Organ-type electronic pedal system

Abstract

To provide an organ-type electronic pedal device that makes possible tuning of a pedal effort, stroke and hysteresis operation force and allows for structural simplification and reduction of package size and cost.SOLUTION: An organ-type electronic pedal device includes: a pedal housing; a pedal pad that is rotatably coupled to the pedal housing and is operated by a driver; a hysteresis lever that is installed so as to be rotatable with respect to the pedal housing, has an upper side inserted into the pedal pad, is brought into contact with an inner face of the pedal pad, and generates hysteresis by a friction force with the pedal pad during rotation of the pedal pad; and a spring module that is installed so that both ends are supported by the pedal pad and the hysteresis lever. The organ-type electronic pedal device further includes a plurality of stroke sensors that are fixed on the pedal housing, are coupled to the pedal pad, and generate a pedal function-related signal during rotation of the pedal pad.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an organ-type electronic pedal device, and more specifically, to an organ-type electronic brake pedal device that allows tuning of pedal effort, stroke, and hysteresis operating force required by a driver by changing parts of a hysteresis lever.

Background Art

[0002] In general, vehicle pedal devices are classified into a pendant type that is suspended and installed on a dash panel and an organ type that is installed on a floor panel, depending on the mounting structure. The pendant type has the rotation center of the pedal pad on the upper side, so the driver operates by pressing the lower part of the pedal pad with the front part of the sole of the foot or pushing it forward, while the organ type has the rotation center of the pedal pad on the lower side, so the driver operates by rotating the upper part of the pedal pad forward. The organ-type pedal device has the advantage that the area of the pedal pad stepped on by the driver's foot is large, the movement of the pedal pad is similar to the trajectory of the driver's foot to improve the operating feel, and thus the driver can operate it more easily than the pendant-type pedal device. However, the organ-type pedal devices currently in use cannot effectively cope with the pedal effort, stroke, and hysteresis operating force that are required to differ for each vehicle type, and as a result, the entire pedal device has to be newly manufactured as needed, which has the disadvantage of excessive investment costs. The matters described above as the background art are only for enhancing the understanding of the background of the present invention, and are not admitted to correspond to prior art already known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Korean Published Patent No. 10-2020-0070946 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] The present invention aims to provide an organ-type electronic pedal device equipped with a high-load spring module and a hysteresis lever, which allows tuning of the pedaling force, stroke, and hysteresis operating force required for each vehicle type by changing the components of the hysteresis lever, thereby reducing costs, and further reducing the package size and cost through simplification of the configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The organ-type electronic pedal device of the present invention, for achieving the above objective, is characterized by comprising: a pedal housing; a pedal pad rotatably coupled to the pedal housing and operated by a driver; a hysteresis lever rotatably mounted relative to the pedal housing, with its upper side inserted into the inside of the pedal pad and in contact with the inner surface of the pedal pad, generating hysteresis by frictional force with the pedal pad when the pedal pad rotates; and a spring module installed such that both ends are supported by the pedal pad and the hysteresis lever.

[0006] The system further includes a plurality of stroke sensors, which are fixed to the pedal housing, connected to the pedal pad, and generate pedal function-related signals when the pedal pad rotates. The pedal pad is characterized by comprising: a box-shaped pad portion having a pad surface operated by the driver's foot, in which one end of a spring module is inserted and installed, and the upper side of a hysteresis lever is inserted and installed inward; a pad portion friction plate coupled to the inner surface of the pad portion and generating frictional force upon contact with the hysteresis lever; and a pedal arm portion having one end connected to the pad portion and the other end coupled to a hinge pin. The pad portion and the pedal arm portion are characterized by being connected in an L-shape. The pedal arm portion is characterized in that a sensor pin is provided above the hinge pin, and the sensor pin is coupled to the sensor lever of the stroke sensor. The pad portion is characterized in that it penetrates a housing hole formed in the pedal housing and is inserted into or protrudes from the pedal housing in accordance with the rotation of the pedal pad, while the pedal arm portion is always located inside the pedal housing regardless of the rotation of the pedal pad.

[0007] The pedal housing is characterized by having a housing hole through which the pad portion passes, and a foreign matter ingress prevention guide is attached along the edge of the housing hole. The foreign matter inflow prevention guide is characterized by including a fixing portion that is coupled so as to be fixed along the edge of the housing hole, and a tensioning portion that extends from the fixing portion and contacts the outer surface of the pad portion to eliminate the gap between it and the pad portion. The pedal housing is characterized in that a foreign matter discharge hole is formed on the inner bottom surface for discharging foreign matter that has entered the pedal housing to the outside. The pedal housing is characterized by having a protruding jaw portion on its inner bottom surface to prevent foreign matter from penetrating into the stroke sensor side.

