Vehicular pedal structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicular pedal structure which can brake the vehicle more safely when a driver of a vehicle tries to apply sudden brake but selects an accelerator pedal in error instead of the brake pedal.SOLUTION: A vehicular pedal structure 100 which comprises an accelerator pedal 101 and a brake pedal 106 which adjoin each other, comprises: an auxiliary pedal 111 which is disposed at prescribed distance from a tread 101a of the accelerator pedal 101 to the driver side and stepped by the driver before the accelerator pedal 101; and an absorber 114 which intervenes between the auxiliary pedal 111 and the brake pedal 106 and receives force when the auxiliary pedal 111 is stepped. The absorber 114 generates damping force and then performs brake by interlocking the brake pedal 106 when stroke speed which is caused on the absorber 114 by the force is a prescribed value or greater.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pedal structure for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a device for preventing sudden vehicle acceleration. The device includes an accelerator pedal and a stopper against which the accelerator pedal abuts, which limits the range of movement of the accelerator lever. The accelerator pedal and the accelerator lever are integrally connected to function as an accelerator until the accelerator pedal contacts the stopper. If the accelerator pedal is further depressed after contacting the stopper, the accelerator pedal and the accelerator lever are released from their integral connection, and the brake pedal is depressed to apply braking. Patent Document 1 claims that this device can prevent sudden vehicle acceleration caused by accidentally stepping on the brake pedal instead of the accelerator pedal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-138304 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the device of Patent Document 1, the brake pedal is not depressed until the accelerator pedal is accidentally depressed and comes into contact with the stopper. In other words, the movement of the accelerator pedal until it comes into contact with the stopper may cause acceleration, even if only for a short time, and the vehicle may start moving.

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a pedal structure for a vehicle that allows the vehicle to be braked more safely when an occupant of the vehicle mistakenly selects the accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal when attempting to brake suddenly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a typical configuration of the present invention is a pedal structure for a vehicle that has an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal adjacent to each other, and that includes an auxiliary pedal that is positioned a predetermined distance toward the occupant from the tread surface of the accelerator pedal and is depressed by the occupant before the accelerator pedal, and an absorber that is interposed between the auxiliary pedal and the brake pedal and receives the force when the auxiliary pedal is depressed, and that generates a damping force when the stroke speed generated in the absorber by the force is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, thereby braking by interlocking the brake pedal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, a vehicle pedal structure can be provided that allows the vehicle to be braked more safely when a vehicle occupant mistakenly selects the accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal in an attempt to apply sudden braking. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle pedal structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the vehicle pedal structure of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 2 is a side view of the vehicle pedal structure of FIG. 1 as viewed from the right side in the vehicle width direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] One embodiment of the present invention is a pedal structure for a vehicle that has an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal adjacent to each other, and includes an auxiliary pedal that is positioned a predetermined distance toward the occupant from the tread surface of the accelerator pedal and is depressed by the occupant before the accelerator pedal, and an absorber that is interposed between the auxiliary pedal and the brake pedal and receives the force when the auxiliary pedal is depressed, and the absorber generates a damping force when the stroke speed generated in the absorber by the force is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, thereby braking by interlocking the brake pedal.

[0010] According to the present invention, when a vehicle occupant mistakenly selects the accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal in an attempt to brake suddenly, i.e., when the accelerator pedal is about to be depressed at a stroke speed equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the auxiliary pedal is depressed first. As a result, the auxiliary pedal generates a damping force in the absorber, interlocking with the brake pedal, and the occupant essentially depresses the brake pedal to brake the vehicle. In other words, since vehicle braking begins via the auxiliary pedal before the accelerator pedal is depressed, sudden acceleration of the vehicle caused by mistakenly depressing the brake pedal instead of the accelerator pedal is prevented, and the vehicle can be braked safely.

[0011] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the vehicle is braked even when the accelerator pedal of the vehicle is intentionally depressed hard, so that sudden starts and sudden acceleration of the vehicle can be prevented.

[0012] The predetermined distance may be greater than the stroke of the brake pedal, allowing the brake pedal to be fully depressed over the stroke before the accelerator pedal is depressed via the auxiliary pedal, thereby maximizing vehicle braking.

[0013] The vehicle pedal structure may further include an elastic member connecting the accelerator pedal and the auxiliary pedal. With this configuration, the elastic member maintains the position of the auxiliary pedal relative to the accelerator pedal, making it difficult for the accelerator pedal and the auxiliary pedal to become misaligned. As a result, the operability of the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal under normal conditions is ensured. [Example]

[0014] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dimensions, materials, and other specific values shown in these embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention and, unless otherwise specified, do not limit the present invention. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant explanation, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown.

[0015] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle pedal structure 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 1 and all other drawings, the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle is indicated by arrows F (Forward) and B (Backward), the left and right directions in the vehicle width direction are indicated by arrows L (Leftward) and R (Rightward), and the up-down direction is indicated by arrows U (Upward) and D (Downward). Note that the following description will be given of the vehicle pedal structure 100 applied to a vehicle, but it can also be applied to other vehicles.

