Accelerator device

Abstract

To provide an accelerator device that can properly apply reaction force.SOLUTION: An accelerator device 1 comprises a pedal lever 20, a motor 31, a motive force transmission mechanism 40, and a control unit 60. The pedal lever 20 is operable in response to a stepping action. The motor 31 is electrified to generate a driving force. The motive force transmission mechanism 40 transmits driving force of the motor 31 to the pedal lever 20 and can apply thereto a reaction force which is a force in a direction opposite to a stepping direction of the pedal lever 20. The control unit 60 has: an angle calculation unit that calculates a pedal angle θap that is a rotation angle of the pedal lever 20; and a reaction force control unit that when the pedal angle θap reaches a pedal aperture threshold Ath, controls the motor 31 so that an additional reaction force applied to the pedal lever 20 reaches target reaction force value Fr*. The reaction force control unit changes a reaction force increase rate Vfr until the reaction force reaches the target reaction force threshold Fr*, in accordance with a stepping speed Vap of the pedal lever 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an accelerator device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, accelerator pedal force control devices that control the accelerator pedal force of a vehicle are known. For example, in Patent Document 1, when increasing the accelerator pedal force from a base pedal force, the increase rate of the first increase in pedal force is set smaller than the increase rate of the second increase in pedal force. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5316339 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In Patent Document 1, the rate of increase in the additional reaction force in the first stage is set to be gradual, so if the increase in pedal force is greater than the added reaction force, the pedal position cannot be maintained and the pedal will be depressed further.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an accelerator device that can appropriately apply a reaction force. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The accelerator device of the present invention includes a pedal lever (20), a reaction force drive source (31), a power transmission mechanism (40), and a control unit (60). The pedal lever is operable in response to depression of the pedal lever. The reaction force drive source generates a driving force when energized. The power transmission mechanism transmits the driving force of the reaction force drive source to the pedal lever, and can apply a reaction force in the direction opposite to the direction of depression of the pedal lever.

[0007] The control unit includes a pedal opening calculation unit (61) that calculates the pedal opening, which is the rotation angle of the pedal lever, and a reaction force control unit (65) that controls the reaction force drive source when the pedal opening reaches a pedal opening threshold value so that the additional reaction force applied to the pedal lever becomes the reaction force target value. The reaction force control unit changes the reaction force increase speed until the reaction force reaches the reaction force target value in accordance with the pedal lever depression speed. This allows an appropriate reaction force to be applied to the pedal lever. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an accelerator device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a controller according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a characteristic diagram showing pedal force characteristics when no reaction force is applied according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a characteristic diagram showing pedal force characteristics when a reaction force is applied according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a reaction force control process according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a time chart when no reaction force is applied according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] 6 is a time chart showing reaction force control when the pedaling speed is relatively low in one embodiment. [Figure 8] 6 is a time chart showing reaction force control when the pedaling speed is relatively high in one embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a load change amount in one embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a time chart showing reaction force control when the pedaling speed is higher than an upper limit value in one embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a characteristic diagram showing the pedal force characteristics when the additional reaction force is greater than the maintaining pedal force. [Figure 12] 10 is a time chart showing reaction force control when the additional reaction force is greater than the holding pedal force. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] (One embodiment) An accelerator device according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. An accelerator device according to one embodiment is shown in Figs. 1 to 10. As shown in Fig. 1, accelerator device 1 includes a pedal lever 20, a motor 31, a power transmission mechanism 40, and an ECU 50, and is mounted on a vehicle (not shown). The vehicle on which accelerator device 1 is mounted is a so-called hybrid vehicle that uses an engine and a battery as a driving source, but it may also be a gasoline vehicle, a plug-in hybrid vehicle, an electric vehicle, or the like.

[0010] The pedal lever 20 has a pad 21, an arm 23, and a pedal 25, which are driven as a unit by the driver's depression or the like. The pad 21 is provided so that it can be depressed by the driver. The pad 21 is rotatably supported by a fulcrum member 22 provided on the housing H. FIG. 1 shows a so-called floor-standing type (organ type) in which the pad 21 is provided so as to extend in a direction along one surface of the housing H, but it may also be a hanging type (pendant type). In this embodiment, the parts of the housing that are not driven by the driving of the motor 31 or the depression of the pedal lever 20, such as the pedal housing and the motor housing, are collectively referred to as the "housing H."

