Brake device

Abstract

To provide a brake device having many functions while suppressing an increase in size.SOLUTION: A pedal lever rotates in a first direction around a first rotation shaft by step-in operation and performs braking of a movable body. A rotor 13 rotates around a second rotation shaft A2 along with rotation of the pedal lever. A torsion spring 16 is arranged coaxially with the second rotation shaft A2 and energizes the pedal lever in a second direction opposite to the first direction via the rotor 13 along with rotation of the pedal lever. A sensor outputs a signal corresponding to a rotation amount of the rotor 13.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a braking device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a brake-by-wire type braking device that controls braking force by converting the operation amount of a pedal into an electric signal. The device creates a pedal operation feeling using a stroke simulator with an elastic member that can expand and contract and a linear actuator interposed therebetween.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] There is a demand to achieve multifunctionalization of a braking device while suppressing an increase in size.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] One example of an aspect provided by the present disclosure is a braking device, a pedal lever that rotates in a first direction about a first pivot axis by a stepping operation and brakes a moving body, a movable member that rotates about a second pivot axis as the pedal lever rotates, an elastic member that is arranged coaxially with the second pivot axis and biases the pedal lever in a second direction opposite to the first direction via the movable member as the pedal lever rotates, a sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to the amount of rotation of the movable member, and includes.

[0006] According to the above configuration, it is possible to realize a function of extracting, as a signal, information indicating the amount of rotation of a pedal lever that is depressed to brake a moving body. The rotation of the pedal lever about the first rotation axis accompanying the depression operation is converted into the rotation about the second rotation axis of the movable member. When the movable member is rotated, the elastic member generates a biasing force that rotates the pedal lever in the reverse direction, so that the operating feeling of the pedal lever can be created as a reaction force to the depression operation. That is, a function as a stroke simulator can be added to the brake device. On the other hand, the rotation about the second rotation axis of the movable member and the elastic member arranged coaxially with the second rotation axis can realize the function as a stroke simulator. As a result, while suppressing the increase in size of the brake device, it is possible to achieve multifunctionality.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

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Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] With reference to the accompanying drawings, examples of embodiments will be described in detail below. In each of the drawings used in the following description, the scale is appropriately changed in order to make each element recognizable in size.

[0009] With reference to the accompanying drawings, examples of embodiments will be described in detail below. In the accompanying drawings, arrow F indicates the forward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow B indicates the rearward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow U indicates the upward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow D indicates the downward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow R indicates the rightward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow L indicates the leftward direction of the illustrated structure.

[0010] As used in this specification, the term "front-rear direction" means the direction along the above-mentioned forward and rearward directions. As used in this specification, the term "up-down direction" means the direction along the above-mentioned upward and downward directions. As used in this specification, the term "left-right direction" means the direction along the above-mentioned leftward and rightward directions.

[0011] Figure 1 illustrates the appearance of a brake device 10 according to an example of an embodiment. The brake device 10 is configured to be mounted on a moving body such as a vehicle.

[0012] The brake device 10 includes a pedal lever 11. The pedal lever 11 is configured to receive a stepping operation by the foot of an occupant of the vehicle in order to perform braking of the vehicle. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the pedal lever 11 is displaceable forward of the vehicle about a first pivot axis A1 by a stepping operation. The front of the vehicle is an example of a first direction.

[0013] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the brake device 10 includes a link 12. The link 12 includes a cylindrical body 121 and an arm portion 122.

[0014] The cylinder body 121 includes a bottom wall 121a and a peripheral wall 121b that partition the accommodation space. A circular large hole 121c and four small holes 121d are formed in the bottom wall 121a. The large hole 121c is disposed at the center of the bottom wall 121a. The four small holes 121d are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the large hole 121c so as to surround the large hole 121c.

[0015] The arm portion 122 extends from the peripheral wall 121b along the radial direction of the large hole 121c. A coupling portion 122a extending in the left - right direction is provided at the tip of the arm portion 122. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the coupling portion 122a is coupled to the pedal lever 11.

[0016] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the brake device 10 includes a rotor 13. The rotor 13 includes a first support portion 131 and a second support portion 132. The first support portion 131 has a disk shape. The second support portion 132 is disposed to the right of the first support portion 131.

[0017] The brake device 10 includes a first gear 141. The first gear 141 is fixed to the left side surface of the first support portion 131. The first gear 141 is arranged such that its central axis coincides with the center of the first support portion 131. Therefore, when the first gear 141 rotates, the rotor 13 also rotates.

[0018] The brake device 10 includes four second gears 142. Each of the four second gears 142 includes a rotating shaft that is coupled to a corresponding one of the four small holes 121d formed in the link 12. Thereby, each of the four second gears 142 is rotatably supported to the left of the bottom wall 121a.

