Accelerator pedal for vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle accelerator pedal device that simplifies the structure by providing a friction member inside a rotating member, allows for easy adjustment of the intensity of the frictional force, and eliminates or minimizes instability in the sensing of acceleration operation by matching the rotation of the rotating member and the friction member. The vehicle accelerator pedal device according to the present invention comprises a pedal housing (10), a pedal pad (20) rotatably fixed to the upper surface of the pedal housing (10), a rotating member (30) rotatably mounted inside the pedal housing (10), a link (40) hinge-coupled between the rotating member (30) and the pedal pad (20), a pressure lever (50) mounted on the inside of the rotating member (30), a friction member (60) installed on the pressure lever (50), and an elastic member (70) installed between the pressure lever (50) and the pedal housing (10).

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an accelerator pedal device for a vehicle, and more specifically, to an accelerator pedal device for a vehicle that simplifies the structure by providing a friction member inside a rotating member, allows for easy adjustment of the intensity of the frictional force, and eliminates or minimizes instability in the sensing of acceleration operation by aligning the rotation of the rotating member and the friction member. Background Technology

[0002] Generally, a vehicle's accelerator pedal is a device that allows the driver to accelerate the engine's rotation. The driver can control the engine's acceleration by controlling the force applied to the accelerator pedal.

[0003] Conventional accelerator pedal systems are broadly classified into mechanical and electronic types. A mechanical accelerator pedal system is one in which the accelerator pedal and the engine's throttle valve are mechanically connected by a cable, whereas an electronic accelerator pedal system is one in which the pedal's position is sensed by a sensor, and the operation of the throttle valve is controlled based on the sensed position signal.

[0004] Mechanical accelerator pedal systems have operational issues caused by the surrounding environment, temperature changes, and cable deterioration; consequently, mechanical accelerator pedal systems have now been replaced by electronic accelerator pedal systems.

[0005] The vehicle's accelerator pedal device is a device operated by the driver's foot to increase the engine's rotational speed. As shown in the accelerator pedal force diagram in Fig. 7, the pedal effort during accelerator pedal operation has the characteristic of gradually increasing in proportion to the pedal stroke.

[0006] In the graph of Fig. 7, B1 is the pedal force curve when operating the accelerator pedal device, and B2 is the pedal force curve when returning the accelerator pedal device. There is a difference in pedal force (C1) between B1 and B2 in the pedal stroke of a specific position (A1), and this difference in pedal force is commonly referred to as hysteresis in the accelerator pedal device.

[0007] When the driver presses the accelerator pedal, spring force (compressive force) and frictional force are generated together and act as resistance; consequently, a large pedaling force is required to overcome this significant resistance. However, when the driver releases the pedal and it returns to its original position, only frictional force is generated, resulting in a relatively reduced pedaling force compared to the initial operation. Consequently, pedal hysteresis occurs due to this difference in pedaling force.

[0008] Hysteresis of the accelerator pedal is a factor that directly affects driver fatigue, driving safety, and drive quality due to pedal operation during constant speed driving or long-distance driving. Since higher hysteresis efficiency can reduce driver fatigue and improve driving safety and drive quality, it is advantageous to make the difference (C1) between the pedal force (B1) when operating the accelerator pedal and the pedal force (B2) when returning as large as possible in order to increase the efficiency of hysteresis.

[0009] Such an accelerator pedal device is assembled such that the pedal pad and the pedal housing are rotatably connected by a rotating member, and the pedal pad is elastically supported by an elastic member; a friction member is provided that is slidably supported on the rotating friction surface with a rounded rotating friction surface formed on the pedal housing, and a frictional force is generated by friction between the friction member and the rotating friction surface.

[0010] However, the conventional technology described above had the following problems.

[0011] Conventional accelerator pedal devices have a structure in which a friction member rotates along a rounded rotational friction surface separately from the rotation of a rotating member that rotates the pedal pad inside the pedal housing, which has the problem of being structurally complex and relatively difficult to control the intensity of the friction force.

[0012] In addition, conventional accelerator pedal devices had a problem in that the rotation of the rotating member and the rotation of the friction member occurred separately, and as the friction member wore down, the rotation of the rotating member and the rotation of the friction member did not coincide, resulting in unstable sensing of acceleration operation. Prior art literature

[0013] Registered Patent No. 2703468 "Press force adjustable accelerator pedal device" (2024.09.02) The problem to be solved

[0014] Accordingly, the present invention has been devised to resolve the various problems of the prior art as described above.

