Front part structure of vehicle interior

Abstract

To prevent operation of stepping on an accelerator pedal from being enabled, even when excessive loads are applied during restriction of operation of stepping-on the accelerator pedal by an accelerator interlock device.SOLUTION: A front part of a vehicle interior 12 is provided with an accelerator pedal 25 having a pad 30, an accelerator interlock device 40 that makes a shaft 43 protrude and retract to and from an interlock main body part 41, and an excessive stepping-on suppressing part. The accelerator interlock device 40 brings a lower surface of a front end part of a part 38 to be attached in the accelerator pedal 25 into contact with a receiving part 51 at a tip part of the shaft 43 in a protruding state, so as to restrict operation of stepping on the accelerator pedal 25. The excessive stepping-on suppressing part prevents the receiving part 51 from moving in a direction along the lower surface of the front end part of the part 38 to be attached, when excessive loads are applied to the pad 30 during restriction of operation of stepping on by the accelerator interlock device 40, so as to suppress excessive stepping-on operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle interior front structure. [Background technology]

[0002] One type of vehicle, such as a bus, is known to be equipped with an accelerator interlock device (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The accelerator interlock device is a device that prevents the vehicle from starting unexpectedly by restricting depression of the accelerator pedal when the boarding door is open, etc.

[0003] One embodiment of a vehicle interior front structure equipped with an accelerator interlock device is shown in Figures 12 and 13. As shown in Figure 12, an accelerator pedal 103 in this vehicle interior front structure includes a rod 104 rotatably supported by a shaft 105, and a pad 106 attached to the rod 104.

[0004] The accelerator interlock device 110 includes an interlock main body 111, a shaft 113, and an actuator 114. The outer shell of the interlock main body 111 is formed by a case 112. The case 112 is attached to the floor 102 of the vehicle body 101 via a bracket 115. The bracket 115 has a bridge portion 116 that bridges between the rear surface of the case 112 and the floor 102.

[0005] The shaft 113 is disposed in front of the pad 106 in the depression direction, and has an axis L1 extending along the depression direction. The actuator 114 moves the shaft 113 in and out of the interlock main body 111 in the direction along the axis L1.

[0006] In accelerator interlock device 110 configured as described above, when the boarding door is open, actuator 114 causes shaft 113 to protrude from interlock main body 111 toward pad 106. Then, a part of accelerator pedal 103, for example, underside 107 of the front end of pad 106, comes into contact with the tip of shaft 113, thereby restricting depression of accelerator pedal 103. This restriction prevents the vehicle from starting unexpectedly. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-25998 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, in the conventional vehicle interior front structure described above, the following concern exists depending on the angle α between the axis L1 and the underside 107 of the pad 106. If an excessive load is applied to the pad 106 while the accelerator interlock device 110 restricts depression of the accelerator pedal 103, a rearward force acts on the shaft 113. This force causes the tip of the shaft 113 to move rearward along the underside 107 of the pad 106, as shown in FIG. 13, and the shaft 113 to tilt rearward. This deforms the bridge portion 116 of the bracket 115. As a result, the pad 106 can be depressed. This could potentially allow the vehicle to depart even when the boarding door is open. Note that arrow A in FIG. 12 indicates the direction in which the pad 106 is depressed, and arrow B indicates the direction in which the shaft 113 tilts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] Various aspects of the vehicle interior front structure for solving the above problems will be described. [Aspect 1] A vehicle cabin front structure in which an accelerator pedal and an accelerator interlock device are provided at the front in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle cabin, the accelerator pedal comprising a rod rotatably supported by a shaft and a pad attached to the rod at a location spaced from the shaft, the accelerator interlock device comprising an interlock main body attached to the floor of the vehicle body via a bracket in front of the pad in the depression direction, a shaft having an axis extending in the depression direction, and a shaft that is rotatable in the direction along the axis relative to the interlock main body. and an actuator that projects and retracts into the accelerator pad, wherein the accelerator interlock device restricts depression of the accelerator pedal by bringing the underside of the accelerator pedal into contact with the tip of the shaft that protrudes from the interlock main body, and further comprises an excessive depression suppression unit that suppresses excessive depression of the accelerator pedal by preventing the tip of the shaft from moving in a direction along the underside of the accelerator pedal when excessive load is applied to the pad while the accelerator interlock device is restricting the depression.

[0010] According to the above configuration, when the accelerator interlock device restricts depression of the accelerator pedal, the actuator causes the shaft to protrude from the interlock body, and the tip of the shaft comes into contact with the underside of the accelerator pedal, thereby restricting depression of the accelerator pedal.

[0011] If excessive load is applied to the pad during the above restriction, the excessive depression suppression unit prevents the tip of the shaft from moving in a direction along the underside of the accelerator pedal. This suppression prevents excessive depression of the accelerator pedal. As a result, the phenomenon in which the accelerator pedal can be depressed while depression is restricted by the accelerator interlock device is prevented.