[0008] The hysteresis lever includes a plate portion to which the lower end of the spring module is supported and whose rear end is rotatably mounted relative to the pedal housing about a lever axis; a lever portion extending upward from the plate portion and inserted inside the pad portion; and a lever friction portion protruding from the end of the lever portion and in contact with the friction plate of the pad portion, wherein the hysteresis lever is installed so as to be located inside the pedal housing. The upper surface of the pad portion, the friction plate of the pad portion, and the lever friction portion are formed as inclined surfaces that slope downward from their respective centers in both directions and are formed to be the same shape as each other, and the friction plate of the pad portion and the lever friction portion are installed in surface contact with each other. The friction plate of the pad portion is formed in an arc shape along the length of the pad portion, with the same radius of rotation as the pedal pad, and is characterized by maintaining constant contact with the lever friction portion when the pedal pad rotates. When the pad portion rotates to be inserted into the pedal housing, the spring force of the spring module increases, and the rotation of the hysteresis lever due to the spring force increases the force with which the lever friction portion presses against the friction plate of the pad portion, thereby increasing the frictional force, and hysteresis is realized when the pedal pad is operated by this increased frictional force. The plate portion is characterized by having a rubber damper that generates pedaling force while elastically deforming upon contact with the pedal arm portion when the pedal pad rotates.

[0009] The plate portion and the lever portion are connected in an L-shape. The hysteresis lever includes a plate portion on which the lower end of the spring module is supported, a lever portion extending upward from the plate portion and inserted inside the pad portion, a lever friction portion protruding from the end of the lever portion and in contact with the friction plate of the pad portion, and a pair of side portions extending upward from both sides of the plate portion spaced rearward from the lever portion, with their ends rotatably coupled to the pedal housing, and the hysteresis lever is installed so as to be located inside the pedal housing. The spring module is characterized by comprising: an upper cover provided with a rod portion and installed on the inner surface of a pad portion; a lower cover provided on a hysteresis lever and having an inner guide groove and an outer guide groove into which the rod portion is inserted; a rubber stopper fitted and fixed in the outer guide groove of the lower cover; a spring guide fitted and movably installed in the outer guide groove of the lower cover; an upper spring installed so as to be supported at both ends by one surface of the upper cover and the spring guide; a lower spring installed so as to be supported at both ends by the other surface of the lower cover and the spring guide; and a center spring installed so as to be supported at both ends by the upper cover and the lower cover, passing through the spring guide.

[0010] The lengths of the upper spring, lower spring, and center spring are characterized in that the center spring is the longest, the lower spring is the shortest, and the upper spring is of an intermediate length between the center spring and the lower spring. Furthermore, the organ-type electronic pedal device according to the present invention is characterized in that a pedal pad and a hysteresis lever are rotatably installed in a pedal housing, the upper side of the hysteresis lever is inserted inside the pedal pad and installed so as to contact the inner surface of the pedal pad, the rotation center of the pedal pad is located further back than the rotation center of the hysteresis lever, and as the pad portion of the pedal pad rotates and is inserted into the pedal housing, the frictional force increases as the contact force between the hysteresis lever and the pedal pad increases due to the difference in the rotational trajectories of the pedal pad and the hysteresis lever, and hysteresis is realized when the pedal pad is operated by the increasing frictional force. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The organ-type electronic pedal device according to the present invention is configured to include a high-load spring module and a hysteresis lever, and as necessary, by changing the components of the hysteresis lever, it is possible to tune the pedaling force, stroke, and hysteresis operation force that are required to differ for each vehicle type, thereby achieving cost reduction, enabling package size reduction and cost reduction through configuration simplification, and having the effect of minimizing the driver's ankle fatigue level. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] [Figure 1] This is an exploded view of the organ-type electronic pedal device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a view of the assembled state of Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a plan view of Figure 2. [Figure 4] This is a view showing the state in which the right side cover in Figure 2 is removed. [Figure 5] This is a diagram showing the internal structure of the pedal device of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a side view of the state before the pedal pad is operated according to the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a diagram showing the pedal pad, the hysteresis lever and the spring module of Figure 6. [Figure 8] This is a diagram for explaining the foreign matter inflow prevention guide according to the present invention. [Figure 9] This is a diagram for explaining the L-shaped hysteresis lever according to the present invention. [Figure 10] This is a diagram for explaining the high-load spring module. [Figure 11] This is a diagram for explaining the high-load spring module. [Figure 12] This is a graph diagram for the pedal stroke and pedaling force of the pedal device according to the present invention. [Figure 13] This is a view in Figure 6 showing a state where the pad portion is inserted into the pedal housing by the operation of the pedal pad. [Figure 14] Figure 13 shows the pedal pad, hysteresis lever, and spring module. [Figure 15] This is a diagram illustrating the U-shaped hysteresis lever according to the present invention. [Figure 16] This is a diagram illustrating the U-shaped hysteresis lever according to the present invention. [Figure 17] This is a diagram illustrating the U-shaped hysteresis lever according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] With respect to embodiments of the present invention disclosed herein or in the application, specific structural or functional descriptions are merely illustrative to illustrate embodiments of the present invention, and embodiments of the present invention can be carried out in a variety of forms and are not limited to those described herein or in the application. Embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various ways and may take on a variety of forms; therefore, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in this specification or application. However, this is not intended to limit embodiments of the concept of the present invention to any particular disclosure, but rather to be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, or substitutions that fall within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. Terms such as "first," "second," etc., can be used to describe various components, but these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of rights under the concept of the present invention, the first component can be named the second component, and similarly, the second component can be named the first component.