[0015] The objective of the present invention is to provide a vehicle accelerator pedal device that simplifies the structure by providing a friction member inside a rotating member, allows for easy adjustment of the intensity of the frictional force, and eliminates or minimizes instability in the sensing of acceleration operation by aligning the rotation of the rotating member and the friction member. means of solving the problem

[0016] To achieve the above objectives, the "vehicle accelerator pedal device" according to the present invention comprises: a pedal housing having a fixing groove formed on the upper surface of a tip, a friction shaft formed to protrude horizontally inside, and a first fitting groove formed on the lower inner surface; a pedal pad having a first hinge formed inside, which is rotatably fixed to a connecting member, one end of which is fitted into the fixing groove and fixed, and a first hinge formed inside; a rotating member having a placement groove formed on the inner side so as to expose a part of the friction shaft, and a second hinge formed on a tip protruding to one side; a link having an upper end rotatably fitted into the first hinge and a lower end rotatably fitted into the second hinge, and provided to penetrate the upper surface of the pedal housing and the lower surface of the pedal pad; and a pressure lever fitted into the placement groove, having an installation hole formed at one end corresponding to the friction shaft, and a second fitting groove formed on the lower surface of the other end corresponding to the first fitting groove. The device is characterized by comprising: a friction member that is installed so as to be detachably fitted into the above-mentioned installation hole and has a contact groove formed on its lower surface to be in close contact with a part of the outer surface of the friction shaft; and an elastic member whose lower end is fitted into the first fitting groove and whose upper end is fitted into the second fitting groove, and which elastically supports the vertical movement of the rotating member and the pressure lever.

[0017] In addition, the rotating member of the "vehicle accelerator pedal device" according to the present invention further comprises an arc groove formed in an upwardly concave arc shape at the central portion of the rotating member within the interior of the placement groove, and the pressure lever further comprises an arc projection formed in an upwardly convex arc shape on the upper surface of the pressure lever so as to be inserted into the arc groove and rotatably supported.

[0018] In addition, the pedal housing of the "vehicle acceleration pedal device" according to the present invention further comprises a stopper formed on the inner upper surface of the pedal housing, and the rotating member further comprises an elastic support formed elastically bendable on the upper surface of the rotating member so as to be elastically adhered to the stopper.

[0019] In addition, the "vehicle accelerator pedal device" according to the present invention further comprises a sensor housing mounted on one side of the pedal housing and capable of housing a sensor; wherein the rotating member further comprises a first circular groove formed circularly on the inner side of the portion into which the friction shaft is fitted and open to the inside, and a second circular groove formed circularly on the outer side of the portion into which the friction shaft is fitted and open to the outside; wherein the pedal housing further comprises a first circular projection formed to protrude from the outer circumference of the friction shaft and rotatably fitted into the first circular groove to support the rotation of the rotating member; and wherein the sensor housing further comprises a second circular projection formed to protrude from the inner circumference of the sensor housing and rotatably fitted into the second circular groove to support the rotation of the rotating member. Effects of the invention

[0020] The present invention, as described above, has the effect of providing a friction member inside a rotating member to simplify the structure and easily adjust the intensity of the frictional force, and to eliminate or minimize instability in the sensing of acceleration operation by aligning the rotation of the rotating member and the friction member, thereby ensuring a long lifespan and significantly improving operational stability. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0021] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an accelerator pedal device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of an accelerator pedal device according to the present invention, Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the main part of Fig. 2, FIG. 4 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the operating state of an accelerator pedal device according to the present invention, Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the main part of Fig. 4, FIG. 6 is a schematic longitudinal section view of a key part of an accelerator pedal device according to another embodiment of the present invention, Figure 7 is an accelerator pedal force diagram of a typical accelerator pedal device. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0022] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the present invention may be implemented in a number of different forms and is not limited to the described embodiments.

[0023] FIGS. 1 to 6 are schematic drawings of an accelerator pedal device according to the present invention. As illustrated herein, the accelerator pedal device for a vehicle according to the present invention comprises a pedal housing (10), a pedal pad (20) rotatably fixed to the upper surface of the pedal housing (10), a rotating member (30) rotatably mounted inside the pedal housing (10), a link (40) hinge-coupled between the rotating member (30) and the pedal pad (20), a pressure lever (50) mounted inside the rotating member (30), a friction member (60) installed on the pressure lever (50), and an elastic member (70) installed between the pressure lever (50) and the pedal housing (10).

[0024] The above pedal housing (10) has a fixing groove (11) formed on the upper surface of the tip, a friction shaft (12) formed to protrude horizontally inside, and a first fitting groove (13) formed on the lower surface inside, serving to provide a place for receiving and installing various parts including the rotating member (30) inside.

[0025] The fixed groove (11) serves to provide a portion to which the pedal pad (20) is connected, and the friction shaft (12) serves as a central axis for which the rotating member (30) rotates and provides a portion to which the friction member (60) is frictionally contacted. The first fitting groove (13) serves to provide a portion to which the lower end of the elastic member (70) is fitted and fixed.