[0012] [Aspect 2] A front passenger compartment structure as described in [Aspect 1], wherein the angle formed by the axis with respect to the underside of the accelerator pedal, the depression of which is restricted by the accelerator interlock device, is set to a magnitude such that a force acting forward in the fore-and-aft direction acts on the shaft when excessive load is applied to the pad, the outer shell portion of the interlock main body is formed by a case extending in a direction along the depression direction, and the bracket is bridged between the rear surface of the case and the floor in the fore-and-aft direction and includes, as at least a part of the excessive depression prevention portion, a bridge portion that bends so as to protrude at least forward and rearward in the fore-and-aft direction before excessive load is applied to the pad.

[0013] According to the above configuration, when the accelerator interlock device restricts depression of the accelerator pedal, the bridging portion of the bracket continues to bend unless an excessive load is applied to the pad.

[0014] If excessive load is applied to the pad while the accelerator interlock device is in the above-mentioned state, the bridge is pulled and deformed into a flat plate. This deformation prevents the tip of the shaft from moving forward along the underside of the accelerator pedal. This restriction prevents excessive depression of the accelerator pedal.

[0015] [Aspect 3] A front passenger compartment structure as described in [Aspect 1], wherein the angle between the axis and the underside of the accelerator pedal, whose depression operation is restricted by the accelerator interlock device, is set to a magnitude that causes a force to act on the shaft in a forward direction in the fore-and-aft direction when excessive load is applied to the pad, the rod extends along the underside of the pad and has an attachment portion that is attached to the pad, the accelerator interlock device restricts the depression operation by having the underside of the front end of the attachment portion in the fore-and-aft direction come into contact with the underside of the accelerator pedal and the tip of the shaft that protrudes from the interlock main body, and the rod has a bent portion that bends downward relative to the attachment portion at a location adjacent to the front side of the attachment portion in the fore-and-aft direction as at least a part of the excessive depression prevention portion.

[0016] According to the above configuration, if an excessive load is applied to the pad while the accelerator interlock device is restricting depression of the accelerator pedal, the tip of the shaft will tend to move forward along the underside of the front end of the mounting portion.

[0017] The bent portion of the rod, formed adjacent to the front side of the mounting portion, is located near the front of the tip of the shaft. As a result, the tip of the shaft comes into contact with the bent portion as it moves forward along the underside. The bent portion prevents the tip from moving further forward. This restriction prevents excessive depression of the accelerator pedal.

[0018] [Aspect 4] The pad has a pad main body to which the load of the depression operation is applied, and the accelerator interlock device regulates the depression operation of the accelerator pedal by having the underside of the pad main body come into contact with the tip of the shaft protruding from the interlock main body as the underside of the accelerator pedal, and a pair of wall portions are provided on the underside of the pad main body at a location that sandwiches the tip of the shaft protruding from the interlock main body from both sides in the fore-and-aft direction, and the pair of wall portions constitute at least a part of the excessive depression prevention portion. This is a front compartment structure described in [Aspect 1].

[0019] According to the above configuration, when the accelerator interlock device restricts depression of the accelerator pedal, the shaft protrudes from the interlock body. The tip of the shaft contacts the underside of the pad body, between the pair of walls, as the underside of the accelerator pedal. This shaft restricts depression of the accelerator pedal.

[0020] If an excessive load is applied to the pad while the depression operation is being restricted, the tip of the shaft may tend to move forward or backward along the underside of the pad body. If the tip of the shaft attempts to move forward along the underside of the pad body, it will come into contact with the front wall, preventing it from moving further forward. On the other hand, if the tip of the shaft attempts to move rearward along the underside of the pad body, it will come into contact with the rear wall, preventing it from moving further rearward. These restrictions prevent excessive depression of the accelerator pedal.

[0021] [Aspect 5] When the pair of wall portions are first wall portions, a pair of second wall portions are provided on the underside of the pad main body portion at a location that sandwiches the tip portion of the shaft protruding from the interlock main body portion from both sides in the vehicle width direction, and the pair of first wall portions and the pair of second wall portions form the excessive depression prevention portion.This is a front passenger compartment structure described in [Aspect 4].

[0022] According to the above configuration, if an excessive load is applied to the pad while the accelerator interlock device is restricting depression of the accelerator pedal, and the tip of the shaft attempts to move laterally along the underside of the pad body, the tip will come into contact with one of the pair of second walls. This contact prevents the front end of the shaft from moving further laterally. This restriction further prevents excessive depression of the accelerator pedal.

[0023] [Aspect 6] A front compartment structure described in [Aspect 5], wherein the pair of first wall portions and the pair of second wall portions are each composed of ribs protruding downward from the underside of the pad main body portion.

[0024] According to the above configuration, the pad main body is provided with ribs that protrude downward from the lower surface thereof, thereby providing a pair of first wall portions and a pair of second wall portions. [Embodiment 7] A front compartment structure according to [Embodiment 6], wherein the adjacent first wall portion and the adjacent second wall portion are connected to each other, and the excessive depression prevention portion is cylindrical.

