DE102018210481A1 - Pedal device with a footrest - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a pedal device (1, 14) with a footrest (2, 15) for actuation by means of a foot and with a transmission device (7) for transmitting an actuation signal generated on the basis of the actuation of the footrest (2, 15) to a vehicle device (8 ). In order to enable an adjustment and / or displacement of the footrest (2, 15), the pedal device (1, 14) is characterized in that the footrest (2, 15) can be either in an operating position or in by means of an adjusting device (6, 17) can be arranged in a rest position.

Description

The invention relates to a pedal device with a footrest for actuation by means of a foot and with a transmission device for transmitting an actuation signal generated on the basis of the actuation of the footrest to a vehicle device.

A pedal device of the type mentioned at the outset can be used or installed in a motor vehicle, in particular a passenger motor vehicle. The pedal device can provide and / or design a brake pedal, a clutch pedal or an accelerator pedal.

From the EP 1 010 595 B1 A pedal device with a footplate is known, a signal being detected by means of a rotation angle sensor of the pedal device, which signal is transmitted to a control device for controlling a vehicle engine.

The disadvantage here is that the pedal device as such is not adjustable. In particular in an autonomous driving mode of a motor vehicle, the pedal device is not necessary and unnecessarily reduces a footwell of the motor vehicle.

The object underlying the invention is to further develop a pedal device of the type mentioned at the outset in such a way that an adjustment and / or displacement of the footrest is made possible. The space requirement for the pedal device can preferably be reduced. In particular, an alternative embodiment is to be provided.

The object underlying the invention is achieved with a pedal device according to claim 1. Preferred developments of the invention can be found in the subclaims and in the description below.

According to this, a pedal device with a footrest for actuation by means of a foot, in particular an operator, is proposed. The pedal device has a transmission device. Here, the transmission device is designed to transmit an actuation signal generated on the basis of the actuation of the footrest to a vehicle device. The vehicle device can be a braking force generating device, a brake booster, a coupling device and / or a vehicle engine. Depending on the intended use, the pedal device can thus be designed as a brake pedal device, a clutch pedal device and / or an accelerator pedal device. Furthermore, the footrest can be arranged either in an operating position or in a rest position by means of an adjusting device.

It is advantageous here that the footrest itself can be optionally arranged in the operating position or in the rest position by means of the adjusting device, in particular depending on the driving mode of the motor vehicle. The adjustment device is preferably connected directly to the footrest. In particular, a pedal lever can be dispensed with in the pedal device according to the invention. There is therefore no need for a pedal lever on which the footrest is arranged. By dispensing with a pedal lever, which is preferably pivotally mounted, the installation space requirement can already be considerably reduced.

In particular in connection with autonomously driving motor vehicles, it is desirable to be able to arrange the pedal device or the footrest either in an operating position or in a rest position. In this case, the motor vehicle or the footrest can be operated by the operator in the operating position, while the motor vehicle runs autonomously in the rest position of the footrest and no operation is carried out by the operator. The pedal device and / or the footrest is preferably displaced in the rest position in comparison to the operating position, so that the footwell is enlarged. For such an adjustment of the pedal device and / or the footrest, a corresponding design of the pedal device is necessary, which is realized in the present case by means of a suitable adjusting device.

The footrest is preferably arranged in the operating position for actuating the footrest. Thus, when the footrest is in the operating position, it can be reached and actuated by the operator for actuation by means of a foot. In particular, the footrest is arranged in the rest position to enlarge a free foot space. Here, the footrest can be arranged in the rest position such that it can no longer be operated by the operator. The footrest is preferably in the rest position in an autonomous driving mode of a motor vehicle and in the operating position in a manual driving mode of the motor vehicle. In the operating position, the footrest can assume different positions or states depending on an operation by the operator.