[0014] When one component is described as being "linked" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that this includes not only direct linking or connection to the other component, but also cases where another component is interposed between them. Conversely, when one component is described as being "directly linked" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that no other component is interposed between them. Other expressions describing the relationship between components, such as "between" and "immediately between," or "adjacent to" and "directly adjacent to," should be interpreted similarly. The terms used herein are used solely to describe specific embodiments and do not limit the invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this specification, terms such as “includes” or “having” are intended to specify the presence of a described feature, figure, stage, operation, component, part, or combination thereof, and should be understood not to preemptively exclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, figures, stages, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0015] Furthermore, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as those generally understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Terms as defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having the meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art, and not as ideal or overly formal unless explicitly defined herein. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention can be implemented by a control unit (controller) comprising a non-volatile memory (not shown) configured to store data relating to an algorithm configured to control the operation of various components of a vehicle, or software instructions for reproducing the algorithm, and a processor (not shown) configured to perform the operations described below using the data stored in the memory. Here, the memory and processor can be implemented on separate chips. Alternatively, the memory and processor can be implemented on a single integrated chip. The processor can take the form of one or more processors.

[0016] Hereinafter, with reference to the attached drawings, a preferred embodiment of the organ-type electronic pedal device of the present invention will be described. As shown in Figures 1 to 17, the organ-type electronic pedal device according to the present invention includes a pedal housing 100 installed to be fixed in the space below the driver's seat; a pedal pad 300 rotatably coupled to the pedal housing 100 via a hinge pin 200 and operated by the driver; a hysteresis lever 400 located inside the pedal housing 100 and rotatably mounted relative to the pedal housing 100, with its upper side inserted inside the pedal pad 300 and in contact with the inner surface of the pedal pad 300, generating hysteresis due to frictional force with the pedal pad 300 when the pedal pad 300 rotates; and a spring module 500 installed so that both ends are supported by the pedal pad 300 and the hysteresis lever 400.

[0017] The pedal housing 100 is formed in a hollow box shape, and the pedal pad 300, hysteresis lever 400, high-load spring module 500, and a stroke sensor and PCB (printed circuit board) described later are installed in the internal space, and covers 110 are attached to both sides in a detachable structure. The pedal pad 300 includes a box-shaped pad portion 310 into which the upper part of a hysteresis lever 400 is inserted, and which has a pad surface 311 operated by the driver's foot, with one end of a spring module 500 inserted inside and rotatably mounted; a pad portion friction plate 320 coupled to the inner surface of the pad portion 310 and generating frictional force upon contact with the hysteresis lever 400; and a pedal arm portion 330, one end of which is connected to the pad portion 310, the other end of which is coupled to a hinge pin 200 and connected to a stroke sensor 600. The pad section 310 and the pedal arm section 330 are formed to be connected in an L-shape when viewed from the side, thereby enabling the construction of an organ-type pedal device.

[0018] The pad portion 310 is inserted into the pedal housing 100 or protrudes from the pedal housing 100 in accordance with the rotation of the pedal pad 300 by passing through the housing hole 120 formed in the pedal housing 100, and the pedal arm portion 330 is configured to always be located inside the pedal housing 100 regardless of the rotation of the pedal pad 300. The pad portion 310 is structured so that it is open only on the lower side into which the hysteresis lever 400 and spring module 500 are inserted, while all other parts are sealed to prevent foreign matter from entering. The pedal pad 300 is connected to the pedal housing 100 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction at the rear end of the pedal arm portion 330 around the hinge pin 200. When the pedal arm portion 330 rotates forward, the pad portion 310, which is separated forward from the hinge pin 200, is inserted into the pedal housing 100 through the housing hole 120 of the pedal housing 100. When it rotates backward, it protrudes from the pedal housing 100 and is exposed to the rear where the driver is positioned.

[0019] The upper surface 312 and lower surface of the pad portion 310 are formed in an arc shape that follows the same trajectory as the rotation radius of the pedal pad 300 centered on the hinge pin 200. This allows the gap with the housing hole 120 formed in the pedal housing 100 to be kept constant, thereby minimizing the ingress of foreign matter. The pad portion 310 is installed so as to pass through the housing hole 120 formed in the pedal housing 100, and is inserted into or protrudes from the pedal housing 100 in accordance with the rotation of the pedal pad 300, while the pedal arm portion 330 is always located inside the pedal housing 100 regardless of the rotation of the pedal pad 300, thus preventing contact with the driver. Therefore, when the driver operates the pedal pad 300 with their foot, only the pad surface 311 of the pad portion 310 exposed from the pedal housing 100 can be operated, and the pedal arm portion 330 located inside the pedal housing 100 is blocked from contact with the driver's foot and cannot be operated, thereby preventing driver error.