[0025] As described above, by connecting the adjacent first wall portion and second wall portion to each other, the strength of the excessive depression suppression portion is increased compared to when the first wall portion and second wall portion are spaced apart. [Embodiment 8] A front passenger compartment structure described in any one of [Embodiment 1] to [Embodiment 7], wherein the shaft is positioned above the floor, the rod is positioned above the floor and rearward in the fore-and-aft direction from the shaft and is supported by the shaft so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction, the pad is attached to the rod above the floor and rearward in the fore-and-aft direction from the shaft, and the pad rotates in the vertical direction together with the rod, with the shaft as a fulcrum.

[0026] The accelerator pedal having the above configuration is generally a type known as a suspended accelerator pedal. This suspended accelerator pedal effectively prevents depression of the accelerator pedal during depression restriction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0027] According to the present invention, even if an excessive load is applied while the accelerator pedal depression is restricted by the accelerator interlock device, depression of the accelerator pedal can be prevented. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a vehicle interior front structure according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a partial side view of the vehicle interior front structure according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a partial side view of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating how the bridging portion of the bracket is deformed into a flat plate shape in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a partial side view illustrating how forward movement of the shaft is suppressed by the bent portion of the rod in the first embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is a partial side view of the vehicle interior front structure according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a partial plan view showing a part of the accelerator pedal in the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional side view taken along line 9-9 in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a partial bottom view showing a part of the accelerator pedal in the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a modified example of the second embodiment, and is a partial side cross-sectional view illustrating how rearward movement of the shaft is restricted by the rear first wall portion. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a partial side view of a conventional vehicle interior front structure. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the prior art, and is a partial side view illustrating a phenomenon that can occur when an excessive load is applied to a pad whose depression operation is restricted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] (First embodiment) A vehicle interior front structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS.

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a part of a vehicle body 11 that constitutes the framework of the vehicle, more precisely, a part of the front part of the cabin in a body-in-white. In the following description, the forward direction of the vehicle is referred to as the front, and the backward direction as the rear. Furthermore, the up-down direction refers to the up-down direction of the vehicle, and the left-right direction refers to the width direction of the vehicle, which corresponds to the left-right direction when the vehicle is moving forward. The directions of the vehicle body 11 are the same as those of the vehicle.

[0031] 1, the vehicle interior front structure includes an accelerator pedal 25, an accelerator interlock device 40, and an excessive depression suppression unit. Next, each unit will be described. <Accelerator pedal 25> In the vehicle body 11, a passenger compartment 12 is separated from the area in front of the passenger compartment 12, such as the engine compartment, by a dash panel 13 acting as a partition. A pedal bracket 16 is disposed at the boundary between the lower part of the dash panel 13 and an A-pillar 14. The pedal bracket 16 is attached to the dash panel 13 and the A-pillar 14 by fastening members 17 such as bolts and nuts. A suspended accelerator pedal device 20 is disposed behind the pedal bracket 16.

[0032] 1 and 2, the accelerator pedal device 20 includes a device main body 21 and the accelerator pedal 25. The outer shell of the device main body 21 is formed by a main body case 22. The main body case 22 is attached to the pedal bracket 16 with fastening members 23 such as bolts and nuts.

[0033] The accelerator pedal 25 includes a movable arm 26, a pad 30, and a rod 35. The movable arm 26 is disposed at an angle relative to the horizontal and vertical planes so that it is lower toward the rear. The movable arm 26 is supported by a shaft 27 provided on the device main body 21 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. The shaft 27 is located above the floor 15 of the vehicle body 11.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the pad 30 is a member that is depressed when operating the accelerator pedal device 20. The pad 30 is attached to a rod 35 above the floor 15 and behind the axis 27. The pad 30 includes a pad main body 31 and a pair of side walls 34. The direction in which the pad 30 is depressed is the tangent direction of an arc centered on the axis 27. This depression direction is diagonally forward and downward, as indicated by arrow A in FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 1, the pad main body 31 is a part that forms the framework of the pad 30, and is shaped like a rectangular plate that is longer and narrower in the front-to-rear direction than in the left-to-right direction. Anti-slip uneven portions 32 are formed on the upper surface of the pad main body 31. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a pair of side walls 34 protrude downward from the lower surface 33 of the pad main body 31 while being spaced apart and parallel to each other in the left-to-right direction. Each side wall 34 extends in the front-to-rear direction along the lower surface 33 of the pad main body 31. The pad 30 configured as described above is disposed rearward and below the axis 27, tilted relative to the horizontal and vertical planes so as to become lower toward the rear.

[0036] The rod 35 is disposed above the floor 15 and rearward of the shaft 27, and connects the movable arm 26 and the pad 30. In the first embodiment, the rod 35 is made by bending a bar having a circular cross section. The rod 35 includes, in order from the front to the rear, an attachment portion 36, an intermediate portion 37, and an attachment portion 38. The rod 35 is attached to the movable arm 26 at the attachment portion 36. The rod 35 is integral with the movable arm 26 and can rotate up and down around the shaft 27 as a fulcrum. In other words, the rod 35 is supported by the shaft 27 so as to be able to rotate up and down.

