Accelerator pedal

Abstract

The invention provides an accelerator pedal, which relates to the technical field of automobile parts, and comprises a bottom plate and a pedal arranged on the bottom plate in a manner of rotating around a first rotating shaft, and further comprises a roller assembly arranged on the pedal in a manner of rotating around a second rotating shaft, when the pedal is treaded, the roller assembly abuts against the bottom plate and can roll along the surface of the bottom plate. The switch is fixed on the pedal and is electrically connected with a braking system of the vehicle; the switch linked with the brake system is integrated in the accelerator pedal assembly, when a driver mistakenly steps on the accelerator to the bottom due to panic or instinctively searches for other brake modes to step on the accelerator suddenly when a brake fails, the design can convert the abnormal stepping behavior into a brake instruction, and the brake instruction is transmitted to the driver. Serious consequences caused by unexpected acceleration are effectively avoided or relieved, and the active safety of the vehicle is remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automotive parts technology, and more particularly to an accelerator pedal. Background Technology

[0002] The accelerator pedal is a crucial interface for drivers to control vehicle power. In traditional designs, the accelerator pedal primarily functions to adjust the engine throttle opening or send power requests to the motor controller. Its control logic is relatively straightforward, linearly or non-linearly outputting power requests based solely on the depth or travel of the driver's pedal. Although some high-performance or driving experience-focused models (e.g., vehicles equipped with kickdown functionality) incorporate a forced downshift switch at the end of the accelerator pedal travel to achieve rapid downshifting and power response during rapid acceleration, this essentially still falls under the category of enhancing vehicle power performance.

[0003] However, existing accelerator pedals generally lack active safety intervention mechanisms for situations where vehicles lose control. With the continuous growth of global car ownership, the composition of drivers is becoming increasingly complex, and their skill levels vary significantly. Some drivers with insufficient driving experience or inadequate emergency response capabilities may, in a state of panic, mistakenly slam on the accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal, causing the vehicle to accelerate unexpectedly and potentially triggering or exacerbating traffic accidents. Furthermore, improper vehicle maintenance, aging parts, or sudden malfunctions can lead to temporary brake system failure. In these situations, even if the driver correctly presses the brake pedal, the vehicle cannot be effectively slowed down, and traditional accelerator pedals are powerless in such dangerous situations. Therefore, designing an accelerator pedal that, while retaining its original acceleration control function, can intelligently recognize the driver's emergency braking intentions or provide additional braking in specific emergency situations to effectively prevent unexpected acceleration caused by misoperation or vehicle malfunction has become a pressing technical problem in improving active driving safety. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an accelerator pedal to solve the technical problem that existing accelerator pedals lack an active safety intervention mechanism in emergency situations such as driver misoperation or vehicle braking system failure, which can easily lead to unexpected vehicle acceleration and cause serious safety hazards.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: An accelerator pedal includes a base plate and a pedal rotatably mounted on the base plate about a first pivot, and further includes: A roller assembly is rotatably mounted on the pedal about a second pivot. The roller assembly abuts against the base plate and can roll along the surface of the base plate when the pedal is stepped on. The switch is fixed to the pedal and electrically connected to the vehicle's braking system; When the pedal travel exceeds the preset acceleration range, the roller assembly is driven to squeeze and trigger the switch, thereby causing the braking system to perform a braking operation.

[0006] Preferably, the roller assembly includes a wheel frame rotatable about a second pivot, and rollers disposed on the wheel frame, the rollers abutting against the base plate.

[0007] Preferably, the switch is located on the pedal and in the rotation path of the roller, and is triggered by being squeezed by the roller.

[0008] Preferably, the switch is located on the pedal and on the rotation path of the wheel frame, and is triggered by being squeezed by the wheel frame.

[0009] Preferably, it further includes at least one first elastic element disposed between the wheel frame and the pedal for providing rebound damping for the rotation of the roller assembly relative to the pedal.

