Patent Grant
6877394
The present invention relates to adjustable foot pedals for vehicles.
Vehicle pedals, such as accelerator pedals, which have specific support mechanisms allowing them to be adjusted to various positions closer to or farther away from the driver are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,288,239 to Ristau, which is understood to disclose an adjustable toe board on which a brake pedal and an accelerator pedal are mounted. The toe board is adjustable fore and aft, relative to the driver, along a threaded shaft mounted in parallel with the steering column.
Another example of an adjustable pedal is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,015 to Elton. This patent is understood to disclose an adjustable pedal assembly comprising a pedal lever having an upper end pivotally connected to the lower end of a support arm. The upper end of the support arm is pivotally mounted to the wall of a vehicle. A ballscrew mounted to the vehicle wall threadably engages a nut carried by the support arm so that rotation of the ballscrew causes the support arm and the pedal to pivot relative to the vehicle wall. By making the support arm of substantial length and limiting its angular adjustment motion, the height of the pedal above the floor is maintained relatively constant over the range of adjustment of the pedal.
A need exists for a new and improved adjustable foot pedal apparatus and method for a vehicle.
The present invention is directed toward new and non-obvious aspects and features of an adjustable foot pedal assembly for a vehicle, both alone and in various combinations and sub-combinations with one another, which are set forth in the claims below. A unique and nonobvious pedal support structure also is disclosed. In addition, unique and nonobvious pedal adjustment methods are disclosed herein.
According to one representative embodiment, an adjustable foot pedal assembly for a vehicle comprises a foot pedal having an upper foot engageable major surface and a lower major surface which may be opposed to the upper surface. The pedal is carried by a pedal support portion and desirably has an upwardly angled upper major surface. An adjustment mechanism is provided for desirably coupling the pedal support portion to a wall, such as an upright wall, of a vehicle. The adjustment mechanism is desirably configured to selectively vary the fore and aft position of the pedal support portion, and thereby the pedal, relative to the vehicle wall. The adjustment mechanism may also be selectively vertically adjustable along the wall to vary the elevation of the pedal relative to the vehicle floor. The elevation of the pedal may be independently adjustable of any adjustment of the fore and aft position of the pedal support portion and the pedal. In one specific example, the height of the pedal above the vehicle floor can be adjusted while maintaining the fore-aft or horizontal distance between the pedal and the driver. Similarly, the horizontal or fore-aft distance between the pedal and the driver can be adjusted while maintaining a constant height of the pedal above the vehicle floor.
In an alternative embodiment, the pedal support portion may comprise plural segments which are desirably pivotally interconnected. In one form, the segments pivot about a transverse pivot axis which is perpendicular to the fore-aft direction. In this case, raising or lowering the pedal support portion may result in some shifting of the pedal in the fore-aft direction and slight adjustment of the angle of the pedal relative to the vehicle wall due to the pivoting of the segments relative to one another as the elevation is changed. Nevertheless, the elevation adjustment can desirably be made independently of fore-aft adjustment of the pedal using a fore-aft adjustment mechanism which couples the pedal support to the vehicle.
In one specific implementation, the lower end portion of the pedal is pivotally connected to a lower end portion of the pedal support portion. The first end of a lever arm is pivotally coupled to the pedal, such as to the lower major surface of the pedal. The second end of the lever arm may be positioned to move along a bearing surface of the pedal support portion upon pivoting of the pedal toward and away from the pedal support portion between a depressed position and an idle position, respectively. To facilitate movement of the second end of the lever arm along the surface of the pedal support portion, a roller may be rotatably mounted to the second end of the lever arm for rolling contact along the pedal support bearing surface when the pedal is pivoted toward and away from the pedal support portion. In addition, a biasing element, such as a spring or other resilient member, may be interposed between the pedal and pedal support portion to urge the pedal toward the idle position.
The adjustment mechanism according to one illustrated form comprises a mechanism coupled to the support so as to permit shifting of the support toward and away from a wall of the vehicle. One exemplary form of an adjustment mechanism comprises a rotatable screw configured to be mounted to the wall of the vehicle. A carrier bracket threadably engages the screw and is coupled to the upper end portion of the pedal support portion. The carrier bracket may comprise a separate component or may be combined with other portions of the pedal support in a one-piece monolith construction. In this example, rotation of the screw in a first direction causes the carrier bracket to move the pedal support portion and the pedal away from the wall and rotation of the screw in a second direction, opposite the first direction, causes the carrier bracket to move the pedal support portion and the pedal toward the wall. Although less desirable, other axial shifting mechanisms, such as a carrier bracket adapted for sliding movement along a track, may be used to accomplish fore-aft shifting of the pedal support mechanism.
In an alternative configuration, the upper end portion of the pedal support portion may be pivotally coupled to, or, alternatively, pivotally mounted directly to the carrier bracket for pivoting of the pedal support portion toward and away the vehicle floor. This permits, for example, raising of the pedal support for cleaning of the vehicle floor underneath the pedal assembly. An optional biasing mechanism may be provided to urge the pedal support portion toward the floor or other support surface of the vehicle.
