Accelerator Pedal System

Abstract

To provide an accelerator pedal system which can appropriately control a locked state of an accelerator pedal.SOLUTION: An accelerator pedal system 1 comprises a pedal lever 20, a lock mechanism 50, an actuator 40, and an ECU 60. The pedal lever 20 operates in response to a stepping operation. The lock mechanism 50 can restrict operation of the pedal lever 20. The actuator 40 performs switching between a locked state in which operation of the pedal lever 20 is restricted by the lock mechanism 50 and an unlocked state in which it is not restricted. The ECU 60 has an actuator control part 65. The actuator control part 65 controls driving of the actuator 40. When a disturbance is detected during traveling in the locked state, the actuator control part 65 changes an energization amount of the actuator 40.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a vehicle driving control device that provides an accelerator pedal with a footrest function by increasing the pedal depression reaction force. For example, in Patent Document 1, a request to switch an automatic speed control device (ASCD) from an activated state to a deactivated state is detected by the depression pressure (or opening degree) of the accelerator pedal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-60484 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In Patent Document 1, when the pedal is depressed due to external disturbances such as sudden vehicle deceleration or vibration, the footrest state is released even if the driver does not intend to accelerate, which may result in unintended acceleration by the driver.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide an accelerator pedal system that can appropriately control the locked state of the accelerator pedal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The accelerator pedal system of the present invention includes a pedal lever (20), a lock mechanism (50), an actuator (40), and a control unit (60). The pedal lever operates in response to depression of the pedal lever. The lock mechanism is capable of restricting the operation of the pedal lever. The actuator switches between a locked state, in which the operation of the pedal lever is restricted by the lock mechanism, and an unlocked state, in which the operation of the pedal lever is not restricted.

[0007] The control unit has an actuator control unit (65). The actuator control unit controls the driving of the actuator. When a disturbance is detected during traveling in a locked state, the actuator control unit changes the amount of current supplied to the actuator. When the locked state is released while a disturbance is detected during driving in the locked state, the actuator control unit changes the amount of current supplied to the actuator so that the pedal lever is relocked. This makes it possible to appropriately control the locked state of the accelerator pedal. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an accelerator pedal system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the pedal lever is locked in the accelerator pedal system according to the first embodiment; FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of an accelerator pedal system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] 5 is a flowchart illustrating a lock operation control process according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 1A is a diagram for explaining a state in which a vehicle suddenly decelerates, and FIG. 1B is a diagram for explaining a disturbance pedal force caused by deceleration G. [Figure 6] FIG. 1A is a diagram for explaining a state in which vibration occurs in a vehicle, and FIG. 1B is a diagram for explaining a disturbance pedal force caused by the vibration. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining disturbance detection by a camera. [Figure 8] 5 is a time chart illustrating a locking operation control process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a lock operation control process according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a time chart illustrating a locking operation control process according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] 13 is a flowchart illustrating a lock operation control process according to a third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating driving force suppression according to a third embodiment. [Figure 13] 13 is a time chart illustrating a locking operation control process according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An accelerator pedal system according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following, in a number of embodiments, substantially the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0010] (First embodiment) The first embodiment is shown in Figures 1 to 8. As shown in Figure 1, an accelerator pedal system 1 includes a pedal lever 20, an actuator 40, a power transmission mechanism 45, a lock mechanism 50, and an ECU 60 as a control unit.

[0011] The pedal lever 20 has a pad 21, an arm 31, and a pedal 35, and is driven as a unit by the driver's depressing operation or the like. The pad 21 is provided so as to be depressable by the driver. The pad 21 is rotatably supported by a fulcrum member 23 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 side of the housing H, but it may be a hanging type (pendant type). In this embodiment, the housing parts that are not driven by the driving of the motor 41 or the depressing operation of the pedal lever 20, such as the pedal housing and the motor housing, are collectively referred to as the "housing H."

[0012] The arm 31 connects the pad 21 and the pedal 35. One end of the pedal 35 is rotatably supported by the housing H, and the other end is connected to the arm 31. Thus, when the driver operates the pad 21, the pad 21, the arm 31 and the pedal 35 are driven integrally. A pedal opening sensor 39 that detects a pedal opening θ is provided on one end side of the pedal 35.

