Foldable brake pedal device for autonomous vehicles

Abstract

The present invention relates to a foldable brake pedal device for an autonomous vehicle. More specifically, the brake pedal device of the autonomous vehicle may include a brake pedal, wherein, in a manual driving mode in which a driver directly drives the vehicle, a lower end portion of the brake pedal is popped up to be exposed to the inside of the vehicle so that the driver can operate the brake pedal, and in an autonomous driving mode in which the driver does not directly drive the vehicle, due to the operation of an actuator, the lower end portion of the brake pedal rotates to move forward, and the brake pedal is in a hidden state so that the driver does not operate the brake pedal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a foldable brake pedal device for an autonomous vehicle, and more specifically, to a foldable brake pedal device for an autonomous vehicle, which, in a manual driving mode in which the driver directly operates the vehicle, exposes the brake pedal to the interior of the vehicle so that the driver can operate the brake pedal, and in an autonomous driving mode, prevents the brake pedal from being exposed to the interior of the vehicle so that the driver will not operate the brake pedal. Background Art

[0002] Autonomous driving vehicles are intelligent vehicles equipped with autonomous driving technology. In an autonomous driving vehicle, even if the driver does not directly operate the steering wheel, accelerator pedal, brake, etc., the vehicle will automatically find the destination, and autonomous driving vehicles are developing rapidly.

[0003] When the autonomous driving situation is generally realized, a manual driving mode in which the driver directly drives the vehicle and an autonomous driving mode in which the driver does not directly drive the vehicle but the vehicle automatically drives to the destination can be selected.

[0004] In the automatic driving mode, the driver needs to be able to stretch his feet and rest comfortably. Therefore, there is a disadvantage that the pedals (accelerator pedal, brake pedal) are located in the space under the driver's seat and exposed to the interior of the vehicle, which may disturb the driver's rest.

[0005] In addition, the automatic driving situation is a situation where the driver does not operate the vehicle's pedals (accelerator pedal, brake pedal), and when the driver operates the pedals during automatic driving, the vehicle controller is configured to determine that the driver terminates the automatic driving and wants to drive the vehicle directly, and terminates control of the automatic driving.

[0006] However, since the vehicle's pedals are configured to be exposed in the space under the driver's seat, there is a concern that the driver may unconsciously operate the pedals (incorrect operation of the pedals) in the case of autonomous driving, in which case there is a concern that an accident may occur depending on road conditions, the distance between vehicles, etc.

[0007] Therefore, it is necessary to develop a new pedal device technology, which exposes the pedal to the inside of the vehicle in the manual driving mode where the driver directly drives the vehicle so that the driver can operate the pedal, and prevents the pedal from being exposed to the inside of the vehicle in the automatic driving mode so that the driver does not operate the pedal to ensure safety, such as comfortable rest and preventing driver's erroneous operation.

[0008] The foregoing contents explained as background art are only intended to help understanding of the background art of the present invention, and are not intended to mean that the present invention falls within the scope of the relevant art known to those skilled in the art.

[0009] The information disclosed in the background technology section of the present invention is only intended to enhance the understanding of the general background of the present invention, and should not be regarded as acknowledging or suggesting in any form that the information constitutes the prior art already known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the invention

[0010] Various aspects of the present invention are intended to provide a foldable brake pedal device for an autonomous driving vehicle, which, in a manual driving mode in which the driver directly operates the vehicle, exposes the brake pedal to the interior of the vehicle so that the driver can operate the brake pedal, and in an autonomous driving mode in which the driver does not directly operate the vehicle, prevents the brake pedal from being exposed to the interior of the vehicle so that the driver does not operate the brake pedal, thereby enabling the driver to rest comfortably in the autonomous driving situation and preventing erroneous operation of the brake pedal in the autonomous driving situation, thereby improving safety.

[0011] To achieve this purpose, a foldable brake pedal device of an autonomous driving vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: a pedal member, a pedal shaft, a brake pedal, an actuator and a connecting mechanism, wherein the pedal member is installed under a driver's seat and has guide grooves formed on its left and right surfaces; the pedal shaft is installed to pass through the left and right surfaces of the pedal member through the guide grooves, and is configured to move along the guide grooves; the upper end portion of the brake pedal is rotatably connected to the pedal shaft, and the lower portion of the brake pedal is connected to a brake booster by a pedal push rod; the actuator is fixed to the pedal member; the connecting mechanism connects the actuator with the pedal shaft to transmit the power of the actuator to the pedal shaft, so that the pedal shaft moves along the guide grooves when the actuator is operated.