[0011] The arm 23 connects the pad 21 and the pedal 25. One end of the pedal 25 is rotatably supported on the housing H by a fulcrum member 26, and the other end is connected to the arm 23. As a result, when the driver operates the pad 21, the pad 21, the arm 23, and the pedal 25 are driven as a unit. A pedal opening sensor 29 that detects the pedal opening is provided on one end of the pedal 25. The pedal biasing member 27 is a compression coil spring, one end of which is fixed to the pedal 25 and the other end of which is fixed to the housing H, and biases the pedal 25 in the accelerator closing direction.

[0012] The motor 31 is, for example, a brushed DC motor. The driving force of the motor 31 is transmitted to the pedal lever 20 via a power transmission mechanism 40. Here, the series of components that transmit power from the motor 31, which is a reaction force drive source, to the pedal lever 20 via the power transmission mechanism 40 is referred to as the actuator 30.

[0013] The power transmission mechanism 40 includes a gear set 41, an actuator lever 45, and an actuator lever biasing member 47. The gear set 41 is composed of a motor gear that rotates integrally with the motor shaft and multiple gears that mesh with the motor gear, and transmits the driving force of the motor 31 to the actuator lever 45. The position sensor 49 detects the rotational position of any of the gears that make up the gear set 41.

[0014] One end of the actuator lever 45 is connected to the gear set 41, and the other end abuts against the pedal lever 20. This allows the driving force of the motor 31 to be transmitted to the pedal lever 20 via the power transmission mechanism 40. In FIG. 1, the other end of the actuator lever 45 abuts against the pad 21, but it may also be configured to abut against the arm 23 or the pedal 25. The actuator lever biasing member 47 is a compression coil spring that biases the actuator lever 45 in the reaction force application direction, maintaining the state in which the actuator lever 45 abuts against the pedal lever 20.

[0015] The ECU 50 includes a motor driver 51, a current sensor 52, and a control unit 60. The motor driver 51 has a switching element (not shown) for switching the current supplied to the motor 31. The current sensor 52 detects the current supplied to the motor 31.

[0016] The control unit 60 is mainly composed of a microcomputer or the like, and includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, I / O, and bus lines connecting these components (all not shown). Each process in the control unit 60 may be software processing in which a program stored in advance in a physical memory device (i.e., a readable non-transitory tangible recording medium) such as a ROM is executed by the CPU, or may be hardware processing using a dedicated electronic circuit. Although FIG. 1 shows each functional block as being configured by one control unit 60, some functions may be configured by different ECUs.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 60 has, as functional blocks, an angle calculation unit 61, a pedaling speed calculation unit 62, a pedal force increase speed calculation unit 63, a pedal opening degree threshold setting unit 64, and a reaction force control unit 65.

[0018] The angle calculation unit 61 acquires the detection value of the pedal opening sensor 29 and calculates the pedal angle θap, which is the depression amount of the pedal lever 20 from the fully closed position. Although Fig. 1 illustrates that the detection value is acquired directly from the pedal opening sensor 29, the detection value may also be acquired via communication from another device such as a higher-level ECU. The pedal angle θap may also be calculated from the detection value of the position sensor 49 by gear ratio conversion.

[0019] The pedaling speed calculation unit 62 calculates the pedaling speed Vap of the pedal lever 20 based on the pedal angle θap. The pedaling speed Vap has a positive value when the pedal lever 20 is being depressed and a negative value when the pedal lever 20 is being released.

[0020] The pedal force increase rate calculation unit 63 calculates the pedal force increase rate Vf, which is the pedal force increase rate per unit time, based on the pedaling speed Vap (see equation (1)). k1 in equation (1) is a coefficient for converting the pedaling speed Vap into the pedal force increase rate Vf.

