FR2887836A1 - Locking element for connecting the end of a brake booster control rod to a pedal lever has base with central aperture and at least two flexible lugs - Google Patents

Abstract

The plastic locking element (15) for connecting a brake pedal metal pusher (14) to the spherical tip of a braking effort booster control rod in a motor vehicle consists of a base (24) designed to be fixed to the pusher, the base having a central hole (26) and at least two flexible lugs (27, 28) that move apart when the spherical tip is inserted and retract to hold it in place. Each of the lugs is extended by a flexible vane (38, 39) that guides the spherical tip towards the hole.

Description

The invention relates to a lock for securing a pusher which is attached to

  a flat part such as a motor vehicle brake pedal at a spherical end of a rod, such as a control rod.

  The invention is intended for a braking control as partially shown in exploded view in FIG. 1. Such a control 1 typically comprises a brake pedal 2 coupled to a control rod 3 via a pusher 4, this coupling being blocked by a lock 5.

  The control rod 3 typically actuates a brake amplifier piston, when a force is applied by the brake pedal on this rod to move it longitudinally towards the front of the vehicle.

  The mounting of such a command is performed by an operator who positions and first fixes a pedal on which the brake pedal is previously mounted, to a corresponding part of the vehicle called apron.

  After fixing the pedal to the deck, the operator secures the pusher of the brake pedal to a corresponding spherical end of the control rod, so that the control rod is linked in motion to the brake pedal. This control rod is mounted prior to the pedal and it protrudes from the deck to the vehicle interior.

  Other mounting procedures are possible, but they necessarily include a step of coupling the control rod with the pusher.

  This fastening is achieved by means of the latch 5 which is a plastic clip comprising flexible lugs, and which allows the operator to secure the pusher to the rod in a simple manner. Indeed, the attachment zone which is located between the brake pedal and the end of the control rod is very inaccessible once the pedal is fixed to the deck.

  In the known solution of FIG. 1, the pusher 4 is previously secured to the pedal 2, for example by welding, and it defines a circular plate 6 forming a bearing surface or surface 6 of the spherical end 7 of FIG. the control rod 3. This circular plate has an outer diameter close to the diameter of the sphere 7.

  The latch 5 has a generally tubular shape having an internal nominal diameter substantially greater than that of the circular plate 6 and that of the spherical end 7. It comprises a first series of lugs located at the inner periphery of its first end, identified by 8, and a second series of lugs, identified by 9 and located at the inner periphery of its second end. The first and second sets of lugs are flexible so as to be able to move apart, and they each define an internal diameter which is slightly smaller than the respective diameters of the sphere 7 and the circular plate 6.

  The mounting of this known control consists in first engaging the latch 5 on the control rod 3 beyond its spherical end 7, that is to say to the left in the figure, by bending the various pins 8 and 9 so that they exceed this spherical end 7.

  The pusher 4 is then brought closer to the end 7 by lowering the pedal 2, then the latch is moved along the rod 3, that is to say to the right in the figure, so that its first end passes through the sphere 7, then passes around the plate 6, so that the lugs 8 are locked on the periphery of the plate 6, because in this situation, the lugs 9 are in turn locked on the sphere 7 against which they are in support.

  The lock thus holds the end of the control rod 3 against the bearing surface constituted by the plate 6, and the assembly consists, for the operator to slide the lock along the control rod.

  With this solution, the disassembly of the connection requires breaking the lock, because the pins 8 and 9 hold the plate 6 and the sphere 7 against each other and they no longer allow to slide the latch along the control rod, once this lock has been blocked on the sphere and on the tray.

  On the other hand, in this solution, in use, when the pedal is raised and that it therefore pulls the control rod, all the traction forces are directly transmitted by the lock which is only a piece of plastic material, which is at the origin of a risk of rupture.

  The object of the invention is to overcome these disadvantages.

  For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a latch for securing a pusher which is fixed to a flat part such as a motor vehicle brake pedal at a spherical end of a rod, such as a control rod. this lock comprising a base adapted to be secured to the pusher, this base comprising a central opening delimited by edges and at least two flexible locking tabs which each extend from an edge of the opening, these locking tabs apart on introduction of the spherical end into the opening and retracting after passage of this spherical end to hold it in abutment against a reach of the pusher, and in that each leg is extended by a movable flap which extends from the edge the corresponding opening in a direction opposite to that of the corresponding locking tab, the movable flaps can be moved together to move the locking lugs af to release the spherical end without damaging the latch.

