FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT 1970
[39 OF 1970]
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION [See section 10; rule 13]
TITLE: “A GEAR SHIFT DEVICE FOR A SHIFT BY WIRE SYSTEM OF A VEHICLE”
Name and Address of the Applicant:
TATA MOTORS LIMITED of Bombay house, 24 Homi Mody Street, Hutatma Chowk, Mumbai 400 001, Maharashtra, INDIA.
Nationality: Indian
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

TECHNICAL FIELD
Present disclosure, in general, relates to a field of automobiles. Particularly, but not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to shifting of gears in a vehicle by a shift by wire system. Further, embodiments of the present disclosure discloses a gear shift device for the shift by wire system.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
Vehicles are equipped with a gearbox which is connected to a flywheel of an engine via a clutch to transmit torque to wheels of the vehicle. Generally, two types of gearboxes have been predominantly used, namely manual gearbox and an automatic gearbox. The manual gearbox require manual inputs from an operator of the vehicle to shift between gears, while the automatic gearbox changes gears based on vehicle operating conditions or other prerequisite parameters.
Typically, gear shifting in the manual gearbox, requires effort from the operator. The operator needs to operate a gear lever provided in a cabin of the vehicle by depressing a clutch pedal to engage a clutch to shift to the required gear. Movement of the gear lever in the desired way results in a linear displacement which is transmitted to the gearbox to facilitate shifting of gears. However, shifting of gears in the manual gearbox requires effort from the operator and the effort required for shifting the gears increases with increase in capacity of the engine and gearbox. As the size or capacity of the gearbox increases, the gear shift travel also increases which results in higher effort and time required for shifting the gears. Additionally, the connection between the manual gearbox and the shift lever generally exhibit high shift lever vibrations and the operator experiences notchy gear shifts, which is undesired.
Considering the above, with advancements in technology, shift by wire systems have evolved. In shift by wire systems, the shift lever and the gearbox may be electrically coupled for transmitting signals from the shift lever to the gearbox for facilitating gear shifting. To shift gears, the operator operates the lever, where operation of the lever is transferred in form of signals to the gearbox in which gears are shifted corresponding to operation of the lever. However, in the conventional shift by wire mechanism specific shift and selection pattern are required for the displacement of the

shift lever for shifting gears, which demand for specific training to the operator. Further, for the operators who are accustomed to conventional shifting, i.e. by manual shifting of gears, and hence adjusting to an I-shift or shift by wire technology may pose challenges to such operators in shifting gears since operating the shift lever actuation is seamless in the shift by wire systems and may not provide the required feedback to the operator which may pose challenges for the operator in upshifting or downshifting the gears. Such inadvertent gear shifting may affect performance or leads to failure of the gearbox, which is undesired.
Present disclosure is directed to overcome one or more limitations stated above or any other limitations associated with the known arts.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
One or more shortcomings of the prior art are overcome by a device and a system as claimed and additional advantages are provided through the device and the system as claimed in the present disclosure. Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed disclosure.
In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, a gear shift device for a shift by wire system of a vehicle is disclosed. The gear shift device includes a base member and a guide plate removably connected to the base member. The guide plate is defined with a plurality of gates. Further, the gear shift device includes a hub, which is movably disposed in the base member and is defined with a protrusion. The hub is configured to selectively displace the protrusion within at least one gate of the plurality of gates in the guide plate. Furthermore, the gear shift device includes a lever which is connected to the hub and coupled to a first sensor. The first sensor is configured to generate a signal corresponding to position of the lever. Additionally, the gear shift device includes a bracket, which is pivotally connected to the base member and the lever of the gear shift device. The bracket is coupled to a second sensor which is configured to generate a signal corresponding to position of the bracket. The lever is configured to displace relative to the bracket to selectively displace the protrusion to align the protrusion with the at least one gate of the

plurality of gates, and pivotally displace the bracket to displace the protrusion within at least one gate of the plurality of gates in the guide plate. Further, the gear shift device includes a control unit that is communicatively coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor. The control unit is configured to receive the signal from the first sensor corresponding to position of the lever and receive the signal from the second sensor corresponding to the position of the bracket. Based on the signals received from the first sensor and the second sensor, the control unit is configured to shift a desired gear in a gearbox.
In an embodiment, the gear shift device includes a support shaft which is extending horizontally along a transverse axis of the base member and through the hub. The support shaft in the gear shift device is configured to movably support the hub.
In an embodiment, the support shaft is defined with a cavity to accommodate at least one first resilient member, which is configured to exert a biasing force and a pin. The pin accommodated within the support shaft is configured to displace against the biasing force of the at least one first resilient member, corresponding to displacement of the hub based on displacement of the lever relative to the bracket, to replicate or provide feedback as of manual gate selection.
In an embodiment, the lever is coupled to the hub through a spring loaded plunger. The spring loaded plunger is configured to displace on a depression defined on support shaft corresponding to displacement of the lever.
In an embodiment, the spring loaded plunger provisioned within the hub is configured to displace out of the depression based on pivotal movement of the lever corresponding to selection of reverse gear, to replicate or provide feedback as of reverse manual gear shifting.
In an embodiment, the first sensor and the second sensor in the gear shift device is at least one of a rotary sensor, a motion and a proximity sensor.
In an embodiment, the gear shift device includes a detent mechanism. The detent mechanism includes a housing which is removably fixed to the base member. Further, the detent mechanism

