KR20190088720A - Pedal structure suitable to driver's sphine and leg and assembly thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a pedal system for enabling a location and an angle of a pedal to be suitable for body types of various drivers and an assembly for a structure of the pedal and, more specifically, to a pedal system for a vehicle, which comprises: a pedal having a distance varied based on a driver seat; a user input unit configured to adjust a location of the pedal; an adjustment unit configured to adjust the location of the pedal through user input which is input through the user input unit; and a control unit sensing the angle of the pedal to generate a control signal of the vehicle.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION [0002] PEDAL STRUCTURE SUITABLE TO DRIVER'S SPHERE AND LEG AND ASSEMBLY THEREOF [0003]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pedal structure and a pedal assembly of the pedal structure, which can change the position and angle of the pedal so as to conform to a body size that varies from driver to driver.

The seat and pedal of a car have a very important influence on the driver's posture associated with back pain. Compared to automobile seats, which have been developed with ergonomics so far, research and development of pedals have been insufficient.

In the SUV with high bodywork as well as in the low sedan, the driver can adjust the knee angle of the pedal according to the position of the pedal, so that the erector spinae, rectus femoris, tibialis anterior, soleus, , Gastrocnemius, and biceps femoris.

Since the automobile is used as a means of transportation for commuting and leisure, it is important for the driver to feel comfortable with the driver. The static attitude of driving a car is related to back pain. The muscle fatigue that comes from the long driving stance acts as a factor to hinder the comfort, and the low muscle activity level means that the driver is comfortable. Car seat is a very important factor as a factor that hinders comfort. A study was conducted to find the optimal joint angle by analyzing each joint angle for a comfortable driving posture. In order to find a comfortable posture in a sedan and SUV vehicle by dividing 16 joint angles, .

The mechanical position of the pedal is also important as a factor of comfort. Since the legs in the sitting position correctly contact the support surface, it affects the uniform weight distribution and the stable posture can be maintained as the normal body sensory input is received. Therefore, when the legs are in a symmetrical posture and a straight posture It is necessary to make the muscles of the trunk muscles balanced.

This symmetrical posture, together with the stability of the support surface, maintains the tension of the lumbar muscles and achieves harmonious activity.

Since trunk muscles are essential for maintaining various postures in daily life, maintaining the balance strength and endurance of trunk muscles is very important. In this way, driving is not simply sitting and manipulating the steering wheel, but the balanced and efficient movement of various bodies within it. Therefore, the comfort and comfort of the driver is a necessary factor, and these parts are combined to ensure safe and fast travel.

Furthermore, there can be various body shapes ranging from small-sized women to large-sized men. Only the adjustment of the position of the seat and the handle is adjusted to fit the body shape. The position and angle of an appropriate pedal may exist depending on the positional adjustment of the seat and the handle, and research on the pedal has not been sufficiently conducted.

Therefore, it is required to study the pedal structure for maximizing the endurance of the trunk muscle by minimizing the muscle activity of the driver.

The present invention is directed to solving the above-mentioned problems and other problems. Another object of the present invention is to provide a pedal structure and an assembly therefor that can change the pedal position and angle so as to match the body shape of the driver.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention, unless further departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It will be possible.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sliding device comprising: a sliding portion capable of sliding relative to a driver seat to change its position; A position adjuster capable of adjusting a position of the sliding portion; And a pedal pivotally coupled to the sliding portion.

The apparatus may further include a user input unit for receiving an input from the user to change the position of the sliding unit.

And a control unit for controlling the position adjusting unit based on a user signal inputted through the user input unit.

The position adjustment unit may include: a power unit that provides power to the sliding unit; And the sliding portion may include a slidable rail.

The adjustment unit may further include a locking device for preventing the sliding part from moving along the rail.

When the vehicle is in operation, the control unit activates the locking device so that the position of the pedal can be fixed.

Here, the control unit may sense an angle at which the pedal is rotated, and generate a signal for controlling the vehicle based on the sensing result.

The signal for controlling the vehicle may be a control signal that varies depending on the magnitude of the angle at which the pedal is rotated from the basic angle.

The control signal is one of a brake signal and an acceleration signal, and the degree of braking and the degree of acceleration may vary depending on the magnitude of the angle.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pedal device comprising: a pedal having a varying distance based on a driver's seat; A user input for adjusting the position of the pedal; An adjustment unit for adjusting a position of the pedal through a user input input through the user input unit; And a control unit for sensing the angle of the pedal to generate a control signal of the vehicle.

