing sandwiching a display component providing the graphical display output. The display component further includes a stationary inner component, a display support and a PCB component cooperating for auto-updating the graphical display output in response to rotation of the steering wheel.

Steering wheel mounted display assembly retaining upright orientation regardless of rotated position

A plunger lock mechanism including a housing containing a rotationally supported lever shaped component, the component including at least one notch or recess configured within an arcuate surface. An electric motor is configured to rotate a cam extending within the housing, the cam actuating at least one plunger having an extending portion aligning with a selected notch. Upon rotation of the cam by the motor, the plunger is caused to displace between either of engaged and disengaged positions with the component such that, when disengaged, permitting rotation of the component.

Plunger lock mechanism such as for restricting shifter motion

A gear seeking shifter having a housing containing a shift lever with a depressible inner push rod. A CAM component is rotatably supported to a base of the shift lever and is driven by a gear seeking motor. An upwardly biased gate pawl is secured to the inner push rod into contact with any of a PRND shifter position gates configured along an opposing underside of said housing. At least one detent pawl is supported within the housing in biasing contact with a detent plate configured upon an opposing inside surface of the housing. The CAM component, upon being rotated by the motor, includes each of a first profile for retracting the gate pawl and a second profile for engaging and inwardly displacing the detent pawl away from contact with the detent plate to permit the CAM component to rotate the shift lever to a desired gear position.

An anti-theft and rollaway prevention handle assembly integrated into a park release mechanism of a vehicle. A housing has a recessed configuration supporting a park release pull handle engaged to the housing in a stowed position and preventing access to the handle. An unlock mechanism communicates with the handle via a latch such that, upon actuating the unlock mechanism, the latch being displaced to release the handle to project outwardly from the recessed configuration, permitting grasping of the same by a user in order to actuate the vehicle from the park position.

Anti-theft rollaway prevention handle assembly incorporated into a manual park release mechanism

A vehicle transmission shifter assembly including a housing pivotally supporting a shifter lever between Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive and Manual shifter positions. A plurality of gate locations configured upon an underside of the housing and corresponding to each of Park, Reverse, Neutral and Drive gear positions. A gate lock incorporated into the lever and biased against a selected one of the gate locations. A PCB board with processor and sensor integrated into the housing communicating with a motor connected to the shifter lever. Upon the processor determining existence of a return to park condition, a return to park mechanism actuates the motor for returning the shifter lever to the Park position.

Lever shifter with auto return to park and lock function

A rotary shifter with 360&#xb0; rotation in each of clockwise and counter clockwise rotating directions. The shifter includes a package housing with a bezel cover. A cylindrical shaped plunger housing is secured to a rotary knob supported atop the housing and which is selectively rotatable in the clockwise direction from a Park gear position, in succession, to each of a Reverse gear position, a Neutral gear position and at least one Drive gear position, with further clockwise rotation preventing movement beyond a final one of the Drive gear positions. The knob is further selectively rotatable in a counter clockwise direction to return to the Park gear position, with additional permitted counter-clockwise rotation retaining the shifter in the Park gear position.

360&#xb0; rotatable handle shifter with shifter position reset functionality in lieu of rotating handle to a fixed position

A rotary shifter having a housing with a bezel cover. An auto return to park mechanism is provided and includes a knob supported upon the bezel cover. A rotary disk stopper is secured to the knob and seated within the housing, a spring rotationally biasing the end stopper relative to the housing. A solenoid is supported within the housing and engages the stopper in a first condition limiting the knob to manual rotary shifting between Park, Reverse, Neutral and Drive gear shift positions. A PCB board is integrated into the housing and communicable with at least one external sensor associated with a driver exit condition. Upon a triggering of the exit condition with the shifter in other than a Park position, the solenoid is energized to disengage the end stopper in a second release condition permitting the spring to reset the stopper and knob to the Park position.

Growing community of inventors

Oxford, MI, United States of America

Christopher Soave