Vehicle Pedal

Abstract

To provide a pedal of a vehicle which a driver can easily step on.SOLUTION: A pedal 20 according to the present invention is disposed on a lower side ahead of a driver seat of a vehicle 50. At least part of at least one end 26 in a width direction of a step surface 21 of the pedal 20 has an inclining plane 23 inclining downward. Employment of the pedal 20 allows an occupant to easily step on the step surface 21 in a state an extended direction of a shin and a center direction of an ankle are substantially located on a straight line. Therefore, when stepping on the step surface 21, the occupant does not need bending his / her ankle outward unnaturally, which allows the occupant to easily step on the step surface 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a pedal of a vehicle, particularly to the shape of a stepping surface of the pedal.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an accelerator pedal having a stepping surface that is slightly curved in the vehicle width direction.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a state where a passenger (driver) depresses the clutch pedal 110 with the left foot 51 and depresses the accelerator pedal 140 with the right foot 52. As shown in FIG. 12, the passenger moves the foot so as to align the sole position with the pedal position according to the body shape and depresses the stepping surface of the pedal with the sole.

[0005] At this time, as shown in FIG. 13, in pedal operation, it is preferable that the hip joint, knee, shin, and ankle can depress the stepping surface of the pedal in a state parallel to the center line of the human body, so that the force can be efficiently transmitted to the stepping surface.

[0006] However, passengers have individual differences in physique such as height differences. Therefore, not everyone can depress the stepping surface of the pedal with the hip joint, knee, shin, and ankle in a state parallel to the center line of the human body, and it is not always possible to maintain a comfortable foot posture when depressing the pedal. And even with the same pedal arrangement, it may be difficult for a person with a large height or a large pelvis to keep the hip joint, knee, shin, and ankle in a straight line when depressing the pedal.

[0007] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 14, there are cases where the shin must be inclined inward with respect to the center line of the human body and the stepping surface must be stepped on. In such a case, if the shape of the stepping surface is flat or slightly curved in the vehicle width direction, when the occupant tries to step on the stepping surface vertically in order to efficiently apply force to the stepping surface, the ankle must be bent outward, and the hip joint and knee will be twisted, making it difficult for the occupant to step on the stepping surface easily. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle pedal that is easy for an occupant to step on.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, a vehicle pedal according to the present invention is a vehicle pedal disposed on the lower front side of the driver's seat, and at least a part of at least one end of the stepping surface of the pedal in the vehicle width direction has an inclined surface inclined downward.

[0009] Conventionally, there is a pedal with a curved stepping surface, but since the inclination of the curved surface is small and it is curved on both sides, its shape and function are different from those of the present invention, which has a large inclination angle and a one-way inclination.

Effects of the Invention

[0010] According to the vehicle pedal according to the present disclosure, the one-way inclined surface is inclined downward with respect to the vehicle width direction. Therefore, it becomes easier for the occupant to step on the stepping surface in a state where the extending direction of the shin and the center direction of the ankle are substantially in a straight line, and there is no need for the occupant to unnaturally bend the ankle outward when stepping on the stepping surface. Thus, the occupant can step on the stepping surface easily.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is assumed from the beginning that new embodiments can be constructed by appropriately combining the characteristic parts of the embodiments and modification examples described below. In the following examples, in the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0013] In addition, hereinafter, the case where the technical idea of the present invention is applied to the brake pedal of a right-hand manual transmission vehicle will be described. However, the technical idea of the present invention may be applied to a clutch pedal or an accelerator pedal, or may be applied to two or more of the clutch pedal, brake pedal, and accelerator pedal. Further, the vehicle equipped with the pedal of the present invention may be a left-hand drive vehicle or an automatic transmission vehicle without a clutch pedal.

[0014] [Configuration of Pedal in One Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pedal structure 1 located on the lower front side of the driver's seat in a vehicle 50. This pedal structure 1 is mounted on a right-hand manual transmission vehicle. As shown in FIG. 1, the pedal structure 1 includes a clutch pedal 10 located on the left side of the paper, a brake pedal 20 located in the center of the paper, and an accelerator pedal 40 located on the right side of the paper. The clutch pedal 10, the brake pedal 20, and the accelerator pedal 40 are arranged at intervals in the vehicle width direction (hereinafter simply referred to as the width direction). The stepping surface 21 of the brake pedal 20 has an inclined surface 23 that inclines downward at an end portion 26 on one side in the width direction (the right side in the width direction on the paper).