[0012] The guide groove is formed to be cut into an arc shape along a rotation radius around a connection point where the brake pedal is coupled to the pedal push rod, and has a front end portion blocked by the pedal member, and has a rear end portion formed to be opened downward from the pedal member.

[0013] The pedal shaft and the brake pedal are integrally connected to each other, and when the brake pedal is operated, the pedal shaft rotates in the guide groove; the brake pedal rotates forward relative to the pedal member by the rotation of the pedal shaft; when the brake pedal rotates forward from here, the brake booster is operated by the forward movement of the pedal push rod.

[0014] The guide groove is formed to be cut into an arc along a rotation radius around a connection point between the brake pedal and the pedal push rod; the pedal shaft is configured to be slidably moved along the guide groove by receiving an operating force of an actuator with the aid of a connection mechanism; when the pedal shaft slides from a position of a front end portion of the guide groove toward a rear end portion thereof, the brake pedal rotates around the connection point, causing the lower end portion of the brake pedal to rotate to move forward, and the brake pedal is in a hidden state that prevents the brake pedal from being exposed to the interior of the vehicle; when the pedal shaft slides from a position of a rear end portion of the guide groove toward a front end portion thereof, the brake pedal rotates around the connection point, and the lower end portion of the brake pedal rotates to move backward, and the brake pedal is in a pop-up state in which the brake pedal is exposed to the interior of the vehicle.

[0015] The foldable brake pedal device of the autonomous vehicle further includes a return spring, which is installed to connect the pedal member with the brake pedal, and when the brake pedal is rotated forward due to the driver operating the brake pedal by pressing the brake pedal with his foot, the spring force is accumulated while its length increases, and when the driver releases the brake pedal from his foot, the spring returns by rotating the brake pedal backward using the accumulated spring force.

[0016] The foldable brake pedal device of an autonomous driving vehicle may further include a permanent magnet and a non-contact pedal sensor, wherein the permanent magnet is fixedly connected to one end surface of the pedal shaft; the non-contact pedal sensor is fixed to the pedal component, and only when the pedal shaft rotates in a state where the permanent magnet faces the non-contact pedal sensor, the non-contact pedal sensor will detect the rotation angle of the brake pedal according to the change in the rotation position of the permanent magnet and the change in the magnetic field strength of the permanent magnet, and generate a signal related to braking.

[0017] The guide groove is formed to be cut into an arc along a rotation radius around the connection point between the brake pedal and the pedal push rod; only when the pedal shaft is located at the front end part of the guide groove, the permanent magnet connected to the pedal shaft will face the non-contact pedal sensor; when the brake pedal rotates in a state where the permanent magnet and the non-contact pedal sensor face each other, the non-contact pedal sensor generates a signal related to braking.

[0018] The guide groove is formed to be cut into an arc shape along a rotation radius around the connection point between the brake pedal and the pedal push rod; when the pedal shaft slides from the position of the front end portion of the guide groove toward its rear end portion through the operation of the actuator, the permanent magnet connected to the pedal shaft ends facing the non-contact pedal sensor; when the brake pedal rotates in a state where the permanent magnet and the non-contact pedal sensor end facing each other, the non-contact pedal sensor does not generate a signal related to braking to prevent erroneous operation of the brake pedal.

[0019] The actuator includes a motor and a motor shaft, wherein the motor shaft is connected to the motor and has a thread formed on the outer peripheral surface of the motor shaft; the connecting mechanism includes: a tube nut, a strip bracket and a support pin, wherein the tube nut has a thread formed on the inner peripheral surface of the tube nut to be threadedly connected to the motor shaft, and the motor shaft is arranged to pass through the tube nut; the strip bracket is formed so that a "U"-shaped groove portion is located below the tube nut, and the "U"-shaped groove portion is integrally connected to the tube nut and surrounds a pedal shaft passing through the "U"-shaped groove portion in its left and right directions; the support pin is fixed to the rear surface of the pedal member and is installed to pass through the strip bracket; when the motor shaft rotates, the tube nut moves linearly in the longitudinal direction of the motor shaft, and the strip bracket moves linearly in the longitudinal direction of the support pin.

[0020] The two "U"-shaped groove portions of the strip bracket are formed to be spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction thereof; the pedal shaft is installed to simultaneously pass through two guide grooves and two "U"-shaped groove portions respectively formed on the left and right side surfaces of the pedal member, so that the pedal shaft is supported by the two guide grooves and the two "U"-shaped groove portions to prevent it from being deformed in the longitudinal direction of the pedal shaft.

[0021] The guide groove is formed to be cut into an arc shape along a rotation radius around the connection point between the brake pedal and the pedal push rod, and its front end portion is formed to be a structure blocked by the pedal member; when the pedal shaft is located at the front end portion of the guide groove, the pedal shaft is supported by the "U"-shaped groove portion to prevent forward bending, and at the same time supported by the guide groove to prevent forward and upward bending.

