MXPA00000724A - Adjustable pedal assembly with electronic throttle control - Google Patents

Abstract

A vehicle control pedal apparatus (12) includes a support (18) adapted to be mounted to a vehicle structure (20) and an adjustable pedal assembly (22) having a pedal arm (14) that is moveable in fore and aft directions with respect to the support (18). A pivot (24) pivotally supports the adjustable pedal assembly (22) with respect to the support (18) and defines a pivot axis (26). The control pedal apparatus (12) further includes an electronic throttle control (28) attached to the support (18) for controlling an engine throttle (30). The apparatus (12) is characterized by the electronic throttle control (28) being responsive to the pivot (24) for providing a signal (32) that corresponds to pedal arm position as the pedal arm (14) pivots about the pivot axis (26) between rest and applied positions. Thus, the control pedal apparatus (12) can adjust pedal arm position in fore and aft directions without having to move the electronic throttle control unit (28) along with the pedal arm (14). Additionally, the electronic throttle control (28) is responsive to the pivot (24) about which the adjustable pedal assembly (22) rotates.

Description

ADJUSTABLE PEDAL SET WITH ELECTRONIC CONTROLLER CONTROL TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a vehicle control pedal assembly having an adjustment mechanism for moving a pedal arm in forward and backward directions and an electronic regulator control for controlling an engine regulator. Specifically, the pedal assembly includes a pivot about which the adjustment mechanism rotates when the pedal arm is actuated and which provides input to the electronic regulator control to provide a signal corresponding to the pedal arm position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The pedal assemblies are used in vehicles to control the movement of the vehicle. For example, a vehicle driver applies a force to an accelerator pedal to move the pedal from a rest position to an applied position. In the applied position, the accelerator pedal typically operates a motor regulator, which controls the acceleration and speed of the vehicle. Frequently, these pedal assemblies include an adjustment apparatus that allows to move the position of a pedal arm and / or a pedal shoe with respect to the driver. This makes it possible to adapt the pedal assembly to conductors of different heights. Thus, the adjustment apparatus allows the pedal assembly to be brought closer to the driver when the driver is low and allows the driver's pedal assembly to be further distanced when the driver is high. Examples of regulable pedal assemblies are shown in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,460,061 and 5,632,183 all assigned to the assignee of the present invention. In addition, the adjustable pedal assemblies can include an electronic regulator control assembly for a cable driving system. The electronic regulator control assembly is used to generate an electrical signal that corresponds to the position of the accelerator pedal. The electronic regulator control assembly replaces the traditional mechanical joints between the pedal arm and the motor regulator. Such an adjustment apparatus used with an electronic regulator control is shown in U.S. Patent No. 5,819,593 assigned to the assignee of the present invention. When a vehicle control pedal assembly includes both an adjustment apparatus and an electronic regulator control, the pedal assembly can be complex with a large number of parts. These control pedal assemblies can be expensive, time consuming to assemble, and require a considerable amount of packaging space.

