JP2014215791A - Pedal device and method for manufacturing pedal device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pedal device having a configuration enabling weight saving.SOLUTION: A pedal device 1 is attached to a dashboard panel 9 of a vehicle and includes a pedal arm 30 swinging by a step-in operation by a driver. The pedal arm 30 is formed of a closed-cross-section hollow member consisting of a plurality of plate members, and a base end 301 is supported by the dashboard panel 9 via a rotary shaft 3a served as a fulcrum of swinging. In the plurality of plate members, the thickness of a plate member, the plate surface of which intersects with the operation direction of the pedal arm 30 is thinner than the thickness of the other plate members.

Description

  The present invention relates to a pedal device for a vehicle and a method for manufacturing the pedal device.

  As a technique related to a pedal device provided in a vehicle, for example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a pedal device (brake pedal) in which a pad member for a driver to step on is welded to a pipe arm member. With such a configuration, the weight is reduced compared to a pedal device having a plate-like arm member.

International Publication Number WO2008 / 120586

  In the pedal device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the pedal arm (arm portion) is configured by a pipe-shaped member, but the pipe-shaped pedal arm is configured by a single plate-shaped member (steel plate). A plate-like member having a thickness that matches the portion that requires the most strength is required. And since the whole arm part is formed with the plate-shaped member of uniform board thickness, it has the structure where it is hard to attain further weight reduction.

  Then, this invention makes it a subject to provide the pedal apparatus of the structure which can be reduced in weight, and the manufacturing method of a pedal apparatus.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is a pedal device including a pedal arm that is installed in a vehicle and swings by a stepping operation by a driver. The pedal arm is formed of a hollow member having a closed cross section composed of a plurality of plate-like members, and a base end portion is supported on the vehicle body side via a rotation shaft serving as a fulcrum of swinging, and the plurality of the plates Among the plate-like members, the plate-like member provided so that the plate surface intersects the operation direction of the pedal arm is thinner than the plate thickness of the other plate-like members.

According to the present invention, in a pedal device including a pedal arm made up of a hollow member having a closed cross section formed by a plurality of plate-like members, the plate thickness of the plate-like member provided so that the plate surface intersects the operation direction of the pedal arm. The thickness of the other plate-like member can be made thinner. As a result, the weight of the pedal device can be reduced.
In other words, the weight of the pedal device is reduced by reducing the plate thickness of the plate member that constitutes the portion that does not require much strength, compared to the thickness of the plate member that constitutes the portion that requires strength against the driver's pedaling force. it can.

  Further, the pedal arm of the pedal device according to the present invention is a plate-shaped member, wherein the cylindrical portion that is opened on the side on which the driver steps on and the closed portion that closes the opened portion of the cylindrical portion is the plate-like member. The plate-shaped member is formed, and the blocking portion is provided so that a plate surface thereof intersects with an operation direction of the pedal arm, and a plate thickness of the plate-shaped member forming the blockage portion forms the cylindrical portion. It is characterized by being thinner than the plate thickness.

  According to the present invention, there are two plate-like members: a plate-like member that forms a cylindrical portion having an open portion, and a plate-like member that forms a closing portion that closes the open portion of the cylindrical portion. A pedal arm can be formed. And the plate | board thickness of the plate-shaped member which forms an obstruction | occlusion part can be made thinner than the plate | board thickness of the plate-shaped member which forms a cylindrical part, and a pedal arm can be reduced in weight.

  Further, the pedal arm of the pedal device according to the present invention includes a pad portion at a distal end portion opposite to the base end portion, and the pad portion extends so that the closing portion extends toward the distal end portion side. It is characterized by being formed including the protruding portion.

  According to the present invention, the pad portion on which the driver's foot is placed can be formed by the extending portion formed by extending the closing portion constituting the pedal arm toward the distal end portion. Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced without the need for separate parts for forming the pad portion, and the pedal arm can be reduced in weight.

  In addition, the cylindrical portion of the pedal device according to the present invention includes a pair of side wall surfaces that have shaft holes through which the rotation shaft is inserted and that face each other, and a bottom surface that connects the pair of side wall surfaces. The pad portion is formed to include a bent portion in which a part of the side wall surface is bent so as to form a flat tread surface that faces a side on which the driver steps on, and the extending portion. It is characterized by.