Effects of the vehicle pedal system according to the present invention will be described as follows.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, there is an advantage that the position and angle of the pedal for a vehicle best suited to the body shape of the driver can be set. Especially, it has the advantage of providing position and angle of the pedal which is suitable for the body of a woman with a small height.

In addition, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, there is an advantage that the burden on the spine and the leg can be minimized by operating the driver comfortably in long-distance driving.

Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, such as the preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.

Figure 1 is a block diagram of a pedal system 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a diagram showing a conceptual diagram of a pedal system 100 applied to a vehicle interior according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 and 4 are front and rear perspective views of a pedal assembly 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 and 6 are views showing an exploded view of a pedal assembly 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a view showing a detailed view of a foot plate 303 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 and 9 are views showing a method of changing the basic position of the foot plate 303 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 and 11 are views illustrating pedal angle adjustment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to designate identical or similar elements, and redundant description thereof will be omitted. The suffix "module" and " part "for the components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have their own meaning or role. In the following description of the embodiments of the present invention, a detailed description of related arts will be omitted when it is determined that the gist of the embodiments disclosed herein may be blurred. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. , ≪ / RTI > equivalents, and alternatives.

Terms including ordinals, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited to these terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

It is to be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected or connected to the other element, . On the other hand, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that there are no other elements in between.

The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In the present application, the terms "comprises", "having", and the like are used to specify that a feature, a number, a step, an operation, an element, a component, But do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

The seat and pedal of a car have a very important influence on the driver's posture associated with back pain. Compared to automobile seats, which have been developed with ergonomics so far, research and development of pedals have been insufficient.

In the SUV with high bodywork as well as in the low sedan, the driver can adjust the knee angle of the pedal according to the position of the pedal, so that the erector spinae, rectus femoris, tibialis anterior, soleus, , Gastrocnemius, and biceps femoris.

Since the automobile is used as a means of transportation for commuting and leisure, it is important for the driver to feel comfortable with the driver. The static attitude of driving a car is related to back pain. The muscle fatigue that comes from the long driving stance acts as a factor to hinder the comfort, and the low muscle activity level means that the driver is comfortable. Car seat is a very important factor as a factor that hinders comfort. A study was conducted to find the optimal joint angle by analyzing each joint angle for a comfortable driving posture. In order to find a comfortable posture in a sedan and SUV vehicle by dividing 16 joint angles, .

The mechanical position of the pedal is also important as a factor of comfort. Since the legs in the sitting position correctly contact the support surface, it affects the uniform weight distribution and the stable posture can be maintained as the normal body sensory input is received. Therefore, when the legs are in a symmetrical posture and a straight posture It is necessary to make the muscles of the trunk muscles balanced.

This symmetrical posture, together with the stability of the support surface, maintains the tension of the lumbar muscles and achieves harmonious activity.

Since trunk muscles are essential for maintaining various postures in daily life, maintaining the balance strength and endurance of trunk muscles is very important. In this way, driving is not simply sitting and manipulating the steering wheel, but the balanced and efficient movement of various bodies within it. Therefore, the comfort and comfort of the driver is a necessary factor, and these parts are combined to ensure safe and fast travel.

 The development objective of the present invention is to make an adjustable seat and pedal capable of minimizing the back pain burden of patients visiting a hospital using a car. Patients who want to go to the hospital due to low back pain and disc problems are avoiding public transportation and are moving to private use mainly because they also cause great pain. To create an adjustable seat and pedal that minimizes the driver's back pain burden in terms of comfort and comfort.

Comfort and comfort are not only seat adjustment, but also driver's pedal manipulation has confirmed that there is a difference in activity of the back muscles and lower leg muscles. We started the development and found that the pedal position of the low sedan and the pedal position In order to achieve pedal position and angle with low spinal autonomic and lower limb muscle activity.

In addition, the seat angle was 105 °, which proved that the superior and inferior muscular activity was lowered to give a comfortable feeling. Since the angle of the hip joint was not changed when seated in the right posture, the knee angle was 110 ° and the ankle angle was 90 °.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a block diagram of a pedal system 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

The pedal system 100 includes a memory 170, a control unit 180, a user input unit 123, a sliding unit 151, an adjusting unit 152, a sensing unit 153, a power unit 154, and a power supply unit 190 ), And the like. 1 are not essential to the implementation of the pedal system 100, so that the pedal system 100 described herein may have more or fewer components than those listed above have.

The power section 154 may provide power to the adjusting section 152 and the length adjusting bar 601, which will be described later.

