Foldable brake pedal device for autonomous vehicles

By designing a foldable brake pedal device, using components such as hinge bolts, rotary links, actuators and limiting rods, it is possible to hide the pedal in the autonomous driving mode and expose the pedal in the manual driving mode, solving the error in the autonomous driving mode Problems exposed by pedals in control and manual driving modes improve safety and driver comfort.

CN113386717BActive Publication Date: 2025-02-25HYUNDAI MOTOR CO LTD +1
View PDF 1 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Application Number
CN202010931971.3
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2020-03-13
Filing Date
2020-09-08
Publication Date
2025-02-25
Estimated Expiration
2040-09-08

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In autonomous driving mode, the driver may accidentally operate the pedal, causing an accident, and in manual driving mode, the pedal is exposed to the vehicle and disturbs the driver's rest.

Method used

A foldable brake pedal device is designed to enable the pedal to be exposed to the car in manual driving mode and hide the pedal in automatic driving mode to prevent the Mismanagement.

Benefits of technology

The safety of the vehicle is improved in the autonomous driving mode, preventing mishandling of the pedal, ensuring the driver's comfortable rest; in the manual driving mode, the driver is allowed to operate the pedal normally.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure CN113386717B_ABST
    Figure CN113386717B_ABST
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a foldable brake pedal device for an autonomous driving vehicle, the device comprising: a pedal member fixedly mounted in a lower space of a driver's seat and connected in a manner that a hinge bolt passes through the left and right side surfaces of the pedal member; a rotating link located in the pedal member, the hinge bolt passing through the rotating link, and the rotating link being installed to rotate around the hinge bolt; an actuator located in the pedal member and fixedly mounted on the pedal member, and rotatably coupled to a first rod of the rotating link through an upper pin; and a brake pedal inserted into the pedal member and rotatably coupled to a second rod of the rotating link through a lower pin, and a portion of the brake pedal below the lower pin is connected to a brake booster through a pedal push rod. In a manual driving mode, the brake pedal is exposed inside the vehicle, allowing the driver to manipulate the brake pedal. In an autonomous driving situation, the brake pedal is prevented from being exposed inside the vehicle to prevent the driver from manipulating the vehicle.
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a foldable brake pedal device for an autonomous vehicle, and more specifically, to a technology for a foldable brake pedal device for an autonomous vehicle, by which the brake pedal is exposed to the interior of the vehicle in a manual driving mode to allow the driver to operate the brake pedal, and the brake pedal is prevented from being exposed to the interior of the vehicle in an autonomous driving situation. Background Art

[0002] An autonomous vehicle is an intelligent vehicle that incorporates autonomous driving technology that allows the vehicle to drive directly to a destination without the driver directly manipulating the steering wheel, accelerator pedal, brake, etc., and the technology of autonomous vehicles has recently been rapidly developed. In general autonomous driving situations, the driver can choose between a manual driving mode in which the driver directly manipulates the vehicle and an autonomous driving mode in which the vehicle drives itself to the destination without the driver directly driving.

[0003] In the automatic driving mode, the driver should be able to rest comfortably by stretching his feet, so when the pedals are exposed inside the vehicle, the pedals may interfere with the driver's sitting posture in that position. In addition, in the automatic driving mode, the driver does not operate the vehicle's pedals (e.g., the accelerator pedal or the brake pedal), and if the driver operates the pedals during the automatic driving, the vehicle controller determines that the driver intends to terminate the automatic driving and intends to directly operate the vehicle, thereby terminating the control of the automatic driving.

[0004] However, since the vehicle pedal is installed in the space under the driver's seat, the driver may accidentally operate the pedal in the automatic driving mode. In this case, an accident may occur due to the road conditions or the distance between vehicles, etc. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a new pedal device technology by which, in the manual driving mode, the pedal is exposed inside the vehicle, allowing the driver to drive the vehicle, and in the automatic driving mode, the pedal is prevented from being exposed inside the vehicle and the driver is prevented from operating the vehicle, so as to ensure that the driver can get a comfortable rest and prevent accidental operation.