  According to the present invention, the tread surface of the pad portion can be formed by the bent portion whose side wall surface is bent at the distal end side and the extending portion. Therefore, there is no need for a separate part for forming the pad portion, and the number of parts can be reduced. In addition, it is not necessary to perform alignment work required when attaching a pad portion made of a separate part to the pedal arm, and the man-hours for manufacturing the pedal arm can be reduced.

  Further, the bent portion of the pedal device according to the present invention is formed by bending a part of each of the pair of side wall surfaces in a direction away from each other on the tip portion side, and the extending portion is A gap formed between the two bent portions is covered from a side on which the driver steps on and operates.

  According to the present invention, even if the pad portion is formed by the cylindrical portion and the closing portion constituting the pedal arm, the pad portion having a required size can be formed.

  Further, the cylindrical portion of the pedal device according to the present invention is formed with a protruding portion that protrudes in the direction along which the closing portion is attached, on an end side along the open portion, Is formed with a fixing hole through which the protruding portion penetrates when attached to the cylindrical portion, and the pedal arm penetrates the fixing hole with the closing portion attached to the cylindrical portion. The protruding portion is pressed and crimped.

  According to the present invention, the closing portion can be fixed to the cylindrical portion by crimping the protruding portion. Furthermore, since the shape of the protrusion can be visually recognized from the outside, the protrusion can be securely crimped.

  Further, the pedal device according to the present invention is characterized in that the protruding portion penetrating the fixing hole is pressed in the direction of the closing portion in a heated state.

  According to the present invention, the closed portion can be fixed to the tubular portion by caulking the protrusion. By caulking in this way, the heated and pressed part is limited to the protruding part of the cylindrical part, so that deformation of the blocking part is suppressed. Moreover, a projection part can be pressed appropriately. Therefore, distortion of the closed part is suppressed, and the closed part can be reliably fixed to the cylindrical part.

  Further, the closing portion of the pedal device according to the present invention is in contact with pedal state detecting means provided on the vehicle body side for detecting the state of the pedal arm, and detects the pedal state according to the swing of the pedal arm. A contact surface for operating the means is formed.

  According to the present invention, the pedal state detecting means can be operated on the contact surface formed on the closing portion constituting the pedal arm. The pedal state detection means needs to be operated by the pedal arm since it needs to be operated according to the swing of the pedal arm. And by the structure by which a contact surface is formed in the obstruction | occlusion part, it is not necessary to attach another member for operating a pedal state detection means to a pedal arm, and weight reduction and cost reduction of a pedal apparatus can be achieved. Further, the step of attaching another member for operating the pedal state detecting means can be omitted. Therefore, the man-hour for producing the pedal device can be reduced, and the productivity can be improved.

  In the pedal device of the present invention, a rod mounting hole through which a connecting pin of a rod member connecting the brake booster mounted on the vehicle body side and the pedal arm is inserted passes through the pair of side wall surfaces. The rod mounting hole is subjected to burring so that a flange portion is formed between the pair of side wall surfaces, and defines the position of the rod mounting hole and supports the outer periphery of the flange portion. An annular positioning member is sandwiched between the pair of side wall surfaces.

  According to the present invention, the rod mounting hole through which the connecting pin of the rod member connected to the pedal arm is inserted can be accurately and easily formed at a predetermined position of the pedal arm by burring.

  Moreover, this invention is a manufacturing method of the pedal apparatus which has a rod attachment hole, Comprising: The procedure which bends the said plate-shaped member and forms the said pair of side wall surface connected with the said bottom face, A procedure for press-fitting the positioning member between the pair of side wall surfaces and sandwiching the positioning member between the pair of side wall surfaces, and the pair of side wall surfaces with respect to the annular inner side of the positioning member sandwiched between the pair of side wall surfaces And a step of forming the rod attachment hole in which the flange portion is formed between the pair of side wall surfaces.

  According to the present invention, the positioning member that defines the position of the rod mounting hole can be easily assembled, and further, the rod mounting hole can be formed by burring based on the position of the positioning member. Therefore, the rod mounting hole can be easily formed at an accurate position.