[0037] The intermediate portion 37 is inclined relative to the horizontal and vertical planes so as to become higher toward the rear and approach the A-pillar 14. The mounting portion 38 extends along the underside 33 of the pad main body 31, rearward of the shaft 27. That is, the mounting portion 38 is inclined relative to the horizontal and vertical planes so that it becomes lower toward the rear. The mounting portion 38 is sandwiched on both the left and right sides by the pair of side walls 34, and is attached to the pad 30 in this state. The underside of the front end of the mounting portion 38 forms part of the underside of the accelerator pedal 25.

[0038] When the accelerator pedal 25 having the above-described configuration is depressed, the pad 30 rotates up and down together with the movable arm 26 and the rod 35 about the shaft 27 as a fulcrum. <Accelerator interlock device 40> As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the accelerator interlock device 40 includes an interlock main body 41, a shaft 43, and an actuator 58, which are arranged in front of the pad 30 in the depression direction.

[0039] The outer shell of the interlock body 41 is made up of a case 42 that extends in the direction along the stepping direction. The case 42 is inclined relative to the horizontal and vertical planes so that the upper side is positioned further rearward.

[0040] The case 42 is attached to the floor 15 via a bracket 61. The bracket 61 is formed by bending a metal plate or the like. The bracket 61 includes, from front to rear, a first attachment portion 62, a second attachment portion 63, a bridging portion 64, and a third attachment portion 67. The first attachment portion 62 is disposed between the actuator 58 and the floor 15. The second attachment portion 63 is disposed close to the rear surface of the case 42 and inclined relative to the horizontal and vertical planes so as to be higher toward the rear. The bridging portion 64 spans between the rear surface of the case 42 and the floor 15. The bridging portion 64 is bent so as to protrude rearward. The bridging portion 64 is inclined relative to the horizontal and vertical planes so as to be lower toward the rear. The third attachment portion 67 is disposed on the floor 15 behind the bridging portion 64. The bracket 61 is attached to the floor 15 at the first attachment portion 62 and the third attachment portion 67 by fastening members 68 such as bolts and nuts. The interlock main body 41 and the actuator 58 are attached to the second attachment portion 63 and the like by fastening members 69 such as bolts and nuts.

[0041] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the shaft 43 includes a shaft main body 44 that forms the majority of the shaft 43, and a receiving portion 51 that forms the tip end of the shaft 43. The shaft 43 has an axis L1 that extends in the direction of depression of the pad 30. As shown in Figure 4, a tip end surface 45 of the shaft main body 44 is formed by a plane that is perpendicular to the axis L1. A screw hole 46 that opens at the tip end surface 45 of the shaft main body 44 is formed in the tip end of the shaft main body 44.

[0042] The receiving portion 51 includes a receiving body portion 52 and a threaded portion 55. The receiving body portion 52 includes a bottom wall portion 53 and a pair of vertical wall portions 54. The bottom wall portion 53 is flat and perpendicular to the axis L1. The upper surface of the bottom wall portion 53 forms the tip surface of the shaft 43. The dimension of the bottom wall portion 53 in the left-right direction is set larger than the diameter of the shaft body portion 44.

[0043] This setting increases the area of ​​the tip surface of the shaft 43 that can come into contact with the underside of the attachment portion 38 compared to when the receiving portion 51 is not used and the tip surface 45 of the shaft main body 44 comes into contact with the underside of the attachment portion 38. Therefore, the attachment portion 38 comes into contact with the tip surface of the shaft 43 more accurately.

[0044] Each vertical wall portion 54 extends upward while curving from both left and right sides of the bottom wall portion 53. Each vertical wall portion 54 has the function of limiting the left and right movement of the attachment portion 38 that is in contact with the bottom wall portion 53.

[0045] The threaded portion 55 is provided on the underside of the bottom wall portion 53. The threaded portion 55 is screwed into the threaded hole 46, whereby the receiving portion 51 is attached to the shaft main body portion 44. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the actuator 58 reciprocates the shaft 43 along the axis L1, causing the shaft 43 to protrude from and retract into the interlock main body 41. In the first embodiment, a motor configured to be capable of rotating forward and reverse is used as the actuator 58. The actuator 58 rotates forward and reverse in conjunction with a door opening / closing switch installed near the boarding door. A motion conversion / transmission mechanism (not shown) is provided within the interlock main body 41 to convert the forward and reverse rotational motion of the actuator 58 into reciprocating linear motion and transmit the motion to the shaft 43. When the door opening / closing switch detects that the boarding door is closed, the actuator 58 retracts most of the shaft 43 into the interlock main body 41 via the motion conversion / transmission mechanism. The retraction direction is diagonally downward and forward, away from the pad 30. On the other hand, when the door opening / closing switch detects that the boarding door is open, the actuator 58 protrudes the shaft 43 from the interlock main body 41 via the motion conversion / transmission mechanism. The direction of the protrusion is obliquely upward and rearward, in a direction approaching the pad 30.

[0046] In accelerator interlock device 40 configured as described above, the underside of the front end of mounting portion 38 contacts receiving portion 51 of shaft 43 protruding from interlock main body 41, as the underside of accelerator pedal 25. Through this contact, accelerator interlock device 40 restricts depression of accelerator pedal 25.