includes a second resilient member and a detent accommodated in the housing. The second resilient member is configured to exert a biasing force on the detent. Additionally, the detent mechanism includes a detent finger that is movably connected to the bracket. A bottom portion of the detent finger is defined with a predetermined profile to engage with the detent.
In an embodiment, the detent is configured to ride on the predetermined profile at the bottom portion of the detent finger corresponding to pivotal displacement of the bracket, to replicate manual gear shifting.
In another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure a shift by wire system for shifting gears in a vehicle is disclosed. The shift by wire system includes a gearbox connected to an engine of the vehicle and a gear shift device communicatively coupled to the gearbox. The gear shift device includes a base member and a guide plate removably connected to the base member. The guide plate is defined with a plurality of gates. Further, the gear shift device includes a hub, which is movably disposed in the base member and is defined with a protrusion. The hub is configured to selectively displace the protrusion within at least one gate of the plurality of gates in the guide plate. Furthermore, the gear shift device includes a lever which is connected to the hub and coupled to a first sensor. The first sensor is configured to generate a signal corresponding to position of the lever. Additionally, the gear shift device includes a bracket, which is pivotally connected to the base member and the lever of the gear shift device. The bracket is coupled to a second sensor which is configured to generate a signal corresponding to position of the bracket. The lever is configured to displace relative to the bracket to selectively displace the protrusion to align the protrusion with the at least one gate of the plurality of gates, and pivotally displace the bracket to displace the protrusion within at least one gate of the plurality of gates in the guide plate. Further, the gear shift device includes a control unit that is communicatively coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor. The control unit is configured to receive the signal from the first sensor corresponding to position of the lever and receive the signal from the second sensor corresponding to the position of the bracket. Based on the signals received from the first sensor and the second sensor, the control unit is configured to shift a desired gear in a gearbox.

In yet another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure a method of shifting gears in a shift by wire system is disclosed. The method includes steps of receiving by a control unit, an operational signal from a first sensor corresponding to position of a lever. Further, the method includes receiving by the control unit, the operational signal from a second sensor corresponding to position of a bracket. Furthermore, the method includes operating by the control unit a gearbox of the vehicle to shift gears based on the operational signals from the first sensor and the second sensor.
In an embodiment, the operational signal from the first sensor corresponds to a gate selection signal.
In an embodiment, the operational signal from the second sensor corresponds to a gear shift signal.
The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
The novel features and characteristics of the disclosure are set forth in the appended claims. The disclosure itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives, and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying figures. One or more embodiments are now described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures wherein like reference numerals represent like elements and in which:
Fig. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a shift by wire system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Fig. 2a illustrates a front perspective view of a gear shift device for a shift by wire system of a vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2b illustrates a rear perspective view of the gear shift device of Fig. 2a.
Fig. 3 illustrates an exploded view of the gear shift device of Fig. 2a.
Fig. 4a illustrates a front cross-sectional view of the gear shift device of Fig. 2a.
Fig. 4b illustrates a side cross-sectional view of the gear shift device of Fig. 2a.
Fig. 4c illustrates a side cross-sectional view of a gear shift device of Fig. 2b.
Fig. 5 illustrates a perspective view of a link, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Fig. 6 illustrates a perspective view of a support shaft of the gear shift device, in accordance with an another embodiment of the present disclosure.
Fig. 7 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a detent mechanism, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Fig. 8 illustrate a top view of a guide plate, in accordance with an another embodiment of the present disclosure.
Fig. 9 is a flow chart depicting a method of shifting gears by the gear shift device, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
The figures depict embodiments of the disclosure for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the system and method illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The foregoing has broadly outlined the features and technical advantages of the present disclosure in order that the detailed description of the disclosure that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the disclosure will be described hereinafter which forms the subject of the claims of the disclosure. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that, the conception and specific embodiments disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying other devices, systems, assemblies, mechanisms, methods, and processes for carrying out the same purposes of the present disclosure. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that, such equivalent constructions do not depart from the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristics of the disclosure, to its system, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present disclosure.
The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non¬exclusive inclusions, such that a system or a device that comprises a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or device. In other words, one or more elements in a system or apparatus proceeded by “comprises… a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or apparatus.
In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, a shift by wire system for shifting gears in a vehicle is disclosed. The shift by wire system includes a gearbox connected to an engine of the vehicle and a gear shift device communicatively coupled to the gearbox for operating the gearbox. The gear shift device may include a base member and a guide plate removably connected to the base member. The guide plate may be defined with a plurality of gates where each gate of the plurality of gates is corresponded to a specific gear in the gearbox. The gear shift device may further include a hub that may be movably disposed in the base member and is defined with a protrusion. The hub may be configured to selectively displace the protrusion within

