GB2344156A - A pedal mounting arrangement. - Google Patents

Abstract

A pedal arrangement 1 is substantially integral with a vehicle panel 2 such that a raised contour 3 is defined with a pivot mount 4 at its apex to which a pedal for actuation of a functional mechanism 6 is arranged. The raised contour and the pivot mount being above an overhang (7 Fig. 1) towards which a pedal 5 can rotate. Typically, the raised contour will include a saddle portion 9, between respective mounting peaks 12, 13, which surrounds a pivot bar 10 of the pedal in order to provide adequate load resistance whilst avoiding fouling the pedal in rotation to actuate the function mechanism. The raised contour can be formed from plastics with metal bushes for the pivot mounting. The pedal can be for accelerator, brake or clutch.

Description

A BRAKE PEDAL ARRANGEMENT The present invention relates to a brake pedal arrangement for a motor vehicle.

It is a clear necessity within a motor vehicle to provide means for actuating a functional mechanism. Thus, traditionally a so-called pedal box has been provided which provides the actuation arrangement for functional mechanisms such as the brake system, clutch or accelerator. Previously, these pedal boxes have consisted of a number of pressing and/or mouldings/castings assembled together to form the pedal arrangement and then subsequently attached to a vehicle bulkhead. It will be appreciated this prior approach to providing a pedal arrangement is complex, costly, suffers from component tolerance stack up and can suffer from misalignment problems within a vehicle. Furthermore, provision of specific tooling for each pressing and moulding can be expensive.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a pedal arrangement for a motor vehicle which substantially relieves the above-mentioned problems.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a pedal arrangement for a motor vehicle, the arrangement comprising a mounting portion from a vehicle panel and to which a pedal is pivotally mounted to allow actuation of a functional mechanism of a motor vehicle, the mounting portion carrying a raised contour across which a pivot mount for the pedal is defined and extending away from the vehicle panel to provide an overhang towards which the pedal can be rotated about that pivot mount in order to actuate the functional mechanism.

Normally, the pedal arrangement will be integral with the vehicle panel in order to reduce assembly within the motor vehicle. Thus, the mounting portion or at least the raised contour is produced by moulding or pressing or a similar process into a plastics material or metal.

The raised contour may define a saddle portion between respective mounting peaks and a pivot bar being arranged between these mounting peaks such that the pedal can be secured to the pivot bar to allow rotation thereabout as the pivot mount for the pedal arrangement.

Specific reinforcement of the pivot mount within the mounting portion may be included to withstand the significant loadings presented at that pivot mount upon rotation of the pedal for actuation of the function mechanism.

The raised contour may take the form of a pyramid such that the apex of that pyramid defines the pivot mount for the pedal.

The vehicle panel incorporating the mounting portion may be a bulkhead or dashboard of a motor vehicle.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a pictorial side cross-section of a pedal arrangement; and Figure 2 is a pictorial perspective view of the pedal arrangement depicted in Figure 1.

It will be appreciated that one way of reducing the cost and complexity of providing a pedal arrangement within a motor vehicle is to reduce component count, tooling cost and assembly time by providing a modular assembly. Thus, in accordance with the present invention, the pedal arrangement is integrated with the dashboard or bulkhead of a motor vehicle rather than assembled to that dashboard or bulkhead. Clearly, in order to allow such a combination of the present pedal arrangement into a vehicle panel such as a dashboard or bulkhead, it is necessary to ensure that suitable materials are used for the vehicle panel construction. In such circumstances, the present pedal arrangement will be integrated into the vehicle panel by using material which can be suitably moulded or cast to define the essential structure of the pedal arrangement.

In Figures 1 and 2, a pedal arrangement in accordance with the present invention is pictorially illustrated. Thus, the pedal arrangement 1 comprises a typically deep formed moulding in a vehicle panel 2. This moulding provides a raised contour 3 which has high resistance to deflection and low material stress levels. In such circumstances, the thickness of the moulding 3 can be relatively low providing a pedal arrangement of low weight and material cost. Furthermore, the techniques of moulding in relatively conventional materials are well known allowing consistently low cost sheet materials to be used but incorporating good moulding properties. It will be understood by those skilled in the art with appropriate consideration the raised contour 3 could also be provided by including other fabrication techniques including pressing or die casting.

The raised contour 3 defines at an apex a pivot mounting 4 for a pedal 5.

This pedal 5 will be coupled to a functional mechanism in order to provide actuation for that mechanism. Thus, as illustrated particularly in Figure 1, the pedal 4 acts to actuate the motor vehicle brake mechanism 6. The raised contour 3 extends away from the vehicle panel 2 in order to define an overhang area 7 below the raised contour 3. Thus, as the pedal 5 is rotated about the pivot mount 4 in the direction of arrow head A, an actuator rod 8 coupled to the functional mechanism 6 regulates and actuates operation of that mechanism 6. In essence the pedal 5 rotates towards the overhang 7.

