Patent Application
20060086201
An actuator for an adjustable pedal is used in an automotive vehicle to vary the operating position of a foot pedal that controls a vehicle system, such as the engine throttle, brake system or clutch.
A known adjustable pedal uses an electrical motor to rotate a drive cable that, in turn, rotates a worm gear to adjust the position of a pedal. Other known actuators eliminate the cable and connect the worm gear more directly to a pedal lever. These known systems are believed to suffer from a number of disadvantages, which include large numbers of parts, excessive noise and imprecise output. Another disadvantage of these know assemblies is believed to be the large size requirements within the tight confines of the driver's footwell.
The present invention provides an adjustable positioning apparatus that includes a first member that is movably supported with respect to a base, an adjuster that is supported on the first member, and a second member. The adjuster includes a displacement device, an actuator, and a controller. The displacement device includes a first portion that is coupled to the first member, and includes a second portion that is displaced with respect to the first portion. The actuator displaces the second portion with respect to the first portion, and the controller operates the actuator and determines displacement of the second portion with respect to the first portion. The second member is coupled to the second portion.
The present invention also provides an apparatus for adjustably positioning a foot-operated control with respect to a vehicle chassis. The apparatus includes a lever, which is pivotally supported on the vehicle chassis, an adjuster that is supported on the lever, and a pedal. The adjuster includes a threaded rod, a nut, an electric motor, a body, and a controller. The nut cooperatively engages the threaded rod. The threaded rod is supported for relative rotation with respect to the lever arm, and the nut is displaced upon rotation of the threaded rod. The electric motor rotates the threaded rod and includes a plurality of coils. The housing includes a body portion and a coupling portion. The electric motor is disposed in the body portion, which is fixed with respect to the lever. The controller is disposed in the coupling portion and includes a motor driver and a processor. The motor driver provides a drive signal to the plurality of coils, and the processor determines displacement of the nut with respect to the threaded rod based on a feedback signal generated in the plurality of coils during operation of the electric motor. The pedal is fixed to the nut.
The present invention also provides an actuator including a threaded rod, a nut, an electric motor, a housing that includes a body portion and a coupling portion, and a controller. The threaded rod extends along an axis. The nut cooperatively engages the threaded rod and is displaced along the axis upon rotation of the threaded rod. The electric motor, which is disposed in the body portion of the housing, rotates the threaded rod and includes a plurality of coils. The controller is disposed in the coupling portion and includes a motor driver and a processor. The motor driver provides a drive signal to the plurality of coils, and the processor determines displacement of the nut with respect to the threaded rod based on a feedback signal generated in the plurality of coils during operation of the electric motor.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute part of this specification, illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain features of the invention. Like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views.
Referring initially to
A pedal lever 20 is pivotally supported for rotation about the pivot axis 12 with respect to the vehicle chassis 12a. In particular, the pedal lever 20 includes a first lever arm 22 that extends from a pivot 24 to a first lever arm end 22a operatively connected to the vehicle system 14. And a second lever arm 26 extends from the pivot 24 to a second lever arm end 26a. Coupled with the second lever arm end 26a is a pedal 28 that is engaged by a foot to operate the pedal lever 20.
Interconnecting a first member, e.g., the pedal lever 20, and a second member, e.g., the pedal 28, is an actuator 30 that displaces the pedal 28 relative to the pedal lever 20. The actuator 30 may include a drive source, such as an electric motor, and may include a linkage, such as a rotary to linear motion converter. Relative displacement is directed by a guide 31, which may be tubular with a longitudinal slot. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,722,302 and 5,964,125 and 6,698,309, which show a drive source and a linkage for an adjustable pedal, are hereby incorporated by reference it their entireties.