[0013] The pedal biasing member 37 is a compression coil spring, one end of which is fixed to the pedal 35 and the other end of which is fixed to the housing H, and which biases the pedal 35 in the accelerator closing direction. In Figures 1 and 2, the accelerator fully closed state is indicated by a solid line, and the accelerator fully open state is indicated by a dashed line.

[0014] The actuator 40 has a motor 41 and a power transmission mechanism 45. The motor 41 is, for example, a DC motor, and its driving is controlled by the ECU 60. The driving force of the motor 41 is transmitted to the pedal lever 20 via the power transmission mechanism 45. Here, it can be said that the actuator 40 is a series of components that transmits power from the motor 41, which is a driving source, to the pedal lever 20 via the power transmission mechanism 45.

[0015] The power transmission mechanism 45 has a gear set 46, a power transmission member 47, and the like. The gear set 46 is composed of a motor gear that rotates integrally with the motor shaft and a plurality of gears that mesh with the motor gear, and transmits the driving force of the motor 41 to the power transmission member 47. Here, the gear set 46 includes a gear 461 on which a locked portion 52, which will be described later, is provided. The gear 461 is provided with a position sensor 49 that detects a rotation position. Hereinafter, the rotation direction of the motor 41, the gear 461, and the like when the gear 461 is rotated counterclockwise on the page is defined as positive, and the rotation direction of the motor 41, the gear 461, and the like when the gear 461 is rotated clockwise on the page is defined as negative.

[0016] The power transmission member 47 is, for example, a cam, and one end side of the power transmission member 47 meshes with the gear set 46, so that the power transmission member 47 is rotated by the driving of the motor 41. The other end side of the power transmission member 47 abuts against the pedal lever 20. In this way, the driving force of the motor 41 is transmitted to the pedal lever 20. In FIG. 1, the other end of the power transmission member 47 abuts against the pad 21, but it may be configured to abut against the arm 31 or the pedal 35.

[0017] By rotating the motor 41 in the forward direction while the power transmission member 47 and the pedal lever 20 are in contact with each other, a reaction force in the return direction can be applied to the pedal lever 20. When no reaction force is to be applied to the pedal lever 20, it is preferable to rotate the motor 41 in the negative direction and retract the power transmission member 47 so that the pedal lever 20 and the power transmission member 47 do not come into contact with each other in the entire range from the fully closed to the fully open position of the pedal lever 20. This makes it possible to prevent cogging torque and the like from the power transmission mechanism 45 from affecting the pedal force when no reaction force is applied.

[0018] By actively applying a reaction force in the return direction to the pedal lever 20 by the motor 41, a wall sensation is created by applying a reaction force at a point where it is determined that depressing the pad 21 will result in a deterioration of fuel efficiency based on, for example, the driving situation, and the driver is prevented from depressing the pad 21. This can improve fuel efficiency. Also, for example, by pulse-driving the pedal lever 20 in the return direction, it can be used to transmit information such as a notification of switching from automatic driving to manual driving.

[0019] The locking mechanism 50 includes a locking member 51, a locked portion 52, and an elastic member 55. The locking member 51 is provided so that a tapered surface formed on one end side can come into contact with the locked portion 52. The other end side of the locking member 51 is accommodated in an accommodation chamber 56 formed in the housing H, and is provided so as to be able to reciprocate in the axial direction. The locked portion 52 is provided so as to protrude from a gear 461 that constitutes the gear set 46, and rotates integrally with the gear 461. The locked portion 52 comes into contact with the locking member 51 at the tapered surface.

[0020] The elastic member 55 is accommodated in an accommodating chamber 56 provided in the housing H. One end of the elastic member 55 abuts against the locking member 51, and the other end is engaged with the housing H, biasing the locking member 51 in the direction toward the locked portion 52.

[0021] 1 shows the locking start state. When the gear 461 is rotated counterclockwise on the paper by the driving force of the motor 41 with the locked portion 52 and the locking member 51 in contact with each other, the locked portion 52 pushes the locking member 51, compressing the elastic member 55. When the gear 461 is further rotated counterclockwise and the locked portion 52 climbs over the locking member 51 and turns around to the upper side of the paper, the biasing force of the elastic member 55 returns the locking member 51 to its initial position.

