Driving assistance devices

Abstract

To provide a driving assist device that provides no interference with side walk-through and allows optimization for an operation amount and fine adjustment of operation with ease.SOLUTION: A driving assist device 1 comprises: a base part 10 for operably supporting a brake pedal 20; a first member 40 rotatably supported on a first member rotation shaft 41 provided on the base part 10; a second member 50 rotatably supported on a second member rotation shaft 51 provided on the base part 10; an operating lever 60 that is rotatably supported on both a first lever rotation shaft 42 provided on the first member 40 and a second lever rotation shaft 52 provided on the second member 50 and provided on further forward position of a vehicle than the first lever rotation shaft 42, and has an extension part 62 extending from the first lever rotation shaft 42 towards the rear of the vehicle; and a transmission member 70 operating in response to operation of the operating lever 60 for driving the brake pedal 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to driving assistance devices. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, driving assistance devices suitable for driving by physically disabled people have been installed in automobiles for able-bodied people. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle for physically disabled people that is driven by operating levers that are operated by hand to operate the brake pedal and accelerator pedal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-39600 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, as described in Patent Document 1, in conventional driving assistance devices, the operating lever is supported on the floor between the driver's seat and the passenger seat. Therefore, in vehicles for disabled persons equipped with conventional driving assistance devices, the operating lever prevents a person from performing a side walk-through between the driver's seat and the passenger seat.

[0005] In addition, because the support point for the control lever is located on the floor, the distance to the control lever is long, and when pushing the control lever forward, the driver's arm is stretched, which could cause the shoulder point to move away from the driver's seat.If a person has a disability in the lower body, they will be forced to sit in a driving position with their upper body pressed against the driver's seat, and if their shoulder point moves away from the driver's seat, it becomes difficult to maintain that position, which is an issue.

[0006] To solve this problem, it is possible to reduce the amount of pressure on the control lever (narrow the operation range), but narrowing the operation range requires controlling acceleration and deceleration within a smaller operation range, which makes the system overly sensitive to acceleration and deceleration operations and makes it difficult to make fine adjustments. Therefore, it has been difficult to optimize the amount of operation and fine adjustments to the operation.

[0007] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a driving assistance device that does not impede side walk-through and that allows easy optimization of the amount of operation and fine adjustment of the operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present disclosure solves the above-mentioned problems by the following means: For ease of understanding, the following description will be given with reference numerals corresponding to the embodiments of the present disclosure, but the present disclosure is not limited to these.

[0009] The first disclosure is a driving assistance device (1) comprising: a first member (40) rotatably supported on a first member rotation shaft (41); a second member (50) rotatably supported on a second member rotation shaft (51); an operating lever (60) rotatably supported on both a first lever rotation shaft (42) provided on the first member (40) and a second lever rotation shaft (52) provided on the second member (50) and located forward of the first lever rotation shaft (42) of the vehicle, and comprising an extension portion (62) extending from the first lever rotation shaft (42) toward the rear of the vehicle; and a transmission member (50, 70) that drives a generating portion (20, 90) that generates at least one of a braking force and a driving force on the vehicle in response to operation of the operating lever (60).

[0010] In the driving assistance device (1) described in the first disclosure, the first member rotation shaft (41) and the second member rotation shaft (51) are provided on the same member.

[0011] A third disclosure is a driving assistance device (1) according to the first or second disclosure, wherein the generating unit (20, 90) is at least one of an accelerator pedal (30), an accelerator sensor unit (90), a brake pedal (20), and a brake sensor.

[0012] The fourth disclosure is the driving assistance device (1) described in the third disclosure, wherein the transmission member has a first transmission member (70) that drives a braking force generating unit (20) that generates the braking force, and a second transmission member (50) that drives a driving force generating unit (90) that generates the driving force, the first transmission member (70) is rotatably supported on a transmission rotation shaft (71), and the second transmission member (50) is the second member (50) that drives an accelerator sensor unit (90).

[0013] The fifth disclosure is the driving assistance device (1) described in the fourth disclosure, which is provided with a third member (80) that is rotatably supported on a third lever rotation shaft (43) provided on the first member (40) and abuts against the transmission member (70).

