JP2006273024A - Pedal support structure of automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate the limitation on the strength of each member, and surely drop a pedal in the case of collision. <P>SOLUTION: The pedal support structure is equipped with a folk bracket 4 detachably holding a pedal support shaft 10, and a pedal bracket 2 which is fastened to the dash panel at the front, and has an opening part capable of detaching the pedal support shaft 10 with the folk bracket relatively moving to the front of a vehicle body, and guide surface extending to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. In this case, the folk bracket 4 is provided with a support part detachably supporting the pedal support shaft 10 by relatively moving to the front of a vehicle body, an abutting part abutting to a vehicle body member of the rear part at the rear end, and a guide part abutting to the approximately horizontal guide surface formed on the pedal bracket. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a pedal support structure for an automobile, and more particularly to a pedal support structure for dropping a pedal in the event of a vehicle collision.

  Generally, in the event of a car collision, the driver tries to brake the car by stepping on the brake pedal to avoid the collision, but if the car nevertheless crashes without stopping, the brake pedal is depressed. It will collide.

  In such a case, the front part of the vehicle body collapses while absorbing the collision energy with the collision, and the engine arranged in the engine room moves backward while pushing the master cylinder of the brake device located on the rear side. Since the brake pedal located on the rear side of the dash panel is connected to the master cylinder via an operating rod, the brake pedal is also pushed through the operating rod to move backward as the master cylinder moves to the rear of the vehicle body. Become.

  As a result, when the driver is stepping on the brake pedal at the time of a collision, a collision load acts on the driver's feet, causing a large kickback and impacting the driver's feet.

  In order to cope with such a problem, a structure in which the brake pedal is dropped at the time of a collision has been conventionally proposed.

  For example, Patent Document 1 includes a first bracket fixed to a dash panel and a second bracket fixed to the first bracket, and the first bracket is provided with a longitudinal groove-shaped guide portion, while the second bracket Discloses a structure in which a lateral groove-shaped guide portion is provided, and a support shaft of an operation pedal is inserted into a portion where the vertical groove-shaped guide portion and the lateral groove-shaped guide portion overlap to be swingably supported.

  In this pedal support structure, the first bracket is deformed by being crushed during a frontal collision of the automobile to move the second bracket backward, thereby moving the support pedal shaft relatively forward in the lateral groove-shaped guide portion. Then, it is made to fall down along the longitudinal groove-shaped guide portion.

  Further, in Patent Document 2, a bracket having a notch groove that is attached to the dash panel and extends downward, a pedal rotation shaft that is disposed at a predetermined position of the notch groove and rotatably supports the pedal, and the bracket is substantially omitted. There is disclosed a pedal dropping mechanism having a lever-like actuating member that is rotatably supported by a support shaft that is substantially parallel to the pedal rotation shaft at the center.

In this pedal dropping mechanism, when the vehicle body collides and the dashboard receives a rearward force, the front end of the actuating member rotates upward, and accordingly the rear end rotates downward to rotate the pedal rotation shaft. It is made to fall along a notch groove.
Special Table 2000-504654 Japanese Patent No. 3165385

  However, since the pedal support structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 is based on the premise that the first bracket is crushed and deformed at the time of a frontal collision of the automobile, it is necessary to relatively reduce the strength of the first bracket.

  In contrast, in order to improve the driver's operability during normal times other than the front collision, it is necessary to firmly support the support pedal shaft, and it is preferable to relatively increase the strength of the first bracket.

  As described above, the first bracket needs to have both a strength that reliably supports the support shaft of the operation pedal and a strength that allows the deformation of the operation pedal. There is a possibility that it may cause a drop in performance or dropout performance at the time of a front collision.

  On the other hand, in the pedal dropping mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 2, a large force is applied to the rotating shaft of the lever-like actuating member at the time of collision. At this time, the operating member and the cutout groove need to be strong enough not to be deformed.