According to another representative embodiment, an adjustable foot pedal assembly for a vehicle comprises a base having upper and lower end portions. The lower end portion of a pedal is pivotally coupled to the lower end portion of the base such that the pedal is in an upwardly inclined position generally above the base. The first end of a lever arm is pivotally coupling to the pedal, such as to lower surface of the pedal. The second end of the lever arm is positioned for coupling to, or contact with the base and is caused to move along the base when the pedal is pivoted toward and away from the base between a depressed position and an idle position, respectively. This contact may be direct contact or indirect contact through the use of a roller mounted to the second end of the lever arm. An adjustment mechanism is desirably provided for coupling the upper end portion of the base to a wall of a vehicle. The adjustment mechanism in one form allows adjustment of the position of the pedal in a first direction toward the driver and in a second direction away from the driver.
According to yet another representative embodiment, an adjustable foot pedal assembly comprises a pedal support portion having an upper end portion positioned proximate a wall of the vehicle and a lower end portion positioned proximate a lower or floor surface of the vehicle. A foot pedal is carried by the pedal support portion. An adjustment mechanism is mounted to the wall of the vehicle. The upper end portion of the pedal support portion may be pivotally coupled to the adjustment mechanism so as to permit pivoting of the lower end portion of the pedal support portion toward and away from the floor surface of the vehicle. The adjustment mechanism also is desirably operable to selectively vary the fore and aft position of the pedal support portion, and thereby the pedal, relative to the wall of the vehicle.
According to another representative embodiment, an adjustable foot pedal assembly for a vehicle comprises a pedal support portion and a foot pedal carried by the pedal support portion. The upper end portion of the pedal support portion is configured to be mounted for vertical movement along a vehicle wall to permit adjustment of the vertical position of the pedal assembly relative to the floor of the vehicle. In one specific implementation, a mounting bracket is coupled to the upper end portion of the pedal support portion. The mounting bracket may be configured to be slidably mounted to the vehicle wall. More specifically, the mounting bracket in one form defines at least one vertically extending slot for receiving a releasable fastener, such as a mounting bolt. The bolt extends through the slot and is tightened into the wall to secure the mounting bracket against the wall at a selected vertical position. The mounting position of the bracket may be adjusted by loosening the bolt, sliding the bracket to a desired position and re-tightening the bolt.
Referring first to
The foot pedal assembly 10 comprises a foot pedal 12 having a foot engageable upper major surface 14 and a lower major surface 16 which may oppose the surface 14. The pedal 12 also has an upper end portion 18 and a lower end portion 20. A suitable gripping surface may be provided on the upper surface 14 of the pedal 12 to minimize slippage of an operator's foot (as best shown in FIG. 2).
A pedal support portion, such as a base 22 in the illustrated embodiment, supports pedal 12. An upper end 26 of base 22 is mounted to the front wall 38, as described in greater detail below. Base 22 may be of a plate-like configuration. As best shown in
The base 22 may be shaped to correspond to the shape of the vehicle enclosure in which it is installed. As shown in
Any suitable mechanism may be used to determine the position of the pedal 12 and communicate the position to the throttle of the engine (not shown) for controlling the speed of the vehicle. For example, the pedal assembly 10 may be operable to output an electrical signal to an engine controller that is proportional to the degree the foot pedal 12 is pivoted relative to the base 22. In the illustrated embodiments, for example, the pedal position may be detected and indicated using a lever arm, or lever mechanism 40 (also referred to herein in alternative embodiments as an arm member or pivot support member) with an electrical signal from a suitable pedal position sensor, such as a potentiometer (not shown), operatively coupled to the lever arm 40. As shown in
A biasing mechanism is desirably provided to urge the pedal 12 to an idle position, such as shown in
Upon application of downward pressure on the upper surface 14 of the pedal 12 to cause pivoting of the pedal 12 toward the upper surface of the base 22, the second end of the lever arm 40 pivots toward the upper end portion 18 of the pedal 12 as it moves upwardly along the upper surface of the base 22 (as indicated by arrow A in FIG. 1). Upon release of the downward pressure, the spring 56 urges the second end of the lever arm 40 to pivot away from the bottom surface 14 of the pedal upper end portion and move along the base 22 in a downward direction (as indicated by arrow B in FIG. 1). Movement of the lever arm 40 in the B direction causes the pedal 12 to pivot away from the base 22 to the idle position. The pivotal motion of the lever arm 40, in the direction urged by spring 56, may be limited by a stop. For example, a projection 62 of the lever arm 40 may engage a motion limiting projection 64 extending from the bottom surface 16 of the pedal 12 (as shown in FIG. 1).