[0021] Vf = Vap × k1 (1)

[0022] The pedal opening threshold setting unit 64 sets a pedal opening threshold Ath, which is a threshold value related to the pedal angle at which a reaction force is added. In this embodiment, when the pedal angle θap reaches the pedal opening threshold Ath, a reaction force is added so that the pedal lever 20 is held at that position.

[0023] In this embodiment, the pedal opening threshold Ath is set according to the pedal opening at which the vehicle switches from EV driving to engine driving. Note that the value according to the pedal opening at which the vehicle switches from EV driving to engine driving is not limited to the value at which the driving mode switches, but may be a value set including a margin. The same applies to values related to the fuel consumption rate and legal speed, which will be described later.

[0024] Furthermore, if the vehicle equipped with the accelerator device 1 is a gasoline-powered vehicle, the pedal opening degree threshold Ath is set according to the fuel consumption rate. Specifically, a driving range DR1 where the fuel consumption rate is relatively low and fuel increase control is not initiated, and a driving range DR2 where the fuel consumption rate is relatively high and fuel increase control is initiated during acceleration are set, and the pedal opening degree threshold Ath is set according to the accelerator opening at which the driving range DR1 switches to the driving range DR2 depending on the driving state.

[0025] The pedal opening threshold Ath may also be set according to the pedal opening corresponding to the vehicle driving force exceeding the legal speed. For example, when the vehicle is located in a safety-conscious area such as Zone 30, in cooperation with an in-vehicle camera or navigation system, the accelerator opening corresponding to the vehicle driving force that exceeds the speed limit may be set as the pedal opening threshold Ath, and the vehicle speed may be suppressed to guide safe driving.

[0026] When the pedal angle θap becomes equal to or greater than the pedal opening threshold Ath, the reaction force control unit 65 energizes the motor 31 to apply a reaction force to the pedal lever 20. By applying a reaction force at the point where depressing the pedal lever 20 would worsen fuel efficiency, a sense of barrier is created and the driver is prevented from depressing the pedal lever 20.

[0027] The pedal force characteristics of the pedal lever 20 are shown in Figures 3 and 4. In Figures 3 and 4, the horizontal axis represents the pedal angle θap, and the vertical axis represents the pedal force. Figure 3 shows the pedal force characteristics when no reaction force is added, in which the pedal force fp increases when the pedal lever 20 is depressed and decreases when the pedal lever 20 is released. Furthermore, a hysteresis loop is formed such that the pedal force relative to the pedal angle θap differs between when the pedal is depressed and when the pedal is released. Hereinafter, the difference in pedal force between when the pedal is depressed and when the pedal is released is referred to as the holding pedal force fh. In this embodiment, within the hysteresis loop, the holding pedal force fh is constant regardless of the pedal angle θap, but it may also be set to vary depending on the pedal angle θap.

[0028] FIG. 4 shows the pedal force characteristics when a reaction force is added. In FIG. 4, the pedal force characteristics when a reaction force is not added are shown by a dashed line. As shown in FIG. 4, when the pedal angle θap becomes equal to or greater than the pedal opening threshold Ath, a reaction force fr is added. In this embodiment, the added reaction force fr is set to a value smaller than the maintained pedal force fh so that the pedal angle θap is maintained at the pedal opening threshold Ath. That is, fr <fhである。

[0029] Here, if the rate of increase in the additional reaction force fr is smaller than the rate of increase in the pedal force fp when the driver depresses the pedal lever 20, the addition of the reaction force may not keep up, and the driver may end up depressing the pedal lever 20 more. If the driver switches the driving range due to the increased depression, there is a possibility that the driving range with good fuel economy may not be fully utilized. Therefore, in this embodiment, the rate of increase in the additional reaction force fr is controlled based on the pedal lever depression speed Vap of the pedal lever 20.

[0030] The reaction force control process of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 5. This process is executed at a predetermined cycle by the control unit 60. Note that the "step" in step S101 and other steps will be omitted and simply denoted by the symbol "S".