  In addition, the present invention includes a pedal arm that is installed in a vehicle and swings by a stepping operation by a driver. The pedal arm includes a cylindrical portion that is open on a side on which the driver performs a stepping operation, and an opening of the cylindrical portion. A closed portion that closes the portion, and is formed of a hollow member having a closed cross section formed of a plate-like member, and the base end portion is supported on the vehicle body side via a rotation shaft that serves as a fulcrum of oscillation, The closing portion is provided so that a plate surface thereof intersects with an operation direction of the pedal arm, and a plate thickness of the plate-like member forming the blocking portion is a plate thickness of the plate-like member forming the cylindrical portion. It is set as the manufacturing method of a thinner pedal apparatus. And the protrusion part which protrudes toward the direction in which the said obstruction | occlusion part is attached is penetrated in the edge along the open part of the said cylindrical part through the fixing hole formed in the said obstruction | occlusion part. In addition, a procedure for attaching the blocking portion to the cylindrical portion, a procedure for heating the protruding portion penetrating the fixing hole, and when the heated protruding portion is softened, the protruding portion is connected to the blocking portion. And a procedure of pressing in the direction.

  According to the present invention, the closed portion can be fixed to the cylindrical portion by caulking the protrusion.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the pedal apparatus of the structure which can be reduced in weight, and the manufacturing method of a pedal apparatus can be provided.

(A) is a side view which shows the structure of the pedal apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention, (b) is a perspective view of the bracket which attaches a pedal arm to a vehicle. (A) is a perspective view which shows the pedal operation part attached to the bracket, (b) is a perspective view of the pedal arm which carried out the cross section by plane S1. It is a perspective view which shows arrangement | positioning of the fixing boss | hub and the fixing hole. (A) is a figure which shows the state which the chip | tip pressed by the fixing boss | hub supplies with electricity to a main-body part, (b) is a figure which shows the state by which the fixing boss | hub was crushed. (A) is a schematic diagram which shows the state which carries out the burring process to a steel plate, (b) is a schematic diagram which shows the state which carries out the bending process of the steel plate by which burring was carried out. (A) is sectional drawing which shows the shaft hole and rod attachment hole which are formed in a pedal operation part, (b) is a schematic diagram which shows the state which processes a rod attachment hole. It is the perspective view which looked at the pad part from the side (front side) of the main-body part. (A) is a diagram showing a pedal arm having a U-shaped cross section, (b) is a diagram showing a pedal arm having a V-shaped cross section, and (c) is a pedal arm having a C-shaped cross section. FIG. It is a figure which shows the pedal arm in which a bottom face, two side wall surfaces, and the obstruction | occlusion part are formed with another steel plate.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate.
The pedal device 1 according to the present embodiment is, for example, a brake pedal provided in a vehicle (not shown), and as shown in FIG. It is attached to the dashboard panel 9).
In the present embodiment, the bracket 2 attached to the dashboard panel 9 is also included on the vehicle body side.
The dashboard panel 9 to which the bracket 2 is attached is a panel that partitions the vehicle compartment 9a and the engine room 9b of the vehicle. A brake booster 8 including a master cylinder 8a and a reservoir tank 8b is provided on the dashboard panel 9 on the engine room 9b side. Is attached.

The pedal operation section 3 includes an arm section (pedal arm 30) that swings around a rotation shaft 3a supported by the bracket 2 as a rotation center (fulcrum), and a pad section 31, and the brake booster 8 Is connected to the pedal arm 30 via a rod member (push rod 7). Further, the pad portion 31 is formed on one end portion (tip portion 302) side of the pedal arm 30. And in the pad part 31, the tread 310 for mounting a driver | operator's leg | foot is formed in the planar shape which faces the side which a driver | operator steps on.
The push rod 7 is pivotally connected to the pedal arm 3 via a connecting pin 7a. The pedal arm 30 has a base end portion 301 on the side supported by the rotation shaft 3a.

The bracket 2 is formed of, for example, a steel plate member (steel plate), and is supported between two arm portions 2a fixed to the dashboard panel 9 by screws or the like as shown in FIG. The part 2b has a structure fixed by welding or the like.
Further, the bracket 2 is engaged with a support hole 20 through which the rotation shaft 3a serving as a fulcrum of the pedal operation unit 3 is inserted, and a spring 3b that urges the pedal operation unit 3 in a predetermined direction. A portion 21 (see FIG. 1A) is formed.
The shape of the bracket 2 is not limited as long as the pedal operation unit 3 can be attached to the dashboard panel 9.