The voice data or image data collected by the user input unit 123 may be analyzed and processed by the user's control command.

The memory 170 also stores data that supports various functions of the pedal system 100. The memory 170 may store a plurality of application programs (application programs or applications) driven in the pedal system 100, data for operation of the pedal system 100, and instructions.

On the other hand, the application program may be stored in the memory 170, installed on the pedal system 100, and operated by the control unit 180 to perform the operation (or function) of the pedal system 100. [

In addition to the operations associated with the application program, the control unit 180 typically controls the overall operation of the pedal system 100. The control unit 180 may process or process signals, data, information, and the like input or output through the above-mentioned components, or may drive an application program stored in the memory 170 to provide or process appropriate information or functions to the user.

In addition, the controller 180 may control at least some of the components illustrated in FIG. 1 in order to drive an application program stored in the memory 170. Furthermore, the control unit 180 may operate at least two or more of the components included in the pedal system 100 in combination with each other for driving the application program.

The power supply unit 190 receives external power and internal power under the control of the controller 180 to supply power to the components included in the pedal system 100. The power supply unit 190 may include a battery, and the battery may be a battery installed in the vehicle itself.

At least some of the components may operate in cooperation with one another to implement the operation, control, or control method of the pedal system 100 according to the various embodiments described below. Also, the operation, control, or control method of the pedal system 100 may be implemented on the pedal system 100 by driving at least one application program stored in the memory 170.

The sensing unit 140 senses an angle at which the pedal is tilted by a user's operation, and transmits the sensed angle to the controller 180. At this time, the sensed result may be transmitted from the reference position, or the absolute angle of the position may be transmitted.

The user input unit 123 is for receiving information from a user and when the information is inputted through the user input unit 123, the control unit 180 can control the operation of the pedal system 100 to correspond to the input information . The user input unit 123 may include a mechanical input means (or a mechanical key, for example, a button located on the front, rear or side of the pedal system 100, a dome switch, a jog wheel, Jog switches, etc.) and touch-type input means. As an example, the touch type input means may comprise a virtual key, a soft key or a visual key displayed on a touch screen (installed in the vehicle) through a software process And a touch key disposed at a portion other than the touch screen. Meanwhile, the virtual key or the visual key can be displayed on a touch screen having various forms, for example, a graphic, a text, an icon, a video, As shown in FIG.

The user input unit 123 to be described below may include a button for changing the setting of the pedal, such as a forward / backward movement button of the pedal and / or a pedal reference angle change button.

The memory 170 may store a program for the operation of the controller 180, and temporarily store input / output data. The memory 170 may store data related to vibration and sound of various patterns outputted when a touch is input on the touch screen.

The memory 170 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a solid state disk type, an SDD type (Silicon Disk Drive type), a multimedia card micro type ), Card type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory), random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read memory, a programmable read-only memory (PROM), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and / or an optical disk. The pedal system 100 may be operated in association with a web storage that performs the storage function of the memory 170 on the Internet.

Meanwhile, as described above, the control unit 180 controls the operation related to the application program and the overall operation of the pedal system 100 in general.

 Further, the control unit 180 may control any one or a plurality of the above-described components in order to implement various embodiments described below on the pedal system 100 according to the present invention.

The power supply unit 190 receives external power and internal power under the control of the controller 180 and supplies power necessary for operation of the respective components. The power supply unit 190 may include a battery, and the battery may be a battery of the vehicle itself, and the charging may be performed through a generator or the like of the vehicle.

2 is a diagram showing a conceptual diagram of a pedal system 100 applied to a vehicle interior according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the drawing, the entire pedal system 100 is not shown, and a part of the pedal system 100 may be formed integrally with other parts of the vehicle.

Referring to Fig. 2, the driver 201 is sitting on the seat 202 of the vehicle and operating. The driver 201 of the vehicle operates the vehicle using the pedal assembly 200 of the pedal system 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. For example, the pedal assembly 200 is used as an accelerator pedal.

3 and 4 are front and rear perspective views of a pedal assembly 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The pedal assembly 200 includes a case (e.g., a frame, a housing, a cover, etc.) that forms an appearance.

These cases may be formed by injection molding a synthetic resin, or may be formed of a metal such as stainless steel (STS), aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), or the like.

The pedal assembly 200 may be configured such that one case provides the internal space, unlike the above example in which a plurality of cases provide an internal space for accommodating various electronic components. In this case, a unibody pedal system 100 may be implemented in which the synthetic resin or metal extends from side to back.

