Automatic transmission shifter control tower

[0002] This invention relates generally to a control tower for a gear select transmission shifter and, more particularly, to a control tower that can be used for either a lever selector or a push button selector. The control tower of this invention has been developed for use with a transmission (part number HD-4560P) and gear selectors (part numbers AS07-113 & AS07-114) manufactured by Allison Transmissions, of XXXX. However, it could be used for other transmissions and gear selectors of comparable size and design. Either the lever selector (part number AS07-114) or the push button selector (part number AS07-114) can shift the same transmission, for example, part number HD-4560P manufactured by Allison Transmissions. In the past, Allison Transmissions offered a lever type gear selector with an integral electronic control unit and a push button type gear selector with an integral electronic control unit. Control towers to accommodate those combined units required additional mounting parts to receive one or the other selectors. Also, when the control tower was used for the push button selector, it was mounted such that it extended from the cab floor at an angle, which resulted in locating the selector at an uncomfortable position for the operator of the vehicle. The special mounting parts increased the complexity and cost of assembly as well as the number of repair parts that must be inventoried. Also, a defective selector unit required replacing the entire selector-electronic control unit combination, which increased considerably the cost of repairing a gear selector, as well as requiring very expensive units to be carried in the replacement parts inventory.

[0003] The control tower of this invention can be used for either the lever selector or the push button selector, and only a single additional part is needed for either the lever selector or the push button selector. The shift tower has a generally rectangular cross section, the longitudinal axis of which extends parallel to the vehicle longitudinal axis. The front side of the shift tower faces the forward direction of the vehicle and the rear side of the shift tower faces the reverse direction of the vehicle. The vehicle operator is seated to the rear of the vehicle relative to the location of the shift tower such that the operator sees the rear side of the shift tower. The vehicle operator is also located to the left side of the shift tower. The eye level of the vehicle operator is above the top of the shift tower. The top edge of the shift tower is formed by the top edge of a three-sided vertically extending housing and a top brace member that, together, define a gear selector receiving opening. Both the lever selector and the push button selector are sized to be received in the gear selector-receiving opening. The top edge of the shift tower lies in a plane that is elevated from the back side to the front side of the shift tower at an angle of about fifteen degree to the horizontal. This orientates the top surfaces of the lever selector and the push button selector at an inclined angle to the operator's line of vision which facilitates the operator's view of the indicia and read-outs contained on the top surfaces of the selectors. As a result to this orientation, the shift tower is located relative to the vehicle operator such that it is comfortable and ergonomic for the operator to reach the lever or push button selectors and to view the indicators on the top surfaces.

[0004] This invention allows the push button selector to be orientated at an angle of fifteen degrees to the horizontal without the need for additional mounting parts and provides an ergonomically comfortable and desirable design for the operator of the vehicle. In addition, as a result of anchoring the control tower of this invention to a structural floor support, the control tower vibrations have been significantly reduced from that present in the prior design. Furthermore, the control tower of this invention is lighter and costs less to manufacture. For these reasons, the control tower of this invention is a significant improvement over past control towers.

[0005] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the control shift tower and its vehicle mounting support. (T13-51461)

[0006] FIG. 2 is an isolated perspective view of the lever selector.

[0007] FIG. 3 is an isolated perspective view of the push button selector.

[0008] FIG. 4 is an isolated perspective views of the stand-alone electronic control unit.

[0009] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the shift control tower with the lever selector mounted thereon and with the cover plate removed.

[0010] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the shift control tower with the push button selector mounted thereon and with the cover plate removed.

[0011] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the shift control tower with the stand-alone electronic control unit mounted thereon and with the cover plate removed.

[0012] FIG. 8 is a partially exploded perspective view of the shift control tower with the lever control and the stand-alone electronic control unit mounted thereon and also includes the wiring harness for the unit.

[0013] FIG. 9 is a partially exploded perspective view of the shift control tower with the push button control and the stand-alone electronic control unit mounted thereon and also includes the wiring harness for the unit.

[0014] FIG. 10 is a side view of a bracket used to mount the push button selector in the control shift tower.

[0015] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the transmission including the wiring harness that shift controls and the electronic control units are connected to.

[0016] There is shown in FIG. 1 an exploded view of the control shift tower 10 and its vehicle mounting support 20. The control shift tower 10 and mounting support 20 is used for either the push button control or the lever control.

