Gearshift lever assembly with magnetic feeling for a motor vehicle

1 . A gearshift lever assembly for a motor vehicle, the gearshift lever assembly comprising:

a support base;

a lever body graspable by a driver of the motor vehicle and movably coupled to the support base along a path comprising a plurality of predetermined positions relative to the support base;

a first magnet fixed relative to the lever body and having a first magnetic pole; and

at least one corresponding second magnet for each of said predetermined positions, the second magnet having a relative second magnetic pole opposite to the first magnetic pole and being carried by the support base in a relative fixed position, such that said second magnetic pole magnetically cooperates with the first magnetic pole when the lever body is in the corresponding predetermined position of said predetermined positions, so that the corresponding second magnet exerts a magnetic attraction on the first magnet,

wherein the first magnet has a third magnetic pole opposite the first magnetic pole, wherein each second magnet has a fourth magnetic pole opposite the second magnetic pole thereof, wherein the first magnetic pole and the third magnetic pole are aligned with each other according to a first rectilinear direction, wherein the second magnetic pole and the fourth magnetic pole of each second magnet are aligned with each other according to a second rectilinear direction, wherein the first rectilinear direction, when the lever body is in the corresponding predetermined position, forms with the second rectilinear direction of the corresponding second magnet an acute angle, the first magnet and the corresponding second magnets having a minimum distance between each other along the first rectilinear direction when the lever body is in the corresponding predetermined position, such that the magnetic attraction gradually decreases with a departure of the lever body from the corresponding predetermined position.

2 . The gearshift lever assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the second magnets are distributed along the path such that the second rectilinear directions of second magnets adjacent to each other form a further relative acute angle.

3 . The gearshift lever assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the second magnets are distributed along the path in a substantially continuous manner, such that magnetic attraction subsists continuously during a movement of the lever body traversing the whole path.

4 . The gearshift lever assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the path extends on a plane according to a L-shaped line.

5 . A motor vehicle comprising a gearshift lever assembly according to claim 1 .

6 . A gearshift lever assembly for a motor vehicle, the gearshift lever assembly comprising:

a base;

a lever graspable by a driver of the motor vehicle and movable along a path comprising a plurality of predetermined positions relative to the base;

a first magnet mounted to the lever, the first magnet having a first magnetic polarity axis; and

a second magnet for each of said predetermined positions, each second magnet having a second magnetic polarity axis, each second magnet being fixed in position relative to the base such that a second magnet in a said predetermined position exerts a magnetic attraction on the first magnet when the lever is in that predetermined position and such that the second magnetic polarity axis of the second magnet in that predetermined position extends at an angle relative to the first magnetic polarity axis.

7 . The gearshift lever assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the gearshift lever assembly comprises a plurality of second magnets at each said predetermined position.

8 . A gearshift control for a motor vehicle, the gearshift control comprising:

a base;

an actuator graspable by a driver of the motor vehicle and movable along a path comprising a plurality of predetermined positions relative to the base;

a first magnetic element mounted to the actuator; and

a second magnetic element for each of said predetermined positions, each second magnetic element being fixed in position relative to the base such that a second magnetic element in a said predetermined position exerts a magnetic attraction on the first magnetic element when the actuator is in that predetermined position, wherein the second magnetic elements are arranged along the path and arranged at an angle relative to the path such that the second magnetic elements create an arrangement of peaks and depressions that create an array of magnetic peaks aligned with the predetermined positions, and wherein each said magnetic peak is defined intermediate two adjacent second magnetic elements each having a polarity facing a different magnetic valley, the polarity being opposite the polarity of the first magnetic element.

9 . The gearshift control according to claim 8 , wherein the second magnetic elements are arranged in an undulating arrangement.

10 . The gearshift control according to claim 8 , wherein the path comprises an L-shaped path.

11 . The gearshift lever assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the adjacent second magnets are arranged such that the second magnetic pole and the fourth magnetic pole of each adjacent second magnet defines an oriented polarity that is the same for each adjacent second magnet.

12 . The gearshift lever assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the second magnets are arranged in a series of consecutive magnets such that the second magnetic pole and the fourth magnetic pole of each consecutive magnet defines an oriented polarity that is the same for each consecutive magnet.

13 . The gearshift lever assembly according to claim 6 , wherein adjacent second magnets have the same polarity, which is opposite to the polarity of the first magnet.

14 . The gearshift lever assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the second magnets are arranged in a series of consecutive magnets having the same polarity, which is opposite to the polarity of the first magnet.