[0014] The sixth disclosure is the driving assistance device (1) described in the fifth disclosure, wherein the third member (80) includes a first abutment portion (81) that abuts against the transmission member (70) when the operating lever (60) is operated by an amount equal to or less than a first operating amount, and a second abutment portion (82) that abuts against the transmission member (70) when the operating lever (60) is operated by an amount exceeding the first operating amount, and the second abutment portion (82) is positioned closer to the transmission rotation shaft (71) than the first abutment portion (81). [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a driving assistance device that does not impede side walk-through and that allows easy optimization of the amount of operation and fine adjustment of the operation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a neutral state of a driving assistance device 1 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the driving assistance device 1 in a neutral state. [Figure 3] 1 is a side view showing the main components of a driving assistance device 1 in a neutral state. [Figure 4] 3 is a side view showing a movable member of the driving assist device 1 in a neutral state. FIG. [Figure 5] 4 is an enlarged view showing the first member 40, the third member 80, and the transmission member 70 in a neutral state. FIG. [Figure 6] 3 is a side view showing a movable member of the driving assist device 1 in a light braking state. FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is an enlarged view showing the first member 40, the third member 80, and the transmission member 70 in a light braking state. FIG. [Figure 8] 1 is a side view showing a movable member of the driving assist device 1 in a medium braking state. [Figure 9] 10 is an enlarged view showing the first member 40, the third member 80, and the transmission member 70 in a medium braking state. FIG. [Figure 10] 3 is a side view showing a movable member of the driving assist device 1 in a heavy braking state. FIG. [Figure 11] 10 is an enlarged view showing the first member 40, the third member 80, and the transmission member 70 in a strong braking state. FIG. [Figure 12] 3 is a side view showing a movable member of the driving assist device 1 in a full braking state. FIG. [Figure 13] 10 is an enlarged view showing the first member 40, the third member 80, and the transmission member 70 in a full braking state. FIG. [Figure 14] 3 is a side view showing a movable member of the driving assist device 1 in a full accelerator state. FIG. [Figure 15] 3 is a diagram showing the movement locus of the operating lever 60 of the driving assist device 1 of the present embodiment in comparison with a conventional device. FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the driver's operation status together with the operation loci T and TP shown in FIG. [Figure 17]10A and 10B are diagrams showing modified forms of the contact portion between the third member 80 and the transmission member 70. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] (Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the driving assistance device 1 of this embodiment in a neutral state. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the driving assistance device 1 in the neutral state. FIG. 3 is a side view showing the main components of the driving assistance device 1 in the neutral state. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the movable members of the driving assistance device 1 in the neutral state. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing the first member 40, the third member 80, and the transmission member 70 in the neutral state. In FIGS. 3 to 5 and in each of the figures from FIG. 6 onward described below, only the shapes of the main parts of each movable member are shown in a see-through form, overlapping each other. Note that each figure is a schematic view, and the size and shape of each part are exaggerated or omitted as appropriate for ease of understanding. In addition, for convenience of explanation, Cartesian coordinates of X, Y, and Z are provided in the figures, and in the following explanation, the orientation of each part will be explained using these coordinates. Here, the right side (the right side as seen from the driver) of the vehicle (not shown) on which the driving assistance device 1 is installed is set to +X, and the left side is set to -X, so that the X-axis direction is in the left-right direction; the front of the vehicle is set to +Z, and the rear is set to -Z, so that the Z-axis direction is in the front-to-back direction; and the top of the vehicle is set to +Y, and the bottom is set to -Y, so that the Y-axis direction is in the up-down direction.

[0019] The driving assistance device 1 of this embodiment is a device that is additionally attached to a vehicle for able-bodied persons, thereby enabling a disabled person to manually operate the brakes and accelerator of the vehicle. In the driving assistance device 1 of this embodiment, the brakes are operated by operating an operating lever 60 (described later) in a substantially forward direction (+Z direction), and the accelerator is operated by operating it in a substantially backward direction (-Z direction). Here, the state in which the operating lever 60 is in a position where neither the brakes nor the accelerator are operated is described as the neutral state. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a configuration for a right-hand drive vehicle is described as an example, but each configuration can also be reversed left and right to form a configuration for a left-hand drive vehicle.

[0020] The driving assistance device 1 includes a base portion 10, a brake pedal 20, an accelerator pedal 30, a first member 40, a second member 50, an operating lever 60, a transmission member 70, and a third member 80. All of the main members constituting the driving assistance device 1 are made of metal, but are not limited to being made of metal.