If desired, more than one biasing member, such as plural springs may be used, to provide a redundant bias so that if one biasing member is disabled, the pedal 12 is urged toward the idle position by the backup biasing member. In an alternative embodiment, the spring 56 is carried by pivot pin 30, rather than pivot pin 48, with one end of the spring abutting the bottom surface 16 of the pedal 12 and the other end of the spring abutting the upper surface of the base 22.
In addition, other forms of biasing mechanism also may be used. For example, in one embodiment a flat, spirally wound ribbon-type spring may be positioned around pin 48. In this configuration, an outer end of the spring engages a projection on the bottom surface of the pedal and an inner end of the spring is connected to the pin.
The electronics for generating an output control signal to the engine controller are conventional. For example, as previously mentioned, a potentiometer (not shown) may be mounted to pivot pin 48, although other electronic devices may be used for the purpose of generating an output control signal to the engine controller.
Although not required, a shaft or roller 50 may be rotatably mounted to the second end of the lever arm for rolling contact with the upper surface of the base 22, as shown in
In addition, other mechanisms may be used to determine the position of the pedal and communicate the position to the throttle of the engine. For example, instead of providing an electrical signal for controlling vehicle speed, the pedal assembly 10 may be adapted for use in vehicles in which vehicle speed is mechanically controlled, for example, by adjusting the position of a throttle cable. By way of example, in one embodiment, a pedal is pivotally mounted to a base, such as shown in
In alternative embodiments, the pedal position may be detected and indicated using a four-bar, or parallelogram, linkage assembly or a sliding member in cooperation with a suitable pedal position sensor, such a potentiometer, or alternatively, a throttle cable.
The position of the pedal 12 may be adjusted to accommodate drivers of various leg lengths. Although not required, the pedal assembly 10 desirably has at least two degrees of freedom for adjusting the position of the pedal. Specifically, the general fore and aft position of the pedal 12 relative to the wall 38 and the height of the pedal above the floor 36 can be adjusted. As used herein, “fore and aft” refers to movement in directions generally toward and away, respectively, from the wall 38 of the vehicle. “Fore and aft” movement may include movement of the pedal 12 along a line that is normal to the wall 38 or movement of the pedal 12 along a line that extends at an angle with respect to a line that is normal to the wall 38.
For fore and aft adjustment of the pedal 12, an adjustment mechanism (also referred to herein as a pedal position mover or fore-aft position adjuster) in one example is configured to selectively vary the fore and aft position of the base 22, and thereby the pedal 12, relative to the wall 38. The adjustment mechanism may also serve to couple the upper end portion 26 of the base 22 to the vehicle wall 38. As best shown in
The screw 64 is selectively rotatably driven by the drive mechanism 66 to cause movement of the carrier bracket relative to the screw 64. Rotation of the screw 64 in a first direction causes the carrier bracket to carry the base 22 and the supported pedal 12 in a direction away from the wall 38 and toward the feet of the driver (as indicated by arrow C). Rotation of the screw 64 in a second direction, opposite the first direction, causes the carrier bracket to carry the base 22 and the pedal 12 in a direction toward the wall 38 and away from the feet of the driver (as indicated by arrow D). Although the screw 64 is shown as extending perpendicularly from the wall 38, this is not a requirement. For example, in other embodiments, the screw 64 may be angled upwardly, downwardly or sideways to provide fore and aft movement along a line that is non-perpendicular to the wall 38.
Of course, other types of adjustment mechanisms may be used to allow for such fore and aft movement of the pedal. For example, the carrier bracket can be configured for sliding movement along a shaft or track extending outwardly from the wall 38. In the latter configuration, a drive mechanism may be mounted to the carrier bracket for causing translational movement of the carrier bracket along the shaft or track. Alternatively, in any of the embodiments described herein, the adjustment mechanism may be configured for manual adjustment of the carrier bracket without the use of a drive mechanism.
Optional rollers 72 may be mounted at the lower end 24 of the base 22. The rollers 72 are positioned for rolling contact with an optional rub pad 74 (placed on the floor 36 of the vehicle) as the base 22 is moved fore and aft. Of course, if a rub pad is not provided, rollers 72 may be positioned for direct rolling contact with the floor 36.
As mentioned above, the pedal 12 can be moved in a generally vertical direction, either upwardly or downwardly (as indicated by double-headed arrow E in FIGS. 1 and 2), to selected positions above the vehicle floor 36. For such vertical movement of the pedal, the mounting bracket 70 is configured to be mountable at a plurality of positions on the vehicle wall 38. For example, as best shown in
Referring now to
An optional biasing mechanism may be provided to urge the lower end 24 of the base 22 in a direction toward the vehicle floor. In the
The rollers 72 in the embodiment of
In the embodiments of
The present invention has been shown in the described embodiments for illustrative purposes only. The illustrated embodiments may be subject to many modifications and changes without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. We therefore claim as our invention all such modifications as come within the spirit and scope of the following claims.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20030110879 A1 | Jun 2003 | US |