at least one gate of the plurality of gates in the guide plate such that a gear selection may be replicated. Further, the gear shift device may include a lever which is connected to the hub and coupled to a first sensor. The first sensor may be configured to generate a signal corresponding to a position of the lever which in-turn corresponds to a gate selection signal to the gearbox. Additionally, the gear shift device may include a bracket, which may be pivotally connected to the base member and the lever of the gear shift device. The bracket may be coupled to a second sensor which may be configured to generate a signal corresponding to position of the bracket which in-turn corresponds to a gear shift signal to the gearbox.
Further, the gear shift device may include a support shaft which may be configured to movably support the hub. The support shaft may be provisioned with at least one first resilient member and a pin which may be configured to displace against a biasing force of the at least one first resilient member. Additionally, the gear shift device may include a spring loaded plunger provided in the hub. The spring loaded plunger is configured to displace on a depression defined on a support shaft corresponding to displacement of the lever during forward gear selection and is configured to displace out of the depression corresponding to selection of reverse gear. Furthermore, the gear shift device includes a control unit that is communicatively coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor. The control unit is configured to receive the signal from the first sensor and the second sensor for operating the gearbox to shift a desired gear.
In an operational embodiment, in order to shift the gears, the lever may be operated in predefined direction based on the gear to be shifted (i.e., upshifting or downshifting). The operator may initially pivotally displace the lever relative to the bracket. The lever when displaced relative to the bracket may displace the hub along the axial direction of the support shaft. This displacement of the hub may selectively displace the protrusion extending from the hub to align the protrusion with the at least one gate of the plurality of gates. The axial displacement of the hub may displace the support shaft pin against the biasing force of the at least one first resilient member provisioned in the support shaft. The biasing force of the at least one first resilient member exerts a force on the lever which may replicate a feedback force of a conventional manual gear shifting, thereby facilitates the operator in selecting desired gear, unlike conventional shift by wire system where the movement of the lever is smooth and the operator would not get the notion about the gear being

shifted. Further, the operator may displace the lever transverse to the initial displacement, thereby, pivotally displacing the bracket. The bracket when pivotally displaced may pivotally displace the hub and may selectively displace the protrusion into the at least one gate. The aligning of the protrusion and displacement of the protrusion within at least one gate of the plurality gates replicates the shifting pattern of the manual gear shifting.
This configuration of the gear shift device reduces the efforts required by the operator for shifting the gears in the vehicle. Additionally, the operator may not require specific training for shifting the gears in the shift by wire system, as the system of the present disclosure replicates a shifting pattern of manual gear shifting. Furthermore, the gear shift device facilitates in replicating the feel and feedback of operating the lever as in conventional manual gear shifting, such that the operator is sure about the intended gear shift, and mitigate confusion on the shifting of a correct gear, unlike the existing shift by wire systems.
Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, same numerals have been used to refer to the same or like parts. The following paragraphs describe the present disclosure with reference to Figs. 1-9. It is to be noted that the system and the device may be employed in any vehicle including but not limited to a passenger vehicle, a utility vehicle, commercial vehicles, and any other vehicle.
Fig. 1 is an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a shift by wire system (200) is disclosed. The shift by wire system (200) includes a gearbox (30) connected to an engine of the vehicle. In an embodiment, the gearbox (30) may be coupled to an actuation unit which may be configured to shift gears in the gearbox (30) based on inputs provided by an operator. In an embodiment, the term “shift gears” may be inferred as both up-shifting and down-shifting of gears, which is performed by the operator based on the requirement.
Fig. 2a, Fig. 2b and Fig. 3, are exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, which illustrate a front perspective view, a rear perspective view and an exploded view of a gear shift device (100). The gear shift device (100) may be positioned in a cabin of the vehicle and may be communicatively coupled to the gearbox (30). In an embodiment, the gear shift device (100) may