[0005] What is described as the background art is only for promoting understanding of the background of the present disclosure and should not be construed as admitting that these contents correspond to conventional art known to those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. Summary of the invention

[0006] The present disclosure provides a foldable brake pedal device for an autonomous driving vehicle. Through the device, in the manual driving mode, the brake pedal is exposed inside the vehicle, allowing the driver to manipulate the brake pedal, and in the case of autonomous driving, the brake pedal is prevented from being exposed inside the vehicle to prevent the driver from manipulating the vehicle, so that the driver can rest comfortably in the case of autonomous driving. In addition, in the case of autonomous driving, the safety of the vehicle can be improved by preventing misoperation of the brake pedal. The present disclosure also provides a foldable brake pedal device for an autonomous driving vehicle, through which the strength and rigidity of the pedal member can be fully ensured by minimizing the number of holes formed on the pedal member 10.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a foldable brake pedal device for an autonomous driving vehicle may include: a pedal member, fixedly installed in the lower space of a driver's seat and connected in such a way that a hinge bolt passes through the left and right side surfaces of the pedal member; a rotating link, located in the pedal member, the hinge bolt passing through the rotating link, and the rotating link installed to rotate around the hinge bolt; an actuator, located in the pedal member and fixedly installed on the pedal member, and rotatably connected to the first rod of the rotating link through an upper pin; a brake pedal, inserted into the pedal member and rotatably connected to the second rod of the rotating link through a lower pin, and a portion of the brake pedal below the lower pin can be connected to a brake booster through a pedal push rod.

[0008] The foldable brake pedal device may further include a restriction rod, a first end of which may be fixed to the pedal member, and a second end of which may be installed to be caught by the lower pin. The restriction rod is configured to restrict the forward movement of the lower pin when the brake pedal rotates forward about the lower pin as the driver depresses the brake pedal to manipulate the brake pedal. The restriction rod may have an annular portion, a first end of which is fixed to the rear surface of the pedal member, a second end of which extends toward the front side and is bent in an L shape, and the annular portion may be installed to pass through the upper side of the lower pin and contact the front side.

[0009] The foldable brake pedal device may further include a return spring installed to connect the pedal member and the brake pedal, the return spring being configured to accumulate elastic force while the length of the return spring is extended when the brake pedal rotates forward as the driver steps on the brake pedal, and when the driver releases the brake pedal, the brake pedal is rotated to the rear side by the accumulated elastic force to reset the brake pedal. The foldable brake pedal device may further include a pedal sensor fixed to the pedal member and connected to the brake pedal through a mechanical structure, and when the brake pedal rotates, the rotation angle of the brake pedal is detected to generate a signal related to braking.

[0010] In addition, bolt holes through which the hinge bolts pass are formed on the left and right side surfaces of the pedal member, and the bolt holes may have a circular shape whose cross section is the same as that of the hinge bolt. The rotating link may include a link tube through which the hinge bolt passes, a first rod and a second rod are coupled to the link tube, and the first rod and the second rod are formed at an obtuse angle, and the two first rods and the two second rods may be spaced apart from each other to be opposite to each other along the length direction of the link tube.

[0011] The actuator may include: a linear motor fixed to the pedal member through a motor bracket; and a plunger configured to move forward and backward when the linear motor is operated, and an end of the plunger may be connected to the first rod through an upper pin. An upper pin hole and a lower pin hole through which an upper pin and a lower pin can pass, respectively, may be formed in each of the first rod and the second rod. The upper pin hole and the lower pin hole may be elliptical slots or grooves extending along the length direction of the first rod and the second rod, respectively.

[0012] The actuator can be arranged at the front side of the lower pin, and the hinge bolt and the upper pin are arranged in sequence at the upper side of the lower pin. When the driver steps on the brake pedal, the brake pedal can rotate forward around the lower pin, and when the brake pedal rotates forward, the brake booster can be operated by the forward movement of the pedal push rod, and the lower pin can be kept in a state where the lower pin is restricted by the restriction rod to prevent the lower pin from moving forward.

