Pedal mechanism

Abstract

To provide a pedal mechanism that enables the entire device to be made compact without impairing an operational feeling of a driver.SOLUTION: There is provided a pedal mechanism 14 including a pedal arm 25 having a step face 26 and pivoted rotatably on a predetermined fixed part 29, and a spring member 40 that applies a reaction force to the pedal arm 25. One end of the spring member 40 is rotatably connected to the predetermined fixed part 29, and the other end of the spring member 40 is rotatably connected to a predetermined position 41 between the step face 26 of the pedal arm 25 and a pivot part 30 relative to the predetermined fixed part 29. The predetermined position 41 is set at a location deviated in the rotational direction of the pedal arm 25 from a neutral line L connecting the pivot part 30 and a coupling part 42 that connects one end of the spring member 40 to the predetermined fixed part 29. An angle α formed between a line connecting the pivot part 30 and the predetermined position 41 and the neutral line L is smaller than an angle β formed between a line connecting the coupling part 42 and the predetermined position 41 and the neutral line L.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pedal mechanism that is mounted on a vehicle and is used to change the behavior of the vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electric vehicle having only a rotating machine as a driving source. The electric vehicle of Patent Document 1 is configured to be able to simulate a vehicle equipped with a manual transmission (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as an MT vehicle). The electric vehicle described in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a shift lever and a clutch pedal in addition to an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal as devices for inputting operation requests to the electric vehicle. The shift lever and the clutch pedal function as devices for simulating an MT vehicle in the electric vehicle. Specifically, the shift lever simulates a lever for changing the gear stage of an MT vehicle, and by changing the position of the shift lever, it is possible to gradually change the torque characteristics with respect to the rotation speed of the rotating machine. In addition, the clutch pedal is a device that simulates a clutch pedal equipped in an MT vehicle, and is configured to be able to simulate the arrangement and operation feeling of the clutch pedal.

[0003] In the case of a clutch pedal mounted on an actual MT vehicle, due to structural factors, the stroke amount of the clutch pedal and the change in pedal force (or reaction force) do not change proportionally. For example, in the case of a clutch pedal using a diaphragm spring, when the stroke amount of the clutch pedal exceeds a certain amount, the reaction force of the clutch pedal gradually decreases, which is called a turnover characteristic. In order to more accurately simulate the clutch pedal equipped in a MT vehicle, it is preferable to generate such a characteristic in the clutch pedal.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a pedal device capable of generating such a drop-off characteristic (or turnover characteristic). The pedal device of Patent Document 2 reproduces the drop-off characteristic by a four-joint link mechanism and an elastic member. Specifically, the pedal device of Patent Document 2 includes a lever member that rotates around a lever rotation axis, a link member and an urging member that extend from the lever member toward the front side of the vehicle and are attached at one end to be rotatable relative to the support axis of the lever member, a link member support arm that is connected to the other end of the link member by one support end so as to be rotatable relative to the other end of the urging member by the other support end, and a rotating member that supports the other ends of the link member support arm and the urging member support arm so as to be rotatable relative to each other while maintaining the angle formed by the two arms. The urging member has a link portion supported by the lever member, a link portion supported by the urging member support arm, and an elastic member connected between the two link portions.

[0005] In the pedal device of Patent Document 2, before the pedal is pressed, the two support ends are arranged on both sides of a straight line passing through the support shaft of the lever member and the rotating member. When the pedal is pressed from that state, the lever member rotates around the lever rotating shaft toward the front side of the vehicle, that is, counterclockwise, and the link member and the biasing member also move to rotate counterclockwise. At that time, the link member moves downward and toward the front of the vehicle, while the biasing member moves downward and toward the rear of the vehicle. As a result, the length of the elastic member becomes shorter, changing the elastic force, and the reaction force of the lever member becomes larger. On the other hand, when the pedal is further pressed, the biasing member is displaced downward and toward the front of the vehicle. As a result, the length of the elastic member gradually becomes longer, and the reaction force of the lever member becomes smaller. That is, in the pedal device of Patent Document 1, the biasing force increases until the biasing member reaches a predetermined position, and the biasing force decreases when the biasing member exceeds the predetermined position. Patent Document 1 states that such a mechanism can impart the above-mentioned characteristics of a clutch pedal to the pedal device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6787507 [Patent Document 2] JP 2018-13923 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] As described above, by applying the pedal device disclosed in Patent Document 2 to the clutch pedal of Patent Document 1, the clutch pedal of Patent Document 1 can reproduce the turnover characteristics. On the other hand, in the pedal device of Patent Document 2, the link mechanism, elastic member, and rotating member as described above are provided in the rotation direction of the pedal, that is, from the arm member to the front side of the vehicle. In addition, in the pedal device of Patent Document 2, the longitudinal direction of the link mechanism and the expansion and contraction direction of the elastic member are provided in the direction along the front-rear direction of the vehicle, so that the pedal device as a whole is enlarged mainly in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. In particular, the clutch pedal of Patent Document 1 is a pseudo clutch pedal and is not mechanically connected to other mechanisms mounted on the vehicle. In other words, even if a pedal force is applied by stepping on the clutch pedal of Patent Document 1, the pedal force is not mechanically transmitted to other mechanisms. In addition, since the clutch pedal of Patent Document 1 is a pseudo clutch pedal, it is a device that does not directly affect the driving performance of the vehicle. Therefore, such pseudo clutch pedals are required to be smaller and lighter as a whole, so as to allow the driver to experience the layout and operating feel of a clutch pedal found in a manual transmission vehicle, while not compromising the mountability of other mechanisms in the vehicle.

[0008] This invention was devised with an eye on the technical problems described above, and aims to provide a pedal mechanism that can be made smaller as a whole device without compromising the driver's sense of operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a pedal mechanism comprising a pedal arm having a tread surface at one end and a predetermined fixed portion at the other end which is rotatably connected to the pedal arm, and a spring member which applies to the pedal arm a reaction force which counteracts the torque centered on the other end caused by pressing on the tread surface, wherein one end of the spring member is rotatably connected to the predetermined fixed portion and the other end of the spring member is rotatably connected to a predetermined location on the pedal arm between the tread surface and a pivot portion relative to the predetermined fixed portion, the predetermined location being set at a position shifted in the rotational direction of the pedal arm from a neutral line connecting the pivot portion and a connecting portion which connects one end of the spring member to the predetermined fixed portion, and the angle formed by the line connecting the pivot portion and the predetermined location and the neutral line is smaller than the angle formed by the neutral line and a line connecting the connecting portion and the predetermined location.