[0020] According to the present invention, a foreign matter inflow prevention guide 130 is attached to the housing hole 120 formed in the pedal housing 100 along the edge of the housing hole 120. The foreign matter inflow prevention guide 130 serves to eliminate the gap between the housing hole 120 of the pedal housing 100 and the pad portion 310 of the pedal pad 300, thereby preventing foreign matter from flowing into the pedal housing 100 through the housing hole 120. The foreign matter inflow prevention guide 130 is preferably made of an elastic rubber material to prevent wear and noise caused by contact with the pad portion 310, but is not limited to this. As shown in Figure 8, the foreign matter inflow prevention guide 130 includes a fixing portion 131 that is coupled to be fixed along the edge of the housing hole 120, and a tension portion 132 that extends from the fixing portion 131 and contacts the outer surface of the pad portion 310 to eliminate the gap between the pad portion 310 and the guide. A fitting groove 121 is formed in the pedal housing 100 along the edge of the housing hole 120, and the fixing portion 131 of the foreign matter inflow prevention guide 130 is fitted and fixed into the fitting groove 121. The tension portion 132 is formed to extend inward from the fixing portion 131 and is installed to contact the outer surface of the pad portion 310.

[0021] As shown in Figure 5, a foreign matter discharge hole 140 can be formed on the inner bottom surface of the pedal housing 100 to discharge foreign matter that has entered the pedal housing 100 to the outside, and a foreign matter intrusion prevention jaw portion 150 can be formed to protrude upward to block foreign matter that has entered the pedal housing 100 from entering the stroke sensor 600 side. The foreign body penetration prevention jaw portion 150 serves to prevent damage and breakage of the stroke sensor 600 by foreign bodies. The spring module 500 is a high-load spring module, installed so as to be positioned diagonally along the direction in which the pad portion 310 moves, with its upper end inserted into the pad portion 310 of the pedal pad 300 and rotatably coupled to the pad portion 310, and its lower end rotatably mounted in contact with the hysteresis lever 400. In order for the spring module 500 to be rotatably installed, both ends of the spring module 500 are formed in an arc shape, and arc grooves 313 and 411 are formed on the inner surface of the pad surface 311 of the pad portion 310 and on the hysteresis lever 400, respectively.

[0022] Vehicle pedal devices require high loads for safety during operation. For this reason, the embodiment of the present invention uses a high-load spring module 500, and the required pedaling force can be achieved using the high-load spring module 500. The high-load spring module 500 can typically be configured to provide pedaling force by comprising two or more springs and two or more dampers arranged in series. In other words, the high-load spring module 500, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, includes an upper cover 510 with a rod portion 511, a lower cover 520 with an inner guide groove 521 and an outer guide groove 522, a rubber stopper 530, a spring guide 540, an upper spring 550, a lower spring 560, and a center spring 570. The upper part of the upper cover 510 is formed in an arc shape and is rotatably installed in an arc groove 313 formed on the inner surface of the pad surface 311. The lower side of the lower cover 520 is also formed in an arc shape and is rotatably installed in an arc groove 411 formed in the hysteresis lever 400. The rod portion 511 of the upper cover 510 is inserted into the inner guide groove 521 of the lower cover 520, the rubber stopper 530 is fitted and secured into the outer guide groove 522, and the spring guide 540 is installed so as to be movable.

[0023] The upper spring 550 is installed so that both ends are supported on one side of the upper cover 510 and the spring guide 540, the lower spring 560 is installed so that both ends are supported on the other side of the lower cover 520 and the spring guide 540, and the center spring 570 is installed so that both ends are supported on the upper cover 510 and the lower cover 520. The high-load spring module 500 according to the present invention is composed of three springs, namely an upper spring 550, a lower spring 560, and a center spring 570. Therefore, even if one of them breaks during use, the remaining two unbroken springs can smoothly return the pedal pad 300 to its original position. The spring lengths are as follows: the center spring (570) is the longest, the lower spring (560) is the shortest, and the upper spring (550) is of an intermediate length. The spring constant K value of the springs is formed such that the upper spring 550 has the largest value, the center spring 570 has the smallest value, and the lower spring 560 has an intermediate value. Figure 12 shows a graph illustrating the relationship between pedal stroke and pedaling force.