[0017] The control shift tower 10 includes a mounting base plate 12, a three-sided vertically extending housing 14, a top brace member 16 and a cover plate 18. The three-sided vertically extending housing 14 has a front side that faces the forward direction of the vehicle and a rear side that faces the reverse direction of the vehicle. The vertical edges of the three-sided vertically extending housing 14 have flanges 17 extending therefrom. Flanges 17 lay in a plane that extends from the front to the back sides of the control shift tower 10. The top brace member 16 permanently connects the open sides of the three-sided vertically extending housing 14 by welding or the like. The rear side of the three-sided vertically extending housing 14 has an archshaped opening 15 formed therein through which a section of the wiring harness 60 exits the control shift tower 10. The cover plate 18 can be readily removed for servicing the mechanisms housed in the control shift tower 10.

[0018] The bracket 48, seen in FIG. 1, is used only with the push button selector 40 and will be fully discussed with reference to FIGS. 10 and 1.

[0019] The vehicle mounting support 20 includes a cab floor plate 22 and a floor support 24. The cab floor plate 22 is made of heavy gauge sheet metal and is carried by the vehicle frame. The floor support 24 is a rigid channel that is part of the vehicle frame or directly connected to the vehicle frame. As indicated by the dashed lines D, fasteners extend through apertures formed in the mounting base 12 and the cab floor plate 22 to secure the control shift tower 10 to the cab floor plate 22. Two of the fasteners also extend into apertures 26 formed in the floor support 24 to thereby securely connect the control shift tower 10 to the vehicle frame. This mounting arrangement provides for a much improved mounting for the control shift tower and results in a lower vibration rate for the control shift tower 10.

[0020] FIG. 2 shows the lever selector 30 along with its umbilical cord 32 that is connected to the transmission 80 and the electronic control unit 50, as shall be discussed in greater detail. The lever selector 30 includes a lever 34 having a knob 36 and gear indicator displays 38. As shall be further discussed, the lever selector 30 will be mounted on the control shift tower 10 at an angle of 15% to the horizontal, which enhances the operator's view of the gear indicator displays 38 as well as improves the ergonomically qualities of the unit. As previously indicated, this unit is a purchased unit and details of the mechanism that are housed in this unit and to which the lever 34 is connected are not shown in this view.

[0021] FIG. 3 shows the push button selector 40 along with its umbilical cord 42 that is connected to the transmission 80 and the stand-alone electronic control unit 50 as shall be discussed in greater detail. The push button selector 40 includes a plurality of push buttons 44 and gear indicator displays 46. As shall be further discussed, the push button selector 40 will be mounted on the control shift tower 10 at an angle of 15% to the horizontal which enhances the operator's view of the gear indicator displays 46 while the buttons 44 are ergonomically located for the operator's convenience.

[0022] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the electric control unit 50 that is used in combination with either the lever selector 30 or push button selector 40. The stand-alone electronic control unit 50 includes mounting slots 52, 54 and 56 for securing the unit within the control shift tower 10. The stand-alone electronic control unit 50 also includes plugs 57, 58 and 59 to which portions of the wiring harness 60 are connected.

[0023] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the control shift tower 10 with the lever selector 30 mounted thereon. In this view, the cover plate 18 is not shown to better show the inside of the control shift tower 10. Also in this view, the electronic control unit 50 is not shown.

[0024] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the control shift tower 10 with the push button selector 40 mounted thereon. In this view, the cover plate 18 is not shown to better show the inside of the control shift tower 10. Also in this view, the electronic control unit 50 is not shown.

[0025] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the control shift tower 10 with the stand-alone electronic control unit 50 mounted thereon. The stand-alone electronic control unit 50 will be mounted as shown in this view for the embodiment including the lever selector 30 and the embodiment including the push button selector 40. It should be noted that the stand-alone electronic control unit is hung in the control shift tower 10 such that the plugs 57, 58 and 59 are at the bottom. This arrangement renders the electrical system less likely to be damaged if water or other moisture were to accidentally enter the interior of the control shift tower 10. In this view, the cover plate 18 is not shown to better show the inside of the control shift tower 10. Also in this view, the lever selector 30, the push button selector 40 nor the bracket 48 are shown.

