Pedal device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12145441-B2
Application number	US-202318176069-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2023
Priority date	Sep 4, 2020
Publication date	Nov 19, 2024
Grant date	Nov 19, 2024

Abstract

A pedal device comprises a brake pedal, an accelerator pedal, a support member and an adjusting device. The brake pedal is operated to be depressed by a leg of a passenger, and an operation amount of a depressing operation of the brake pedal is transmitted as an electrical signal. The accelerator pedal is operated to be depressed by a leg of the passenger, and an operation amount of a depressing operation of the accelerator pedal is transmitted as an electrical signal. The support member is connected with the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal, respectively, to support the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal in a rotatable manner. The adjusting device adjusts a position or a posture of the pedal unit including the brake pedal, the accelerator pedal, and the support member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pedal device to be mounted on a vehicle, the pedal device comprising:
a brake pedal which is operated to be depressed by a leg of a passenger and an operation amount of a depressing operation is transmitted as an electrical signal;
an accelerator pedal which is operated to be depressed by a leg of a passenger and an operation amount of a depressing operation is transmitted as an electrical signal;
a support member which is connected with the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal, respectively, and supports the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal so as to be able to swing in response to a depressing operation by a leg of a passenger; and
an adjusting device which adjusts a position or a posture of a pedal unit including the brake pedal, the accelerator pedal and the support member;
herein the adjusting device includes:
a screw actuator extending along a front-year direction of the vehicle;
a motor which rotates the screw actuator;
a front-rear moving member which has a nut portion screwed into the screw actuator and a support member connecting portion and is movably supported in the front-rear direction of the vehicle; and
a guide member which is formed with a guide hole penetrating or being depressed in a right-left direction of the vehicle, wherein

the guide hole extends with respect to the front-rear direction of the vehicle so that the more a front side of the vehicle is, the more on an up side of the vehicle, and wherein
the support member has a guided shaft fitted in the guide hole, and is connected to the support member connecting portion so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis which is positioned on a rear side of the vehicle relative to the guided shaft and extends in the right-left direction of the vehicle, and wherein
the guide hole determines a position of the guided shaft in an up-down direction of the the vehicle.

2. The pedal device according to claim 1 , wherein
the adjusting device performs adjusting the position or the posture of the pedal unit which includes adjusting a position of the pedal unit in a front-rear direction of the vehicle.

3. The pedal device according to claim 1 , wherein
the adjusting device performs adjusting the position or the posture of the pedal unit which includes adjusting an inclination of the pedal unit in a view along a right-left direction of the vehicle.

4. The pedal device according to claim 1 , wherein
the adjusting device performs adjusting the position or the posture of the pedal unit which includes adjusting a position of the pedal unit in a right-left direction of the vehicle.

5. The pedal device according to claim 1 , wherein
the adjusting device performs adjusting the position or the posture of the pedal unit which includes adjusting a position of the pedal unit in an up-down direction of the vehicle.

6. The pedal device according to claim 1 , wherein
the adjusting device determines an inclination of the pedal unit according to a unit front-rear position in accordance with a predetermined relationship between a unit front-rear position of a position of the pedal unit in a front-rear direction of the vehicle and the inclination of the pedal unit in a view along a right-left direction of the vehicle.

7. The pedal device according to claim 6 , wherein
the adjusting device has a single actuator which changes an inclination of the pedal unit while moving the pedal unit in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

8. The pedal device according to claim 1 , wherein
the accelerator pedal has an accelerator pad surface which is operated to be depressed by a leg of the passenger when the accelerator pedal is operated by the leg of the passenger, and wherein
the accelerator pad surface faces a rear side and oblique to an up side in the vehicle at a no-accelerator depressing operation period in which the accelerator pedal does not receive any depressing operation, and wherein
the adjusting device changes a posture of the pedal unit so as to approach a direction of the accelerator pad surface at the no-accelerator depressing operation period to a direction of a plane which has a normal vector direction in a vehicle front-rear direction, as the pedal unit is moved toward a vehicle front side.

9. The pedal device according to claim 1 , wherein
the brake pedal has a brake pad surface which is operated to be depressed by a leg of the passenger when the brake pedal is operated by the leg of the passenger, and wherein
the brake pad surface faces a rear side and oblique to an up side of the vehicle in a no-brake depressing operation period at which the brake pedal does not receive any depressing operation, and wherein
the adjusting device changes a posture of the pedal unit so as to approach a direction of the brake pad surface at the no-brake depressing operation period to a direction of a plane which has a normal vector direction in a vehicle front-rear direction, as the pedal unit is moved toward a vehicle front side.

10. The pedal device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a control unit which controls the adjusting device, wherein
the vehicle is provided with an autonomous drive operation control device capable of performing an autonomous drive operation of the vehicle, and wherein
the autonomous drive operation is a vehicle drive maneuver in which the autonomous drive operation control device performs an acceleration, a steering, and a braking of the vehicle, and no monitoring by the passenger is necessary at least during the autonomous drive operation, and wherein
the control unit moves the pedal unit by the adjusting device to a predetermined position close to a front side or the most front position in a movable range of the pedal unit in a vehicle front-rear direction, if the autonomous drive operation is started.

11. The pedal device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a control unit which controls the adjusting device, wherein
the control unit stores a plurality of target of positions or postures of the pedal unit as target installation states in advance, and controls the adjusting device to adjust the position or the posture of the pedal unit so that the position or the posture of the pedal unit becomes the target installation state which is selected from among a plurality of target installation states.

12. The pedal device according to claim 1 , further comprising
a control unit which controls the adjusting device,
the control unit controls a sensing device to sense a physique of the passenger, and controls the adjusting device to adjust the position or the posture of the pedal unit based on information obtained by the sensing.

13. The pedal device according to claim 1 , wherein
the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal are organ-type pedals.

14. The pedal device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a footrest which is included in the pedal unit, is arranged on a left side in the vehicle with respect to the brake pedal, and is fixed to the support member.

15. A pedal device to be mounted on a vehicle, the pedal device comprising:
a brake pedal which is operated to be depressed by a leg of a passenger and an operation amount of a depressing operation is transmitted as an electrical signal;
an accelerator pedal which is operated to be depressed by a leg of a passenger and an operation amount of a depressing operation is transmitted as an electrical signal;
a support member which is connected with the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal, respectively, and supports the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal so as to be able to swing in response to a depressing operati

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Kinouchi Soichi
• Kita Takuto
• Kimura Kiyoshi
• Hariu Tetsuo
• Yoshida Yuusuke
• Yanagida Etsugo
• HOKUTO Daisuke
• Saito Takehiro

Classifications

• B60Y2400/412

  Screw-nut mechanisms · CPC title

• B60T7/042 Primary

  by electrical means, e.g. using travel or force sensors · CPC title

• B60K2026/026

  Adjusting of accelerator pedal positions · CPC title

• G05G1/30

  Controlling members actuated by foot · CPC title

• B60T7/06

  Disposition of pedal · CPC title