As shown in FIG. 1 (a), the pedal operating portion 3 is attached to the bracket 2 so as to be swingable with a pivot shaft 3a inserted through the support hole 20 as a fulcrum, and the driver does not perform a stepping operation. It is held at a predetermined position (reference position) by the spring 3b.
Hereinafter, the operation direction (swinging direction) of the pedal operation unit 3 is defined as the front-rear direction, and the direction in which the spring 3b biases the pedal operation unit 3 is defined as the rear direction.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the spring 3 b is locked by a hook hole 21 a formed in the locking portion 21 of the bracket 2 and a hook hole 21 b formed in the pedal arm 30. The spring 3b expands when the driver depresses the pedal arm 30, and when the driver removes his / her foot from the pad portion 31 (treading surface 310), the spring 3b contracts by his own elastic force to rotate the pedal arm 3 backward. The spring 3b holds the pedal arm 30 at a predetermined reference position.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the support portion 2b of the bracket 2 on the vehicle body side has a pedal state for detecting the state (operation state) of the pedal arm 30 operated by the driver. A switch mounting portion 2b1 for mounting the detection means (brake switch 10) is formed. A through hole 2b2 is formed in the switch mounting portion 2b1, and the brake switch 10 is mounted in the through hole 2b2. The brake switch 10 is, for example, a switch that is operated (operated on / off) in accordance with the operation (swing) of the pedal arm 30, and a brake that protrudes toward the pedal arm 30 is provided on the pedal arm 30 side. A structure in contact with the operation unit 10a of the switch 10 is required. This structure will be described later.
The brake switch 10 is preferably configured to be turned off when the operation unit 10a is pressed and pushed, and turned on when the operation unit 10a is released. Is not limited.

FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the pedal arm 30 taken along the plane S1 shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2B, the pedal arm 30 of the pedal operation unit 3 according to the present embodiment closes the cylindrical portion (main body portion 30a) having a U-shaped cross section and the opening of the main body portion 30a. And a closing portion 30b.
That is, the main body portion 30a has a shape in which a pair of side wall surfaces 30a2 are erected on both ends of the bottom surface 30a1, and the pair of side wall surfaces 30a2 facing each other are connected by the bottom surface 30a1. The main body 30a having such a shape is formed by bending (pressing or the like) a steel plate. In the present embodiment, the tread surface 310 of the pad portion 31 is formed and the driver steps on the pedal arm 30. The operation side (rear side) has a U-shaped cross-sectional shape opened.
And the obstruction | occlusion part 30b is equipped so that the open part of the main-body part 30a may be obstruct | occluded.

The closing part 30b is formed by pressing a steel plate or the like, and is attached to the main body part 30a so as to close the opening of the main body part 30a from the side (rear side) where the tread surface 310 is formed.
Since the opening of the main body 30a is formed behind the tread 310, the opening of the main body 30a is formed in a direction facing the operating direction of the pedal arm 30 swinging in the front-rear direction.
And since the obstruction | occlusion part 30b which consists of steel plates is attached so that the said opening may be obstruct | occluded with a plate surface, the obstruction | occlusion part 30b is attached in the direction in which the plate | board surface faces the operation direction of the pedal arm 30. That is, the closing part 30b is provided in the pedal arm 30 so that the plate surface thereof intersects with the front-rear direction which is the operation direction (swinging direction) of the pedal arm 30.

  And in this embodiment, the thickness (plate thickness) of the steel plate which forms the obstruction | occlusion part 30b is made thinner than the plate | board thickness of the steel plate which forms the main-body part 30a. In this way, the pedal arm 30 can be reduced in weight by forming the closing portion 30b with a steel plate that is thinner than the steel plate forming the main body portion 30a.

The pedal arm 30 swings around the rotation shaft 3a as a fulcrum by the driver's stepping force input to the pad portion 31, and the push rod 7 (see FIG. 1A) is moved to the brake booster 8 (FIG. It is a member to be pushed into the side). Therefore, the strength required to withstand external forces acting in the swinging direction (front-rear direction) is required.
Therefore, the pedal device 1 according to the present embodiment (see FIG. 1A) includes the pedal arm 30 having a necessary strength by appropriately setting the thickness of the steel plate forming the main body 30a.

