Adjustment device for adjusting the length of automotive foot pedal lever and method of making such adjustment

The present invention relates to a setting device for adjusting a car pedal arm and a method for adjusting a car pedal arm.

The invention basically relates to car controls such as brake, clutch and accelerator pedals. In particular, the invention relates to an adjustable control system

168 510 car pedal, in which the pedals can be selectively adjusted to allow their optimal positioning relative to the car's driver.

Cars are usually equipped with foot-operated control pedals, such as accelerator, brake and clutch pedals, which are used to control the movement and speed of the car. Generally, the control pedals are attached to the vehicle chassis and rotate away from the driver when the foot pressure is applied, but they are not adjustable relative to the driver or their individual attachment points. As a result, the control pedals must generally be attached so as to have a fixed position relative to the passenger floor of the cabin to allow service sufficiently convenient for the driver of medium height. However, some range of driver pedal adjustment is definitely desirable.

Although the driver's seat is usually mounted slidably in the forward and backward directions to take account of the various physical characteristics of drivers, this solution is only partially effective in determining the position of the driver relative to the control pedals. Adjusting the seat allows the driver to take a position relative to the steering wheel of the car and steering pedals, to some extent improving the comfort of the driver and his ability to operate basic car controls.

However, it is almost impossible for such a solution to take into account all possible variants of human constitution. In particular, differences in the proportion between the lengths of the driver's legs, legs and feet, for a medium-sized driver, cannot easily be taken into account by simply shifting the seat forward and backward relative to the control pedals. Accordingly, it was recognized that certain forms of adjusting the control pedal were desirable to provide optimum driver comfort and to maintain the control pedals free at all times.

To date, many solutions have been proposed for adjustable pedals. One of these solutions is a ratchet mechanism that allows the entire control pedal assembly to rotate around the axis of the main spigot. In this solution, the frame rotates to which the steering pedals are pivotally attached, ensuring a consistent rotation of these control pedals relative to the driver. Examples of this solution are illustrated in U.S. Patent Nos. 3,282,125 (Dully), US 3,400 607 (Smith) and US 3,561,111 (Zeigler). In a similar solution, one or more control pedals are mounted to the frame, which is slidable forward and backward, as a whole relative to the driver, as set out in US Patent Nos. 2,860,720 (Huff et al.) And US 4,683,977 (Salmon ) and British Patent No. GB ​​952 831 (Mussell).

Still another proposed solution is a combination of the two solutions previously mentioned, in which a screw-operated device is used to move the frame to which one or more control pedals are pivotally attached. The screw actuated device can be used to either rotate the entire frame about the pivot axis as shown in US Pat. No. 3,151,499 (Roe) or the screw actuated device can move the frame back and forth as described in US Pat.

301 088 (White), US 3 643 525 (Gibas), US 3 765 264 (Bruhn, Jr.), US 4 870 871 (Ivan), US

875 385 (Sitrin) and US 4 989 474 (Cicotte et al.), US 5 010 782 (Asano et al.).

Usually the screw-operated device is shown driven by an electric motor that allows the driver to selectively set the pedals by means of a suitable control switch mounted on the car's dashboard within reach of the driver.

One skilled in the art can readily appreciate that all of the examples given herein require a large amount of instrumentation and space below the car dashboard to accommodate the setting device. Many additional equipment may be necessary to avoid activating the brake and / or clutch pedals during alignment operations with their individual hydraulic cylinders. In particular, the chosen solution must avoid causing the tappets that actuate individual pistons in the cylinders to be displaced relative to their cylinders in order to exclude the application of brakes and / or clutch.

168 510

In addition, it is generally desirable that the chosen solution does not affect the power ratio of the control pedal as determined by the position of the control pedal relative to the pusher. Generally, the control pedal force transmission can be described as the relative pressure required to apply to the control pedal compared to the actual force required to actuate the device controlled by the control pedal. For example, the force ratio can be improved by moving the contact point between the control pedal and the cylinder pusher towards the axis of the control pedal pin.

To avoid force transmission, known control pedal adjustment assemblies generally include a device in which the control pedals are independently positioned so as not to cause a detrimental effect on the position of the pedal journal axis relative to individual working cylinder pushers, which may be noticeable in the Cicotte solution and other. Alternatively, the adjusting device must be provided with a mechanism that simultaneously adjusts the length of the pusher to adjust the displacement of the control pedal assembly, as illustrated in the solution of Bruhn, Jr.

