Vehicle brake pedal device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9821777-B2
Application number	US-201615015910-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2016
Priority date	Feb 20, 2015
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

The vehicle brake pedal device includes a pedal bracket fixed to a partition wall, a brake arm and a coupling arm assembled to the pedal bracket, a clevis and a movable plate assembled to the coupling arm, and a fixed member and a coupling bracket assembled to a vehicle body component. In the event of a front collision of the vehicle, the pedal bracket is moved backward, and the movable plate is brought into abutment against the fixed member to rotate. As a result, a push part of the movable plate is brought into abutment against the clevis, and a breakable part of the clevis is broken so that the clevis and the coupling arm are decoupled from each other. Then, the coupling arm is rotated forward with respect to the pedal bracket.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle brake pedal device, comprising:
a pedal bracket, which is arranged between a partition wall configured to partition an outside and an inside of a vehicle cabin from each other and a vehicle body component arranged behind said partition wall, and is fixed to said partition wall;
a brake arm, which is swingably supported by said pedal bracket, said brake arm comprising a brake pedal pad;
a coupling arm, which is swingably supported by said pedal bracket, coupled at a portion located below a rotational center of said coupling arm to a top end of said brake arm via an arm link, and is coupled at a portion located above said rotational center to a pushrod linked to a braking device via a clevis;
a movable plate, which is supported by said coupling arm under a state in which a rotation of said movable plate is restricted, and is rotatable with respect to said coupling arm when said restriction of said rotation is released;
a fixed member, which is fixed to said vehicle body component, and is configured to be brought into abutment against said movable plate when said pedal bracket is displaced backward to release said restriction of said rotation, to thereby rotate said movable plate with respect to said coupling arm; and
a coupling bracket, which is arranged behind said coupling arm, and is configured to couple said vehicle body component and said pedal bracket to each other, wherein:
when said brake pedal pad is depressed forward so that said pushrod is pushed forward, said braking device is activated; and
when said pedal bracket is displaced backward, said movable plate rotated with respect to said coupling arm is brought into contact with said clevis to break a breakable part, which is a coupling part of said clevis to said coupling arm, and said coupling bracket pushes forward said coupling arm displaced backward together with said pedal bracket to move said brake pedal pad forward while rotating said brake arm.

2. A vehicle brake pedal device according to claim 1 , wherein a center of a rotational axis of said movable plate is set behind and above a portion at which said movable plate and said clevis are brought into abutment against each other.

3. A vehicle brake pedal device according to claim 1 , wherein said coupling arm comprises a guide part, which is configured to guide backward and downward said clevis decoupled from said coupling arm.

4. A vehicle brake pedal device according to claim 1 , wherein:
said movable plate comprises a push part, which is configured to be brought into abutment against said clevis when said movable plate is rotated with respect to said coupling arm;
said clevis comprises:
a base part configured to fasten said pushrod; and
a pair of arm parts extending backward from said base part and being positioned on both right and left sides of said coupling arm;

said base part has a mounting hole through which an end of said pushrod is inserted;
one of said pair of arm parts has:
an insertion round hole through which a coupling pin configured to couple said coupling arm and said clevis to each other is inserted; and
a cutout defining said breakable part;

the other of said pair of arm parts has an insertion longhole through which said coupling pin is inserted; and
said insertion longhole has:
a straight part capable of transmitting a rotational force of said coupling arm to said clevis; and
an open part configured to allow passage of said coupling pin when said push part is brought into abutment against said clevis.

5. A vehicle brake pedal device according to claim 1 , wherein:
said movable plate comprises a push part, which is configured to be brought into abutment against said clevis when said movable plate is rotated with respect to said coupling arm; and
said clevis has:
an insertion round hole through which a coupling pin configured to couple said coupling arm and said clevis to each other is inserted;
a guide groove comprising a through groove extending from said insertion round hole toward an outer peripheral edge side of said clevis and being smaller in a width than a diameter of said insertion round hole; and
said breakable part, which is formed between an end of said guide groove on a side opposite to said insertion round hole and said outer peripheral edge, and is configured to be broken after said push part is brought into abutment against said clevis.

6. A vehicle brake pedal device according to claim 2 , wherein said coupling arm comprises a guide part, which is configured to guide backward and downward said clevis decoupled from said coupling arm.

7. A vehicle brake pedal device according to claim 2 , wherein:
said movable plate comprises a push part, which is configured to be brought into abutment against said clevis when said movable plate is rotated with respect to said coupling arm;
said clevis comprises:
a base part configured to fasten said pushrod; and
a pair of arm parts extending backward from said base part and being positioned on both right and left sides of said coupling arm;

said base part has a mounting hole through which an end of said pushrod is inserted;
one of said pair of arm parts has:
an insertion round hole through which a coupling pin configured to couple said coupling arm and said clevis to each other is inserted; and
a cutout defining said breakable part;

the other of said pair of arm parts has an insertion longhole through which said coupling pin is inserted; and
said insertion longhole has:
a straight part capable of transmitting a rotational force of said coupling arm to said clevis; and
an open part configured to allow passage of said coupling pin when said push part is brought into abutment against said clevis.

8. A vehicle brake pedal device according to claim 2 , wherein:
said movable plate comprises a push part, which is configured to be brought into abutment against said clevis when said movable plate is rotated with respect to said coupling arm; and
said clevis has:
an insertion round hole through which a coupling pin configured to couple said coupling arm and said clevis to each other is inserted;
a guide groove comprising a through groove extending from said insertion round hole toward an outer peripheral edge side of said clevis and being smaller in a width than a diameter of said insertion round hole; and
said breakable part, which is formed between an end of said guide groove on a side opposite to said insertion round hole and said outer peripheral edge, and is configured to be broken after said push part is brought into abutment against said clevis.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Uchida Satoshi
• Yasue Satoshi
• Aoki Shinichiro

Classifications

• G05G1/323

  means disconnecting the connection between pedal and controlled member, e.g. by breaking or bending the connecting rod · CPC title

• B60T7/065 Primary

  with means to prevent injuries in case of collision (for vehicle pedals in general by moving them from an operative to an out-of-the way position B60R21/09) · CPC title

• G05G1/327

  means disconnecting the pedal from its hinge or support, e.g. by breaking or bending the support · CPC title

• G05G1/30

  Controlling members actuated by foot · CPC title