[0013] The actuator can be arranged on the front side of the lower pin, and the hinge bolt and the upper pin are arranged on the upper side of the lower pin in sequence. Through the operation of the actuator, the first rod can be pulled to the front side where the actuator is arranged, the rotating link rotates around the hinge bolt, and the second rod rotates toward the rear side. The brake pedal rotates around the connection point of the brake pedal and the pedal push rod through the backward movement of the lower pin, and the lower end of the brake pedal is rotated to move to the front side, so that the brake pedal becomes a hidden state, and in the hidden state the brake pedal is not exposed to the interior of the vehicle.

[0014] In the hidden state, the first rod is pushed to the rear side by the operation of the actuator, the rotating link rotates around the hinge bolt and the second rod rotates forward, the brake pedal rotates around the connection point of the brake pedal and the pedal push rod through the forward movement of the lower pin, and the lower end of the brake pedal is rotated to move to the rear side, so that the brake pedal becomes a pop-up state, in which the brake pedal is exposed to the interior of the vehicle.

[0015] According to the foldable brake pedal device for an autonomous driving vehicle disclosed in the present invention, in a manual driving mode in which the driver directly operates the vehicle, the lower end of the brake pedal can be popped out to be exposed inside the vehicle, thereby allowing the driver to operate the brake pedal, and in an autonomous driving mode in which the driver does not directly operate the vehicle, the lower end of the brake pedal can be rotated by the operation of the actuator to move forward, thereby hiding the brake pedal and preventing the driver from operating the brake pedal. Therefore, the driver can rest comfortably in the case of autonomous driving. In addition, in the case of autonomous driving, the safety of the vehicle can be improved by preventing the erroneous operation of the brake pedal.

[0016] Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, since only bolt holes through which hinge bolts pass are formed on the side surface of the pedal member, the strength and rigidity of the pedal member can be ensured by minimizing the number of holes formed on the side surface of the pedal member. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present disclosure will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0018] Figures 1 to 3 are perspective, front and side views of a foldable brake pedal device for an autonomous vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a separated pedal sensor according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of a foldable brake pedal device for an autonomous driving vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 6 According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 1 A perspective view in which the pedal member and the brake booster are removed;

[0022] Figure 7 According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 6 Side view of

[0023] Figure 8 According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 6 A view of a state where the pedal limit lever is removed;

[0024] Fig. 9 is a view for explaining a restriction lever provided on a rear surface of a pedal member according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] 10A to 10B are views for explaining operating states of a rotating link and a brake pedal according to operations of an actuator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] 11A to 11B are views for explaining a normal operating state of a brake pedal; and

[0027] 12A to 12B are views for explaining a pop-up state in which a lower end of a brake pedal is exposed inside a vehicle and a state in which the brake pedal is rotated and hidden according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] It should be understood that the term "vehicle" or "vehicular" or other similar terms used herein generally include motor vehicles, such as passenger vehicles including sport utility vehicles (SUVs), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, watercraft including various boats and ships, aircraft, etc., and include hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles and other alternative fuel (e.g., fuels from resources other than petroleum) vehicles. As described herein, a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle with two or more power sources, such as gasoline-powered and electric vehicles.

[0029] Although the exemplary embodiments are described as using multiple units to perform the exemplary processes, it should be understood that the exemplary processes can also be performed by one or more modules. In addition, it should be understood that the term controller / control unit refers to a hardware device including a memory and a processor, and is specifically programmed to perform the processes described herein. The memory is configured to store the modules, and the processor is specifically configured to execute the modules to perform one or more processes described further below.

[0030] The terms used herein are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "one", "an" and "the / said" are intended to include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should be further understood that the terms "include" and / or "comprise" when used in the specification provide for the presence of the features, quantities, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, quantities, steps, operations, elements, components and / or their grouping. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items.

[0031] Unless otherwise expressly stated or apparent from the context, the term "about" as used herein is understood to be within the standard tolerance range in the art, such as within 2 standard deviations of the mean. "About" may be understood to be within 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.1%, 0.05%, or 0.01% of the stated value. Unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, all numerical values ​​provided in this disclosure may be modified by the term "about".