[0021] The base unit 10 has a partition member 11, a support member 12, a pedal support member 13, etc., and is the foundation of the driving assistance device 1. The base unit 10 is attached to the side of the center cluster and the dashboard, and is preferably provided forward of the surface of the center cluster (the rear surface facing the driver). The partition member 11 is fixed to the chassis (not shown) of the vehicle, etc.

[0022] The support member 12 has a shaft and the like necessary for mounting the driving assistance device 1, and is a member that is additionally attached to the partition member 11. The support member 12 is fixed to the partition member 11 with fastening members 12a such as bolts and nuts. The support member 12 has a first member rotation shaft 41, a second member rotation shaft 51, and a transmission rotation shaft 71. The first member rotation shaft 41 is provided near the end of the support member 12 on the rear side (-Z side) of the vehicle, with its center axis extending along the X-axis direction. The second member rotation shaft 51 is provided further forward (+Z side) of the vehicle than the first member rotation shaft 41, with its center axis extending along the X-axis direction. The transmission rotation shaft 71 is provided further forward (+Z side) of the vehicle than the first member rotation shaft 41 and the second member rotation shaft 51, with its center axis extending along the X-axis direction. The transmission rotation shaft 71 is provided coaxially with the pedal shaft 14 that supports the brake pedal 20. By arranging the transmission rotation shaft 71 and the pedal shaft 14 in coaxial positions, the trajectories of the rotational movements of the transmission member 70 and the brake pedal 20 are the same at the position where the transmission member 70 presses the brake pedal 20. Therefore, smooth operation is possible without providing an additional part such as a roller at the position where the transmission member 70 presses the brake pedal 20.

[0023] The pedal support member 13 is attached integrally to the partition member 11 by a fastening member or the like (not shown), and supports the brake pedal 20 so that it can rotate around the pedal shaft 14. The partition member 11 and the pedal support member 13 are members that are used in a similar configuration in vehicles for able-bodied persons that do not have the driving assistance device 1 installed.

[0024] The brake pedal 20 is attached to the pedal support member 13 so as to be rotatable about a pedal shaft 14. The brake pedal 20 is a member that is also used in vehicles for able-bodied persons with a similar configuration. In this embodiment, the brake pedal 20 is a braking force generating unit (generating unit) that generates braking force.

[0025] The accelerator pedal 30 is disposed next to the brake pedal 20 and is rotatably supported by a pedal-side accelerator sensor unit 31. The pedal-side accelerator sensor unit 31 is fixed to the chassis of the vehicle or the like, detects the amount of operation of the accelerator pedal 30, and transmits the detected amount to a control unit of the vehicle.

[0026] Even in a vehicle equipped with the driving assistance device 1 of this embodiment, the accelerator and brake operations can be performed in the same way as in a vehicle for able-bodied persons by operating the brake pedal 20 and accelerator pedal 30 with the feet.

[0027] The first member 40 is rotatably supported by a first member rotation shaft 41 provided on the base portion 10. Therefore, the first member 40 can rotate about the first member rotation shaft 41. The first member 40 is configured as a substantially L-shaped plate-like member in side views such as FIGS. 3 and 4 as viewed from the +X side. Note that the specific shape of the first member 40 is not limited to the above-described substantially L-shaped plate-like member. The first member rotation shaft 41 is provided on one end of the first member 40. The first member 40 also has a first lever rotation shaft 42 and a third lever rotation shaft 43 at positions away from the first member rotation shaft 41. The first lever rotation shaft 42 is provided on the other end of the first member 40, opposite the first member rotation shaft 41. The third lever rotation shaft 43 is provided at a portion where the first member 40 is bent, between the first member rotation shaft 41 and the first lever rotation shaft 42. The first lever rotation shaft 42 and the third lever rotation shaft 43 both have their central axes aligned along the X-axis direction.

[0028] The second member 50 is rotatably supported by a second member rotation shaft 51 provided on the base unit 10. In the neutral state shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the second member 50 extends from the position of the second member rotation shaft 51 toward approximately the front (+Z side) of the vehicle. The second member 50 has a second lever rotation shaft 52 near an end thereof remote from the second member rotation shaft 51. The second lever rotation shaft 52 is provided further forward (+Z side) of the vehicle than the first lever rotation shaft 42, and its central axis is provided along the X-axis direction. The second member 50 also has a pin-shaped accelerator operating unit 53 protruding in the X-axis direction. The accelerator operating unit 53 is engaged with an accelerator sensor unit 90 provided rotatably about a rotation shaft 91. Therefore, the second member 50 also functions as a second transmission member that drives the accelerator sensor unit 90.