5 and 6 are views showing an exploded view of a pedal assembly 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 to 6 together.

The pedal assembly 200 for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a sliding portion 302 that is slidably movable to change a position relative to a driver seat 202; A position adjuster capable of adjusting a position of the sliding portion 302; And a pedal 303 pivotally coupled to the sliding portion 302. [

The position adjusting unit may include a power unit 154 for providing power to the sliding unit; And the sliding portion may include a sliding movable rail (301). The power unit 154 may be controlled by the control unit 180. [

The control unit 180 may control the position adjustment unit based on a user signal input through the user input unit. The position adjusting unit may be controlled to change the position of the sliding unit 302 to a position desired by the user.

Although not shown in the drawings, the position adjustment unit may further include a locking device so that the sliding portion 302 can be fixed after being slidably moved. This is because the locking device can be activated when the vehicle is in operation so that the vehicle can be stably operated.

The control unit 180 can sense the angle at which the pedal (footrest) is rotated, and control the vehicle based on the sensing result. At this time, it is obvious that the control unit 180 does not sense itself, but the sensing unit 153 senses it, and the control unit 180 can receive and utilize it.

In particular, in the case of vehicle control such as an excel or a brake, the strength varies depending on how much the pedal is stepped on. If the pedal is weakly depressed, the vehicle acceleration will be weak, and if the pedal is strongly depressed, the vehicle acceleration will be high. Therefore, it is obvious that the signal that the control unit 180 controls the vehicle varies depending on the angle of rotation from the basic angle (basic position) of the pedal.

The pedal 303 may be configured to include a body 305, a foot plate 303, and a footrest support 304. The foot plate 303 may be pivotally coupled to the body portion 305 so that the driver can control the vehicle by tilting the foot plate 305 as desired. In addition, a restoring force for restoring the footrest support 304 to the initial position of the footrest 303 can be provided. This restoring force can be provided by a material having elasticity, such as a spring, as shown in the drawing.

In addition, the footrest support 304 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be provided so as to have a length varying.

As shown in the drawing, the footrest support 304 may have a length adjusting bar 601 that can change the length. The length adjustment bar 601 may be formed at one end with teeth 603 and the length of the entire foot support 304 may be changed by adjusting the position of the teeth 603. [

On the other hand, it is obvious that the position of the tooth 603 described above can be changed by the control of the controller 180. [ The stepped support bracket 304 may receive the power of the inner and outer power units to change the fastening position of the teeth 603, and thus the length of the stepped bracket 304 may be changed.

One end of the footrest support 304 can be pivotally coupled to the body 305. And the other end of the footrest support 304 can be pivotally coupled to the back surface of the footrest 303. [

7 is a view showing a detailed view of a foot plate 303 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The foot plate (303) may form a fixing groove (604) formed in a predetermined direction. In the drawing, a fixing groove 604 is formed in the same direction as the longitudinal direction of the foot plate 303. In the drawing, two fixing grooves 604 are formed on the left and right sides, but the number is not limited thereto.

The footrest support 304 may be coupled to a point on the elongated fixing groove 604 and the basic position of the footrest 303 may be determined depending on the position where the footrest support 304 is engaged. That is, in the embodiment of the present invention, the position where the other end of the footrest support 304 is coupled to the rear face of the footrest 303 can be changed to change the basic position of the footrest 303. This embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 8 and 9. Fig.

8 and 9 are views showing a method of changing the basic position of the foot plate 303 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

One end of the footrest support base 304 may be coupled to a point on the elongated fixation groove 604 and the basic position (basic inclination) of the footrest 303 may be adjusted depending on the position where the footrest support base 304 is engaged, Can be determined.

Referring to FIG. 8, one end of the footrest support 304 is fastened to the lower end of the fixing groove 604. The length of the footrest support 304 is relatively long. In this state, the angle of the base position of the foot plate 303 will be relatively larger (that is, closer to 90 degrees) than the case of Fig. The angular range over which the footrest can be moved can also be formed larger than in Fig.

Referring to FIG. 9, one end of the footrest support 304 is fastened to the upper end of the fixing groove 604. And, the length of the footrest support 304 is relatively shortened. In this state, the angle of the base position of the foot plate 303 will be formed to be relatively smaller (i.e., the foot plate is laid on the floor) than in the case of Fig. The angular range in which the footrest can be moved can also be formed smaller than in Fig.

That is, when the angle of the basic position is large as shown in FIG. 8, the pedal assembly 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention increases the operation range (range of the inclination angle of the foot plate) The operation range is reduced.