  Further, the rear opening in which the tread surface 310 is formed is closed by the closing portion 30b to improve the strength of the pedal arm 30 in the twisting direction. However, the external force that causes the pedal arm 30 to twist is a secondary external force that is generated by the external force that causes the pedal arm 30 to swing. small. Therefore, even if the plate thickness of the steel plate forming the closing portion 30b is thinner than the plate thickness of the steel plate forming the main body portion 30a, the pedal arm 30 is sufficiently reinforced in the twisting direction. Therefore, the plate thickness of the steel plate forming the closing portion 30b can be made thinner than the plate thickness of the steel plate forming the main body portion 30a.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6A, a hook hole 21b for locking the spring 3b (see FIG. 1A) on the pedal arm 30 side is formed in the closing portion 30b.
As described above, the pedal arm 30 of the present embodiment has a configuration in which the hook hole 21b for locking the spring 3b is formed in the closing portion 30b, and a separate member for locking the spring 3b is attached to the pedal arm 30. There is no need to be done. Also by this, the pedal arm 30 can be reduced in weight.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2A, the closing portion 30b is opposed to the switch mounting portion 2b1 of the bracket 2, and the pedal state detecting means (brake switch 10) mounted on the switch mounting portion 2b1 is operated. A contact surface (switch contact surface 3c) that contacts the portion 10a is formed. And it is preferable that the operation part 10a of the brake switch 10 is configured to be pushed and pushed by the switch contact surface 3c when the spring 3b contracts and the pedal arm 30 is held at a predetermined reference position.
With this configuration, it is not necessary to attach another member forming the switch mounting portion to the pedal arm 30, and the pedal arm 30 can be reduced in weight.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 2B, a configuration in which a recess 30b1 (or a protrusion) is appropriately provided in the closing portion 30b to improve the strength (strength against bending or twisting) of the closing portion 30b may be adopted.

Further, in the pedal arm 30 of the present embodiment, the main body portion 30a and the closing portion 30b are fixed by caulking (hereinafter referred to as “thermal caulking”) using heating by electric resistance.
Therefore, a plurality of small protrusions (fixing bosses 30a3) projecting in the direction in which the closing part 30b is attached are formed on the opening side edge of the main body part 30a, and the fixing boss 30a3 is formed on the closing part 30b. A fixing hole 30b2 to be inserted is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of fixing bosses 30 a 3 are formed on the main body 30 a on the end side (end side on the side where the tread surface 310 is formed) along the open portion. The fixing boss 30a3 is formed so as to protrude in the direction in which the closing portion 30b is attached. In the closing portion 30b, a plurality of fixing holes 30b2 are formed at positions corresponding to the fixing bosses 30a3. The number of fixing bosses 30a3 and fixing holes 30b2 is not limited. If the number of fixing bosses 30a3 and the number of fixing holes 30b2 are the same (or the number of fixing holes 30b2 is larger than the number of fixing bosses 30a3), the number of each is not limited.

  And as shown to (a) of FIG. 4, an electrode is attached to the fixing boss | hub 30a3 which penetrated the fixing hole 30b2 of the obstruction | occlusion part 30b attached to the main-body part 30a installed in the installation jig | tool T2 which is an insulator. The double chip T1 is pressed. Further, a predetermined current is passed between the two chips T1 as indicated by a broken line, and the fixing boss 30a3 is heated by this energization. When the fixing boss 30a3 is heated and softened, the fixing boss 30a3 is pressed with the tip T1 in the direction of the closing portion 30b. Then, as shown in FIG. 4B, the softened fixing boss 30a3 is crushed by the pressure of the chip T1 and spreads around the fixing hole 30b2. Then, when the fixing boss 30a3 is cooled and hardened, the closing portion 30b is crimped to the main body portion 30a and fixed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1A, the pedal arm 30 is configured to swing around a pivot shaft 3a provided at an end portion (base end portion 301) opposite to the distal end portion 302. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2B, a shaft hole 32 through which the rotating shaft 3a is inserted is formed in the main body 30a of the pedal arm 30, and the rotating shaft 3a is inserted into the shaft hole 32. Is done.
The shaft hole 32 is a through-hole that is burred so that the flange portion F1 is formed outside the main body portion 30a (side wall surface 30a2).

For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, a plate member (steel plate St) is subjected to burring with a processing tool (such as a punch P1), and two shaft holes 32 having flange portions F1 protruding on the same side are formed. Form. Then, as shown in FIG. 5B, the steel plate St is bent by a press machine Pr or the like so that the flange portion F1 is outward and the two shaft holes 32 face each other, and the main body portion 30a (FIG. 2 (see (a)) and a pair of side wall surfaces 30a2.
What is necessary is just to set it as the main-body part 30a formed with such a construction method.
The rotating shaft 3a is held without backlash by the flange portion F1 formed by burring, and as a result, the backlash of the pedal operation portion 3 (see FIG. 1A) is suppressed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1A, a push rod 7 that connects the pedal operation unit 3 and the brake booster 8 is attached to the pedal arm 30. The push rod 7 is pivotally connected to the pedal arm 30 via a connecting pin 7a.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6A, a rod attachment hole 33 in which the push rod 7 is attached to the main body portion 30a of the pedal arm 30 is formed.
The rod attachment hole 33 is a through hole through which the connecting pin 7a provided in the push rod 7 is inserted, and is formed so as to penetrate a pair of opposing side wall surfaces 30a2. The rod mounting hole 33 is preferably formed by burring so that the flange portion F2 is formed inside the main body portion 30a (between the pair of side wall surfaces 30a2).