[0047] 3, the angle formed by the axis L1 with respect to the underside of the front end of the attachment portion 38 of the accelerator pedal 25, the depression of which is restricted by the accelerator interlock device 40, is defined as angle α. In the first embodiment, the angle α is set to a value that satisfies the following condition.

[0048] Condition 1: When a load is applied to the pad 30 by an appropriate depression operation, the shaft 43 suppresses the depression operation without changing or barely changing its inclination. Condition 2: When an excessive load is applied to the pad 30, the load must be large enough to cause a forward force to act on the shaft 43 in the direction indicated by arrow B. The load under condition 2 is larger than the load under condition 1.

[0049] The angle α in the first embodiment is a value smaller than the angle in a vehicle equipped with a conventional accelerator interlock device 110, and is set to, for example, 90° or a value close to 90°.

[0050] <Excessive depression suppression section> The excessive depression suppression unit is configured to suppress excessive depression of the accelerator pedal 25 when depression of the accelerator pedal 25 is restricted by the accelerator interlock device 40 .

[0051] To achieve this suppression, the excessive depression suppression portion prevents the receiving portion 51 of the shaft 43 from moving in a direction along the underside of the front end portion of the attached portion 38 when excessive load is applied to the pad 30.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 2, a part of the excessive depression prevention portion is configured by the bridge portion 64 formed by bending the bracket 61 so as to protrude rearward. 3, the rod 35 has a bent portion 39, which is bent downward relative to the attached portion 38, at a location adjacent to the front side of the attached portion 38 as part of the excessive depression suppression portion. The bent portion 39 is formed by the boundary between the intermediate portion 37 and the attached portion 38. The bent portion 39 is located in front of the receiving portion 51 when depression operation is restricted.

[0053] <Operation of the First Embodiment> When the door open / close switch detects that the boarding door is closed, the actuator 58 causes most of the shaft 43 to be immersed in the interlock main body 41. The accelerator pedal 25 can then be depressed and operated.

[0054] In contrast, when the door open / close switch detects that the boarding door is open, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, actuator 58 causes most of shaft 43 to protrude from interlock main body 41. The underside of the front end of mounting portion 38 contacts receiving portion 51 that forms the tip of shaft 43, as the underside of accelerator pedal 25. This contact restricts depression of accelerator pedal 25.

[0055] If excessive load is not applied to the pad 30 during the above-mentioned restriction of the stepping operation, i.e., if no load is applied to the pad 30 or if an appropriate amount of load is applied, the bridge portion 64 maintains its bent shape protruding rearward.

[0056] If an excessive load is applied to the pad 30 while the depression operation is being restricted, a forward force, which is the direction indicated by arrow B in Figures 2 and 3, acts on the shaft 43. This force causes the receiving portion 51 of the shaft 43 to move forward along the underside of the front end portion of the attached portion 38.

[0057] However, this movement is suppressed by the excessive depression suppression portion. That is, the force is transmitted to the bracket 61 via the accelerator interlock device 40. As shown by the solid line in FIG. 5 , the bridge portion 64, which is bent so as to protrude rearward in the bracket 61, is pulled diagonally forward and upward. The bridge portion 64 is extended as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 5 and deformed into a flat plate shape. As a result of this deformation, the distance (linear distance) between the front end 65 and the rear end 66 of the bridge portion 64 increases compared to before the deformation. Furthermore, the deformation of the bridge portion 64 restricts the forward movement of the receiving portion 51, thereby suppressing excessive depression of the accelerator pedal.

[0058] 3, the bent portion 39 of the intermediate portion 37 is located near the front of the receiving portion 51. Therefore, as the receiving portion 51 moves forward along the underside of the front end of the mounting portion 38, the receiving portion 51 comes into contact with the bent portion 39 from behind, as shown in FIG. 6, and is thereby restricted from moving further forward. This restriction prevents the accelerator pedal 25 from being excessively depressed.

[0059] <Effects of the first embodiment> (1-1) An excessive depression suppression unit is provided in a vehicle equipped with the accelerator interlock device 40. When an excessive load is applied to the pad 30, whose depression operation is restricted by the accelerator interlock device 40, the excessive depression suppression unit suppresses the receiving portion 51 of the shaft 43 from moving forward along the underside of the mounting portion 38.

[0060] Therefore, this suppression can suppress excessive depression of the accelerator pedal 25. As a result, even if an excessive load is applied while accelerator interlock device 40 is restricting depression of accelerator pedal 25, it can prevent the vehicle from being able to depart even though the boarding door is open.

[0061] (1-2) As shown in Fig. 3, the angle α is set to a value that causes a forward force to act on the shaft 43 when an excessive load is applied to the pad 30, whose depression operation is restricted. Also, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the bracket 61 includes a bridge portion 64 as a part of the excessive depression suppression portion. The bridge portion 64 is bridged between the rear surface of the case 42 and the floor 15, and is bent so as to protrude rearward before an excessive load is applied to the pad 30.