[0015] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, which is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 1, the stepping surface 21 has a flat general surface 22 extending substantially in the width direction and a flat inclined surface 23 that inclines downward at an angle θ with respect to the general surface 22 at its end portion 26. The general surface 22 is located closer to the center in the width direction than the inclined surface 23. The general surface 22 and the inclined surface 23 are connected via an upwardly convex curved surface 24. The normal direction of the curved surface 24 changes continuously. The general surface 22 and the inclined surface 23 may be directly connected without passing through the curved surface 24.

[0016] [Reasons Why This Pedal Is Excellent] Next, the reasons why the pedal of the present disclosure is excellent will be described. In the description, first, from the perspective of human anatomy, the reasons why torsion of the hip joint and knee occurs when the shin is inclined inward with respect to the center line of the human body and the stepping surface must be stepped on in a conventional pedal having a flat stepping surface will be described. Then, afterwards, the reasons why torsion of the hip joint and knee is less likely to occur in the pedal of the present disclosure will be described.

[0017] <Reasons Why Torsion of the Hip Joint and Knee Is Likely to Occur in a Conventional Pedal> As shown by the dashed line in FIG. 3, when the pedal interval substantially coincides with the interval between both feet in a state where the pedal interval is appropriate, a person can step on the pedal easily. On the contrary, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 3, when the pedal interval is narrower than the interval between both feet in a state where the pedal interval is appropriate, the shin must be inclined inward with respect to the center line of the human body and the stepping surface must be stepped on. In such a case, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 3, it is comfortable for the occupant if the hip joint, knee, shin, and ankle can be positioned linearly so that torsion of the hip joint and knee does not occur.

[0018] However, when the occupant tries to step on the stepping surface of the pedal vertically in order to apply force to the pedal efficiently, the positional relationship between the stepping surface and the foot becomes the positional relationship shown in FIG. 4. That is, with the sole of the foot in close contact with the stepping surface 121 of the pedal 120, the extending direction of the shin 71 of the foot 70 is inclined with respect to the normal direction of the stepping surface 121 (the direction perpendicular to the stepping surface 121), and as a result, it is inclined outward with respect to the center direction P of the ankle, and a state where the ankle is twisted is required.

[0019] Here, from the perspective of human anatomy, such a posture is difficult to achieve easily in terms of the skeleton. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the ankle has an outer malleolus located on the outer side of the ankle and an inner malleolus located on the inner side of the ankle. The outer malleolus and the inner malleolus serve as stoppers when bending the ankle, and the outer malleolus extends to a lower side than the inner malleolus. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the ankle is easy to bend inward, but as shown in FIG. 7, it is difficult to bend outward because of the obstruction of the outer malleolus.

[0020] In such a background, as shown in FIG. 8(a), when the shin needs to be inclined inward with respect to the center line of the human body and the stepping surface 121 needs to be stepped on from its vertical direction, the posture of the ankle is consistent with the posture of bending the ankle outward shown in FIG. 8(b). Therefore, it is understood that it is difficult for the occupant to achieve such an ankle posture in terms of the skeleton, and as a result, torsion of the hip joint and knee is likely to occur, making it difficult for the occupant to step on the stepping surface 121.

[0021] <Reasons why this pedal is excellent> FIG. 9(a) is a cross-sectional view when the conventional pedal 120 having a flat stepping surface 121 is cut by a plane including the width direction and the thickness direction, and is a cross-sectional view when the cut surface is viewed from the front side of the vehicle. FIG. 9(b) is a view showing the ankle posture in a state where the pedal 120 is stepped on. Further, FIG. 10(a) is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 9(a) in the brake pedal 20, and FIG. 10(b) is a view exaggeratedly showing the ankle posture in a state where the brake pedal 20 is stepped on. Note that the pedal of the present invention is not limited to the brake pedal, but hereinafter, for the sake of clarity, the notation "pedal 20" is used instead of the notation "brake pedal 20".

[0022] As described above, in the conventional pedal 120 having the flat stepping surface 121 shown in FIG. 9(a), as shown in FIG. 9(b), the ankle has to be tilted outward with respect to the extending direction of the shin, and it is difficult to step on the stepping surface 121 easily.