[0024] Depending on the length of the spring and the magnitude of the spring constant K, when the pedal pad 300 is operated, the center spring 570 and the lower spring 560 are compressed first to generate the initial pedaling force (0-A1 section), and once the compression of the lower spring 560 is complete, the center spring 570 and the upper spring 550 are compressed next to generate the intermediate pedaling force (A1-A2 section), and finally the rubber damper 800, described later, is compressed to generate the maximum final pedaling force (A2-A3 section). Embodiments of the present invention further include a plurality of stroke sensors 600 which are installed to be fixed within a pedal housing 100, connected to a pedal pad 300, and which generate pedal function-related signals when the pedal pad 300 rotates. The stroke sensor 600 includes a rotatably coupled sensor lever 610, which is coupled to a sensor pin 340 on the pedal pad 300, so that when the pedal pad 300 rotates relative to the pedal housing 100, the sensor lever 610 rotates via the sensor pin 340.

[0025] The sensor pin 340 is located above the hinge pin 200 which is connected to the pedal arm portion 330, and is formed to protrude from both sides of the pedal arm portion 330. The sensor pin 340 is formed to protrude from both sides of the pedal arm portion 330 between the pad portion 310 and the hinge pin 200. By providing the sensor pin 340 on the pedal arm portion 330, the position of the stroke sensor 600 can be brought closer to the pedal arm portion 330, thereby reducing the overall size. The stroke sensor 600 is responsible for detecting whether the pedal pad 300 returns to its initial position when the pedal pad 300 rotates, and for detecting the rotation of the pedal pad 300 when the driver presses on it to operate it. The stroke sensor 600 includes a permanent magnet and a PCB facing the permanent magnet. When the pedal pad 300 rotates due to the driver's operation, it detects the rotation angle of the pedal pad 300 through the change in magnetic field strength accompanying the change in the position of the permanent magnet and generates pedal function-related signals. The stroke sensor 600 may be either an APS (Accelerator Position Sensor) that generates acceleration-related signals, or a BPS (Brake Position Sensor) that generates braking-related signals.

[0026] Therefore, the electronic pedal device according to the present invention can use either an acceleration pedal device or a brake pedal device, or both an acceleration pedal device and a brake pedal device. The stroke sensor 600 according to the embodiment of the present invention is a contact-type sensor connected to the pedal pad 300 via a sensor lever 610, which is a mechanical structure. However, if necessary, it can also be configured as a non-contact type sensor consisting only of a permanent magnet and a PCB. The hysteresis lever 400 according to the present invention is broadly classified into L-type and U-type. First, as shown in Figures 1 to 14, the L-shaped hysteresis lever 400 includes a plate portion 410 to which the lower end of the spring module 500 is rotatably supported and whose rear end is rotatably mounted relative to the pedal housing 100 around the lever shaft 700; a lever portion 420 extending upward from the plate portion 410 and inserted inside the pad portion 310; and a lever friction portion 430 protruding from the end of the lever portion 420 and in contact with the pad portion friction plate 320.

[0027] The lever shaft 700 can be integrally formed with the pedal housing 100, or it can be configured as a separate component separated from the pedal housing 100 and coupled to the pedal housing 100 so as to be fixed to it. The lever shaft 700 passes through the rear end of the plate portion 410 of the hysteresis lever 400, thereby installing the hysteresis lever 400 in a structure that rotates around the lever shaft 700. The plate portion 410 has an arc-shaped groove 411 formed therein, which rotatably supports the lower end of the spring module 500. The plate portion 410 and the lever portion 420 are formed to be connected in an L-shape when viewed from the side. This makes it possible to achieve hysteresis when the pedal pad 300 rotates. According to the present invention, when the spring module 500 is installed so that both ends (upper and lower ends) are supported by the pad portion 310 of the pedal pad 300 and the plate portion 410 of the hysteresis lever 400, the spring force of the spring module 500 keeps the lever friction portion 430 of the hysteresis lever 400 in constant contact with the friction plate 320 of the pad portion. This makes it possible to achieve hysteresis when the pedal pad 300 rotates, and in particular, the spring force of the spring module 500 makes it possible to generate the initial operating force of the pedal pad 300.

[0028] According to the present invention, the lower end of the spring module 500 is formed in a bulging, protruding round shape, and an arc groove 411 having the same shape as the round portion of the lower end of the spring module 500 is formed in the plate portion 410 of the hysteresis lever 400. Therefore, when the lower end of the spring module 500 is installed to be supported by the plate portion 410 of the hysteresis lever 400, the rounded portion of the lower end of the spring module 500 is installed to be inserted into the arcuate groove 411 of the plate portion 410. This configuration allows the spring module 500 to rotate when the pedal pad 300 is operated, and in particular prevents the spring module 500 from detaching. In this invention, the friction plate 320 of the pad portion that contacts the lever friction portion 430 of the hysteresis lever 400 is formed in an arc shape along the length of the pad portion 310, with the same radius of rotation as the pedal pad 300 centered on the hinge pin 200. As a result, when the pedal pad 300 rotates, the friction plate 320 of the pad portion and the lever friction portion 430 of the hysteresis lever 400 can always maintain contact.