[0022] 2, in the locked state, the locking member 51 engages the locked portion 52 by the biasing force of the elastic member 55, thereby restricting the rotation of the gear 461. In addition, the power transmission member 47 functions as a locking force transmission portion, thereby restricting the movement of the pedal lever 20. As a result, in a non-energized state where the supply of electricity to the motor 41 is turned off, the movement of the pedal lever 20 can be restricted.

[0023] Hereinafter, restricting the operation of the pedal lever 20 will be simply referred to as "locking." For example, during automatic driving, comfort can be ensured by locking the pedal lever 20 and using the pad 21 as a footrest. In this embodiment, the pedal lever 20 will be described as being locked in the fully closed position.

[0024] 2, when gear 461 is rotated clockwise on the page by the driving force of motor 41, locked portion 52 pushes locking member 51, compressing elastic member 55. When locked portion 52 climbs over locking member 51 and turns to the lower side on the page, the locked state is released, and locking member 51 returns to its initial position by the biasing force of elastic member 55. The locked state can also be released when a predetermined or greater pedal force is applied to pedal lever 20.

[0025] When the pedal lever 20 is not locked, it is desirable to rotate the gear 461 further counterclockwise from the state shown in FIG. 1 to move the locking member 51 and the locked portion 52 away from contact with each other.

[0026] 3, the ECU 60 is mainly composed of a microcomputer and includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an I / O, and a bus line connecting these components (all not shown). Each process in the ECU 60 may be software processing in which the CPU executes a program stored in advance in a substantial memory device (i.e., a readable non-transitory tangible recording medium) such as a ROM, or may be hardware processing in which a dedicated electronic circuit is used.

[0027] The ECU 60 has, as functional blocks, a pedal opening detection unit 61, an information acquisition unit 62, a target reaction force calculation unit 63, a lock operation determination unit 64, an actuator control unit 65, a notification control unit 67, and a vehicle drive control unit 68. Although one ECU 60 is shown in Fig. 3, some of the functions may be configured by a separate ECU or the like.

[0028] The pedal opening detection unit 61 detects the pedal opening θ based on the detection value of the pedal opening sensor 39. The information acquisition unit 62 acquires various information from the position sensor 49, the driving state detection unit 71, the disturbance detection unit 72, the driving operation detection unit 73, the vehicle surroundings information acquisition unit 74, the vehicle speed detection unit 75, the position information detection unit 76, the voice detection unit 77, etc.

[0029] A target reaction force calculation unit 63 calculates a target reaction force to be applied to the pedal lever 20. A lock operation determination unit 64 determines whether the pedal lever 20 should be switched between a locked state in which the pedal lever 20 is locked and an unlocked state in which the pedal lever 20 is not locked, based on various information acquired by the information acquisition unit 62. Hereinafter, switching from an unlocked state to a locked state will be referred to as "lock activation," and switching from a locked state to an unlocked state will be referred to as "lock release," as appropriate. An actuator control unit 65 controls the drive of the motor 41 based on the target reaction force and the determination result of the lock operation determination unit 64, etc.

[0030] The notification control unit 67 issues a command to the notification device 80 to notify the driver of information. In this embodiment, the notification unit 67 notifies information related to locking and unlocking of the pedal lever 20. The vehicle drive control unit 68 controls the drive of the vehicle 100 (see FIG. 5(a) and the like).

[0031] The driving state detection unit 71 detects the driving mode as the driving state. The driving modes include an override mode in addition to an automatic driving mode and a manual driving mode. The control in the automatic driving mode is a cruise control such as ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control), but the details of the control are not important. In the override mode, both the input from the control side by the automatic driving and the pedal input from the driver are input, and in the override mode, the input by the driver's pedal operation is always given priority.

[0032] The disturbance detection unit 72 detects disturbances based on information from a G sensor that detects acceleration, a suspension behavior detection device, an interior camera 95 (see FIG. 7), etc. Disturbances include, for example, deceleration G caused by relatively sudden deceleration, vehicle vibration caused by road bumps, etc. In addition, non-driving operations that are operations other than normal driving operations, such as the driver shifting in his / her seat, fastening / unfastening the seat belt, picking up something that has fallen, stretching, the driver's state of consciousness, etc. may also be considered as disturbances.