[0029] The operating lever 60 has an operating lever main body 61, an extension 62, and a grip 63. The operating lever main body 61 is rotatably supported on both the first lever rotation shaft 42 provided on the first member 40 and the second lever rotation shaft 52 provided on the second member 50, and is a substantially plate-shaped portion extending between the first lever rotation shaft 42 and the second lever rotation shaft 52. The extension 62 is a hollow member fixed to the operating lever main body 61 by a fastening member 64. Note that the fastening member 64 is omitted from Figure 3 and subsequent figures. The extension 62 extends from the first lever rotation shaft 42 toward the rear (-Z side) of the vehicle to a position where the driver sitting in the driver's seat can naturally place their hand. The grip 63 is provided at the end of the extension 62 on the rear (-Z side) of the vehicle and is the portion to be gripped by the driver's hand. The grip portion 63 may be provided with a light switch, a horn switch, a blinker switch, etc., but detailed explanations thereof will be omitted.

[0030] The transmission member (first transmission member) 70 is rotatably supported on a transmission rotation shaft 71 provided on the base portion 10 and extends from the transmission rotation shaft 71 to the brake pedal 20 in approximately the X direction. The transmission member 70 has an input portion 72 and a pedal pressing portion 73. The input portion 72 is disposed near the transmission rotation shaft 71 and receives a pressing force toward the front of the vehicle (+Z side) from a third member 80 (described below) that is actuated in response to operation of the operating lever 60, and this pressing force causes the transmission member 70 to rotate. The pedal pressing portion 73 is attached at a position where it abuts against the arm portion 21 of the brake pedal 20. When the transmission member 70 rotates in response to the pressing force from the third member 80, the pedal pressing portion 73 presses the arm portion 21 of the brake pedal 20 toward the front of the vehicle (+Z side), thereby applying the vehicle brakes. The pedal pressing portion 73 is attached so that its fixed position relative to the transmission member 70 can be adjusted, and the degree of contact between the pedal pressing portion 73 and the arm portion 21 of the brake pedal 20 can be adjusted.

[0031] The third member 80 is rotatably supported on a third lever rotation shaft 43 provided on the first member 40. The third member 80 extends from the third lever rotation shaft 43 toward substantially the front of the vehicle (+Z side) to a position where it can abut against the input portion 72 of the transmission member 70. The third member 80 has a first contact portion 81 and a second contact portion 82 on the front of the vehicle (+Z side) near the input portion 72 of the transmission member 70. The contact surfaces of the first contact portion 81 and the second contact portion 82 that abut against the input portion 72 are both cylindrical. The first contact portion 81 abuts against the input portion 72 of the transmission member 70 when the operating lever 60 is operated toward the front of the vehicle (+Z side) by an amount equal to or less than a first operation amount. On the other hand, the second contact portion 82 is located closer to the transmission rotation shaft 71 than the first contact portion 81. The second contact portion 82 comes into contact with the input portion 72 of the transmission member 70 when the operating lever 60 is operated toward the front of the vehicle (+Z side) with an operation amount that exceeds the first operation amount.

[0032] During light braking, it is often easier to make subtle adjustments to the braking force rather than increasing the braking force. Therefore, in such a situation, the first contact portion 81 is brought into contact at a position away from the transmission rotation shaft 71, which is the center of rotation of the transmission member 70, thereby ensuring a long operating stroke and emphasizing operability.

[0033] On the other hand, when braking hard, such as when braking suddenly, it is important to apply the brakes quickly. Therefore, in such a situation, the second abutment portion 82 is made to abut at a position close to the transmission rotation shaft 71, which is the rotation center of the transmission member 70, so that the brakes are applied more quickly with a short operating stroke. In addition, by making the second abutment portion 82 abut at a position close to the transmission rotation shaft 71, the reaction force against the force pressing the operating lever 60 is also increased, so that the driver can feel with his or her hand that the brakes are being applied more strongly.

