JP5344314B2 - Pedal device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pedal device which can restrain biting-in of foreign matter between a stopper for restricting rotation of a gas pedal and an abutting part. <P>SOLUTION: The gas pedal 2 rotatably arranged on an inner wall of a housing 3, rotates by receiving stepping force of a driver to an operation part extending outside from an opening 35 formed in the housing. A spring 4 energizes the gas pedal 2 in the opposite direction of the direction for rotating the gas pedal 2 by stepping operation of the driver. Rotation of the gas pedal 2 in the energizing direction by the spring 4 is restricted by allowing the abutting part 23 arranged on an outer wall of the gas pedal 2 to abut on a stopper 36 arranged in a housing 3. A covering means 6 arranged on an outer wall of the housing 3 covers an opening 35 of the housing 3, the stopper 36 and the abutting part 23, to thereby restrain the foreign matter from intruding between the stopper 36 and the abutting part 23 from an external part of the housing 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a pedal device used for accelerator operation of a vehicle.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a pedal device that controls an acceleration state of a vehicle according to an accelerator pedal depression amount by a driver is known. In the pedal device described in Patent Document 1, a shaft member is rotatably provided in a housing that can be attached to a vehicle, and an accelerator pedal is attached to the shaft member. The accelerator pedal rotates in response to a driver's stepping force on an operation portion that extends to the outside of the housing from an opening provided in the housing. A spring urges the accelerator pedal in a direction opposite to the direction in which the accelerator pedal rotates by the driver's stepping operation.
The stopper provided in the housing and the contact portion provided on the outer wall of the accelerator pedal come into contact with each other, whereby the rotation of the accelerator pedal in the direction in which the spring is urged is limited. As a result, when the driver does not apply the pedaling force to the accelerator pedal, the accelerator pedal is held in the fully closed position. At this time, a signal indicating that the accelerator pedal is in the fully closed position is output from the rotation angle sensor that detects the rotation of the accelerator pedal to the engine control unit (ECU) of the vehicle. As a result, the ECU stops the acceleration instruction to the engine.

JP 2009-169812 A

  However, in the pedal device of Patent Document 1, foreign matter such as sand or stone may enter the housing from the opening of the housing through which the accelerator pedal is inserted. Sliding locations such as a gap between the shaft member to which the accelerator pedal is attached and the inner wall of the housing or a gap between the friction plate and the rotor that gives a predetermined frictional force to the rotation of the accelerator pedal are formed in the housing. . If a foreign object bites into such a sliding part, there is a concern that the pedaling force characteristic set in advance in the pedal device changes and the operation feeling deteriorates.

  Further, if a foreign object is caught between the stopper of the housing and the contact portion of the accelerator pedal, the accelerator pedal may not return to the fully closed position in a state where the driver does not apply the pedaling force to the accelerator pedal. In this case, a signal indicating that the accelerator pedal is rotating a predetermined amount is output from the rotation angle sensor to the vehicle ECU. Thereby, contrary to the driver's intention, when the ECU controls the engine to the acceleration state, the driver may feel anxiety or danger.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a pedal device capable of suppressing entry of foreign matter into the housing.

