Lightweight brake pedal assembly

Abstract

The light-weight brake pedal assembly comprises a pedal support, a pedal arm, a ball cage, a center shaft assembly and a pedal piece, the inner end of the pedal arm is connected with the pedal support through the center shaft assembly, and the outer end of the pedal arm is connected with the pedal piece. The pedal arm comprises a framework and an injection molding enveloping body, and the framework serves as an insert and is completely wrapped by the injection molding enveloping body. The ball cage is mounted in an arm cavity of the pedal arm; according to the light-weight pedal, the light-weight design and manufacturing scheme are adopted, the performance of the pedal is met, meanwhile, the weight of the whole light-weight pedal is obviously reduced by 30%-50%, and therefore the whole light-weight pedal is low in cost and has the competitive advantage of products.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of brake pedal assembly, and in particular a lightweight brake pedal assembly. Background Technology

[0002] The brake pedal assembly is the control mechanism of the braking system, which the driver uses to decelerate and stop the car by pressing the brake pedal. In current technology, most brake pedals are made of all-metal structures, which makes the entire pedal assembly relatively heavy and increases the car's energy consumption to some extent. Utility Model Content

[0003] This invention proposes a lightweight brake pedal assembly, aiming to solve the problem of high weight in existing products.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution of this utility model is: a lightweight brake pedal assembly, including a pedal bracket, a pedal arm, a ball cage, a central shaft assembly, and a pedal plate. The inner end of the pedal arm is connected to the pedal bracket through the central shaft assembly, and the outer end of the pedal arm is connected to the pedal plate. The pedal arm is characterized in that: the pedal arm includes a skeleton and an injection-molded envelope, the skeleton is used as an insert, and the skeleton is completely wrapped by the injection-molded envelope; the ball cage is installed in the arm cavity of the pedal arm.

[0005] Further defining the above technical solution, the structure of the skeleton includes a left side plate and a right side plate arranged symmetrically, and injection molding flow channel holes are provided on the left side plate and the right side plate.

[0006] The above technical solution is further specified that the thickness of the left and right side panels is 2-3 mm.

[0007] Further specifying the above technical solution, the skeleton is made of composite fiberglass board; the composite fiberglass board includes a first unidirectional fiberglass layer and a second unidirectional fiberglass layer, a third unidirectional fiberglass layer and a fourth unidirectional fiberglass layer sequentially stacked on the first unidirectional fiberglass layer; the first unidirectional fiberglass layer, the second unidirectional fiberglass layer, the third unidirectional fiberglass layer and the fourth unidirectional fiberglass layer are arranged in a multidirectional manner, wherein the first unidirectional fiberglass layer and the third unidirectional fiberglass layer are arranged in a forward direction, and the second unidirectional fiberglass layer and the fourth unidirectional fiberglass layer are arranged in a forward direction.

[0008] The above technical solution is further defined as follows: the fiber arrangement direction in the first unidirectional fiberglass layer is the baseline, the fiber arrangement direction in the second unidirectional fiberglass layer is 45°, the fiber arrangement direction in the third unidirectional fiberglass layer is 90°, and the fiber arrangement direction in the fourth unidirectional fiberglass layer is 90°.

[0009] Further defining the above technical solution, the structure of the injection-molded envelope includes a left plastic body, a right plastic body, and a connecting plastic plate. The left and right plastic bodies are arranged symmetrically and form a whole through the connecting plastic plate. The outer surfaces of the left plastic body, the right plastic body, and the connecting plastic plate are flush, and the cavity formed by the left plastic body, the right plastic body, and the connecting plastic plate is provided with crisscrossing ribs. The left plastic body is an integral structure composed of an encapsulation part, a ball cage mounting part, and a boss.

[0010] Further specifying the above technical solution, the ball cage is made of polyoxymethylene resin, the side of the ball cage is provided with a claw, and the cavity wall of the pedal arm is provided with a slot corresponding to the claw.

[0011] Further defining the above technical solution, the structure of the central shaft assembly includes a hollow shaft and a bushing; the hollow shaft has flanged portions at both ends; the outer diameter of the hollow shaft is 15-19mm, the wall thickness of the hollow shaft is 1.5-2mm, and the width of the flanged portions is 3-5mm.

[0012] Beneficial effects: 1) This utility model adopts a lightweight design and manufacturing scheme, which can significantly reduce the weight of the whole while meeting the performance of the pedal, achieving a weight reduction of 30%-50%; while optimizing the lightweight brake pedal, this utility model focuses on economic benefits, making the entire lightweight pedal have a lower cost and a competitive advantage. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is the overall structural diagram of the utility model.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the pedal bracket.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the pedal arm.

[0016] Figure 4 This is a diagram of the pedal arm composite structure.

[0017] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the injection-molded envelope.

[0018] Figure 6 This is a view of the back of the injection-molded envelope.

[0019] Figure 7 This is a diagram of the left-hand plastic body structure.

[0020] Figure 8 This is a structural diagram of the ball cage.

[0021] Figure 9 This is a diagram of a hollow shaft structure.

[0022] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the pedal bracket and the pedal arm. Detailed Implementation

[0023] like Figure 1 As shown, a lightweight brake pedal assembly includes a pedal bracket 1, a pedal arm 2, a ball joint 3, a central shaft assembly 4, and a pedal pad 5. The inner end of the pedal arm is connected to the pedal bracket through the central shaft assembly, and the outer end of the pedal arm is connected to the pedal pad.

[0024] like Figure 2 As shown, the functional structure of the pedal bracket 1 is further described: the pedal bracket is provided with mounting holes 101 for the pedal bracket and the vehicle, as well as mounting holes 102 for the central shaft and mounting holes 103 for the brake light switch; the material of the pedal bracket is usually selected as PP+GF or PA+GF, and is directly injection molded; the advantages of this structure are: 1) Compared with traditional metal brackets, in addition to the advantage of lightweight, the opening size of the central shaft mounting part is directly determined by the injection mold, which overcomes the problem of the bracket opening size deviating from the design size due to welding deformation or assembly deformation of metal brackets, and can effectively ensure the consistency of the opening size, fundamentally solving the problem of metal pedal rotation jamming and looseness; 2) The main body of the pedal bracket adopts a hollow structure to reduce the application of materials, and reinforces the weak parts by designing reinforcing ribs to meet the mechanical performance requirements. The thickness of the reinforcing ribs is usually designed to be 1.5mm-3mm, and the thickness of the reinforcing ribs in each place is as equal as possible to reduce molding defects;

[0025] Furthermore, the pedal arm 2 comprises two parts: a skeleton and an injection-molded envelope. The skeleton serves as an insert, and the skeleton is completely enclosed by the injection-molded envelope.

[0026] like Figure 3 As shown, the structure of the frame further includes a left side plate 201 and a right side plate 202 arranged symmetrically, with injection molding flow channel holes 203 on the left and right side plates. To ensure the best product performance, the left and right side plates are arranged symmetrically, so that the stress on both sides of the frame is basically the same during stepping, preventing excessive load on one side from damaging the structure. This method can effectively ensure the service life of the pedal. The injection molding flow channel holes on the left and right side plates ensure that the insert can be tightly bonded to the outer injection molding envelope during the injection molding process.

[0027] like Figure 3 As shown, the left and right side plates are further provided with shaft holes 204 and grooves 205; the shaft holes are used for subsequent assembly of the center shaft assembly; during the injection molding process, the grooves are used to form the ball cage mounting part;

[0028] Furthermore, to ensure lightweight performance, the thickness of the left and right side panels is 2-3 mm;

[0029] like Figure 4As shown, the skeleton is further made of composite fiberglass board; the composite fiberglass board includes a first unidirectional fiberglass layer 206, a second unidirectional fiberglass layer 207, a third unidirectional fiberglass layer 208, and a fourth unidirectional fiberglass layer 209; the second unidirectional fiberglass layer is superimposed on the first unidirectional fiberglass layer, the third unidirectional fiberglass layer is superimposed on the second unidirectional fiberglass layer, and the fourth unidirectional fiberglass layer is superimposed on the third unidirectional fiberglass layer; the first, second, third, and fourth unidirectional fiberglass layers form a multi-directional arrangement, wherein the first and third unidirectional fiberglass layers are aligned in the same direction, and the second and fourth unidirectional fiberglass layers are aligned in the same direction; to be further detailed: the material of the skeleton is continuous thermally bonded fiberglass composite material GF-RTP, and it is made into a skeleton board by stacking and laminating; different arrangements of fiberglass will affect the final performance of the composite material. Taking the fiberglass arrangement direction 210 of the first unidirectional fiberglass layer as the baseline, the fiberglass arrangement direction of the second unidirectional fiberglass layer... The fiber orientation of the first unidirectional glass fiber layer is at a 45° angle to the fiber arrangement direction of the second unidirectional glass fiber layer, the fiber orientation of the third unidirectional glass fiber layer is at a 90° angle to the fiber arrangement direction of the first unidirectional glass fiber layer, and the fiber orientation of the fourth unidirectional glass fiber layer is at a 90° angle to the fiber arrangement direction of the second unidirectional glass fiber layer or at a 135° angle to the fiber arrangement direction of the first unidirectional glass fiber layer. The fiber orientation refers to the orientation state of the glass fibers in the composite material, which has a significant impact on the material's properties. Unidirectional arrangement: Glass fibers are oriented in one direction, usually made by continuous yarn or monofilament layup. This arrangement gives the material high strength and stiffness in the fiber direction. Orthogonal arrangement: Glass fibers are arranged in two orthogonal directions, forming a woven structure. This arrangement gives the material high strength in both directions. The skeleton in this utility model is a multi-layered stacked arrangement, and the skeleton plate is obtained by forming processes such as infrared heating and pressurization. The sheet material obtained by this stacking method can achieve a tensile strength and flexural strength of over 700MPa. This utility model adopts a multi-angle staggered stacking method to form a complex network structure. It combines the advantages of unidirectional and orthogonal arrangement, makes up for the shortcomings in direction, and further achieves high strength and stiffness in multiple directions.

[0030] like Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, the structure of the injection-molded envelope further includes a left plastic body 211, a right plastic body 212, and a connecting plastic plate 213. The left and right plastic bodies are arranged symmetrically and are connected as a whole by the connecting plastic plate. The outer surfaces of the left plastic body, right plastic body, and connecting plastic plate are flush. The cavity formed by the left plastic body, right plastic body, and connecting plastic plate is provided with crisscrossing ribs 214. The hollow structure formed by the ribs is beneficial for further weight reduction. The left plastic body 211 consists of an encapsulation part 2110 and a ball cage mounting part. The integral structure consists of 2111 and boss 2113. During injection molding, a wrapping part is formed on the left side plate of the skeleton, and an annular boss is formed at the reserved shaft hole of the skeleton. The boss has the same function as the pedal arm shaft tube in the existing product, and has advantages in weight and production cost. The ball cage mounting part is used to install the ball cage. Compared with the existing product, the ball cage bracket component is eliminated, which reduces the production cost. The left and right plastic bodies have the same structure. While meeting the strength requirements, the lightweight effect is further improved, which is conducive to reducing production costs and extending service life.

[0031] like Figure 6 and Figure 8 As shown, the ball cage 3 is further installed inside the arm cavity of the pedal arm; the ball cage is made of polyoxymethylene resin, and the side of the ball cage is provided with claws 301, and the cavity wall of the pedal arm is provided with a slot 215 corresponding to the claws; Advantage: The snap-fit ​​method can further tighten the connection and avoid the problem of looseness;

[0032] like Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the structure of the central shaft assembly 4 further includes a hollow shaft 401 and a bushing 402. The hollow shaft can further reduce weight. To ensure sufficient strength, the outer diameter of the hollow shaft is guaranteed to be 15-19mm, the wall thickness is 1.5-2mm, and the material can be 20# steel or other alloy steel. The hollow shaft is riveted to the pedal bracket by a flanged method: after the hollow shaft passes through the central shaft mounting hole and the frame shaft hole of the pedal bracket, it is fixed to the pedal bracket by flanged end. During the flanged process, the end of the hollow shaft will slightly expand (similar to a flared mouth), so that the hollow shaft and the pedal bracket will form a stable interference fit. The bushing is fitted on the hollow shaft, and the pedal arm rotates on the hollow shaft through the bushing. The flange width is preferably 3-5mm. Compared with the traditional axial locking method of bolt and nut, the hollow shaft flanged riveting process has a lower cost.

[0033] like Figure 1As shown, the pedal piece 5 is a plastic part. After the pedal piece is integrally molded with the pedal arm using an injection molding method, the plastic surface of the pedal piece is relatively rough (injection molding features can be made if necessary), which can achieve anti-slip when stepping on it. In this way, the pedal cover can be eliminated in the brake pedal assembly, reducing the development cost of the pedal product; or a pedal sleeve 6 can be set on the pedal piece.

[0034] like Figure 1 As shown, the brake light switch mounting hole on the pedal bracket is used to install the brake light switch 7.

[0035] Compared with traditional metal brake pedal assemblies, the plastic structure of this invention eliminates the need for multiple stamping and welding processes, reduces the number of components, and overcomes the risks of missing parts or welding.

Claims

1. A lightweight brake pedal assembly, comprising a pedal bracket, a pedal arm, a ball joint, a central shaft assembly, and a pedal pad, wherein the inner end of the pedal arm is connected to the pedal bracket via the central shaft assembly, and the outer end of the pedal arm is connected to the pedal pad, characterized in that: The pedal arm comprises two parts: a frame and an injection-molded envelope. The frame serves as an insert and is completely enclosed by the injection-molded envelope. The ball cage is installed inside the arm cavity of the pedal arm.

2. The lightweight brake pedal assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The skeleton has the following structure: it includes a left side plate and a right side plate arranged symmetrically, and the left side plate and the right side plate are provided with injection molding flow channel holes.

3. The lightweight brake pedal assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The thickness of the left and right side panels is 2-3 mm.

4. A lightweight brake pedal assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The skeleton is made of composite fiberglass board; the composite fiberglass board includes a first unidirectional fiberglass layer and a second unidirectional fiberglass layer, a third unidirectional fiberglass layer and a fourth unidirectional fiberglass layer stacked sequentially on the first unidirectional fiberglass layer; the first unidirectional fiberglass layer, the second unidirectional fiberglass layer, the third unidirectional fiberglass layer and the fourth unidirectional fiberglass layer are arranged in a multidirectional manner, wherein the first unidirectional fiberglass layer and the third unidirectional fiberglass layer are arranged in a forward direction, and the second unidirectional fiberglass layer and the fourth unidirectional fiberglass layer are arranged in a forward direction.

5. A lightweight brake pedal assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The fiber arrangement direction in the first unidirectional fiberglass layer is the baseline, the fiber arrangement direction in the second unidirectional fiberglass layer is 45°, the fiber arrangement direction in the third unidirectional fiberglass layer is 90°, and the fiber arrangement direction in the fourth unidirectional fiberglass layer is 90°.

6. The lightweight brake pedal assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The structure of the injection-molded envelope includes a left plastic body, a right plastic body, and a connecting plastic plate. The left and right plastic bodies are arranged symmetrically and are connected by the connecting plastic plate to form a whole. The outer surfaces of the left plastic body, the right plastic body, and the connecting plastic plate are flush. The cavity formed by the left plastic body, the right plastic body, and the connecting plastic plate is provided with crisscrossing ribs. The left plastic body is an integral structure consisting of an encapsulation part, a ball cage mounting part, and a boss.

7. A lightweight brake pedal assembly according to claim 1, 2, or 6, characterized in that: The ball cage is made of polyoxymethylene resin, and the side of the ball cage is provided with claws, and the cavity wall of the pedal arm is provided with a slot corresponding to the claws.

8. The lightweight brake pedal assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that: The structure of the central shaft assembly includes a hollow shaft and a bushing; the hollow shaft has flanges at both ends; the outer diameter of the hollow shaft is 15-19mm, the wall thickness of the hollow shaft is 1.5-2mm, and the width of the flanges is 3-5mm.

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