[0034] Here, the first operation amount can be set as appropriate, but it is preferable to set it to an operation amount corresponding to a braking state intermediate between a light braking state where the brakes start to work and a full braking state (in this embodiment, it is set to an operation amount that results in a medium braking state, which will be described later). Note that in the neutral state, the first contact portion 81 and the second contact portion 82 are not in contact with the input portion 72 of the transmission member 70.

[0035] Furthermore, if the portion of the transmission member 70 that abuts against the input portion 72 suddenly switches from the first abutment portion 81 to the second abutment portion 82, the operation may feel strange or the braking effectiveness may suddenly change. Therefore, in this embodiment, a curved portion 83 (see FIG. 5) that smoothly connects the first abutment portion 81 and the second abutment portion 82 is provided so that the portion of the transmission member 70 that abuts against the input portion 72 gradually changes from the first abutment portion 81 to the second abutment portion 82.

[0036] Next, the operation of the driving assistance device 1 will be described. As explained above, in the driving assistance device 1, braking is performed by operating the operating lever 60 in a substantially forward direction (+Z direction). In the driving assistance device 1 of this embodiment, when the brake is operated, the operating force of the operating lever 60 is transmitted to the first member 40, the second member 50, the third member 80, the transmission member 70, etc. in conjunction with each other to operate the brake pedal 20. In the following explanation, the operating amount of the operating lever 60 toward the brake side (front of the vehicle (+Z side)) is divided into light braking state, medium braking state, heavy braking state, full braking state, and further full acceleration state, in order of decreasing operating amount, and operation in each state will be explained.

[0037] (Light braking condition) FIG. 6 is a side view showing the movable members of the driving assist device 1 in a light braking state. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view showing the first member 40, the third member 80, and the transmission member 70 in a light braking state. In FIG. 6 and in FIGS. 8, 10, and 12 described below, the positions of the operating lever 60 and the brake pedal 20 in the neutral state are indicated by two-dot chain lines. When the operating lever 60 is operated substantially forward (in the +Z direction) from the neutral state, the operating lever 60, the first member 40, and the second member 50 rotate due to a link mechanism formed by the operating lever 60, the first member 40, and the second member 50, resulting in the light braking state shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. In this light braking state, the position of the first lever rotation shaft 42 of the first member 40 moves further forward of the vehicle (in the +Z direction) than in the neutral state, and therefore the position of the third member 80 also moves further forward of the vehicle (in the +Z direction) than in the neutral state. As a result, the first contact portion 81 of the third member 80 comes into contact with the input portion 72 of the transmission member 70, pressing the transmission member 70 forward (in the +Z direction) of the vehicle. This pressing force causes the transmission member 70 to rotate left in Figures 6 and 7, pressing down on the brake pedal 20 and applying light braking.

[0038] (medium brake state) FIG. 8 is a side view showing the movable members of the driving assistance device 1 in the medium braking state. FIG. 9 is an enlarged view showing the first member 40, the third member 80, and the transmission member 70 in the medium braking state. When the operating lever 60 is further operated substantially forward (in the +Z direction) from the light braking state, the operating lever 60, the first member 40, and the second member 50 rotate due to a link mechanism between them, resulting in the medium braking state shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 . In this medium braking state, the position of the first lever rotation shaft 42 of the first member 40 moves further forward (in the +Z direction) of the vehicle than in the light braking state, and the position of the third member 80 also moves further forward (in the +Z direction) of the vehicle than in the light braking state. As a result, the curved surface 83 of the third member 80 abuts against the input portion 72 of the transmission member 70, pressing the transmission member 70 forward (in the +Z direction) of the vehicle. This pressing force causes the transmission member 70 to rotate counterclockwise in FIGS. 8 and 9 , depressing the brake pedal 20 and applying medium braking. When transitioning from a light braking state to a medium braking state, the part pressing on the input part 72 of the transmission member 70 changes from the first abutment part 81 to the curved part 83, but the curved part is a cylindrical surface that is smoothly connected to the first abutment part 81, so even if the part abutting on the input part 72 of the transmission member 70 changes from the first abutment part 81 to the curved part 83, there is no sense of discomfort in operation and no sudden change in the effectiveness of the brakes.