According to the first aspect of the invention, the accelerator pedal that is rotatably provided on the inner wall of the housing that can be attached to the vehicle body is rotated by receiving the pedaling force of the driver from the operation portion that extends outward from the opening formed in the housing. The spring biases the accelerator pedal in a direction opposite to the direction in which the accelerator pedal rotates by the driver's stepping operation. The contact portion provided on the outer wall of the accelerator pedal and the stopper provided on the housing contact each other, whereby the rotation of the accelerator pedal in the direction in which the spring is biased is limited. The covering means provided on the outer wall of the housing covers the opening, the stopper, and the contact portion of the housing.
Since the covering means covers the opening of the housing, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the housing from the outside of the housing. For this reason, a foreign object bites a sliding part in the housing, such as a gap between the shaft member to which the accelerator pedal is attached and the inner wall of the housing, or a gap between the friction plate and the rotor that gives a predetermined frictional force to the rotation of the accelerator pedal. Is suppressed. Therefore, the pedaling force characteristic preset in the pedal device is maintained, and the deterioration of the operation feeling can be suppressed.
Further, the covering means covers the stopper and the abutting portion, thereby preventing foreign matter from being caught between the stopper and the abutting portion. As a result, when the driver is not applying the pedaling force to the accelerator pedal, the accelerator pedal is reliably returned to the fully closed position by the biasing force of the spring. At this time, a signal indicating that the accelerator pedal is in the fully closed position is output from the rotation angle sensor that detects the rotation of the accelerator pedal to the ECU of the vehicle. Therefore, the ECU can improve safety without giving an acceleration instruction to the engine.
The pedal device includes a first guide member that extends from one of the housing and the accelerator pedal to the inside of the covering means and prevents the covering means from being sandwiched between the contact portion and the stopper. Thus, the accelerator pedal can surely return to the fully closed position in a state where the driver's pedaling force is not applied.
The pedal device further includes a second guide member that extends from the other of the housing and the accelerator pedal to the inside of the covering means and suppresses the covering means from being sandwiched between the contact portion and the stopper. The first guide member and the second guide member overlap in the radial direction or the axial direction with respect to the rotation of the accelerator pedal.
Thereby, it becomes possible to shorten the length of the first guide member and the second guide member with respect to the rotation direction of the accelerator pedal. Therefore, the rigidity of the first guide member and the second guide member can be increased.

  According to the invention which concerns on Claim 2, a coating | coated means is formed in the bellows shape which can be elastically deformed with rotation of an accelerator pedal. Since the bellows portion of the covering means is elastically deformed with the rotation of the accelerator pedal, it is possible to suppress the influence of the elastic force of the covering means on the pedaling force characteristic preset in the pedal device.

According to the invention of claim 3 , the distance between the other of the housing and the accelerator pedal and the first guide member is such that when the accelerator pedal rotates from the fully open position to the fully closed position, either the housing or the accelerator pedal. The gap is formed so that the covering means is not sandwiched between the first guide member and the first guide member. Thereby, when the accelerator pedal moves from the fully open position to the fully closed position, it is possible to suppress the covering means from being sandwiched between the other of the housing and the accelerator pedal and the first guide member.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the distance between the first guide member and the second guide member is such that the distance between the first guide member and the second guide member when the accelerator pedal rotates from the fully open position to the fully closed position. The covering means are formed at intervals such that they are not sandwiched. Thereby, when the accelerator pedal moves from the fully open position to the fully closed position, it is possible to suppress the covering means from being sandwiched between the first guide member and the second guide member.

1 is a side view of a pedal device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is an arrow view of the II direction of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the III-III line of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the IV-IV line | wire of FIG. 2, and is a figure which shows a state when an accelerator pedal exists in a fully closed position. It is sectional drawing of the IV-IV line | wire of FIG. 2, and is a figure which shows a state when an accelerator pedal exists in an open position. It is sectional drawing of the pedal apparatus by 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the pedal apparatus by 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the pedal apparatus by 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the pedal device by a 4th embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the pedal apparatus by 5th Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, a plurality of embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(First embodiment)
A pedal device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS.
The pedal device 1 is mounted on a vehicle and controls the operating state of the engine according to the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal 2 by the driver. The pedal device 1 of the present embodiment employs an accelerator-by-wire system, and converts the rotation angle of the accelerator pedal 2 into an electrical signal by the rotation angle sensor 5 and outputs it to the vehicle ECU. The ECU controls each part of the engine, such as the injection amount of the throttle device and the injector, based on a signal from the rotation angle sensor 5, vehicle speed information, and the like, and controls the operating state of the engine.

The pedal device 1 includes an accelerator pedal 2 that is depressed by a driver, a housing 3 that rotatably supports the accelerator pedal, a spring 4 as an urging means, a rotation angle sensor 5, and a covering means 6.
Hereinafter, the direction in which the accelerator pedal 2 rotates due to an increase in the pedal force accompanying the driver's stepping operation is referred to as the X direction, and the opposite direction is referred to as the Y direction.

