WO2008065228A1

WO2008065228A1 - Motor-vehicle brake or clutch pedal

Info

Publication number: WO2008065228A1
Application number: PCT/ES2007/070180
Authority: WO
Inventors: Joseba Palacio Argüelles; Juan Pradera Angulo
Original assignee: Batz, S.Coop.
Priority date: 2006-11-29
Filing date: 2007-11-07
Publication date: 2008-06-05
Also published as: ES2302635B1; ES2302635A1; KR20090085002A

Abstract

Motor-vehicle brake or clutch pedal (1) that comprises a first member (2), a second member (3) connected to the first member (2) via a connection element (12), articulated to a support part (5) of the pedal via a pivot shaft (7) and adapted for connection to a servobrake or clutch push rod (9) and a sliding cam (6) coupled to the connection shaft (7) via a groove (13). In the event of a head-on collision, a non-deformable element (8) of the vehicle makes contact with the sliding cam (6), causing axial displacement thereof with respect to the rotation shaft (7), at a specific distance (d), along the groove (13), pressing the end (6b) of the sliding cam (6) against the element (12), displacing it by the specific distance (d) until the second member (3) is released from the first member (2).

Description

DESCRIPTION "Brake or clutch pedal of a motor vehicle"

SECTOR OF THE TECHNIQUE

The present invention relates to a brake or clutch pedal of a vehicle with an automatic disconnection mechanism in the event of a frontal collision of sufficient magnitude.

PREVIOUS STATE OF THE TECHNIQUE

Pedals are known for vehicles with various safety mechanisms that are activated exclusively in the event of a frontal collision. These mechanisms have to safeguard the integrity of the lower extremities of the driver of the vehicle, so in the event of a collision it is necessary to prevent the pedal from moving towards the driver in a magnitude or with a dangerous roughness.

In a potentially damaging frontal collision in regard to the pedals, the wall to which these pedals are attached deforms, pushing the support structure of the pedals and themselves against the driver. In this situation, the safety mechanism must be activated to prevent the pedals from hitting the lower extremities of the driver.

Several alternatives of safety mechanisms are known that consist either of automatically moving the pedal to a position of minimum damage to the lower extremities, uncoupling the pedal from the pushrod of the mechanism

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) brake booster or clutch, or act on the mechanism that under normal conditions of pedal operation, keeps the elements of the pedal locked, decoupling.

US 6,889,575 B2 describes a motor vehicle that incorporates at least one pedal comprising two members; a first member is adapted at one of its ends to a pedal and a second member is connected to the first member and is adapted to be connected in an articulated manner to one end of a pusher of an operating mechanism of a brake booster or a clutch. The pedal comprises a release lever for disconnecting said connection between said first and second members and said pusher in a frontal impact situation of sufficient magnitude, so that said articulated connection of said pusher with the second member and therefore with said pedal. The release lever is articulated to one of the members and comprises a groove that has a narrow neck that extends to an enlarged section and is adapted so that in the event of a frontal collision of sufficient magnitude, it contacts a part of the vehicle designed to minimal deformation so that it can rotate to a disengaged position.

EP 1323602 Al discloses a brake or clutch pedal comprising two members joined together in an articulated manner so that the first member incorporates at its free end a shoe for the driver's foot and the second member is articulated in a pedal support structure. The first member comprises an extension at the opposite end of the pedal shoe, which includes a notch that engages a transverse pin, said pin moving along a torn hole of the second pedal member. In said second member a lever is articulated, one of whose free ends ends in the form of a fork and is also coupled to the cross pin. Under normal operating conditions of the pedal, said pin is housed simultaneously in the torn hole and in the notch, rigidly joining the first and second members while the pivoting lever holder prevents its displacement. In the event that a frontal collision of sufficient intensity occurs to produce a deformation or displacement in the pedal support structure, the lever pivots by moving the pin along its torn hole of the second member, so that the pin leaves the notch of the first member, pivoting the latter towards the support structure and distancing itself from the conductor.

EXHIBITION OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a brake or clutch pedal as defined in the claims.

The brake or clutch pedal of the invention comprises a first member adapted at one end to a pedal shoe, a second member articulated to a pedal support piece through a pivot axis and connected to the first member through a connecting element, said second member being adapted to be connected to a pushrod of a mechanism such as a brake booster or a clutch, and a disconnecting means for disconnecting said connection between the first member and the second member in the event of a frontal collision of sufficient magnitude such that the pedal support structure moves until it comes into contact with a substantially non-deformable element of the vehicle. In accordance with the present invention, under normal operating conditions, both members of the pedal together with the pushrod of the brake booster mechanism rotate together with the pedal, on the contrary when said frontal impact occurs, the substantially non-deformable element of the vehicle It acts on the disconnecting means, disconnecting the part of the pedal that is attached to the pushrod of the brake or clutch mechanism and the part of the pedal that incorporates the shoe on which the driver's foot acts.

