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 a lock actuation determination part 64 which determines switching of lock actuation by the lock mechanism 50 and an actuator control part 65 which controls driving of the actuator 40. When an approaching object is detected in the rear side of a vehicle during vehicle traveling in the locked state, the lock actuation determination part 64 cancels locking of the pedal lever 20.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] When detecting a switching request based on the pedal pressure as in Patent Document 1, a sensor for detecting the pressure is required, which makes the structure complicated. Also, when detecting a switching request based on the pedal opening, the driver needs to be able to depress the pedal, so the holding force during footrest cannot be set large. Also, if the lock release is delayed, for example when another vehicle is approaching from behind, there is a risk that rapid acceleration will be hindered.

[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 a lock operation determination unit (64) and an actuator control unit (65). The lock operation determination unit determines whether the lock mechanism switches between lock operations. The actuator control unit controls the driving of the actuator. The lock operation determination unit determines whether the lock mechanism switches between lock operations. Automatic driving control When an approaching object is detected behind the vehicle while the vehicle is moving, the pedal lever is unlocked, thereby making it possible to appropriately control the locked state of the pedal lever. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an accelerator pedal system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a pedal lever is locked in an accelerator pedal system according to an embodiment; [Diagram 3] 1 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of an accelerator pedal system according to an embodiment; [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a proximity determination range according to an embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a proximity determination range according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 11 is a flowchart illustrating a lock operation control process according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] 4 is a time chart illustrating a lock operation control process according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] 4 is a time chart illustrating a lock operation control process according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] (One embodiment) An accelerator pedal system according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. One embodiment is shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 8. As shown in Fig. 1, the 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.

[0010] 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."

[0011] 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.

[0012] 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.

[0013] 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.

[0014] 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.

[0015] 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.

[0016] 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.

[0017] 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.

[0018] 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.

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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.

[0028] 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.

[0029] The notification control unit 67 issues a command to the notification device 80 to notify the driver of information. In this embodiment, the notification control 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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, 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 reseating, fastening or unfastening the seat belt, picking up something that has fallen, stretching, the driver's state of consciousness, etc. may be regarded as disturbances.

[0032] 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 another vehicle 200 (see FIG. 4) and obstacles, etc., by road-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, an in-vehicle camera, radar, etc.

[0033] The vehicle speed detection unit 75 detects the vehicle speed, which is the traveling speed of the vehicle. 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 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.

[0034] The voice detector 77 detects the voice of the occupant. The notification device 80 has a display device 81 such as a display and a speaker 82, and notifies the driver of various information.

[0035] Incidentally, when the vehicle is traveling under automatic driving control such as vehicle distance control, if the pedal lever 20 is locked and the driver's depressing pressure is detected to unlock it, a sensor for detecting the pressure is required. Also, if the pedal lever 20 is unlocked after detecting the driver's pedal operation, there is a risk that the start of acceleration in an emergency will be delayed.

[0036] In this embodiment, the pedal lock is released based on the surrounding information of the vehicle. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 4, when another vehicle 200 is approaching from the rear of the host vehicle 100, the pedal lock is released when the approaching object, that is, the other vehicle 200, is detected within the approach determination range Ra on the rear side of the vehicle in order to allow acceleration to ensure a distance between the host vehicle 100 and the other vehicle 200.

[0037] 5, in consideration of approach from the rear side of the vehicle due to a lane change or the like, a predetermined angle range from the front end of the vehicle 100 may be set as the approach determination range Ra. This makes it possible to detect another vehicle 200 approaching from diagonally behind, for example, due to merging. In Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, the approach determination range Ra is indicated by a matte finish.

[0038] The lock operation control process of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 6. 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".

[0039] 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), that is, if the vehicle is traveling with the pedal released, the process proceeds to S104. If it is determined that the vehicle is traveling with pedal lock (S101: YES), the process proceeds to S102.

[0040] In S102, the lock operation determination unit 64 determines whether or not an approaching object from the rear of the vehicle has been detected based on information from the vehicle surroundings information acquisition unit 74. In this embodiment, if a vehicle, an obstacle, or the like is detected in the approach determination range Ra by the radar or the camera, the determination is affirmative. Alternatively, an approaching object from the rear of the vehicle may be detected by vehicle-to-vehicle communication or road-to-vehicle communication. If it is determined that an approaching object from the rear of the vehicle has not been detected (S102: NO), the process of S103 is skipped and pedal lock driving is continued. If it is determined that an approaching object from the rear of the vehicle has been detected (S102: YES), a rear approaching object determination flag is set and the process proceeds to S103. In S103, the actuator control unit 65 drives the motor 41 to unlock the pedal lever 20.