[0023] In contrast, as shown in Fig. 10(a), when the stepping surface 21 has a general surface 22 that is substantially parallel or slightly curved with respect to the width direction and an inclined surface 23 that is inclined downward with respect to the general surface 22, as shown in Fig. 10(b), since the inclined surface 23 moves downward as it goes toward the outer side in the width direction, it is easy for the occupant to step on the stepping surface 21 in a state where the extending direction of the shin and the central direction of the ankle are substantially in a straight line, and it is easy to step on the stepping surface 21 along the human skeleton. Therefore, when the occupant steps on the stepping surface 21, twisting of the ankle is less likely to occur, and the stepping surface 21 can be stepped on easily.

[0024] [Modification Example] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and their modification examples, and various improvements and changes are possible within the matters described in the claims of the present application and their equivalent ranges. For example, in the above-described embodiment, as shown in Fig. 11(b), in comparison with the pedal 120 having the flat stepping surface 121 shown in Fig. 11(a), an inclined surface 23 is formed at the right end 26 in the width direction of the stepping surface 21 of the pedal 20 so that the inclined surface 23 is inclined downward. Also, the shape of the inclined surface 23 is a flat surface.

[0025] Further, as shown in Fig. 11(c), in comparison with the pedal 120 shown in Fig. 11(a), an inclined surface 23a may be formed at the left end 26a in the width direction of the stepping surface 21a of the pedal 20a so that the inclined surface 23a is inclined downward. The pedal 20 shown in Fig. 11(b) is suitable for an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal operated by the right foot, and the pedal 20a shown in Fig. 11(c) is suitable for a clutch pedal operated by the left foot.

[0026] Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 11(e), in comparison with the pedal 230 having a stepped surface 231 formed of a curved surface that has a substantially uniform curvature as shown in Fig. 11(d) and is slightly curved with respect to the width direction, an inclined surface 33 may be formed at the right end 36 in the width direction of the stepped surface 31 of the pedal 30 so that the inclined surface 33 inclines downward. Also, the shape of the inclined surface 33 may be a flat surface. Then, the inclined surface 33 may be connected to a central side portion 37 located more toward the center in the width direction via a bent portion 38, or may be directly connected to the central side portion 37.

[0027] Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 11(f), in comparison with the pedal 230 shown in Fig. 11(d), an inclined surface 33a may be formed at the left end 36a in the width direction of the stepped surface 31a of the pedal 30a so that the inclined surface 33a inclines downward, and the shape of the inclined surface 33a may be a flat surface. Then, the inclined surface 33a may be connected to a central side portion 37a located more toward the center in the width direction via a bent portion 38a, or may be directly connected to the central side portion 37a.

[0028] Alternatively, although not shown, a general surface that is substantially parallel or slightly curved with respect to the width direction may be formed at the central portion in the width direction of the stepped surface of the pedal, and an inclined surface formed of a curved surface that inclines downward and is convex upward may be formed at at least one end portion on one side in the width direction of the stepped surface. Then, the curvature of the inclined surface may be made larger than the curvature of the general surface. Alternatively, an inclined surface may be formed that inclines downward with respect to the horizontal plane as it goes toward one side in the width direction over the entire stepped surface. Also, in the present invention, all of at least one end portion on one side in the vehicle width direction of the stepped surface of the pedal may have an inclined surface that inclines downward, or only a part of at least one end portion on one side in the vehicle width direction of the stepped surface of the pedal may have an inclined surface that inclines downward.

[0029] Based on the physique of the vehicle driver (two or more different drivers may be possible) and the pedal position and the like, the pedal shape is appropriately set to any of the shapes described so far. By doing so, it is possible to make it easy for the driver to step on the stepped surface with the tibia extension direction and the ankle center direction substantially in a straight line.

Explanation of Signs

[0030] 1 pedal structure, 10 clutch pedal, 20 pedal (brake pedal), 20a, 30, 30a pedals, 21, 21a, 31, 31a stepping surfaces, 22 general surface, 23, 23a, 33, 33a inclined surfaces, 24 curved surface, 26, 26a, 36, 36a widthwise ends of the stepping surface, 37, 37a central side portions, 38, 38a bending portions, 40 accelerator pedal, 50 vehicle, 51 left foot, 52 right foot, 70 foot, 71 shin.

Claims

【Claim 1】 A pedal of a vehicle disposed below the front side of the driver's seat, wherein the pedal is a clutch pedal operated by the left foot, an inclined surface inclined downward is present at an end on the left side in the vehicle width direction of the depression surface of the pedal, a general surface curved in the vehicle width direction is present at the central portion in the vehicle width direction of the depression surface, the inclined surface is composed of a curved surface inclined downward and convex upward, and a pedal of a vehicle, wherein the curvature of the inclined surface is larger than the curvature of the general surface.

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