[0022] In a brake pedal device of an autonomous driving vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, arc-shaped guide grooves are formed on both side surfaces of a pedal member, and the arc is cut to extend along the longitudinal direction of the pedal member; a pedal shaft passing through the guide groove is connected to an upper end portion of the brake pedal; when the pedal shaft is located at a front end portion of the guide groove, the brake pedal rotates around a connection point where a brake booster is connected to the brake pedal, so that a lower end portion of the brake pedal pops up to be exposed to the interior of a vehicle with a driver; when the pedal shaft moves from a front end portion of the guide groove toward a rear end portion thereof, the brake pedal rotates around the connection point, and the lower end portion of the brake pedal moves forward, so that the lower end portion of the brake pedal is in a hidden state where the brake pedal is not exposed to the interior of the vehicle.

[0023] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the brake pedal device of an autonomous driving vehicle has a configuration in which, in a manual driving mode in which the driver directly drives the vehicle, the lower end portion of the brake pedal pops up to be exposed to the interior of the vehicle so that the driver can operate the brake pedal, and in an autonomous driving mode in which the driver does not directly drive the vehicle, due to the operation of the actuator, the lower end portion of the brake pedal rotates to move forward, the brake pedal becomes hidden, so that the driver does not operate the brake pedal, and a comfortable rest for the driver can be made possible in the autonomous driving state, and incorrect operation of the brake pedal can be prevented in the autonomous driving state, thereby improving safety.

[0024] The methods and apparatus of the present invention have other features and advantages that will be apparent from, or will be described in detail in, the accompanying drawings and subsequent specific embodiments incorporated herein, which together serve to explain the specific principles of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 are a perspective view, a front view, and a side view of a brake pedal device of an autonomous driving vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 4 Is a non-contact pedal sensor with Figure 1 A perspective view of the pedal components shown in isolation.

[0027] Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of a brake pedal device of an automatic driving vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 6 and Figure 7 are a perspective view and a plan view of a pedal member according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 8 It shows from Figure 3 A diagram showing a state where the pedal member and the brake booster are removed.

[0030] Fig. 9 is a diagram for explaining a connection mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Fig.10 is a diagram showing a state in which a lower end portion of a brake pedal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is hidden by being rotated forward.

[0032] Fig.11 It shows that when Fig.10Diagram of a permanent magnet and a contactless pedal sensor whose positions change when the states are shown.

[0033] It should be understood that the accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, but rather present simplified representations of various features illustrating the basic principles of the present invention. The specific design features of the present invention contained herein (including, for example, specific dimensions, directions, locations, and shapes) will be determined in part by the specific intended application and use environment.

[0034] In the figures, like reference numbers refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present invention throughout the several figures of the drawing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. Although the present invention will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that this specification is not intended to limit the present invention to those exemplary embodiments. On the other hand, the present invention is intended to cover not only exemplary embodiments of the present invention, but also various alternative embodiments, modified embodiments, equivalent embodiments or other embodiments, which are included in the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0036] Hereinafter, a brake pedal apparatus for an automatic driving vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] like Figures 1 to 11 As shown, the brake pedal device of an autonomous driving vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: a pedal member 10, a pedal shaft 20, a brake pedal 50, an actuator 60 and a connecting mechanism 70, wherein the pedal member 10 is fixed in the space below the driver's seat and has guide grooves 12 formed on its left and right side surfaces 11; the pedal shaft 20 is installed to pass through the left and right side surfaces 11 of the pedal member 10 through the guide grooves 12 and move along the guide grooves 12; the brake pedal 50 is connected to the pedal shaft 20 by inserting the upper end portion of the pedal into the pedal member 10, and the lower portion of the brake pedal 50 is connected to the brake booster 40 by using the pedal push rod 30; the actuator 60 is fixed to the pedal member 10; the connecting mechanism 70 connects the actuator 60 with the pedal shaft 20 to transmit the power of the actuator 60 to the pedal shaft 20, so that when the actuator 60 is operated, the pedal shaft 20 moves along the guide groove 12.

[0038] The pedal member 10 has a schematic appearance formed in a square box shape, a hollow interior opened to its lower side, a front surface fixed to an instrument panel constituting a vehicle body, and an upper surface coupled to a cowl brace 80, and the cowl brace 80 is coupled to the cowl.

