Accelerator device

Abstract

The pedal lever (20) operates in accordance with a pedaling operation. The drive source (31) generates a drive force by energizing. The power transmission mechanism (40) has an actuator rod (45) that comes into contact with the pedal rod (20) at a rod contact point (Pc), and transmits the driving force of the drive source (31) to the pedal rod (20) to apply a reaction force, which is a force in the opposite direction to the depression direction of the pedal rod (20). The depression amount detection units (29, 49) detect the depression amount of the pedal lever (20). The control unit (60) has a driving force calculation unit (61) that calculates the driving force output from the driving source (31), and controls the driving of the driving source (31). A driving force calculation unit (61) calculates a driving force corresponding to the target reaction force (F *) on the basis of the amount of depression.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-158996 filed on September 30, 2022, and the contents described therein are cited herein. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to accelerator devices. Background Art

[0004] Conventionally, there is a known vehicle accelerator pedal device having a reaction force adding mechanism. For example, in Patent Document 1, the reaction force adding mechanism includes a driving source that generates a reaction force, a transmission component that transmits the reaction force generated by the driving source to a pedal side arm portion, and a bracket that supports the driving source. The reaction force adding mechanism adds a reaction force relative to a stepping operation force applied to a pedal pad to the pedal side arm portion according to a control signal from a control portion.

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 5636522 Summary of the invention

[0008] However, if the contact distance and angle with the power transmission member change according to the pedal depression angle, the reaction force transmitted to the driver will change even if the same torque is applied by the actuator. The present disclosure aims to provide an accelerator device capable of appropriately controlling the reaction force applied to the pedal rod.

[0009] The accelerator device disclosed in the present invention comprises a pedal rod, a driving source, a power transmission mechanism, a stepping amount detection unit and a control unit. The pedal rod moves according to the stepping operation. The driving source generates a driving force by energizing. The power transmission mechanism has an actuator rod that abuts against the pedal rod at a rod abutment point. The power transmission mechanism transmits the driving force of the driving source to the pedal rod and imparts a force in the opposite direction to the stepping direction of the pedal rod, i.e., a reaction force. The stepping amount detection unit detects the stepping amount of the pedal rod.

[0010] The control unit has a driving force calculation unit that calculates the driving force output from the driving source and controls the driving of the driving source. The driving force calculation unit calculates the driving force corresponding to the target reaction force based on the pedaling amount. Thus, the reaction force applied to the pedal rod can be appropriately controlled. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The above-mentioned objects and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent through the following detailed description with reference to the attached drawings. In these drawings:

[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an accelerator device according to one embodiment;

[0013] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an actuator controller according to one embodiment;

[0014] Figure 3 Schematic diagram showing the contact state between the pedal rod and the actuator rod when the pedal rod is fully closed and fully opened according to one embodiment;

[0015] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A magnified view of part IV;

[0016] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a reaction force applied when a pedal rod according to an embodiment is stepped on;

[0017] Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating a driving force calculation unit according to an embodiment;

[0018] Figure 7 This is an explanatory diagram showing a map used in target torque calculation in one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] (One embodiment)

[0020] Hereinafter, the accelerator device of the present disclosure will be described based on the drawings. Figure 1 to Figure 7 FIG. 2 shows an accelerator device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the accelerator device 1 includes a pedal lever 20 , an actuator 30 , an actuator controller 50 , and the like.

[0021] The pedal lever 20 includes a pedal pad 21, an arm 23, a pedal 25, etc., and is integrally driven by a driver's stepping operation. The pedal pad 21 is provided so as to be steppable by the driver. The pedal pad 21 is rotatably supported by a fulcrum member 22 provided on the housing H. Figure 1 , a so-called floor-standing type (organ type) is shown in which the step mat 21 is extended in the direction along one side of the housing H, but it may also be a suspended type (hanging type). In this embodiment, the frame parts such as the pedal housing and the motor housing that are not driven by the drive of the motor 31 and the stepping operation of the pedal rod 20 are collectively referred to as "housing H".