[0010] In this invention, the pedal arm may further include another spring member that applies the reaction force to the pedal arm, and the other end of the other spring member may be connected to the specified fixed portion and the other end of the other spring member may be connected to another specified location of the pedal arm, and the other specified location may be set at a position shifted from the neutral line in the rotational direction of the pedal arm.

[0011] The spring member and the other spring member in the present invention may be attached in a state in which an elastic force is applied to the pedal arm.

[0012] In the present invention, the predetermined location and the other predetermined location may be set on opposite sides of the neutral line of the pedal arm.

[0013] The spring member and the other spring member in the present invention may include a coil spring or a torsion coil spring.

[0014] The other spring member in the present invention may be a tension coil spring.

[0015] The other spring member in the present invention may be constituted by a plurality of the tension coil springs acting in parallel on the pedal arm.

[0016] In this invention, the pedal arm may be mounted on a vehicle that uses an electric motor as a driving force source, and may further include a clutch sensor that detects the stroke amount of the pedal arm due to the depression operation of the tread surface, and the electric motor of the vehicle may be controlled based on the detection signal of the clutch sensor.

[0017] The vehicle in the present invention may be a pseudo-manual transmission electric vehicle having a plurality of torque characteristics which are the relationship between the rotation speed and torque of the electric motor, and having a plurality of pseudo gear stages corresponding to each of the plurality of torque characteristics. Effect of the Invention

[0018] The pedal mechanism of the present invention uses a spring member to apply a reaction force against a torque acting on the pedal arm when the tread is depressed. One end of the spring member is rotatably connected to a fixed portion, and the other end is rotatably connected to a fixed portion on the pedal arm. The fixed portion is between the tread and the pivot portion on the pedal arm, and is a position shifted in the rotation direction of the pedal arm from a neutral line connecting the pivot portion and a connecting portion that connects one end of the spring member to the fixed portion. When the tread is not depressed, one angle formed by a line connecting the pivot portion to the fixed portion and the neutral line is smaller than the other angle formed by a line connecting the connecting portion to the fixed portion and the neutral line. In other words, the distance from the connecting portion to the fixed portion is shorter than the distance from the pivot portion to the fixed portion. Therefore, when the pedal arm is rotated by depressing the tread, the change in one angle is larger than the change in the other angle. This allows the amount of change in the reaction force that counteracts the torque acting around the pivot of the pedal arm when the pedal surface is depressed to vary in a quadratic, or non-linear manner, depending on the stroke of the pedal arm or the depression angle. In other words, the feel of the clutch pedal can be simulated to that of a clutch pedal installed in a manual transmission vehicle.

[0019] The spring member is attached directly to the predetermined fixed portion and a predetermined location of the pedal arm. In other words, since the pedal arm is used as a link mechanism, the reaction force characteristics of the pedal arm as described above can be reproduced with a simple structure. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the entire pedal mechanism while allowing the user to virtually experience the clutch pedal operation feel of a manual transmission vehicle as described above.

[0020] In addition, since the spring member and other spring members are attached in a state in which they apply an elastic force to the pedal arm, it is possible to suppress vibration of the pedal arm when the pedal arm is not operated.

[0021] Furthermore, when the spring member and the other spring member are configured by a torsion coil spring, the spring members can be made smaller than when they are configured by a coil spring such as a compression spring or a tension spring, and therefore the pedal mechanism device as a whole can be made even smaller.

[0022] Furthermore, when the other spring member is configured with a tension coil spring acting in parallel with the pedal arm, the spring member can be made smaller in the direction of extension and contraction than when the other spring member is configured with a single tension coil spring, and therefore the pedal mechanism device as a whole can be made even more compact.

[0023] Furthermore, when the pedal mechanism of the present invention is mounted on an electric vehicle equipped with an electric motor, the pedal mechanism does not need to be mechanically connected to other mechanisms in the electric vehicle. That is, the pedal mechanism detects the stroke amount of the pedal arm by a clutch sensor. Therefore, it is sufficient that the detection signal is transmitted to the electric vehicle, which increases the degree of freedom in mounting the pedal mechanism. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic diagram of a drive system and its control system of an EV vehicle equipped with a clutch pedal according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view for explaining an example of a clutch pedal in the first embodiment of the present invention, in which a pedal arm portion is in a rear end position, as viewed from the right side of the vehicle. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view for explaining an example of a clutch pedal in the first embodiment of the present invention, in which a pedal arm portion is in an intermediate position, as viewed from the right side of the vehicle. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view for explaining an example of a clutch pedal in the first embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a pedal arm portion is in a front end position, as viewed from the right side of the vehicle. [Diagram 5]FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view for explaining an example of a clutch pedal in a second embodiment of the present invention, with a pedal arm portion in a rear end position, as viewed from the right side of the vehicle. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view for explaining an example of a clutch pedal in a third embodiment of the present invention, with the pedal arm portion in a rear end position, as viewed from the right side of the vehicle. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view for explaining an example of a clutch pedal in a fourth embodiment of the present invention, the cross-sectional view being viewed from the front side of the vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment described below is merely one example of the case where the present invention is implemented, and is not intended to limit the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 1 shows an electric vehicle (EV vehicle) equipped with a pedal mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. The EV vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a pseudo-manual transmission type EV vehicle 1 configured similarly to the EV vehicle described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1. The main configuration and functions of the EV vehicle 1 are described below. As shown in FIG. 1, the EV vehicle 1 is equipped with an electric motor 2 as a driving force source, and the driving torque of the electric motor 2 is controlled by controlling the current supplied from an electric storage device (battery) 3 to the electric motor 2 by an inverter (INV) 4. The output torque of the electric motor 2 is transmitted from its output shaft (rotor shaft) 5 to a final reduction gear (differential gear) 7 via a transmission mechanism 6 including a gear mechanism and a transmission shaft, and is then transmitted to left and right driving wheels 8, causing the EV vehicle 1 to run. That is, in the EV vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1, the torque transmission system from the electric motor 2 to the driving wheels 8 has a configuration in which the gear ratio is fixed, and the EV vehicle 1 does not have a gear change function that changes the gear ratio. In addition, the reference numeral "9" in FIG. 1 indicates another wheel.