[0039] The guide groove 12 is formed to penetrate the left side surface 11 and the right side surface 11 of the pedal member 10 in the same shape, and is formed in an arc shape, which is cut along a rotation radius around the connection point (P1) between the brake pedal 50 and the pedal push rod 30, extending in the front-to-back direction, and the front end portion of the guide groove 12 is formed by a structure blocked by the pedal member 10, and its rear end portion is formed to open downward from the pedal member 10.

[0040] The pedal shaft 20 is integrally connected to the upper end portion of the brake pedal 50 by welding, and the pedal shaft 20 connected to the upper end portion of the brake pedal 50 is installed to pass through the guide grooves 12 formed on the left and right side surfaces 11 of the pedal member 10, so that the upper end portion of the brake pedal 50 connected with the pedal shaft 20 is configured to be inserted into the pedal member 10 through the open lower portion of the pedal member 10.

[0041] Therefore, when the driver operates the brake pedal by pressing the brake pedal 50 with his foot, the pedal shaft 20 rotates (axially rotates) in the guide groove 12, the brake pedal 50 rotates forward relative to the pedal member 10 through the rotation of the pedal shaft 20, and when the brake pedal 50 rotates forward, the brake booster 40 is operated by the forward movement of the pedal push rod 30 to generate the hydraulic pressure required for braking.

[0042] In addition, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, there is a configuration further including a return spring 90, which is installed to connect the pedal member 10 with the brake pedal 50, and the return spring 90 is configured to accumulate elastic force while its length increases when the brake pedal 50 is rotated forward due to the driver operating the brake pedal by pressing the brake pedal 50 with his foot, and when the driver releases his foot from the brake pedal 50, the brake pedal 50 is returned to the initial position by rotating it backward using the accumulated elastic force.

[0043] The return spring 90 is preferably a compression coil spring, but is not limited thereto.

[0044] The actuator 60 is fixed to the inner surface of the pedal member 10 via a plurality of fastening members 100 (bolts or screws) inserted into the pedal member 10, and the connecting mechanism 70 is configured to connect the actuator 60 with the pedal shaft 20, so that the operating force of the actuator 60 is transmitted to the pedal shaft 20 through the connecting mechanism 70, and when the actuator 60 is operated, the pedal shaft 20 slides along the guide groove 12.

[0045] like Figure 3As shown, in a state where the pedal shaft 20 is located at the front end portion of the guide groove 12, when the actuator 60 is operated, the operating force of the actuator 60 is transmitted to the pedal shaft 20 through the connecting mechanism 70, the pedal shaft 20 slides along the guide groove 12 from the position of the front end portion of the guide groove 12 toward its rear end portion, and the brake pedal 50 rotates around the connection point (P1) by the sliding movement of the pedal shaft 20, so that the lower end portion of the brake pedal rotates to move forward (arrow R1), so that the brake pedal 50 becomes a hidden state prevented from being exposed to the interior of the vehicle, as shown in FIG. Fig.10 shown.

[0046] On the contrary, Fig.10 As shown in FIG. 1 , in a state where the pedal shaft 20 is located at the rear end portion of the guide groove 12, when the pedal shaft 20 slides along the guide groove 12 toward the front end portion of the guide groove 12 by the operation of the actuator 60, the brake pedal 50 rotates around the connection point (P1) by the sliding movement of the pedal shaft 20, so that the lower end portion thereof moves backward toward the driver, and thus the brake pedal 50 becomes Figure 3 Shown in exposed pop-up state.

[0047] In addition, the exemplary embodiment according to the present invention further includes: a permanent magnet 110 (magnet) fixedly coupled to one end surface of the pedal shaft 20 and a non-contact pedal sensor 120 fixed to the pedal member 10 .

[0048] The non-contact pedal sensor 120 is fixedly coupled to one side surface of the pedal member 10 by welding using a separate bracket.

[0049] Only when the pedal shaft 20 rotates with the permanent magnet 110 facing the non-contact pedal sensor 120, the non-contact pedal sensor 120 will detect the rotation angle of the brake pedal 50 and generate a signal related to braking based on the change in the rotation position of the permanent magnet 110 and the change in the magnetic field strength of the permanent magnet.

[0050] The contactless pedal sensor 120 has a configuration including a printed circuit board (PCB), and a configuration in which a permanent magnet 110 is connected to an end surface of a pedal shaft 20 (configured as the rotation center of the brake pedal 50), and therefore has the advantage that the accuracy of the output signal of the contactless pedal sensor 120 can be further improved.

[0051] like Figure 3 As shown, only in a state where the pedal shaft 20 is located at the front end portion of the guide groove 12 , the permanent magnet 110 coupled to the pedal shaft 20 faces the non-contact pedal sensor 120 .