[0032] Hereinafter, a foldable brake pedal device for an autonomous driving vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] like Figure 1 to 1 2, the foldable brake pedal device for an autonomous driving vehicle according to the present disclosure may include: a pedal member 10, fixedly installed in the lower space of the driver's seat, and connected in such a way that a hinge bolt 21 passes through the left and right side surfaces 11 of the pedal member 10; a rotating link 30, located in the pedal member 10, through which the hinge bolt 21 passes, and the rotating link 30 is installed to rotate around the hinge bolt 21; an actuator 50, located in the pedal member 10 and fixedly installed on the pedal member 10, and rotatably connected to the first rod 31 of the rotating link 30 through an upper pin 41; and a brake pedal 70, inserted into the pedal member 10, and rotatably connected to the second rod 32 of the rotating link 30 through a lower pin 42, and a portion of the brake pedal 70 below the lower pin 42 may be connected to the brake booster 60 through a pedal push rod 61.

[0034] The two left and right side surfaces 11 of the pedal member 10 can be arranged in parallel in the pedal member 10, the front side and the upper side of the left and right side surfaces 11 can be connected to each other through the front surface and the upper surface respectively, and the rear side of the left and right side surfaces 11 can be connected through the rear surface, an opening structure can be formed at the lower side of the left and right side surfaces 11, and the front surface can be fixedly connected to the front panel constituting the vehicle body. The rear surface 12 of the pedal member 10 can be integrally formed when manufacturing the pedal member 10, or the rear surface 12 of the pedal member 10 can be formed as a separate bracket, and when formed as a separate bracket, it can be connected to the pedal member 10 by welding or the like.

[0035] A cowl bracket 80 may be coupled to the upper surface of the pedal member 10, and the cowl bracket 80 may be coupled to the cowl panel. The pedal member 10 according to the present disclosure has a structure in which only bolt holes 13 are formed on the left and right side surfaces 11 so that only the hinge bolts 21 pass through the bolt holes 13, and since the number of holes formed on the side surfaces of the pedal member 10 is minimized, the strength and rigidity of the pedal member 10 can be ensured. Preferably, the bolt holes 13 formed on the left and right side surfaces 11 of the pedal member 10 have the same circular shape as the cross section of the hinge bolts 21 to ensure the strength and rigidity of the pedal member 10.

[0036] The exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a restriction rod 90, a first end of which may be fixed to the pedal member 10, and the other end or second end of which may be installed to be caught by the lower pin 42, and is configured to restrict the forward movement of the lower pin 42 when the brake pedal 70 rotates forward about the lower pin 42 as the driver steps on the brake pedal 70. Specifically, the restriction rod 90 may include a hook portion 91, a first end of the restriction rod 90 may be fixed to the rear surface 12 of the pedal member 10, and a second end of the restriction rod 90 may extend toward the front side and be bent in an L shape, and the hook portion 91 may pass through the upper side of the lower pin 42 and contact the front side of the lower pin 42.

[0037] Two limiting rods 90 can be arranged in parallel on the rear surface 12 of the pedal member 10 at intervals from each other in the left-right direction. Since two limiting rods 90 are provided, two hooks 91 formed at the ends of the limiting rods 90 can be respectively caught by the opposite ends of the lower pin 42. Therefore, the brake pedal 70 can rotate around the lower pin 42 in a more stable state. In addition, the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a return spring 100, which is installed to connect the pedal member 10 and the brake pedal 70. When the brake pedal 70 rotates to the front side as the driver steps on (engage) the brake pedal 70, the return spring 100 can accumulate elastic force while its length is extended. When the driver releases (disengage) the brake pedal 70, the return spring 100 uses the accumulated elastic force to rotate the brake pedal 70 to the rear side to reset the brake pedal.

[0038] The return spring 100 may be a compression coil spring, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In addition, an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a pedal sensor 110, which is fixed to one side surface of the pedal member 10 and is connected to the brake pedal 70 through a mechanical structure. A connecting pin 111 may be coupled to the brake pedal 70 to protrude to one side, the pedal sensor 110 may include a rotating rod 112, and the connecting pin 111 and the rotating rod 112 may be coupled to each other. Therefore, when the brake pedal 70 rotates, the connecting pin 111 and the rotating rod 112 may also rotate together.

