EP1365303B1

EP1365303B1 - Pedal adjustment mechanism

Info

Publication number: EP1365303B1
Application number: EP03380115A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Fernando Burguera Albizuri; Krzyztof B. Narewski
Original assignee: Batz SCL
Current assignee: Batz SCL
Priority date: 2002-05-22
Filing date: 2003-05-13
Publication date: 2008-02-06
Anticipated expiration: 2023-05-13
Also published as: ES2204286A1; EP1365303A1; ES2204286B1; DE60318973T2; ES2298487T3; ATE385583T1; DE60318973D1

Abstract

"Pedal adjustment mechanism for vehicles, comprising a pedal (1) that pivots around a rotation axis (3) and acts on a rod (9) of an actuator, a support element (2) rotatably joined to said rotation axis (3) and linked to said pedal (1) by a sliding pin and slot connection, an action arm (4) linked to the rod (9) by a sliding pin and slot connection, said action arm (4) having an axis (20), and rotatably joined to a shaft (21) of the support element (2), and linked to the pedal (1) by a sliding pin and slot connection, and also comprising a mechanism (5,6,7,8) for adjusting the distance between the rotation axis (3) and the axis (20) of the support element (2), the position of pedal (1) being adjusted by the regulation of said distance." <IMAGE>

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention refers to vehicle pedals and, more specifically, to mechanisms for adjusting the position of the pedals.

PRIOR ART

Mechanisms for adjusting pedals to facilitate the use of a vehicle by persons of different physical constitution are known (see eg. EP-A-0 410 815 which is considered to be the closest prior art). In the usual case of vehicles with pedals in fixed position, the user must adapt to the vehicle, generally moving the seat until it is placed in a position allowing him to make good use of the pedals. Said position is often not the most adequate, particularly for small of stature people, who tend to remain in a position which is too low, impairing the visibility of the surroundings, and too close to the steering wheel and other controls, interfering with their correct use, and also representing greater potential danger in case of a collision.
Adjustment of the position of the pedals helps to adapt the vehicle to the user, not the reverse, so that the driver can place himself in the optimal position in terms of visibility, use of the controls and safety, adapting the pedal position subsequently to that optimal position.
Pedal adjustment mechanisms exist based on dividing the pedal assembly in two: a first part joined to the rotating axis and also to the actuator rod (a brake booster if it is a brake pedal and a clutch if it is a clutch pedal), the position of which does not change during the adjustment process, and a second part, including the pedal shoe which moves in relation to the first part during the adjustment process. US 6,205,883 B1 describes a pedal adjustment mechanism of this kind. Said mechanism includes a guide secured to the fixed part of the pedal assembly on which the moving part is displaced for adjusting the position of the pedal shoe.
Systems are also known based on articulated mechanisms where, for adjusting the pedal position, the position of the pedal axis or of the actuator, or both positions, are changed. US 5,855,143 for example describes a pedal adjustment mechanism with a plurality of rods forming a parallelogram. Adjustment of said parallelogram varies the position of the pedal shoe and, simultaneously, the position of the pedal rotation axis.
There are also systems not based on articulated rods, where the connection with the actuator is displaced during the pedal position adjustment. US 5,351,573 discloses a pedal adjustment mechanism which includes a cam which alters the distance between the pedal and the actuator so that, during the adjustment, the pedal shoe is made to turn on the axis by variation of said distance. The distance between said shoe and the rotation axis is the same for all the adjustment positions.
US 6,301,993 B1 discloses a pedal mechanism that includes a support element joined to the rotation axis and the rod of the corresponding actuator and, inside said support element, there is a threaded shaft into which the end of the pedal is screwed. When said shaft is rotated, the pedal is displaced longitudinally and, in this way, it is possible to adjust the pedal shoe in the position required. The distance between the actuator rod and the rotation axis is always the same, irrespective of the position to which the pedal shoe is adjusted.
US 6,289,761 B1 describes a pedal adjustment mechanism including a support element joined to the pedal rotation axis, and a pedal formed by an upper and by a lower section joined by a sliding pin and slot connection. Said support element has a screw threaded on to a nut connected to the lower section of the pedal so that, by turning said screw, the lower section is displaced, the shoe being adjusted in the chosen position. On brake or clutch pedals, the support element is connected to the rod of the corresponding actuator.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide a pedal adjustment mechanism for a vehicle enabling it to be adapted for use by drivers of very varied physical constitution.
Another object of the invention is to provide a pedal adjustment mechanism in which there is a consistency between the impression received by the user on pressing the pedal in all the positions to which the pedal can be adjusted. This means that the force applied by the user on pressing the pedal and the pedal run must be similar in all the pedal adjustment positions. With the mechanism of the invention, this objective is achieved by making the distance between the pedal shoe and the rotation axis, and the distance between the point of connection of the pedal assembly with the actuator rod and said rotation axis, maintain a similar or identical proportion for all the pedal adjustment positions.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a pedal adjustment mechanism with which the position of the pedal rotation axis and the position of the actuator rod do not change during the pedal adjustment process. In this way, said mechanism can easily replace a conventional fixed pedal where both the positions of the rotation shaft and of the actuator rod are fixed. Accordingly, it is only necessary to define in advance the specifications which must be met (the rotation axis position, the actuator rod position, the range of shoe positions, etc.) and embodiment the mechanism of the invention according to said specifications.
Another object of the invention is to provide a pedal adjustment mechanism which is flexible and adaptable to different ergonomic requirements, and which can be designed so that a given pedal shoe displacement in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle corresponds to a given displacement of that shoe in the vertical direction. This means that it can be used in different types of vehicles.
The pedal adjustment mechanism of the invention comprises the features of claim 1.
The combined use of the support element, the action arm and the pedal according to the invention makes it possible to obtain a pedal adjustment mechanism with the characteristics described above. Those characteristics and other additional characteristics will become clear from the detailed disclosure of the invention and from the figures provided.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a profile view of an embodiment of the adjustment mechanism of the invention in its two end adjustment positions.
FIG. 2 is a profile view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 in its most retracted adjustment position.
FIG. 3 is a profile view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 in its most extended adjustment position.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is another perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, from another angle.
FIG. 6 is a perspective of the exploded view of the mechanism of the embodiment of FIG. 1.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the regulation mechanism by which the pedal is adjusted.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 9 is a perspective of the exploded view of the embodiment of FIG. 8.
FIG. 10 is a profile view of a third embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 11 is a profile view of a fourth embodiment of the invention in its most retracted adjustment position.
FIG. 12 is a profile view of the embodiment of FIG. 11 in its most extended adjustment position.