be communicatively coupled to an actuation unit (not shown in Figs) associated with the gearbox (30). The actuation unit may be configured to shift gears in the gearbox (30) based on operational signal from the gear shift device (100). The gear shift device (100) may include a base member (10) and a guide plate (8) [best seen in Fig. 8], which may be removably connected to the base member (10). In an embodiment, the guide plate (8) may be defined with a plurality of gates (20). As apparent from Figs. 2a and 3, the gear shift device (100) may include a support shaft (5) [best seen in Fig. 6], which may be configured to extend horizontally along a transverse axis (A-A) of the base member (10), and a hub (6) movably supported on the support shaft (5). The support shaft (5) may be rigidly fixed at opposite walls of the base member (10) and may be locked through a locking member (9). The hub (6) may be defined with a protrusion (7), which extends away from the hub (6) and may extend into at least one gate of the plurality of gates (20). In an embodiment, the hub (6) may be defined with a cavity for accommodating a portion of support shaft (5) such that, the hub (6) may displace axially and pivotally on the support shaft (5), thereby moving the protrusion (7) within at least one gate of the plurality of gates (20) in the guide plate (8).
Referring now to Fig. 4a and Fig. 4b which illustrates cross-sectional views of the gear shift device (100). As seen in Fig. 4a, the support shaft (5), may be defined with a cavity, which may be configured to accommodate at least one first resilient member (15) and a support shaft pin (14) such that, ends of support shaft pin (14) may protrude out of the support shaft (5) [best seen in Fig. 4b]. In an embodiment, the hub (6) may be defined with a groove (22) which may be configured to accommodate ends of the support shaft pin (14) protruding out of the support shaft (5). In an embodiment, the groove (22) may be configured to restrict displacement of the support shaft pin (14) within the groove such that, the axial displacement of the hub (6) may be transferred onto the support shaft pin (14), thereby displacing the support shaft pin (14) against the biasing force of the at least one first resilient member (15) when the hub (6) may be displaced axially on the support shaft (5).
Referring again to Fig. 4a and Fig. 4b, the hub (6) may include a spring loaded plunger (17). In an embodiment, the spring loaded plunger (17) may be coupled to the lever (1) when the lever (1) may be connected to the hub (6). The spring loaded plunger (17) may be configured to ride on a

depression (19) [as seen in Fig. 6] defined on the support shaft (5) The spring loaded plunger (17) may be configured to displace on and beyond the depression (19).
Turning back to Fig. 2a, Fig. 2b and Fig. 3, the gear shift device (100) may include a lever (1). In an embodiment, the lever (1) may be a shift lever extending into the cabin of the vehicle for being operated by the operator for shifting of gears. In an embodiment, the lever (1) may be a unitary structure or may include a plurality of parts fixed together. The lever (1) may be connected to the hub (6) at an end which may be opposite to the end of the hub (6) defined with the protrusion (7). In an embodiment, the lever may be connected to the hub (6) through the spring loaded plunger (17) such that, displacement of the lever (1) may be configured to axially and pivotally displace the hub (6). Further, the hub (6) may be defined with a retaining member to lock the end of the lever (1) with the hub (6). In an embodiment, the end of the lever (1) may be defined with a rounded profile to be received within the cutout of the hub (6) which may be configured to provide a connection between the hub (6) and the lever (1).
Further, as apparent from Figs. 2a and 3, the gear shift device (100) may include a bracket (2), which may be pivotally connected to the base member (10) and the lever (1). In an embodiment, the bracket (2) may be defined with a pair of parallel connection portions (2a) [as seen in Fig. 3] which may be adapted to pivotally connect the bracket (2) with the base member (10). Further, the bracket (2) may be defined with a projection (2b) [as seen in Fig. 3] which may extend perpendicularly between the pair of parallel connection portions (2a) [as seen in Fig. 3] and may be adapted to pivotally connect the lever (1) to the bracket (2). As an example, the bracket (2) may be pivotally connected to the lever (1) through a pivot pin (13) extending through the lever (1) and rotatably connected to the projection (2b) of the bracket (2). In an embodiment, as seen in Fig. 3 the lever (1) may be coupled to a first sensor (3), where the first sensor (3) may be configured to generate a signal corresponding to position of the lever (1). In an embodiment, the lever (1) may be connected to the first sensor (3) through a link (11) [best seen in Fig. 5]. The link (11) may be defined with a profile including but not limited to a L-shaped profile, a S-shaped profile, a U-shaped profile, a C-shaped profile and any other profile capable of connecting the lever (1) and the first sensor (3). One end of the link (11) may be defined with a profile corresponding to a profile of the outer surface of the lever (1). The other end of the link (11) may be defined with a profile

suitable for connecting with the first sensor (3). The link (11) may be configured to convert pivotal motion of the lever (1) into rotational motion which may be received by the first sensor (3) and generate an operational signal, corresponding to position of the lever (1). Further, as seen in Fig. 2a, the bracket (2) may be coupled to a second sensor (4), where the second sensor (4) may be configured to generate a signal corresponding to position of the bracket (2). In an embodiment, a bracket pin (12) may be connected between the bracket (2) and the second sensor (4) which may be configured to convert pivotal motion of the bracket (2) into rotational motion which may be received by the second sensor (4) and generates the operational signal corresponding to position of the bracket (2).
Referring now to Figs. 2b, 4c and 7, the gear shift device (100) may include a detent mechanism
(40) that may be connected to the base member (10). The detent mechanism (40) may include a housing (44) removably fixed to the base member (10). The housing (44) may be defined with a cavity that may be adapted to receive a second resilient member (43) such as but not limiting to spring, and a detent (42) in connection with second resilient member (43). In an embodiment, the detent (42) may be provisioned on top of the second resilient member (43) when accommodated within the cavity of the housing (44). The second resilient member (43) may be configured to exert biasing force onto the detent, such that a portion of the detent extends out of the cavity. In an embodiment, the detent (42) may be an elongated member and may be defined with a rounded tip or may include a roller at the tip. Further, the detent mechanism (40) may include a detent finger
(41) movably connected to the bracket (2). In an embodiment, the detent finger (41) may be connected to the bracket (2) through a pin. In an embodiment, the pin (45) may be a detent finger pin (45). The detent finger (41) may be defined with a predefined profile at the bottom portion of the detent finger (41) which may be configured to contact the detent (42) extending from the housing (44). The predetermined profile may be a cut-out in form of a sinusoidal wave pattern defined at the bottom portion of the detent finger (41). In an illustrated embodiment, the detent finger (41) may include three grooves defined with rounded edges at the bottom portion and the same cannot be construed as limitation as the detent finger (41) may be defined with more than or less than three grooves or any other profile, based on requirement.