Referring now to
The motor 32 is preferably constructed with a stator 34 that has a plurality of windings or coils 34a (e.g., one of three is shown in
The motor 32 is disposed in a housing 50 that preferably supports the threaded rod 40 for relative rotation. Antifriction devices such as a bearing 52 may be used at the interface of the threaded rod 40 and the housing 50. The housing 50 preferably includes a body portion 54, in which the motor 32 is disposed, and a coupling portion 56, by which the electrical connections are made with the motor 32. In order to facilitate assembly of the actuator 30, at least the body portion 54 of the housing 50 may be assembled from more than one piece. As particularly shown in
The coupling portion 56 of the housing 50 preferably includes an enclosure portion 56a for a controller 60, and an interchangeable electrical connector portion 56b, which is preferably detachable with respect to the enclosure portion 56a. The interchangeable electrical connector portion 56b facilitates providing various configurations of electrical contacts to matingly engage different styles of plug connectors. It is envisioned that the body portion 54 and the enclosure portion 56a would be universally used, and a particular interchangeable electrical connector portion 56b would be selected according to the particular specification of the manufacturer for the vehicle chassis 12a.
The controller 60 that is disposed in the enclosure portion 56a of the coupling portion 56 preferably includes an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) 62 that can perform at least two functions: 1) driving the coils 34a, and 2) determining displacement of the pedal 28 with respect to the vehicle chassis 12a. The first function is commonly referred to as a motor drive circuit. And the second function is performed by a processor based on the number of rotations of the armature 34, which is determined using back emf, as discussed previously, and the stored knowledge of the thread pitch of the threaded rod 40. The controller 60 preferably also includes a memory for different operational positions of the pedal 28, such as for the preferences of different operators of the vehicle.
In the event of a loss of the current operational position of the pedal, e.g., due to the motor 32 stalling, the controller 60 detects the stall and adjusts the pedal lever position or shuts down the actuator 30 so as to maintain the existing relationship between the pedal lever 20 and the pedal 28. When the controller 60 detects stall of the motor 32, e.g., based on unusual voltage and time characteristics exhibited by the drive circuit, the controller 60 may use an included software program to reset the adjustable pedal 10 by displacing the petal 22 to its extreme positions, as detected by the motor 32 stalling.
In operation, a device for adjusting the position of the pedal 28 can be effected by a switch, e.g., a rocker switch, that is manually actuated by the operator of the vehicle, or can be effected by a body controller unit which may interrelate a number of ergonomic and safety adjustments. For example, in the case of a vehicle equipped with a system of airbags, the body control unit may adjust the seat and pedal positions so that an occupant is a prescribed distance from the airbags.
An adjustable petal system 10 that uses a body control unit may require as few as three electrical contacts for each actuator 30: a power contact, a ground contact, and a communication contact. The power and ground contacts supply the power required by the motor 32, and the communication contact may be connected via a digital serial communication link to the body control unit. In the case of a manual switch, two additional contacts may be required to connect the actuator 30 with the wire from the increase spacing pole of the switch and with the wire from the decrease spacing pole of the switch.
Incorporating a controller 60 that is mounted directly on the actuator 30 provides the present invention with a number of advantages. First, the present invention eliminates a separate controller that is additionally mounted on the chassis and then additionally connected to the actuator 30. Second, by virtue of having self-contained processing power, the present invention eliminates the need to draw processing capacity from other preexisting processors, e.g., engine control unit. Third, by virtue of the controller 60 processing the back emf signals from the coils 34a, the present invention eliminates the need for additional motor rotation sensors, e.g., an array of Hall effect sensors, which add cost, complexity and size. Fourth, by virtue of the controller 60 processing the back emf signals from the coils 34a, the present invention eliminates at least four wires from the wiring harnesses connecting the actuator 30. Fifth, the interchangeable electrical connector portion 56b of the present invention facilitates the universal applicability of the actuator 30 while providing an easy manner of adapting to varying styles of electrical plug connectors.
While the present invention has been disclosed with reference to certain preferred embodiments, numerous modifications, alterations, and changes to the described embodiments are possible without departing from the sphere and scope of the present invention, as defined in the appended claims. Accordingly, it is intended that the present invention not be limited to the described embodiments, but that it have the full scope defined by the language of the following claims, and equivalents thereof.