  For this reason, the strength of the operating member, the bracket, and the notch groove is limited, and depending on the direction of the force received at the time of collision, the parts may be deformed and the pedal may not fall as intended. Furthermore, since various forces act on each member in a short time at the time of actual collision, there is a possibility that the drop-off performance may be deteriorated.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and the object of the present invention is to reduce the restriction on the strength of each member and to reliably drop the pedal at the time of collision. There is to do.

In order to achieve the above object, a pedal support structure for a vehicle according to the present invention is a pedal support structure for a vehicle that supports a pedal disposed on the interior side of a dash panel in a swingable manner.
A fork bracket that detachably holds the pedal support shaft;
A pedal bracket having a front end fastened to the dash panel, an opening that allows the pedal support shaft to be disengaged by relative movement of the fork bracket forward of the vehicle body, and a guide surface extending in the vehicle body longitudinal direction; With
The fork bracket is
A support portion that removably supports the pedal support shaft by moving relative to the front of the vehicle body;
A contact portion that contacts the rear body member at the rear end;
And a guide portion that abuts on a substantially horizontal guide surface formed on the pedal bracket.

  According to this configuration, when the dash panel is retracted due to a collision, the abutting portion of the rear end of the fork bracket is pushed by the vehicle body member, and the guide portion slides along the guide surface and moves horizontally relative to the front of the vehicle body. Therefore, since the load due to the collision is first applied to the fork bracket and then to the pedal bracket, the pedal bracket is prevented from being deformed before the relative movement of the fork bracket to the front of the vehicle body is performed. Can be reliably dropped.

  The support portion may be a horizontal groove that is provided on both side surfaces of the fork bracket and extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body with an open rear end.

  According to this configuration, since the movement of the pedal support forward of the vehicle body is normally restricted by the support portion of the fork bracket, the operability of the pedal is ensured and the pedal support shaft is moved to the rear end in the event of a collision. It can be dropped from the opening.

  The upper edge portion of the horizontal groove may be inclined downward toward the vehicle body rear side.

  According to this configuration, when the fork bracket moves relative to the front of the vehicle body, the pedal support shaft is forced to move downward, so that the pedal support shaft can be more reliably dropped off.

  The guide surface and the horizontal groove of the fork bracket may be parallel.

  According to this configuration, since the moving direction of the fork bracket and the horizontal groove are parallel, the fork bracket can be smoothly moved relative to the front of the vehicle body.

  The opening may have a tapered shape with a wide lower portion.

  According to this configuration, when the pedal support shaft is released from the support by the support portion of the fork bracket, the pedal support shaft can be easily dropped downward.

  The guide surface may be provided on both side surfaces of the pedal bracket, and the opening may include a notch provided in each guide surface.

  According to this configuration, the pedal support shaft can be reliably dropped without enlarging the entire opening.

  The contact portion may protrude rearward from the rear end of the pedal bracket.

  According to this configuration, only the abutting portion at the rear end of the fork bracket is pushed by the vehicle body member at the time of a collision, so that the fork bracket can be smoothly moved relative to the front of the vehicle body.

  The pedal bracket may have a U-shape that covers a part of the upper surface and both side surfaces of the pedal bracket, and may be slidably locked to the pedal bracket at a substantially center of the upper surface in the vehicle body width direction.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to stabilize the support of the pedal support shaft by the fork bracket at the normal time, and to smoothly move the fork bracket relative to the front of the vehicle body at the time of a collision.

  According to the present invention, when the dash panel is retracted due to a collision, the abutting portion of the rear end of the fork bracket is pushed by the vehicle body member, and the guide portion slides along the guide surface and moves horizontally relative to the front of the vehicle body. Therefore, since the load due to the collision is first applied to the fork bracket and then to the pedal bracket, the pedal bracket is prevented from being deformed before the relative movement of the fork bracket to the front of the vehicle body is performed. Can be reliably dropped.

  Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the constituent elements described in this embodiment are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to them.

  FIG. 1 is a side view of a brake pedal assembly including a brake pedal support structure as an embodiment of an automobile pedal support structure according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the brake pedal assembly of FIG.