The housing 3 is made of, for example, resin. The housing 3 includes a bottom plate 31, a top plate 32, a side plate 33, a side plate 34, and the like. The bottom plate 31 and the top plate 32 are formed substantially parallel to each other. The side plate 33 and the side plate 34 are formed substantially parallel to each other, and connect the bottom plate 31 and the top plate 32. Thereby, the housing 3 is formed in a substantially box shape. The housing 3 is provided with an opening 35 through which the accelerator pedal 2 is inserted. A stopper 36 for restricting the rotation of the accelerator pedal is provided on the opening 35 side of the top plate 32.
Mounting holes 311 and 312 are provided in the bottom plate 31. The housing 3 is attached to the vehicle body by attaching bolts or the like to the attachment holes 311 and 312.

The accelerator pedal 2 has an operation portion 21 that receives a driver's pedaling force at an end portion that extends outward from the opening 35 of the housing 3. The accelerator pedal 2 has a cylindrical portion 22 inside the housing 3 on the side opposite to the operation portion 21. Further, the accelerator pedal 2 has a contact portion 23 on the outer wall in the Y direction outside the opening 35 of the housing 3. The abutting portion 23 can abut on the stopper 36 of the housing 3.
In addition, the accelerator pedal 2 integrally forms the operation part 21, the cylindrical part 22, and the contact part 23.

  A hole 221 communicating with the rotation axis direction is formed in the cylindrical portion 22 of the accelerator pedal 2. The shaft member 11 is fitted in the hole 221. One end of the shaft member 11 is rotatably supported by a recess 331 formed on the inner wall of the side plate 33 of the housing 3, and the other end of the shaft member 11 is rotatably supported by a recess 341 formed on the inner wall of the side plate 34 of the housing 3. Yes. Therefore, the accelerator pedal 2 can rotate integrally with the shaft member 11 with the center of the shaft member 11 as the rotation axis O.

  A rotor 12 is provided in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 22 of the accelerator pedal 2. The rotor 12 has a substantially annular annular portion 121 and a projecting portion 122 projecting radially outward from the annular portion 121. The annular member 121 has the shaft member 11 passed through the inside, and is rotatably supported by the shaft member 11. The annular portion 121 and the shaft member 11 are relatively rotatable.

  A plurality of helical teeth 123 having inclined surfaces are formed in the circumferential direction on the surface of the annular portion 121 on the cylindrical portion 22 side. On the other hand, a plurality of helical teeth 222 having inclined surfaces corresponding to the helical teeth 123 of the annular portion 121 are formed on the surface of the cylindrical portion 22 on the annular portion 121 side in the circumferential direction. When the driver applies a pedaling force to the operation portion 21 of the accelerator pedal 2, the helical teeth 123 of the annular portion 121 mesh with the helical teeth 222 of the cylindrical portion 22, and the annular portion 121 rotates together with the cylindrical portion 22. At this time, the annular portion 121 is pressed toward the side plate 34 by the inclined surfaces of the helical teeth 123 and the helical teeth 222. A friction plate 14 is provided between the annular portion 121 and the side plate 34 to apply a frictional force to the annular portion 121. Thereby, a frictional force having a magnitude corresponding to the rotation angle of the accelerator pedal 2 acts on the accelerator pedal 2.

A substantially dish-shaped holder 13 is provided on the top plate 32 side of the protruding portion 122. A spring 4 is provided between the holder 13 and the top plate 32. The spring 4 is a double coil spring composed of a first coil spring 41 and a second coil spring 42.
The spring 4 has a force extending in the axial direction, and presses the holder 13 against the protruding portion 122 side of the rotor 12. Due to the biasing force of the spring 4, the projecting portion 122 of the rotor 12 is biased toward the bottom plate 31, and the annular portion 121 rotates. As the annular portion 121 rotates, the accelerator pedal 2 having the cylindrical portion 22 also rotates due to the engagement between the helical teeth 123 and the helical teeth 222. That is, the spring 4 urges the accelerator pedal 2 in a direction (Y direction) opposite to the direction in which the accelerator pedal 2 rotates by the driver's stepping operation.

