EP1217492B1

EP1217492B1 - Adjustable pedal for motor-vehicles

Info

Publication number: EP1217492B1
Application number: EP01125112A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Renato Cavaglia'
Original assignee: Sistemi Comandi Meccanici SCM SpA
Current assignee: Sistemi Comandi Meccanici SCM SpA
Priority date: 2000-12-20
Filing date: 2001-10-23
Publication date: 2008-01-02
Anticipated expiration: 2021-10-23
Also published as: EP1217492A2; DE60132165T2; ITTO20001190A0; IT1321125B1; EP1217492A3; DE60132165D1; ITTO20001190A1

Description

The present invention refers to an adjustable pedal for motor-vehicles. More in particular the invention refers to the structure of a pedal for motor vehicles, the position of the pedal being adjustable so that maximum comfort is provided to drivers of any height.
Motor vehicles are generally provided with pedals adapted to control acceleration, braking and engagement of the clutch. Said pedals generally consist of an arm which is rotatably supported by a bracket which is placed at floor level, a connection means between the accelerator, the brakes or the clutch and the arm of the pedal, and a footboard connected to end of the arm of the pedal which is not articulated in order to allow the driver to push the arm itself
Adjustment of the position of the pedals becomes necessary in order to achieve the best possible driving position for drivers of different size.
In order to adjust the position the driver seat is generally moved yet, should the driver be tall, this solution implies that the space for passengers sitting on the backseat is reduced.
In order to overcome this drawback, pedals have been produced the position of which can be adjusted in the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle.
Said devices are known, for example, from patent US 3,643,524 , or from EP 0,363,546 .
However, the devices shown in said patents are quite complex, and the sliding systems for the arm of the pedal need high smoothness and therefore continuous maintenance in order to ensure efficiency. This leads to an increase in general maintenance costs.
Another problem is to be found in the fact that pedals normally used are realised by coupling a metal shell and a plastic mesh. These pedals are more economical and especially lighter so that fuel consumption is lower. However, their arm is considerably longer than that of metal pedals, so that adjustment systems are required that can fit in without occupying additional space in places where space is not always available. Another known device is the one presented in patent US-A-5,460,061 which relates to a control pedal apparatus and particularly to adjustment means for selectively adjusting the position of one or more of the control pedals of a motor vehicle. However said means are intended to adjust pedals in two direction and therefore are again quite complex and not easy to disassemble in case of troubles. Furthermore the arm of the pedal is made of full metal.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a structure for an adjustable pedal that overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks, providing optimum adjustment allowing the achievement of the best possible driving position.
Said object is achieved by means of a structure of a pedal presenting the characteristics set forth in claim 1.
The present invention will become more clear from the following detailed description referring to the appended drawings of a preferred embodiment, provided as non restrictive illustration of the invention, and in which:

figure 1 is a perspective view of the pedal according to the invention,
figure 2 is a partially sectioned side view of the pedal in figure 1, and
figure 3 is a section view of a part of the pedal in figure 2, along line II-II.

With reference to the figures, reference number 1 indicates the structure of an adjustable pedal in the position according to the present invention.
This structure generally includes a U-shaped bracket, consisting of a base and two side walls 3 (partially visible in figure 3). The base is connected by known means to the bodywork of the motor-vehicle at a place under the dashboard a little above the floor. On the side walls of the bracket 3 the arm of the brake pedal is pivoted by means of an axle 5 at the upper end opposite to the end supporting the footboard. Said end consists of a body 10 the shape of which is that of a hollow parallelepiped, with no upper and lower wall and the larger walls of which 12 extend in order to joint the arm of the pedal itself. The section of the pedal is U-shaped and its walls are connected to the larger side of said parallelepiped while the width of its base is equal to one of the shorter sides 13 of the parallelepiped, which forms also its extension.
Inside the body 10 there is an elongated element 15 serving as support and guide to the arm of the pedal. The axle 5 is slidingly located into a pair of holes 20 made on each one of the longer walls 12 of the parallelepiped, parallel to its longer axis. A toothed lead 22 is fixed at the two smaller walls 13 of the body 10, the axle being included in the vertical middle plane of the parallelepiped and higher than the holes 20. The element 15 presents a cylindrical seat 23 formed by a bush 23a, adapted to make it slide along the lead 22. Besides, a seat 24 tangent to the cylindrical seat 23 is present on its upper part, inside said seat being placed a worm screw 25 controlled by means of flexible transmission 26 which becomes engaged with the lead 22. There are also a transversal through hole 26, where the axle of rotation 5 is inserted, and a snap seat 28 adapted to fast snap a push rod 29 of a service for the motor vehicle, for example a servo brake.
The U-shape of the arm and the parallelepiped shape 10 of the upper terminal body, allow to define a closed space equivalent to the size of the arm of the pedal which can then house the connection and adjustment devices, protecting them from possible impacts and reducing the overall dimensions of the structure.
With the structure of the pedal of the invention the brakes and/or clutch and/or accelerator will be controlled through the rotation, according to the arrow A in figure 2, of the whole arm 7 on the axle 5, as a consequence of a power applied by the driver on the footboard 8, with the following displacement of the rod 29, due to the thrust of the body 15. Being integral with to the arm 7 by means of the lead 22, it will rotate on the axle 5 together with the arm 7. The adjustment of the position of the footboard 8 of the pedal in relationship to the support 3 will be achieved by means of the flexible transmission 26, controlled, for example, by an electrical engine, acting on the worm screw 25 in order to screw or unscrew it to make the arm 7 and its parallelepiped part 10 slide forward or backward on the holes 20, thus moving the footboard 8 of the pedal in relationship to the seat of the driver.

Claims

Structure of a pedal for motor vehicles, adjustable in its position and realised by coupling a metal shell with a plastic mesh, said structure consisting of an arm (7) rotatably connected to a support (3) held by fixed parts of the motor vehicle, said arm including a footboard connected at the free end of said ann (7) in order to allow the driver to operate it, means adapted to adjust the position of said arm, characterised in that the end of the arm (7), which is not connected to the footboard, consists of a hollow body (10) in the shape of an elongated parallelepiped, the longer lateral walls (12) of which extend in order to joint rotatably the arm (7) to the support (3) and an elongated element (15), which is connected to a push rod (29) of a servo brake of the motor vehicle, is located inside said body (10), wherein the elongated element (15) is rotatably integral with the hollow body (10), and wherein the hollow body (10) is translatable along its longer axis through means including a lead-worm screw controlled by the driver in order to vary its position in relationship to said elongated element (15).
Structure of a pedal as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the means controlled by the driver which are intended to translate said hollow body (10) in relationship to the elongated element (15), are contained inside said hollow body (10).
Structure of a pedal as claimed in claim 1 and 2, characterised in that the means intended to translate said hollow body (10) in relationship to the elongated element (15), consist of a lead (22) integral with the body (10) and coaxial with its longer axis on which there is slidingly placed, by means of a hole (23), the element (15) with a worm screw (25) adapted to become engaged with said lead so that, when the screw (25) rotates, the element (15) moves along the lead (22).
Structure of a pedal as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the arm (7) of the pedal rotates around an axle of rotation (5) which passes through the element (15), wherein the longer lateral walls (12) of the hollow body (10) are provided with slot-shaped holes (20) extending parallel to the longer axis of the hollow body (10), and wherein the axle (5) is placed slidably within the holes (20) allowing for translation of the body (10) in relation to the axle (5).
Structure of a pedal as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the worm screw is controlled by means of a flexible control.