[0031] In S101, the control unit 60 determines whether the vehicle is moving. If it is determined that the vehicle is not moving (S101: NO), the process from S102 onward is skipped. If it is determined that the vehicle is moving (S101: YES), the process proceeds to S102.

[0032] In S102, the pedal opening threshold setting unit 64 sets the pedal opening threshold Ath at which a reaction force is added. In S103, the angle calculation unit 61 calculates the pedal angle θap based on the detection value of the pedal opening sensor 29. In S104, the depression speed calculation unit 62 calculates the depression speed Vap based on the pedal angle θap.

[0033] In S105, the reaction force control unit 65 determines whether the pedaling speed Vap is equal to or greater than 0 and equal to or less than an upper limit Vmax. The upper limit Vmax is a value that defines the upper limit of the reaction force addition range in which reaction force is added. If the pedaling speed Vap is determined to be less than 0 or greater than the upper limit Vmax (S105: NO), the processing from S106 onwards is skipped and reaction force is not added. In particular, if the pedaling speed Vap is less than 0, that is, if the pedal lever 20 is in the returning operation state, reaction force is not added. Furthermore, if the pedaling speed Vap is greater than the upper limit Vmax, it is determined that the driver intends to accelerate, and reaction force is not added, giving priority to the driver's pedal operation. If the pedaling speed Vap is determined to be equal to or greater than 0 and equal to or less than the upper limit Vmax (S105: YES), the processing proceeds to S106.

[0034] In S106, the pedal force increase rate calculation unit 63 calculates the pedal force increase rate Vf based on the pedaling speed Vap (see equation (1)). In S107, the reaction force control unit 65 determines whether the pedal angle θap is equal to or greater than the pedal opening threshold Ath. If it is determined that the pedal angle θap is smaller than the pedal opening threshold Ath (S107: NO), the process returns to S103. If it is determined that the pedal angle θap is equal to or greater than the pedal opening threshold Ath (S107: YES), the process proceeds to S108.

[0035] In S108, the reaction force control unit 65 sets the reaction force increasing speed Vrf (see equation (2)). The coefficient k2 in equation (2) is set to an arbitrary value greater than 1 so as to prevent further depression of the pedal lever 20. In equation (2), the reaction force increasing speed Vrf is calculated based on the pedal force increasing speed Vf, but the reaction force increasing speed Vrf may also be calculated directly from the pedaling speed Vap (see equation (3)). The coefficient k3 in equation (3) is a value corresponding to k1 × k2.

[0036] Vrf = Vf × k2 (2) Vrf = Vap × k3 (3)

[0037] The pedal force increase speed Vf used to calculate the reaction force increase speed Vrf is preferably the value immediately before the pedal angle θap exceeds the pedal opening threshold Ath. In addition, taking into consideration the driver's pedal operation fluctuations, detection errors, etc., the reaction force increase speed Vrf may be calculated using a calculated value such as an average value of a predetermined range before the pedal angle θap reaches the pedal opening threshold Ath.

[0038] In S109, the reaction force control unit 65 controls the power supply to the motor 31 so that the reaction force increasing speed Vfr becomes the speed set in S108, and applies a reaction force to the pedal lever 20. In S110, the reaction force control unit 65 adjusts the applied reaction force so that the applied reaction force becomes equal to the reaction force target value Fr * When the target value is reached, it is determined whether the addition of reaction force has been completed. If it is determined that the addition of reaction force has not been completed (S110: NO), the process returns to S109 and reaction force addition continues. If it is determined that the addition of reaction force has been completed (S110: YES), this process ends. Note that the process related to maintaining or canceling reaction force after the target value has been reached is executed in a separate process.

[0039] The reaction force control process of this embodiment will be described based on the time charts of FIGS. 6 to 8 and FIG. 10. FIG. 6 shows the case where reaction force control is not performed. In FIG. 6, with the common time axis on the horizontal axis, from the upper part, the pedal angle θap, the depression speed Vap, and the load P are shown. Also, the hysteresis region where the pedal lever 20 is held is indicated by hatching. As shown in FIG. 6, when no reaction force addition is performed, when the driver depresses the pedal lever 20 at a constant speed, the pedal angle θap increases at a constant rate.