[0039] (Heavy braking) FIG. 10 is a side view showing the movable members of the driving assistance device 1 in the heavy braking state. FIG. 11 is an enlarged view showing the first member 40, the third member 80, and the transmission member 70 in the heavy braking state. When the operating lever 60 is further operated substantially forward (in the +Z direction) from the medium braking state, the operating lever 60, the first member 40, and the second member 50 rotate due to a link mechanism between the operating lever 60, the first member 40, and the second member 50, resulting in the heavy braking state shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 . In this heavy braking state, the position of the first lever rotation shaft 42 of the first member 40 moves further forward (in the +Z direction) of the vehicle than in the medium braking state, and therefore the position of the third member 80 also moves further forward (in the +Z direction) of the vehicle than in the medium braking state. As a result, the second abutment portion 82 of the third member 80 abuts against the input portion 72 of the transmission member 70, pressing the transmission member 70 forward (in the +Z direction) of the vehicle. 10 and 11, causing the transmission member 70 to rotate counterclockwise, depressing the brake pedal 20 and applying strong braking. When transitioning from the medium braking state to the strong braking state, the portion of the transmission member 70 pressing on the input portion 72 changes from the curved portion 83 to the second abutment portion 82, but because the curved portion has a cylindrical surface that smoothly connects with the second abutment portion 82, even when the portion of the transmission member 70 abutting on the input portion 72 changes from the curved portion 83 to the second abutment portion 82, there is no sense of discomfort in operation and no sudden change in the effectiveness of the brakes.

[0040] (Full braking condition) FIG. 12 is a side view showing the movable members of the driving assist device 1 in the full braking state. FIG. 13 is an enlarged view showing the first member 40, the third member 80, and the transmission member 70 in the full braking state. When the operating lever 60 is further operated substantially forward (in the +Z direction) from the hard braking state, the operating lever 60, the first member 40, and the second member 50 rotate through a link mechanism, resulting in the full braking state shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 . In this full braking state, the position of the first lever rotation shaft 42 of the first member 40 moves further forward (in the +Z direction) of the vehicle than in the hard braking state, and the position of the third member 80 also moves further forward (in the +Z direction) of the vehicle than in the hard braking state. As a result, the second abutment portion 82 of the third member 80 presses the input portion 72 of the transmission member 70 further forward (in the +Z direction) of the vehicle. This pressing force causes the transmission member 70 to rotate counterclockwise in FIGS. 12 and 13 , depressing the brake pedal 20 and applying maximum full braking. If the driver releases the operating lever 60 while braking, the return force of the brake pedal 20 automatically returns all members, including the operating lever 60, to the neutral state.

[0041] (Full throttle) In addition, the driving assistance device 1 operates the accelerator by operating the operating lever 60 in a substantially rearward direction (-Z direction). The driving assistance device 1 of this embodiment is not connected to the accelerator pedal 30, and the accelerator pedal 30 is not physically pressed during accelerator operation. FIG. 14 is a side view showing the movable members of the driving assistance device 1 in a full accelerator state. Here, a full accelerator state is illustrated, but the same applies to light or medium accelerator states. When the operating lever 60 is operated in a substantially rearward direction (-Z direction) to operate the accelerator, the accelerator operating unit 53 of the second member 50 is engaged with the accelerator sensor unit 90, and therefore the accelerator sensor unit 90 rotates around the rotation shaft 91. The rotation position of the rotation shaft 91 of the accelerator sensor unit 90 is read, for example, by a rotary encoder or the like within the accelerator sensor unit 90.

[0042] When the accelerator is operated, the rotational position of the rotary shaft 91 of the accelerator sensor unit 90 is detected, and the operation amount corresponding to this detected position is transmitted to the vehicle's control unit as the accelerator operation amount, thereby opening the accelerator. Therefore, in this embodiment, the accelerator sensor unit 90 is a driving force generating unit (generating unit) that generates driving force. Note that the rotary shaft 91 of the accelerator sensor unit 90 also rotates when the brake is applied, but the operation amount corresponding to the rotational position of the rotary shaft 91 during the brake application is not treated as the accelerator operation amount. In addition, a biasing member such as a tension coil spring is directly or indirectly connected to the accelerator sensor unit 90 or another movable member that operates when the accelerator is operated, and a biasing force corresponding to the accelerator operation amount acts on the accelerator detection member or another movable member that operates when the accelerator is operated. Therefore, the driver can feel that the force required for operation increases as the operation amount of the operating lever 60 toward the accelerator operation side (approximately backward (-Z direction)) increases. Furthermore, if the driver releases the control lever 60 while operating the accelerator, the biasing member automatically returns all members, including the control lever 60, to the neutral position. Note that when the accelerator is operated, the position of the brake pedal 20 is the same as in the neutral position.