  1 and 2, 1 is a master cylinder of a brake attached to the inside of the dash panel, 2 is a pedal bracket fastened to the master cylinder 1, and 3 is a support shaft holding bracket for holding a support shaft of the brake pedal 5. 4 is a fork bracket attached to the upper part of the support shaft holding bracket 3, 5 is a brake pedal, and 6 is an instrument panel member as a vehicle body member extending in the vehicle body width direction. Reference numeral 10 denotes a support shaft of the brake pedal 5, and 11 denotes a bolt that fixes the fork bracket 4 to the pedal bracket 2.

  In addition, the direction indicated by X in the figure is referred to as the vehicle body width direction, the direction indicated by Y is referred to as the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the direction indicated by Z is referred to as the vehicle vertical direction.

  When assembling the brake pedal assembly, the support shaft holding bracket 3 is inserted into the pedal bracket 2 in the rear lower side of the vehicle body while the support shaft 10 of the brake pedal 5 is passed through the hole serving as the support portion of the support shaft holding bracket 3. Inserted from the side, the support shaft 10 is positioned above the opening on both side surfaces of the pedal bracket 2 and on the rear side of the vehicle body, and the guide portion of the support shaft holding bracket 3 is disposed so as to contact the guide surface of the pedal bracket 2. . In this state, the fork bracket 4 is disposed on the pedal bracket 2 so as to restrict the movement of the support shaft 10 to the front side and the lower side of the vehicle body on the front surface of the horizontal groove on both sides of the fork bracket 4. To do. Then, the bolt 11 is fastened with a nut or the like through the hole on the upper surface of the fork bracket 4, the slit on the upper surface of the pedal bracket 2 and the opening on the upper surface of the support shaft holding bracket 3, and the fork bracket 4 and the support shaft holding bracket 3 are attached to the pedal bracket 2. Fix it. Finally, the pedal bracket 2 is fixed to the master cylinder 1 with four bolts.

  Note that the pedal bracket 2 may be fixed to the master cylinder last as described above or first.

  In the brake assembly, the portion including the brake pedal 5, the pedal bracket 2, the support shaft holding bracket 3 and the fork bracket 4 constitutes the pedal support structure according to the present invention.

  In the state where the brake pedal assembly is assembled in this manner, the movement of the support shaft 10 of the brake pedal 5 in the upward direction of the vehicle body and the backward direction of the vehicle body is restricted by the surface of the opening provided in the pedal bracket 2 on the vehicle body rear side. Further, the forward movement and the downward movement of the vehicle body are restricted by the circumferential surface of the horizontal groove provided on the side surface of the fork bracket 4 on the vehicle body front side. For this reason, the support shaft 10 of the brake pedal is firmly held, and the driver can operate the pedal stably.

  On the other hand, at the time of the frontal collision of the vehicle, as will be described in detail later, the dash panel and the master cylinder 1 move to the rear of the vehicle body, the entire brake pedal assembly moves to the rear side of the vehicle body, and the rear part of the fork bracket 4 is attached to the instrument panel member 6. Abut. When the brake pedal assembly further moves toward the rear of the vehicle body, the fork bracket 4 moves to the front side of the vehicle body and is detached from the pedal bracket 2 together with the bolt 11. In this state, the support shaft 10 can move downward, so that the support shaft moves downward within the opening of the pedal bracket 2 due to gravity applied to the support shaft holding bracket 3 and the brake pedal 5. Thus, the brake pedal 5 falls together with the support shaft holding bracket 3 from the opening portion of the opening of the pedal bracket 2.

  As a result, even when the vehicle collides with the driver stepping on the brake pedal, the brake pedal 5 is surely dropped and the burden on the driver's foot is reduced.

  Next, each member of the pedal support structure of this embodiment will be described. 3, 4, and 5 are diagrams showing in detail the structure of the pedal bracket 2, the support shaft holding bracket 3, and the fork bracket 4, in which (a) is a perspective view, and (b) is a perspective view. A top view, (c) is a front view as seen from the rear side of the vehicle body, and (d) is a side view.

  The structure of the pedal bracket 2 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. In the pedal bracket 2 of the present embodiment, an opening 22 for passing a piston rod of the master cylinder 1 and four openings 23 a to 23 d for bolts fastened to the master cylinder 1 are provided on a surface 21 fastened to the master cylinder 1. Have.