[0027] The EV vehicle 1 is provided with an accelerator pedal 10 for performing acceleration / deceleration operations and a brake pedal 11 for performing braking operations. An accelerator pedal opening sensor 12 for detecting the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal 10 (i.e., accelerator opening) which indicates the amount of drive required by the driver, and a brake sensor 13 for detecting the amount of depression or pedal force of the brake pedal 11 which is the amount of braking required, are also provided. Furthermore, in order to simulate a shift operation in a conventional manually shifted vehicle, a clutch pedal 14 is provided, and a clutch sensor 15 for detecting the amount of operation is also provided. The clutch pedal 14 and the clutch sensor 15 will be described later. In addition to the clutch pedal 14, a shift lever 16 for performing a pseudo shift operation is provided. The EV vehicle 1 is provided with a shift device 18 including the shift lever 16 and a shift position sensor 17 for detecting the operating position of the shift lever 16, particularly the position for selecting a pseudo shift stage and the neutral position. The shift stages include a reverse stage and a plurality of forward stages.

[0028] An electronic control unit (ECU) 19 is provided for controlling the electric motor 2 via the inverter 4 described above. The ECU 19 is mainly configured with a microcomputer including a CPU (processor) 20, a memory 21 such as a RAM or a ROM, and an input / output interface 22 for inputting and outputting data. The accelerator opening sensor 12, the brake sensor 13, the clutch sensor 15, and the shift position sensor 17 described above are connected to the ECU 19, and their respective detection signals are input to the ECU 19. In addition, a rotation speed sensor 23 is provided for detecting the rotation speed of the transmission mechanism 6 described above (e.g., the rotation speed of a propeller shaft), and the detection signal is input to the ECU 19. Furthermore, a pedal angle sensor for detecting a rotation angle when the pedal arm portion rotates is connected to the ECU 19 in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] The torque control by this ECU 19 may be the same control as the torque control described in Patent Document 1 mentioned above as an example. To explain the outline of the torque control, in the torque control, the driving torque of the electric motor 2 is controlled so that the driving torque by the electric motor 2 transmitted to the transmission mechanism 6 becomes the required driving torque. And in the embodiment described here, the ECU 19 controls the driving torque of the electric motor 2 so that the torque of the EV vehicle 1 and the way it changes are simulated to be the same as the torque of a conventional manual transmission vehicle (MT vehicle) and the way it changes. Therefore, for example, when the driver performs a pseudo manual shift operation while the EV vehicle 1 is running, first, when the clutch pedal 14 is depressed and the depression amount exceeds a predetermined amount, the clutch output torque gradually decreases according to the depression amount, and becomes zero when it is above a predetermined upper limit amount.

[0030] Here, the clutch output torque is the torque output from a virtual clutch that simulates an MT vehicle, and can be obtained by multiplying the virtual engine torque output from the electric motor 2 toward the drive wheels 8 at that time by a gain that changes according to the depression amount of the clutch pedal 14. Note that the gain is set to, for example, "1" (100%) until the depression amount of the clutch pedal 14 increases to a predetermined amount, and then becomes a smaller value as the depression amount increases.

[0031] Also, the virtual engine torque can be obtained from the output characteristics of a virtual engine. For example, an appropriate engine used in the vehicle is assumed, and the output characteristics simulating the relationship between the rotational speed and the output torque in that engine are defined as the output characteristics of the virtual engine. The rotational speed of the virtual engine is calculated in consideration of the rotational speed of the drive wheels 8, the virtual gear ratio at that time, and a predetermined slip amount, and the output torque of the virtual engine is obtained from the calculated rotational speed and the output characteristics.

[0032] When the clutch torque becomes zero and there is a sensation of the torque "discharging," the driver operates the shift lever 16 to select a desired gear. This operation will be described later. After the shift operation, the clutch pedal 14 is released and the amount of depression gradually decreases. The gain described above increases accordingly, and the clutch torque increases. Meanwhile, as a new gear is selected by the shift operation, the gear ratio used to calculate the virtual engine speed changes, and accordingly the virtual engine speed and virtual engine torque change. A torque determined by the changed virtual engine torque and clutch torque is output from the electric motor 2.

[0033] That is, the electric motor 2 is controlled to have new torque characteristics (relationship between rotation speed and output torque) selected based on the simulated shift operation. In this way, the change of gear ratio (gear stage) is simulated by the simulated shift operation, and therefore the clutch operation and the shift operation by the shift lever are performed, so that the driver can experience the driving state of a manual transmission vehicle, even though the EV vehicle 1 uses the electric motor 2 as a driving force source. Note that details of an example of the control of the electric motor 2 or the driving torque based on the above-mentioned simulated shift operation may be as described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1.

[0034] Next, the configuration of the clutch pedal 14 in the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 2, 3 and 4. The clutch pedal 14 corresponds to the pedal mechanism in the embodiment of the present invention. As described above, the clutch pedal 14 is intended to simulate the shifting operation in a conventional manually shifted vehicle. Since the clutch pedal 14 is not mechanically connected to other mechanisms in the EV vehicle 1, torque generated by depressing the clutch pedal 14 is not transmitted to such other mechanisms. That is, the clutch pedal 14 is configured such that an electric signal corresponding to the operation amount, stroke amount or depression angle of the clutch pedal 14 is transmitted to the ECU 19 by the clutch sensor 15. Based on the electric signal, the ECU 19 causes the electric motor 2 to generate a change in driving force or torque corresponding to a change in clutch output torque so as to simulate the behavior of a conventional manually shifted vehicle.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 2, the clutch pedal 14 mainly includes a pedal arm portion 25, a pedal portion 26, a first reaction force generating mechanism 27, and a second reaction force generating mechanism 28. Note that Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the clutch pedal 14 viewed from the right side of the vehicle, so in Fig. 2, the side where the first reaction force generating mechanism 27 is provided is the front side of the vehicle, and the side where the second reaction force generating mechanism 28 is provided is the rear side of the vehicle.