[0033] The driving operation detection unit 73 detects the operation of a turn signal and steering wheel by the driver. The vehicle surroundings information acquisition unit 74 detects the approach of other vehicles and obstacles, etc., by road-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, an in-vehicle camera, radar, etc.

[0034] The vehicle speed detection unit 75 detects the vehicle speed, which is the traveling speed of the vehicle 100. The vehicle speed detection unit 75 is not limited to using a vehicle speed sensor, and may be configured to detect the vehicle speed by performing calculations using position data such as GPS. The position information detection unit 76 detects the current position of the vehicle 100 based on information such as map information, GPS, road-to-vehicle communication, and in-vehicle camera. The position information detection unit 76 may use the exemplified information alone or in combination. Information other than the exemplified information may also be used.

[0035] The voice detector 77 detects the voice of the passenger. The notification device 80 has a display device 81 such as a display, and a speaker 82, and notifies the driver of various information.

[0036] However, for example, when deceleration acceleration (hereinafter, "deceleration G") is applied due to sudden deceleration of the vehicle 100, or when vibration occurs due to a road bump, there is a risk that a pedal force will be applied to the pedal lever 20 converted into a footrest even if the driver does not intend to accelerate. In addition, in this embodiment, since the lock mechanism 50 can maintain the locked state without being energized, no current is applied to the motor 41 during the locking operation. Therefore, in this embodiment, when a disturbance is detected, the motor 41 is energized to increase the locking force, thereby preventing the lock from being released unintentionally by the driver.

[0037] The lock operation control process of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 4. This process is executed at a predetermined interval by the ECU 60. Hereinafter, the "step" such as step S101 will be omitted and the steps will simply be referred to as "S".

[0038] In S101, the ECU 60 determines whether or not the vehicle is traveling with the pedal lever 20 locked. Hereinafter, traveling with the pedal lever 20 locked is referred to as pedal lock traveling. If it is determined that the vehicle is not traveling with pedal lock (S101: NO), the process from S102 onwards is skipped. If it is determined that the vehicle is traveling with pedal lock (S101: YES), the process proceeds to S102.

[0039] In S102, the lock operation determination unit 64 determines whether or not a disturbance has been detected. The disturbance will be described later with reference to Figs. 5 to 7. If it is determined that a disturbance has not been detected (S102: NO), the process of S103 is skipped. If it is determined that a disturbance has been detected (S102: YES), the process proceeds to S103. In S103, the actuator control unit 65 changes the current value to the motor 41 to increase the lock holding force.

[0040] Here, a specific example of a disturbance will be described. When the vehicle 100 suddenly decelerates as shown in Fig. 5(a), deceleration G occurs as shown in Fig. 5(b), and there is a risk that the pedal lever 20 is unintentionally depressed due to the disturbance pedal force Fd. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the deceleration G exceeds a judgment threshold, it is detected as a disturbance.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 6(a), when vibration occurs in the vehicle 100 due to a road bump or the like, there is a risk that the pedal lever 20 will be unintentionally depressed due to a disturbance pedal force Fd, as shown in Fig. 6(b). Therefore, in this embodiment, when a detection value related to vibration detected by a G sensor or a suspension behavior detection device exceeds a judgment threshold, it is detected as a disturbance.

[0042] 7, when the driver's actions other than driving are detected by the interior camera 95, they are detected as disturbances. Examples of actions other than driving include sitting back down, fastening and unfastening the seat belt, picking up something that has fallen, stretching, changes in physical condition, etc.

[0043] The lock operation control process of this embodiment will be described based on the time chart of Fig. 8. In Fig. 8, the horizontal axis represents a common time axis, and from the top, disturbance, current flowing through the motor 41, lock retention force of the lock mechanism 50, and pedal opening degree θ are shown. The same applies to time charts of embodiments described later.

[0044] Before time x10, it is assumed that no external disturbance has occurred and the vehicle is running with the pedal locked. When the external disturbance exceeds the judgment threshold at time x10, the current value to the motor 41 is changed. In this embodiment, the locked state is maintained without current being applied, so current is started to be applied to the motor 41 at time x10. By applying current to the motor 41, in addition to the no-current-application lock holding force Fh, an energized lock holding force Fe, which is a holding force due to current application, is generated, thereby increasing the lock holding force and preventing the driver from unintentionally releasing the lock due to a disturbance.