[0040] In FIGS. 7, 8, 10, and 12, with the common time axis on the horizontal axis, from the upper part, the pedal angle θap, the depression speed Vap, the load P, and the reaction force fr are shown. The pedal angle θap in the case where no reaction force addition is performed is indicated by a dashed-dotted line. Also, for the load P during reaction force addition, the pedal depression force characteristic is shown by a solid line, and the driver's depression force load is shown by a two-dot chain line.

[0041] FIG. 7 shows the case where the driver's depression speed Vap1 is relatively small. At time x11, when the pedal angle θap reaches the pedal opening threshold value Ath, the energization of the motor 31 is controlled so that the reaction force increases at a reaction force increase rate Vrf1 corresponding to the depression speed Vap1, and a reaction force is added to the pedal lever 20. Let the load when the pedal angle θap reaches the pedal opening threshold value Ath be P1. At time x12, when the additional reaction force reaches the reaction force target value Fr * the reaction force addition at the reaction force target value Fr * is continued. Also, due to the addition of the reaction force to the pedal lever 20, after time x11, the pedal angle θap is held at the pedal opening threshold value Ath.

[0042] FIG. 8 shows the case where the driver's depression speed Vap2 is relatively large within the range less than the upper limit value Vmax and Vap1 < Vap2 < Vmax. When the driver's depression speed is relatively large, the pedal angle θap reaches the pedal opening threshold value Ath at an earlier timing than when the depression speed is relatively small. That is, in the examples of FIGS. 7 and 8, x21 < x11.

[0043] At time x21, the motor 31 is controlled to apply a reaction force to the pedal lever 20 in accordance with the pedaling speed Vap2, so that the reaction force increases at a reaction force increasing speed Vfr2 that is higher than when the pedaling speed is relatively low. In other words, in the examples of FIGS. 7 and 8, Vfr2>Vfr1. At time x22, the applied reaction force increases to the reaction force target value Fr * When the reaction force target value Fr * Continue applying reaction force.

[0044] In the example of Fig. 8, the pedal depression speed when the pedal angle θap reaches the pedal opening threshold Ath is greater than in the example of Fig. 7, so in order to suppress further depression, the reaction force increase speed is made greater than in the example of Fig. 7. As a result, the time from the start of reaction force application until the target value is reached is shorter. In other words, (x22 - x21) < (x12 - x11).

[0045] 9 shows the load change amounts of the pedal force fp and the additional reaction force fr, with the horizontal axis representing time and the vertical axis representing the load change amount, and the load change amount of the driver's pedal force fp is indicated by the dashed line. As indicated by the two-dot chain line, if the load change amount of the additional reaction force fr is smaller than the load change amount of the pedal force fp, the additional reaction force may not keep up with the increase in the driver's pedal force, and the driver may end up depressing the pedal lever 20 further. For example, if the pedal opening threshold Ath is set according to fuel economy, if the pedal angle θap cannot be maintained at the pedal opening threshold Ath and the driver depresses the pedal lever 20 further, the driver will not be able to fully utilize the fuel-efficient driving range.

[0046] Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown by the solid line, a reaction force is added so that the load change amount of the additional reaction force fr is greater than the load change amount of the driver's pedal force fp, thereby preventing the driver from stepping on the pedal more when a reaction force is added.

[0047] 10 shows the case where the driver's pedaling speed Vap3 is greater than the upper limit Vmax. When the pedaling speed Vap3 is greater than the upper limit Vmax (i.e., Vap3>Vmax), it is determined that the driver intends to accelerate, and at time x31, even if the pedal angle θap reaches the pedal opening threshold Ath, no reaction force is applied, and the driver's pedal operation is prioritized. This prevents the driver from being prevented from depressing the pedal lever 20, and allows the driver to accelerate as desired.