[0039] In addition, a permanent magnet may be coupled to the rotating rod 112, a printed circuit board (PCB) may be disposed inside the pedal sensor 110 to face the permanent magnet, and the PCB may be electrically connected to a power supply device such as a battery through a wire. Therefore, when the driver depresses the brake pedal 70, the brake pedal 70 rotates, the connecting pin 111 and the rotating rod 112 may rotate together, and when the rotating rod 112 rotates, the position of the permanent magnet coupled to the rotating rod 112 may change, and the PCB may detect the rotation angle of the brake pedal 70 according to the magnetic field strength that changes with the change in the rotation position of the permanent magnet to generate a signal related to braking.

[0040] The pedal sensor 110 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may be a contact type pedal sensor in which the connecting pin 111 and the rotating rod 112 are connected to each other, and the pedal sensor 110 may also be a non-contact type pedal sensor including only a permanent magnet and a PCB as required. The hinge tube 71 may be coupled to the upper end of the brake pedal 70 to pass through the upper end of the brake pedal 70 in the left-right direction, the hinge tube 71 may be inserted into the pedal member 10, and the lower pin 42 may pass through the hinge tube 71.

[0041] A brake pedal pad 72 operated by the driver may be provided at the lower end of the brake pedal 70. The rotating link 30 according to the present disclosure may include a link tube 33 through which the hinge bolt 21 passes, a first rod 31 and a second rod 32 may be coupled to the link tube 33, and the first rod 31 and the second rod 32 are formed at an obtuse angle, and the two first rods 31 and the two second rods 32 may be spaced apart from each other to be opposite to each other along the length direction of the link tube 33. The rotating link 30 may be provided in the pedal member 10, and the hinge bolt 21 may be coupled to the nut 22 after passing through the bolt hole 13 formed on the left and right side surfaces 11 of the pedal member 10 and the link tube 33 of the rotating link 30, so that the rotating link 30 may rotate around the hinge bolt 21.

[0042] The plunger constituting the actuator 50 may be inserted between the two first rods 31 protruding from the rotating link 30 to the upper side of the link tube 33, and may be rotatably coupled by the upper pin 41. In addition, the hinge tube 71 of the brake pedal 70 may be inserted between the two second rods 32 protruding from the rotating link 30 to the lower side of the link tube 33, and the lower pin 42 may pass through the second rods 32 and the hinge tube 71, so that the brake pedal 70 may rotate around the lower pin 42.

[0043] The actuator 50 may include a linear motor 51 fixed to the pedal member 10 through a motor bracket 120, and a plunger 52 that moves forward and backward when the linear motor 51 is operated, and an end of the plunger 52 is connected to the first rod 31 through an upper pin 41. In the first rod 31 and the second rod 32 of the rotating link 30, an upper pin hole 34 and a lower pin hole 35 through which the upper pin 41 and the lower pin 42 pass, respectively, may be formed, and the upper pin hole 34 and the lower pin hole 35 may be formed as elliptical grooves extending in the length direction of the first rod 31 and the second rod 32, respectively.

[0044] 10A to 10B , the upper pin hole 34 may be an elliptical slot extending in the length direction of the first rod 31, so when the rotary link 30 rotates around the hinge bolt 21 by the operation of the linear motor 51, the upper pin 41 may move along the linear trajectory M1 of the plunger 52, and may move along the rotation trajectory M2 centered on the hinge bolt 21. In addition, the lower pin hole 35 may be an elliptical slot extending in the length direction of the second rod 32, so when the rotary link 30 rotates around the hinge bolt 21 by the operation of the linear motor 51, the lower pin 42 may move along the rotation trajectory M3 centered on the hinge bolt 21, and may move along the rotation trajectory M4 centered on the connection point P1 of the brake pedal 70 and the pedal push rod 61.

[0045] The state shown in FIG. 11A is a state in which the driver does not step on the brake pedal 70, and is an initial state in which the linear motor 51 does not operate. In the initial state, the hinge bolt 21 and the upper pin 41 may be sequentially arranged on the upper side of the lower pin 42, and the linear motor 51 constituting the actuator 50 may be arranged on the front side of the lower pin 42. As shown in FIG. 11B, when the driver steps on the pad 72 of the brake pedal 70 to operate the brake pedal 70 in the initial state, the brake pedal 70 may rotate forward around the lower pin 42 (arrow R1), and when the brake pedal 70 rotates forward, the brake booster 60 is operated by the forward movement of the pedal push rod 61, and the hydraulic pressure required for braking may be generated.