  In addition, an opening 25 having a slit 25 a opened on the front side of the vehicle body for fastening the fork bracket 4 with the bolt 11 is provided on the upper surface 24 of the pedal bracket 2. Side surfaces 26a and 26b (hereinafter also collectively referred to as 26) are formed by providing a step so that the vehicle body width direction is widened at a predetermined distance from the upper surface. The guide surfaces 28a and 28b (hereinafter collectively referred to as 28) that abut against the guide portion 4 (described later) and extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and the support shaft 10 of the pedal 2 are held by the vehicle rear side surface and the vehicle body. Openings 27a and 27b (hereinafter also collectively referred to as 27) in which open portions including notches on the guide surface 28 are formed are provided on the front peripheral surface and below the peripheral surface.

  In the present embodiment, the angle of the guide surface 28 is substantially the same as the horizontal direction of the vehicle body. However, the angle may be such that the outside is inclined downward in the vehicle body width direction. In this manner, the pedal bracket 2 acts so as to expand in the vehicle body width direction by the force with which the guide portion of the support shaft holding bracket 3 comes into contact with the inside of the guide surface 28, and the guide portion of the support shaft holding bracket 3 and the pedal Friction is reduced by contacting the guide surface of the bracket 2 with a line instead of a surface, and the dropping operation due to horizontal movement or rotation of the support shaft holding bracket 3 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body can be made smooth.

  The structure of the support shaft holding bracket 3 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. The support shaft holding bracket 3 of the present embodiment has an opening 32 on the upper surface 31 where the front side of the vehicle body for the bolt 11 is opened, and a lever-like protrusion 37 extending upward from the upper surface 31 is provided. .

  In the present embodiment, the member that forms the left side surface 34a is overlapped with the member that generates the right side surface 34b and the upper surface 31, and the protruding portion 37 is formed along the left side surface 34a in the vehicle body width direction. As described above, when the protruding portion 37 is continuously provided on one side surface of the support shaft holding bracket 3, the support shaft holding bracket 3 is not affected by the load applied to the protruding portion 37 without increasing the strength of the support shaft holding bracket 3. It is possible to suppress the deformation (particularly near the base of the protrusion 37).

  Further, side surfaces 34a and 34b (hereinafter also collectively referred to as 34) are formed by providing a step so that the vehicle body width direction is widened at a position separated from the upper surface by a predetermined distance. 28 and the guide portions 36a and 36b (hereinafter also collectively referred to as 36) extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and holes 35a and 35b (hereinafter collectively referred to as support portions for supporting the support shaft 10 of the pedal 2). And 35).

  Openings by notches 38a and 38b (hereinafter also collectively referred to as 38) are provided on the vehicle body rear side of the guide portions 36a and 36b on the vehicle body front side rather than the front end of the projecting portion 37. The end has a shape having an edge.

  The structure of the fork bracket 4 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. The upper surface 41 is provided with holes 42 for bolts 11 for fixing the fork bracket 4 to the pedal bracket 2 together with the support shaft holding bracket 3. Fork brackets are disposed on the pedal brackets 2 by providing steps on the side surfaces 43a and 43b (hereinafter also collectively referred to as 43) so that the vehicle body width direction is widened at a predetermined distance from the upper surface. In some cases, guide portions 45a and 45b (hereinafter also collectively referred to as 45) having surfaces abutting on the guide surfaces 28a and 28b are formed.

  Further, when the fork bracket 4 is fixed on the pedal bracket 2 with the bolts 11, the side surfaces 43 a and 43 b restrict the movement of the support shaft 10 toward the front side and the lower side of the vehicle body, and the opening 27 of the pedal bracket 2. Horizontal grooves 44a and 44b (hereinafter also collectively referred to as 44) having a peripheral surface serving as a support portion for holding the spindle 10 together with the rear surface and a rear opening are formed.