[0048] 11 and 12 show a reference example in which the additional reaction force fr is greater than the hysteresis holding force fh. As shown in Fig. 11, when the additional reaction force fr is greater than the holding force fh, the hysteresis loop shifts upward in relation to the driver's pedal force. Therefore, when the pedal angle θap is greater than the pedal opening threshold Ath and a reaction force is being applied, the pedal lever 20 operates with a return characteristic.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 12, when the pedal angle θap reaches the pedal opening threshold Ath at time x41, the addition of reaction force begins. When the additional reaction force fr reaches the holding pedal force fh at time x42, the driver's pedal force becomes equal to or less than the pedal force characteristic on the return side of the pedal lever 20, causing the pedal lever 20 to return. In this embodiment, the additional reaction force fr is set smaller than the holding pedal force fh, and the driver's pedal force, indicated by the two-dot chain line, is controlled to be within the hysteresis region indicated by hatching, thereby preventing the pedal lever 20 from returning due to the addition of reaction force and preventing a deterioration in operability.

[0050] As described above, the accelerator device 1 includes the pedal lever 20, the motor 31, the power transmission mechanism 40, and the control unit 60. The pedal lever 20 is operable in response to depression of the pedal lever 20. The motor 31 generates a driving force when energized. The power transmission mechanism 40 transmits the driving force of the motor 31 to the pedal lever 20 and can apply a reaction force in the opposite direction to the depression direction of the pedal lever 20.

[0051] The control unit 60 includes an angle calculation unit 61 that calculates a pedal angle θap, which is the rotation angle of the pedal lever 20, and a reaction force target value Fr * The reaction force control unit 65 controls the motor 31 so that the reaction force target value Fr * This allows an appropriate reaction force to be applied to the pedal lever 20 in accordance with the depression speed Vap of the pedal lever 20.

[0052] Specifically, the reaction force control unit 65 controls the motor 31 so that the reaction force increase rate Vrf is greater than the pedal force increase rate Vf, which is a value according to the pedaling speed Vap, thereby making it possible to suppress further depression of the pedal lever 20 when a reaction force is applied.

[0053] The pedal lever 20 has a hysteresis characteristic in which the pedal force is different when the pedal is depressed and when the pedal is released. * is equal to or less than the holding pedal force fh, which is the difference between the pedal force during the depressing operation and the pedal force during the releasing operation. This makes it possible to prevent the pedal lever 20 from being pushed back by the addition of a reaction force.

[0054] If the pedaling speed Vap is greater than the upper limit Vmax of the reaction force application range, the reaction force control unit 65 continues not to apply reaction force even if the pedal angle θap reaches the pedal opening threshold Ath. If the pedaling speed Vap is greater than the upper limit Vmax, it is determined that the driver intends to accelerate, and by not applying reaction force, the pedal lever 20 can be operated without interfering with the driver's intention to accelerate.

[0055] In this embodiment, the accelerator device 1 is mounted on a vehicle that can switch between EV driving, in which the vehicle runs using the driving force of a traction motor, and engine driving, in which the vehicle runs using the driving force of an internal combustion engine. The pedal opening threshold Ath is set according to the pedal opening at which the vehicle switches from EV driving to engine driving. This makes it possible to suppress engine start and prevent a deterioration in fuel efficiency.

[0056] The pedal opening threshold Ath may be set according to the pedal opening at which the driving range changes from a relatively low fuel consumption rate to a relatively high fuel consumption rate. By configuring in this way, for example, in an engine vehicle, it is possible to guide the driving range to one with good fuel economy.

[0057] Furthermore, the pedal opening threshold Ath may be set according to the pedal opening corresponding to the legal speed limit of the vehicle in which the device is installed, thereby suppressing the vehicle speed and guiding the driver to drive safely.

[0058] In the embodiment, the motor 31 corresponds to the "reaction force drive source," the angle calculation unit 61 corresponds to the "pedal opening calculation unit," and the pedal angle θap corresponds to the "pedal opening."

[0059] (Other embodiments) In the above embodiment, the reaction force increasing speed is variable depending on the pedal depression speed. In another embodiment, if a load sensor capable of directly detecting the pedal force applied to the pedal lever is provided, the reaction force increasing speed may be calculated based on the detected value of the load sensor.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the drive source is a brushed DC motor. In other embodiments, a motor other than a brushed DC motor or something other than a motor may be used as the drive source. Also, the configuration of the power transmission mechanism, the arrangement of parts, etc. may be different from those in the above embodiment.