[0029] When the pedal pad 300 rotates, a hysteresis operating force is formed by the contact between the lever friction portion 430 of the hysteresis lever 400 and the pad friction plate 320. At this time, if the amount of contact between the lever friction portion 430 and the pad friction plate 320 is constant when the pedal pad 300 is operated, excluding the spring force of the spring module 500, the hysteresis value reflecting the spring force can be accurately predicted. For this reason, it is preferable that the pad friction plate 320 is formed in an arc shape along the length of the pad portion 310, with the same radius of rotation of the pedal pad 300 centered on the hinge pin 200. The upper surface 312 and lower surface of the pad portion 310 are formed in an arc shape that follows the same trajectory as the rotation radius of the pedal pad 300 centered on the hinge pin 200. This allows the gap with the housing hole 120 formed in the pedal housing 100 to be kept constant, thereby minimizing the ingress of foreign matter. Furthermore, the upper surface 312 of the pad portion 310, the friction plate 320 of the pad portion, and the lever friction portion 430 are formed as inclined surfaces that slope downward from their respective centers in both directions, and are formed to be the same shape as each other. The friction plate 320 of the pad portion and the lever friction portion 430 are installed in surface contact with each other.

[0030] First, if the upper surface 312 of the pad portion 310 is formed as an inclined surface that slopes downward from the center in both directions, when foreign matter comes into contact with the upper surface 312, the foreign matter will move left and right along the inclined surface as shown by arrow M1 in Figure 3 and be discharged, thus fundamentally preventing foreign matter from entering the pedal housing 100. Furthermore, if the friction plate 320 of the pad portion connected to the pad portion 310 and the lever friction portion 430 of the hysteresis lever 400 are also formed as inclined surfaces with the same shape as the upper surface 312 of the pad portion 310, then the friction plate 320 and the lever friction portion 430 can be installed in surface contact with each other, thereby strengthening the support force of the pad portion 310, and improving the strength and rigidity of the pedal pad 300 which is installed in a cantilevered beam shape. In the pedal device according to the present invention, when the driver operates the pedal pad 300, the pad portion 310 rotates to be inserted into the pedal housing 100, the spring force of the spring module 500 increases, and the rotation of the hysteresis lever 400 due to the spring force increases the force with which the lever friction portion 430 presses against the pad portion friction plate 320, thereby increasing the friction force, and hysteresis is realized when the pedal pad 300 is operated due to the increased friction force.

[0031] According to the present invention, a rubber damper 800 is attached to the plate portion 410 of the hysteresis lever 400, which generates pedaling force while elastically deforming in contact with the pedal arm portion 330 when the pedal pad 300 rotates. The rubber damper 800 has a pointed cone shape at the end that contacts the pedal arm 330. As a result, the area that deforms is small during the initial contact phase with the pedal arm 330, causing the pedaling force to rise weakly. Later, the area that deforms increases, causing the pedaling force to rise rapidly. This allows for the generation of the final pedaling force, which is the greatest when operating the pedal pad 300. As shown in Figures 15 to 17, the U-shaped hysteresis lever 400 includes a plate portion 410 having an arc groove 411 formed therein, which rotatably supports the lower end of the spring module 500; a lever portion 420 extending upward from the plate portion 410 and inserted inside the pad portion 310; a lever friction portion 430 protruding from the end of the lever portion 420 and in contact with the pad portion friction plate 320; and a pair of side portions 440 extending upward from both sides of the plate portion 410, which is spaced rearward from the lever portion 420, with their ends rotatably coupled to the pedal housing 100.

[0032] A rubber damper 800, similar to the one described above, is installed on the plate portion 410. The U-shaped hysteresis lever 400 differs from the L-shaped hysteresis lever 400 in that it is further equipped with a pair of side portions 440, and the ends of the side portions 440 are rotatably connected to the pedal housing 100, but the rest of the lever is identical to the L-shaped hysteresis lever 400. The U-shaped hysteresis lever 400 is characterized by a structure in which a plate portion 410 and a pair of side portions 44 are connected in a U shape. The L-shaped hysteresis lever 400 has a relatively lower lever ratio compared to the U-shaped hysteresis lever 400. As a result, the hysteresis force is relatively lower than that of the U-shaped hysteresis lever 400, but it has advantages such as higher strength, smaller size which is advantageous for layout, good moldability, and weight. Conversely, the U-shaped hysteresis lever 400 has the advantage of a higher hysteresis force because its lever ratio is relatively higher compared to the L-shaped hysteresis lever 400. The unexplained reference numeral 900 shown in Figure 1 is an inner bracket installed so as to be located inside the pedal housing 100, and the stroke sensor 600 can be fixed to the inner bracket. The unexplained reference numeral 1000 is a PCB installed so as to be fixed inside the pedal housing 100, and the PCB is responsible for fault diagnosis and CAN communication with pedal-related components.