However, regarding the non-analogous and unrelated problem associated with optimizing the control pedal position, US Patent 3,798,959 (Schroter) indicates the use of a variable-ratio control pedal that uses a cam outline to enhance the control pedal's force ratio in the final stages of the pedal stroke control.

The purpose of the device is to maximize the driver's braking capacity without the need for excessive force on the control pedal. However, according to Schroter, the solution is set completely towards achieving the optimal power ratio, and not towards any position of the control pedal relative to the driver. Furthermore, Schroter does not indicate or propose a solution to the problem of adjusting the positions of the control pedals, nor does it even consider the problem referred to in the aforementioned prior art.

From the above discussion, it can easily be assessed that the state of the art does not reveal a solution of the car's control pedal that can be adjusted to adapt to the specific physiological conditions of the driver, while avoiding the need to mount the entire control pedal assembly to a frame that is either rotary or movable in attitude towards the driver. The state of the art does not indicate or propose a device that would require a small amount of additional equipment to achieve the appropriate setting of one or more control pedals, to achieve such an effect that it would not be necessary to change the position of the spigot axis, which is known from the state of the art, and thus that there was no need to make any structural changes to the conventional control pedal solution.

Accordingly, a cost-effective adjustment device is needed to adjust one or more of the car's control pedals, with the possibility of spatial adjustment of the control pedals without changing the position of the mounting of the conventional control pedal plug to adapt it to the physiological conditions of the driver, while requiring minimal reinforcements and design changes to achieve desired effects.

The object of the present invention is to provide an adjustment device for one or several car pedals that would give the possibility of optimal adjustment of the car pedals to the driver.

It is also an object of the invention that the setting device provides a rotatable adjustment of the car control pedal relative to a predetermined reference point, such as a pedal-operated hydraulic cylinder pusher eye.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a cam element that would rotate the control pedal relative to a predetermined reference point to achieve the desired setting, and which would be held in position relative to the car's control pedal arm during positioning so that the desired power ratio can be maintained.

Still another object of the invention is that the cam element is electrically driven so that it is possible to adjust the car's pedal from a control device easily accessible to the driver.

168 510

It is an additional object of the invention that the mounting of the adjusting device does not entail the need to provide additional equipment and make significant structural changes to the car in order to adapt the adjusting device to conventional solutions of the car control pedal arm.

The essence of the setting device for adjusting the pedal arm adapted to rotate about the arm rotation axis is that it has a pivotally mounted cam cooperating with the pedal arm and rotating this arm around the axis of arm rotation and having the axis of rotation of the cam and that it has a rotatable fixing connector position of the cam rotation axis a predetermined distance from the arm rotation axis, which connector has one end pivotally and substantially coaxial with the rotation axis of the pedal arm such that rotation of the cam rotates the pedal arm about the rotation axis of that arm and also that includes drive means positioned next to the cam having a protruding portion engaging the cam and driving the cam around the cam rotation axis, where rotation of the cam around the rotation axis of the cam rotates the pedal arm pivotally around its rotation axis. The cam rotation axis is substantially parallel to the pedal arm rotation axis.

The cam is a disc having a cam profile arranged on an outer surface radially spaced from the rotation axis of the cam, the outer surface being slidably contacting the pedal arm.

In turn, the connector determining the position of the cam rotation axis is a member passing between the axis of rotation of the pedal arm and the axis of rotation of the cam, which member has one end rotatably connected to the pedal arm in the axis of rotation of this arm and the opposite end rotatably connected to the cam in the axis of rotation of the cam .

In the solution according to the invention, the drive elements have a drive motor pivotally connected to the pedal arm, and the protruding part comprises a propeller, one end of which is pivotally coupled to the drive motor, and the opposite end is pivotally attached to the cam in a position distant from the rotation axis of the cam, the propeller rotates the cam in one direction, when the drive motor is driven in the first direction and then the propeller rotates the cam in the opposite direction to the first when the drive motor is driven in the second opposite direction.

However, the essence of the setting device for adjusting the pedal arm of the car adapted to rotate around the axis of rotation of the arm is that it has a pivotally mounted cam cooperating with the pedal arm of the car and rotating this arm around the axis of rotation of the arm and having the axis of rotation of the cam essentially parallel to the axis arm rotation and the cam surface slidingly touching the car pedal arm and that it has a rotary connector fixing the position of the cam rotation axis at a predetermined distance from the axis of rotation of the arm, which connector has one end rotatably mounted and substantially coaxial with the axis of rotation of the pedal arm and also that includes drive elements attached to the car pedal arm rotating the cam around the axis rotation of the cam, the rotation of the cam about the rotation axis of the cam pushing the car pedal arm and moving it rotationally about the rotation axis of that arm.