[0026] The above-described pedal housing (10) further includes a stopper (14) formed on its inner upper surface. The stopper (14) supports the rotation of the rotating member (30) so that it stops at a predetermined angle.

[0027] The above pedal pad (20) is rotatably fixed to a connecting member (21) that is fixed by being inserted into the above fixing groove (11) and has a first hinge (22) formed inside, thereby providing a part that can be accelerated by the driver stepping on it with their foot.

[0028] The connecting member (21) serves to rotatably connect the pedal housing (10) and the pedal pad (20), and the first hinge (22) serves to provide a portion where the upper end of the link (40) is hinge-connected.

[0029] The above-mentioned rotating member (30) is rotatably fitted onto the friction shaft (12) and has a placement groove (31) formed on the inner side so that a part of the friction shaft (12) is exposed, and has a second hinge (32) formed on the tip protruding to one side, and serves to rotate around the friction shaft (12) inside the pedal housing (10) according to the operation of the pedal pad (20), and serves to provide a place where the pressure lever (50) is installed.

[0030] The above-mentioned placement groove (31) serves to provide a portion into which the pressure lever (50) is fitted and mounted, and the above-mentioned second hinge (32) serves to provide a portion into which the lower end of the link (40) is hinge-connected.

[0031] The above-mentioned rotating member (30) further includes an arc groove (33) formed in an upwardly concave arc shape in the central portion of the rotating member (30) within the interior of the placement groove (31). The arc groove (33) enables the pressing lever (50) to be pressed more smoothly when the rotating member (30) is rotated. That is, the arc groove (33) pushes the pressing member toward the friction axis (12) when the rotating member (30) is rotated, thereby improving the frictional force by the friction member (60).

[0032] The above-described rotating member (30) further includes an elastic support (34) formed on its upper surface so as to be elastically bendable. The elastic support (34) allows the rotating member (30) to be elastically pressed against the stopper (14) when the rotating member (30) is elastically restored. That is, the elastic support (34) serves to prevent damage to the rotating member (30) when the rotating member (30) is stopped by the stopper (14).

[0033] The above link (40) is provided such that its upper end is rotatably fitted into the first hinge (22) and its lower end is rotatably fitted into the second hinge (32), and it penetrates the upper surface of the pedal housing (10) and the lower surface of the pedal pad (20), thereby connecting the pedal pad (20) and the rotating member (30) in a hinged state so that the rotating member (30) can rotate by pressing the pedal pad (20).

[0034] The above pressure lever (50) is fitted into the above placement groove (31), and a mounting hole (51) is formed at one end corresponding to the friction shaft (12), and a second fitting groove (52) is formed on the lower surface of the other end corresponding to the first fitting groove (13). It is positioned eccentrically on the friction shaft (12) and rotates together with the rotating member (30) to press the friction member (60) against the friction shaft (12).

[0035] The above installation hole (51) serves to provide a place where the friction member (60) is installed in a disassembled manner, and the above second fitting groove (52) serves to provide a part where the upper end of the elastic member (70) is fitted and fixed.

[0036] The above-mentioned pressure lever (50) further includes an arc projection (53) formed on its upper surface in an upwardly convex arc shape. The arc projection (53) is inserted into the arc groove (33) and supported so as to be rotatable, and when the rotating member (30) rotates, it is pushed by the arc groove (33), thereby allowing the pressure lever (50) to press the friction member (60) more smoothly. That is, when the rotating member (30) rotates, the arc projection (53) causes the pressure member to be pushed toward the friction axis (12), thereby improving the frictional force exerted by the friction member (60).

[0037] The friction member (60) is installed so as to be detachably fitted into the installation hole (51) and has a contact groove (61) formed on its surface so as to be in close contact with a part of the outer surface of the friction shaft (12). It functions to generate frictional force by being pressed against the friction shaft (12) by the pressure lever (50) while in close contact with a part of the outer surface of the friction shaft (12) through the contact groove (61).

[0038] The friction member (60) described above can easily adjust the frictional force according to the size of the contact groove (61), that is, the size of the contact area between the contact groove (61) and the friction shaft (12).

[0039] In addition, it is preferable that the friction member (60) be made of a material having a relatively higher friction coefficient than the friction shaft (12) and being a wear-resistant material, so that the instability of acceleration sensing caused by rapid wear of the friction member (60) can be resolved more smoothly.

[0040] The elastic member (70) has its lower end fitted into the first fitting groove (13) and its upper end fitted into the second fitting groove (52), thereby elastically supporting the vertical movement of the rotating member (30) and the pressure lever (50) so that it can be quickly elastically restored after the rotation of the rotating member (30). As illustrated, such an elastic member (70) may be provided as a coil spring.