DETAILED DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

In the embodiment of figures 1 to 5, the pedal adjustment mechanism of the invention comprises a pedal 1 which pivots around a rotation axis 3 and acts on the rod 9 of an actuator, and a support element 2 which is able to turn and which is joined to said rotation axis 3 and to said pedal 1 by a sliding pin and slot connection. The mechanism of the invention includes an action arm 4 linked to the rod 9 by a sliding pin and slot connection. Said action arm 4 has an axis 20 and is rotatably connected to a shaft 21 on the support element 2, and linked to the pedal 1 by a sliding pin and slot connection. The mechanism also includes a regulating mechanism (not shown in figures 1 to 3) for the distance between the rotation axis 3 and axis 20. The position of pedal 1 is adjusted by the regulation of said distance.
Figure 1 shows the pedal adjustment mechanism in its two end positions. It can be seen that the proportion between the distance between the shoe 22 and the rotation axis 3 and the distance between axis 20 and the rotation axis 3 is the same in the most retracted adjustment position (shown with solid line) and in the most extended adjustment position (shown with dotted line).
When the shoe 22 turns through an angle A in relation to the rotation axis 3, the support element 2 also turns through an angle of A in relation to said rotation axis 3, since both parts turn together.
On the other hand, it can be seen in figure 1 that, during the adjustment, a movement of rotation of the shoe 22 in relation to the rotation axis 3 is combined with a linear displacement movement of said shoe 22 in relation to said rotation axis 3. The linear displacement of shoe 22 in relation to the rotation axis 3 and so in relation to the support element 2 is obtained by making use of the movement of the action arm 4. In this embodiment, the movement from one of the end positions to the other end position combines a rotation movement through an angle A with the linear displacement L of the shoe 22 in relation to the rotation axis 3.
The invention makes possible to develop embodiments in which a rotation movement corresponds to a given linear displacement, depending on the characteristics required. In addition, the path followed by the shoe 22 during the adjustment process can be linear or curvilinear. The form of the slot in the sliding pin and slot connection between action arm 4 and the rod 9 will be what determines the form of the path followed by the shoe 22 during its adjustment.
Figure 7 shows the mechanism for the regulation of the distance between the rotation axis 3 and axis 20. Said mechanism includes a screw 5, an adjustment support 7 rotatably joined to the rotation axis 3, and a nut 6 rotatably joined to the axis 20 (shown in figure 4). The screw 5 (whose thread is not shown, in order to simplify the drawing) is rotatably housed in said adjustment support 7, the head 16 of said screw 5 resting on said adjustment support 7, and the nut 6 is threaded into said screw 5. As a result, turning the screw 5 causes a linear displacement of the nut 6, and so of the axis 20. The linear displacement of axis 20 in relation to the rotation axis 3 draws the path marked in figure 1. The head 16 of screw 5 prevents said screw 5 from sliding axially on adjustment support 7 in one direction. Another stop is required, not shown in the figures, on screw 5 on the other side of the adjustment support 7, preventing the axial displacement in the opposite direction.
The user transmits the rotation movement to the screw 5 through a cable 8. Said cable 8 can be operated from the exterior, either electrically or manually. Screw 5 can also be driven by a motor directly connected to said screw 5.
As shown in figure 5, the rod 9 has on its end a part 23 that incorporates a slot 14 and, housed in said slot 14, a pin 15 connected to the action arm 4. During the process for adjusting the pedal 1, said pin 15 slides in said slot 14. In this embodiment, said slot 14 is straight, but curvilinear slots can be used to obtain different paths for the shoe 22 between the end adjustment positions.
The action arm 4 has a slot 12 in which a pin 13 is housed linked to the pedal 1. In the embodiments in figures 1 to 6, said slot 12 is straight, but can be curvilinear. The form of said slot 12 determines the proportion of the distances between the shoe 22 and the rotation axis 3, and between the axis 20 and the rotation axis 3. The pedal 1 in this embodiment has two slots 10 and, housed in each, there is a pin 11 connected to the support element 2.
Figures 7 and 8 show a second embodiment of the invention. In said embodiment, in respect of the sliding connection and the pin between the support element 2 and the pedal 1, it is the support element 2 that has two slots 17, in each of which a pin 18 is housed, connected to the pedal 1. Choice of this second embodiment or of the first embodiment described depends on the specific characteristics of the vehicle where the adjustment mechanism is to be installed, taking account of possible interference between the adjustment mechanism and other components of the vehicle.
Figure 10 shows a third embodiment of the invention, based on the second embodiment, in which slot 12 of the action arm 4 is curvilinear. The curve given to said slot 12 makes it possible to regulate the proportion of the distances between the shoe 22 and the rotation axis 3, and between the axis 20 and the rotation axis 3 for various adjustment positions.
Figures 11 and 12 show a fourth embodiment of the invention, based on the third embodiment. In this fourth embodiment, as in the previous one, the slot 12 of the action arm 4 is curvilinear. In this case, the pin 13 is connected to the pedal 1 in a position closer to the upper end of said pedal 1. The form of the slot 12 of the action arm 4 has been adapted according to this new position of pin 13.
In the embodiments described, pin 13 connected to pedal 1 is placed in a given position, but some other position could have been chosen on the surface of the pedal 1, with the adaptation of the slot 12 of the action arm 4 according to the position chosen for the pin 13. Similarly, the axis 20 connected to the action arm 4 could have been situated in some other different position of the action arm 4.