In this case, the cam is a disk having a cam profile arranged on an outer surface radially spaced from the axis of rotation of the cam, this outer surface being in sliding contact with the car pedal arm.

Similarly, the cam positioning connector is a member passing between the pedal arm rotation axis and the cam rotation axis, which member has one end pivotally connected to the car pedal arm in the pivot axis of that arm, and the opposite end pivotally connected to the cam in the pivot axis this cam.

The drive elements, in turn, have a drive motor pivotally connected to the pedal arm of the car and a propeller, one end of which is pivotally coupled to the drive motor, and the opposite end is pivotally attached to the cam at a predetermined distance from the axis of rotation of the cam, with the the propeller rotates the cam in one direction, when the drive motor is driven in the first direction and then the propeller rotates the cam in the opposite direction to the first when the drive motor is driven in the second opposite direction.

168 510

The device according to the invention further comprises a cylindrical pusher having one end attached to the opposite end of the coupler and a pin pivotally connecting one end of the pusher and the opposite end of the coupler about the rotation axis of the cam.

On the other hand, the essence of the method of adjusting the pedal arm of a car adapted to rotate around the axis of rotation of the arm consists in determining the position of the cam having the axis of rotation of the cam and cooperating with the car pedal arm, setting the axis of rotation of the cam to a predetermined distance from the axis of rotation arm, and then the cam rotates around the cam rotation axis by rotating the car pedal arm rotationally relative to the axis of rotation of that arm, with that when the cam rotates around the cam rotation axis, the cam rotates with the propeller, which is rotated by a propulsion motor.

In the method according to the invention, the distance between the rotation axis of the cam and the rotation axis of the pedal arm is also kept constant.

According to the invention, an adjustment device is made for one or more of the car's pedals. The setting device has the ability to rotate the pedal using the conventional position of the control pedal pin to set one or more control pedals independently or simultaneously relative to a predefined reference point.

The reference point is preferably the pusher eye of the clutch master and / or brake pedal pump, depending on the need to leave the master clutch and brake master position unchanged when setting the appropriate control pedals.

Due to the fact that the accelerator pedal is generally rotatably mounted to the insulating wall and activates the flexible cable, which is controlled by the fuel system, the reference point can be any specific point that will allow conventional control of the accelerator pedal relative to the flexible cable.

Conventionally, each control pedal includes an arm that is pivotally attached to the frame below the dashboard of the car, by means of a pin and a sleeve, or similar. When the control pedal is a brake pedal or clutch, the adjusting device according to the invention is assembled along a conventional control pedal arm and rotatably attached at a reference point, such as a master pump pusher eye, without the need for any additional supporting equipment except a device for maintaining a predetermined distance between the eyelet the pusher and the pinned connection of the control pedal arm. As a result, the setting device can easily be adapted to conventional control units without the need for major structural changes.

The setting device according to the invention provides for the setting of the control pedal relative to the cylinder pusher and does not require any movement or movement of this pusher. The pusher has a fixed reference point by adjusting the control pedal at mechanical contact between the cam and the control pedal arm so that the control pedal is displaced relative to the pusher. Accordingly, there is no actuation of the cylinder by the pusher in the adjusting device according to the invention. Also, there is no change in the power ratio of the control pedal arm.

In addition, a significant advantage of the present invention is that the cam drive device can be electrically driven by a suitable motor enabling the pedal position to be adjusted by means of one or more buttons available on the car dashboard.

An important advantage of the adjusting device according to the invention is that the cam used, by selective engine start, can be rotated to select the optimal position of the car pedal arm depending on the individual needs of the driver.

Another advantage of the proposed solution is the presence of a rigid connection ensuring the forced transfer of movement between the car pedal arm and the main pump pusher, without the need for an additional design.

The advantage of the solution according to the invention is that the functions of the setting device can be implemented with a minimum of additional equipment, and the device itself can be

168 510 easily adapted to the car's traditional pedal, so no excessive space below the dashboard is required.

The control pedal setting device can be activated by a switch located on the dashboard. This device can be electrically controlled and can be equipped with regulators that are integrated with the car's central control module, which has the memory capacity that allows many drivers to keep the pre-selected position of the car's control pedal.

