Kuster North America, Inc.

Michael Benedetto D'Annunzio

Brian Andrew Mayville

Christopher Edward Curtis

Calogero Alu

Yong Qiang Wang

Christopher Soave

Thorsten Dirk Connemann

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 vehicle shifter assembly having a housing rotatably supporting a monostable toggle knob accessible to a vehicle operator. A processor enabled printed circuit board is incorporated into the housing and, upon actuation of the knob, instructs a gear shift condition to a display component. The housing can be incorporated into any of a variety of locations accessible to the vehicle operator, including being integrated into the steering wheel so that, and upon rotation of the wheel, the housing or display is continuously reoriented so as to maintain an upright position as viewed by the operator.

Vehicle shifter with one position toggle switch with monostable/return to center functionality

A graphical display integrated into a rotary knob vehicle shifter assembly including a surface display located outside of the knob which can incorporate any of transistor LCD or organic LED interior components, such as which can be presented into either of segmented or OLED/TFT pixelated image display variants. In either instance, a connector end of an associated harness or ribbon cable extends from the graphical display and, when connected to a remote PCB board integrated into the shifter assembly, is configured to provide variable display options not limited to shifter position and including variable supporting graphics and other designs.

Graphic display assembly for vehicle rotary shifter

A graphical display integrated into a linear gate vehicle shifter assembly including a surface display which can incorporate any of transistor LCD or organic LED interior components, such as which can be presented into either of segmented or OLED/TFT pixelated image display variants. In either instance, a connector end of an associated harness or ribbon cable extends from the graphical display and, when connected to a remote PCB board integrated into the shifter assembly, is configured to provide variable display options not limited to shifter position and including variable supporting graphics and other designs.

Graphical display assembly for depicting a straight gate vehicle shifter position

A graphical display subassembly integrated into a vehicle shifter assembly including a surface display which can incorporate any of transistor LCD or organic LED interior components, such as which can be presented into either of segmented or OLED/TFT pixelated image display variants. In either instance, a connector end of an associated harness or ribbon cable extends from the graphical display and, when connected to a remote PCB board integrated into the shifter assembly, is configured to provide variable display options not limited to shifter position and including variable supporting graphics and other designs.

Graphical display assembly for depicting vehicle shifter position

A rotary shifter having a housing with a bezel cover. A knob is rotatably secured to the housing and is selectively rotatable between each of Reverse Neutral and Drive positions. A push button is configured within the rotary knob and, upon depressing, communicates with a sensor and switch within the housing for establishing the Park position. In a related variant, a Sport position lock ring is secured to a stem of the knob in a normally biasing engagement with an underside of the bezel cover to prevent shifting to the Sport position, the knob being vertically depressed in a counter direction to the bias in order to vertically unseat the lock ring and to permit subsequent rotation to the Sport position. A Sport position spring can also be provided supporting an underside of the plunger housing locker forming a portion of the plunger housing subassembly.

Growing community of inventors

Shelby Charter Township, MI, United States of America

Michael Benedetto D'Annunzio