An objective of the present invention is to simplify the disconnection mechanism and minimize the number of parts that make up the pedal, for this purpose the pedal incorporates a disconnection means having at one end a guide groove through which it is coupled to the axis of pivoting of the support piece such that in the event of a frontal collision, the substantially non-deformable element of the vehicle contacts said disconnecting means by axially moving it along said guide groove a certain distance, pressing the opposite end of the disconnecting means against the element of connection by moving it until the two pedal members are released.

This and other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in view of the figures and the detailed description of the invention. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a profile view of an embodiment of the invention in the normal operating condition of the pedal.

Fig. 2 is a profile view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 showing the arrangement of the various elements of the invention during a frontal collision.

Fig. 3 is a profile view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 showing the arrangement of the different elements of the invention after a frontal collision.

Fig. 4 is a partial side view of the embodiment of Fig. 1.

DETAILED EXHIBITION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to figures 1 to 4, motor vehicles incorporating at least one brake or clutch pedal 1 according to the invention comprise a wall 4 that separates a transmission and engine cabin from the vehicle, not drawn in the figures, of a passenger compartment inside 11 of the driver, inside of which the brake or clutch pedal 1 is housed, a support part 5 of the pedal fixed to said wall 4 and at whose free end a pivot axis 7 is fixed around which the brake pedal pivots or clutch 1, a push rod 9 of an operating mechanism of a brake booster or a clutch and at least one substantially non-deformable element 8 designed for minimal deformation in the event of a collision. The brake or clutch pedal 1 comprises two members, a first member 2 adapted at its free end to a shoe 10 of the pedal and articulated at its other end to the support piece 5 through the pivot axis 7, a second articulated member 3 at one end to the support piece 5, connected to the first member 2 through a connecting element 12, said second member 3 being adapted to connect to the push rod 9, and a disconnecting means 6, such that a sliding cam , to disconnect the connection between the first member 2, the second member 3 and the push rod 9 when a frontal collision of the vehicle occurs that causes deformation or displacement of the support part 5 of the pedal.

In one embodiment, the first member 2, the second member 3 and the sliding cam 6 are rectangular section plates, although any of them can be substantially "U" section profiles. The sliding cam 6 is located between the first member 2 and the second member 3, as shown in Fig. 4, being coupled to the pivot axis 7 through a guide groove 13, so that under normal conditions of operation of the pedal, said sliding cam 6 pivots, without sliding along the guide groove 13, together with the first member 2 and second member 3 with respect to the pivot axis 7.

The connecting element 12 is a cylindrical pin arranged transversely along a first housing 15 comprised in the first member 2 and a second housing 14 comprised in the second member 3. Said connection element 12 is riveted against the first member 2 and the second member 3, so that said fixing prevents the sliding cam 6 from sliding through the groove 13, keeping said sliding cam 6 in a fixed position with respect to the axis of rotation 7 during normal operation of the pedal. In the case of using "U" section profiles the connecting element 12 is riveted on both sides of the second member 3 as a sandwich. The first housing 15 is a closed torn groove having an Hl path while the second housing 14 is an open torn groove having an H2 path. Under normal operating conditions, said cylindrical pin 12 is arranged in the first housing 15 and second housing 14, said connecting element 12 being integrally connected to the first member of the pedal 2 and the second member 3, so that both members 2 and 3 they act as a rigid pedal 1 that can rotate with respect to the pivot axis 7, as shown in Fig. 1.

In the event of a frontal collision of sufficient magnitude, shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the wall 4 moves towards the interior passenger compartment 11 together with the entire pedal support structure. During said displacement, a substantially non-deformable element 8 of the vehicle comes into contact with the end 6a of the sliding cam, moving it axially along the guide groove 13, with respect to the pivot axis 7, a certain distance "d", pressing the opposite end 6b of the sliding cam against the cylindrical pin 12, so that the existing rivet is unlocked, moving the determined distance "d" until the second housing 14 of the second member 3 is released from the cylindrical pin 12 and therefore, the second member 3 with the pushrod 9 of the first member 2 of the pedal. For the second member 3 of the first member 2 can be released, the path H2 of the second housing 14 must be less or at least equal to the determined distance "d" that the sliding cam 6 travels in its axial displacement along the guided groove 13 .