[0036] The pedal arm portion 25 is a member constituting a base portion of the clutch pedal 14, and has an elongated shape extending from a fixed portion 29 toward the lower side of the vehicle as a whole. As shown in FIG. 2, the pedal arm portion 25 is rotatably supported by a fixed portion 29 on the vehicle. Specifically, one end of the pedal arm portion 25, which is an upper end in the longitudinal direction, is rotatably supported by the fixed portion via a support shaft portion 30. The above-mentioned clutch sensor 15 is attached to the support shaft portion 30. The clutch sensor 15 detects angle information and displacement amount when the pedal arm portion 25 moves, converts the information into an electric signal, and transmits the information to the ECU 19. The clutch sensor 15 is composed of, for example, an interlocking portion 15a that moves according to the operation of the pedal arm portion 25, and an operation detection portion 15b that detects the movement. The support shaft portion 30 corresponds to the pivotal portion in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] The pedal arm portion 25 has a first extension portion 31 which is a portion that extends toward the front of the vehicle, and a second extension portion 32 which is a portion that extends toward the rear of the vehicle. That is, the first extension portion 31 is formed on the front side of the vehicle, and the second extension portion 32 is formed on the rear side of the vehicle, across a perpendicular line from a predetermined fixing portion 29. The pedal portion 26 is provided at the other end, which is the lower end in the longitudinal direction of the pedal arm portion 25. Furthermore, a pin 33 is provided near the center of the pedal arm portion 25 in the vertical direction.

[0038] The pin 33 extends from the pedal arm portion 25 in the lateral direction of the vehicle. The pin 33 restricts the region in which the pedal arm portion 25 operates by abutting against a front restricting portion 35 and a rear restricting portion 36 formed on another fixed portion 34 of the vehicle. That is, the pin 33 restricts the rotation of the pedal arm portion 25 toward the rear of the vehicle, that is, the clockwise rotation, when the pin 33 abuts against the rear restricting portion 36 formed on the rear side of the vehicle of the two restricting portions 35, 36. Conversely, the pin 33 restricts the rotation of the pedal arm portion 25 toward the front of the vehicle, that is, the counterclockwise rotation, when the pin 33 abuts against the front restricting portion 35 formed on the front side of the vehicle of the two restricting members 35, 36. Note that the other fixed portion 34 is a separate member from the predetermined fixed portion 33, but may be the same member. The pin 33 may be provided not only on the right side of the pedal arm portion 25 but also on the left side of the pedal arm portion 25. In this case, a front restricting portion 35 and a rear restricting portion 36 may be provided in accordance with the position of the pin that protrudes from the pedal arm portion 25 to the left side of the vehicle.

[0039] The pedal portion 26 corresponds to the tread surface in the embodiment of the present invention, and is depressed by the driver. The pedal portion 26 is formed integrally with the other end of the pedal arm portion 25, and its shape, attachment angle, etc. are designed to make it easy for the driver to depress it.

[0040] The first reaction force generating mechanism 27 is a mechanism that applies a reaction force to the torque applied to the pedal arm portion 25. The first reaction force generating mechanism 27 is provided between the first extension portion 31 of the pedal arm portion 25 and another fixed portion 34 of the vehicle. The first reaction force generating mechanism 27 has a first spring member 37, which is a tension spring that applies a reaction force to the torque input to the pedal arm portion 25, a first movable shaft 38 that is rotatably connected to the other fixed portion 34 and to the first extension portion 31 of the pedal arm portion 25, to which one end of the first spring member 37 is connected, and a first fixed shaft 39 to which the other end of the first spring member 37 is connected. The first movable shaft 38 moves in response to the rotation of the pedal arm portion 25 and supports one end of the first spring member 37 so as to be relatively rotatable. The first fixed shaft 39 is fixed so that its position does not change even when the pedal arm portion 25 rotates, and supports the other end of the first spring member 37 so as to be relatively rotatable. The first spring member 37 is attached to the first movable shaft 38 and the first fixed shaft 39 in a state in which an elastic force is generated so as to rotate the pedal arm portion 25 toward the rear of the vehicle. The first spring member 37 corresponds to the other spring member in the embodiment of the present invention, and the first movable shaft 38 corresponds to the other predetermined location in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] The operation of the first reaction force generating mechanism 27 when the pedal arm portion 25 rotates will be described. Fig. 2 shows a state in which the pedal portion 26 is not depressed and the pin 33 is in contact with the rear regulating portion 36, that is, a state in which the pedal arm portion 25 is in the rear end position, which is a position when no torque is input to the pedal arm portion 25. When the pedal arm portion 25 is in the rear end position, the first fixed shaft 39 and the first movable shaft 38 are disposed at positions where they overlap in the vertical direction. In other words, the first spring member 37 is disposed so that the direction of expansion and contraction of the first spring member 37 is along the vertical direction.

[0042] 3 shows a state in which the pedal arm portion 25 is in an intermediate position where the pedal portion 26 is depressed and the pin 33 is separated from the rear restriction portion 36, and the stroke amount of the pedal arm portion 25 is a predetermined stroke amount. When the pedal arm portion 25 is in the intermediate position, the distance between the first fixed shaft 39 and the first movable shaft 38 is greater depending on the stroke amount or depression angle of the pedal arm portion 25 compared to when the pedal arm portion 25 is in the rear end position. Note that the intermediate position may be, for example, a position where the above-mentioned clutch output torque changes from increasing to decreasing depending on the depression amount.

[0043] 4 shows a state in which the pedal portion 26 is fully depressed and the pin 33 abuts against the front restriction portion 35, that is, the pedal arm portion 25 is in the front end position where it is pushed in most by the input torque. When the pedal arm portion 25 is in the front end position, the first movable shaft 38 and the support shaft portion 30 are positioned so as to overlap in the horizontal direction. When the pedal arm portion 25 is in the front end position, the first fixed shaft 39 and the first movable shaft 38 are misaligned in the vertical direction, but the misalignment is small.