[0052] Therefore, if Figure 3 As shown, in a state where the permanent magnet 110 and the non-contact pedal sensor 120 face each other, when the driver operates the brake pedal by pressing the brake pedal 50 with his foot, the pedal shaft 20 rotates (axially rotates) in the guide groove 12, and the brake pedal 50 rotates forward relative to the pedal member 10 through the rotation of the pedal shaft 20, and when the brake pedal 50 rotates forward, the brake booster 40 is operated by the forward movement of the pedal push rod 30 to generate the hydraulic pressure required for braking.

[0053] In addition, the non-contact pedal sensor 120 detects the rotation angle of the brake pedal 50 by changing the magnetic field strength of the permanent magnet according to the change in the rotation position of the permanent magnet 110 through the rotation of the pedal shaft 20, and generates a signal related to braking so that the vehicle can brake normally.

[0054] In addition, if Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , in a state where the pedal shaft 20 is located at the front end portion of the guide groove 12, when the pedal shaft 20 slides toward the rear end portion of the guide groove 12 by the operation of the actuator 60, the brake pedal 50 rotates around the connection point (P1), so that the lower end portion of the brake pedal rotates to move forward, and thus the brake pedal 50 becomes a hidden state that is prevented from being exposed to the interior of the vehicle, as shown in FIG. Fig.10 As shown, when the brake pedal 50 becomes hidden, since the space under the driver's seat becomes a larger space without the interference of the pedal, the driver can get a comfortable rest in a relaxed state.

[0055] When the pedal shaft 20 slides from the position of the front end portion of the guide groove 12 toward the rear end portion thereof by the operation of the actuator 60, the permanent magnet 110 coupled to the pedal shaft 20 ends up facing the non-contact pedal sensor 120 coupled to the pedal member 10, as shown in FIG. Fig.11 As shown, in a state where the permanent magnet 110 and the non-contact pedal sensor 120 stop facing each other, even if the brake pedal 50 is rotated due to the driver pressing the brake pedal 50 with his foot, a signal related to braking is not generated by the non-contact pedal sensor 120. Therefore, there is an advantage in that the driver can be prevented from erroneously operating the brake pedal 50 in the case of automatic driving.

[0056] The actuator 60 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes, for example, a motor 61 and a motor shaft 62 having a thread 62 a formed on an outer peripheral surface thereof.

[0057] In addition, the connecting mechanism 70 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a tube nut 71, a strip bracket 72 and a support pin 73, wherein the tube nut 71 has a thread 71a formed on its inner circumferential surface to be threadedly connected to the motor shaft 62, and the motor shaft 62 is arranged to pass through the tube nut 71; the strip bracket 72 is formed so that a "U"-shaped groove portion 72a is located below the tube nut 71, and the "U"-shaped groove portion 72a is integrally connected to the tube nut 71 and surrounds the pedal shaft 20 passing through the "U"-shaped groove portion 72a in its left and right directions; the support pin 73 is installed with one end fixed to the rear surface 13 of the pedal member 10 and the other end passing through the strip bracket 72.

[0058] Therefore, when the motor shaft 62 is rotated by the operation of the motor 61, the tube nut 71 moves linearly in the longitudinal direction of the motor shaft 62, and at the same time, the belt bracket 72 moves linearly in the longitudinal direction of the support pin 73, and the pedal shaft 20 is slid along the guide groove 12 formed on the pedal member 10 by the movement of the belt bracket 72, and the pedal shaft 20 is arranged to pass through the "U"-shaped groove portion 72a of the belt bracket 72.

[0059] The motor shaft 62 is configured as a conventional lead screw, and the tube nut 71 is configured as a conventional nut that moves along the lead screw.

[0060] If necessary, a linear motor (which is a linear motor) can be set instead of the motor 61. In the present case, the motor shaft 62 can be a linear moving plunger (mover), and the tube nut 71 simply becomes a structure integrally connected to the linear moving plunger (mover).

[0061] The belt-shaped bracket 72 is formed with a pin hole 72 b through which a support pin 73 is disposed so as to pass so that the belt-shaped bracket 72 can move linearly in the longitudinal direction of the support pin 73 , and the other end of the support pin 73 is disposed to pass through the pin hole 72 b .

[0062] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the two "U"-shaped groove portions 72a of the belt bracket 72 are formed to be spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction thereof, and the pedal shaft 20 is installed to simultaneously pass through two guide grooves 12 and two "U"-shaped groove portions 72a respectively formed on the left and right side surfaces 11 of the pedal member 10, so that the pedal shaft 20 is supported by the two guide grooves 12 and the two "U"-shaped groove portions 72a, thereby preventing it from being deformed in the longitudinal direction of the pedal shaft.