[0022] The arm 23 connects the foot pad 21 to the pedal 25. One end of the pedal 25 is rotatably supported by the housing H via a fulcrum member 26, and the other end is connected to the arm 23. Thus, the foot pad 21, the arm 23, and the pedal 25 are driven integrally by the driver's operation of the foot pad 21. A pedal opening sensor 29 for detecting a pedal opening θp is provided on one end side of the pedal 25.

[0023] The pedal urging member 27 is a compression coil spring, one end of which is fixed to the pedal 25 and the other end of which is fixed to the housing H, and urges the pedal 25 in the accelerator closing direction. Figure 1 In the figures, the state when the accelerator is fully opened or fully opened is indicated by a two-dot chain line as appropriate.

[0024] The actuator 30 includes a motor 31 as a driving source and a power transmission mechanism 40. The motor 31 is, for example, a brushed DC motor. The driving force of the motor 31 is transmitted to the pedal rod 20 via the power transmission mechanism 40. Here, the actuator 30 can be regarded as a series of structures that transmit power from the motor 31 to the pedal rod 20 via the power transmission mechanism 40.

[0025] The power transmission mechanism 40 includes a gear group 41, an actuator rod 45, an actuator rod force member 47, etc. The gear group 41 includes a motor gear that rotates integrally with the motor shaft and a plurality of gears that mesh with the motor gear, and transmits the driving force of the motor 31 to the actuator rod 45. An actuator sensor 49 that detects a rotational position is provided on one of the gears constituting the gear group 41.

[0026] One end of the actuator rod 45 is connected to the gear train 41, and the other end is in contact with the pedal rod 20. Thus, the driving force of the motor 31 is transmitted to the pedal rod 20 via the power transmission mechanism 40. Figure 1 In the embodiment, the other end of the actuator rod 45 abuts against the step pad 21 , but may be configured to abut against the arm 23 or the pedal 25 .

[0027] The actuator rod force member 47 is a compression coil spring that applies force to the actuator rod 45 in the direction of applying the reaction force. The actuator rod force member 47 sets the spring force so that the actuator rod 45 and the pedal rod 20 always contact each other. The contact point between the pedal rod 20 (more specifically, the foot pad 21) and the actuator rod 45 is the rod contact point Pc. In the present embodiment, the contact surface of the actuator rod 45 with the foot pad 21 is formed into a spherical shape (see Figure 4 ).

[0028] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the actuator controller 50 includes a drive circuit 51 and a control unit 60. The drive circuit 51 is formed of, for example, an H-bridge circuit, and includes a switching element (not shown) related to switching of energization to the motor 31.

[0029] like Figure 2As shown, the control unit 60 is mainly composed of a microcomputer, etc., and has a CPU, ROM, RAM, I / O, and a bus connecting these structures, all of which are not shown. Each process in the control unit 60 may be a software process performed by the CPU executing a program pre-stored in a physical memory device such as a ROM (i.e., a non-transitory tangible recording medium that can be read), or may be a hardware process based on a dedicated electronic circuit.

[0030] The control unit 60 includes a driving force calculation unit 61 as a functional block. The driving force calculation unit 61 outputs a target reaction force F received from the host ECU 70. * The target torque T is calculated by the corresponding reaction force * The control unit 60 uses the target torque T * The corresponding duty ratio controls the driving circuit 51 to control the driving of the motor 31 .

[0031] The driving force calculation unit 61 calculates the target torque T based on the actuator angle θa detected by the actuator sensor 49 or the pedal opening θp detected by the pedal opening sensor 29. * The pedal opening θp may be directly acquired from the pedal opening sensor 29 as indicated by a solid arrow, or may be acquired from the host ECU 70 through CAN (Controller Area Network) communication or the like as indicated by a dotted arrow.