[0062] Therefore, if excessive load is applied to pad 30 while accelerator interlock device 40 is restricting depression of the accelerator pedal 25, bridge portion 64 is deformed into a flat plate, thereby preventing receiving portion 51 from moving forward along the underside of the front end portion of mounting portion 38. This restriction prevents accelerator pedal 25 from being depressed.

[0063] (1-3) As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the accelerator interlock device 40 restricts depression of the accelerator pedal 25 by bringing the front end of the attachment portion 38 into contact with the receiving portion 51. The rod 35 has a bent portion 39, which is bent downward relative to the attachment portion 38 at a location adjacent to the front side of the attachment portion 38, as part of an excessive depression suppression portion.

[0064] Therefore, when receiving portion 51 attempts to move forward along the underside of mounting portion 38, receiving portion 51 comes into contact with bent portion 39, thereby preventing further forward movement. This prevents accelerator pedal 25 from being depressed.

[0065] (1-4) As shown in FIG. 2, the shaft 27 is disposed above the floor 15. The rod 35 is disposed above the floor 15 and behind the shaft 27, and is supported by the shaft 27 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. The pad 30 is attached to the rod 35 above the floor 15 and behind the shaft 27. The pad 30 rotates in the vertical direction together with the rod 35, with the shaft 27 as a fulcrum.

[0066] The suspended accelerator pedal 25 having such a configuration preferably achieves the above-mentioned effect of preventing depression of the accelerator pedal during depression restriction. (Second embodiment) Next, a vehicle interior front structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0067] Unlike the first embodiment, the second embodiment does not use a receiving portion 51, and as shown in Figures 7 and 9, the shaft 43 is formed only by a shaft main body 44. The tip surface of the shaft 43 is formed by a curved surface that bulges upward.

[0068] 8 to 10, the structure of the pad 70 in the second embodiment is slightly different from that in the first embodiment. A lower surface 74 of the pad main body 71 forms part of the lower surface of the accelerator pedal 25. An anti-slip uneven portion is provided on the upper surface of the pad main body 71, but this is not shown in FIG. 8. The pad main body 71 has an internal accommodating portion 72 for the attachment portion 38. The accommodating portion 72 communicates with the outside of the pad main body 71 via an opening 73 that opens at the front end of the pad main body 71. Most of the attachment portion 38 is inserted into the accommodating portion 72 through the opening 73, and in this state, the attachment portion 38 is attached to the pad main body 71 by a fastening member (not shown).

[0069] In the second embodiment, the excessive depression prevention portion 75 is formed on the lower surface 74 of the pad main body 71 at a location that satisfies the following conditions. Condition: The lower surface 74 of the pad main body 71 is in contact with the tip of the shaft 43 protruding from the interlock main body 41 and surrounds the tip.

[0070] The excessive depression prevention portion 75 includes a pair of first wall portions 76 and a pair of second wall portions 77. The pair of first wall portions 76 are configured by a pair of plate-like ribs that protrude downward from the underside 74 of the front end portion of the pad main body portion 71 while being parallel to and spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction. The front first wall portion 76 is located rearward of the bent portion 39 of the intermediate portion 37 in the first embodiment and closer to the tip end of the shaft 43. The rear first wall portion 76, like the front first wall portion 76, is located closer to the tip end of the shaft 43. The pair of first wall portions 76 sandwich the tip end of the shaft 43 from both sides in the front-rear direction.

[0071] The pair of second wall portions 77 are configured by a pair of plate-like ribs that protrude downward from the underside 74 of the front end portion of the pad main body portion 71 while being parallel and spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. Similar to the first wall portions 76, each pair of second wall portions 77 is located close to the tip end of the shaft 43. The pair of second wall portions 77 sandwich the tip end of the shaft 43 from both sides in the left-right direction.

[0072] Adjacent first wall portions 76 and second wall portions 77 are connected to each other. The excessive depression suppression portion 75, which includes the pair of first wall portions 76 and the pair of second wall portions 77, has a rectangular tubular shape. The configuration other than the above is the same as that of the first embodiment. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the same elements as those described in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0073] <Operation of the Second Embodiment> When the door open / close switch detects that the boarding door is open, accelerator interlock device 40 restricts depression of accelerator pedal 25. At this time, actuator 58 causes most of shaft 43 to protrude from interlock main body 41, as shown in Figures 7, 9, and 10.

[0074] The tip of the shaft 43 comes into contact with the underside 74 of the pad main body 71, which is surrounded by a pair of first wall portions 76 and a pair of second wall portions 77, as the underside of the accelerator pedal 25. This contact restricts depression of the accelerator pedal 25.

[0075] During the above restriction, if an excessive load is not applied to the pad 70, i.e., if no load is applied to the pad 70 or if an appropriate load is applied, the shaft 43 restricts depression of the accelerator pedal 25.

[0076] If excessive load is applied to pad 70 in the direction indicated by arrow A in Figure 7 while accelerator interlock device 40 is restricting pedal depression, a forward force, indicated by arrow B in Figure 7, acts on shaft 43. This force causes the tip of shaft 43 to move forward along undersurface 74 of pad 70.