[0063] In addition, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the guide groove 12 is formed to be cut into an arc shape along a rotation radius around the connection point (P1) between the brake pedal 50 and the pedal push rod 30, and its front end portion is formed into a structure blocked by the pedal member 10. Figure 3As shown, when the pedal shaft 20 is located at the front end portion of the guide groove 12, the pedal shaft 20 is supported by the guide groove 12, thereby preventing it from bending forward and upward, and at the same time, the pedal shaft 20 is supported by the "U"-shaped groove portion 72a, thereby preventing it from bending forward therefrom.

[0064] As described above, the brake pedal device of the autonomous driving vehicle according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention has such a configuration: wherein, in the manual driving mode in which the driver directly drives the vehicle, the lower end portion of the brake pedal 50 pops up to be exposed to the interior of the vehicle so that the driver can operate the brake pedal 50, and in the autonomous driving mode in which the driver does not directly drive the vehicle, due to the operation of the actuator 60, the lower end portion of the brake pedal 50 rotates to move forward, and the brake pedal becomes hidden, so that the driver does not operate the brake pedal, and can make the driver's comfortable rest possible in the case of autonomous driving, and prevent the erroneous operation of the brake pedal 50 in the case of autonomous driving, thereby advantageously improving safety.

[0065] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the controller is connected to at least one element in the brake pedal device, such as the non-contact pedal sensor 120, the actuator 60, and the brake booster 40, to control the operation thereof.

[0066] In addition, the term "controller" refers to a hardware device including a memory and a processor, which is configured to execute one or more steps interpreted as an algorithmic structure. The memory stores the algorithmic steps, and the processor executes the algorithmic steps to perform one or more processes of the method according to each exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The controller according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention can be implemented by a non-volatile memory and a processor, the non-volatile memory is configured to: store algorithms for controlling the operation of various components of the vehicle, or data about software commands for executing the algorithm, and the processor is configured to perform the above operations using data stored in the memory. The memory and the processor can be separate chips. Alternatively, the memory and the processor can be integrated in a single chip. The processor can be implemented as one or more processors.

[0067] The controller may be at least one microprocessor operated by a predetermined program, which may include a series of commands for executing the method according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

[0068] For ease of explanation and precise definition of the appended claims, the terms "above", "below", "inside", "outside", "up", "down", "upward", "downward", "front", "back", "inside", "outside", "inward", "outward", "inner", "external", "interior", "exterior", "forward" and "rearward" are used to describe the features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of such features as shown in the accompanying drawings. It will be further understood that the term "connect" or its derivatives refer to both direct and indirect connections.

[0069] The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention are for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise embodiments disclosed, and it is apparent that various modifications and variations may be made in light of the foregoing teachings. The exemplary embodiments selected and described are intended to explain certain principles of the present invention and their practical applications, so that other persons skilled in the art may make and use various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and alternatives and modifications thereof. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A brake pedal device for a vehicle, the brake pedal device comprising: a pedal member installed below the driver's seat and having at least one guide groove formed on at least one side surface of the pedal member; a pedal shaft mounted to pass through at least one side surface of the pedal member through the at least one guide groove and configured to move along the at least one guide groove; a brake pedal, wherein an upper end portion of the brake pedal is rotatably coupled to a pedal shaft, and a portion of the brake pedal is connected to a brake booster using a pedal push rod; an actuator fixed to the pedal member; and a connecting mechanism that connects the actuator with the pedal shaft to transmit the power of the actuator to the pedal shaft so that the pedal shaft moves along the at least one guide groove when the actuator is operated, wherein the at least one guide groove is formed to be cut into a curved shape along a rotation radius of the pedal shaft around a connection point where the brake pedal is coupled to the pedal push rod; The pedal shaft is configured to be slidably movable along at least one guide groove by receiving an operating force of an actuator via a connecting mechanism; When the pedal shaft slides from the front end portion of the at least one guide groove toward the rear end portion of the at least one guide groove, the brake pedal is in a hidden state that prevents the brake pedal from being exposed to the interior of the vehicle because the brake pedal rotates about the connection point and the lower end portion of the brake pedal rotates to move forward; When the pedal shaft slides from the rear end portion of at least one guide groove toward the front end portion of at least one guide groove, the brake pedal rotates around the connection point, causing the lower end portion of the brake pedal to rotate to move backward, and the brake pedal is in a popped-up state in which the brake pedal is exposed to the interior of the vehicle.

2. The brake pedal device for a vehicle according to claim 1, in, The at least one guide groove is formed to be cut into a curved shape along a rotation radius of the pedal shaft around a connection point at which the brake pedal is coupled to the pedal push rod.