[0045] At time x11, when the disturbance becomes smaller than the judgment threshold, power supply to the motor 41 is terminated. Although Fig. 8 shows an example in which the disturbance is detected by judging the deceleration G and the vibration component based on the threshold, the same applies to the disturbance detection by the indoor camera 95.

[0046] As described above, the accelerator pedal system 1 of this embodiment includes the pedal lever 20, the lock mechanism 50, the actuator 40, and the ECU 60. The pedal lever 20 operates in response to depression of the pedal lever. The lock mechanism 50 is capable of restricting the operation of the pedal lever 20. Here, "capable of restricting the operation of the pedal lever" is not limited to completely fixing the pedal lever 20 to reduce the amount of movement to zero, but includes the concept of making the amount of movement smaller than when unlocked. The actuator 40 switches between a locked state in which the operation of the pedal lever 20 is restricted by the lock mechanism 50, and an unlocked state in which the operation is not restricted.

[0047] The ECU 60 has a lock operation determination unit 64 and an actuator control unit 65. The lock operation determination unit 64 determines whether to switch the lock operation by the lock mechanism 50. The actuator control unit 65 controls the drive of the actuator 40 in accordance with the determination result of the lock operation determination unit 64. In this embodiment, the actuator control unit 65 mainly controls the drive of the motor 41.

[0048] When an external disturbance is detected while the vehicle is running in a locked state, the actuator control unit 65 changes the amount of current supplied to the actuator 40. This makes it possible to suppress acceleration unintended by the driver due to the influence of the external disturbance.

[0049] In detail, when an external disturbance is detected while driving in a locked state, the actuator control unit 65 changes the amount of current supplied to the actuator 40 so as to increase the lock retention force of the lock mechanism 50. This makes it possible to suppress unintended unlocking by the driver due to the influence of the external disturbance.

[0050] The disturbance is a deceleration acceleration applied when the vehicle decelerates. The disturbance is also vibration in the vertical direction of the vehicle. The disturbance is still another unintended action of the driver. When these are detected, the amount of current supplied to the motor 41 can be changed to suppress unintended acceleration of the driver. In this embodiment, the disturbance includes the deceleration G, vibration components, and unintended actions, but some of them may be omitted, or other elements may be detected as the disturbance.

[0051] The locking mechanism 50 can maintain the locked state with the actuator 40 de-energized. When an external disturbance is detected, the actuator control unit 65 starts energizing the actuator 40 from a state in which the energization to the actuator 40 is off. When the energization to the motor 41 is turned off in the locked state, there is a higher risk of the lock being released due to the influence of a disturbance, etc., compared to when the energization to the motor 41 is continued, for example, by feedback control, etc. In this embodiment, the lock can be prevented from being released by starting the energization to the motor 41 when a disturbance is detected.

[0052] Second embodiment The second embodiment is shown in Fig. 9 and Fig. 10. In the second and third embodiments, the lock operation control process is different from the above embodiment, so this point will be mainly described. The processes of S201 and S202 are similar to the processes of S101 and S102 in Fig. 4.

[0053] In S203, the lock operation determination unit 64 determines whether or not the unlocking of the pedal lever 20 has been detected. If it is determined that the pedal lever 20 has not been unlocked (S203: NO), the process skips S204 and subsequent steps. If it is determined that the pedal lever 20 has been unlocked (S203: YES), the process proceeds to S204.

[0054] In S204, the actuator control section 65 changes the value of the current to the motor 41. In this embodiment, since no current is applied to the motor 41 while the pedal lever 20 is locked, current is applied to the motor 41 so as to re-lock the pedal lever 20.

[0055] In S205, the lock operation determination unit 64 determines whether or not the pedal lever 20 has been relocked. If it is determined that the pedal lever 20 has not been relocked (S205: NO), the power supply to the motor 41 is continued. If it is determined that the pedal lever 20 has been relocked (S205: YES), the process proceeds to S206.

[0056] In S206, the actuator control unit 65 cancels the change in the current value to the motor 41. In this embodiment, the current to the motor 41 is turned off. As in the first embodiment, even if the pedal lever 20 is not unlocked, the change in the current value may be continued while a disturbance is detected.