[0033] As described above, the organ-type pedal device according to the present invention is configured to include a high-load spring module 500 and a hysteresis lever 400. If necessary, the pedaling force, stroke, and hysteresis operating force required for each vehicle type can be tuned by changing the components of the hysteresis lever 400. This reduces costs, and the simplification of the configuration reduces the size and cost of the package, minimizing driver ankle fatigue. Furthermore, the organ-type electronic pedal device according to the present invention has the advantage of being usable as either an acceleration pedal device or a brake pedal device. Although the present invention has been illustrated and described in relation to specific embodiments, it will be obvious to those with ordinary skill in the art that various improvements and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the technical spirit of the invention provided by the following claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0034] 100 Pedal Housing 110 cover 120 housing holes 121 Connection groove 130 Guide to Preventing Foreign Object Ingress 131 Fixed part 132 Tension section 140 Foreign matter discharge hole 150 Jaw area for preventing foreign body intrusion 200 hinge pins 300 Pedal Pads 310 Pad section 311 Pad surface 312 Top surface 313 Arc groove 320 Pad part friction plate 330 Pedal arm section 340 sensor pins 400 Hysteresis Lever 410 Plate section 411 Arc groove 420 Lever section 430 Lever friction part 440 Side part 500 Spring Module 510 Top cover 511 Rod section 520 Lower cover 521 Inner guide groove 522 Outer guide groove 530 Rubber stopper 540 Spring Guide 550 Upper Spring 560 Lower spring 570 Center Spring 600 stroke sensor 610 Sensor Lever 700 Lever shaft 800 Rubber Damper 900 Inner bracket 1000 PCB

Claims

1. Pedal housing and A pedal pad rotatably coupled to the pedal housing and operated by a driver, A hysteresis lever is rotatably mounted on the pedal housing, with its upper side inserted inside the pedal pad and in contact with the inner surface of the pedal pad, and generates hysteresis due to the frictional force with the pedal pad when the pedal pad rotates. The pedal pad and the spring module are installed so that both ends are supported by the hysteresis lever, The pedal pad is installed with one end of the spring module inserted inward, and the pad portion into which the upper side of the hysteresis lever is inserted inward, An organ-type electronic pedal device characterized by including a pad friction plate bonded to the inner surface of the pad portion and generating frictional force upon contact with the hysteresis lever.

2. The organ-type electronic pedal device according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of stroke sensors fixed to the pedal housing and connected to the pedal pad, which generate pedal function-related signals when the pedal pad rotates.

3. The pedal pad is provided with a pad surface that is operated by the driver's foot and is formed in a box shape. The organ-type electronic pedal device according to claim 1, characterized in that the pedal pad further includes a pedal arm portion to which one end is connected with the pad portion and a hinge pin is connected to the other end.

4. The organ-type electronic pedal device according to claim 3, characterized in that the pad portion and the pedal arm portion are connected in an L-shape.

5. A sensor pin is provided above the hinge pin in the pedal arm portion. The organ-type electronic pedal device according to claim 3, characterized in that the aforementioned sensor pin is coupled to the sensor lever of the stroke sensor.

6. The pad portion penetrates a housing hole formed in the pedal housing and is inserted into the pedal housing in accordance with the rotation of the pedal pad, or protrudes from the pedal housing. The organ-type electronic pedal device according to claim 3, characterized in that the pedal arm portion is always located within the pedal housing regardless of the rotation of the pedal pad.

7. The pedal housing has a housing hole through which the pad portion passes. The organ-type electronic pedal device according to claim 3, characterized in that a foreign matter inflow prevention guide is coupled along the edge of the housing hole.

8. The aforementioned foreign matter inflow prevention guide is A fixing portion is coupled so as to be fixed along the edge of the housing hole, The organ-type electronic pedal device according to claim 7, further comprising a tensioning portion extending from the fixing portion and contacting the outer surface of the pad portion to eliminate the gap between the pad portion and the tensioning portion.

9. A pedal housing and A pedal pad rotatably coupled to the pedal housing and operated by a driver, A hysteresis lever is rotatably mounted on the pedal housing, with its upper side inserted inside the pedal pad and in contact with the inner surface of the pedal pad, and generates hysteresis due to the frictional force with the pedal pad when the pedal pad rotates. The pedal pad and the spring module are installed so that both ends are supported by the hysteresis lever, An organ-type electronic pedal device characterized in that a foreign matter discharge hole is formed on the inner bottom surface of the pedal housing for discharging foreign matter that has flowed into the pedal housing to the outside.

10. A pedal housing and A pedal pad rotatably coupled to the pedal housing and operated by a driver, A hysteresis lever is rotatably mounted on the pedal housing, with its upper side inserted inside the pedal pad and in contact with the inner surface of the pedal pad, and generates hysteresis due to the frictional force with the pedal pad when the pedal pad rotates. A spring module is installed so that both ends are supported by the pedal pad and the hysteresis lever, The pedal housing includes a plurality of stroke sensors that are fixed to the pedal housing and connected to the pedal pad, and which generate pedal function-related signals when the pedal pad rotates. An organ-type electronic pedal device characterized in that a foreign matter penetration prevention jaw is formed on the inner bottom surface of the pedal housing to block foreign matter that has entered the pedal housing from penetrating to the stroke sensor side.