  The horizontal groove 44 of the fork bracket 4 is parallel to the guide surface 28 of the pedal bracket 2, and the fork bracket 4 can be smoothly moved relative to the front of the vehicle body.

  Here, with reference to FIG. 1 again, the positional relationship of each part in the state which assembled the pedal support structure of this embodiment is demonstrated.

  In the pedal support structure of this embodiment, the fork bracket 4 is located on the vehicle body rear side closest to the instrument panel member 6. As described above, when the vehicle collides forward, as the master cylinder 1 moves backward, the entire pedal support structure moves toward the rear of the vehicle body. At this time, the rear end of the fork bracket 4 is first attached to the instrument panel member 6. After that, the fork bracket 4 relatively moves forward as the collision proceeds. That is, the rear end of the fork bracket 4 forms a contact portion in the present invention.

  Hereinafter, the operation until the pedal falls off in the pedal support structure of the present embodiment when the vehicle collides will be described together with the trajectory of the support shaft in the opening of the pedal bracket. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the trajectory of the support shaft 10 in the opening 27 of the pedal bracket, and FIGS. 7 to 9 simply show the state of the pedal support structure at each stage until the pedal falls off. It is a side view. In FIGS. 7 to 9, since the position of the pedal support structure is shown as a reference, the instrument panel member 6 is shown moving to the front side of the vehicle body. The position of 6 in the vehicle body does not substantially change, and the entire pedal support structure moves to the vehicle body rear side.

  In the normal state shown in FIG. 7, the instrument panel member 6 and each member of the pedal support structure are separated from each other, and the rear end of the fork bracket 4 is located closest to the instrument panel member 6. In this state, the support shaft 10 of the brake pedal 5 is moved rearward and upward by the vehicle rear side surface of the opening of the pedal bracket 2 (see FIG. 6), and the vehicle body front side of the horizontal groove of the fork bracket 4 The movement toward the front side and the lower side of the vehicle body is restricted by the peripheral surface of the vehicle body, and is firmly held.

  Here, when a frontal collision of the vehicle occurs, the master cylinder moves backward, and the entire pedal support structure also moves backward. When the entire pedal support structure is retracted, first, the rear end of the fork bracket 4 is in contact with the instrument panel member 6 and the guide portion 45 is in contact with the guide surface 28 of the pedal bracket 2. Move horizontally horizontally.

  FIG. 8 shows that the fork bracket 4 moves toward the front side of the vehicle body by the reaction force of the pressing force applied to the instrument panel member 6 as the entire pedal support structure moves backward and the rear end of the fork bracket 4 abuts against the instrument panel member 6. The horizontal relative movement state is shown. In this state, the bolt 11 on the upper surface of the fork bracket 4 is disengaged from the slit 25 a of the opening 25 on the upper surface of the pedal bracket 2 and the opening 32 on the upper surface of the support shaft holding bracket 3, and the guide portion 45 of the fork bracket 4 is the pedal bracket 2. It is only placed on the guide surface 28.

  As shown in the figure, the relative movement of the fork bracket 4 toward the vehicle body front side causes the support shaft 10 of the brake pedal 5 to be separated from the circumferential surface of the horizontal groove 44 of the fork bracket 4 on the vehicle body front side. It is possible to move forward and downward. That is, the support shaft 10 of the brake pedal 5 is held only by the rear surface of the opening 27 (see FIG. 6) of the pedal bracket 2, and only the rear side and the upward direction are restricted.

  As shown in FIG. 6, since the opening 27 of the pedal bracket 2 has a taper shape with a wide lower portion, when the pedal support shaft is released from the support by the horizontal groove 44 of the fork bracket, the pedal 5 And the support shaft holding bracket 3 is easily detached from the pedal support structure by its own gravity. FIG. 9 shows a state in which the pedal 5 and the support shaft holding bracket 3 have fallen off, and the load on the driver's foot is reduced by dropping the pedal 5 in this way.

  As described above, the pedal support structure of the present embodiment is configured such that the lower part of the support shaft is opened by the relative movement of the fork bracket to the front side of the vehicle body by the force generated by the collision, and the pedal is dropped by gravity. In addition, the requirements for the strength of each member are eased, and the pedal can be removed reliably and smoothly.