[0057] The lock operation control process of this embodiment will be described with reference to the time chart of Fig. 10. Here, the description will be given assuming that the non-energized lock holding force Fh and the energized lock holding force Fe are equal, but the non-energized lock holding force Fh and the energized lock holding force Fe may be different. At time x20, the disturbance depression force Fd increases due to the occurrence of a disturbance, and when the disturbance depression force Fd exceeds the non-energized lock holding force Fh at time x21, the disturbance depression force Fd releases the locked state of the pedal lever 20.

[0058] When the disturbance depression force Fd is maintained at time x22, the pedal lever 20 maintains the pedal opening θ at a position where the disturbance depression force Fd and the energization lock holding force Fe are balanced. When the disturbance depression force Fd starts to decrease at time x23 and becomes smaller than the energization lock holding force Fe at time x24, the pedal opening θ is reduced.

[0059] When the pedal opening angle θ returns to the locking position at time x25, the pedal lever 20 is locked, and at time x26 when the pedal locking is completed, the power supply to the motor 41 is turned off. Alternatively, the power supply may be turned off after a predetermined time has elapsed since the completion of the pedal locking.

[0060] The locking mechanism 50 of this embodiment can maintain the locked state without current flow, and current flow to the motor 41 is turned off during locking, so if the lock is released unintentionally due to an external disturbance, there is a risk of the driver accelerating unintentionally. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the lock is released due to an external disturbance, current is passed through the motor 41, which prevents the driver from accelerating unintentionally and enables the vehicle to quickly return to a re-locked state.

[0061] In this embodiment, when the locked state is released while driving in a locked state and a disturbance is detected, the actuator control unit 65 changes the amount of current supplied to the actuator 40 so that the pedal lever 20 is relocked. This allows the pedal lever 20 to be quickly restored to the locked state even if the pedal lever 20 is unintentionally released due to a disturbance. This also provides the same effects as the above embodiment.

[0062] Third embodiment The third embodiment is shown in Fig. 11 to Fig. 13. The lock operation control process of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 11. The processes of S301 to S304 are similar to the processes of S201 to S204 in Fig. 9.

[0063] In S305, which follows S304, the vehicle drive control unit 68 suppresses the vehicle drive force for the pedal opening degree θ. In detail, the vehicle drive control unit 68 sets a drive force suppression flag and switches the drive mode from the normal mode to the drive force suppression mode.

[0064] Details of the drive force suppression with respect to the pedal opening θ will be described with reference to Fig. 12. In Fig. 12, the horizontal axis represents the pedal opening θ, the vertical axis represents the throttle opening, the normal mode is indicated by a solid line, and the drive force suppression mode is indicated by a dashed line. In this embodiment, when the pedal lever 20 is unlocked due to a disturbance, the drive force suppression mode is set and the throttle opening with respect to the pedal opening θ is reduced to suppress the vehicle drive force with respect to the pedal opening θ. If the vehicle 100 is an electric vehicle, it is sufficient to suppress the output of the main motor with respect to the pedal opening θ.

[0065] Returning to Fig. 11, the processes of S306 and S307 are similar to the processes of S205 and S206 in Fig. 9. In S308, which follows S307, the vehicle drive control unit 68 returns the vehicle drive force relative to the pedal opening degree θ to normal. In detail, the drive force suppression flag is reset, and the drive mode is switched from the drive force suppression mode to the normal mode.

[0066] The lock operation control process of this embodiment will be described based on the time chart of Fig. 13. In Fig. 13, a driving force suppression flag is added below the pedal opening θ of Fig. 10. The behavior of disturbance, current holding force, and pedal opening θ is the same as in Fig. 10, so the description will be omitted and the driving force suppression flag will be mainly described.

[0067] At time x21 when the locked state of the pedal lever 20 is released by the disturbance depression force Fd, the driving force suppression flag is set and the vehicle driving force for the pedal opening degree θ is suppressed. At time x25 when the pedal lever 20 is locked again, the driving force suppression flag is reset and the vehicle driving force for the pedal opening degree θ is returned to normal. In the pedal locked state, the driving of the vehicle 100 is controlled by the automatic driving control side regardless of the pedal opening degree θ.