11. The hysteresis lever is, A plate portion is provided, the lower end of which is supported and whose rear end is rotatably mounted relative to the pedal housing about the lever axis, A lever portion extending upward from the plate portion and inserted inside the pad portion, The lever portion includes a lever friction portion that protrudes from the end of the lever portion and contacts the friction plate of the pad portion, The organ-type electronic pedal device according to claim 3, characterized in that the hysteresis lever is installed so as to be located within the pedal housing.

12. The upper surface of the pad portion, the friction plate of the pad portion, and the lever friction portion are formed as inclined surfaces that slope downward from their respective centers in both directions, and are formed to be the same shape as each other. The organ-type electronic pedal device according to claim 11, characterized in that the pad friction plate and the lever friction portion are installed in surface contact with each other.

13. The organ-type electronic pedal device according to claim 11, characterized in that the friction plate of the pad portion is formed in an arc shape along the length direction of the pad portion, with the same radius of rotation as the pedal pad, thereby maintaining constant contact with the lever friction portion when the pedal pad rotates.

14. The organ-type electronic pedal device according to claim 11, characterized in that when the pad portion rotates to be inserted into the pedal housing, the spring force of the spring module increases, the force with which the lever friction portion presses against the pad portion friction plate increases due to the rotation of the hysteresis lever by the spring force, the friction force increases, and hysteresis is realized when the pedal pad is operated by the increased friction force.

15. The organ-type electronic pedal device according to claim 11, characterized in that a rubber damper is coupled to the plate portion, which generates pedaling force while elastically deforming upon contact with the pedal arm portion when the pedal pad rotates.

16. The organ-type electronic pedal device according to claim 11, characterized in that the plate portion and the lever portion are connected in an L-shape.

17. The hysteresis lever is, The plate portion that supports the lower end of the spring module, A lever portion extending upward from the plate portion and inserted inside the pad portion, A lever friction portion is provided that protrudes from the end of the lever portion and contacts the friction plate of the pad portion, It includes a pair of side portions that extend upward from both sides of a plate portion spaced rearward from the lever portion, and whose ends are rotatably coupled to the pedal housing, The organ-type electronic pedal device according to claim 3, characterized in that the hysteresis lever is installed so as to be located within the pedal housing.

18. The aforementioned spring module is A rod portion is provided, and an upper cover is installed on the inner surface of the pad portion, An inner guide groove and an outer guide groove are formed into which the rod portion is inserted, and a lower cover is installed on the hysteresis lever, A rubber stopper is fitted into and secured in the outer guide groove of the lower cover, A spring guide is fitted into the outer guide groove of the lower cover and is installed to be movable, An upper spring is installed so as to be supported at both ends on one surface of the upper cover and the spring guide, A lower spring is installed so that both ends are supported on the other side of the lower cover and the spring guide, The organ-type electronic pedal device according to claim 3, further comprising a center spring that passes through the spring guide and is installed so that both ends are supported by the upper cover and the lower cover.

19. The organ-type electronic pedal device according to claim 18, characterized in that the lengths of the upper spring, the lower spring, and the center spring are such that the center spring is the longest, the lower spring is the shortest, and the upper spring is of an intermediate length between the center spring and the lower spring.

20. The pedal pad and hysteresis lever are rotatably mounted in the pedal housing, with the upper part of the hysteresis lever inserted into the inside of the pedal pad and positioned to contact the inner surface of the pedal pad. The rotation center of the pedal pad is located further rearward than the rotation center of the hysteresis lever. An organ-type electronic pedal device characterized in that, when the pad portion of the pedal pad is inserted into the pedal housing during rotation, the frictional force increases as the contact force between the hysteresis lever and the pedal pad increases due to the difference in the rotational trajectories of the pedal pad and the hysteresis lever, and hysteresis is realized when the pedal pad is operated by the increasing frictional force.

21. A pedal housing and A pedal pad rotatably coupled to the pedal housing and operated by a driver, A hysteresis lever is rotatably mounted on the pedal housing, with its upper side inserted inside the pedal pad and in contact with the inner surface of the pedal pad, and generates hysteresis due to the frictional force with the pedal pad when the pedal pad rotates. The pedal pad and the spring module are installed so that both ends are supported by the hysteresis lever, The pedal pad has a pad surface that is operated by the driver's foot, one end of the spring module is inserted inward and installed, and the upper part of the hysteresis lever is inserted inward into a box-shaped pad portion, An organ-type electronic pedal device characterized by including a pedal arm portion, one end of which is connected to the aforementioned pad portion and the other end of which is connected to a hinge pin.

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