[0010] Preferably, the first elastic element includes a first torsion spring and a third torsion spring arranged coaxially, with a ring sleeve provided between the first torsion spring and the third torsion spring for isolation.

[0011] Preferably, it also includes a second torsion spring disposed on the first rotating shaft. One end of the second torsion spring is fixed to the base plate, and the other end abuts against the pedal when the pedal is at the maximum position of the preset acceleration stroke range, so as to provide additional resistance to further pressing of the pedal.

[0012] Preferably, the switch includes a housing; A slidable insert rod located inside the housing; The locking mechanism is used to generate segmented resistance to the displacement of the plunger, so as to create a triggering step.

[0013] Preferably, the locking component includes: A cylindrical rod, one end of which abuts against the side wall of the insertion rod; The second compression spring is used to provide elastic force to the cylindrical rod; The insert rod has an annular groove on its side wall. One end of the cylindrical rod is inserted into the annular groove in the initial state. The axial movement of the insert rod needs to overcome the resistance of the cylindrical rod disengaging from the annular groove.

[0014] Preferably, the housing has a second chamber for accommodating the locking assembly, and the switch further includes a sliding cover for closing the opening of the second chamber, and a stop on the housing for preventing the sliding cover from sliding in the opposite direction.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are: 1. This invention integrates a switch linked to the braking system into the accelerator pedal assembly. When the driver accidentally presses the accelerator pedal to the floor due to panic, or instinctively seeks other braking methods by pressing the accelerator pedal hard when the brakes fail, this design can convert this abnormal pedaling behavior into a braking command, effectively avoiding or mitigating the serious consequences caused by unintended acceleration, and significantly improving the active safety of the vehicle.

[0016] 2. By setting a second torsion spring, the present invention creates a significant resistance increase zone at the end of the normal acceleration stroke, providing the driver with clear physical feedback and effectively distinguishing between normal acceleration operation and emergency braking trigger operation. At the same time, the switch itself has a tactile feedback and requires greater force to trigger, further strengthening the anti-accidental touch mechanism and ensuring that the brake will not be accidentally triggered during normal driving or even rapid acceleration, thus ensuring the smoothness and safety of driving. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an accelerator pedal proposed in Example 1; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the accelerator pedal shown; Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram and a partial enlarged view of the throttle mechanism when the switch is triggered; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an accelerator pedal proposed in Example 2; Figure 5 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram and a partial enlarged view of the throttle mechanism when the switch is triggered; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the switch structure; Figure 7 for Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of the switch shown; Reference numerals: 1. Base plate; 2. Base plate bend; 3. Base plate pivot point; 4. Pedal; 5. First pivot; 6. Pedal pivot point; 7. First extension of pedal; 8. Second extension of pedal; 9. Switch; 10. Wheel frame; 11. Stop bar; 12. Roller; 13. Second pivot; 14. First torsion spring; 15. Second torsion spring; 16. Wiring harness; 17. Wiring harness buckle; 18. Ring; 19. Third torsion spring; 901. Outer shell; 902. Sliding cover; 903. Insert rod; 904. Stop block; 905. Ring groove; 906. First chamber; 907. First compression spring; 908. Second chamber; 909. Second compression spring; 910. Column rod. Detailed Implementation

[0018] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, a more complete description will be given below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings. However, the invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of the invention.

[0019] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein in the description of the invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention.

[0020] Specific embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] Example 1 This embodiment presents an accelerator pedal; please refer to [link / reference]. Figures 1-3 The accelerator pedal includes a base plate 1 serving as a mounting base and a pedal 4 for the driver to step on. The front of the base plate 1 is bent upwards to form a base plate bend 2, providing support and a rolling trajectory for the movement of the pedal 4. A pedal pivot point 6 is provided at the base of the pedal 4, and correspondingly, a base plate pivot point 3 is provided at the rear of the base plate 1. A first pivot 5 passes through coaxial holes at the base plate pivot point 3 and the pedal pivot point 6 in sequence, allowing the pedal 4 to pivot relative to the base plate 1 with the first pivot 5 as the center.

