Automatic return compensation mechanism for automobile clutch pedal

Abstract

The application provides an automatic return compensation mechanism for an automobile clutch pedal, comprising a driving unit and a power unit; a power output end of the driving unit applies a return auxiliary force to the automobile clutch pedal, and the return auxiliary force is in the return direction of the clutch pedal; and the power unit is used for providing driving force to the driving unit so that the driving unit outputs the auxiliary force. Through the above structure, the return auxiliary force is automatically provided to the clutch pedal when the clutch pedal returns in a low-temperature environment, so that the timely return of the automobile pedal is ensured, the driving safety is ensured, and the overloading of the return auxiliary spring when the return auxiliary force of the hydraulic auxiliary device is insufficient is avoided, and the service life of the return auxiliary spring is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the automotive field, and more particularly to an automatic return compensation mechanism for an automotive clutch pedal. Background Technology

[0002] The clutch assembly is the key to shifting gears in a manual transmission car. When shifting gears, you need to press the clutch pedal down, and then release the clutch pedal after shifting gears. The clutch pedal returns to its original position under the combined action of the hydraulic auxiliary device and the return spring in the clutch assembly.

[0003] However, in existing technologies, when a car is in a low-temperature environment, the viscosity of the hydraulic assist device increases due to the low temperature. When the clutch pedal returns, the response speed of the hydraulic assist device slows down, and it cannot provide sufficient return force to the clutch pedal. This results in the clutch pedal not returning in time, posing a serious safety hazard. In order to ensure that the hydraulic fluid maintains a certain flow rate when the clutch pedal returns to ensure the return force of the hydraulic assist device, low-temperature resistant fluid is required, which increases the operating cost. Moreover, when the hydraulic assist device cannot provide sufficient return force, the return force of the clutch pedal mainly relies on the return assist spring, which increases the load on the return assist spring. If the car is in a low-temperature environment for a long time, the service life of the return assist spring will be reduced.

[0004] Therefore, in order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, it is urgent to propose a new technical approach. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an automatic return compensation mechanism for a car clutch pedal, which automatically provides a return assist force to the clutch pedal when it returns to its original position in a low-temperature environment, thereby ensuring that the car pedal returns to its original position in a timely manner, ensuring driving safety, and avoiding excessive load on the return assist spring when the return power of the hydraulic assist device is insufficient, thus ensuring the service life of the return assist spring.

[0006] The present invention provides an automatic return compensation mechanism for an automotive clutch pedal, comprising a drive unit and a power unit;

[0007] The power output end of the drive unit applies a return assist force to the clutch pedal of the car. The direction of the return assist force is the reset direction of the clutch pedal. The power unit is used to provide driving force to the drive unit so that the drive unit outputs an assist force.

[0008] Furthermore, the driving force provided by the driving unit is electromagnetic force.

[0009] Furthermore, the drive unit includes a drive mechanism and a permanent magnet disposed on the drive mechanism, and the power unit includes an excitation coil, which provides electromagnetic force to the magnet when a direct current is applied.

[0010] Furthermore, the drive mechanism includes a cylindrical mounting housing, a power output component fixedly disposed at one end of the mounting housing, and an end cap assembly disposed at the other end of the mounting housing, wherein the permanent magnet is fixedly disposed inside the mounting housing.

[0011] Furthermore, the power output assembly includes a rubber damping head and a mounting base. The mounting base has a cylindrical structure, and the damping head is partially embedded in the front end of the mounting base. The mounting base is detachably fixed to the mounting housing, and the head rests against the connecting piece between the clutch pedal and the return assist spring.

[0012] Furthermore, the end cap assembly includes an end cap and a limiting plate. The end cap and the limiting plate are fixedly connected. The diameter of the end cap is larger than the outer diameter of the mounting housing. The edge of the limiting plate is fixedly connected to the mounting housing. The center of the end cap is recessed into the mounting housing to form a limiting protrusion. Both the end cap and the limiting plate have through holes at their centers, and the through holes of the end cap and the limiting plate are coaxial. The limiting protrusion and the portion of the vibration damping head embedded in the mounting base together limit the permanent magnet.