[0044] Therefore, when the pedal arm portion 25 rotates, the displacement of the first spring member 37 from the initial length increases in accordance with an increase in the stroke amount of the pedal arm portion 25. In other words, the first reaction force generating mechanism 27 is provided so that the increase in the reaction force generated in the pedal arm portion 25 is proportional or linear in accordance with an increase in the stepping force input to the pedal portion 26. Note that, since the first spring member 37 is a tension spring, when the pedal arm portion 25 is in the rear end position, the first spring member 37 generates a reaction force in a direction to rotate the pedal arm portion 25 toward the rear of the vehicle, that is, to press the pin 33 against the rear regulating portion 36. Note that the initial length here refers to the length of the first spring member 37 when no stepping force is input to the pedal portion 26.

[0045] The second reaction force generating mechanism 28 is a mechanism that applies a reaction force to the torque applied to the pedal arm portion 25, similarly to the first reaction force generating mechanism 27. The second reaction force generating mechanism 28 is provided between the second extension portion 32 of the pedal arm portion 25 and another fixed portion 34 of the vehicle. The second reaction force generating mechanism 28 has a second spring member 40, which is a compression spring that applies a reaction force to the torque input to the pedal arm portion 25, a second movable shaft 41 that is rotatably connected to the other fixed portion 34 and to the second extension portion 32 of the pedal arm portion 25, to which one end of the second spring member 40 is connected, and a second fixed shaft 42 to which the other end of the second spring member 40 is connected. The second spring member 40 corresponds to the spring member in the embodiment of the present invention, the second movable shaft 41 corresponds to the predetermined position in the embodiment of the present invention, and the second fixed shaft 42 corresponds to the connecting portion in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] The second movable shaft 41 supports one end of the second spring member 40 so as to be relatively rotatable, and is connected to the second extension portion 32 of the pedal arm portion 25 so as to be movable by an amount corresponding to the rotation amount of the pedal arm portion 25. The second fixed shaft 42 is fixed so as not to move even when the pedal arm portion 25 rotates, and supports the other end of the second spring member 40 so as to be relatively rotatable. As shown in FIG. 2, when the pedal portion 26 is not pressed, the second movable shaft 41 is set at a position shifted in the rotation direction of the pedal arm portion 25 from a neutral line L connecting the rotation center of the support shaft portion 30 and the rotation center of the second fixed shaft 42. In addition, the angle α formed by the line connecting the rotation center of the support shaft portion 30 and the rotation center of the second movable shaft 41 and the neutral line L is smaller than the angle β formed by the line connecting the second movable shaft 41 and the second fixed shaft 42 and the neutral line L (angle α<angle β). 2, the second movable shaft 41 is provided at a position vertically lower than the first movable shaft 38. The horizontal distance between the support shaft portion 30 and the second movable shaft 41 and the horizontal distance between the support shaft portion 30 and the first movable shaft 38 are designed to be approximately the same distance.

[0047] The second spring member 40 is attached to the second movable shaft 41 and the second fixed shaft 42 in a state where an elastic force is generated so as to rotate the pedal arm portion 25 towards the front of the vehicle. In addition, when the pedal arm portion 25 is not depressed, the elastic force applied from the first spring member 37 to the pedal arm portion 25 is greater than the elastic force applied from the second spring member 40 to the pedal arm portion 25. Therefore, a force that presses the pin 33 against the rear regulating portion 36 is always acting on the pedal arm portion 25. This makes it possible to suppress rattling of the pedal arm portion 25 due to vibration or the like and erroneous operation of the pedal portion 26.

[0048] The following describes the positions and states of the members of the second reaction force generating mechanism 28 in response to the rotation of the pedal arm portion 25. As shown in Fig. 2, when the pedal arm portion 25 is in the rear end position described above, the second movable shaft 41 is shifted toward the rear of the vehicle relative to the second fixed shaft 42, which is the rotation direction of the pedal arm portion 25. In other words, the second movable shaft is located further toward the rear of the vehicle than the support shaft portion 30 and the second fixed shaft 42.

[0049] As the pedal arm portion 25 rotates from this state, the second movable shaft 41 moves vertically downward and toward the front of the vehicle around the support shaft portion 30, and the second movable shaft 41 moves toward the front of the vehicle relative to the second fixed shaft 42. Then, as shown in Fig. 3, when the pedal arm portion 25 reaches the intermediate position, the center of rotation of the second movable shaft 41 is located on the neutral line L. In other words, the second spring member 40 is in a maximally compressed state.

[0050] When the pedal arm portion 25 further rotates and is in the front end position as shown in FIG. 4, the second movable shaft 41 moves toward the vehicle front side from the neutral line L. That is, when the pedal arm portion 25 is in the front end position, the distance between the second movable shaft 41 and the second fixed shaft 42 is wider than the distance between the second movable shaft 41 and the second fixed shaft 42 when the second spring member 40 is in the most compressed state. In other words, when the pedal arm portion 25 is in the front end position, the elastic force acting on the pedal arm portion 25 from the second spring member 40 is smaller than when the pedal arm portion 25 is in the intermediate position. Therefore, when the pedal arm portion 25 starts to rotate, the displacement of the second spring member 40 from the initial length increases in accordance with an increase in the stroke amount or depression angle of the pedal arm portion 25. On the other hand, after the position of the pedal arm portion 25 passes the intermediate position, the displacement of the second spring member 40 from the initial length decreases in accordance with an increase in the stroke amount or depression angle of the pedal arm portion.

[0051] The operation of the clutch pedal 14 thus configured will be described. As described above, when the pedal portion 26 is not depressed, a reaction force is applied to the pedal arm portion 25 to rotate toward the rear of the vehicle due to the elastic forces of the first spring member 37 and the second spring member 40. On the other hand, the rotation of the pedal arm portion 25 toward the rear of the vehicle is restricted by the pin 33 provided on the pedal arm portion 25 and the rear restriction portion 36 formed on the other fixed portion 34.

[0052] When the pedal section 26 is depressed by the driver, the pedal arm section 25 rotates around the support shaft section 30 toward the front of the vehicle. As a result, in the first reaction force generating mechanism 27, the first spring member 37 is stretched, thereby increasing the reaction force in the direction returning the pedal arm section 25 to the front end position. In the second reaction force generating mechanism 28, the second spring member 40 is compressed, thereby increasing the reaction force in the direction returning the pedal arm section 25 to the front end position. In this way, when the pedal section 26 is depressed from the front end position, the reaction force applied to the pedal arm section 25 by the first reaction force generating mechanism 27 and the second reaction force generating mechanism 28 increases in accordance with an increase in the stroke amount or depression angle of the pedal arm section 25.