[0026] FIG. 8 is a partially exploded perspective view of the shift control tower 10 with the lever selector 30 and the stand-alone electronic control unit 50 mounted thereon. This view also shows the wiring harness 60 that interconnects the lever selector 30 and stand-alone electronic control unit 50 with the vehicle engine and transmission 80.

[0027] Also shown in FIG. 8 is a brace 19 that has an aperture 21 formed in each end thereof. Brace 19 is used only in the embodiment that includes the lever selector 30. Elongated bolts are inserted through apertures (not shown) formed in the side of the three-sided vertically extending housing 14 that is opposite cover plate 18. The elongated bolts extend through two sets of aligned apertures 35 formed in the lever selector 30, see FIG. 2. The free ends of elongated bolts extend through apertures 21 formed in brace 19; apertures 13 formed in flanges 17 and apertures 23 formed in cover plate 18. The path of the elongated bolts is traced by the dash line identified as B in FIG. 8. Fasteners, such as nuts or wing nuts, are tightened down on the free ends of the elongated bolts to thus secure the lever selector 30 to the control shift tower 10.

[0028] In FIG. 8, the umbilical cord 32 of the lever selector 30 is connected to an end 61 of the wiring harness 60. Wiring harness 60 extends down to a first bulkhead connector 62. The wiring harness 60 branches off above the first bulkhead connector 62 into a horizontal section 63 that includes a downwardly extending portion 64 that extends to a second bulkhead connector 65. An engine wire harness (not shown) plugs into the other bulkhead connector 65. The wiring harness 60 also includes sections 66 and 67 that extends up and are connected to the electronic control mechanism 50 through two of the plugs 57-59. Another section 68 of wiring harness 60 extends through the arch shaped opening 15 and then to a diagnostic connector box 70 into which diagnostic equipment can be linked. The rear side of the three-sided vertically extending housing 14 carries diagnostic connector box 70. A branch 69 of the section 68 extends to the vehicle interface module 90 that is secured to the outer surface of the cover plate 18.

[0029] FIG. 9 is a partially exploded perspective view of the shift control tower 10 with the push button selector 40 and the stand-alone electronic control unit 50 mounted thereon. This view also shows the wiring harness 60 that interconnects the push button selector 40 and stand-alone electronic control unit 50 with the vehicle engine and transmission 80.

[0030] In FIG. 9, the umbilical cord 42 of the push button selector 40 is connected to an end 61 of the wiring harness 60. Wiring harness 60 extends down to a first bulkhead connector 62. The wiring harness 60 branches off above the first bulkhead connector into a horizontal section 63 that includes a downwardly extending portion 64 that extends to a second bulkhead connector 65. The wiring harness 60 also includes sections 66 and 67 that extend up and are connected to the electronic control mechanism 50 through two of the plugs 57-59. Another section 68 of wiring harness 60 extends through the arch shaped opening 15 and then to a diagnostic connector box 70 into which diagnostic equipment can be linked. The three-sided vertically extending housing 14 carries diagnostic connector box 70. A branch 69 of the section 68 extends to the vehicle interface module 90 that is secured to the outer surface of the cover plate 18.

[0031] As seen in FIG. 1, bracket 48 has a large aperture 49 and two small apertures 47 formed therein. The bracket 48 is secured to the top of control shift tower 10 by fasteners that extend through apertures 43 that are formed in the edges of bracket 48 and in the front and rear sides of the three-sided vertically extending housing. The umbilical cord 42 for the push button selector 40 extends through the large aperture 49 and fasteners for the push button selector 40 are received in the small apertures 47 that are used to and are secured in the top of control shift tower 10. Bracket 48 is used only with the push button selector 40. A cross-section view of bracket 48 is shown in FIG. 10.

[0032] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a transmission 80 that is of the type that can be controlled by selectors 30 and 40. The transmission wiring harness 82 is shown in this view. At the free end of wiring harness 82 is a female connector 84 that plugs into bulkhead connector 62. An engine wire harness (not shown) plugs into the other bulkhead connector 65.

[0033] The foregoing specification describes only preferred embodiments of the invention as shown. Embodiments other than the ones described above may be articulated as well. The terms and expressions therefore serve only to describe the invention by example only and not to limit the invention. It is expected that others perceive differences which, while differing from the foregoing, do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention herein described and claimed.