The subject of the invention is shown in the embodiment of the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an exploded view of the car steering pedal assembly with the adjusting device according to the preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 2 - the car steering pedal assembly of Fig. 1 according to the preferred embodiment of the invention, in a side view, Fig. 3 - a car steering pedal assembly, in a view taken along the line 3-3 marked in Fig. 2.

Figure 1 shows the car steering pedal 10 in a view showing the relative position of its parts. As shown, the car control pedal is a brake or clutch control pedal that actuates the main pump 12 located in the engine compartment of the car. The following description will particularly apply to the application of the present invention only within the scope of the brake or clutch control pedal, for clarity to facilitate the understanding of the proposed solution. However, the solution of the present invention is not limited to the brake or clutch control pedals of the car and it can be easily adapted by a person skilled in the art to the accelerator pedal of the car (which is not shown).

Usually the control pedal 10 is suspended just above the cabin floor for the passenger side of the car. The control pedal 10 is initially spaced a minimum distance from the driver's seat so that it can be operated by a medium height driver. Usually, the driver's seat is adjusted forward and backward to move the driver closer to the control pedal 10 or to move the driver away from this control pedal 10, depending on the driver's physical conditions and preferences. To add a driver seat adjustment function, the adjustment assembly of the present invention is connected to the control pedal 10. The control pedal 10 generally includes a pedal arm 20 and a pad 22.

The pedal arm 20 is generally connected to a frame member 14 located below the dashboard (not shown) of the car such that the pedal arm 20 is rotated away from the driver. The pedal arm 20 is attached to the frame member 14 by a pivot pin 24, which is shown as a threaded fastener with a split pin 26 to secure the pivot pin 24 against loosening in the frame member 14. It may also be advantageous to use a rotatable bushing (not shown) in combination with a rotatable pin 24 to reduce friction between the pedal arm 20 and the frame member 14.

Pedal arm 20 is generally held in a forward position due to the deflection of the main pump pusher 34, which is usually deflected towards the passenger compartment of the car, by a spring (not shown) of the main pump 12.

Pedal arm 20 can also be tilted towards the pusher 34 by a suitable helical spring (not shown) so as to maintain a forced connection between pedal arm 20 and the pusher 34. The pusher 34 is axially movable driving a piston (not shown) of the main pump 12, to selectively turn on or off the car brakes or clutch respectively.

Generally, the pusher 34 is pivotally connected directly to the pedal arm 20 by means of a pin that passes through both the pedal arm 20 and the eye 36 located at the end of the pusher 34. However, as can be seen in Figs. 1-3, the pedal arm 20 according to the invention is indirectly actuated by pusher 34 and cam 28. Cam 28 is pivotally connected to the eye 36 of the pusher 34 by means of a rotatable pin 42 such that the axis of rotation of the cam coincides with the axis of the rotatable pin 42 and the eye 36. The rotatable pin 42 can be attached to the cam by means of suitable elements such as nut 16 and split pin 18.

168 510

The cam 28 is preferably disk-shaped with a cam profile 30 disposed on an outer surface radially outwardly from the cam rotation axis 32. As can be seen more clearly in Fig. 2, the cam profile 30 forms a significant portion of the outer surface of the cam so that the cam 28 can be rotated up to 180 °, continuously operating within the cam profile 30. The cam profile 30 remains displaceable relative to the cam surface 38 located on the front surface of the pedal arm 20. The rotation of the cam 28 causes the pedal arm 20 to rotate forward and backward, depending on the direction of rotation of the cam.

The speed of rotation of the pedal arm 20 is also determined by the cam profile 30. Depending on the desired control parameters by which the pedal arm 20 is adjustable relative to the driver's seat, the cam profile 30 may be radially spaced from the cam rotation axis 32 so as to cause a constant rotation speed pedal arm 20 given by constant cam rotation speed 28. Alternatively, the cam profile 30 may be shaped to provide a rotation speed that varies with the rotation of the pedal arm 20 providing a more accurate positioning of the pedal arm 20 when the rotation speed of the pedal arm is lower.