[0019] FIG. 5 illustrates a state in which the rotor 13 is stored in an accommodation space partitioned by the cylindrical body 121 from the right side of the link 12. In this state, the first gear 141 supported by the first support portion 131 of the rotor 13 is exposed to the left of the bottom wall 121a through a large hole 121c formed in the bottom wall 121a of the cylindrical body 121 and meshes with four second gears 142. The diameter of the first support portion 131 is determined so as to allow rotation within the accommodation space.

[0020] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the brake device 10 includes a stator 15. FIG. 6 illustrates the appearance of the stator 15 viewed from the right side. The stator 15 has an annular peripheral wall 152 with an internal gear 151 formed on the inner peripheral surface. The internal gear 151 is configured to mesh with each of the four second gears 142. The stator 15 includes a support shaft 153. The support shaft 153 is disposed at a position corresponding to the center of the peripheral wall 152.

[0021] On the other hand, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the first gear 141 includes a hollow supported portion 141a. When the stator 15 is coupled so that the four second gears 142 supported by the link 12 mesh with the internal gear 151, the support shaft 153 is inserted into the supported portion 141a. Thereby, the first gear 141 is coupled to the stator 15 so as to be rotatable about the support shaft 153.

[0022] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the brake device 10 includes a torsion spring 16. The torsion spring 16 includes a first end portion 161, a second end portion 162, and a coil-shaped main body 163. The main body 163 connects the first end portion 161 and the second end portion 162 while partitioning a hollow portion 164. The torsion spring 16 is an example of an elastic member.

[0023] As illustrated in FIG. 7, the torsion spring 16 is attached to the rotor 13. The first end portion 161 is fixed to the first support portion 131. The second support portion 132 is disposed within the hollow portion 164.

[0024] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the braking device 10 includes a housing 17. The housing 17 includes a peripheral wall 172 that defines a housing space 171. A plurality of locking grooves 172a are formed in the peripheral wall 172. On the other hand, a plurality of protrusions 152a are formed on the peripheral wall 152 of the stator 15. By engaging the plurality of protrusions 152a with the plurality of locking grooves 172a, while accommodating the cylindrical body 121 of the link 12, the rotor 13, the first gear 141, the four second gears 142, and the torsion spring 16 in the housing space 171, the housing 17 and the stator 15 are coupled together.

[0025] Within the housing space 171, the support shaft 153 of the stator 15, the rotation shaft of the first gear 141, the central axis of the cylindrical body 121 of the link 12, the rotation shaft of the rotor 13, and the torsion spring 16 are coaxially arranged along the second rotation axis A2.

[0026] FIG. 8 illustrates a state in which the torsion spring 16 is disposed within the housing space 171 of the housing 17. The second end portion 162 of the torsion spring 16 is fixed to the housing 17. That is, when the stator 15 and the housing 17 are coupled, the torsion spring 16 is supported in a state of being a simply supported beam with both ends on the rotor 13 and the housing 17.

[0027] As illustrated in FIG. 4, a plurality of flange portions 172b are formed on the peripheral wall 172 of the housing 17. The plurality of flange portions 172b are fixed to a support body (not shown) mounted on the vehicle by screwing or the like. Thereby, while allowing the rotation of the pedal lever 11 about the first rotation axis A1, the braking device 10 is fixed to the vehicle.

[0028] On the peripheral wall 172 of the housing 17, a circumferentially extending groove 172c is formed. When the housing 17 is coupled to the stator 15, the arm portion 122 of the link 12 is disposed within the groove 172c. The shape of the groove 172c is defined so as to allow displacement of the arm portion 122 accompanying rotation of the pedal lever 11. Thereby, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, relative displacement of the arm portion 122 with respect to the housing 17 is allowed. When the pedal lever 11 rotates about the first rotation axis A1 by a stepping operation of an occupant, the arm portion 122 pivots about the second rotation axis A2.

[0029] As illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, accompanying the pivoting of the arm portion 122, the cylindrical body 121 of the link 12 rotates about the second rotation axis A2. Accompanying the rotation of the cylindrical body 121, each of the four second gears 142 supported by the bottom wall 121a and meshing with the internal gear 151 of the stator 15 performs a movement (revolution) about the second rotation axis A2 along the internal gear 151 while rotating itself.

[0030] The first gear 141 meshing with the four second gears 142 rotates about the second rotation axis A2 accompanying the rotation of the second gears 142. Since the first gear 141 is fixed to the rotor 13, the rotor 13 also rotates about the second rotation axis A2. That is, accompanying the rotation of the pedal lever 11 about the first rotation axis A1, the rotor 13 rotates about the second rotation axis A2. The rotor 13 is an example of a movable member.