  According to one characteristic of the invention, the base comprises two parallel flanks spaced from one another, and connected to one another by two rod-shaped portions, each stem and each flank coinciding with an edge. from the central opening.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, the base comprises at least two guides, each guide being interposed between two flaps along the opening, extending in the extension of a sidewall, each guide having smaller dimensions. to those of a component.

  The invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising a lock as defined above, and a pusher which comprises two rails parallel to one another and located on either side of the scope, these two rails extending transversely relative to the vehicle, each slide being adapted to receive a rod of the base of the lock.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, the scope of the pusher is hemispherical, and each locking tab comprises an end defining an edge in an arc of a circle capable of bearing on the spherical end to lock the lock transversely relative to the pusher .

  According to another characteristic of the invention, the pusher is made of folded sheet metal and / or stamped, the two slides being made in the form of two U-section portions, parallel to each other and facing each other.

  The invention will now be described in more detail and with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment thereof by way of non-limiting example.

  Figure 1 already described shows a command including a lock of the state of the art; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a control including a lock according to the invention; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a pusher of the control according to the invention shown alone; Figure 4 is a first perspective view of the latch according to the invention shown alone; Figure 5 is a second perspective view of the lock according to the invention shown alone; Figure 6 is a side view of the control including the lock according to the invention; Figure 7 is a top view of the control including a lock according to the invention; Figure 8 is an exploded command including a lock according to the invention; Figure 9 is a view of the assembled control including a latch according to the invention.

  Figure 2, a vehicle brake control according to the invention is shown in perspective. This brake control, indicated by 11, comprises a brake pedal 12 linked in motion to a control rod 13 via a pusher 14.

  The pusher 14 and the control rod 13 are held in abutment against each other by a lock marked 15. This lock is locked vertically and longitudinally in the pusher 14, and is traversed by the control rod 13 of which it maintains one end in abutment against a range of the pusher.

  The pusher 14 which is shown alone in Figure 3 is here made of folded sheet and / or stamped, and it is attached to the pedal 12 by welding or by any other suitable method.

  This pusher 14 is made from a sheet cut in a cross shape having two opposite large branches 17 and 18 which are folded backwards, and two small opposite branches 19 and 20 which are folded forward to define respectively two slides.

  The two rear branches 17 and 18 extend parallel to each other and surround the pedal 12 when the pusher is mounted on it, these two rear arms being for example welded to the pedal.

  The two branches 19 and 20 are themselves folded forward so as to define the two slides which respectively have a U-shaped section. These two rails extend transversely and are parallel to one another and to each other. facing each other to retain the latch 15 when engaged transversely in these slides.

  This pusher 14 also includes a bearing surface 22 which is a bearing surface located in an area corresponding to the center of the cross from which it is manufactured. This bearing 22 is adapted to receive a spherical end 23 of the control rod 13 to move this rod when the brake pedal 12 is depressed.

  This span 22 which is located between the two slides 19 and 20 has a hemispherical shape after stamping, adapted to receive the spherical end 23 by keeping it centered.

  The latch 15 which is shown alone in Figures 4 and 5 comprises a base 24 having a shape inscribed in a parallelepiped corresponding to the space defined by the two rails 19 and 20 which face each other.

  Mounting the latch 15 in the pusher 14 is thus simply to laterally engage the base 24 of the latch 15 between the slides 19 and 20 and slide along these slides to center it. The latch 15 is then retained vertically and longitudinally in the pusher 14 by the slides 19 and 20.

  As can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the base 24 of the latch 15 comprises a central opening 26 intended to be traversed by the spherical end 23 of the control rod 13. When the latch 15 is in position in the pusher 14, the central opening 26 opens on the bearing surface 22 of the pusher 14.

  This central opening 26 is delimited by a substantially square contour defining four consecutive edges extending at right angles to each other. Two of these opposite edges are each extended by a flexible locking tab, marked respectively by 27 and 28, these tabs being adapted to maintain the spherical end 23 bearing against the bearing surface 22 when the brake control is mounted.

  These two tabs 27 and 28 are symmetrical to one another with respect to a median plane of the latch 15 which is a plane of symmetry of the latch. This plane of symmetry is normal to the contour of the opening 26 and the opposite sides of this contour from which the flexible tabs 27, 28 extend. These flexible tabs 27, 28 are inclined to converge towards each other, their respective free ends marked 32 and 33 being closer than their respective bases.

  In the example of the figures, each locking tab 27, 28 has a shape inscribed in a truncated cone which extends the central opening 26 by tightening. They each have a base secured to a rod-shaped portion 30, 31 of the base 24, and a free end defining an arcuate edge of the same radius as the spherical end 23. The base and the edge end of a leg are connected by two edges.