[0068] When an external disturbance occurs, the pedal lever 20 may be unintentionally unlocked due to the influence of the disturbance. In this embodiment, therefore, when the pedal lever is released while an external disturbance is occurring, the vehicle driving force relative to the pedal opening angle θ is suppressed. This makes it possible to suppress unintended acceleration by the driver. In addition, the same effects as those of the above embodiment are achieved.

[0069] (Other embodiments) In the above embodiment, the locking member 51 is provided on the fixed side, and the locked portion 52 is provided on the movable side. In other embodiments, the locking member may be provided on the movable side, and the locked portion on the fixed side. In the above embodiment, the locked portion is configured as a convex portion. In other embodiments, the locked portion may be configured as a concave portion. In addition, one of the locked portion or the locking member is not limited to being a spur gear, and may be provided on a member other than the spur gear that constitutes the power transmission mechanism.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the locking member is provided so as to be movable in a linear direction along the axial direction of the elastic member, which is a compression coil spring. In another embodiment, the locking member may be configured to rotate to switch between a locked state and an unlocked state. By switching the locked state by rotating the locking member, uneven wear of the contact portion can be suppressed. In another embodiment, the elastic member is not limited to a compression coil spring, and may be, for example, a torsion spring. Furthermore, the locking member itself may be formed of an elastic member such as rubber, and the locked state may be switched by elastic deformation.

[0071] In addition, the power transmission mechanism and the locking mechanism may be different from those in the above embodiment. The shapes of the locking member and the non-locking member may be different from those in the above embodiment depending on the arrangement of parts, etc. In the above embodiment, a common actuator is used for applying a reaction force to the pedal lever and for locking operation. In other embodiments, an actuator for applying a reaction force and an actuator for locking operation may be provided separately.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the locking mechanism can maintain the locked state in a non-energized state where the supply of electricity to the motor is turned off. In another embodiment, the locking mechanism may be configured to maintain the locked state by continuing to supply electricity to the motor.

[0073] In the above embodiment, the pedal lever is locked at the fully closed position by the lock mechanism. In other embodiments, the lock position of the pedal lever may be the fully open position, or may be an intermediate position between the fully closed position and the fully open position. The pedal lever may also be configured to be lockable in multiple stages.

[0074] In other embodiments, the driver may be notified at least when the lock is activated and when the lock is released. In addition, whether or not to notify may be changed depending on the situation, such as when the lock is activated immediately after the start of autonomous driving, and when the lock is activated at the end of an override during autonomous driving, not to notify. In addition, the driver may be asked to confirm his / her intention regarding the activation and release of the lock.

[0075] The control unit and the method described in the present disclosure may be realized by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor and a memory programmed to execute one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the control unit and the method described in the present disclosure may be realized by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor with one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the control unit and the method described in the present disclosure may be realized by one or more dedicated computers configured by a combination of a processor and a memory programmed to execute one or more functions and a processor configured with one or more hardware logic circuits. In addition, the computer program may be stored in a computer-readable non-transient tangible recording medium as instructions executed by a computer. As described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be implemented in various forms within the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1. Accelerator pedal system 20 Pedal lever 40...Actuator 50 Locking mechanism 60...ECU (control unit) 65 Actuator control section

Claims

1. A pedal lever (20) that operates in response to a stepping operation; A lock mechanism (50) capable of restricting the operation of the pedal lever; an actuator (40) for switching between a locked state in which the operation of the pedal lever is restricted by the lock mechanism and an unlocked state in which the operation of the pedal lever is not restricted; A control unit (60) having an actuator control unit (65) for controlling the driving of the actuator; Equipped with The actuator control unit includes: When a disturbance is detected during driving in the locked state, the amount of current supplied to the actuator is changed; an accelerator pedal system which changes the amount of current supplied to the actuator so that the pedal lever is relocked when the locked state is released while a disturbance is detected during driving in the locked state.

2. 2. The accelerator pedal system according to claim 1, wherein the disturbance is a deceleration acceleration applied when the vehicle is decelerating.

3. 2. The accelerator pedal system according to claim 1, wherein the disturbance is a vibration in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

4. The accelerator pedal system according to claim 1 , wherein the disturbance is an action of the driver other than driving.

5. The lock mechanism can maintain the locked state when the actuator is de-energized, 5. The accelerator pedal system according to claim 1, wherein the actuator control unit starts energizing the actuator from a state in which energization to the actuator is turned off when the disturbance is detected.

Images