Further, in the present invention, it is proposed that the strength of the restoring force is changed according to the angle of the foot plate 303. As shown in FIG. 8, as the foot plate 303 approaches the right angle, the restoring force is reduced. As shown in FIG. 9, as the foot plate 303 is gradually tilted, the restoring force can be increased. This restoring force will automatically be the strength of the restoring force when the footrest support 304 is shortened in length. This is because the elastic force is determined by the following equation.

Where F is the restitution force (unit: N), k is the modulus of elasticity, and x is the compressed or stretched length of the spring.

That is, when the length of the footrest support 304 is adjusted by the length adjustment bar 601, a repulsive force as much as a shortening will be applied to the restoring force.

The reason why the resting force is increased as the footrest 303 is laid down is that the force that basically pushes the footrest increases due to the weight of the driver leg itself as the footrest 303 is laid down. Therefore, the restoring force can be made larger so that the driver can more comfortably operate the vehicle.

In addition, when the restoring force is large, it is difficult to increase the angular range of the foot plate 303. Therefore, in one embodiment of the present invention, it is proposed to reduce the angular range of the foot plate 303 as shown in FIG.

Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, when the position of the pedal is distant from the seat, the basic position of the pedal is set close to a right angle as shown in FIG. The reason is that the closer the pedal is to the seat, the smaller the angle of the driver's thighs and calves will be, in order to maintain the previous pedal angle, the ankle must be raised too far.

This embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 10 and 11. Fig.

10 and 11 are views illustrating pedal angle adjustment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Fig. 10, when the pedal is far away, the pedal angle is close to a right angle. Because you can stretch your legs straight, you can adjust the angle of the pedal without stretching your ankle upwards.

However, when the pedal is close to the seat as shown in Fig. 11, it is not easy to do so.

First, since the pedal is near in Fig. 11, the height of the driver's seat should be raised slightly under the premise that it is the same person as in Fig. In order to raise the foot on the footboard in the raised state, the angle of the thigh and calf becomes smaller than in FIG. 10, so that the angle of the sole of the driver in a comfortable state will also become smaller parallel to the floor. In other words, the driver must forcibly raise his / her ankle so that the foot can be raised to the pedal.

If the ankle is tilted too much like this, the driver may be burdened.

Therefore, the control unit 180 according to the embodiment of the present invention can control the angle of the pedal to be small when the sliding portion 302 approaches the driver seat.

At this time, the angle of the pedal may be manually changed by the user's input, but the control unit 180 may automatically calculate the distance to the seat and automatically change it to the optimum angle.

Although the embodiment of the pedal system 100 according to the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the technical idea, structure and operation of the pedal system 100 according to the present invention, The scope of the technical idea of the present invention is not limited to the description with reference to the drawings or the drawings. It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the concepts and embodiments of the invention set forth herein may be used as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. And various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (10)

A sliding portion that is slidably movable to change a position relative to a driver seat;
A position adjuster capable of adjusting a position of the sliding portion; And
And a pedal pivotally coupled to the sliding portion.
Vehicle pedal assembly. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising: a user input section for receiving an input for changing a position of the sliding section from a user,
Vehicle pedal assembly. 3. The method of claim 2,
And a control unit for controlling the position adjusting unit based on a user signal input through the user input unit,
Vehicle pedal assembly. The method of claim 3,
The position adjustment unit,
A power unit for providing power to the sliding unit; And
Wherein the sliding portion includes a sliding movable rail,
Vehicle pedal assembly. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein,
Further comprising a locking device to prevent the sliding portion from moving along the rail,
Vehicle pedal assembly. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the control unit activates the locking device to fix the position of the pedal when the vehicle is traveling.
Vehicle pedal assembly. The method of claim 3,
Wherein,
Sensing an angle at which the pedal is rotated, and generating a signal for controlling the vehicle based on a result of the sensing,
Vehicle pedal assembly. 8. The method of claim 7,
Characterized in that the signal for controlling the vehicle is a control signal which varies according to the magnitude of the angle at which the pedal is rotated from the basic angle,
Vehicle pedal assembly. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the control signal is one of a brake signal and an acceleration signal, and the degree of braking and the degree of acceleration vary depending on the magnitude of the angle,
Vehicle pedal assembly. A pedal that varies in distance relative to the driver seat;
A user input for adjusting the position of the pedal;
An adjustment unit for adjusting a position of the pedal through a user input input through the user input unit; And
And a control unit for sensing the angle of the pedal to generate a control signal of the vehicle.
Vehicle pedal system.

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