  The rotation angle sensor 5 is attached to the side plate 33 of the housing 3. The rotation angle sensor 5 has a Hall IC 52. On the other hand, a magnet 53 is fixed to the end of the shaft member 11 on the side plate 33 side. When the magnet 53 fixed to the shaft member 11 rotates with the rotation of the accelerator pedal 2, the magnetic field around the end of the shaft member 11 changes. The Hall IC 52 converts the change in the magnetic field into an electric signal, and transmits the electric signal to the ECU via the connector 51. Thereby, ECU detects the rotation angle of the accelerator pedal 2, and controls the driving | running state of an engine.

The covering means 6 is formed in an accordion shape from an elastic member such as rubber, for example, and is provided so as to cover the opening 35 of the housing 3, the stopper 36, and the contact portion 23. The covering means 6 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and an edge 61 on the housing 3 side is fitted in a groove 60 formed continuously from the top plate 32, the side plates 33 and 34 and the bottom plate 31 of the housing 3. . On the other hand, in the covering means 6, the edge 62 on the accelerator pedal 2 side is in contact with the outer wall of the accelerator pedal 2.
As the accelerator pedal 2 rotates, the covering means 6 expands and contracts by elastically deforming the shape of the mountain at the bellows portion.

  A first guide member 71 extends from the top plate 32 of the housing 3 in the X direction about the rotation axis O of the accelerator pedal 2. Further, the second guide member 72 extends from the accelerator pedal 2 in the Y direction around the rotation axis O of the accelerator pedal 2. The first guide member 71 and the second guide member 72 are provided inside the covering means 6. The first guide member 71 and the second guide member 72 are each formed on a virtual cylindrical surface around the rotation axis O of the accelerator pedal 2. The first guide member 71 and the second guide member 72 have a predetermined gap S and are provided so as to overlap in the radial direction of the rotation of the accelerator pedal 2.

The operation of the pedal device 1 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 4, the contact portion 23 and the stopper 36 are in contact with each other in a state where the driver does not apply the pedaling force to the accelerator pedal 2, and the accelerator pedal 2 is maintained in the fully closed position.
At this time, the rotation angle sensor 5 outputs a signal indicating that the accelerator pedal 2 is in the fully closed position to the ECU.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the driver applies a pedaling force to the accelerator pedal 2, the accelerator pedal 2 rotates in the X direction.
At this time, the rotation angle sensor 5 outputs a signal indicating that the accelerator pedal 2 is rotating by a predetermined amount to the ECU.
In this state, the first guide member 71 and the second guide member 72 have a predetermined gap S and overlap in the rotational radial direction of the accelerator pedal 2. The gap S between the first guide member 71 and the second guide member 72 is maintained at a substantially constant interval when the accelerator pedal 2 moves from the fully closed position to the fully open position. The gap S is formed in such a size that the covering means 6 is not sandwiched between the first guide member 71 and the second guide member 72 when the accelerator pedal 2 moves from the fully open position to the fully closed position. Yes.
The convex portion 101 provided on the opening 35 side of the bottom plate 31 of the housing 3 can come into contact with the accelerator pedal 2 when the accelerator pedal 2 is moved to the fully open position. The convex portion 101 prevents the covering member 6 from being sandwiched between the bottom plate 31 of the housing 3 and the accelerator pedal 2.

