A selector lever assembly for selecting and shifting to various driving modes in a vehicle transmission may include a rotary knob that is connected to a shaft element supported in a housing, where the driving modes are assigned to the rotational range of the shaft element, and separated from one another by a latching contour that can be felt by a driver, and where the rotation of the shaft element can be blocked by a locking contour, and where the shaft element is connected to a disk element for conjoint rotation, but can be displaced axially in order to activate and deactivate at least one further function mode.

An embodiment method of operating a vehicle comprises detecting a first position of a shift lever, determining whether the first position of the shift lever is in a normal state or an abnormal state, and, in response to the first position of the shift lever being in the abnormal state, moving a detent portion of a housing relative to a contact portion of the shift lever in accordance with pre-stored position data.

A vehicle drive device (1) is disclosed that includes a shift detent mechanism (90); an actuator (74) that generates drive power for allowing the shift detent mechanism to operate; a sensor (135) that generates sensor information indicating an amount of operation of the shift detent mechanism; a control part (153) that controls the actuator; and a clutch (30) that is synchronized with operation of the shift detent mechanism, and when the control part changes a state of the clutch, the control part performs feedback control of the actuator based on a relationship between a target value for an amount of operation of the shift detent mechanism and the sensor information, and before completing the change in the state of the clutch, the feedback control ends and operation of the actuator stops.

A shift control apparatus includes a charging state detecting unit that detects a charging state, a shift lever that is held at a predetermined reference position, a limiting member that validates an operation of the shift lever located at the reference position when the limiting member is operated and a controller that validates a shift operation of the shift lever from the reference position to a predetermined operation position when the charging state of a vehicle is not detected and an operating amount of the limiting member is equal to or larger than a first changing condition amount and validates the operation of the shift lever from the reference position to the predetermined operation position when the charging state of the vehicle is detected and the operating amount of the limiting member is equal to or larger than a second changing condition amount.

A vehicle drive device (1) is disclosed that includes a shift detent mechanism (90); an actuator (74) that generates drive power for allowing the shift detent mechanism to operate; a sensor (135) that generates sensor information indicating an amount of operation of the shift detent mechanism; a control part (153) that controls the actuator; and a clutch (30) that is synchronized with operation of the shift detent mechanism, and when the control part changes a state of the clutch, the control part performs feedback control of the actuator based on a relationship between a target value for an amount of operation of the shift detent mechanism and the sensor information, and before completing the change in the state of the clutch, the feedback control ends and operation of the actuator stops.

A selector apparatus comprises a shift lever operably supported on a base for movement between gear positions, and a feel positioner mechanism with offset detent members, where a first detent engages first undulations for biasing the shift lever toward a center of a selected gear position from a first direction, and a second detent engages second undulations for biasing the selector lever toward the center of the selected gear position from a different second direction to the common center point. By the arrangement, the first and second undulations define opposing angled slopes toward the common center point. This allows the undulations to be designed to provide any desired level of biasing force toward the center point without the limitations of a single undulation defining the center point.

A shift drum has a recess which controls a fork to move one of two cooperating coaxially arranged gears for transmitting torque in a power train of a vehicle. The recess includes a straight section, which upon rotation of the shift drum does not move the fork either to the left or the right, and at least one ramp which does move the fork in one direction (i.e., to the left or the right). The ramp is more complex than a single line, such as having a first portion at a first right-shift portion ramp angle β and a second portion at a second right-shift portion ramp angle γ, perhaps with the intersection between the first right-shift portion ramp angle β and the second right-shift portion ramp angle γ being at the mid-line defined by the straight section of the recess.

An embodiment method of operating a vehicle comprises detecting a first position of a shift lever, determining whether the first position of the shift lever is in a normal state or an abnormal state, and, in response to the first position of the shift lever being in the abnormal state, moving a detent portion of a housing relative to a contact portion of the shift lever in accordance with pre-stored position data..

A gear shift device (100) includes a hollow, at least partially spherical retaining housing (110), a gear shift lever (120) having an at least partially spherical projection (130) received within the retaining housing (110), and means (140) for retaining the gear shift lever (120) against rotation around its longitudinal axis (125). The retaining means (140) includes at least one of grooves (150) and protrusions (160) for engaging at least one of corresponding grooves (150) and protrusions formed in the at least partially spherical projection (130) of the gear shift lever (120), said grooves (150, 150) and protrusions (160) being formed in the shape of two opposite cones.

An operating device according to one embodiment includes a tiltable operating lever, a holding member that holds the operating lever, a locking member that restricts a tilt of the operating lever, a driving source, a hold driving mechanism driven by the driving source and configured to move the holding member between a hold position where the operating lever is held at a tilted position, and a return position where the operating lever returns to a predetermined position from the tilted position, and a lock driving mechanism driven by the driving source and configured to move the locking member between a lock position where the tilt of the operating lever is restricted, and a release position where restricting the tilt of the operating lever is released. The hold driving mechanism and the lock driving mechanism are respectively driven by the driving source at different timings.