[0022] Below the pedal 4, on the side facing the bent portion 2 of the base plate, there is an integrally formed or fixedly connected first pedal extension 7 and second pedal extension 8. The second pedal extension 8 is used to connect a conventional throttle signal sensor and related wiring harness 16 (fixed by wiring harness buckle 17) to realize acceleration control function.

[0023] A rotatable roller assembly is provided, comprising two parallel plate-shaped wheel frames 10 connected by a stop bar 11 to maintain spacing and rigidity. A roller 12 is installed in the gap at the front end of the wheel frames 10; a first torsion spring 14 and a third torsion spring 19 are coaxially installed in the gap at the rear end of the wheel frames 10. To prevent interference between the two torsion springs during operation, a ring 18 is fitted between their main bodies for isolation. The ends of the first torsion spring 14 and the third torsion spring 19 abut against the stop bar 11 and the inner wall of the pedal 4, respectively. A second pivot 13 passes through the overlapping area of ​​the first extension 7 of the pedal, the two wheel frames 10, the two torsion springs and the ring 18, and the second extension 8 of the pedal, allowing the entire roller assembly (including the wheel frames 10, the stop bar 11, the rollers 12, and the torsion springs) to rotate relative to the pedal 4 with the second pivot 13 as the center.

[0024] During normal operation, when the driver presses pedal 4, pedal 4 rotates around the first pivot 5, and roller 12 contacts the bent portion 2 of the base plate and rolls upwards along its surface. During this process, the roller assembly rotates around the second pivot 13, thereby compressing the first torsion spring 14 and the third torsion spring 19. The reaction force provided by these two torsion springs creates damping on the pedal, and due to the characteristics of the torsion springs, the greater the pedal depth, the greater the resistance, thus providing the driver with a resilient and progressive foot feel. When the driver releases pedal 4, the rebound force of the torsion springs pushes the roller assembly back to its original position, thereby returning pedal 4 to its initial position.

[0025] To enable emergency braking, a switch 9 is specifically provided. Switch 9 is electrically connected to the vehicle's braking control module (such as the ABS / ESP controller) via wiring harness 16. When switch 9 is triggered, a high-priority braking signal is sent, instructing the braking system (e.g., hydraulically or electronically) to perform emergency braking. In this embodiment, please refer to... Figure 3 The switch 9 is triggered by being fixed to the pedal 4, with its trigger end located within the rotation path of the roller 12 relative to the pedal 4. When the pedal 4 is pressed beyond the normal acceleration range, the roller assembly continues to rotate around the second pivot 13 by an additional angle. At this point, the outer edge of the roller 12 contacts and presses the switch 9, thereby triggering braking.

[0026] Example 2 This embodiment presents an accelerator pedal; please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 4 and Figure 5 The accelerator pedal includes a base plate 1 serving as a mounting base and a pedal 4 for the driver to step on. The front of the base plate 1 is bent upwards to form a base plate bend 2, providing support and a rolling trajectory for the movement of the pedal 4. A pedal pivot point 6 is provided at the base of the pedal 4, and correspondingly, a base plate pivot point 3 is provided at the rear of the base plate 1. A first pivot 5 passes through coaxial holes at the base plate pivot point 3 and the pedal pivot point 6 in sequence, allowing the pedal 4 to pivot relative to the base plate 1 with the first pivot 5 as the center.

[0027] Below the pedal 4, on the side facing the base plate bend 2, a first pedal extension 7 and a second pedal extension 8 are integrally formed or fixedly connected. The second pedal extension 8 is used to connect a conventional throttle signal sensor and related wiring harness 16 (fixed by wiring harness buckle 17) to realize acceleration control function.

[0028] A rotatable roller assembly is provided, comprising two parallel plate-shaped wheel frames 10 connected by a stop bar 11 to maintain spacing and rigidity. A roller 12 is installed in the gap at the front end of the wheel frames 10; a first torsion spring 14 and a third torsion spring 19 are coaxially installed in the gap at the rear end of the wheel frames 10. To prevent interference between the two torsion springs during operation, a ring 18 is fitted between their main bodies for isolation. The ends of the first torsion spring 14 and the third torsion spring 19 abut against the stop bar 11 and the inner wall of the pedal 4, respectively. A second pivot 13 passes through the overlapping area of ​​the first extension 7 of the pedal, the two wheel frames 10, the two torsion springs and the ring 18, and the second extension 8 of the pedal, allowing the entire roller assembly (including the wheel frames 10, the stop bar 11, the rollers 12, and the torsion springs) to rotate relative to the pedal 4 with the second pivot 13 as the center.

[0029] During normal operation, when the driver presses pedal 4, pedal 4 rotates around the first pivot 5, and roller 12 contacts the bent portion 2 of the base plate and rolls upwards along its surface. During this process, the roller assembly rotates around the second pivot 13, thereby compressing the first torsion spring 14 and the third torsion spring 19. The reaction force provided by these two torsion springs creates damping on the pedal, and due to the characteristics of the torsion springs, the greater the pedal depth, the greater the resistance, thus providing the driver with a resilient and progressive foot feel. When the driver releases pedal 4, the rebound force of the torsion springs pushes the roller assembly back to its original position, thereby returning pedal 4 to its initial position.

[0030] To enable emergency braking, a switch 9 is specifically provided. This switch 9 is electrically connected to the vehicle's braking control module (such as the ABS / ESP controller) via wiring harness 16. When switch 9 is triggered, a high-priority braking signal is sent, instructing the braking system (e.g., hydraulically or electronically) to perform emergency braking. In this embodiment, please refer to... Figure 5 Switch 9 is also fixed on pedal 4, but its trigger end is located within the rotation path of wheel frame 10. In this design, a switch 9 can be configured for each wheel frame 10 to achieve redundancy. When pedal 4 is pressed down to the limit position, a specific part of wheel frame 10 (such as a specially designed protrusion) will rotate and squeeze switch 9 to trigger braking.

[0031] To prevent accidental activation of switch 9 during normal driving, the accelerator pedal proposed in Examples 1 and 2 incorporates two anti-accidental activation mechanisms: The first line of defense is a second torsion spring 15 installed at the first pivot 5. The second torsion spring 15 is sleeved on the first pivot 5, with one end fixed to the base plate 1 and the other end located in the rotation path of the pedal 4. During the normal acceleration stroke of the pedal 4, the other end of the torsion spring does not contact the pedal 4 or exerts no significant force. However, when the pedal 4 is depressed to its maximum normal acceleration stroke, its continued downward rotation will contact and compress the second torsion spring 15. This generates a significantly increased resistance, indicating to the driver that the acceleration limit has been reached, and that greater force is required to continue pressing the pedal, thus effectively separating the normal acceleration zone from the emergency braking trigger zone.

[0032] The second line of defense lies in the design of switch 9 itself. Please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 6 and Figure 7 The switch 9 includes a housing 901 fixed to the pedal 4 by bolts or a snap-fit ​​structure. The housing 901 contains two chambers, a first chamber 906 and a second chamber 908, approximately at a 90° angle. A rod 903 (its front end being the trigger end, used to contact the roller 12 or the wheel frame 10) is slidably mounted in the first chamber 906. A first compression spring 907 is installed between the rod 903 and the bottom of the first chamber 906 to reset the rod 903 after the triggering force is released. An annular groove 905 is machined on the side wall of the rod 903. The second chamber 908 contains a second compression spring 909 and a cylindrical rod 910. One end of the second compression spring 909 abuts against the end wall of the chamber, while the other end pushes the cylindrical rod 910, causing its head to engage in the annular groove 905 of the rod 903 under elastic force.