According to a further development, the adjustment device has a joint arrangement and / or a swivel joint. The joint arrangement and / or the swivel joint can be designed to selectively arrange the footrest in the operating position or in the rest position. In particular, the joint arrangement and / or the swivel joint is arranged on an end region of the footrest and / or on a structural component of the motor vehicle. The footrest can thus be connected to the structural component by means of the joint arrangement and / or the swivel joint be connected. The structural component of the motor vehicle can be designed as a bulkhead, a bearing block or a floor of the motor vehicle and / or a footwell of the motor vehicle.

The adjustment device can be designed to be controllable and / or regulatable. In particular, a control device is provided for this. This control device can be designed as a separate device or as part of the adjusting device. The adjustment device can preferably be driven by means of a drive. The drive can be designed as an electric motor. Furthermore, the adjustment device can have a translation or translation mechanism.

According to a further embodiment, which is also conceivable independently of the present application, the adjusting device is designed for filling and / or emptying the footrest with respect to a filling medium. In this embodiment, the footrest can be filled with a filling medium and / or emptied from the filling medium. In particular, the filling medium is designed as a fluid. The adjustment device is preferably designed for hydraulic or pneumatic filling and / or emptying of the footrest.

The footrest can be designed as a, in particular foldable, hollow body. The footrest or the hollow body thus has an interior space which can be filled with the filling medium or emptied with respect to the filling medium. The footrest or the hollow body is preferably arranged in the operating position due to the filling of this hollow body with the filling medium and due to the hollow body being emptied in the rest position. In the operating position, the hollow body can be designed like a plate. On the other hand, the hollow body can be compressed, folded or rolled up in the rest position. In particular, the compression, folding or rolling of the hollow body occurs automatically or automatically when the hollow body is emptied or the filling medium is removed, sucked off or pumped out of the hollow body. The adjusting device can have a suitably designed pump for filling and / or emptying the hollow body.

According to an embodiment which is also conceivable independently and independently of the present application, the footrest is assigned a sensor device for detecting the actuation of the footrest and / or for detecting the actuation signal. In particular, the sensor device in the operating position of the footrest serves to detect the actuation and / or the actuation signal.

The sensor device can be designed in the area of the adjusting device, as a component of the adjusting device or as a device separate from the adjusting device. In particular, the detected actuation signal can be evaluated by means of the sensor device.

The sensor device can be designed to detect an angle of rotation of the footrest, in particular in the operating position of the footrest. In the operating position, the footrest can be pivoted when actuated by the operator due to the joint arrangement and / or the swivel joint. Here, a maximum pivotability or a maximum angle of rotation of the footrest in the operating position can be specified. In particular, due to the maximum angle of rotation in the operating position, pivoting or rotating the footrest into the rest position is prevented or blocked. This ensures that the footrest for the operator can be reached and actuated reliably and / or comfortably in all operating positions or operating states of the footrest in the operating position of the footrest. The actuation signal can be transmitted to the transmission device and / or the vehicle device on the basis of and / or after an evaluation of the detected rotation angle. For this purpose, the pedal device can have a suitably designed evaluation device.

According to a further embodiment, the sensor device is designed to detect a pressure force and / or a torque on the footrest. In particular, the footrest is held stationary in the operating position. A displacement of the footrest upon actuation by the operator in the operating position is thus prevented or blocked. The actuation signal can be transmitted to the transmission device and / or the vehicle device on the basis of an evaluation of the detected pressure force and / or the detected torque. Here, the evaluation can be carried out by means of a suitably designed evaluation device.

The footrest can, preferably in the operating position and / or in the rest position, be designed as a footplate or plate-like. In particular in the operating position, the footrest has a plate-like contour.

According to a further development, a reset device is assigned to the footrest. By means of the reset device, the footrest can be moved back to its starting position when actuated in the operating position. As soon as the operator lifts his foot from the footrest, the resetting device can automatically reset the footrest to the starting position respectively. In particular, the starting position corresponds to an operating position of the footrest in the operating position and without the intervention of the operator.