[0053] At this time, the increase in the elastic force applied from the first reaction force generation mechanism 27 to the pedal arm portion 25 increases linearly or linearly according to the stroke amount of the pedal arm portion 25. On the other hand, the increase in the elastic force applied to the pedal arm portion 25 by the second reaction force generation mechanism 28 corresponds to the amount of movement of the second movable shaft 41 toward the front and downward of the vehicle when the pedal arm portion 25 rotates. In other words, the elastic force acting on the pedal arm portion 25 from the second reaction force generation mechanism 28 changes quadratically, that is, nonlinearly, according to the stroke amount of the pedal arm portion 25 or with respect to the depression angle.

[0054] Thereafter, when the pedal arm portion 25 rotates and reaches the intermediate position, the support shaft portion 30, the second movable shaft 41, and the second fixed shaft 42 are aligned in a straight line in the second reaction force generation mechanism 28. That is, as described above, the second spring member 40 is in a most compressed state, and the reaction force generated by the second reaction force generation mechanism 28 on the pedal arm portion 25 is the largest.

[0055] When the pedal arm portion 25 further rotates beyond the intermediate position, in the second reaction force generation mechanism 28, the second movable shaft 41 moves toward the vehicle front side from the neutral line L connecting the support shaft portion 30 and the second fixed shaft 42. As a result, the distance between the second movable shaft 41 and the second fixed shaft 42 increases, and the amount of displacement of the second spring member 40 from its initial length decreases. That is, the elastic force acting from the second reaction force generation mechanism 28 to the pedal arm portion 25 decreases. On the other hand, in the first reaction force generation mechanism 27, the amount of displacement of the first spring member 37 from its initial length continues to increase in response to the rotation of the pedal arm portion 25, so that the elastic force acting from the first reaction force generation mechanism 27 to the pedal arm portion 25 further increases. At this time, the first reaction force generation mechanism 27 and the second reaction force generation mechanism 28 are configured so that the decrease in the elastic force acting on the pedal arm section 25 from the second reaction force generation mechanism 28 is greater than the increase in the elastic force acting on the pedal arm section 25 from the first reaction force generation mechanism 27. In other words, the reaction force generated in the pedal arm section 25 is configured to decrease as the stroke amount or depression angle of the pedal arm section 25 increases.

[0056] Further, when the pedal portion 26 is depressed, the pedal arm portion 25 rotates, and the pin 33 comes into contact with the front side restricting portion 35. As a result, the rotation of the pedal arm portion 25 stops and the pedal arm portion 25 reaches the front end position. When the pedal arm portion 25 reaches the front end position, the first reaction force generating mechanism 27 has the largest displacement amount from the initial length of the first spring member 37. Also, in the second reaction force generating mechanism 28, the displacement amount from the initial length of the second spring member 40 is smaller than when the pedal arm portion 25 is in the intermediate position. Therefore, between the intermediate position and the front end position, the reaction force generated in the pedal arm portion 25 decreases according to an increase in the stroke amount or depression angle of the pedal arm portion 25. In other words, when the pedal arm portion 25 reaches the front end position, the reaction force generated in the pedal arm portion 25 is smaller than when the pedal arm portion 25 reaches the intermediate position. In addition, when the force input to the pedal decreases and the pedal arm portion 25 returns from the front end position to the rear end position, the first reaction force generating mechanism 27 and the second reaction force generating mechanism 28 are configured so that the reaction force generated in the pedal arm portion 25 is smaller than when the pedal arm portion 25 is pressed from the rear end position to the front end position.

[0057] In the clutch pedal 14 in the first embodiment of the present invention, a reaction force is applied to the pedal arm portion 25 by the first reaction force generating mechanism 27 and the second reaction force generating mechanism 28. The first reaction force generating mechanism 27 linearly increases the reaction force generated in the pedal arm portion 25 in response to an increase in the stroke amount or depression angle of the pedal arm portion 25 when the pedal arm portion 25 rotates from the rear end position to the front end position. On the other hand, the second reaction force generating mechanism 28 quadratically or nonlinearly increases the reaction force generated in the pedal arm portion 25 in response to an increase in the stroke amount or depression angle of the pedal arm portion 25 when the pedal arm portion 25 rotates from the rear end position to the front end position. Furthermore, the second reaction force generating mechanism 28 nonlinearly decreases the reaction force generated in the pedal arm portion 25 in response to an increase in the stroke amount or depression angle when the pedal arm portion 25 becomes larger than a predetermined stroke amount or a predetermined depression angle.

[0058] As a result, the reaction force generated in pedal arm portion 25 changes quadratically or nonlinearly as the stroke amount of pedal arm portion 25 increases, and gradually decreases when pedal arm portion 25 exceeds a predetermined stroke amount or a predetermined depression angle. The reaction force characteristics of pedal arm portion 25 are determined based on the spring characteristics of the two spring members, that is, the load input to the two spring members and the amount of deformation or deflection due to the load. Therefore, the clutch pedal 14 in the embodiment of the present invention is given reaction force characteristics similar to those of a clutch pedal of a manual transmission vehicle having the above-mentioned turnover characteristics by such two spring members.

[0059] According to the clutch pedal 14 in the first embodiment of the present invention, such a reaction force characteristic of the clutch pedal 14 can be reproduced by a simple configuration. That is, as described above, one end of the second spring member 40 is connected to the pedal arm portion 25 via the second movable shaft 41, and the other end of the second spring member 40 is connected to the other fixed portion 34 via the second fixed shaft 42. Therefore, the turnover characteristic can be simulated in the clutch pedal 14 without any other member, for example, a link member, between the second spring member 40 and the second movable shaft 41 or the second fixed shaft 42. In addition, the first spring member 37 and the second spring member 40 are attached so that their expansion and contraction directions are along the vertical direction. Therefore, the clutch pedal 14 can be made to have a turnover characteristic while being made smaller as a whole. Furthermore, the first reaction force generation mechanism 27, which applies a relatively large elastic force to the pedal arm portion 25, is disposed on the vehicle front side with respect to the support shaft portion 30, and the second reaction force generation mechanism 28, which applies a smaller elastic force to the pedal arm portion 25 than the second reaction force generation mechanism 28, is disposed on the vehicle rear side with respect to the support shaft portion 30. In other words, since the second spring member 40, which has a relatively small spring size, is disposed on the vehicle rear side, a sufficient area for the driver to operate the device can be secured.