[0046] In addition, when the brake pedal 70 rotates forward, the lower pin 42 can be maintained in a state where the lower pin 42 is restricted by the hook portion 91 of the restriction rod 90, and thus the forward movement of the brake pedal 70 can be restricted. Since the connecting pin 111 and the rotating rod 112 can rotate together when the driver steps on the brake pedal 70 to manipulate the brake pedal 70, the pedal sensor 120 can be configured to detect the rotation angle of the brake pedal 70 by changing the magnetic field strength that changes with the rotation position of the permanent magnet connected to the rotating rod 112, thereby generating a signal related to braking, so that the vehicle can perform normal braking.

[0047] FIG12A also shows a state in which the driver does not step on the brake pedal 70, and this state is an initial state in which the linear motor 51 does not operate. As shown in FIG12B , when the linear motor 51 operates and pulls the plunger 52 in the initial state, the first rod 31 of the rotating link 30 can be pulled to the front side where the linear motor 51 is located, and the rotating link 30 can rotate clockwise around the hinge bolt 21, while the second rod 32 rotates toward the rear side, and the brake pedal 70 can rotate around the connection point P1 of the brake pedal 70 and the pedal push rod 61 by the backward movement of the lower pin 42, so that the brake pedal 70 becomes a hidden (concealed) state, in which the lower end of the brake pedal 70 is rotated and moved to the front side (arrow R2), so that the brake pedal 70 can be prevented from being exposed inside the vehicle.

[0048] Since the space below the driver's seat becomes a wide space without pedal interference when the brake pedal 70 is in the hidden state, the driver can rest comfortably in a relaxed mode. On the contrary, in the hidden (concealed) state in which the brake pedal 70 is prevented from being exposed to the interior of the vehicle due to the forward rotation of the lower end of the brake pedal 70 as shown in FIG. 12B, when the operating plunger 52 protrudes through the linear motor 51, the first rod 31 of the rotating link 30 can be pushed backward, the rotating link 30 can rotate around the hinge bolt 21, and the second link 32 rotates forward, the brake pedal 70 can be rotated around the connection point P1 of the brake pedal 70 and the pedal push rod 61 by the forward movement of the lower pin 42 (for example, in the direction opposite to the arrow R2), so that the brake pedal 70 can be changed to a pop-up state, in which the brake pedal 70 protrudes into the interior of the vehicle due to the lower end of the brake pedal 70 being rotated to move backward.

[0049] As described above, according to the foldable brake pedal device for an autonomous driving vehicle of the present disclosure, the lower end of the brake pedal can pop out to be exposed to the interior of the vehicle to allow the driver to operate the brake pedal 70 in a manual driving mode in which the driver directly operates the vehicle, and the lower end of the brake pedal 70 can be rotated by the operation of the actuator 50 to move forward, thereby hiding the brake pedal 70 and preventing the driver from operating the brake pedal 70 in an autonomous driving mode in which the driver does not directly drive the vehicle, thereby allowing the driver to rest comfortably in the case of autonomous driving, and by preventing misoperation of the brake pedal 70 in the case of autonomous driving, the safety of the vehicle can be improved.

[0050] In addition, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, since only the bolt hole 13 through which the hinge bolt 21 passes is formed on the side surface 11 of the pedal member 10, the strength and rigidity of the pedal member 10 can be fully ensured by minimizing the number of holes formed on the side surface 11 of the pedal member 10. Therefore, the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure, but is illustrative. And the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure is not limited to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure should be interpreted by the claims, and it should be understood that all technical ideas within the equivalent scope belong to the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A foldable brake pedal device for an autonomous vehicle, comprising: a pedal member fixedly installed in a lower space of the driver's seat and coupled in such a manner that a hinge bolt passes through left and right side surfaces of the pedal member; a rotating link located in the pedal member, the hinge bolt passing through the rotating link, and the rotating link being installed to rotate about the hinge bolt, wherein the rotating link comprises a first rod and a second rod, the first rod being disposed above the hinge bolt, and the second rod being disposed below the hinge bolt; an actuator located in and fixedly mounted on the pedal member and rotatably coupled to the first rod of the rotating link via an upper pin; as well as A brake pedal, the upper end of which is inserted into the pedal member, and the brake pedal is rotatably coupled to the second rod of the rotating link through a lower pin, and a portion of the brake pedal below the lower pin is connected to a brake booster through a pedal push rod.