[0031] The amount of rotation of the first gear 141 is determined by the ratio of the number of teeth of the first gear 141 to the number of teeth of the second gear 142. By making the number of teeth of the first gear 141 larger than the number of teeth of the second gear 142, the rotation angle of the rotor 13 can be made larger than the rotation angle of the cylindrical body 121 of the link 12. That is, relative rotation about the second rotation axis A2 is allowed between the cylindrical body 121 and the rotor 13.

[0032] As described above, the first end portion 161 and the second end portion 162 of the torsion spring 16 are fixed to the rotor 13 and the housing 17, respectively. Therefore, as the rotor 13 rotates, the angular position of the first end portion 161 about the second rotation axis A2 with respect to the second end portion 162 changes, and torsional stress acts on the torsion spring 16.

[0033] As a result, the torsion spring 16 generates an elastic restoring force in the direction of rotating the rotor 13 in the reverse direction. The elastic restoring force is transmitted to the link 12 via the first gear 141 and the second gear 142, and acts as a force for biasing the pedal lever 11 toward the rear of the vehicle. The rear of the vehicle is an example of the second direction.

[0034] As illustrated in FIG. 7, the brake device 10 includes a magnet 18. The magnet 18 is supported at the tip (right end) of the second support portion 132 of the rotor 13.

[0035] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the brake device 10 includes a magnetic sensor 19. The magnetic sensor 19 is supported by the housing 17 so as to face the magnet 18 disposed in the accommodation space 171. The magnetic sensor 19 is configured to output a signal corresponding to a change in the magnetic field due to the magnet 18. Examples of the magnetic sensor 19 include a magnetoresistive effect element and a Hall element.

[0036] When the pedal lever 11 is rotated about the first rotation axis A1 by the stepping operation of the occupant, the rotor 13 rotates about the second rotation axis A2, and the magnet 18 supported by the rotor 13 also rotates about the second rotation axis A2. As the magnet 18 rotates, the magnetic field changes, and the change is used for detection by the magnetic sensor 19.

[0037] The signal output from the magnetic sensor 19 may be configured to directly indicate the amount of rotation of the pedal lever 11, or may be configured to indicate that the pedal lever 11 has been rotated by a predetermined amount.

[0038] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the housing 17 is provided with a connector 173. The signal output from the magnetic sensor 19 is transmitted through the connector 173 to an appropriate processing device mounted on the vehicle and is used for appropriate processing executed by the processing device.

[0039] The signal output from the magnetic sensor 19 may include a signal for operating a braking mechanism mounted on the vehicle according to the amount of rotation of the pedal lever 11. That is, the brake device 10 may have a function as a brake-by-wire type brake device. In this case, the braking mechanism is an example of a controlled device.

[0040] In addition to or instead of this, the signal output from the magnetic sensor 19 may include a signal for lighting a brake light mounted on the vehicle when the pedal lever 11 is rotated by a predetermined amount. The brake light is an example of a controlled device.

[0041] As described above, according to the brake device 10 according to the present exemplary embodiment, a function of extracting information indicating the amount of rotation of the pedal lever 11 that is depressed to perform braking of the vehicle as a signal can be realized.

[0042] The rotation of the pedal lever 11 about the first rotation axis A1 accompanying the depression operation is converted into the rotation about the second rotation axis A2 of the rotor 13. When the rotor 13 is rotated, the torsion spring 16 generates a biasing force for rotating the pedal lever 11 in the reverse direction, so that the operating feeling of the pedal lever 11 can be created as a reaction force to the depression operation. That is, a function as a stroke simulator can be added to the brake device 10.

[0043] On the other hand, the rotation about the second rotation axis A2 of the rotor 13 and the torsion spring 16 arranged coaxially with the second rotation axis A2 can realize a function as a stroke simulator. As a result, while suppressing an increase in size of the brake device 10, multifunctionality can be achieved.

[0044] In the present embodiment, the first gear 141, the four second gears 142, and the internal gear 151 of the stator 15 constitute a planetary gear mechanism that transmits the rotation centered on the first rotation axis A1 of the pedal lever 11 to the rotor 13. Note that the number of the second gears 142 may be two or more.

[0045] According to such a configuration, since it is possible to arrange the first rotation axis A1 and the second rotation axis A2 to coincide with each other, it is easier to suppress the increase in size of the brake device 10. In addition, according to the planetary gear mechanism, it is easy to obtain a relatively large torque, and it is easy to increase the speed increase ratio of the first gear 141 with respect to the second gear 142 in a space-saving manner. Therefore, the operation amount of the pedal lever 11 required to obtain the rotation amount of the rotor 13 that generates a predetermined reaction force in the torsion spring 16 can be reduced.