As can be better seen in Figs. 1 and 3, the position of the cam 28 relative to the pedal arm 20 is maintained by a rotary link 40 which is located between the cam rotation axis 32 and the pedal arm pin 20 as a pin 24. Preferably the rotary link 40 is attached. pivotally at its upper end to the frame member 14 with the pin 24 so as to pass along the side of the pedal arm 20. The lower end of the rotatable connector 40 may be connected to the cam 28 of the rotatable pin 42 coinciding with the cam rotation axis 32. As a result, the rotatable connector 40 ensures that the cam 28 will remain in contact with the cam surface 38 of the pedal arm 20. As a result of the bias of the pusher 34, the cam contact profile 30 of the cam 28 can be maintained at all times forcibly contact with the surface 38 of the pedal arm 20 to provide a forced mechanical interaction between them. As previously noted, a coil spring (not shown) can also be used to either exert pressure on the pedal arm 20 to bias this pedal arm 20 to the cam 28, or to apply pressure to the rotatable link 40 to bias the cam 28 to the pedal arm 20 . In addition, the rotatable connector 40 protects the cam 28 against rotation when changing the position of the follower eye 36, and hence the follower 34 relative to the main pump 12. Accordingly, articulation of the pusher 34 is avoided when making adjustment of the pedal arm 20 by the cam 28.

As shown in Figs. 1-3, rotation of the cam 28 is preferably achieved by means of a drive motor 44 which actuates the rod or propeller 46 pivotally coupled to the cam 28. Although any suitable type of engine 44 can be used, it is preferred that Cabs for car passengers use an electric motor that produces minimal noise. As shown, the drive motor 44 can be articulated directly to the pedal arm 20 via the pivot pin 50 and can be held by a C-shaped clamp 54 The rod is preferably a propeller 46 that is rotated by the motor 44. The propeller 46 is connected rotatably with cam 28 through a rotatable pin 48 connected to this cam 28. The propeller 46 is seated through a thread in a threaded hole 52 (Fig. 3) made in the pivot pin 48, which hole is located perpendicular to the axis of the pin 48. Thus, when the propeller 46 is rotated by the motor 44, the pivot pin 48 is driven up or down along the propeller 46 depending on the direction of rotation of this screws.

As the rotary pin 48 moves along the propeller 46, the cam 28 is forced to rotate about the axis 32 causing the pedal arm 20 to rotate relative to the cam rotation axis 32 and the follower eye 36.

A significant advantage of the adjusting device according to the present invention is that by selectively starting the motor 44, the cam 28 can be rotated to select the optimal position of the pedal arm 20 depending on the needs of the driver. As a result, he can not only adjust the position of his seat relative to the control pedal 10, but he can also adjust the position of the pedal 10 to ensure optimal comfort. The use of the invention can significantly simplify the mechanisms for adjusting the pon10 seat

168 510 the matter of adjusting the seat to reach the pedals no longer needs to be considered. The control pedal according to the invention will be rotatably adjustable relative to the seat. In addition, when all the control pedals of the car, namely the brake, clutch and accelerator pedals are provided with the setting device according to the invention, each control pedal can be set individually or jointly to ensure optimal positioning of the control pedals depending on specific physical conditions the driver. The control pedals 10 can be set independently or for each control pedal 10, the motors 44 can be controlled by a single electronic device (not shown) which sets the individual control pedals 10 according to a single signal given by the driver. Under certain circumstances, a single motor 44 may be used to rotate the cams 28, each of which is intended for an individual control pedal 10. Advantageously, the control of the drive motor 44, and thus the setting of each control pedal 10 can be arranged in a way accessible to the driver on the vehicle's dashboard.

Another important advantage of the present invention is that there is always a rigid connection ensuring the forced transfer of movement between the pedal arm 20 and the main pump pusher 34 without the need for a large additional structure. The cam 28 is pivotally connected to the pusher 34 so that it is rigidly connected to the pedal arm 20 either by deflecting the pusher 34 or additionally by a helical spring that presses the pedal arm 20 against the cam 28.

In addition, the cam rotation axis 32 coincides with the pusher eye axis 36 and is held at a predetermined distance from the pivot pin 24 of the pedal arm 20 by the pivoting connector 40, so that the cam 28 and the pusher 34 are properly held relative to the pedal arm 20 while maintaining a constantly favorable mechanical transmission. There is also no movement of the pusher 34 relative to the main pump 12 when adjusting the control pedal 10, thereby preventing the control pedals from being adjusted to cause a partial actuation of the device that controls this setting.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it is obvious that other forms may be made by a person skilled in the art. For example, cam 28 may be steered by another suitable device ensuring that the pusher 34 is forcibly actuated by the control pedal 10 regardless of the setting of this control pedal 10. In addition, other means for rotating cam 28 can be easily customized by one skilled in the art to achieve the described control pedal setting.

168 510

<img file="PL168510B1_D0001.tif" />

168 510

ΙΟ \

<img file="PL168510B1_D0002.tif" />

<img file="PL168510B1_D0003.tif" />

UP Department of Publications. Circulation of 90 copies Price PLN 1.50