[0077] However, this movement is suppressed by the excessive depression suppression portion 75. That is, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, the tip of the shaft 43, which attempts to move forward along the underside 74 of the pad main body 71, comes into contact with the front first wall portion 76, thereby suppressing the tip from moving further forward. This suppression prevents excessive depression of the accelerator pedal 25.

[0078] In the second embodiment, as described above, the force acting on the shaft 43 and directed forward is received by the front first wall portion 76, and therefore the force is unlikely to be transmitted to the bracket 61 via the accelerator interlock device 40. The phenomenon in which the bent bridging portion 64 is pulled and deformed into a flat plate is unlikely to occur, and even if it does occur, it is slight. It is believed that the effect of suppressing the forward movement of the tip of the shaft 43 by the bent bridging portion 64 being deformed into a flat plate is less than in the first embodiment.

[0079] Furthermore, even if excessive load is applied to the pad 70, which is restricted from being depressed, and the tip of the shaft 43 tries to move rearward along the lower surface 74 of the pad 70, there will be no problem. This is because the tip comes into contact with the first wall portion 76 on the rear side, restricting further rearward movement.

[0080] Furthermore, even if an excessive load is applied to the pad 70 and the tip of the shaft 43 tries to move left and right along the lower surface 74, there will be no problem. This is because the tip comes into contact with one of the second wall portions 77, thereby restricting the tip from moving further left and right.

[0081] <Effects of the second embodiment> According to the second embodiment, in addition to the same effects as those (1-1) and (1-4) in the first embodiment, the following effects are also obtained.

[0082] (2-1) As shown in Figures 7 and 9, a pair of first wall portions 76 are provided on the underside 74 of the pad 70 at a location that sandwiches the tip end of the shaft 43 protruding from the interlock main body portion 41 from both sides in the front-to-rear direction.

[0083] Therefore, even if an excessive load is applied to the pad 70, which is restricted from being depressed, the tip of the shaft 43 can be prevented from moving forward or backward along the underside 74 of the pad 70. By preventing this, excessive depression of the accelerator pedal 25 can be prevented.

[0084] (2-2) As shown in FIG. 10, a pair of second walls 77 are provided on the lower surface 74 of the pad main body 71 at locations that sandwich the tip end of the shaft 43 from both sides in the left-right direction.

[0085] Therefore, even if an excessive load is applied to pad 70, which is restricted from being depressed, second wall portion 77 can prevent the tip of shaft 43 from moving left and right along undersurface 74 of pad main body 71. These restrictions further prevent excessive depression of accelerator pedal 25.

[0086] (2-3) As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the pair of first wall portions 76 and the pair of second wall portions 77 are each formed by a rib protruding downward from the lower surface 74 of the pad main body 71. Therefore, by adding a rib to the lower surface 74 of the pad main body 71, the pair of first wall portions 76 and the pair of second wall portions 77 can be provided.

[0087] (2-4) As shown in Fig. 10, the excessive depression suppression portion 75 is formed in a cylindrical shape by connecting the adjacent first wall portion 76 and the adjacent second wall portion 77. Therefore, the strength of the excessive depression suppression portion 75 can be increased compared to when the adjacent first wall portion 76 and the adjacent second wall portion 77 are spaced apart.

[0088] <Example of change> The first and second embodiments described above can be modified as follows: Each embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that no technical contradiction occurs.

[0089] (Common to both the first and second embodiments) The rod 35 may have a cross-sectional shape different from that in the first and second embodiments.

[0090] The bridging portion 64 may be bent so as to protrude forward instead of or in addition to protruding backward. The bridging portion 64 may have three or more bent portions. (Matters related to the first embodiment) The excessive depression suppression portion may be formed solely by the bridge portion 64 of the bracket 61. Alternatively, the excessive depression suppression portion may be formed solely by the bent portion 39 of the rod 35.

[0091] (Matters related to the second embodiment) The excessive depression prevention portion may be configured by only the pair of front and rear first wall portions 76. The adjacent first wall portion 76 and second wall portion 77 may be spaced apart.

[0092] Instead of the rib, a recess that opens to the lower surface 74 of the pad main body 71 may be formed in the pad main body 71. This recess may serve as an excessive depression prevention portion.

[0093] In this case, the inner wall surface of the recess may have a pair of first inner wall surfaces facing each other in the front-rear direction and a pair of second inner wall surfaces facing each other in the left-right direction. The pair of first inner wall surfaces have the same functions and effects as the pair of first wall portions 76 in the second embodiment. The pair of second inner wall surfaces have the same functions and effects as the pair of second wall portions 77 in the second embodiment.

[0094] The excessive depression prevention portion may be formed in a tubular shape other than a rectangular tubular shape, provided that it can surround the tip of the shaft 43 protruding from the interlock main body 41 when the lower surface 74 of the pad 70 comes into contact with the tip. For example, it may be a cylindrical shape, a polygonal tubular shape having more corners than a square, or the like.