  The two tabs 27 and 28 are symmetrical to each other with respect to the median plane, so that the two edges in an arc of a circle corresponding to the ends of these tabs can bear on the sphere 23 for the maintain.

  The latch 15 is for example made of plastic, so that the two locking tabs 27 and 28, which are thin walls are flexible.

  After locking the base of the lock 15 in the two slides 19 and 20, the spherical end 23 of the control rod is engaged in the central opening. The introduction of this spherical end causes the spacing of the locking tabs 27 which are flexible, until this spherical end 23 exceeds the ends 32 and 33 of these tabs.

  This overshoot causes the spherical end to lock against the bearing surface 22 by retracting the flexible tabs whose end edges 32 and 33 approach each other spontaneously to return to their natural positions.

  The ends 32 and 33 having arcuate shapes, when they bear on the spherical end 23, they are blocked laterally with respect to this spherical end, thereby ensuring the lateral immobilization of the latch 15 in the slides 19 and 20.

  It should be noted that in practice, the introduction of the spherical end 23 in the latch 15 to block the connection can be achieved simply by lowering the brake pedal 12 after fixing the pedal to the deck of the vehicle.

  As visible in Figures 4 and 5, the base 24 which has a shape inscribed in a parallelepiped comprises mainly two sides 35 and 36, parallel and spaced apart. These two flanks 35 and 36 are connected by the two rods 30, 31 parallel to one another and perpendicular to the sidewalls. Each rod 30, 31 connects two ends of the two sides 35, 36. These two sides 35, 36 are in the form of walls each having a contour inscribed in a rectangle.

  The two rods and the two flanks constitute the square contour of the central opening 26, each rod and each flank constituting an edge of this contour of the central opening 26.

  One of the locking tabs, namely the tab 27 has its base which coincides with the rod 30 which it is integral, and the other tab, 28, has its base which coincides with the other rod, namely the rod 31 of which it is solidary. The sides 35 and 36 as well as the locking tabs 27 and 28 extend towards the same side of the base, with respect to a plane coinciding with the contour of the central opening 26.

  More generally, the sides 35, 36, the rods 30, 31, and the flexible tabs 27, 28, as well as the opening 26 are inscribed in the same parallelepiped having dimensions that correspond to those of the space delimited by the two slides 19 and 20 of the pusher 14.

  As shown in Figures 6 and 7, when the latch 15 is mounted in the pusher 14, the base being engaged in the slides 19 and 20, the flanks, the rods, the flexible tabs and the opening are located in the space delimited by these two slides.

  The lock according to the invention further comprises two flaps marked 38 and 39, which extend on the opposite side to that of the tabs 27 and 28 relative to the plane passing through the rods 30 and 31. More particularly, the flap 38 is extends in the extension of the tab 28 in a direction opposite to that of this tab, having its base coinciding with the rod 31. Similarly, the flap 39 extends the lug 27 in a direction opposite to the latter having its base that coincides with the stem 30.

  Each flap 38, 39 is secured to a corresponding tab 27, 28 which can be removed by moving the flap associated therewith. More particularly, the two flaps 38, 39 are symmetrical to one another relative to the median plane of the latch 15, they extend the opening 26 of the opposite side to the tabs 27 and 28.

  These two flaps are inclined so as to move away from each other, to define two free ends marked 40 and 41 which are spaced from each other by a distance greater than the distance separating their bases. respectively.

  As indicated above, the mounting of the brake control consists in blocking the base 24 in the slides 19 and 20 of the pusher 14, then engaging the spherical end 23 in the opening 26. But thanks to the flaps 38 and 39 , the connection can also be disassembled reversibly, that is to say without degradation of the latch 15.

  Indeed, the flaps 38 and 39 can move the legs 27 and 28 to separate them from one another to allow the removal of the sphere 23 of the opening 26. In practice, they are enough for an operator to bring closer the ends 40 and 41 of one another to separate the tabs and thus release the sphere 23 allowing its passage through the opening 26 to separate the connection.

  As can be seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, this can be done without particular tools, since it suffices for the operator to pinch the two ends 40 and 41 to bring them closer to one another, these two ends being located in the vicinity of a flexible bellows 42 of a brake amplifier of which the control rod 13 is part.

  More particularly, when a flap end is moved, the corresponding rod is urged in torsion, and it rotates substantially on itself, which has the effect of pivoting the corresponding locking tab, around the corresponding rod pivot , by moving it away from its blocking position.