[0013] Furthermore, the power unit also includes an outer shell, which is a cylindrical structure. One end of the mounting housing with the end cap assembly is embedded in the outer shell and can reciprocate along the axial direction of the outer shell. The excitation coil is wound around the outer shell and the inner diameter of the excitation coil is larger than that of the mounting housing. An outer end cap assembly is fixedly provided at the bottom of the outer shell.

[0014] Furthermore, a limiting shell is also provided inside the outer shell. The limiting shell is coaxially disposed inside the outer shell and there is a gap between the limiting shell and the outer shell. The excitation coil is disposed in the gap. The inner diameter of the limiting shell is larger than the outer diameter of the mounting shell, and the length of the limiting shell is smaller than the length of the outer shell. The front end of the limiting shell is fixedly connected to the inner bottom of the front end of the outer shell. The rear end of the limiting shell is a free end and is fixedly provided with a buffer ring.

[0015] Furthermore, the outer end cap assembly includes an outer end cap and a buffer pad disposed inside the outer end cap, and the end cap is fixedly connected to the outer shell.

[0016] Furthermore, a sealing ring is provided between the inner side of the front end of the outer shell and the mounting shell.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention automatically provides a return assist force to the clutch pedal when it returns to its original position in a low-temperature environment, thereby ensuring that the pedal returns to its original position in a timely manner, ensuring driving safety, and avoiding excessive load on the return assist spring when the hydraulic assist device has insufficient return power, thus ensuring the service life of the return assist spring. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments:

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The present invention will be further described in detail below:

[0022] The present invention provides an automatic return compensation mechanism for an automotive clutch pedal, comprising a drive unit and a power unit;

[0023] The power output end of the drive unit applies a return assist force to the car's clutch pedal. The direction of this return assist force is the reset direction of the clutch pedal. The power unit provides driving force to the drive unit, causing the drive unit to output an assist force. Through the above structure, when the car's clutch pedal returns to its original position in a low-temperature environment, a return assist force is automatically provided to the clutch pedal, thereby ensuring that the car pedal returns to its original position in a timely manner, ensuring driving safety. Moreover, it can avoid excessive load on the return assist spring when the hydraulic assist device's return power is insufficient, ensuring the service life of the return assist spring.

[0024] In this embodiment, the driving force provided by the driving unit is electromagnetic force. The electromagnetic force driving method is conducive to controlling the driving force according to different temperature conditions, thereby ensuring that the compensation mechanism applies sufficient return assist force to the clutch pedal.

[0025] In this embodiment, the drive unit includes a drive mechanism and a permanent magnet 14 disposed on the drive mechanism. The power unit includes an excitation coil 2, which provides electromagnetic force to the magnet when a direct current is applied. The direct current to the excitation coil is provided by the vehicle power system. In order to meet different driving forces, a corresponding current drive circuit is also provided, which is controlled by the vehicle controller. The vehicle controller controls the magnitude of the excitation current according to the different temperatures of the current vehicle, thereby providing different driving forces. The current drive circuit adopts an existing structure, which will not be described in detail here.

[0026] In this embodiment, the driving mechanism includes a cylindrical mounting housing 4, a power output component fixedly disposed at one end of the mounting housing, and an end cap component disposed at the other end of the mounting housing. The permanent magnet is fixedly disposed inside the mounting housing 4.

[0027] The power output assembly includes a rubber damping head 17 and a mounting base 16. The mounting base is a cylindrical structure, and the damping head is partially embedded in the front end of the mounting base. The mounting base and the mounting housing are detachably fixedly connected. The damping head abuts against the connector between the clutch pedal and the return assist spring. The damping head 17 is an I-shaped structure. The inner sidewall of the upper end of the mounting base protrudes inward to form a limiting ring. This limiting ring is embedded in the groove of the I-shaped structure of the damping head, thereby enabling good fixation of the damping head. To facilitate the connection between the mounting base and the mounting housing, the outer sidewall of the rear end of the mounting base is provided with a connecting lug. The mounting housing is provided with a mounting housing connecting lug corresponding to the mounting base connecting lug. The mounting base connecting lug 18 and the mounting housing connecting lug 19 are fixedly connected by bolts.