Therefore, for example, when the pedal arm 30 is manufactured, a steel plate is bent (pressed) to form the main body 30a (a pair of side wall surfaces 30a2), and then an annular positioning member (between the pair of side wall surfaces 30a2). A method is used in which the piece member 33a) is press-fitted and the piece member 33a is held between the opposing side wall surfaces 30a2.
When the piece member 33a is clamped by the opposing side wall surface 30a2, the position (processing position) of the rod attachment hole 33 can be defined by the piece member 33a by arranging the piece member 33a at a position where the rod attachment hole 33 is formed. .
Then, in a state where the piece member 33a is sandwiched between the pair of opposing side wall surfaces 30a2, as shown in FIG. 6B, the side wall surface 30a2 is opened to the annular inner side of the piece member 33a. The rod mounting hole 33 is formed by burring from the outside (the outside of the pair of opposing side wall surfaces 30a2) with a processing tool such as the punch P2.
By forming the rod mounting hole 33 by such a method, the flange portion F2 is formed inside the main body portion 30a inside the annular shape of the piece member 33a. Moreover, the outer periphery of the flange part F2 is supported by the piece member 33a.

As shown in FIG. 1 (a), the pedal operation unit 30 of the present embodiment includes a pad portion 31 having a tread surface 310 for placing a driver's foot, which is formed of a main body portion 30a and a closing portion 30b. The
As shown in FIG. 7, in the pad portion 31, the two side wall surfaces 30a2 of the main body portion 30a are bent in a direction away from each other on the distal end portion 302 side and spread outward, and the rear is a flat tread surface 310. A bent portion 31a is formed so as to form As a result, the two bent portions 31a are formed apart from each other.
Further, the closing portion 30b extends to the tip end portion 302 of the pedal arm 30 to form an extending portion 31b, and a gap formed between the two bent portions 31a is closed by the extending portion 31b. As a result, a flat tread surface 310 is formed by the two bent portions 31 a and the extended portion 31 b to form the pad portion 31.

  The pad portion 31 formed in this way has improved strength by overlapping the bent portion 31a and the extended portion 31b. Therefore, it is set as the structure where the extension part 31b overlaps with the bending part 31a from back. Further, a concave portion 31a1 having a depth corresponding to the thickness of the extending portion 31b (the thickness of the steel plate forming the closing portion 30b) is formed in the bent portion 31a, and the bent portion 31a and the extended portion 31b are formed by the concave portion 31a1. Overlapping configuration. With this configuration, there is no step between the plane formed by the bent portion 31a and the plane formed by the extended portion 31b. Therefore, the step surface 310 without a step is formed, and the driver can put his / her foot on the pad portion 31 (the step surface 310) without feeling uncomfortable.

Further, an engaging claw 31b1 protruding toward the bent portion 31a is provided in the extending portion 31b, and an engaging hole 31a2 through which the engaging claw 31b1 passes is provided in the bent portion 31a. And it is set as the structure which the engagement nail | claw 31b1 penetrates the engagement hole 31a2 in the state which the bending part 31a and the extension part 31b combined.
Further, the engaging claw 31b1 penetrating the engaging hole 31a2 is bent, and the extending portion 31b is fixed to the bent portion 31a.
With this configuration, the bonding strength between the bent portion 31a and the extended portion 31b is improved, and the pad portion 31 having high strength can be obtained. Further, the deformation of the pad portion 31 due to the two bent portions 31a being separated from each other is prevented.

  Although FIG. 7 shows three engagement claws 31b1 and three engagement holes 31a2 for one bent portion 31a, the number is not limited. Four or more engagement claws 31b1 and engagement holes 31a2 may be formed for one bent portion 31a, or two or less engagement claws 31b1 and one bent portion 31a. The structure by which the engagement hole 31a2 is formed may be sufficient.