[0046] However, as long as the rotor 13 can be rotated about the second rotation axis A2 based on the rotation of the pedal lever 11 about the first rotation axis A1, a transmission mechanism may be configured by a combination of a plurality of spur gears.

[0047] As described with reference to FIG. 4, the above planetary gear mechanism, rotor 13, and torsion spring 16 are arranged in the accommodation space 171 of the common housing 17. According to such a configuration, a plurality of components can be efficiently packaged in the housing 17, and it is easier to suppress the increase in size of the brake device 10.

[0048] Each of the configurations described so far is merely an example for facilitating the understanding of the present disclosure. Each configuration example can be appropriately changed and combined with other configuration examples without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0049] In the above-described embodiment, only the torsion spring 16 is arranged coaxially with the second rotation shaft A2, and a reaction force against the forward rotation operation of the pedal lever 11 is generated via the rotor 13. However, an elastic member having a restoring force against compression, such as a compression spring or a rubber pad, may be arranged between at least one of the first end portion 161 of the torsion spring 16 and the rotor 13 and between the second end portion 162 of the torsion spring 16 and the housing 17. The elastic member can be arranged so as to be compressed as the torsion spring 16 is torsionally deformed by the forward rotation operation of the pedal lever 11. In this case, since the elastic restoring force of the elastic member is added to the elastic restoring force of the torsion spring 16, a stronger reaction force can be supplied to the pedal lever 11. The shape, dimensions, arrangement, elastic coefficient, etc. of the elastic member can be appropriately set according to the required reaction force characteristics.

[0050] In the above-described embodiment, the magnetic sensor 19 detects a change in the magnetic field generated by the magnet 18 arranged on the rotor 13 as the rotor 13 rotates. In this case, information regarding the amount of rotation of the pedal lever 11 can be acquired with a relatively simple configuration that does not involve an increase in size. However, as long as the amount of rotation of the rotor 13 can be detected, the magnetic sensor 19 may be replaced with an eddy current sensor or the like.

[0051] The brake device according to each of the above-described embodiments has a so-called suspended configuration in which the first rotation shaft A1 is located above the upper end of the pedal surface on which the occupant's foot is placed. However, the first rotation shaft A1 can be arranged below the upper end of the pedal surface, like a so-called floor-mounted pedal device.

[0052] The brake device according to each of the above-described embodiments can also be mounted on a moving body other than a vehicle. Examples of other moving bodies include railways, aircraft, ships, etc.

[0053] Each of the configurations listed below also constitutes a part of the present disclosure. Item 1: A pedal lever that rotates in a first direction around a first rotation axis by a stepping operation to brake a moving body, A movable member that rotates around a second rotation axis as the pedal lever rotates, An elastic member that is arranged coaxially with the second rotation axis and biases the pedal lever in a second direction opposite to the first direction via the movable member as the pedal lever rotates, A sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to the amount of rotation of the movable member, and is provided with Item 2: It is provided with a planetary gear mechanism that transmits the rotation of the pedal lever to the movable member, The first rotation axis and the second rotation axis are arranged coaxially, The brake device according to Item 1. Item 3: It is provided with a common housing that houses the movable member, the elastic member, and the planetary gear mechanism, The brake device according to Item 2. Item 4: The signal includes a signal that controls the operation of the device to be controlled according to the amount of rotation, The brake device according to any one of Items 1 to 3. Item 5: A magnet is arranged on the movable member, The sensor is a magnetic sensor that detects a change in the magnetic field generated by the magnet as the movable member rotates, The brake device according to any one of Items 1 to 4.

Explanation of Signs

[0054] 10: Brake device, 11: Pedal lever, 13: Rotor, 141: First gear, 142: Second gear, 151: Internal gear, 16: Torsion spring, 17: Housing, 18: Magnet, 19: Magnetic sensor, A1: First rotation axis, A2: Second rotation axis, S1: First signal, S2: Second signal

Claims

1. A pedal lever that rotates in a first direction about a first pivot axis by a stepping operation to brake a moving body, A movable member that rotates about a second pivot axis as the pedal lever rotates, An elastic member that is coaxially arranged with the second pivot axis and biases the pedal lever in a second direction opposite to the first direction via the movable member as the pedal lever rotates, A sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to the amount of rotation of the movable member, A brake device comprising:

2. The brake device according to claim 1, further comprising a planetary gear mechanism that transmits the rotation of the pedal lever to the movable member, wherein the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis are coaxially arranged.

3. The brake device according to claim 2, further comprising a common housing that houses the movable member, the elastic member, and the planetary gear mechanism.

4. The signal according to claim 1 includes a signal for controlling the operation of a controlled device according to the amount of rotation.

5. A magnet is arranged on the movable member, and the sensor is a magnetic sensor that detects a change in the magnetic field generated by the magnet as the movable member rotates. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

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