In this embodiment, the opposite end 6b of the lever 6 comprises a recess 6c adapted to accommodate and move, in the event of a frontal collision, the cylindrical pin 12 along the first housing 15 and the second housing 14.

In another possible embodiment, not shown in the figures, the first housing 15 of the first member 2 and the second housing 14 of the second member 3 are open torn grooves.

In another possible embodiment, not shown, the connecting element 12 is fixed to the first member 2 and the second member 3 through an additional piece of plastic that is breakable, inserted in the first housing 15 so that under normal operating conditions of the pedal, keeps the sliding cam 6 in a fixed position with respect to the pivot axis 7, and in the event of a frontal collision, the sliding cam 6 breaks said additional piece of plastic, moving along the groove 13 until the first is released member 2 of the second member 3 of the pedal.

In another possible embodiment, the connecting element 12 is fixed or integrated at the opposite end 6b of the slide cam 6 itself and said slide cam 6 integrates in the guide groove 13, an additional breakable piece of plastic, of so that under normal operating conditions of the pedal, it keeps the sliding cam 6 in a fixed position with respect to the pivot axis 7, and in the event of a frontal collision, the sliding cam 6 breaks said additional piece of plastic, moving along slot 13 until the first member 2 of the second member 3 of the pedal is released.

Claims

1. A brake or clutch pedal (1) for motor vehicles comprising a first member (2) adapted at one end to a pedal shoe (10), a second member (3) articulated to a support piece (5) of the pedal through a pivot shaft (7) and connected to the first member

(2) through a connecting element (12), said second member (3) being adapted to be connected to a pushrod (9) of a mechanism such as a brake booster or a clutch, and a disconnecting means (6 ) to disconnect said connection between the first member

(2) and the second member (3) in case of frontal collision characterized in that the disconnecting means (6) is a sliding cam (6) coupled to the connecting shaft (7) through a guide groove (13), such that when a frontal collision occurs, a substantially non-deformable element (8) of the vehicle contacts an end

(6a) of the sliding cam (6) causing an axial displacement of said sliding cam (6), with respect to the axis of rotation (7), at a certain distance (d), along the guide groove (13), pressing the opposite end (6b) of the sliding cam

(6) against the connecting element (12), moving it the determined distance (d) until the second is released member (3) of the pedal of the first member (2) of the pedal.

2. The pedal of claim 1, wherein in normal operating conditions, the connecting element (12) is arranged in a first housing (15) comprised in the first member (2) and in a second housing (14) comprised at the free end of the second member (3), said connecting element (12) being integrally connected to said first member (2) and said second member (3) of the pedal.

3. The pedal of claim 2, wherein in normal operating conditions, the connecting element (12) is riveted to the first member (2) and the second member (3), such that it keeps the sliding cam (6) in a fixed position with respect to the pivot axis (7).

4. The pedal of claim 2, wherein in normal operating conditions, the connecting element (12) is fixed to the first member (2) and the second member (3) through an additional piece of plastic inserted in the first housing (15), such that said additional piece keeps the sliding cam (6) in a fixed position with respect to the pivot axis (7), said additional piece of plastic being breakable in case of frontal collision.

5. The pedal of claim 2, wherein in normal operating conditions, the connecting element (12) is fixed to the opposite end (6b) of the slide cam (6) and said slide cam (6) integrates into the slot (13) an additional piece of plastic that keeps the sliding cam (6) in a fixed position with respect to the pivot axis (7), said additional piece of plastic being breakable in the event of a frontal collision.

The pedal according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the connecting element (12) is a pin arranged transversely along the first housing (15) and the second housing (14).

7. The pedal according to any of claims 2 to 6, wherein the first housing (15) and second housing (14) respectively have a first path (Hl) and a second path (H2) that guide, in case of frontal collision, the connecting element (12) during its movement to the determined distance (d).

8. The pedal according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the two guided paths (Hl, H2) is less than the determined distance (d).

9. The pedal according to claim 8, wherein one of the two housings (14,15), corresponding to the guided path (Hl, H2) that is less than the determined distance (d), is a torn groove open at one end and the other housing (15,14) corresponding to the other guided tour (H2, H1) is a closed torn groove.

10. The pedal according to claim 8, wherein the first housing (15) and second housings (14) are open torn grooves at one end.

11. The pedal of any of the preceding claims, wherein the first member (2) is articulated to the support piece (5) of the pedal through the pivot axis (7).

12. The pedal according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first member (2), the second member (3) of the pedal or the sliding cam (6) are plates with rectangular section.

13. The pedal according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first member (2), the second member (3) of the pedal or the sliding cam (6) have a "U" shaped section.

14. A motor vehicle incorporating at least one pedal according to any of the preceding claims.