3. The brake pedal device for a vehicle according to claim 2, in, At least one guide groove has a front end portion blocked by the pedal member and a rear end portion formed to open downward from the pedal member.

4. The brake pedal device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: A pedal shaft and a brake pedal are integrally coupled to each other, and when the brake pedal is operated, the pedal shaft rotates in the at least one guide groove; The brake pedal rotates forward relative to the pedal member by the rotation of the pedal shaft; When the brake pedal is rotated forward, the brake booster is operated by the forward movement of the pedal push rod.

5. The brake pedal device of a vehicle according to claim 1 further includes an elastic member, which is installed to connect the pedal member with the brake pedal. When the brake pedal is rotated forward due to operation of the brake pedal, the elastic force is accumulated while the length of the elastic member increases, and when the brake pedal is released, the accumulated elastic force is utilized to return to the original length of the elastic member by rotating the brake pedal backward.

6. A brake pedal device for a vehicle, the brake pedal device comprising: a pedal member installed below the driver's seat and having at least one guide groove formed on at least one side surface of the pedal member; a pedal shaft mounted to pass through at least one side surface of the pedal member through the at least one guide groove and configured to move along the at least one guide groove; a brake pedal, wherein an upper end portion of the brake pedal is rotatably coupled to a pedal shaft, and a portion of the brake pedal is connected to a brake booster using a pedal push rod; an actuator fixed to the pedal member; and a connecting mechanism that connects the actuator with the pedal shaft to transmit the power of the actuator to the pedal shaft so that the pedal shaft moves along the at least one guide groove when the actuator is operated, Wherein, the brake pedal device of the vehicle further comprises: a permanent magnet fixedly coupled to an end surface of the pedal shaft; and a pedal sensor mounted to the pedal member; When the pedal shaft rotates to a state where the permanent magnet faces the pedal sensor, the pedal sensor detects the rotation angle of the brake pedal by changing the magnetic field strength of the permanent magnet according to the change in the rotation position of the permanent magnet, and generates a signal related to braking.

7. The brake pedal device for a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein: The at least one guide groove is formed to be cut into a curved shape along a rotation radius of the pedal shaft around a connection point where the brake pedal is coupled to the pedal push rod; In a state where the pedal shaft is located at a front end portion of the at least one guide groove, a permanent magnet coupled to the pedal shaft faces the pedal sensor; When the brake pedal is rotated to a state where the permanent magnet and the pedal sensor face each other, the pedal sensor generates a signal related to braking.

8. The brake pedal device for a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein: The at least one guide groove is formed to be cut into a curved shape along a rotation radius of the pedal shaft around a connection point where the brake pedal is coupled to the pedal push rod; When the pedal shaft slides from the front end portion of the at least one guide groove toward the rear end portion of the at least one guide groove by operation of the actuator, the permanent magnet coupled to the pedal shaft ends facing the pedal sensor; When the brake pedal is rotated in a state where the permanent magnet and the pedal sensor stop facing each other, the pedal sensor does not generate a signal related to braking to prevent erroneous operation of the brake pedal.

9. A brake pedal device for a vehicle, the brake pedal device comprising: a pedal member installed below the driver's seat and having at least one guide groove formed on at least one side surface of the pedal member; a pedal shaft mounted to pass through at least one side surface of the pedal member through the at least one guide groove and configured to move along the at least one guide groove; a brake pedal, wherein an upper end portion of the brake pedal is rotatably coupled to a pedal shaft, and a portion of the brake pedal is connected to a brake booster using a pedal push rod; an actuator fixed to the pedal member; and a connecting mechanism that connects the actuator with the pedal shaft to transmit the power of the actuator to the pedal shaft so that the pedal shaft moves along the at least one guide groove when the actuator is operated, wherein the actuator includes a motor and a motor shaft, the motor shaft being coupled to the motor and having a thread formed on an outer peripheral surface of the motor shaft; The connecting mechanism comprises: a tube nut having threads formed on an inner peripheral surface of the tube nut to be threadedly coupled to the motor shaft, while the motor shaft is disposed to pass through the tube nut; a belt-shaped bracket formed to include a "U"-shaped groove portion, the lower portion of which surrounds the pedal shaft passing through the "U"-shaped groove portion and is located below the tube nut, the "U"-shaped groove portion being integrally coupled to the tube nut; and a support pin fixed to the rear surface of the pedal member and installed to pass through the upper portion of the belt-shaped bracket; When the motor shaft rotates, the tube nut moves linearly in the longitudinal direction of the motor shaft, and the belt-shaped bracket moves linearly in the longitudinal direction of the support pin.