[0041] When it is determined that the vehicle is not in pedal lock driving (S101: NO), that is, when the pedal lever 20 is not locked, the process proceeds to S104, in which the lock operation determination unit 64 determines whether or not the approaching object from behind determination flag is set. When it is determined that the approaching object from behind determination flag is not set (S104: NO), the process skips S105 and subsequent steps. When it is determined that the approaching object from behind determination flag is set (S104: YES), the process proceeds to S105. Note that the determination may be made positive within a predetermined time period after the flag is reset.

[0042] In S105, the lock operation determination unit 64 determines whether or not the detection of an approaching object from the rear of the vehicle has been resolved. If it is determined that the detection of an approaching object from the rear of the vehicle has not been resolved (S105: NO), the process of S106 and subsequent steps is skipped. If it is determined that the detection of an approaching object from the rear of the vehicle has been resolved (S105: YES), the rear approaching object determination flag is reset, and the process proceeds to S106.

[0043] In S106, the lock operation determination unit 64 determines whether the pedal opening θ is smaller than a predetermined opening θth. The predetermined opening θth is set to an arbitrary value smaller than the override opening. In this embodiment, it is set to an opening relatively close to the fully closed position. If it is determined that the pedal opening θ is equal to or larger than the predetermined opening θth (S106: NO), the process of S107 is skipped and pedal release traveling is continued. If it is determined that the pedal opening θ is smaller than the predetermined opening θth (S106: YES), the process proceeds to S107. In S107, the actuator control unit 65 drives the motor 41 to re-lock the pedal lever 20.

[0044] The locking operation control process of this embodiment will be described based on the time charts of Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. In Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, a common time axis is used as the horizontal axis, and from the top, the rear approaching object determination flag, the lock holding force of the pedal lever 20, and the pedal opening degree θ are shown. In Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, a set state of the flag is represented as "1", and a reset state is represented as "0".

[0045] As shown in Fig. 7, before time x10, the vehicle is traveling with the pedal locked, and the pedal lever 20 is held in a locked state by a holding force Fh. When an approaching object from the rear of the vehicle is detected at time x10, a rear approaching object determination flag is set. In addition, the motor 41 is driven to release the locked state of the pedal lever 20, thereby reducing the lock holding force. When the unlocking is completed at time x11, the driver can press the pedal lever 20 with a normal pressing force, enabling rapid acceleration according to the pedal opening θ.

[0046] At time x12, the approaching object behind the vehicle is no longer detected, and the pedal opening θ decreases when the driver thereafter reduces the pressure on the pedal lever 20. At time x13, when the pedal opening θ becomes smaller than the predetermined opening θth, the motor 41 is driven to re-lock the pedal lever 20.

[0047] In Fig. 8, the processing before time x22 is the same as the processing before time x12 in Fig. 7. At time x22, if an approaching object at the rear of the vehicle is no longer detected and the pedal opening angle θ remains greater than the predetermined opening angle θth even after the approaching object from behind determination flag is reset, the pedal lever 20 is not locked and pedal-released traveling continues.

[0048] In this embodiment, when an approaching object is detected behind the vehicle, the pedal lever 20 is unlocked, allowing for quick acceleration. This makes it possible to avoid dangerous situations such as another vehicle approaching from behind the vehicle.

[0049] 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.

[0050] 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.

[0051] When an approaching object is detected behind the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling in a locked state, the lock operation determination unit 64 unlocks the pedal lever 20. By unlocking the pedal lever 20 when an approaching object is detected from the rear of the vehicle, acceleration can be quickly performed by manual driving in response to the driver's depression of the pedal lever 20 from steady driving such as ACC, thereby making it possible to avoid danger.

[0052] After an approaching object is detected behind the vehicle and the pedal lever 20 is unlocked, the lock operation determination unit 64 relocks the pedal lever 20 when an approaching object is no longer detected behind the vehicle and the opening degree of the pedal lever 20 becomes smaller than a predetermined opening degree. This relocks the pedal lever 20 when the driver has no intention of accelerating, thereby reducing the frequency of the lock activation operation by the driver while driving and reducing the operational burden on the driver.

[0053] (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.

[0054] 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.

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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.

[0057] 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.

[0058] 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.

[0059] 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]

[0060] 1. Accelerator pedal system 20 Pedal lever 40...Actuator 50 Locking mechanism 60...ECU (control unit) 64 Lock operation determination 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 a lock operation determination unit (64) that determines switching of the lock operation by the lock mechanism, and an actuator control unit (65) that controls the drive of the actuator; Equipped with The lock operation determination unit is an accelerator pedal system that unlocks the pedal lever when an approaching object is detected to the rear of the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling under automatic driving control in the locked state.

2. 2. The accelerator pedal system according to claim 1, wherein the lock operation determination unit re-locks the pedal lever when, after an approaching object is detected to the rear of the vehicle and the pedal lever is unlocked, an approaching object is no longer detected to the rear of the vehicle and an opening degree of the pedal lever is smaller than a predetermined opening degree.

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