Methods and apparatus for a lawn maintenance vehicle park brake and traction drive interlock are provided. A park brake mechanism is selectively operable between an engaged position and a disengaged position. A traction drive is also mounted to the lawn maintenance vehicle, the traction drive having a disable mode which prohibits transmission of a driving force from the traction drive to a drive wheel. A first operable connection between the park brake mechanism and a wheel brake activates the wheel brake. A second operable connection between the park brake mechanism and the traction drive activates the disable mode of the traction drive. A method of controlling a lawn maintenance vehicle with a park brake and traction drive interlock include the steps of providing a lawn maintenance vehicle, providing an operable park brake mechanism, providing a first operable connection, and providing a second operable connection.

The invention is a shift lockout guide for a vehicle equipped with a manual gearbox. It includes a user-operable means that, in preferred embodiments, is mounted to the shifter of the gear box and is linked to an engagement portion that interacts with guide plates defining a path of travel for the shifter. A biasing means urges the engagement portion into the guide plates but this can be overridden by the driver through the user-operable means. The invention provides the driver of a vehicle fitted with the invention in the selection of specific gears while also preventing certain other gears from being selected. This reduces the risk of inadvertent overrevving of the vehicle's engine through inappropriate gear selection.

An electronic control system for a motor vehicle comprising an automatic transmission operable to assume different operating modes, comprising a reverse mode, a neutral mode, a park mode, a drive mode and a manual mode, in response to a manual operation of a selector with at least one control switch and mounted to assume a stable central neutral position when the selector is not operated, and to be movable in opposite selection directions from the stable central neutral position to reach two instable end-of-travel selection positions arranged on opposite sides of the stable central neutral position. The automotive electronic control system is configured to detect operation of the selector and of the control switch and cause the transmission to switch from drive mode to reverse mode in response to operation of the selector in a first selection direction and with the control switch pressed, and from reverse mode to drive mode in response to operation of the selector in a second selection direction opposite to the first selection direction and with the control switch pressed.

A lever (3) for the temporary disengagement of a parking lock (2) of a vehicle drive unit (1). The lever (3) comprises a fixing piece (31) for fitting the lever (3) onto a parking lock shaft (26), which extends inside the vehicle drive unit (1) and serves to actuate the parking lock (2). The lever (3) is a hand lever with a gripping handle (32). The gripping handle (32) is designed to enable a user to apply a manual force for manual actuation of the lever (3). When the lever (3) is fitted on the parking lock shaft (26) and moved, the parking lock shaft (26) is moved from an engagement position to a disengagement position,. In the disengagement position, by further movement of the gripping handle (32) into a locking position, the lever (3) is blocked against a reverse movement out of the disengagement position.

A shifter assembly for a motor vehicle includes a housing, a detent gate connected to the housing, a shifter lever moveable between at least a park position and a neutral position, a locking button movably supported by the shifter lever that contacts the detent gate when in a first position and that spaces apart from the detent gate when depressed to a second position, and a pawl moveable between an unlock position and a lock position. The pawl prevents the shifter lever from moving out of the park or neutral positions and prevents the locking button from being depressed when in the lock position.

A method is provided for alternately triggering driving states of a utility vehicle. The method includes providing a control element and a transmission selectively engageable in a forward driving state (F) for forward travel of the utility vehicle, a reverse driving state (R) for reverse travel, and a standstill driving state (S) for a stationary output of the transmission without disconnection of the drivetrain in the utility vehicle. The method further includes operating the transmission in a current driving state, operably selecting a target driving state while operating in the current driving state, and controllably triggering the transmission to the standstill driving state before shifting the transmission to the target driving state.

A lever (3) for the temporary disengagement of a parking lock (2) of a vehicle drive unit (1). The lever (3) comprises a fixing piece (31) for fitting the lever (3) onto a parking lock shaft (26), which extends inside the vehicle drive unit (1) and serves to actuate the parking lock (2). The lever (3) is a hand lever with a gripping handle (32). The gripping handle (32) is designed to enable a user to apply a manual force for manual actuation of the lever (3). When the lever (3) is fitted on the parking lock shaft (26) and moved, the parking lock shaft (26) is moved from an engagement position to a disengagement position. In the disengagement position, by further movement of the gripping handle (32) into a locking position, the lever (3) is blocked against a reverse movement out of the disengagement position.

A shift lock mechanism for a vehicle includes: a member to be locked that is provided to a selector lever for selecting a transmission gear of an automatic transmission, an engaging part provided to the member to be locked at a position corresponding to the transmission gear, a lock member facing the member to be locked and engageable with the engaging part, a slope part disposed at an end of the lock member, a driving device that drives the lock member to lock the selector lever or enable the selector lever to move, a buffer member that is provided to the driving device and compressed to urge the lock member toward the member to be locked which is retracted, and a control device that receives a depression signal from a brake pedal and a vehicle speed signal from a vehicle speed sensor and to control to drive the driving device.

In a shift device, as a result of a rotor cam being rotated in a positive direction, and transmitting surfaces of the rotor cam pressing rotation surfaces of an urging cylinder, the urging cylinder is rotated in the positive direction, and a lever is moved rotationally towards a front side. Here, in a case in which a load towards the rear side is applied to the lever, the rotation surfaces are rotated in an opposite direction relative to the transmitting surfaces. As a result, the load towards the rear side being applied to the lever can be released.

A shift lever device is provided with retention frames at a front side and rear side of a lever, and a plate is provided with blocks at the front side and rear side of the lever. Even if the plate and the lever are installed to a vehicle with the front side and rear side of the plate and the lever reversed, changing the retention frame that retains a detent rod enables the block on the side of the detent rod to restrict swinging of the detent rod, enabling swinging of the lever to be restricted. This thereby enables the plate and the lever to be commonly employed.