In the present embodiment, the following effects are obtained.
(1) Since the covering means 6 covers the opening 35 of the housing 3, entry of foreign matter from the opening 35 of the housing 3 into the housing 3 is suppressed. As a result, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from being caught in sliding portions in the housing 3 such as a gap between the shaft member 11 and the recesses 331 and 341 of the side plates 33 and 34 of the housing 3 or a gap between the friction plate 14 and the rotor 12. Is done. Therefore, the pedaling force characteristic set in advance in the pedal device 1 is maintained, and the deterioration of the operation feeling can be suppressed.
(2) Since the covering means 6 covers the stopper 36 and the contact portion 23, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from being caught between the stopper 36 and the contact portion 23. Thus, the accelerator pedal 2 is reliably returned to the fully closed position by the urging force of the spring 4 in a state where the driver does not apply the pedaling force to the accelerator pedal 2. For this reason, since a signal indicating that the accelerator pedal 2 is in the fully closed position is output from the rotation angle sensor 5 to the ECU, the ECU can improve safety without giving an acceleration instruction to the engine.
(3) The covering means 6 easily expands and contracts due to elastic deformation of the bellows portion as the accelerator pedal 2 rotates. For this reason, it can suppress that the elastic force of the coating | coated means 6 affects the pedaling force characteristic preset to the pedal apparatus 1. FIG.

(4) Since the first guide member 71 and the second guide member 72 are provided between the contact portion 23 and the stopper 36 and the covering means 6, when the accelerator pedal 2 moves to the fully closed position, the contact portion It is possible to prevent the covering means 6 from being sandwiched between the stopper 23 and the stopper 36.
(5) The clearance S between the first guide member 71 and the second guide member 72 is formed so small that the covering means 6 is not sandwiched between the first guide member 71 and the second guide member 72. Thereby, when the accelerator pedal 2 shifts to the fully closed state, it is possible to prevent the covering means 6 from being sandwiched between the first guide member 71 and the second guide member 72.
(6) Since the first guide member 71 and the second guide member 72 overlap in the radial direction with respect to the rotation of the accelerator pedal 2, the lengths of the first guide member 71 and the second guide member 72 with respect to the rotation direction of the accelerator pedal 2. It is possible to shorten the length. Therefore, the rigidity of the first guide member 71 and the second guide member 72 can be increased.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 6 shows a pedal device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, in a plurality of embodiments, the same numerals are given to the composition substantially the same as a 1st embodiment mentioned above, and explanation is omitted.
In the present embodiment, the first guide member 73 extends from the top plate 32 of the housing 3 in the X direction around the rotational axis O of the accelerator pedal 2 inside the covering means 6. On the other hand, the accelerator pedal 2 is not provided with the second guide member. The first guide member 73 is formed on a virtual cylindrical surface with the rotation axis O of the accelerator pedal 2 as the center.
The clearance S between the first guide member 73 and the accelerator pedal 2 maintains a substantially constant interval when the accelerator pedal 2 moves from the fully closed position to the fully open position. The gap S is formed at such an interval that the covering means 6 is not sandwiched between the first guide member 73 and the accelerator pedal 2 when the accelerator pedal 2 moves from the fully open position to the fully closed position.
In this embodiment, since only the first guide member 73 is provided inside the covering means 6 and the second guide member is not provided, the plate thickness of the second guide member and the physique of the pedal device are reduced in size. Thus, the foot contact of the pedal device can be improved.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 7 shows a pedal device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
In the present embodiment, inside the covering means 6, the second guide member 74 extends from the accelerator pedal 2 in the Y direction around the rotation axis O of the accelerator pedal 2. On the other hand, the first guide member is not provided in the housing 3. The second guide member 74 is formed on a virtual cylindrical surface centered on the rotation axis O of the accelerator pedal 2.
The clearance S between the second guide member 74 and the top plate 32 of the housing 3 is maintained at a substantially constant interval when the accelerator pedal 2 moves from the fully closed position to the fully open position. The gap S is formed at an interval such that the covering means 6 is not sandwiched between the second guide member 74 and the top plate 32 of the housing 3 when the accelerator pedal 2 moves from the fully open position to the fully closed position. Yes.
In the present embodiment, since only the second guide member 74 is provided inside the covering means 6 and the first guide member is not provided, the plate thickness of the first guide member and the physique of the pedal device are reduced in size. Thus, the foot contact of the pedal device can be improved.