A force feedback can preferably be implemented by means of the reset device when the footrest is actuated in the operating position. Such a force feedback can also be referred to as force feedback. A brake pressure can be simulated in this way. The resetting device can be designed as a spring device, in particular as a compression spring.

• 1 eine schematische Seitenansicht einer ersten erfindungsgemäßen Pedaleinrichtung in einer Betriebsposition,
• 2 eine schematische Seitenansicht der ersten erfindungsgemäßen Pedaleinrichtung in einer Ruheposition,
• 3 eine schematische Seitenansicht einer zweiten erfindungsgemäßen Pedaleinrichtung in einer Betriebsposition,
• 4 eine schematische Seitenansicht der zweiten erfindungsgemäßen Pedaleinrichtung in einer Ruheposition, und
• 5 eine schematische Seitenansicht einer weiteren erfindungsgemäßen Pedaleinrichtung wahlweise in einer Ruheposition (schneckenartig zusammengerollt) oder in einer Betriebsposition (siehe gestrichelte Darstellung).

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the figures. Here, the same reference numerals refer to the same, similar or functionally identical components or elements. Show it:

• 1 2 shows a schematic side view of a first pedal device according to the invention in an operating position,
• 2 2 shows a schematic side view of the first pedal device according to the invention in a rest position,
• 3 2 shows a schematic side view of a second pedal device according to the invention in an operating position,
• 4 is a schematic side view of the second pedal device according to the invention in a rest position, and
• 5 is a schematic side view of another pedal device according to the invention either in a rest position (rolled up like a screw) or in an operating position (see dashed line).

1 shows a schematic side view of a first pedal device according to the invention 1 in an operating position. The pedal device 1 has a footrest 2 on. In this embodiment, the footrest 2 formed as a rigid base plate. The footrest 2 has an end area 3 , At the end area 3 is a joint arrangement 4 arranged. The joint arrangement 4 is realized here as a swivel joint. By means of the joint arrangement 4 is the footrest 2 pivoted or rotatably mounted. Furthermore, the footrest 2 by means of the joint arrangement 4 or with the interposition of the joint arrangement 4 to a structural component 5 arranged a motor vehicle. In this embodiment, the structural component 5 realized as a floor of a footwell.

The joint arrangement 4 is part of an adjustment device 6 , By means of the adjustment device 6 is the footrest 2 from the operating position shown here in the according 2 shown rest position or vice versa from the rest position 2 convertible into the operating position shown here.

In this embodiment, the hinge arrangement enables 4 also a predetermined or limited pivoting or rotation of the footrest in the operating position 2 due to operation by an operator. This allows the footrest 2 assume different operating positions in the operating position, in particular starting from an initial position.

Furthermore, the pedal device 1 a transmission device 7 on. By means of the transmission device 7 is due to an actuation of the footrest 2 generated actuation signal to a vehicle device 8th transferable. In the embodiment shown here, the pedal device 1 around a brake pedal device. The in-vehicle equipment is corresponding 8th configured here as an example of a braking force generating device.

The pedal device 1 has a sensor device 9 , The sensor device 9 is in the area of the adjustment device 6 or the joint arrangement 4 arranged. In this embodiment, the sensor device 9 for detecting an angle of rotation of the footrest 2 in the operating position of the footrest 2 educated. Based on an evaluation of the detected angle of rotation of the footrest 2 about an axis of rotation of the joint arrangement 4 is a corresponding actuation signal from the sensor device 9 by means of the transmission device 7 to the in-vehicle equipment 8th transferable.

Furthermore, the pedal device 1 in this embodiment, a reset device 10 on. Here is the reset facility 10 formed as a spring device or as a compression spring. By means of the reset device 10 is the footrest 2 after pressing the footrest 2 or after lifting an operator's foot off the footrest 2 automatically in the starting position of the footrest 2 traceable in the operating position.

