Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02259778 1999-O1-21
85850-75
Handlebar-Mountable Ergonomic Shifter for a Motor Vehicle
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ergonomic shifter mountable to the
handlebar
of a motor vehicle, and more particularly to an ergonomic shifter mountable to
the
handlebar of an all-terrain vehicle or motorcycle.
Background of the Invention
Off road vehicles such as the all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and the motorcycle are
often driven across rough terrain. In both recreational and racing
applications, these
vehicles are repeatedly upshifted and downshifted as they encounter curves,
hills and
bumps. The transmissions of these vehicles must therefore be reliable and easy
to
operate.
For vehicles equipped with handlebars or handlebar-like steering mechanisms,
2o it is especially arduous for the driver of the vehicle to maintain a firm
grip on the shifter
when traversing rough terrain. In other words, when the driver is traversing
rough
terrain, he or she has the tendency to temporarily lose his or her grip on the
gear shifter.
This means that gears cannot be easily shifted when the driver is being
jostled by rough
terrain. Recently, certain efforts have been made to solve this problem.
Notably,
Takanashi et al. in US Patent 4,641,723 discloses a handle switch assembly for
a motor
vehicle comprising at least two push button switch elements housed in the
switch
housing. In order that the driver may keep his eyes entirely on where he's
going (which
is very important when riding over rough terrain), the push buttons can be
differentiated
by their relative position on the housing and by the tactually distinctive
projections
3o protruding from each push button.
However, when operating a vehicle employing the Takanashi et al. switch
CA 02259778 1999-O1-21
assembly, the driver must grope with his or her thumb for the various push
buttons in
order to shift gears. In normal operation, the driver's thumb typically rests
between the
upshift and downshift buttons. When the driver wishes to upshift or downshift,
he or
she must slide his or her thumb either upwards to the upshift button or
downwards to the
downshift button. It should be apparent that operating a two-button shifter
while
traversing rough terrain at relatively high speeds is not easy because while
the driver's
hand is tightly gripping the handlebar, the thumb must be relaxed enough to be
suitably
dextrous to tactually sense and actuate the push buttons.
1o Thus, there is a need in the motor vehicle industry for an improved,
ergonomic
handlebar shifter.
Objects and Statement of the Invention
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a handlebar shifter
that is
ergonomic and easy to operate.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a handlebar shifter
that
allows the driver to easily shift gears when traversing rough terrain.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a handlebar shifter
that
allows the driver to easily shift gears without having to grope for the
switches.
As embodied and broadly described herein, the invention provides an ergonomic
shifter mountable to a handlebar of a motor vehicle, the shifter comprising a
housing
mountable to said handlebar and a unitary shifter toggle switch movably
connected to
said housing, said unitary shifter toggle switch being movable from a neutral
position
to an upshift position and a downshift position, said unitary shifter toggle
switch being
connected to an upshift switch element and a downshift switch element, said
elements
3o being connected by electrical wires to an electronic transmission control
module.
CA 02259778 1999-O1-21
This ergonomic shifter is easy to operate when the driver is traversing rough
terrain. With this arrangement, it is easier to shift gears than with prior
art shifters
because the driver can firmly grip the handlebar and does not have to grope
for the
upshift and downshift switches. This means that the driver of such a vehicle
can
concentrate more on his environment and can more easily shift when
encountering
bump, hills or the like. In other words, an ergonomic shifter not only makes
driving
easier and more pleasant but it also enhances the performance potential of the
vehicle.
Preferably, the unitary shifter toggle switch is pivotally mounted to the
housing.
1o This arrangement allows the driver's thumb to press against the unitary
shifter toggle
switch in the neutral position. When the driver wishes to upshift or
downshift, he or she
simply pivots his or her thumb upwards or downwards. This maximizes the ease
and
comfort of shifting.
Preferably, the unitary shifter toggle switch has a plurality of small
protrusions
for enhancing a driver's grip. This is particularly useful when operating the
vehicle in
the rain or snow or when the driver's is wearing gloves that would otherwise
slip on the
unitary shifter toggle switch.
2o As embodied and broadly described herein, the invention provides a motor
vehicle having a handlebar and an ergonomic shifter, the shifter comprising a
housing
mountable to the handlebar and a unitary shifter toggle switch movably
connected to the
housing, the unitary shifter toggle switch being movable from a neutral
position to an
upshift position and a downshift position, said unitary shifter toggle switch
being
connected to an upshift switch element and a downshift switch element, said
elements
being connected by electrical wires to an electronic transmission control
module.
With such a vehicle, the driver can readily upshift and downshift without
having
to grope for the two distinct shift buttons. This arrangement not only makes
it easier
3o and more comfortable for the driver to change gears but it also enhances
the
performance potential of the vehicle since the driver can shift at will even
when running
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over bumpy terrain. Unlike the prior art shifters with which the driver might
have a
difficult time perceiving the location of the two shifter buttons without
looking or
groping, the present invention ensures that the driver maintains control of
the shifter
even when traversing rough terrain.
Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent by reference
to the following description and the drawings.
Brief Description of the Drawings
A detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention
is
provided hereinbelow, by way of example only, with reference to the
accompanying
drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is an isometric view illustrating an ergonomic shifter mounted to a
handlebar of a motor vehicle in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the ergonomic shifter of Figure 1;
2o Figure 3 is a left side elevational view of the ergonomic shifter of Figure
1;
Figure 4 is a right side elevational view of the ergonomic shifter of Figure
1; and
Figure 5 is a rear elevational view of the ergonomic shifter of Figure 1
mounted
to a typical handlebar.