  The flaps which are arranged to move away from each other also constitute guide surfaces for receiving the spherical end 23 towards the opening.

  This guide surface which is substantially conical is advantageously completed by two guides marked 43 and 44 which have similar shapes to those of the flaps 38 and 39, while being smaller.

  Each guide is interposed between two flaps around the central opening, being oriented divergently, so that the assembly constituted by the flaps and guides defines four surfaces which are inscribed in the same truncated cone or funnel fit directing the spherical end 23 towards the opening 26 to facilitate the coupling of the connection.

  The latch 15 which comprises the base 24, the flexible tabs 27 and 28, and the flaps 38 and 39 and the guides 43 and 44 is formed as a single piece of plastic material obtained for example by injection molding.

  Regarding the pusher 14, which is for example made from cut sheet metal, it can also be made from a sheet of substantially rectangular shape, that is to say without the branches 17 and 18 appearing on the example of Figure 3.

  In this case, which corresponds to the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9, this pusher 14 mainly comprises two slides 19 and 20 which are situated on either side of the spherical bearing surface 22, and it is for example directly welded in a corresponding recess of the pedal, without the need to provide the branches 17 and 18, which reduces the cost of manufacture and implementation.

  Thus, according to the invention, the use of a latch locked in a pusher comprising slides which hold it longitudinally ensures that in case of traction on the brake pedal, the corresponding tearing forces are taken up by the pusher, and not entirely by the lock. Indeed, the mounting of the lock in the pusher ensures that this lock is subject mainly to compressive forces that apply mainly along the flexible tabs, to the rods or edges of the base which are supported in the slides .

  Thus, the lock is primarily used to maintain the assembly, and it is not likely to break in case of tearing efforts. This is explained by the fact that when one pulls the rod 13 to extract it from the latch 15, the tabs 27 and 28 of the lock are bridged and transmit the force to the pusher 14 while trying to avoid branches 19 and 20. But as these branches are stuck in a housing provided in the pedal, they can not open, as shown in Figures 8 and 9. The latch works only by compression tabs 27 and 28.

  On the other hand, the lock according to the invention is adapted to the ends of existing spherical rods, and it can be assembled and disassembled without specific tools, which is particularly due to the fact that the efforts to be put into play for its assembly are very low.

Claims (6)

  1. Lock (15) for securing a pusher (14) which is fixed to a flat part such as a pedal (12) of a motor vehicle brake, at a spherical end (23) of a rod (13) such that a control rod, characterized in that this latch (15) comprises a base (24) adapted to be secured to the pusher (14), this base (24) comprising a central opening (26) delimited by edges and at least two flexible locking tabs (27, 28) each extending from an edge of the opening, said locking tabs (27, 28) diverging upon insertion of the spherical end (23) into the opening ( 26) and retracting after passage of this spherical end (23) to hold it against a bearing surface (22) of the pusher (14), and in that each tab (27, 28) is extended by a flap (38, 39) which extends from the edge of the corresponding aperture in a direction opposite to that of the locking tab correspon dante (27, 28), the movable flaps being closable to move the locking tabs (27, 28) to release the spherical end (23) without damaging the latch (15).   2. A latch according to claim 1, wherein the base comprises two parallel flanks (35, 36) spaced from one another, and connected to one another by two rod-shaped portions (30, 31), each rod and each flank (35, 36) coinciding with an edge of the central opening (26).   3. A latch according to claim 2, comprising at least two guides (43, 44), each guide (43, 44) being interposed between two flaps (38, 39) along the opening (26), extending in the extension of a flank (35, 36), each guide having dimensions smaller than those of a flap (38, 39).   4. Motor vehicle brake control comprising a latch (15) according to one of claims 2887836 14 1 to 3, and a pusher (14) which comprises two rails (19, 20) parallel to each other and located on either side of the bearing surface (22), these two slides (19, 20) extending transversely with respect to the vehicle, each slide (19, 20) being able to receive a rod (30, 31) of the base (24) of the lock (15).   5. Control according to claim 4, wherein the scope (22) of the pusher is hemispherical, and wherein each locking tab (27, 28) comprises an end (32, 33) defining an arcuate edge adapted to be resting on the spherical end (23) to lock the latch (15) transversely with respect to the pusher (14).   6. Control according to one of claims 4 or 5,   wherein the pusher (14) is made of folded sheet metal and / or stamped, the two slides (19, 20) being formed as two U-section portions parallel to each other and facing each other.