[0043] The driving assistance device 1 of this embodiment described above can achieve excellent effects due to the characteristic arrangement of the link mechanism consisting of the first member 40, the second member 50, and the third member 80, which are linked to the operation of the operating lever 60. This effect will be described below. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the operation trajectory of the operating lever 60 of the driving assistance device 1 of this embodiment in comparison with a conventional device. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the driver's operation status, along with the operation trajectories T and TP shown in FIG. 15. In the driving assistance device 1 of this embodiment, the first member 40 and the second member 50 are supported by a base portion 10 provided near the floor of the vehicle. The third member 80 extends from the first member 40 toward the front (+Z side) of the vehicle. Furthermore, the operating lever main body 61 of the operating lever 60 extends between the first member 40 and the second member 50. Therefore, these main components of the driving assistance device 1 are disposed near the front of the driver's feet. The extension portion 62 of the operating lever 60 extends from the first lever rotation shaft 42 toward the rear (-Z side) of the vehicle.

[0044] With this configuration, in the driving assistance device 1 of this embodiment, the apparent virtual center of rotation O of the grip portion 63 of the operating lever 60 is located in front of and below the grip portion 63, and is higher than the vehicle floor. FIG. 15 shows the movement locus T of the grip portion 63 of the driving assistance device 1 of this embodiment. In contrast, in a configuration in which the operating lever is supported on the floor between the driver's seat and the passenger seat, as in JP 9-39600 A (Patent Document 1), the apparent virtual center of rotation OP of the grip portion of the operating lever is also located on the floor. FIG. 15 also shows the movement locus TP of the grip portion of a conventional driving assistance device. This conventional movement locus TP represents a locus when the same movement range of the movement angle θ as the movement locus T of the grip portion 63 of the driving assistance device 1 of this embodiment is ensured.

[0045] As can be seen from FIG. 15 , the conventional actuation locus TP is substantially aligned with the vehicle's longitudinal direction (Z direction), whereas the actuation locus T of this embodiment also includes a large component of movement in the vehicle's vertical direction (Y direction), resulting in a smaller amount of movement in the longitudinal direction (Z direction). Furthermore, when both actuators have the same actuation range for the actuation angle θ, the difference in the amount of movement in the longitudinal direction (Z direction) becomes more pronounced, and the actuation locus T of this embodiment requires a smaller amount of movement in the longitudinal direction (Z direction) compared to the conventional actuation locus TP. Therefore, the driver does not need to push the operating lever farther forward than in the conventional actuation locus, and the driver's arms do not stretch out, preventing the shoulder point SP from moving away from the driver's seat. This allows the driver to maintain a driving posture in which the upper body is pressed against the driver's seat, as is common when people with lower body disabilities do, and prevents the shoulder point SP from moving away from the driver's seat, which can make it difficult to maintain posture. 15, in the driving assist device 1 of this embodiment, the apparent virtual center of rotation O of the grip portion 63 of the operating lever 60 is located close to the grip portion 63, so it is possible to secure an operating range of the operating angle θ similar to that of the conventional device while also preventing the shoulder position from moving away from the driver's seat. Therefore, in the driving assist device 1 of this embodiment, there is no need to narrow the operating range, and it is easy to optimize the amount of operation and fine-tune the operation.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 16 , the main components of the driving assistance device 1 of this embodiment are located near the front of the feet of the driver D. The extension 62 of the operating lever 60 extends from the first lever rotation shaft 42 toward the rear (-Z side) of the vehicle. This allows the driver D to easily perform side walk-throughs, moving from the driver's seat to the passenger seat and vice versa, without his or her feet hitting the operating lever 60 or other parts. People with disabilities in the lower body are expected to use wheelchairs outside the vehicle, and depending on the parking position of the vehicle, transferring between wheelchairs on the driver's seat may be dangerous. Even in such cases, the driving assistance device 1 of this embodiment allows the driver D to easily perform side walk-throughs, dramatically improving convenience and safety.

[0047] (Variations) The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible, and these are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0048] (1) In the embodiment, the driving assist device 1 is not connected to the accelerator pedal 30, and the accelerator pedal 30 is not physically pressed when the accelerator is operated. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a configuration for physically pressing the accelerator pedal 30 when the accelerator is operated may also be provided. In this case, the accelerator pedal 30 becomes a driving force generating unit (generating unit) that generates driving force.