In the drawings, preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way
of examples. It is to be expressly understood that the description and
drawings are only
for the purpose of illustration and are an aid for understanding. They are not
intended
3o to be a definition of the limits of the invention.
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Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment
Figures 1 to 5 show a handlebar-mountable ergonomic shifter for a motor
vehicle
according to the present invention. This ergonomic shifter is designed to be
mounted
to the handlebar of an off road vehicle like an ATV (all-terrain vehicle) or
motorcycle.
The ergonomic shifter could also be adapted to be mounted to any vehicle that
has a
handlebar-like steering mechanism. The ergonomic shifter is designed to
survive the
arduous environment in which an off road vehicle is typically placed. For
example, the
shifter is designed to operate at extremely low and high temperatures and is
designed to
1o be rugged enough to resist the sort of impacts and vibrations that one
might expect from
high-speed travel over extremely rough terrain.
In the most preferred embodiment, Figure 1 illustrates an ergonomic shifter
designated comprehensively by the numeral 10. The shifter 10 is mountable to a
handlebar 30. As stated above, it should be understood that the handlebar 30
can also
be a handlebar-like steering mechanism (e.g. a steering wheel) that a driver
grips and to
which a shifter is mountable. As depicted in Figure 1, the handlebar 30 has a
gripping
portion 32 which may be coated with a rubber or a soft polymer to increase
grip and
comfort.
The shifter 10 is preferably mounted to the handlebar 30 adjacent the gripping
portion 32 so that the driver, while gripping the gripping portion 32, can
reach the shifter
10 with his or her thumb. It should be understood that while Figure 1 shows
the shifter
10 mounted to the right of the gripping portion 32, the shifter 10 could also
be mounted
to the left of the gripping portion 32 for operation by the right hand (i.e.
the shifter 10
would be mounted to the right branch of the handlebar 30 as opposed to the
left branch
of the handlebar as illustrated in Figure 1).
As shown in Figures 1-4, the ergonomic shifter 10 comprises a housing 12
3o mountable to the handlebar 30. The housing 12 is preferably molded from a
tough
plastic that resists fading, discoloration, scratching, shrinking and general
degradation
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of mechanical properties when exposed to sunlight, specified cleaning
solvents, common
lubricants and fuels. Furthermore, the housing 12 is to be sealed so as to
resist the
potentially deleterious effects of sand, dust, mud, rain and snow.
The housing 12 is preferably constructed of two molded components 17, 18
which are held together by fasteners 14. In attaching the shifter 10 to the
handlebar 30,
the two matching components 17, 18 of the housing 12 are mated to one another
around
the handlebar 30 such that the handlebar 30 is restrained within a cylindrical
cavity 16.
Lastly, the fasteners 14 (the heads of which are shown in Figure 5) are
tightened until
to the housing 12 is clamped to the handlebar 30. Thus, the tolerance for the
diameter of
the cylindrical cavity 16 must be carefully selected to provide a snug fit for
the
handlebar 30 within the cylindrical cavity 16 without detrimentally
overstressing the
plastic material around the cylindrical cavity.
The shifter 10 normally has a cable 19 protruding from the housing 12 as
depicted in Figures 2 and 4. The cable 19 typically carries a plurality of
electrical wires
for controlling the transmission of the vehicle. In operation, the driver
either pivots the
unitary shier toggle switch 20 to the upshift position 24 or the downshift
position 26.
This in turn activates either an upshift switch element or a downshift switch
element,
2o respectively, thereby sending a current signal to the vehicle's electronic
transmission
control module to either upshift or downshift. Electronic transmission control
modules
and switch elements are well known in the art and are thus not shown in the
drawings
as they are merely peripheral to the present invention.
As shown in Figures 1-4, the ergonomic shifter 10 further comprises a unitary
shifter toggle switch 20 movably connected to the housing 12. The unitary
shifter toggle
switch 20 is movable from a neutral position 22 (shown in solid lines in
Figures 3 and
4) to an upshift position 24 (shown in dotted lines in Figure 4) and to a
downshift
position 26 (shown in dotted lines in Figure 3). The unitary shifter toggle
switch is a
3o single, integral button which is preferably mounted to the housing 12. The
unitary
shifter toggle switch 20 is preferably made of the same molded plastic that is
used to
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make the housing 12 since the same requirements for environmental resistance
must be
satisfied. Furthermore, the unitary shifter toggle switch must not wear
rapidly when in
sliding contact with the housing.
Preferably, the shifter 10 further comprises a resilient member (not shown
since
such resilient members are well known as returning mechanisms for switches)
connected
to the housing 12 and connected to the unitary shifter toggle switch 20. The
resilient
member is capable of urging the unitary shifter toggle switch 20 from either
the upshift
position 24 or the downshift position 26 towards the neutral position 22.
to
Preferably, the unitary shifter toggle switch 20 has a plurality of small
protrusions 28 as shown in Figures 1-4 for enhancing a driver's grip. These
protrusions
28 are typically molded concurrently with the unitary shifter toggle switch
itself.
The above description of preferred embodiments should not be interpreted in a
limiting manner since other variations, modifications and refinements are
possible
within the spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope of the
invention is defined
in the appended claims and their equivalents.
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