[0028] The end cap assembly includes an end cap 6 and a limiting plate 5. The end cap and the limiting plate are fixedly connected. The diameter of the end cap is larger than the outer diameter of the mounting housing. The edge of the limiting plate is fixedly connected to the mounting housing. The center of the end cap is recessed into the mounting housing to form a limiting protrusion 12. Both the end cap and the limiting plate have through holes at their centers, and the through hole 8 of the end cap and the through hole 11 of the limiting plate are coaxial. These two through holes are used for electromagnetic field passage. The limiting protrusion and the part of the vibration damper embedded in the mounting base together limit the permanent magnet. In the natural state, the distance between the limiting protrusion and the rear end face of the vibration damper is slightly less than the length of the permanent magnet. Therefore, when the permanent magnet is embedded, the limiting protrusion and the vibration damper can fix the permanent magnet well, which is conducive to power transmission and ensures stability. The end cap and the limiting plate are fixedly connected by bolts, which facilitates disassembly, assembly, and maintenance.

[0029] In this embodiment, the power unit further includes an outer shell 1, which is a cylindrical structure. One end of the mounting housing 4 with an end cap assembly is embedded in the outer shell and can reciprocate along the axial direction of the outer shell. The excitation coil is wound around the outer shell and the inner diameter of the excitation coil is larger than that of the mounting housing. An outer end cap assembly is fixedly provided at the bottom of the outer shell.

[0030] The outer casing also includes a limiting housing 3, which is coaxially disposed within the outer casing with a gap between it and the outer casing. The excitation coil 2 is disposed within the gap. The inner diameter of the limiting housing is larger than the outer diameter of the mounting casing, and the length of the limiting housing is smaller than the length of the outer casing. The front end of the limiting housing is fixedly connected to the inner bottom of the front end of the outer casing. The rear end of the limiting housing is a free end and is fixedly provided with a buffer ring 13. In other words, there is a certain distance between the limiting housing and the buffer pad. This distance is the stroke of the drive unit, preventing the drive unit from moving excessively under the action of electromagnetic force, thereby affecting the return assist spring.

[0031] In this embodiment, the outer end cap assembly includes an outer end cap and a buffer pad 7 disposed inside the outer end cap. In order to facilitate the clearance of the bolts of the end cap assembly, a clearance groove 10 is provided on the front end face of the buffer pad to prevent the bolts from damaging the buffer pad when the drive unit is reset. The end cap is fixedly connected to the outer shell. Through this structure, rigid collision between the drive unit and the outer end cap is prevented when the drive unit returns to its original position, thus ensuring the service life of the entire device.

[0032] In this embodiment, a sealing ring 15 is provided between the inner side of the front end of the outer shell and the mounting shell. The sealing ring can prevent external dust and debris from entering the outer shell, and together with the buffer ring, it can effectively ensure the coaxiality between the outer shell and the mounting shell.

[0033] To prevent interference with the electromagnetic field, the aforementioned housing and end cap components are made of non-magnetic metal materials, such as aluminum alloy.

[0034] The principles of this invention will be further explained below:

[0035] like Figure 2 As shown: Figure 2 In the middle, the clutch pedal and the return assist spring are fixedly connected by a connector 21. In order to facilitate the vibration damper head to output driving force with a point of force, a stop plate 22 can also be set on the connector 21. The S and N poles in the attached figure are just examples and can be interchanged. The example in the attached figure is used for illustration:

[0036] In low-temperature environments (detected by sensors to determine if the set low-temperature condition has been reached), when the clutch pedal is depressed and reaches its extreme position, it indicates that the clutch pedal is about to reset. At this point, when the pedal reaches its extreme position and is energized, the excitation coil generates a magnetic field with the same polarity as the permanent magnet (as shown in the diagram). This propels the permanent magnet forward, causing the drive unit to abut against the abutment plate. This applies a return assist force to the clutch pedal, which, together with the return assist spring 20, causes the clutch pedal to quickly return to its initial position (the position before the clutch pedal was depressed). Once the clutch pedal returns to its initial position, the control... Applying a reverse DC current to the excitation coil reverses the magnetic field, pushing the permanent magnet to move towards the rear end until it reaches its initial position, i.e., the rear end of the permanent magnet contacts the limiting protrusion. Then, the power supply stops, waiting for the next clutch pedal reset process. The excitation coil is powered and the current magnitude is adjusted by the existing current drive circuit. The vehicle controller controls the current drive circuit to output different current values ​​based on the temperature signal collected by the temperature sensor at the clutch mechanism. For example, this can be achieved through a temperature-current reference table (obtained through prior experiments). When the temperature at the clutch mechanism is greater than the set value, it indicates that it is not a low-temperature environment, and the mechanism of the present invention will not operate.

[0037] In the above, "front" refers to the left side of the illustration, and "back" refers to the right side of the illustration.

[0038] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic return compensation mechanism for a car clutch pedal, characterized in that: Includes a drive unit and a power unit; The power output end of the drive unit applies a return assist force to the clutch pedal of the car. The direction of the return assist force is the reset direction of the clutch pedal. The power unit is used to provide driving force to the drive unit so that the drive unit outputs an assist force. The drive unit includes a drive mechanism and a permanent magnet disposed on the drive mechanism. The power unit includes an excitation coil, which provides electromagnetic force to the magnet when a direct current is applied. The drive mechanism includes a cylindrical mounting housing, a power output component fixedly disposed at one end of the mounting housing, and an end cap assembly disposed at the other end of the mounting housing. The permanent magnet is fixedly disposed inside the mounting housing. The power output assembly includes a rubber damping head and a mounting base. The mounting base has a cylindrical structure, and the damping head is partially embedded in the front end of the mounting base. The mounting base is detachably fixed to the mounting housing, and the damping head abuts against the connecting piece between the clutch pedal and the return assist spring. The power unit also includes an outer shell, which is a cylindrical structure. One end of the mounting housing with an end cap assembly is embedded in the outer shell and can reciprocate along the axial direction of the outer shell. The excitation coil is wound around the outer shell and the inner diameter of the excitation coil is larger than that of the mounting housing. An outer end cap assembly is fixedly provided at the bottom of the outer shell. The end cap assembly includes an end cap and a limiting plate. The end cap and the limiting plate are fixedly connected. The diameter of the end cap is larger than the outer diameter of the mounting housing. The edge of the limiting plate is fixedly connected to the mounting housing. The center of the end cap is recessed into the mounting housing to form a limiting protrusion. Both the end cap and the limiting plate have through holes at their centers, and the through holes of the end cap and the limiting plate are coaxial. The limiting protrusion and the portion of the vibration damping head embedded in the mounting base together limit the permanent magnet. The outer end cap assembly includes an outer end cap and a buffer pad disposed on the inner side of the outer end cap. The end cap is fixedly connected to the outer housing.

2. The automatic return compensation mechanism for the automotive clutch pedal according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving force provided by the driving unit is electromagnetic force.

3. The automatic return compensation mechanism for the automotive clutch pedal according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer shell also includes a limiting shell, which is coaxially disposed within the outer shell and has a gap between it and the outer shell. The excitation coil is disposed within the gap. The inner diameter of the limiting shell is larger than the outer diameter of the mounting shell, and the length of the limiting shell is smaller than the length of the outer shell. The front end of the limiting shell is fixedly connected to the inner bottom of the front end of the outer shell, and the rear end of the limiting shell is a free end and is fixedly provided with a buffer ring.

4. The automatic return compensation mechanism for the automotive clutch pedal according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer end cap assembly includes an outer end cap and a buffer pad disposed inside the outer end cap, and the end cap is fixedly connected to the outer shell.

5. The automatic return compensation mechanism for the automotive clutch pedal according to claim 1, characterized in that: A sealing ring is provided between the inner side of the front end of the outer casing and the mounting housing.

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