COMPENDIUM OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES A vehicle control pedal apparatus includes a bracket adapted to be mounted on a vehicle structure and an adjustable pedal assembly with a pedal arm that can be moved in forward and backward directions relative to the support. A pivot pivotally supports the adjustable pedal assembly with respect to the support and defines a pivot axis. The control pedal apparatus further includes an electronic regulator control attached to the support for controlling an engine regulator. The apparatus is characterized in that the control of the electronic regulator is sensitive to the pivot to provide a signal corresponding to the position of the pedal arm when the pedal arm pivots about the pivot axis between the rest and applied positions. Accordingly, the present invention provides a simplified vehicle control pedal assembly that is less expensive, and that uses fewer parts and is easier to package within the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated when it is better understood by reference to the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a side view of a vehicle, partially in cross section, including the assembly of pedal of the invention. Figure 2 is a side view of the pedal assembly of the invention showing a pedal arm in forward and backward positions. Figure 3 is a side view of the pedal assembly of the invention in a pivoted position. Figure 4 is an exploded view of the pedal assembly shown in Figure 3. And Figure 5 is a front view, partly in cross section, of the pedal assembly shown in Figure 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to the figures, where analogous numbers indicate analogous or corresponding parts in all the various views, a vehicle 10 with a control foot pedal apparatus 12 is shown in Figure 1. The foot pedal apparatus 12 includes an arm of pedal 14 that can be regulated in forward and backward directions with respect to the vehicle 10 by a conductor 16. This adjustment capability allows the pedal arm 14 to be placed to adapt it to conductors 16 of different heights. The vehicle control pedal apparatus 12 includes a bracket 18 adapted to be mounted on a vehicle structure 20 such as a firewall or board bulkhead element, for example. The support 18 may be a support, housing, or other structural support element known in the art. The support 18 can be a unitary element that is directly attached to the vehicle structure 20 or the support 18 can be composed of a plurality of support elements, of which one is attached to the vehicle structure 20. As shown in FIG. 2 and 3, the control pedal apparatus 12 further includes a reclosable pedal assembly 22 with a pedal arm 14 that can be moved in forward and backward directions relative to the holder 18. In FIG. 2 , the pedal arm 14 is shown in the adjustment position furthest in the forward direction with solid lines and in the adjustment position furthest in the backward direction with broken lines. The adjustable pedal assembly 22 preferably includes an electric motor (not shown) for controlling the movement of the pedal arm 14 in the forward and backward directions, as is known in the art. The adjustable pedal assembly 22 can be any of several adjustable pedal assemblies known in the art. For example, the adjustable pedal assembly 22 could be similar to the adjustable pedal assembly of United States Patent No. 5,632,183 assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference. A pivot 24 pivotally supports the adjustable pedal assembly 22 with respect to the vehicle structure 20 and defines a pivot axis 26 (shown in Figure 5). The pivot 24 is preferably composed of a first pivot element 34 defining a first pivot member axis 36 and a second pivot member 38 defining a second pivot member axis 40. The first pivot member axes 36 and second 40 are collinear to define the pivot axis 26. Although two pivot members 34, 38 are preferred, a single pivot could be used or additional pivot members could be used to provide additional pivot support. The first pivot members 34 and second 38 are spaced apart longitudinally from one another to define a clearance 42 for the pedal arm 14 when the pedal arm 14 pivots about the pivot axis 26. Thus, when the pedal arm 14 it moves from a rest position to an applied position, as shown in figure 3, the pedal arm 14 can move between the first pivot elements 34 and second 38 without coming into contact with the pivot elements 34, 38 If only a single pivot element is used, the clearance 42 between the pivot elements is not needed. The control pedal apparatus 12 also includes an electronic regulator control mechanism 28 attached to the vehicle structure 20 for controlling an engine regulator 30 depicted schematically in Figure 1. The electronic regulator control 28 is responsive to the pivot 24 and provides a signal 32 which corresponds to the pedal arm position when the pedal arm 14 pivots air of the pivot shaft 26 between the rest and applied positions. Thus, the signal 32 will vary when the pedal arm 14 moves from the rest position to the applied position. The electronic regulator control mechanism 28 may be any of several electronic regulator control mechanisms known in the art., as described in U.S. Patent No. 5,819,593 assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference. The electronic regulator control 28 is preferably sensitive to the first pivot member 34 to provide the signal 32 corresponding to the pedal arm position. The second pivot element 38 preferably provides pivoting balance for the pedal arm 14 when the pedal arm 14 pivots about the pivot shaft 26. However, it should be understood that the electronic regulator control 28 could also be mounted on the side opposite of the control pedal assembly 12 such that the second pivot member 38 provides input to produce the signal 32 while the first pivot member 34 provides additional balance for the pedal arm 14 when pivoted. The electronic regulator control mechanism 28 preferably includes a first housing portion 42 and a second housing portion 44, shown in FIG. 4. In the preferred embodiment, the housing portions 42, 44 serve partially as the support 18 for the housing. control pedal apparatus 12 and are fixed relative to the vehicle structure 20. The adjustable pedal assembly 22 is supported