Claims

A pedal adjustment mechanism for a vehicle comprising
a pedal (1) which pivots around a first rotation axis (3) and which acts on a rod (9) of an actuator, said pedal (1) comprising a shoe (22),

a support element (2) rotatably joined to said first rotation axis (3), and linked to said pedal (1) by at least one sliding pin and slot connections (10, 11, 17, 18),

an action arm (4) rotatably joined to said support element (2) about a first shaft (21), said action arm (4) being linked to the pedal (1) by a sliding pin and slot connection (12, 13), and

a regulation mechanism (5,6,7,8) for adjusting the position of said pedal (1),
characterised in that

the action arm (4) comprises a second axis (20) and said action arm (4) is adapted to be linked to the end of the rod (9) by a sliding pin and slot connection (14, 15),

the regulation mechanism (5, 6, 7, 8) regulating the distance between the first rotation axis (3) and the second axis (20), and the position of pedal (1) being adjusted by the regulation of said distance,

said pedal (1) being adjustable between two end positions for which the proportion between a first distance between the shoe (22) and the rotation axis (3) and a second distance between the second axis (20) and the rotation axis (3) is the same.
A pedal adjustment mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said regulation mechanism (5,6,7,8) includes a screw (5), an adjustment support (7) rotatably joined to the rotation axis (3), said screw (5) being rotatably joined to said adjustment support (7), and a nut (6) rotatably joined to the second axis (20), said nut (6) being threaded into said screw (5) so that the rotation of said screw (5) causes the linear displacement of the second axis (20) in relation to the rotation axis (3).
Arrangement of a pedal adjustment mechanism according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the rod (9) has, at its end, a part (23) which includes a slot (14) substantially at right angles to said rod (9) and, housed in said slot (14), there is a pin (15) joined to the action arm (4).
A pedal adjustment mechanism according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the action arm (4) has a slot (12) in which a pin (13) connected to the pedal (1) is housed.
A pedal adjustment mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the slot (12) of the action arm (4) is straight.
A pedal adjustment mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the slot (12) of the action arm (4) is curvilinear.
A pedal adjustment mechanism according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the pedal (1) has at least one slot (10) which houses at least one pin (11) connected to the support element (2).
A pedal adjustment mechanism according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the support element (2) has at least one slot (17) which houses at least one pin (18) connected to the pedal (1).