[0016] The vehicle pedal structure 100 shown in Fig. 1 includes an accelerator pedal 101 and a brake pedal 106 adjacent to each other. The accelerator pedal 101 is a pedal that generates acceleration. The acceleration of the vehicle caused by the accelerator pedal 101 begins to occur when the occupant begins to depress the accelerator pedal 101 from an initial position, and is maximized when the occupant has completely depressed the accelerator pedal 101 over its stroke amount.

[0017] The front end of accelerator pedal 101 is connected to arm 102. The upper part of arm 102 is supported by a shaft (not shown) attached to support bracket 103 fixed to vehicle body 200. Therefore, when a passenger steps on tread surface 101a, accelerator pedal 101 rotates around the shaft (not shown) attached to support bracket 103, and moves from its initial position downward and forward of the vehicle.

[0018] The brake pedal 106 is a pedal that generates a braking force. The braking force of the vehicle caused by the brake pedal 106 starts to be generated when the occupant starts to depress the brake pedal 106 from the initial position, and is generated at a maximum when the occupant has completely depressed the brake pedal 106 over its stroke amount.

[0019] The back surface of the brake pedal 106 is connected to an arm 107. The upper part of this arm 107 is supported by a shaft 109 provided on a support bracket 108 fixed to the vehicle body 200. When the occupant steps on the tread surface 106a of the brake pedal 106, the brake pedal 106 rotates around the shaft 109 provided on the support bracket 108 and moves from its initial position downward and forward of the vehicle. In the following description, the direction of movement of the accelerator pedal 101 and the brake pedal 106 is referred to as the pedal operation direction J.

[0020] The vehicle pedal structure 100 includes an auxiliary pedal 111. The auxiliary pedal 111 is disposed a predetermined distance M (see FIG. 3) toward the occupant from the tread surface 101a of the accelerator pedal 101. Therefore, the auxiliary pedal 111 is stepped on by the occupant before the accelerator pedal 101. When the occupant steps on the tread surface 111a, the auxiliary pedal 111 can move from at least an initial position to a position where it comes into contact with the accelerator pedal 101.

[0021] 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the vehicle pedal structure 100 of FIG. 1. The vehicle pedal structure 100 includes an elastic member 112. The elastic member 112 connects the accelerator pedal 101 and the auxiliary pedal 111. In this embodiment, for example, a compression coil spring is used as the elastic member 112. When the occupant is not stepping on the auxiliary pedal 111, the elastic member 112 is stretched. When the occupant steps on the auxiliary pedal 111, the elastic member 112 contracts.

[0022] The vehicle pedal structure 100 includes a link 113. The link 113 is made of a rigid body. The link 113 has a first extension portion 113a extending in the pedal operation direction J, a second extension portion 113b extending from an upper portion of the first extension portion 113a to the right in the vehicle width direction, and a third extension portion 113c extending from a lower portion of the first extension portion 113a to the left in the vehicle width direction. The first extension portion 113a is movably guided by a guide 210 (see FIG. 1) fixed to the floor surface of the vehicle body 200.

[0023] The right end of the second extension portion 113b is fixed to the left end surface 111b of the auxiliary pedal 111. The second extension portion 113b is located closer to the occupant than the tread surface 101a of the accelerator pedal 101. The left end of the third extension portion 113c is fixed to the lower end of an absorber 114 connected to the brake pedal 106, which will be described later. The third extension portion 113c is located farther from the occupant than the brake pedal 106 and the arm 107.

[0024] The vehicle pedal structure 100 includes an absorber 114. The absorber 114 is interposed between the auxiliary pedal 111 and the brake pedal 106. The absorber 114 is arranged to extend in the pedal operation direction J. The absorber 114 receives a pedaling force (force) when the auxiliary pedal 111 is depressed. The absorber 114 is activated when the occupant accidentally and suddenly depresses the auxiliary pedal 111 while trying to depress the brake pedal 106, thereby causing the brake pedal 106 to be depressed.

[0025] When the stroke speed generated in the absorber 114 exceeds a predetermined value, the absorber 114 generates a damping force in response to the pedaling force (force) of the occupant. At this time, the absorber 114 cannot extend, so the vehicle is braked by interlocking the auxiliary pedal 111 and the brake pedal 106.

[0026] Conversely, when the stroke speed of the absorber 114 is less than a predetermined value, the absorber 114 does not generate a damping force even if it receives a pedaling force (force) from the occupant. At this time, the absorber 114 extends, so the auxiliary pedal 111 remains in contact with the accelerator pedal 101 to perform the accelerator function, and the brake pedal 106 does not move.

[0027] The above-described auxiliary pedal 111, elastic member 112, link 113 and absorber 114 can be retrofitted to a vehicle.