Typically, the raised contour 3 will define a substantial pyramid type configuration extending away from the panel 2. Furthermore, the raised contour 3 normally will have a saddle portion 9 which wraps around the pedal 5 and in particular a pivot bar 10. In such circumstances, it will be appreciated that stress upon the pivot bar 10 mountings to a lug 11 is reduced along with the effective height of the pivot lug 11 with a resultant increase in stiffness. Furthermore, by providing the saddle portion 9, it will be understood that where a plastics material is used to form the raised contour 3 that reinforcement can be more readily achieved. It will be noted that the saddle portion 9 is defined between respective mounting peaks 12,13 and these mounting peaks 12,13 are substantially solid.

Furthermore, these pivot peaks 11,13 may be extended by epaulet-type extensions which provide more robust mountings for the lugs 11 and pivot bar 10. These epaulet extensions to the peaks 12,13 will normally be made from a more resilient metal when the pedal arrangement is formed from a plastics materials in order to achieve the necessary resistance to deformation under load, etc.

In Figure 1 broken lines 14 illustrate the load and direction of forces applied upon rotation of the pedal 5 about the pivot mount 4 in the direction of arrow head A. Thus, as the raised contour 3 extends beyond this load line 14 close into the pivot bar 10 diameter, it will be appreciated there is an increased material section at this location. Thus, there is a coincidence between this area of increased material section with the point of highest load applied by rotation of the pedal 5 about the mount point 4. However, as the pedal 5 moves towards, the overhang 7, it will be appreciated that the wrap around effect of the shoulder portion 9 diminishes towards the middle of this pivot rotation in order to ensure unhindered rotation is allowed.

As indicated previously, when the raised contour 3 is formed from a plastics material it will normally be necessary to provide more resilient metal bushes for the pivot mounting 4 to ensure spread of load applied by rotation of the pedal 4 about that mounting 4 into the material of the raised contour 3.

It will be appreciated as the present arrangement can be integral with the panel 2 or be prior bolted or similarly fastened to the vehicle panel 2, there is a significant reduction in the cost of forming a pedal box arrangement and assembly of that arrangement to a vehicle during vehicle manufacture. In addition, it will be understood that through appropriate structural moulding, the weight of material used in the pedal arrangement is reduced as thinner and therefore lighter component sections are possible. Finally, as the pedal arrangement is integral with or a direct pre-assembly with the vehicle panel, whether it be a bulkhead or dashboard, it will be understood that there is a reduced possibility of variability between manufacturing patches and installation by different operatives.

A clear requirement with regard to a pedal arrangement for use with regard to activation of a motor vehicle functional mechanism is that there is no distortion during operation. Thus, if the pedal arrangement were to deflect or deform under load, consistent operation of the functional mechanism 6 may be diminished. The present pedal arrangement being more resilient and with less component assembly tolerance stack up will generally provide a more consistent actuation of the functional mechanism 6.

It will be understood that with regard to previous traditional pedal boxes, a number of couplings were required between that pedal box and the vehicle panel.

These couplings inherently can loosen and thus precipitate irritation in terms of rattle and other noises. The present pedal arrangement avoids such problems by substantially integrating the pedal arrangement into the vehicle panel, i. e. bulkhead or dashboard.

The wrap around feature precipitated by inclusion of the saddle portion 9 to the raised contour 3 allows the use of conventional materials from which vehicle panels have traditionally been made and which otherwise may not be able to consistently achieve the necessary resistance to stress and load deformation. It will be appreciated that greatest load will be presented by the pedal 5 to the pivot mount 4 during initial rotation of that pedal 5. Thus, as described above, the wrap around facilitated by the saddle portion 9 ensures that a sufficient pivot bar diameter is available to resist load application applied through the pedal 5 whilst, due to its tapered away attitude, ensures there is no fouling of the pedal 5 upon further rotation.

Although illustrated with regard to a brake mechanism of a motor vehicle, it will be appreciated that the present pedal arrangement could also be used with regard to a clutch or accelerator pedal provided actuation can be achieved through an actuator rod 8 displacement etc.

The pivot bar 10 will typically comprise the major section illustrated between the mount peak 12,13 with trunnion mountings at either end secured by respective lugs 11. Thus, as indicated previously, it is necessary that the mount peaks 12,13 have sufficient resilience to spread the load applied to them through these trunnion mountings and so may require reinforcement with metal bushes, etc.

Claims (9)

1. CLAIMS 1. A pedal arrangement for a motor vehicle, the arrangement comprising a mounting portion from a vehicle panel and to which a pedal is pivotally mounted to allow actuation of a functional mechanism, the mounting portion having a raised contour across which a pivot mount for the pedal is defined and extending away from the vehicle panel to provide an overhang toward which the pedal can be rotated about the pivot mount in order to actuate the functional mechanism.
2. 2. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the mounting portion is integral with the vehicle panel.
3. 3. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the mounting portion is moulded or cast or pressed from the vehicle panel.
4. 4. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the raised contour includes a saddle portion defined between mount peaks across which a pivot bar for the pedal is secured in order to provide the pivot mount.
5. 5. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the pivot mount is reinforced with a resilient material.
6. 6. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the raised contour has a substantially pyramidal profile.
7. 7. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the vehicle panel is a bulkhead or dashboard of a motor vehicle.
8. 8. A pedal arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
9. 9. A motor vehicle including a pedal arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim.