VEHICLE ATTACHMENT ARRANGEMENT

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle fastening arrangement according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] On the front bulkhead of a vehicle, which defines the front of the passenger compartment, a foot-operated lever assembly is mounted in the driver's side footwell. A brake pedal is pivotally attached to this assembly. The brake pedal is connected via an actuating rod to a brake actuator. This actuator is positioned on the front side of the bulkhead, away from the passenger compartment. The actuating rod extends from the brake actuator through a bulkhead opening into the passenger compartment at the rear of the vehicle and is connected to a brake pedal-side mounting point. The brake actuator is secured to the foot-operated lever assembly using bolts and a standard vehicle mounting arrangement, with the bulkhead acting as an intermediary.

[0003] In contrast, in a vehicle mounting arrangement, due to structural constraints, the brake unit is no longer directly connected to the pedal assembly via the firewall. Instead, the brake unit is located on the front side of a brake unit support structure, particularly the firewall, while the pedal assembly is located on the rear side of a separate pedal assembly support structure. The brake unit support structure and the pedal assembly support structure are spaced apart from each other by a longitudinal offset. In the prior art, the brake unit support structure and the pedal assembly support structure must be structurally stable and material-intensive, with a correspondingly large sheet thickness, to reliably absorb the actuation forces generated during brake application. A generic vehicle mounting arrangement is known from US 6,082,219 A.A further vehicle fastening arrangement is known from DE 100 46 634 A1. A device for absorbing kinetic energy in a vehicle impact is known from DE 100 11 930 B4. A force transmission structure in a vehicle is known from EP 3 456 610 A1. A vehicle fastening arrangement is known from DE 1944785 A1.

[0004] The object of the invention is to provide a vehicle mounting arrangement which, compared to the prior art, enables a reliable connection of the brake device and the pedal assembly in a structurally simple manner.

[0005] The problem is solved by the features of claim 1. Preferred further developments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims. The invention is based on a vehicle mounting arrangement in which a brake pedal is articulated to a pedal bracket. The brake pedal is connected to a brake unit via an actuating rod. The brake unit can be arranged on a front side of a brake unit support structure, in particular a firewall. In contrast, the pedal bracket can be arranged on a rear side of a pedal bracket support structure, which is spaced apart from the brake unit support structure by a longitudinal offset. According to the characterizing part of claim 1, the mounting arrangement has at least one spacer. This spacer bridges the longitudinal offset between the brake unit support structure and the pedal bracket support structure.The spacer is attached to the brake unit at a front mounting point, preferably a screw point. It is also attached to the pedal assembly at a rear mounting point, particularly a screw point. Specifically, when the brake pedal is actuated, the spacer acts as a rigid tie rod in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, providing a force path between the brake unit and the pedal assembly. This path generates a counterbalancing force that counteracts the actuation force. In this way, both the pedal assembly support structure and the brake unit support structure are relieved of stress. Therefore, both support structures can be manufactured with reduced sheet metal thickness.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment, the vehicle mounting arrangement is designed as follows with regard to a frontal crash: In such a frontal crash, a rearward-directed crash force acts on the braking device. This subjects the spacer to compressive stress. Unlike under tensile stress, the spacer behaves flexibly under compressive stress. This prevents the spacer from becoming blocky in the event of a crash. Therefore, the spacer is not displaced, or at least less severely displaced, towards the vehicle interior in the event of a crash.

[0007] In a technical implementation of the aforementioned crash-active spacer, it can act in a frontal crash as a deformation element that can be deformed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, thus reducing crash energy through deformation.

[0008] In a structurally simple design, the spacer can be a piston-cylinder unit, consisting of a cylinder sleeve and a piston that is guided within it in a telescopically slidable manner. The piston of the spacer can be connected to one joint via its piston rod, while the cylinder sleeve can be connected to the other joint.

[0009] In the event of a crash, the piston is adjustable in a compression direction over a crash stroke within the cylinder sleeve. It is particularly preferred that, in a crash, the piston is adjusted over the crash stroke by deforming the piston and / or the cylinder sleeve. In this case, the crash stroke can only be released once the applied crash force exceeds a predefined limit (breakaway force). During normal driving, however, the piston can be pressed in a tension direction against a mechanical stroke stop in the cylinder sleeve by the counteracting force. Therefore, during normal driving, the piston is fixed in position within the cylinder sleeve.

[0010] For optimal power transmission, it is preferred that the spacer be supported at its end faces on both the pedal assembly support structure and the brake assembly support structure. At the front mounting point, the brake assembly can be clamped to the spacer with the brake assembly support structure in between. Similarly, at the rear mounting point, the pedal assembly can be clamped to the spacer with the pedal assembly support structure in between.

[0011] When the spacer is designed as a piston-cylinder unit, the following assembly configuration can occur: At the rear mounting point, the pedal assembly can be clamped to the cylinder base of the spacer's cylinder sleeve via the pedal assembly support structure. Similarly, at the front mounting point, the brake unit can be bolted to the spacer's piston rod head via the brake unit support structure. In this case, during normal driving operation, the piston rests against a piston rod end stop on the cylinder sleeve, thus preventing piston movement when the spacer is under tensile load (i.e., during normal brake pedal actuation).

[0012] Furthermore, the piston can be positively connected to the cylinder wall. This prevents the piston from moving in a crash during normal driving. Only a sufficiently large crash force can release the positive connection and thus allow the piston to move in a crash. To create this positive connection, the piston can have a circumferential annular groove into which a form-fit ridge of the cylinder wall engages, for example, in a form-fitting and / or contour-adapted manner.

[0013] An embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the accompanying figures. These show: Figs. 1 and 2 show a vehicle fastening arrangement in different views; Figs. 3 to 5 show views illustrating the manufacture of the spacer according to the invention.

[0014] In the Fig. 1 A driver's side footwell 1 in the interior of a two-track vehicle is bounded at the front by a firewall 3. An auxiliary structure 5 is located in the footwell 1, on the rear side of which a pedal assembly 7 is mounted, forming part of a foot lever assembly. Among other things, the brake pedal 9 is pivotally mounted to the pedal assembly 7 and is connected via an actuating rod 11 to a brake device 13. The brake device 13 is located in the Fig. 1 positioned on the front side of the firewall 3, opposite footwell 1. As can be seen from the Fig. 1 As can be further seen, the pedal support auxiliary structure 5 and the splash guard 3 are spaced apart from each other by a longitudinal offset Δx.

[0015] The brake device 13 and the pedal bracket 7 are fastened by means of two spacers 15, of which in the Fig. 2 One of these is shown in a sectional view. This is implemented as a piston-cylinder unit comprising a cylinder sleeve 17 with a piston 19 telescopically slidably guided within it. The piston 19 is connected via its piston rod 21 to a front screw point S2 of the vehicle, while the cylinder sleeve 17 is connected to a rear screw point S1 of the vehicle. The rear screw point S1 has a screw bolt 23, which passes through a screw hole 27 of the pedal bracket 7 and through a screw hole 29 of the auxiliary structure 5 and engages with an internal thread of a cylinder base 37 of the cylinder sleeve 17 of the spacer 15. In this way, the pedal bracket 7 and the auxiliary structure 5 are clamped between the screw head 31 of the screw bolt 23 and the cylinder base 37 of the cylinder sleeve 17.

[0016] The front mounting point S2 has a screw bolt 33 molded onto the brake device 13, which is guided through a screw hole 35 in the firewall 3 and is screwed into a threaded connection with an internal thread on the piston rod head 25 of the spacer 15. In this way, the firewall 3 is clamped between a mounting surface of the brake device 13 and the piston rod head 25 of the spacer 15.

[0017] The actuating rod 11 is guided through an auxiliary structure passage 20 and through a firewall passage 22.

[0018] As from the Fig. 2 As can be further seen, the piston 19 is in contact with a piston rod end stop 39 of the cylinder sleeve 17. In addition, the piston 19 has a circumferential annular groove 41 into which a form-fitting threshold 43 of the sleeve wall of the cylinder sleeve 17 engages, forming a positive-locking connection 40 that can be released in the event of a crash.

[0019] During normal driving operation, when the brake pedal is actuated, the actuating rod 11 exerts an actuating force FB towards the front brake unit 13. In this case, the two spacers 15 act as rigid tie rods, each providing a tensile force path between the brake unit 13 and the pedal assembly 7. A counterbalancing force FA builds up in this tensile force path, opposing the actuating force FB and thus relieving the auxiliary structure 5 and the firewall 3 of stress. When the actuating force FB is applied, the piston 19 is pressed in the direction of pull against the end stop 39 of the cylinder sleeve 17 by the counterbalancing force FA, so that no stroke adjustment of the piston 19 occurs within the cylinder sleeve 17.

[0020] In a frontal crash, the following situation arises: A rearward crash force Fc acts on the brake device 13. In this case, the two spacers 15 are subjected to compressive stress. Under such a compressive load, the spacers 15 are no longer rigid components, but rather flexible. The impact of the crash force Fc releases the positive locking connection 40 and allows a crash stroke h, over which the piston 19 can move telescopically within the cylinder sleeve 17. In this way, the two spacers 15 do not act as rigid block formers in a crash, as they are displaced towards the vehicle interior.

[0021] The following describes, by way of example, a manufacturing process for a spacer 15 according to the invention, illustrated in Figures 4 to 6: First, the piston 15, together with the piston rod 21, is inserted into the cylinder sleeve 17 through an end-face insertion opening 45. Then, the insertion opening 45 of the cylinder sleeve 17 is folded over (i.e., crimped) or the cylinder sleeve 17 is tapered in the area of ​​its insertion opening 45, forming a reduced-diameter end stop 39. The piston 19 is brought into contact with the end stop 39. In the further course of the process, the material of the cylinder sleeve 17 is pressed into the circumferential annular groove 41 of the piston 19, for example by cold forming / cold forging, forming a forming threshold 43, in order to create the releasable positive-locking connection 40 between the piston 19 and the cylinder sleeve 17. REFERENCE MARK LIST:

[0022] 1 Footwell 3 Firewall 5 Auxiliary structure 7 Pedal block 9 Brake pedal 11 Actuating rod 13 Brake device 15 Spacer 17 Cylinder sleeve 19 Piston 20 Auxiliary structure passage 21 Piston rod 22 Firewall passage 23 Bolt 25 Piston rod head 27 Bolt hole 29 Bolt hole 31 Bolt head 33 Bolt 35 Bolt hole 37 Cylinder base 29 End stop 40 Positive locking connection 41 Ring groove 43 Formed threshold S1 Vehicle rear bolting point S2 Vehicle front bolting point Δx Longitudinal offset h Crash stroke Fc Crash force FB Actuating force FA Compensating force

Claims

1. Vehicle mounting assembly comprising a brake pedal (9) which is linked to a pedal holder (7) and connected to a braking device (13) via an actuation rod (11) in a force-transmitting manner, wherein the braking device (13) is arranged on a vehicle-front side of a braking device support structure (3), and the pedal holder (7) is arranged on a vehicle-rear side of a pedal holder support structure (5), which is spaced apart from the braking device support structure (3) by a longitudinal offset (Δx), characterized in that: the mounting assembly comprises at least one spacer (15) that bridges the longitudinal offset (Δx) between the braking device support structure (3) and the pedal holder support structure (5), and in that the spacer (15) is connected to the braking device (13) at a vehicle-front connection point (S2) and is connected to the pedal holder (7) at a vehicle-rear connection point (S1), such that during actuation of the brake pedal the spacer (15) acts in the vehicle longitudinal direction (x) as a structurally rigid tie rod that provides a tensile force path between the braking device (13) and the pedal holder (7), in which a compensating force (FA) counteracting the actuating force (FB) builds up.

2. Vehicle mounting assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the event of a frontal crash, a crash force (FC) directed towards the rear of the vehicle acts on the braking device (13) so that the spacer (15) is subjected to pressure, and in that the spacer (15) is compliant under compressive stress.

3. Vehicle mounting assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, in the event of a frontal crash, the spacer (15) acts as a deformation element which is deformable in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (x), which deformation element absorbs crash energy through deformation.

4. Vehicle mounting assembly according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the spacer (15) is a piston-cylinder unit comprising a cylinder sleeve (17) and a piston (19) guided telescopically therein, and in that the piston (19) is connected via its piston rod (21) to one connection point (S2), and the cylinder sleeve (17) is connected to the other connection point (S1).

5. Vehicle mounting assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that, in the event of a crash, the piston (19) is movable in the compression direction over a crash stroke (h) within the cylinder sleeve (17), and / or in that during normal vehicle operation, the piston (19) is pressed in the tension direction by the compensating force (FA) against a mechanical stop (39) of the cylinder sleeve (17).

6. Vehicle mounting assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, in the event of a crash, the piston (19) is adjustable over the crash stroke (h) with deformation of the piston (19) and / or the cylinder sleeve (17) such that the crash stroke (h) can only be released once the acting crash force (Fc) exceeds a predefined threshold value.

7. Vehicle mounting assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the spacer (15) is supported with its end faces on the pedal holder support structure (5) and on the braking device support structure (3), and in that at the vehicle-rear screw connection point (S1) the pedal holder (7) is clamped to the spacer (15) with the interposition of the pedal holder support structure (5), and / or in that at the vehicle-front screw connection point (S2) the braking device (13) is clamped to the spacer (15) with the interposition of the braking device support structure (3).

8. Vehicle mounting assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that at the vehicle-front screw connection point (S2) the braking device (13) is screwed to the piston rod head (21) of the spacer (15) with the interposition of the braking device support structure (3), and / or in that at the vehicle-rear screw connection point (S1) the pedal holder (7) is screwed to a cylinder base (37) of the cylinder sleeve (17) of the spacer (15) with the interposition of the pedal holder support structure (5).

9. Vehicle mounting assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that, during normal operation, the piston (19) abuts against an end stop (39) on the piston rod side of the cylinder sleeve (17), whereby the piston is prevented from moving when the spacer (15) is subjected to tensile stress.

10. Vehicle mounting assembly according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the piston (19) is in a form-fit connection (40) with the sleeve wall of the cylinder sleeve (17), which inhibits a crash stroke movement of the piston (19), and in that the form-fit connection (40) can be released by the crash force (Fc) and the crash stroke (h) is released, and in that to form the form-fit connection (40) the piston (19) has a circumferential annular groove (41) into which a positive-fit shoulder (43) of the sleeve wall of the cylinder sleeve (17) engages in a form-fit manner.