[0095] The angle α may be set to a value that causes a rearward force to act on the shaft 43 when an excessive load is applied to the pad 70, whose depression operation is restricted. Even in this case, as described above, when the tip of the shaft 43 attempts to move rearward along the lower surface 74, the tip will come into contact with the rear first wall portion 76, as shown in FIG. 11. This contact prevents the shaft 43 from moving further rearward.

[0096] The bridge portion 64 may not be bent. (Other matters) The front compartment structure of the present invention can also be applied to vehicles equipped with accelerator pedals of a type other than the suspended type. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 11...Body 12...Vehicle compartment 15...Floor 25...Accelerator pedal 27...Axis 30,70...Pad 35...Rod 38...Attachment part 39...Bending section (over-pressure prevention section) 40...Accelerator interlock device 41...Interlock main body 42…Case 43...Shaft 51...Receiving part (tip of shaft) 58...Actuator 61...Bracket 64...Bridge section (over-pressure prevention section) 71...Pad body 74…Bottom surface 75...Excessive pressure suppression section 76...First wall portion (wall portion) 77…Second wall part L1…Axis line α…Angle

Claims

1. A vehicle interior front structure in which an accelerator pedal and an accelerator interlock device are provided at the front in the front-rear direction of the vehicle interior, The accelerator pedal includes a rod rotatably supported by a shaft, and a pad attached to a portion of the rod spaced apart from the shaft, The accelerator interlock device includes an interlock main body attached to a floor of a vehicle body via a bracket in front of the pad in a depression direction, a shaft having an axis extending in the depression direction, and an actuator that moves the shaft in and out of the interlock main body in the direction along the axis, The accelerator interlock device restricts depression of the accelerator pedal by bringing the underside of the accelerator pedal into contact with the tip end of the shaft protruding from the interlock body, Furthermore, the front compartment structure is provided with an excessive depression suppression section that suppresses excessive depression by preventing the tip of the shaft from moving in a direction along the underside of the accelerator pedal when excessive load is applied to the pad while the accelerator interlock device is restricting the depression operation.

2. an angle formed by the axis with respect to the underside of the accelerator pedal, the depression of which is restricted by the accelerator interlock device, is set to a size such that a force acting forward in the front-to-rear direction acts on the shaft when an excessive load is applied to the pad, The outer shell of the interlock body is formed by a case extending in the direction along the stepping direction, 2. The front structure of a vehicle interior as described in claim 1, wherein the bracket is bridged between the rear surface of the case and the floor in the fore-and-aft direction, and has a bridge portion as at least a part of the excessive depression prevention portion, the bridge portion being bent so as to protrude forward or rearward in the fore-and-aft direction before the excessive load is applied to the pad.

3. an angle formed by the axis with respect to the underside of the accelerator pedal, the depression of which is restricted by the accelerator interlock device, is set to a size such that a force acting forward in the front-to-rear direction acts on the shaft when an excessive load is applied to the pad, the rod extends along the lower surface of the pad and has an attachment portion attached to the pad; The accelerator interlock device restricts the depression operation by bringing a lower surface of a front end portion of the attachment portion in the front-rear direction into contact with the tip portion of the shaft protruding from the interlock body portion as the lower surface of the accelerator pedal, 2. The vehicle interior front structure according to claim 1, wherein the rod has a bent portion that bends downward relative to the mounting portion at a location adjacent to the front side of the mounting portion in the fore-and-aft direction, as at least a part of the excessive depression prevention portion.

4. The pad includes a pad main body to which the load of the stepping operation is applied, the accelerator interlock device restricts the depression of the accelerator pedal by bringing a lower surface of the pad main body into contact with the tip end of the shaft protruding from the interlock main body, the lower surface of the accelerator pedal being the lower surface of the accelerator pedal; A pair of walls are provided on the lower surface of the pad main body at locations that sandwich the tip end of the shaft protruding from the interlock main body from both sides in the front-rear direction, The vehicle interior front structure according to claim 1 , wherein the pair of walls constitute at least a part of the excessive depression suppression portion.

5. When the pair of wall portions are first wall portions, a pair of second wall portions are provided on the lower surface of the pad main body portion at locations that sandwich the tip end portion of the shaft protruding from the interlock main body portion from both sides in the vehicle width direction; The vehicle interior front structure according to claim 4 , wherein the excessive depression suppression portion is configured by the pair of first wall portions and the pair of second wall portions.

6. The vehicle interior front structure according to claim 5 , wherein the pair of first wall portions and the pair of second wall portions are each formed by a rib that protrudes downward from the lower surface of the pad main body portion.

7. The vehicle interior front structure according to claim 6 , wherein the first wall portion and the second wall portion that are adjacent to each other are connected to each other, and the excessive depression suppression portion is cylindrical.

8. the shaft is positioned above the floor, the rod is disposed above the floor and rearward of the shaft in the front-rear direction, and is supported by the shaft so as to be rotatable in the up-and-down direction; the pad is attached to the rod above the floor and rearward of the axis in the front-to-rear direction; The vehicle interior front structure according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the pad rotates up and down together with the rod, with the shaft as a fulcrum.

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