Upon actuation of the lever (1) to select a gear, the detent finger pin (45) may receive rotational motion from the bracket (2). The rotational motion of the detent finger pin (45) may rotate the detent finger (41). The detent finger (41) upon rotation results in riding of the detent (42) between the crest and trough of the grooves, against the biasing force of the second resilient member (43) and enter into one of the trough. In an embodiment, the each of the trough may be associated with a corresponding gear shifting after the gate has been selected. Further, the detent mechanism (40) may be adapted to maintain the lever (1) in a selected gear shift position as the detent may require a force to overcome the biasing force of the second resilient member (43) to return the lever (1) to a neutral position. Furthermore, the detent mechanism (40) may be adapted to maintain the lever (1) in a neutral position when no force is being applied on the lever (1). The displacement of the detent (42) against the biasing force of the detent spring (43) during the rotation of the detent finger (41) may provide a shift feel to the operator which may replicate the shift feel of the conventional manual gear shifting. Furthermore, the detent mechanism (40) reduces shifting play of the lever (1) in the gear shift device (100).
In an embodiment, the base member (10) may be rigidly connected in the cabin of the vehicle or to the floor of the vehicle such that, the lever (1) or the shift lever may extend at a predefined position which may be within reach of the operator for shifting gears.
Further as seen in Fig. 1, the gear shift device (100) may include a control unit which may be communicatively coupled to the first sensor (3) and the second sensor (4) [thus, the gear shift device (100)] and may be communicatively coupled to the gearbox (30) (thus, actuation unit) of the vehicle. In an embodiment, the control unit (CU) may include a receiving unit (31), a processing unit (32), and an activation unit (33). The receiving unit (31) may be configured to receive signal from the first sensor (3) and the second sensor (4). The signals received by the receiving unit (31) may be fed into the processing unit (32), which may analyze the signals and generate the operational signal to the activation unit (33). In an embodiment, the signal from the processing unit (32) may correspond to a selection of the gate and selection of the gear in the gearbox (30) based on the position of the lever (1) and position of the bracket (2). Upon receiving the signal, the activation unit (33) may actuate the gearbox (30) to carryout desired gear shifting. In an embodiment, the control unit may be coupled to the first sensor (3), the second sensor (4)

and the gearbox (30) electronically through but not limiting to wireless connection, wired connection through cables, optic fibers and the like.
In an illustrated embodiment, the gear shift device (100) may include two sensors and the same cannot be construed as limitation as the gear shift device (100) may include more than or less than two sensors, based on requirement.
In an embodiment, the first sensor (3) and the second sensor (4) may be removably connected to provisions defined on the base member (10) through one of mechanical or thermal joint.
In an operational embodiment, to select a desired gear, the operator may initially displace (thus, pivotally displace) the lever (1) relative to the bracket (2). The lever (1) when displaced relative to the bracket (2) may displace the hub (6) along the axial direction of the support shaft (5). This displacement of the hub (6) may selectively displace the protrusion (7) extending from the hub (6) to align the protrusion (7) with the at least one gate of the plurality of gates (20). The axial displacement of the hub (6) may displace the support shaft pin (14) against the biasing force of the at least one first resilient member (15) provisioned in the support shaft (5). The biasing force of the at least one first resilient member (15) exerts a force on the lever (1) connected to the hub (6) which may replicate a feedback force of a conventional manual gearbox. Furthermore, the biasing force of the at least one first resilient member (15) enables the hub (6) and in-turn the lever (1) to return to an original position when the lever (1) is not actuated by the operator. Further, the operator may displace the lever transverse to the initial displacement, thereby, pivotally displacing the bracket (2). The bracket (2) when pivotally displaced may displace the hub (6) on the support shaft (5). This pivotal displacement of the hub (6) may selectively displace the protrusion (7) into the at least one gate of the plurality of gates (20). In an embodiment, the pivotal displacement of the hub (6) may be permitted by the groove (22) as the support shaft pin (14) may remain stationary by riding along the groove (22) when the hub (6) may be subjected to pivotal displacement. Simultaneously corresponding to the pivotal displacement of the bracket (2) the detent finger (41) of the detent mechanism (40) may be subjected to rotation. The detent finger (41) upon rotation results in riding of the detent (42) between the grooves or the sinusoidal wave pattern that may be defined at the bottom portion of the detent finger (41), against the biasing force of the second