[0032] The control unit 60 learns the detection value of the actuator sensor 49 when the pedal rod 20 is in the fully closed state as a reference position, and converts it using the gear ratio and the rod length ratio, thereby being able to convert the actuator angle θa into the pedal opening θp. In the present embodiment, when the start switch such as the ignition switch is turned on, the pedal rod 20 is fully closed, and the detection value of the actuator sensor 49 at this time is learned as the reference position. In addition, for example, the detection value of the pedal opening sensor 29 can be compared with the detection value of the actuator sensor 49 during driving, etc. to perform correction. The following description focuses on the calculation of the driving force using the pedal opening θp.

[0033] like Figure 1As shown, if the representative point of the driver's foot contact is set as the reaction force action point (reaction force action point) Poff, then when the pedal rod 20 is in the fully closed state, the reaction force Foff applied to the reaction force action point Poff is expressed by formula (1). In the formula, Tact is the motor torque as the actuator driving force, Rlev is the distance between the rotation center of the actuator rod 45 and the rod contact point Pc, that is, the rod contact distance, Rcon is the distance between the rotation center of the pedal pad 21 and the rod contact point Pc, that is, the pedal contact distance, and Roff is the distance between the rotation center of the pedal pad 21 and the reaction force action point Poff. In addition, the angle α is the angle between the reaction force application direction from the actuator rod 45 and the reaction force output direction to the pedal pad 21, that is, the relative angle. Specifically, the relative angle α is the angle formed by the normal line Na of the straight line connecting the rotation center of the actuator rod 45 and the rod contact point Pc and the normal line Np connecting the rotation center of the foot pad 21 and the rod contact point Pc. In addition, for simplicity, formula (1) is calculated geometrically without considering the inclination of the contact point, etc. The following formulas are also the same.

[0034] Foff=Tact / Rlev×cosα×Rcon / Roff

[0035] …(1)

[0036] Figure 3 and Figure 4 2 shows the contact state between the pedal rod 20 and the actuator rod 45 when the pedal rod 20 is fully closed and fully opened. Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , when the pedal rod 20 is stepped on, the position of the rod contact point Pc is shifted, so the pedal contact distance Rcon is different from that in the fully closed state. Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , when the pedal rod 20 is stepped on, the contact point on the actuator rod 45 side is also offset microscopically, so the rod contact distance Rlev is also different from the fully closed state. Therefore, when the motor torque Tact is outputted at a constant level, the reaction force Foff applied to the reaction force action point Poff changes according to the pedal opening θp.

[0037] like Figure 5 As shown, when the pedal opening θp is a certain opening θx, the pedal contact distance is set to Rcon_x, the rod contact distance is set to Rlev_x, and the relative angle is set to α_x, then the reaction force Foff applied to the reaction force action point Poff is expressed by equation (2).

[0038] Foff

[0039] =Tact / Rlev_x×cosα_x×Rcon_x

[0040] / Roff

[0041] ………(2)

[0042] Therefore, in this embodiment, the motor torque Tact is corrected according to the contact state so that the reaction force Foff applied to the reaction force action point Poff is the target reaction force F* regardless of the pedal opening θp. If the motor torque when the pedal rod is fully closed corresponding to the target reaction force F* is set to Tact_b, the corrected motor torque Tact_x when the pedal opening θp is a certain opening θx is expressed by formula (3).

[0043] Tact_x=Tact_b×(Rlev_x / Rlev)

[0044] ×(cosα / cosα_x)×(Rcon / Rcon_x)

[0045] …(3)

[0046] The pedal contact distance Rcon, the lever contact distance Rlev, and the relative angle α are uniquely determined by the pedal opening θp. Therefore, the corrected motor torque Tact_x can be calculated based on the pedal opening θp.