[0061] The present disclosure may also be modified as follows: "the accelerator device of any one of items 1 to 3, wherein the reaction force control unit continues to not apply reaction force even if the pedal opening reaches the pedal opening threshold if the depression speed is greater than an upper limit of a reaction force application range."; "the accelerator device of any one of items 1 to 4, which is mounted on a vehicle that is capable of switching between EV driving, in which the vehicle is driven by the driving force of a traction motor, and engine driving, in which the vehicle is driven by the driving force of an internal combustion engine, and the pedal opening threshold is set according to the pedal opening at which the vehicle switches from the EV driving to the engine driving."; "the accelerator device of any one of items 1 to 4, which is set according to the pedal opening at which the vehicle switches from a driving range in which the fuel consumption rate is relatively low to a driving range in which the fuel consumption rate is relatively high."; or "the accelerator device of any one of items 1 to 4, which is set according to the pedal opening that corresponds to the legal speed of a driving location in which the vehicle is mounted."

[0062] The control unit and the method described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose computer configured by configuring a processor and memory programmed to execute one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the control unit and the method described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose computer configured by configuring a processor with one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the control unit and the method described herein may be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers configured by combining a processor and memory programmed to execute one or more functions with a processor configured with one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program may be stored in a computer-readable non-transitory tangible recording medium as instructions to be executed by a computer. As described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1. Accelerator device 20 Pedal lever 30: Actuator 31: Motor (reaction force drive source) 40 Power transmission mechanism 50...ECU 60...Control unit 61 Angle calculation unit (pedal opening calculation unit) 65...Reaction force control section

Claims

1. a pedal lever (20) that is operable in response to depression; a reaction force drive source (31) that generates a drive force when energized; a power transmission mechanism (40) capable of transmitting the driving force of the reaction force drive source to the pedal lever and adding a reaction force which is a force in a direction opposite to the depression direction of the pedal lever; a control unit (60) having a pedal opening calculation unit (61) that calculates a pedal opening, which is a rotation angle of the pedal lever, and a reaction force control unit (65) that controls the reaction force drive source so that an additional reaction force applied to the pedal lever becomes a reaction force target value when the pedal opening reaches a pedal opening threshold value; Equipped with The reaction force control unit is an accelerator device that changes the reaction force increasing speed until the reaction force reaches the target reaction force value in accordance with the depression speed of the pedal lever.

2. 2. The accelerator device according to claim 1, wherein the reaction force control unit controls the reaction force drive source so that the reaction force increase rate is greater than a pedal force increase rate that is a value corresponding to the pedaling speed.

3. The pedal lever has a hysteresis characteristic in which the pedal force is different when the pedal is depressed and when the pedal is released, 3. The accelerator device according to claim 1, wherein the reaction force target value is equal to or less than a holding pedal force that is a difference between a pedal force during a depressing motion and a pedal force during a returning motion.

4. 2. The accelerator device according to claim 1, wherein the reaction force control unit continues to not apply reaction force when the pedal depression speed is greater than an upper limit value of a reaction force application range, even if the pedal opening degree reaches the pedal opening degree threshold value.

5. The vehicle is equipped with a switchable EV driving mode, which uses the driving force of the driving motor, and an engine driving mode, which uses the driving force of the internal combustion engine. The accelerator device according to claim 1 , wherein the pedal opening degree threshold is set according to the pedal opening degree at which the EV driving mode switches to the engine driving mode.

6. 2. The accelerator device according to claim 1, wherein the pedal opening degree threshold is set in accordance with the pedal opening degree at which the driving range changes from a relatively low fuel consumption rate to a relatively high fuel consumption rate.

7. 2. The accelerator device according to claim 1, wherein the pedal opening degree threshold is set in accordance with the pedal opening degree corresponding to a legal speed limit for a vehicle in which the accelerator device is installed.

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