on a support 46 that is mounted on the housing portions 42, 44. The second housing portion 44 it includes a first pivoting support 54 and a second pivoting support 56. The first pivoting support 54 receives the first pivoting element 34 and the second pivoting support 56 receives the second pivoting element 38. As explained above, the pivot elements first 34 and second 38 form the pivot 24 around which the pedal arm 14 pivots. The support 46 includes a first leg 48 and a second leg 50 extending downwardly. from a central base element 52. Although the support 46 is shown with two legs 48, 50, the support 46 could also be configured so that it had only a single leg or could have additional leg elements. The support 46 only has to provide partial support for the adjustable pedal assembly 22. The support 46 is partially installed within the second housing element 44 such that the first pivoting support 54 is adjacent to the first leg 48 and the second support pivoting 56 is adjacent to the second leg 50. The first housing portion 42 is attached to the second housing portion near the first pivoting support 54 to enclose the electronic regulator control 28. The first housing portion 42 preferably includes tongue receptors. 58 for the snap-fit connection to tabs 60 located in the second housing portion 44. The support 46 pivots about the pivot shaft 26 when a force is applied to the pedal arm 14 to move the pedal arm 14 from the position from rest to applied. The electronic regulator control 28 is fixed with respect to the vehicle structure 20 in such a way that the pedal arm 14 moves in forward and backward directions with respect to the electronic regulator control 28 and with respect to the vehicle structure 20. Thus, the adjustable pedal assembly 22 pivots with respect to the vehicle structure 20 and moves the pedal arm 14 in forward and backward directions with respect to the vehicle structure 20, while the electronic controller control 28 follows being fixed with respect to the vehicle structure 20. In other words, the pedal arm 14 moves independently of the electronic regulator control 28. Furthermore, the pedal arm 14 moves in forward and backward directions with respect to to the pivot 24. The adjustable pedal assembly 22 includes a guide rod 62 for supporting the pedal arm 14 and defining a longitudinal axis 64. The pedal arm 14 is it moves in the forward and backward directions along the longitudinal axis 64. The longitudinal axis 64 is perpendicular to the pivot axis 26. Thus, the guide rod 62 can rotate about the pivot axis 26 together with the support 46 when the pedal arm 14 pivots about the pivot shaft 26. The adjustable pedal assembly 22 further includes a support member 66 for slidably supporting the pedal arm 14 on guide rod 62. Support member 66 is preferably a bushing, however, other support elements known in the art may be used. In the preferred embodiment, an electric motor is used to move a screw drive mechanism housed within the guide rod 62, which causes the support member 66 and the pedal arm 14 to move along the rod guide 62. The control pedal apparatus 12 also includes an elastic member 68, shown in Figure 5, which reacts between the pedal arm 14 and the support 46 to provide resistance when the pedal arm 14 is moved from the position of Rest to the applied position. When the pedal arm 14 is pivoted, this resistance provides a "feel" 16 corresponding to the feeling experienced by a driver in a pedal assembly with a cable assembly as part of a mechanical link to the motor controller 30. Elastic member 68 is preferably a helical spring with a spring er 70 that is conric with the pivot 24. The spring 68 has a first spring end 72 engaging the pedal arm 14 and a second spring end 74 engaging the holder 46. In addition to providing resistance when the pedal arm 14 is moved to the applied position, the spring 68 returns the pedal arm 14 to the rest position after removing the force applied to the pedal arm 14. The spring 68 is supported by a cylindrical portion 76 extending into the second housing portion 44 of the electronic regulator control 28, towards the pedal arm 14. Thus, the cylindrical portion 76 is located a between the pedal arm 14 and the first leg 48 of the support 46. Although the spring 68 is shown as a helical spring that is supported around the pivot 24, other spring configurations known in the art could also be used. Furthermore, the spring 68 could be located in a position other than around the pivot 24. The main function of the spring 68 is to act on the pedal arm 14 to provide a feeling to the driver when the pedal arm 14 pivots. It can be optionally supported a cable tie element 78 in one of the pivot members 34, 38 to support a cable assembly for attachment to the motor regulator 30. This configuration would be used in place of the electronic regulator control 28; that is, the configuration is used with a pedal assembly that has a mechanical link to the regulator. The control pedal apparatus 12 of the present invention provides both an adjustment apparatus 22 and an electronic regulator control 28 in an assembly that requires less packaging space and requires fewer components than the control pedals of the prior art. This reduces the overall assembly time and reduces material costs. The control pedal apparatus 12 provides the additional benefits of having a single pivot (24) to pivotally support the pedal arm 14 in addition to giving input to the electronic regulator control 28. Thus, the control pedal apparatus 12 allows the adjustment of the pedal arm 14 in forward and backward directions without having to move the electronic regulator control unit 28 together with the pedal arm 14, and the electronic regulator control 28 is sensitive to the pivot 24 about which it rotates the adjustable pedal assembly 22. The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology used is intended to be understood according to the nature of the descriptive words, rather than in the sense of limitation. Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the foregoing ideas. Therefore, it is to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, where the reference numbers are merely for convenience and are not in any way limiting, the invention may be implemented in a manner other than that specifically described. .