[0047] like Figure 6 As shown, the driving force calculation unit 61 uses the pedal opening θp to calculate the rod contact distance Rlev, the pedal contact distance Rcon and the relative angle α, and uses the calculated rod contact distance Rlev, the pedal contact distance Rcon and the relative angle α to calculate the correction value f. The correction value f corresponds to the coefficient part of the formula (3) multiplied by the motor torque Tact_b when the pedal rod is fully closed. The driving force calculation unit 61 uses the target reaction force F* and the correction value f to calculate the target torque T* corresponding to the pedal opening θp.

[0048] In addition, if Figure 7 As shown in FIG. 1 , each coefficient may be formed into a map, and the target torque T* may be calculated by a map operation using the target reaction force F* and the pedal opening θp as independent variables. In addition, when the actuator angle θa is used instead of the pedal opening θp in the calculation of the target torque T*, the target reaction force F* may be calculated. * and the actuator angle θa as independent variables.

[0049] As described above, the accelerator device 1 of the present embodiment includes a pedal rod 20, a motor 31, a power transmission mechanism 40, a pedal opening sensor 29, and a control unit 60. The pedal rod 20 is operated according to the stepping operation. The motor 31 generates a driving force by being energized. The power transmission mechanism 40 includes an actuator rod 45 that abuts against the pedal rod 20 at the rod abutment point Pc, and transmits the driving force of the motor 31 to the pedal rod 20 to impart a force in the opposite direction to the stepping direction of the pedal rod 20, that is, a reaction force. The pedal opening sensor 29 detects the pedal opening θp, which is the stepping amount of the pedal rod 20.

[0050] The control unit 60 includes a driving force calculation unit 61 that calculates the driving force output from the motor 31 and controls the driving of the motor 31. The driving force calculation unit 61 calculates the target reaction force F based on the pedal opening θp. * Corresponding driving force: By estimating the contact state between the pedal rod 20 and the actuator rod 45 based on the depression amount of the pedal rod 20 and correcting the driving force, a reaction force can be applied to the pedal rod 20 with high accuracy regardless of the depression state.

[0051] The driving force calculation unit 61 calculates the rod contact distance Rlev, the pedal contact distance Rcon, and the relative angle α based on the pedal opening θp, and calculates the target reaction force F using the calculated rod contact distance Rlev, the pedal contact distance Rcon, and the relative angle α. * The rod contact distance Rlev is the distance between the rotation center of the actuator rod 45 and the rod contact point Pc, and the pedal contact distance Rcon is the distance between the rotation center of the pedal rod 20 and the rod contact point Pc. In addition, the relative angle α is the angle formed by the normal line Na of the straight line connecting the rotation center of the actuator rod 45 and the rod contact point Pc and the normal line Np of the straight line connecting the rotation center of the pedal rod 20 and the rod contact point Pc. In this way, the contact state of the actuator rod 45 and the pedal rod 20 can be appropriately estimated, and the driving force can be calculated with high accuracy.

[0052] The stepping amount detection unit of the present embodiment is a pedal opening sensor 29 provided on the pedal rod 20. Thus, the driving force can be calculated based on the existing sensor value.

[0053] In addition, the pedaling amount detection unit may be an actuator sensor 49 provided in the power transmission mechanism 40. In this way, the driving force calculation can be performed as a separate system on the actuator 30 side. In addition, by providing the actuator sensor 49 and comparing it with the pedal opening sensor 29, a fault such as adhesion can be detected.

[0054] The control unit 60 learns the detection value of the actuator sensor 49 when the pedal rod 20 is in the fully closed position. This can reduce calculation errors caused by variations in the amount of pressing of the actuator rod 45 due to assembly errors and the like, and can calculate the driving force with high accuracy.

[0055] The power transmission mechanism 40 has an actuator rod force member 47 that applies force to the actuator rod 45 in the fully closed direction of the pedal rod 20. By appropriately setting the force, the actuator rod 45 and the pedal rod 20 can always be in abutment, so the actuator angle θa and the pedal opening θp are in one-to-one correspondence and easy to convert. In addition, by stepping on the pedal rod 20, the abutment state can be stabilized to prevent the actuator rod 45 from separating.