10. The brake pedal device for a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein: The "U"-shaped groove portion is formed as two "U"-shaped groove portions including a belt-shaped bracket, and the two "U"-shaped groove portions are arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the width direction of the pedal member; The at least one guide groove is formed in plurality to include two guide grooves respectively formed on the first and second side surfaces of the pedal member, so that the pedal shaft is supported by the two guide grooves and two "U"-shaped groove portions to prevent deformation in the longitudinal direction of the pedal shaft.

11. The brake pedal device for a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein: The at least one guide groove is formed to be cut into a curved shape along a rotation radius of the pedal shaft around a connection point where the brake pedal is coupled to the pedal push rod, and a front end portion of the at least one guide groove is formed to be blocked by the pedal member; When the pedal shaft is located at a front end portion of the at least one guide groove, the pedal shaft is supported by the "U"-shaped groove portion to prevent forward bending, and is supported by the at least one guide groove to prevent forward and upward bending.

12. A brake pedal device for a vehicle, the device comprising: a pedal member including guide grooves formed on first and second side surfaces of the pedal member, the guide grooves having a curved shape cut to extend in a longitudinal direction of the pedal member; a pedal shaft disposed to pass through the guide groove and coupled to an upper end portion of the brake pedal; wherein, when the pedal shaft is located at the front end portion of the guide groove, the brake pedal rotates about the connection point where the brake booster is connected to the brake pedal, so that the lower end portion of the brake pedal pops up to be exposed to the interior of the vehicle; When the pedal shaft moves from the front end portion of the guide groove toward the rear end portion of the guide groove, the brake pedal rotates around the connection point and the lower end portion of the brake pedal rotates to move forward, so that the lower end portion of the brake pedal is in a hidden state where the brake pedal is not exposed to the interior of the vehicle.

13. The brake pedal device for a vehicle according to claim 12, further comprising: a brake pedal, wherein an upper end portion of the brake pedal is rotatably coupled to a pedal shaft, and a portion of the brake pedal is connected to a brake booster using a pedal push rod; an actuator fixed to the pedal member; and A connecting mechanism connects the actuator with the pedal shaft to transmit power of the actuator to the pedal shaft so that the pedal shaft moves along the guide groove when the actuator is operated.

14. The brake pedal device for a vehicle according to claim 12, in, Each of the guide grooves is formed to be cut into a curved shape along a rotation radius of the pedal shaft around a connection point where the brake pedal is coupled to the pedal push rod, and has a front end portion blocked by the pedal member, and a rear end portion formed to be open downward from the pedal member.

15. The brake pedal device of a vehicle according to claim 12 further includes an elastic member, which is installed to connect the pedal member with the brake pedal. When the brake pedal is rotated forward due to operation of the brake pedal, the elastic force is accumulated while the length of the elastic member increases, and when the brake pedal is released, the accumulated elastic force is utilized to return to the original length of the elastic member by rotating the brake pedal backward.

16. The brake pedal device for a vehicle according to claim 12, further comprising: a permanent magnet fixedly coupled to an end surface of the pedal shaft; as well as a pedal sensor mounted to the pedal member; When the pedal shaft rotates with the permanent magnet facing the pedal sensor, the pedal sensor detects the rotation angle of the brake pedal by changing the magnetic field strength of the permanent magnet according to the change in the rotation position of the permanent magnet, and generates a signal related to braking.

17. The brake pedal device for a vehicle according to claim 13, wherein: The actuator includes a motor and a motor shaft coupled to the motor and having a thread formed on an outer peripheral surface of the motor shaft, The connecting mechanism comprises: a tube nut having threads formed on an inner peripheral surface of the tube nut to be threadedly coupled to the motor shaft, while the motor shaft is disposed to pass through the tube nut; A belt-shaped bracket, wherein the lower portion of the belt-shaped bracket includes a "U"-shaped groove portion, the "U"-shaped groove portion is integrally coupled to the tube nut and surrounds a pedal shaft passing through the "U"-shaped groove portion in the width direction of the pedal member, and the lower portion of the belt-shaped bracket is located below the tube nut; and a support pin fixed to the rear surface of the pedal member and installed to pass through the belt-shaped bracket; When the motor shaft rotates, the tube nut moves linearly in the longitudinal direction of the motor shaft, and the belt-shaped bracket moves linearly in the longitudinal direction of the support pin.

18. The brake pedal device for a vehicle according to claim 17, wherein: The two "U"-shaped groove portions of the strip-shaped bracket are formed to be spaced apart from each other in the width direction of the pedal member; The pedal shaft is installed to pass through the guide groove and the two “U”-shaped groove portions so that the pedal shaft is supported by the guide groove and the two “U”-shaped groove portions to prevent deformation in the longitudinal direction of the pedal shaft.

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