[0033] When the roller 12 or wheel carrier 10 begins to compress the insert 903, the driver will feel the initial resistance from the first compression spring 907. To continue pushing the insert 903 in to trigger the internal electrical contacts, sufficient force must be applied to overcome the significant resistance generated when the cylindrical rod 910, pushed by the second compression spring 909, jumps out of the annular groove 905. This jumping process produces a crisp click and a distinct tactile feedback, clearly informing the driver that the emergency function has been activated. This design significantly raises the trigger threshold, effectively preventing accidental activation on bumpy roads or when the driver's foot unintentionally shakes.

[0034] In addition, to facilitate the assembly and maintenance of switch 9, a sliding cover 902 is provided at the opening of the second chamber 908. The sliding cover 902 can slide along a preset track on the housing 901 to close the second chamber 908. To prevent the sliding cover 902 from accidentally slipping off during use, an integrally formed stop 904 is also provided on the housing 901. The stop 904 has a ramp surface and a vertical surface. When the sliding cover 902 slides into place, it can easily pass over the ramp surface; and once in place, its edge is blocked by the vertical surface of the stop 904, thus achieving reliable self-locking.

[0035] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0036] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of this invention patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An accelerator pedal comprising a base plate and a pedal plate pivotally mounted to the base plate about a first pivot axis, characterized in that Also comprising: a roller assembly rotatably arranged on the pedal around a second rotation axis, the roller assembly abutting against the bottom plate and rollable along the surface of the bottom plate when the pedal is stepped on; a switch fixed on the pedal and electrically connected with the braking system of the vehicle; when the stepping stroke of the pedal exceeds a preset acceleration stroke range, the roller assembly is driven to press and trigger the switch, so that the braking system performs braking operation.

2. The gas pedal of claim 1, wherein The roller assembly comprises a wheel frame rotatable around the second rotation axis, and a roller arranged on the wheel frame and abutting against the bottom plate.

3. A gas pedal according to claim 2, wherein The switch is arranged on the pedal and located in the rotation path of the roller, and is used to be pressed by the roller to trigger.

4. The gas pedal of claim 2, wherein The switch is arranged on the pedal and located in the rotation path of the wheel frame, and is used to be pressed by the wheel frame to trigger.

5. The gas pedal of claim 2, wherein Further comprising at least one first elastic member arranged between the wheel frame and the pedal, for providing rebound damping for the rotation of the roller assembly relative to the pedal.

6. The gas pedal of claim 5, wherein The first elastic member comprises coaxially arranged first torsion spring and third torsion spring, and a ring is arranged between the first torsion spring and the third torsion spring to isolate them.

7. The gas pedal of claim 1, wherein Further comprising a second torsion spring arranged on the first rotation axis, one end of the second torsion spring is fixed on the bottom plate, and the other end abuts against the pedal when the pedal is at the maximum position of the preset acceleration stroke range, to provide additional resistance for further stepping of the pedal.

8. The gas pedal of claim 1, wherein The switch comprises a housing; a plug rod slidably arranged in the housing; a locking assembly for providing segmented resistance to the displacement of the plug rod to form a trigger paragraph feeling.

9. The gas pedal of claim 8, wherein The locking assembly comprises: a cylindrical rod, one end of the cylindrical rod abutting against the side wall of the plug rod; a second compression spring for providing elastic force to the cylindrical rod; a ring groove is arranged on the side wall of the plug rod, and one end of the cylindrical rod is clamped into the ring groove in the initial state, and the axial movement of the plug rod needs to overcome the resistance of the cylindrical rod to escape from the ring groove.

10. The gas pedal of claim 9, wherein A second cavity for accommodating the locking assembly is arranged on the housing, and the switch further comprises a sliding cover for closing the opening of the second cavity, and a stop block arranged on the housing for preventing reverse sliding of the sliding cover.

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