[0060] Next, a clutch pedal 50 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 5. For convenience of description, the clutch sensor 15, the pin 33, and the two restricting portions 35, 36 are omitted from FIG. 5. In FIG. 5, only the parts necessary for the description are denoted by reference numerals, and the same components as those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted or simplified. In the clutch pedal 50 according to the second embodiment, the second spring member 52 in the second reaction force generating mechanism 51 is formed of a torsion coil spring. In the second embodiment, the second spring member 52 has one arm connected to the second movable shaft 53 so as to be relatively rotatable, and the other arm connected to the second fixed shaft 54 ​​so as to be relatively rotatable. The coil portion of the second spring member 52 is not supported by any other member. The second spring member 52 in the second embodiment, like the second spring member 40 in the first embodiment, is attached so as to apply to the pedal arm portion 25 an elastic force that changes quadratically, i.e. nonlinearly, depending on the stroke amount of the pedal arm portion 25 or the depression angle.

[0061] Specifically, when the pedal arm portion 25 is at the rear end position, the second spring member 52 applies an elastic force to the pedal arm portion 25 so as to rotate the pedal arm portion 25 toward the front of the vehicle. Meanwhile, the pin 33 is pressed against the rear restriction portion 36 by the first spring member 37, which applies an elastic force larger than that of the second spring member 52 to the pedal arm portion 25.

[0062] When the pedal portion 26 is depressed by the driver, the second spring member 52 is compressed, and a reaction force acting against the torque around the support shaft portion 30 acts on the pedal arm portion 25. Furthermore, the pedal arm portion 25 rotates, causing the second movable shaft 53 to rotate, and the second movable shaft 53, the second fixed shaft 54, and the support shaft portion 30 are aligned in a straight line. In other words, the second spring member 52 is in a most compressed state, and the elastic force acting from the second spring member 52 to the pedal arm portion 25 is greatest.

[0063] Furthermore, when the pedal arm portion 25 rotates, the distance between the second movable shaft 53 and the second fixed shaft 54 ​​gradually increases as the stroke amount or depression angle of the pedal arm portion 25 increases. In other words, the distance between one end and the other end of the second spring member 52 increases, and the length of the second spring member approaches the initial length, so that the elastic force acting from the second spring member 52 to the pedal arm portion 25 decreases. Thereafter, as the stroke amount of the pedal arm portion 25 increases, the elastic force acting on the pedal arm portion 25 gradually decreases. Then, the pin 33 of the pedal arm portion 25 abuts against the front side regulating portion 35, so that the pedal arm portion 25 reaches the front end position. Even with the clutch pedal 50 in the second embodiment configured in this manner, the same effect as that of the first embodiment described above can be obtained. In addition, in the clutch pedal 50 in the second embodiment, since the second spring member 52 is configured by a torsion coil spring, the device as a whole can be made smaller in the vertical direction than the clutch pedal 14 in the first embodiment.

[0064] Next, a clutch pedal 60 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 6. For convenience of description, the clutch sensor 15, the pin 33, and the two restricting portions 35, 36 are omitted from FIG. 6. In FIG. 6, only the parts necessary for the description are denoted by reference numerals, and the same components as those in FIG. 2 or FIG. 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted or simplified. In the clutch pedal 60 according to the third embodiment, the second reaction force generating mechanism 51 is configured similarly to the second reaction force generating mechanism 51 shown in the second embodiment. Meanwhile, in the clutch pedal 60 according to the third embodiment, the first spring member 62 in the first reaction force generating mechanism 61 is configured by a torsion coil spring.

[0065] The first spring member 62 in the first reaction force generating mechanism 61 has one arm connected to the first movable shaft 63 so as to be rotatable relative to the first fixed shaft 64, and the other arm connected to the first movable shaft 63 so as to be rotatable relative to the first fixed shaft 64. The support shaft 30 is inserted into the coil portion of the first spring member 62 so as to be rotatable relative to the coil portion. The first spring member 62 exerts an elastic force on the pedal arm portion 25 in a direction to bring the first movable shaft 63 and the first fixed shaft 64 closer to each other, similar to the first spring member 37 in the first and second embodiments. Therefore, similar to the first spring member 37 described above, the elastic force acting on the pedal arm portion 25 can be increased as the stroke amount of the pedal arm portion 25 increases. With this configuration, the clutch pedal 60 can be made smaller as a whole device than when the first spring member 62 is a tension coil spring.

[0066] Next, a clutch pedal 70 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 7. For convenience of description, the clutch sensor 15, the pin 33, and the two restricting portions 35 and 36 are omitted in FIG. 7. Also, in FIG. 7, only the parts necessary for the description are denoted by reference numerals, and the same configurations as those in FIG. 2 or FIG. 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted or simplified. In the clutch pedal 70 according to the fourth embodiment, although not shown, the second reaction force generating mechanism may be configured similarly to the second reaction force generating mechanism 28 shown in the first embodiment or the second reaction force generating mechanism 51 shown in the second embodiment. Also, in the clutch pedal 70 according to the fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the first spring member 72 in the first reaction force generating mechanism 71 has two tension coil springs 72a and 72b. The two tension coil springs 72a and 72b are arranged so as to overlap with each other in the lateral direction of the vehicle. Therefore, the cross-sectional view of the fourth embodiment is substantially the same as the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 5.

[0067] In the fourth embodiment, the first movable shaft 73 and the first fixed shaft 74 are formed longer in the lateral direction of the vehicle, that is, in the axial direction, compared to the other embodiments. One end of each of the two tension coil springs 72a, 72b in the first reaction force generating mechanism 71 is connected to the first movable shaft 73 so as to be relatively rotatable, and the other end is connected to the first fixed shaft 74 so as to be relatively rotatable. That is, the first spring member 72 is configured by arranging the two tension coil springs 72a, 72b in parallel between the first movable shaft 73 and the first fixed shaft 74. Therefore, the number of effective turns of each of the first spring members 72 can be reduced, and the overall length of the tension coil springs can be shortened. Therefore, the length in the vertical direction of the vehicle can be shortened, and the clutch pedal 70 can be made smaller as a whole device.