2. The foldable brake pedal device according to claim 1, further comprising: A restricting rod having a first end fixed to the pedal member and a second end installed to be caught by the lower pin and restricting forward movement of the lower pin when the brake pedal rotates forward about the lower pin as the brake pedal is depressed.

3. The foldable brake pedal device according to claim 2, wherein: The restricting lever includes an annular portion having a first end fixed to a rear surface of the pedal member and a second end extending toward the front side, wherein the annular portion is installed to pass through an upper side of the lower pin and contact the front side of the lower pin.

4. The foldable brake pedal device according to claim 1, further comprising: A return spring is installed to connect the pedal member and the brake pedal, and when the brake pedal rotates forward as the brake pedal is depressed, the length of the return spring is extended while accumulating elastic force, and when the brake pedal is released, the brake pedal is rotated to the rear side by utilizing the accumulated elastic force to reset the brake pedal.

5. The foldable brake pedal device according to claim 1, further comprising: A pedal sensor is fixed to the pedal member and is connected to the brake pedal through a mechanical structure, and detects a rotation angle of the brake pedal to generate a signal related to braking when the brake pedal rotates.

6. The foldable brake pedal device according to claim 1, wherein: Bolt holes through which the hinge bolts pass are formed on the left and right side surfaces of the pedal member, the bolt holes have a circular shape, and the cross section of the bolt holes is the same as the cross section of the hinge bolts.

7. The foldable brake pedal device according to claim 1, wherein: The rotating connecting rod comprises a connecting rod tube through which the hinge bolt passes, The first rod and the second rod are coupled to a connecting rod tube, and the first rod and the second rod form an obtuse angle, The two first rods and the two second rods are spaced apart from each other to be opposite to each other along the length direction of the connecting rod tube.

8. The foldable brake pedal device according to claim 1, wherein: The actuator comprises: a linear motor fixed to the pedal member via a motor bracket; and The plunger moves forward and backward when the linear motor is operated, and an end of the plunger is connected to the first rod through the upper pin.

9. The foldable brake pedal device according to claim 1, wherein: An upper pin hole and a lower pin hole through which the upper pin and the lower pin respectively pass are formed in the first rod and the second rod, and the upper pin hole and the lower pin hole are elliptical grooves extending along the length direction of the first rod and the second rod.

10. The foldable brake pedal device according to claim 2, wherein: The actuator is arranged on the front side of the lower pin, and the hinge bolt and the upper pin are arranged on the upper side of the lower pin in sequence. When the brake pedal is depressed, the brake pedal rotates forward about the lower pin, and When the brake pedal is rotated forward, the brake booster is operated by the pedal push rod moving forward, and the lower pin is maintained in a state where the lower pin is restricted by the restriction rod to prevent forward movement.

11. The foldable brake pedal device according to claim 1, wherein: The actuator is arranged on the front side of the lower pin, the hinge bolt and the upper pin are arranged on the upper side of the lower pin in sequence, and By operation of the actuator, the first rod is pulled to the front side where the actuator is provided, the rotating link rotates around the hinge bolt, and the second rod rotates toward the rear side, the brake pedal rotates around the connection point of the brake pedal and the pedal push rod by the rearward movement of the lower pin, and the lower end of the brake pedal is rotated to move to the front side, so that the brake pedal becomes a hidden state, in which the brake pedal is hidden from the interior of the vehicle.

12. The foldable brake pedal device according to claim 11, wherein: In the hidden state, the first rod is pushed to the rear side by the operation of the actuator, the rotating link rotates around the hinge bolt and the second rod rotates forward, the brake pedal rotates around the connection point of the brake pedal and the pedal push rod by the forward movement of the lower pin, and the lower end of the brake pedal is rotated to move to the rear side, so that the brake pedal becomes a pop-up state, in which the brake pedal is exposed to the interior of the vehicle.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Support structure for pedal of vehicles

    CN1676377A