If the reinforcing rib 31c is formed at the fold (broken line) where the bent portion 31a is bent with respect to the side wall surface 30a2, the driver puts his feet on the pad portion 31 (treading surface 310) and operates the pedal. It is possible to prevent the bending portion 31a from being bent with respect to the side wall surface 30a2 when the portion 3 (see FIG. 1A) is depressed.
Such a reinforcing rib 31c can be easily formed by providing a convex portion at a part of a fold (broken line) where the bent portion 31a is bent. In addition, the number of the reinforcing ribs 31c is not limited to one, and two or more reinforcing ribs 31c may be formed.

As described above, the pedal device 1 according to the present embodiment (see FIG. 1A) includes the main body 30a having a U-shaped cross section (see FIG. 2A) and the opening of the main body 30a. A closed arm 30b (see FIG. 2A) that closes, and a pedal arm 30 (see FIG. 1A) that includes a hollow member having a closed cross section is provided. Thus, the strength against an external force acting in the swinging direction can be improved by using the pedal arm 30 formed of a hollow member having a closed cross section. Therefore, the pedal arm 30 (main body portion 30a, closing portion 30b) can be formed of a thin steel plate, and the weight of the pedal device 1 can be reduced.
Moreover, the plate | board thickness of the steel plate which forms the obstruction | occlusion part 30b can be made thinner than the plate | board thickness of the steel plate which forms the main-body part 30a, and the weight reduction of the pedal apparatus 1 is attained.

Further, the pedal arm 30 (see FIG. 1A) of the present embodiment has a hook portion 21b (see FIG. 2A) for locking the spring 3b (see FIG. 1A) as a blocking portion. 30b (see FIG. 2A). Therefore, it is not necessary to attach another member for locking the spring 3b to the pedal arm 30, and the weight of the pedal device 1 can be reduced.
Further, the pedal arm 30 of the present embodiment is in contact with the operation portion 10a (see FIG. 2A) of the brake switch 10 to operate the brake switch 10 (see FIG. 2A). Reference) can be formed in the closed portion 30b. Therefore, a separate member for attaching the brake switch 10 to the pedal arm 30 does not need to be attached to the pedal arm 30, and the pedal device 1 can be reduced in weight.

  It should be noted that the design of the present invention can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2B, the cross-sectional shape of the main body 30a is a U-shape, but is not limited to this shape.

  For example, as shown to (a) of FIG. 8, the pedal apparatus 1 (refer to (a) of FIG. 1) provided with the pedal arm 30 in which the cross-sectional shape of the main-body part 30a exhibits U shape may be sufficient, As shown in FIG. 8B, the pedal device 1 may include the pedal arm 30 in which the cross-sectional shape of the main body 30a is V-shaped. Moreover, as shown to (c) of FIG. 8, the pedal apparatus 1 provided with the pedal arm 30 in which the cross-sectional shape of the main-body part 30a exhibits C shape may be sufficient.

  Further, the pedal arm 30 (see FIG. 1A) according to the present embodiment has a heat caulking of the main body 30a (see FIG. 2B) and the closing portion 30b (see FIG. 2B). It was set as the structure fixed. Instead, the pedal device 1 (see FIG. 1A) including the pedal arm 30 having a configuration in which the main body portion 30a and the closing portion 30b are fixed by other methods such as welding or brazing may be used.

Moreover, as shown to (a) of FIG. 2, as for the main-body part 30a of the pedal arm 30 which concerns on this embodiment, the bottom face 30a1 and the side wall surface 30a2 are formed by bending a steel plate.
Instead of this configuration, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, a pedal device 1 including a pedal arm 30 in which a bottom surface 30 a 1, two side wall surfaces 30 a 2, and a closing portion 30 b are all formed of different steel plates (FIG. 1). (See (a)).
In this configuration, the bottom surface 30a1 and the side wall surface 30a2 and the closing portion 30b and the side wall surface 30a2 may be fixed to each other by the above-described heat caulking.

1 Pedal device 2 Bracket (vehicle body side)
3a Rotating shaft 3c Switch contact surface (contact surface)
7 Push rod (rod member)
7a Connecting pin 8 Brake booster 9 Dashboard panel (vehicle body side)
10 Pedal switch (Pedal state detection means)
30 Pedal arm 30a Body (hollow member with closed cross section, cylindrical part)
30a1 Bottom 30a2 Side wall 30a3 Fixing boss (projection)
30b Closure part (hollow member with closed section)
30b2 Fixing hole 31 Pad part 31a Bending part 31b Extension part 32 Shaft hole 33 Rod mounting hole 33a Piece member (positioning member)
301 Base end portion 302 Tip portion 310 Tread surface F2 Flange portion (Flange portion of rod mounting hole)
St Steel plate (plate-like member)