[0068] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned example, and may be appropriately modified within the scope of achieving the object of the present invention. For example, the positions of the second movable shaft 41, 53 and the second fixed shaft 42, 54 in the second reaction force generating mechanism 28, 51 are not limited to the above-mentioned positions. In other words, it is only necessary that one end of the second spring member 40, 52 is rotatably connected to a predetermined fixed portion 29, and the other end of the second spring member 40, 52 is rotatably connected to a predetermined position between the pedal portion 26 and the support shaft portion 30. The specified location is set at a position shifted in the rotational direction of the pedal arm portion 25 from the neutral line L connecting the support shaft portion 30 and the second fixed shafts 42, 54, and is configured so that the angle between the line connecting the support shaft portion 30 and the second movable shafts 41, 53 and the neutral line L is smaller than the angle between the line connecting the second fixed shafts 42, 54 and the second movable shafts 41, 53 and the neutral line L.

[0069] Alternatively, the positions of the second movable shafts 41, 53 and the second fixed shafts 42, 54 may be such that the elastic force of the second spring members 40, 52 increases with an increase in the stroke amount of the pedal arm section 25, and when the position of the pedal arm section 25 exceeds the intermediate position, the elastic force decreases with an increase in the stroke amount. For example, the positions of the second movable shafts 41, 53 and the second fixed shafts 42, 54 may be such that the displacement amount of the second fixed shafts 42, 54 in the rotation direction is large relative to the displacement amount of the support shaft section 30 in the rotation direction, and the elastic force of the second spring members 40, 52 is the largest when the pedal arm section 25 is in the intermediate position. Therefore, based on the above-mentioned configuration, the positions of the second movable shafts 41, 53 and the second fixed shafts 42, 54 may be appropriately set according to the characteristics of the reaction force to be generated in the pedal arm section 25 by the second reaction force generating mechanism 28, 51.

[0070] For example, in any of the above-mentioned embodiments, when the position of the second movable shaft 41, 53 is moved closer to the center line, the reaction force generated in the pedal arm portion 25 can be maximized with a small stroke amount compared to any of the above-mentioned embodiments. Alternatively, by increasing the distance between the second movable shaft 41, 53 and the second fixed shaft 42, 54, the change in the elastic force generated in the pedal arm portion 25 can be made gentler.

[0071] In addition, the clutch pedal 14, 50, 60, 70 in the embodiment of the present invention is mounted on the pseudo-manual transmission EV vehicle 1 as described above, but may be mounted on other vehicles. In that case, the clutch pedal 14, 50, 60, 70 may be configured to operate by so-called pedal-by-wire, which is not mechanically connected to other mechanisms in the vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1 vehicle 2 electric motor 14,50,60,70 Clutch pedal 15 Clutch sensor 15a Interlocking part 15b Motion detection unit 19 ECU 25 Pedal arm section 26 Pedal part (tread surface) 27,61,71 First reaction force generating mechanism 28,51 Second reaction force generating mechanism 29 Prescribed fixing part 30 Support shaft part (pivot part) 31 1st extension part 32 Second extension part 33 pin 34 Other fixed parts 35 Front regulation part 36 Rear regulation part 37, 62, 72 First spring member (other spring member) 38, 63, 73 First movable axis (other designated locations) 39,64,74 1st fixed axis 40,52 Second spring member 41,53 Second movable axis (specified location) 42,54 2nd fixed shaft (connection part) 72a Extension coil spring 72b Extension coil spring L neutral line

Claims

1. A pedal mechanism comprising: a pedal arm having a tread surface at one end and pivotally attached at the other end to a predetermined fixed part; and a spring member that applies a reaction force to the pedal arm against a torque centered on the other end caused by stepping on the tread surface, one end of the spring member is rotatably connected to the predetermined fixed portion, and the other end of the spring member is rotatably connected to a predetermined location of the pedal arm between the tread surface and a pivot portion for the predetermined fixed portion, the predetermined location is set at a position shifted in a rotation direction of the pedal arm from a neutral line connecting the pivot portion and a connecting portion that connects one end of the spring member to the predetermined fixed portion, The angle between the neutral line and a line connecting the pivot part and the predetermined point is smaller than the angle between the neutral line and a line connecting the connecting part and the predetermined point. A pedal mechanism comprising:

2. 2. A pedal mechanism according to claim 1, Further, another spring member is provided to apply the reaction force to the pedal arm. one end of the other spring member is connected to the predetermined fixed portion, and the other end of the other spring member is connected to another predetermined portion of the pedal arm, The other predetermined location is set at a position shifted from the neutral line in the rotation direction of the pedal arm. A pedal mechanism comprising:

3. 3. A pedal mechanism according to claim 2, The spring member and the other spring member are attached in a state in which an elastic force is applied to the pedal arm. A pedal mechanism comprising:

4. A pedal mechanism according to claim 2 or 3, The predetermined location and the other predetermined location are set on opposite sides of the neutral line of the pedal arm. A pedal mechanism comprising:

5. A pedal mechanism according to claim 2 or 3, The spring member and the other spring member each include a coil spring or a torsion coil spring. A pedal mechanism comprising:

6. 6. A pedal mechanism according to claim 5, The other spring member is a tension coil spring. A pedal mechanism comprising:

7. 7. A pedal mechanism according to claim 6, The other spring member is constituted by a plurality of the tension coil springs acting in parallel on the pedal arm. A pedal mechanism comprising:

8. 3. A pedal mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, The pedal arm is mounted on a vehicle using an electric motor as a driving force source, a clutch sensor for detecting a stroke amount of the pedal arm caused by a depression operation of the pedal surface, The electric motor of the vehicle is controlled based on the detection signal of the clutch sensor. A pedal mechanism comprising:

9. 9. A pedal mechanism according to claim 8, The vehicle is The motor has a plurality of torque characteristics that are relationships between the rotation speed and torque of the motor, A pseudo-manual transmission type electric vehicle in which a plurality of pseudo-gear stages corresponding to the plurality of torque characteristics are set. A pedal mechanism comprising:

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