(Fourth embodiment)
A pedal device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS.
In the present embodiment, the first guide member 75 extends from the top plate 32 of the housing 3 in the X direction around the rotation axis O of the accelerator pedal 2 inside the covering means 6. A second guide member 76 extends from the accelerator pedal 2 in the Y direction about the rotation axis O of the accelerator pedal 2. The first guide member 75 and the second guide member 76 are provided so as to overlap in parallel with the rotation axis direction of the accelerator pedal 2. That is, as shown in FIG. 9, the first guide member 75 and the second guide member 76 are provided so as to alternate with each other when viewed from above.
In this embodiment, the foot contact property of the pedal device can be improved by reducing the size of the pedal device by the thickness of either the first guide member 75 or the second guide member 76.

(Fifth embodiment)
A pedal device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG.
In the present embodiment, the covering means 65 is formed such that the peak shape of the bellows portion is an arc shape in a sectional view. Also in the present embodiment, the covering means 65 can be expanded and contracted by elastically deforming the shape of the bellows portion with the rotation of the accelerator pedal 2.
In this embodiment, since the height of the coating | coated means 65 becomes low, the foot contact property of a pedal apparatus can be improved.

(Other embodiments)
In the above-described embodiments, the pedal device 1 used for the accelerator operation of the vehicle has been described. On the other hand, the present invention may be applied to a pedal device used for a brake operation of a vehicle.
In the plurality of embodiments described above, the shape of the bellows peaks of the covering means 6 and 65 is formed as three. On the other hand, the present invention has no limitation on the number of bellows ridge shapes of the covering means. Increasing the number of mountain shapes reduces the height of the mountain and improves the foot contact.
In the plurality of embodiments described above, the edge 61 on the housing 3 side of the covering means 6 is fitted into the groove 60 formed in the housing 31. On the other hand, in the present invention, the edge of the covering means and the outer wall of the housing may be joined by bonding, welding, or the like.
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Pedal apparatus 2 ... Accelerator pedal 3 ... Housing 4 ... Spring 6, 65 ... Cover means 21 ... Operation part 23 ... Contact part 35 ... Opening 36- ..Stoppers 71, 73, 75 ... first guide members 72, 74, 76 ... second guide members

Claims (4)

A housing attachable to the vehicle body;
An accelerator pedal that is rotatably provided on the inner wall of the housing, and that rotates by receiving a pedaling force of a driver from an opening provided in the housing and extending to an outside of the housing;
A spring that biases the accelerator pedal in a direction opposite to the direction in which the accelerator pedal rotates by a driver's stepping operation;
A contact portion provided on an outer wall of the accelerator pedal;
A stopper that is provided in the housing and restricts rotation of the accelerator pedal in a direction in which the spring is urged by contacting the contact portion of the accelerator pedal;
Covering means provided on the outer wall of the housing and covering the opening of the housing, the stopper and the contact portion;
A first guide member that extends from one of the housing and the accelerator pedal to the inside of the covering means and prevents the covering means from being sandwiched between the contact portion and the stopper;
A second guide member that extends from the other of the housing and the accelerator pedal to the inside of the covering means and suppresses the covering means from being sandwiched between the contact portion and the stopper,
The pedal device according to claim 1, wherein the first guide member and the second guide member overlap in a radial direction or an axial direction with respect to the rotation of the accelerator pedal .   The pedal device according to claim 1, wherein the covering means is formed in a bellows shape that can be elastically deformed with the rotation of the accelerator pedal. The distance between the other one of the housing and the accelerator pedal and the first guide member is such that when the accelerator pedal rotates from the fully open position to the fully closed position, the other of the housing and the accelerator pedal and the first guide member. The pedal device according to claim 1 , wherein the pedal device is formed at an interval such that the covering means is not sandwiched between the guide member and the guide member. The distance between the first guide member and the second guide member is such that when the accelerator pedal rotates from the fully open position to the fully closed position, the covering means is between the first guide member and the second guide member. The pedal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pedal device is formed at an interval so as not to be sandwiched.

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