[0049] (2) In the embodiment, an example has been described in which the third member 80 includes a first contact portion 81, a second contact portion 82, and a curved portion 83, and the input portion 72 of the transmission member 70 has a flat surface. This is not a limitation, and the shape of the portion where the third member 80 and the transmission member 70 contact each other can be modified as appropriate. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a modified form of the portion where the third member 80 and the transmission member 70 contact each other. For example, the portion where the third member 80 and the transmission member 70 contact each other may have a shape as shown in FIG. 17. In the example shown in FIG. 17, the first contact portion 81 and the second contact portion 82 are each formed as a cylindrical protrusion. The transmission member 70 is provided with input portions 72a and 72b corresponding to the first contact portion 81 and the second contact portion 82, respectively. As shown in FIG. 17, the input portions 72a and 72b are formed as grooves corresponding to the first contact portion 81 and the second contact portion 82, respectively.

[0050] (3) In the embodiment, the driving assist device 1 has been described by taking an example in which the brake pedal 20 is physically pressed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the driving assist device 1 may be configured to physically press the accelerator pedal 30 but not the brake pedal 20. In this case, a brake sensor unit that detects the amount of braking operation performed by the operating lever 60 is provided as a braking force generation unit, and the amount detected by this brake sensor unit is transmitted to a control unit of the vehicle as the amount of braking operation, thereby performing braking operation. Furthermore, both the accelerator operation and the brake operation performed by the operating lever 60 may be detected by sensors (accelerator sensor, brake sensor) that serve as generation units (driving force generation unit and braking force generation unit), and accelerator operation and braking operation may be performed.

[0051] The embodiments and modifications may be used in combination as appropriate, but detailed description thereof will be omitted. The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1 Driving assistance devices 10 Base 11 Partition member 12 Support member 12a Fastening member 13 Pedal support member 14 Pedal shaft 20 Brake pedal 21 Arm section 30 Accelerator pedal 31 Pedal side accelerator sensor unit 40 First member 41 First member rotation axis 42 First lever rotation axis 43 Third lever rotation axis 50 Second member 51 Second member rotation axis 52 Second lever rotation axis 53 Accelerator operation unit 60 Operating lever 61 Operating lever body 62 Extension 63 Gripping part 64 Fastening members 70 Transmission component 71 Transmission Rotating Shaft 72 Input section 72a Input section 72b Input section 73 Pedal pressing part 80 Third member 81 1st contact part 82 Second contact part 83 Curved surface part 90 Accelerator sensor 91 Rotation axis

Claims

1. a first member rotatably supported on a first member rotation shaft; a second member rotatably supported on a second member rotation shaft; an operating lever rotatably supported on both a first lever rotation shaft provided on the first member and a second lever rotation shaft provided on the second member and located forward of the first lever rotation shaft with respect to the vehicle, and including an extension portion extending from the first lever rotation shaft toward the rear of the vehicle; a transmission member that drives a generating unit that generates at least one of a braking force and a driving force on the vehicle in response to operation of the operating lever; Equipped with A driving assistance device, wherein the first member and the second member are connected to the same member extending in the front-rear direction via the first member rotation shaft and the second member rotation shaft, respectively.

2. 2. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, The driving assistance device, wherein the generating unit is at least one of an accelerator pedal, an accelerator sensor, a brake pedal, and a brake sensor.

3. 3. The driving assistance device according to claim 2, the transmission member includes a first transmission member that drives a braking force generation unit that generates the braking force, and a second transmission member that drives a driving force generation unit that generates the driving force, A driving assist device, wherein the first transmission member is rotatably supported on a transmission rotation shaft, and the second transmission member is the second member that drives an accelerator sensor unit.

4. 4. The driving assistance device according to claim 3, A driving assistance device comprising: a third member rotatably supported on a third lever rotation shaft provided on the first member and abutting against the transmission member.

5. 5. The driving assistance device according to claim 4, The third member is a first contact portion that contacts the transmission member when the operating lever is operated by an operation amount within a first operation amount; a second contact portion that contacts the transmission member when the operating lever is operated by an amount exceeding the first operating amount, The second contact portion is disposed at a position closer to the transmission rotation shaft than the first contact portion.

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