Claims (11)

A pedal device provided with a pedal arm that is installed in a vehicle and swings by a stepping operation by a driver,
The pedal arm is formed of a hollow member having a closed cross section composed of a plurality of plate-like members, and a base end portion is supported on the vehicle body side via a rotation shaft serving as a fulcrum of swinging,
Among the plurality of plate-like members, the plate thickness of the plate-like member provided so that the plate surface intersects the operation direction of the pedal arm is smaller than the plate thickness of the other plate-like members. Pedal device. The pedal arm is
A cylindrical portion that is open on the side on which the driver steps on, and
A closing part that closes the open part of the cylindrical part is formed of the plate-like member,
The closing portion is provided so that a plate surface thereof intersects with an operation direction of the pedal arm, and a plate thickness of the plate-like member forming the blocking portion is a plate thickness of the plate-like member forming the cylindrical portion. The pedal device according to claim 1, wherein the pedal device is thinner. The pedal arm is provided with a pad at the tip opposite to the base end,
The pedal device according to claim 2, wherein the pad portion includes an extending portion in which the closing portion extends toward the tip portion. The cylindrical portion has a pair of side wall surfaces facing each other with a shaft hole through which the rotation shaft is inserted, and a bottom surface connecting the pair of side wall surfaces,
The pad portion is formed to include a bent portion in which a part of the side wall surface is bent so as to form a flat tread surface facing the side on which the driver steps on, and the extending portion. The pedal device according to claim 3. Two bent portions are formed by bending a part of each of the pair of side wall surfaces in a direction away from each other on the tip portion side,
The pedal device according to claim 4, wherein the extension portion covers a gap generated between the two bent portions from a side on which the driver steps on the pedal. The tubular portion is formed with a protruding portion that protrudes toward the direction in which the blocking portion is attached, on an end side along the open portion,
The closing portion is formed with a fixing hole through which the protruding portion passes when attached to the cylindrical portion,
6. The pedal arm according to claim 2, wherein the protruding portion penetrating the fixing hole is pressed and crimped in a state where the closing portion is attached to the cylindrical portion. The pedal device according to any one of the above.   The pedal device according to claim 6, wherein the protruding portion penetrating the fixing hole is pressed toward the closing portion in a heated state. In the blocking part,
A contact surface that is provided on the vehicle body side and that contacts pedal state detecting means for detecting the state of the pedal arm and that operates the pedal state detecting means in response to swinging of the pedal arm is formed. The pedal device according to any one of claims 2 to 7. A rod mounting hole through which a connecting pin of a rod member that connects the brake booster attached to the vehicle body and the pedal arm passes is formed so as to penetrate the pair of side wall surfaces,
The rod mounting hole is subjected to burring so that a flange portion is formed between the pair of side wall surfaces,
The annular positioning member that defines the position of the rod mounting hole and supports the outer periphery of the flange portion is sandwiched between the pair of side wall surfaces. The pedal device according to. It is a manufacturing method of the pedal device according to claim 9,
Bending the plate-like member to form the pair of side wall surfaces connected at the bottom surface;
A procedure for press-fitting the positioning member between the pair of side wall surfaces and sandwiching the positioning member between the pair of side wall surfaces;
The flange portion is formed between the pair of side wall surfaces by performing burring from the outside of the pair of side wall surfaces with respect to the annular inner side of the positioning member sandwiched between the pair of side wall surfaces. And a procedure for forming the rod attachment hole. It has a pedal arm that is installed in the vehicle and swings when the driver steps on it.
The pedal arm is a hollow member having a closed cross-section formed by a plate-shaped member including a cylindrical portion that is opened on a side on which the driver steps on the pedal, and a closed portion that closes an opened portion of the cylindrical portion. Formed, the base end is supported on the vehicle body side via a pivot shaft serving as a fulcrum of oscillation,
The closing portion is provided so that a plate surface thereof intersects with an operation direction of the pedal arm, and a plate thickness of the plate-like member forming the blocking portion is a plate thickness of the plate-like member forming the cylindrical portion. A method of manufacturing a thinner pedal device,
On the end side along the open part of the cylindrical part, a protruding part that protrudes in the direction in which the blocking part is attached penetrates the fixing hole formed in the blocking part, A procedure for attaching the blocking portion to the tubular portion;
A procedure for heating the protruding portion penetrating the fixing hole;
And a procedure of pressing the projection in the direction of the closing portion when the heated projection is softened.

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