Claims (15)

Claims

1. A vehicle control pedal apparatus (12) including: A support (18) adapted to be mounted on a vehicle structure (20); An adjustable pedal assembly (22) with a pedal arm (14) movable in the forward and backward directions with respect to said support (18); A pivot (24) for pivotally supporting said adjustable pedal assembly (22) with respect to said support (18) and defining a pivot axis (26); and An electronic regulator control (28) attached to said support (18) for controlling an engine regulator (30); Characterized said apparatus (12) because said electronic regulator control (28) is sensitive to said pivot (24) to provide a signal (32) corresponding to the pedal arm position when said pedal arm (14) pivots about said pivot axis (26) between the rest and applied positions.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said electronic controller control (28) is set relative to said vehicle structure (20) such that said pedal arm (14) moves in the forward and forward directions. backward with respect to said electronic regulator control (28).

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pivot (24) is pivotally mounted with respect to said vehicle structure (20) and said pedal arm (14) moves in the forward and backward directions with respect to said pivot (24).

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said adjustable pedal assembly includes a guide rod (62) for supporting said pedal arm (14) and defining a longitudinal axis (64), said pedal arm (14) moving. ) in said forward and backward directions along said longitudinal axis (64).

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said longitudinal axis (64) is perpendicular to said pivot axis (26)

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said adjustable pedal assembly (22) includes a support member (66) for slidably supporting said pedal arm (14) on said guide rod (62).

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said guide rod (62) is rotatable about said pivot axis (26) when said pedal arm (14) pivots about said pivot axis (26).

8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said support (18) is composed of a housing (42, 44) connected to the vehicle structure (20) and a mounting bracket (46) supported on said housing (42, 44) and movable relative to said housing (42, 44) and the vehicle structure (20), and said mounting bracket (46) having a first portion (52) for connection to said adjustable pedal assembly (22) and a second portion for connection to said electronic regulator control (28).

9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, including an elastic element (68) that reacts between said pedal arm (14) and said support (18) to provide resistance when said pedal arm (14) moves from said position of rest to said applied position.

10. An apparatus as stated in the claim 9, wherein said elastic element (68) is a helical spring defining a spring center (70) that is concentric with said pivot (24).

11. An apparatus as stated in the claim 10, wherein said spring (68) has a first spring end (72) engaging said pedal arm (14) and a second spring end (74) engaging said support (18) and wherein said first spring end (72) said pedal arm (14) returns to said rest position after removing the force applied to said pedal arm (14).

12. An apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein said electronic regulator control (28) has a cylindrical portion (76) extending inward toward said pedal arm (14) to support said spring. (68).

13. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pivot (24) is composed of a first pivot member (34) defining a first pivot member shaft (36) and a second pivot member (38) defining a second pivot element shaft (40), said electronic regulator control (28) being responsive to said first pivot member (34) to provide said signal (32) corresponding to the pedal arm position and wherein said second Pivot element (38) provides pivoting balance for said pedal arm (14) when said pedal arm (14) pivots about said pivot axis (26).

14. An apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein said first pivot element axes (36) and second (40) are collinear to define said pivot axis (26).

15. An apparatus as set forth in claim 14, wherein said first (34) and second (38) pivot elements are spaced apart longitudinally from one another to define a clearance (42) for said pedal arm (14) when said arm of pedal (14) pivots about said pivot axis (26). Summary A vehicle control pedal apparatus (12) includes a support (18) adapted to be mounted on a vehicle structure (20) and an adjustable pedal assembly (22) having a pedal arm (14) that can be moved in forward and backward directions with respect to the support (18). A pivot (24) pivotally supports the adjustable pedal assembly (22) with respect to the support (18) and defines a pivot axis (26). The control pedal apparatus (12) further includes an electronic regulator control (28) attached to the support (18) to control an engine regulator (30). The apparatus (12) is characterized in that the electronic regulator control (28) is responsive to the pivot (24) to provide a signal (32) corresponding to the pedal arm position when the pedal arm (14) pivots around the pivot axis (26) between the resting and applied positions. Thus, the control pedal apparatus (12) can adjust the position of the pedal arm in forward and backward directions without having to move the electronic regulator control unit (28) together with the pedal arm (14). In addition, the electronic regulator control (28) is sensitive to the pivot (24) around which the adjustable pedal assembly (22) rotates.