2 shows a schematic side view of the first pedal device according to the invention 1 in a rest position. Compared to the operating position according to 1 is the footrest 2 in the rest position shown here away from an operator and in the direction of the structural component 5 pivoted. In this embodiment, the footrest 2 in the rest position parallel to the structural component 5 arranged. As a result, a footwell is increased in terms of its free accessibility. The reset device 10 is maximally compressed in the rest position. This allows the reset device 10 the adjustment device 6 when transferring the footrest 2 from the rest position to the operating position 1 support.

The operating position of the footrest 2 according to 1 is intended for a manual driving mode of a motor vehicle. In contrast, the rest position is in accordance 2 provided for an autonomous driving mode of the motor vehicle. Thus, the rotatable footrest 2 , if this is not required, can be folded flat and does not interfere in the footwell. Due to the use of the sensor device 9 for detecting an angle of rotation of the footrest 2 can send the actuation signal to the in-vehicle equipment without the use of further mechanical components 8th be passed on.

3 shows a schematic side view of a second pedal device according to the invention 11 , The same features as before have the same reference numerals. In this regard, reference is also made to the preceding description. The structure of the pedal device 11 partially corresponds to that of the pedal device 1 according to 1 and 2 ,

Unlike the 1 and 2 is the footrest 2 the pedal device 11 according to 3 held stationary in the operating position shown here. So the footrest 2 the pedal device 11 cannot be swiveled or rotated in the operating position. The joint arrangement 4 or the adjustment device 6 enables the pedal device 11 only positioning the footrest 2 either in the operating position shown here or in the according 4 shown rest position. Different operating positions in the operating position of the footrest 2 are not possible.

Furthermore, the pedal device 3 a sensor device 12 on. The sensor device 12 is for detecting a pressure force and / or a torque on the footrest 2 educated. In this embodiment, the sensor device 12 in the footrest 2 integrated. When the footrest is actuated 2 in the operating position shown here acts on the footrest 2 or the sensor device 12 a compressive force and / or a torque. This on the footrest held stationary in the operating position 2 acting force or a corresponding torque generated via the detection and / or evaluation of the sensor device 12 an actuation signal by means of the transmission device 7 on the in-vehicle equipment 8th is transferable.

Furthermore, the pedal device also has 11 a reset device 13 on. The reset device 13 is also realized in this embodiment as a spring device or as a compression spring. In this embodiment, the reset device supports 13 however only the transfer of the footrest 2 by means of the adjustment device 6 from the rest position to the operating position shown here.

4 shows a schematic side view of the second pedal device according to the invention 11 in the rest position. The rest position of the pedal device 11 corresponds to the rest position of the pedal device 1 according to 2 , In this regard, reference is also made to the preceding description.

5 shows a schematic side view of a further pedal device according to the invention 14 either in a rest position (rolled up like a snail) or in an operating position (see the dashed line). The same features as before have the same reference numerals. In this regard, reference is also made to the preceding description.

The pedal device 14 has a footrest 15 on. During the footrest 2 according to 1 to 4 is rigid, is the footrest 15 according to the pedal device shown here 14 than one with a filling medium 16 fillable hollow body formed. The filling medium 16 is designed as a fluid, for example a hydraulic fluid. The footrest 15 is made of a flexible material.

The hollow body or the footrest is in the operating position 15 with the filling medium 16 filled to form a plate-like shape. The filling medium can be used for this 16 with a predetermined filling pressure in the hollow body or the footrest 15 be pressed or pumped. The shape of the footrest 15 in the operating position is shown here in dashed lines. Here is the footrest 15 in the operating position with the filling medium 16 that filled the footrest 15 is sufficiently rigid for actuation by an operator.

In this embodiment there is also a reset device 10 intended. The reset device acts in the operating position 10 with the footrest 15 together. An actuation signal from the footrest 15 in the operating position, for example, by means of a sensor device 9 be recorded or determined. Here is the sensor device 9 exemplary for detecting an angle of rotation of the footrest 15 educated.