[0056] In the embodiment, the motor 31 corresponds to the "drive source", the pedal opening sensor 29 and the actuator sensor 49 correspond to the "stepping amount detection unit", and the actuator rod force member 47 corresponds to the "elastic member". The pedal opening θp corresponds to the "stepping amount". In addition, since the actuator angle θa can be converted into the pedal opening θp, it can also be regarded as the "stepping amount".

[0057] (Other embodiments)

[0058] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the actuator rod is always in contact with the pedal rod through the elastic component. In other embodiments, the actuator rod and the pedal rod may be driven integrally by a component other than the elastic component, or the elastic component may be omitted. In the case where the elastic component is not provided and the actuator rod and the pedal rod may be separated, it is necessary to perform correction processing based on the current value and other power-on information of the timing of the contact between the actuator rod and the pedal rod.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the driving source is a brushed DC motor. In other embodiments, a motor other than a brushed DC motor or a device other than a motor may be used as the driving source. In addition, the structure and component arrangement of the power transmission mechanism may also be different from those in the above embodiment.

[0060] The present disclosure may be, for example, “the accelerator device according to any one of items 1 to 5, wherein the power transmission mechanism includes an elastic member (47) that urges the actuator rod in the fully closed direction of the pedal rod.”.

[0061] The control unit and method described in the present disclosure may also be implemented by a dedicated computer as follows: the dedicated computer is provided by a processor and a memory programmed to execute one or more functions embodied by a computer program. Alternatively, the control unit and method described in the present disclosure may also be implemented by a dedicated computer as follows: the dedicated computer is provided by a processor composed of one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the control unit and method described in the present disclosure may also be implemented by one or more dedicated computers as follows: the dedicated computer is composed of a processor and a memory programmed to execute one or more functions and a processor composed of one or more hardware logic circuits. In addition, the computer program may also be stored as an instruction executed by a computer in a computer-readable non-transitional tangible recording medium. As described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be implemented in various ways without departing from its main purpose.

[0062] The present disclosure is described based on the embodiments. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and configurations. The present disclosure also includes various modifications and modifications within the equivalent range. In addition, various combinations and methods, as well as other combinations and methods that make them contain only one element, more or fewer elements, also fall within the scope and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An accelerator device, characterized in that: have: A pedal rod (20) is actuated by a pedal operation; A driving source (31) generates a driving force by supplying electricity; A power transmission mechanism (40) having an actuator rod (45) abutting against the pedal rod at a rod abutment point, transmitting the driving force of the driving source to the pedal rod to impart a force in the opposite direction to the stepping direction of the pedal rod, i.e., a reaction force; A stepping amount detection unit (29, 49) detects the stepping amount of the pedal rod; and A control unit (60) having a driving force calculation unit (61) for calculating the driving force output from the driving source and controlling the driving of the driving source; The driving force calculation unit calculates a driving force corresponding to a target reaction force based on the depression amount.

2. The accelerator device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving force calculation unit calculates, based on the pedaling amount, the distance between the rotation center of the actuator rod and the rod contact point, i.e., the rod contact distance (Rlev), the distance between the rotation center of the pedal rod and the rod contact point, i.e., the pedal contact distance (Rcon), and the relative angle (α) formed by the normal of the straight line connecting the rotation center of the actuator rod and the rod contact point and the normal of the straight line connecting the rotation center of the pedal rod and the rod contact point, and uses the calculated rod contact distance, the pedal contact distance, and the relative angle to calculate the driving force corresponding to the target reaction force.

3. The accelerator device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The pedaling amount detection unit (49) is provided in the power transmission mechanism.

4. The accelerator device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The control unit learns a detection value of the depression amount detection unit when the pedal lever is in a fully closed position.

5. The accelerator device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The stepping amount detection unit is provided on the pedal rod.

6. The accelerator device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The power transmission mechanism includes an elastic member (47) for urging the actuator rod in the fully closed direction of the pedal rod.

Images