[0028] In this embodiment, the stroke speed generated in the absorber 114 is the stroke speed in the extension direction of the absorber 114. In addition, in this embodiment, the predetermined value of the stroke speed generated in the absorber 114 is a numerical value obtained by converting into [m / s] the stroke speed of the accelerator pedal 101, which is assumed to be generated when an occupant accidentally presses the accelerator pedal 101 while intending to press the brake pedal 106. However, this predetermined value of the stroke speed generated in the absorber 114 can be changed as appropriate according to the characteristics of the vehicle.

[0029] The value of 400 [% / s] refers to the case where the occupant accidentally depresses the accelerator pedal 101 in approximately 0.25 seconds at the latest. Since the accelerator pedal is depressed by 100% of its stroke in 0.25 seconds, the accelerator pedal is depressed by 400% of its stroke per second.

[0030] Fig. 3 is a side view of the vehicle pedal structure 100 of Fig. 1 as seen from the right side in the vehicle width direction. Here, the predetermined distance M between the auxiliary pedal 111 and the accelerator pedal 101 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The predetermined distance M is greater than the stroke amount N of the brake pedal 106. The stroke amount N of the brake pedal 106 is the distance that the brake pedal 106 moves when force is applied to the brake pedal 106.

[0031] The effects of this embodiment will be described below. If a vehicle occupant mistakenly selects accelerator pedal 101 instead of brake pedal 106 in an attempt to apply sudden braking, that is, if the accelerator pedal 101 is about to be depressed at a stroke speed equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the auxiliary pedal 111 will be depressed first. As a result, the auxiliary pedal 111 generates a damping force in the absorber 114, which interlocks with the brake pedal 106, and the occupant essentially depresses the brake pedal 106 to brake the vehicle. In other words, since vehicle braking begins via the auxiliary pedal 111 before the accelerator pedal 101 is depressed, sudden acceleration of the vehicle caused by mistakenly depressing the brake pedal 106 instead of the accelerator pedal 101 is prevented, and the vehicle can be braked safely.

[0032] Furthermore, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the vehicle is braked even when the accelerator pedal 101 of the vehicle is intentionally depressed hard, so that sudden starts and sudden acceleration of the vehicle can be prevented.

[0033] Furthermore, since the predetermined distance M is greater than the stroke amount N of the brake pedal 106 (M>N), the brake pedal 106 is fully depressed over the stroke amount N before the accelerator pedal 101 is depressed via the auxiliary pedal 111. As a result, the vehicle can be braked to the maximum extent.

[0034] Furthermore, the elastic member 112 maintains the position of the auxiliary pedal 111 relative to the accelerator pedal 101, making it difficult for the accelerator pedal 101 and the auxiliary pedal 111 to become misaligned. As a result, the operability of the accelerator pedal 101 and the brake pedal 106 under normal conditions is ensured.

[0035] Furthermore, the presence of the elastic member 112 supports the link 113 between the auxiliary pedal 111 and the absorber 114, reducing the need to change the vehicle body structure to support the link 113. For example, there is no need to provide the guide 210 shown in Fig. 1. Furthermore, because the guide 210 is no longer necessary, the vehicle pedal structure 100 can be easily applied to conventional vehicles.

[0036] The above-described operational effect of this embodiment is only achieved when the stroke speed of the absorber 114 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, i.e., when the occupant attempts to suddenly operate the pedal. Therefore, if the auxiliary pedal 111 is depressed slowly, at a speed slower than the above-described stroke speed, the absorber 114 does not generate a damping force, and the brake pedal 106 is not interlocked. In other words, the vehicle is not braked, and only the accelerator pedal 101 is depressed via the auxiliary pedal 111.

[0037] While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear that those skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications and alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these modifications and alterations also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0038] Furthermore, the present invention can be practiced by freely combining inventions described in the claims and examples, regardless of the dependent relationships of the claims. [Industrial Applicability]

[0039] The present invention can be used in a vehicle pedal structure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 100...vehicle pedal structure, 101...accelerator pedal, 101a...tread surface, 102...arm, 103...support bracket, 106...brake pedal, 106a...tread surface, 107...arm, 108...support bracket, 109...shaft, 111...auxiliary pedal, 111a...tread surface, 112...elastic member, 113...link, 113a...first extension portion, 113b...second extension portion, 113c...third extension portion, 114...absorber, 200...vehicle body, 210...guide, J...pedal operation direction, M...predetermined distance, N...stroke amount

Claims

1. A pedal structure for a vehicle having an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal adjacent to each other, an auxiliary pedal that is disposed a predetermined distance toward the occupant from the accelerator pedal and that is depressed by the occupant before the accelerator pedal; an absorber interposed between the auxiliary pedal and the brake pedal to receive a force when the auxiliary pedal is depressed, A vehicle pedal structure characterized in that the absorber generates a damping force when the stroke speed generated in the absorber by the force is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, thereby braking by interlocking the brake pedal.

2. 2. The vehicle pedal structure according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined distance is greater than a stroke amount of the brake pedal.

3. The vehicle pedal structure further comprises:

3. The vehicle pedal structure according to claim 1, further comprising an elastic member connecting the accelerator pedal and the auxiliary pedal.

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