The pedal device 14 has an adjustment device 17 on. The adjustment device 17 has a pump, not shown here, for optional filling or emptying of the footrest 15 regarding the filling medium 16 ,

In this embodiment, the footrest 15 the pedal device 14 rolled up like a snail in the rest position. When emptying or pumping out the filling medium 16 from the footrest 15 the footrest is automatically compressed or rolled up 15 , As a result, the space requirement of the pedal device 14 considerably reduced in the rest position.

According to an alternative embodiment, the pedal device 14 be arranged so that the footrest 15 is completely removed from the footwell in the rest position, as exemplified by the structural component 5 ' is shown. The structural component 5 ' has an opening 18 through which the footrest extends 15 extends into the footwell in the operating position.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

pedal device

2

footrest

3

end

4

joint arrangement

5, 5 '

structural component

6

adjustment

7

transmission equipment

8th

vehicle equipment

9

sensor device

10

Reset device

11

pedal device

12

sensor device

13

Reset device

14

pedal device

15

footrest

16

filling medium

17

adjustment

18

opening

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent literature cited

• EP 1010595 B1 [0003]

Claims (10)

Pedal device with a footrest (2, 15) for actuation by means of a foot and with a transmission device (7) for transmitting an actuation signal generated on the basis of the actuation of the footrest (2, 15) to a vehicle device (8), characterized in that the footrest ( 2, 15) can be arranged either in an operating position or in a rest position by means of an adjusting device (6, 17). Pedal device after Claim 1 , characterized in that the footrest (2, 15) is arranged in the operating position for actuating the footrest (2, 15), in particular the footrest (2, 15) is arranged in the rest position to enlarge a free foot space, preferably the footrest (2, 15) cannot be actuated in the rest position. Pedal device after Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the footrest (2, 15) is in the autonomous driving mode of a motor vehicle in the rest position and in a manual driving mode of the motor vehicle in the operating position. Pedal device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the adjusting device (6, 17) has a joint arrangement (4) and / or a swivel joint for arranging the footrest (2, 15) in the operating position or in the rest position, in particular the joint arrangement (4) and / or the swivel joint on an end region (3) of the footrest (2, 15) and / or on a structural component (5, 5 ') of a motor vehicle, the adjustment device (6, 17) is preferably controllable and / or driven by a drive. Pedal device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the adjusting device (17) is designed for filling and / or emptying the footrest (15) with respect to a filling medium (16), in particular the adjusting device (17) is designed for hydraulic or penumatic filling and / or emptying the footrest (15). Pedal device after Claim 5 , characterized in that the footrest (15) is designed as a, in particular foldable, hollow body which is arranged in the operating position due to a filling of the hollow body with the filling medium (16) and due to an emptying of the hollow body in the rest position, preferably Hollow body in the operating position plate-like and / or in the rest position compressed, folded or rolled up. Pedal device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the footrest (2, 15) is assigned a sensor device (9, 12) for detecting the actuation of the footrest (2, 15) and / or the actuation signal, in particular in the operating position. Pedal device after Claim 7 , characterized in that the sensor device (9, 12) is designed to detect an angle of rotation of the footrest (2, 15), in particular in the operating position, the actuation signal is preferably based on an evaluation of the detected angle of rotation to the transmission device (7) and / or the vehicle device (8) can be transferred. Pedal device after Claim 7 , characterized in that the sensor device (9, 12) is designed to detect a pressure force and / or a torque on the footrest (2, 15), which is held stationary, in particular in the operating position, the actuation signal is preferably based on an evaluation of the detected pressure force and / or the detected torque can be transmitted to the transmission device (7) and / or the vehicle device (8). Pedal device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the footrest (2, 15) is assigned a reset device (13), the footrest (2, 15) by means of the reset device (13) returning to its starting position when actuated in the operating position is movable and / or a force feedback can be implemented, in particular the resetting device (13) is designed as a spring device.

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