resilient member (43) and enter into the adjacent groove. The displacement of the detent (42) against the biasing force of the detent spring (43) during the rotation of the detent finger (41) may provide a shift feel to the operator which may replicate the shift feel of the conventional manual gear shifting. Upon the detent (42) entering the adjacent groove which may correspond to gear shifted position of the lever (1), the detent mechanism (40) may be adapted to maintain the lever (1) in the gear shifted position as the detent (42) may require a force from the operator to overcome the biasing force of the second resilient member (43) to displace into another groove.
The aligning of the protrusion (7) and displacement of the protrusion (7) within at least one gate of the plurality gates (20) replicates the shifting pattern of a manual gear gearbox. The configuration of the gear shift device enables the operator to shift gears without specific training, as the device replicates a shifting pattern of the manual gear shifting. Furthermore, the gear shift device facilitates in replicating the feel and feedback of operating the lever as in conventional manual gear shifting, such that the operator is sure about the intended gear shift, and mitigate confusion on the selection of a correct gear, unlike the existing shift by wire systems.
Additionally, upon actuation of the reverse gear, the lever is adapted to be displaced such that the protrusion (7) aligns and enters a gate corresponding to a reverse gear. This displacement of the lever (1), may be configured to displace the spring loaded plunger (17) out of the depression (19) and onto the outer surface of the support shaft (5). The displacement of the spring loaded plunger (17) out of the depression (19) may be configured to replicate a feedback force of reverse gear engagement in the conventional manual gearbox.
Fig. 8 illustrates the guide plate (8) of the gear shift device (100). In an embodiment, the plurality of gates (20) that may be defined in the guide plate (8) may correspond to the number of gears in the gearbox (30) of the vehicle. The plurality of gates (20) may be configured to provide a shifting profile which may replicate the shifting profile of the manual gearbox. Further, the guide plate (8) may be provisioned with a spring loaded restrictor (16) which may be configured to prevent engagement of the reverse gear, during forward travel of the vehicle or during engagement of forward gears. The spring loaded restrictor (16) may require a predefined force to be exerted by the operator to overcome the biasing force of the spring and allow the protrusion (7) to slot into

the reverse gear gate. In an embodiment, as seen in Fig. 8 the guide plate (8) may be defined with plurality of gates (20) for shifting profile with five gears and an additional gate. In an embodiment, in order to restrict entry of the protrusion (7) into the additional gate, a shaft restrictor (21) may be provisioned on the support shaft (5) in a support shaft groove (34) defined on the support shaft [as seen in Figs. 6, 2a, 3 and 4a]. The support shaft groove (34) in the support shaft (5) may be adapted to accommodate the shaft restrictor (21) in a required position. The shaft restrictor (21) may be a clip positioned on the support shaft (5) or an extension integrally formed on the support member such that the shaft restrictor (21) restricts displacement of the hub (6) beyond a predetermined limit to prevent the protrusion (7) from displacing into the additional gate. In an embodiment, the guide plate (8) may be fixed in the base member (10) with a different orientation or may be fixed with an opposite face of the guide plate (8) facing the hub (6). Such orientation of the guide plate (8) enables an additional gate to be operational as the guide plate (8) may be originally defined with the shifting profile for six gears. In case the shifting profile is opted for six gears the reverse gear may be associated with the additional gate and the spring loaded restrictor (16) may not be required. Further, when the shifting profile for six gears may be facilitated, the shaft restrictor (21) provisioned on the support shaft (5) may be removed. It should be noted that, Fig. 8 is for illustration only and cannot be construed as limitation as the guide plate (8) and may be defined and oriented with different gate profiles and different number of gates based on requirement.
In an embodiment, the guide plate (8) may be coupled with plurality of sensors which may be configured to determine the position of the protrusion (7) in the guide plate (8) and thereby transmit operational signals to the control unit for operating the gearbox (30).
In an embodiment, the first sensor (3) and the second sensor (4) may be one of but not limited to rotary sensor, a motion sensor, proximity sensor and the like.
In an embodiment, a clip such as a circlip or any other fastening members for example, retainer rings, snap rings and the like, capable of securing may be employed to securely retain the bracket pin (12), pivot pin (13), the support shaft pin (14) in the operating position and may also be employed as the shaft restrictor (21) for restricting the hub (6) displacement.