(Modification)
A modification of the pedal support structure of the above embodiment will be described. This modification is obtained by modifying a part of the shape of the fork bracket 4 among the members forming the pedal support structure.

  In the above embodiment, the support shaft is simply dropped by the weight of the pedal 5 and the support shaft holding bracket 3, but in this modification, the shape of the upper edge portion of the horizontal groove of the fork bracket 4 is devised. The support shaft is forcibly moved downward.

  FIG. 10 is a view showing the structure of the fork bracket 4 of the present modification as in FIG. Compared with the fork bracket shown in FIG. 5, the upper edge 46 on the rear side of the vehicle body of the horizontal groove 44 is inclined downward toward the rear of the vehicle body.

  As a result, when the fork bracket 4 moves relative to the front of the vehicle body, a force for moving the pedal support shaft 10 downward is exerted by the downward inclination of the edge portion 46. Therefore, the pedal support shaft 10 can be removed more reliably and quickly.

(Other embodiments)
In addition, this invention is not limited to said embodiment, Other various embodiment and a modification are included. That is, the shape of each member shown by the said embodiment is an example, and if the release | release of a pedal is performed by the mechanism which this invention intends, it will not be limited to these.

1 is a side view of a brake pedal assembly as an embodiment of a pedal support structure for an automobile according to the present invention. It is a perspective view of the brake pedal assembly of FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the pedal bracket. It is a figure which shows the structure of the spindle holding bracket. It is a figure which shows the structure of the fork bracket. It is a figure which shows the locus | trajectory of the spindle until a pedal falls off. It is a figure explaining operation | movement until a pedal falls. It is a figure explaining operation | movement until a pedal falls. It is a figure explaining operation | movement until a pedal falls. It is a figure which shows another structure of the fork bracket.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Master cylinder 2 Pedal bracket 3 Support shaft holding bracket 4 Fork bracket 5 Brake pedal 6 Instrument panel member 10 Pedal support shaft 11 Bolt 21 Cylinder fastening surface 22 Piston opening 23 Bolt opening 24 Upper surface 25 Opening 25a Slit 26 Side 27 Opening 28 Guide Surface 31 Upper surface 32 Opening 34 Side surface 35 Holding portion 36 Guide portion 37 Protruding portion 38 Notch 41 Upper surface 42 Hole 43 Side surface 44 Horizontal groove 45 Guide portion 46 Edge portion

Claims (8)

A pedal support structure for an automobile that swingably supports a pedal disposed on a vehicle interior side of a dash panel,
A fork bracket that detachably holds the pedal support shaft;
A pedal bracket having a front end fastened to the dash panel, an opening that allows the pedal support shaft to be disengaged by relative movement of the fork bracket forward of the vehicle body, and a guide surface extending in the vehicle body longitudinal direction; With
The fork bracket is
A support portion that removably supports the pedal support shaft by moving relative to the front of the vehicle body;
A contact portion that contacts the rear body member at the rear end;
An automobile pedal support structure comprising: a guide portion that abuts on a substantially horizontal guide surface formed on the pedal bracket.   2. The pedal support structure for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the support portion is a horizontal groove that is provided on both side surfaces of the fork bracket and extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body with an open rear end.   The pedal support structure for an automobile according to claim 2, wherein an upper edge portion of the horizontal groove is inclined downward toward the rear side of the vehicle body.   The pedal support structure for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the guide surface and the horizontal groove of the fork bracket are parallel to each other.   2. The pedal support structure for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the opening has a tapered shape with a wide lower portion.   2. The pedal support structure for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the guide surface is provided on both side surfaces of the pedal bracket, and the opening includes a notch provided in each guide surface.   2. The pedal support structure for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion protrudes rearward from the rear end of the pedal bracket.   The pedal bracket has a U-shape that covers a part of the upper surface and both side surfaces of the pedal bracket, and is slidably locked to the pedal bracket at a substantially center of the upper surface in the vehicle width direction. The pedal support structure for an automobile according to claim 1.

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