In an embodiment, the lever (1) may be a shift lever configured to extend into the cabin of the vehicle or the lever (1) and may be a dedicated link or shaft with predefined profile for connecting the shift lever and the gear shift device (100).
In an embodiment, the control unit may be a centralized control unit of the vehicle or may be a dedicated control unit to the gear shift device (100) associated with the control unit of the vehicle, for example, a transmission control unit. The control unit may also be associated with other control units including, but not limited to, a body control module (BCM), a central control module (CCM), a general electronic module (GEM), and the like. The control unit (CU) may include specialized processing units such as integrated system (bus) controllers, memory management control units, floating point units, graphics processing units, digital signal processing units, etc. The processing unit may include a microprocessor and the like.
Referring now to Fig. 9 which is an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure illustrating a flow chart, which depicts a method of shifting gears in the shift by wire system (200) in a vehicle.
The order in which the method is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks may be combined in any order to implement the method. Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from the methods without departing from the scope of the subject matter described herein.
At block 701, the method may include, receiving an operational signal by the control unit, from the first sensor (3) corresponding to the position of the lever (1) when the lever (1) may be operated by the operator. Further, as seen in block 702, the control unit may receive the operational signal from the second sensor (4) corresponding to the position of the bracket (2) when the lever (1) may be operated by the operator. The control unit may then analyze the operational signals in a processing unit and compare the operational signals with a prestored values in a memory unit.
Upon analyzing and comparing the operational signals from the first sensor (3) and the second sensor (4), as seen in block 703, the control unit may transmit output signals to the gearbox (30) or to the actuation unit coupled to the gearbox (30) to shift the gears. In an embodiment, the

operational signals from the first sensor (3) corresponds to a gate selection signal and the operational signals from the second sensor (4) corresponds to a gear shift signal.
In an embodiment, continuous monitoring of the movement or position of the lever (1) and the bracket (2) may be facilitated to replicate real time gear shifting operation.
In an embodiment, the plurality of gates (20) may be defined with a profile similar to a profile of manual gear shifting pattern.
In an embodiment, the gear shift device (100) is simple in construction which results in low-cost manufacturing and easy maintenance. Further, the gear shift device (100) enables fine tuning and adjustment of the gear shifting efforts.
In an embodiment, the gear shift device (100) is compact and is configured to be retrofitted to a conventional manual gearbox (30).
In an embodiment, the gear shift device (100) facilitates shift by wire gear shifting with the shift pattern of the conventional manual gearbox (30). Further, the efforts for shifting gears is reduced.
In an embodiment, the gear shift device (100) reduces the gear shift travel and the vibration of the shift lever. Further, the gear shifting is smooth and notchy gearshifts are eliminated. Furthermore, the gear shift device (100) enables ergonomic positioning of the shift lever (1) for increasing comfort of the operator.
In an embodiment, the gear shift device (100) prevents human errors during gear shifting and protects the driveline from mis-use, thereby increasing the life of the gearbox (30), unlike conventional shift by cable systems.
It should be imperative that the construction and configuration of the device, the system and any other elements or components described in the above detailed description should not be considered

as a limitation with respect to the figures. Rather, variation to such structural configuration of the elements or components should be considered within the scope of the detailed description.
Equivalents:
With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.
It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at

least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”
In addition, where features or aspects of the disclosure are described in terms of Markush groups, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure is also thereby described in terms of any individual member or subgroup of members of the Markush group.
While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.
Referral Numerals:

Reference Number Description
200 Shift by wire system
100 Gear shift device
1 Lever
2 Bracket
2a Parallel connection portions
2b Projection
3 First sensor

4 Second sensor
5 Support shaft
6 Hub
7 Protrusion
8 Guide plate
9 Locking member
10 Base member
11 Link
12 Bracket pin
13 Pivot pin
14 Support shaft pin
15 First Resilient member
16 Spring loaded restrictor
17 Spring loaded plunger
18 Support shaft cavity
19 Depression
20 Gate
21 Shaft restrictor
22 Groove
30 Gearbox
31 Receiving unit
32 Processing unit
33 Activation unit
34 Support shaft groove
40 Detent mechanism
41 Detent finger
42 Detent
43 Second resilient member
44 Housing
45 Detent finger pin

We Claim:
1. A gear shift device (100) for a shift by wire system (200) of a vehicle, comprising:
a base member (10);
a guide plate (8) removably connected to the base member (10) and defined with a plurality of gates (20);
a hub (6) movably disposed in the base member (10) and defined with a protrusion (7), wherein the hub (6) is configured to selectively displace the protrusion (7) within at least one gate of the plurality of gates (20);
a lever (1) connected to the hub (6) and coupled to a first sensor (3), wherein the first sensor (3) is configured to generate a signal corresponding to a position of the lever (1);
a bracket (2) pivotally connected to the base member (10) and the lever (1), wherein the bracket (2) is coupled to a second sensor (4), the second sensor (4) is configured to generate a signal corresponding to position of the bracket (2), wherein, the lever (1) is configured to displace relative to the bracket (2) to selectively displace the protrusion (7) to align the protrusion (7) with the at least one gate of the plurality of gates (20), and pivotally displace the bracket (2) to displace the protrusion (7) within at least one gate of the plurality of gates (20); and
a control unit communicatively coupled to the first sensor (3) and the second sensor (4), wherein the control unit is configured to:
receive the signal from the first sensor (3) corresponding to position of the
lever (1);
receive the signal from the second sensor (4) corresponding to the position
of the bracket (2); and
shifting to desired gear in a gearbox (30) based on the signals received from
the first sensor (3) and the second sensor (4).
2. The gear shift device (100) as claimed in claim 1, comprises a support shaft (5) extending
horizontally along a transverse axis of the base member (10) and through the hub (6),
wherein the support shaft (5) is configured to movably support the hub (6).

3. The gear shift device (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the support shaft (5) is defined with a cavity to accommodate at least one first resilient member (15) configured to exert a biasing force and a support shaft pin (14), wherein the support shaft pin (14) is configured to displace against the biasing force of the at least one first resilient member (15), corresponding to displacement of the hub (6) based on displacement of the lever (1) relative to the bracket (2), to replicate manual gate selection.
4. The gear shift device (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lever (1) is coupled to the hub (6) through a spring loaded plunger (17), wherein the spring loaded plunger (17) is configured to displace on a depression (19) defined on support shaft (5) corresponding to displacement of the lever (1).
5. The gear shift device (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the spring loaded plunger (17) is configured to displace out of the depression (19) based on pivotal movement of the lever (1) corresponding to selection of reverse gear, to replicate reverse manual gear shifting.
6. The gear shift device (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first sensor (3) and the second sensor (4) is at least one of a rotary sensor, a motion sensor and proximity sensor.
7. The gear shift device (100) as claimed in claim 1, comprises a detent mechanism (40) comprising:
a housing (44) removably fixed to the base member (10);
a second resilient member (43) and a detent (42) accommodated in the housing (44), wherein the second resilient member (43) is configured to exert a biasing force on the detent (42); and
a detent finger (41) movably connected to the bracket (2), and a bottom portion of the detent finger (41) is defined with a predetermined profile to engage with the detent (42).

8. The gear shift device (100) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the detent (42) is configured to ride on the predetermined profile at the bottom portion of the detent finger (41) corresponding to pivotal displacement of the bracket (2), to replicate manual gear shifting.
9. A shift by wire system (200) for shifting gears in a vehicle, comprising:
a gearbox (30) connected to an engine of the vehicle; and
a gear shift device (100) communicatively coupled to the gearbox (30), the gear shift device (100) comprising:
a base member (10);
a guide plate (8) removably fixed to the base member (10) and defined with a plurality of gates (20);
a hub (6) movably disposed in the base member (10) and defined with a protrusion (7), wherein the hub (6) is configured to selectively displace the protrusion (7) within at least one gate of the plurality of gates (20) in the guide plate (8);
a lever (1) connected to the hub (6) and coupled to a first sensor (3), wherein the first sensor (3) is configured to generate a signal corresponding to position of the lever (1);
a bracket (2) pivotally connected to the base member (10) and the lever (1), wherein the bracket (2) is coupled to a second sensor (4), the second sensor is configured to generate a signal corresponding to position of the bracket (2), wherein, the lever (1) is configured to displace relative to the bracket (2) to selectively displace the protrusion (7) to align the protrusion (7) with the at least one gate of the plurality of gates (20), and pivotally displace the bracket (2) to displace the protrusion (7) within at least one gate of the plurality of gates (20) in the guide plate (8); and
a control unit communicatively coupled to the first sensor (3) and the second sensor (4), wherein the control unit is configured to:
receive the signal from the first sensor (3) corresponding to the
displaced position of the lever (1);

receive the signal from the second sensor (4) corresponding to the displaced position of the bracket (2); and
shifting to desired gear based on the signals received from the first sensor (3) and the second sensor (4).
10. The shift by wire system (200) as claimed in claim 9, comprises a support shaft (5) extending horizontally along a transverse axis of the base member (10) and through the hub (6), wherein the support shaft (5) is configured to movably support the hub (6).
11. The shift by wire system (200) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the support shaft (5) is defined with a cavity to accommodate at least one first resilient member (15) and a support shaft pin (14) in connection with the at least one first resilient member (15), wherein the support shaft pin (14) is configured to displace against the biasing force of the at least one first resilient member (15), corresponding to displacement of the hub (6).
12. The shift by wire system (200) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the lever (1) is coupled to the hub (6) through a spring loaded plunger (17), wherein the spring loaded plunger (17) is configured to displace on a depression (19) defined on support shaft (5) corresponding to displacement of the lever (1).
13. The shift by wire system (200) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the spring loaded plunger (17) is configured to displace out of the depression (19) based on pivotal movement of the lever (1) corresponding to selection of reverse gear, to replicate reverse manual gear shifting.
14. A method of shifting gears in a shift by wire system (200), the method comprising:
receiving, by a control unit, operational signal from a first sensor (3) corresponding to position of a lever (1);
receiving, by the control unit, operational signal from a second sensor (4) corresponding to position of a bracket (2); and

operating, by the control unit, a gearbox (30) of the vehicle to shift gears based on the operational signals from the first sensor (3) and the second sensor (4).
15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the operational signals from the first sensor
(3) corresponds to a gate selection signal.
16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the operational signals from the second sensor
(4) corresponds to a gear shift signal.
17. A vehicle comprising a shift by wire system (200) as claimed in claim 9.