[0041] The present accelerator pedal device configured in this manner is a groundbreaking invention that simplifies the structure by providing the friction member (60) inside the rotating member (30) and allows for easy adjustment of the intensity of the frictional force, and eliminates or minimizes instability in the sensing of acceleration operation by matching the rotation of the rotating member (30) and the friction member (60).

[0042] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a key part of an accelerator pedal device according to another embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated herein, the accelerator pedal device for a vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention further includes a sensor housing (80) mounted on one side of the pedal housing (10) and capable of housing a sensor. The sensor housing (80) serves to cover one side of the pedal housing (10) while providing a space for housing a sensor that detects an acceleration state.

[0043] The rotating member (30) further includes a first circular groove (35) formed in a circular shape on the inner side of the portion into which the friction shaft (12) is fitted and open to the inside, and a second circular groove (36) formed in a circular shape on the outer side of the portion into which the friction shaft (12) is fitted and open to the outside.

[0044] In addition, the pedal housing (10) further includes a first circular projection (15) formed to protrude from the outer circumference of the friction shaft (12), and the sensor housing (80) further includes a second circular projection (81) formed to protrude from the inner circumference.

[0045] The first circular jaw (15) is rotatably fitted into the first circular groove (35) and serves to support the rotation of the rotating member (30). That is, by acting as a rotation axis that supports the rotation of the rotating member (30) relative to the pedal housing (10), the friction shaft (12) is in close contact only with the friction member (60), thereby minimizing the wear of the friction shaft (12) caused by the rotation of the rotating member (30).

[0046] In addition, the second circular jaw (81) is rotatably fitted into the second circular groove (36) and serves to support the rotation of the rotating member (30). That is, by acting as a rotation axis that supports the rotation of the rotating member (30) relative to the sensor housing (80), the friction shaft (12) is in close contact only with the friction member (60), thereby minimizing the wear of the friction shaft (12) caused by the rotation of the rotating member (30).

[0047] In this way, the rotating member (30) has a structure in which rotation is firmly supported at its front and rear ends by the first circular groove (35), the first circular jaw (15), the second circular groove (36), and the second circular jaw (81), thereby ensuring stability of rotational operation and a long lifespan of the rotating member (30).

[0048] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention may use various variations, modifications, and equivalents. It is clear that the present invention can be applied in the same way by appropriately modifying the above embodiments. Therefore, the above description does not limit the scope of the present invention, which is defined by the limitations of the following claims.

[0049] Meanwhile, although specific embodiments have been described in the detailed description of the present invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0050] 10 : Pedal housing 11: Fixing groove 12: Friction shaft 13: 1st insertion groove 14: Stopper 15: 1st round jaw 20 : Pedal pad 21 : Connecting member 22 : First hinge 30 : Rotating member 31 : Placement groove 32 : Second hinge 33 : Arc groove 34 : Elastic support 35: 1st circular groove 36: 2nd circular groove 40 : Link 50 : Pressure lever 51 : Installer 52 : Second insertion groove 53 : Rounded jaw 60 : Friction member 61 : Close-fitting groove 70 : Elastic member 80 : Sensor housing 81: Second round jaw

Claims

Claim 1 A pedal housing (10) having a fixing groove (11) formed on the upper surface of the tip, a friction shaft (12) formed to protrude horizontally inside, and a first fitting groove (13) formed on the lower surface of the inside; a pedal pad (20) having a first hinge (22) formed inside and rotatably fixed to a connecting member (21) with one end fitted into the fixing groove (11); a rotating member (30) having a placement groove (31) formed on the inside so that a part of the friction shaft (12) is exposed, and a second hinge (32) formed on the tip protruding to one side; a link (40) having its upper end rotatably fitted into the first hinge (22), its lower end rotatably fitted into the second hinge (32), and provided penetrating the upper surface of the pedal housing (10) and the lower surface of the pedal pad (20); and the A vehicle acceleration pedal device characterized by comprising: a pressure lever (50) that is fitted into a placement groove (31), has an installation hole (51) formed at one end corresponding to the friction shaft (12), and has a second fitting groove (52) formed on the lower surface of the other end corresponding to the first fitting groove (13); a friction member (60) that is fitted into the installation hole (51) and installed so as to be detachable, and has a contact groove (61) formed on the lower surface so as to be in contact with a part of the outer surface of the friction shaft (12); and an elastic member (70) whose lower end is fitted into the first fitting groove (13) and whose upper end is fitted into the second fitting groove (52), and which elastically supports the vertical movement of the rotating member (30) and the pressure lever (50). Claim 2 A vehicle acceleration pedal device according to claim 1, wherein the rotating member (30) further includes an arc groove (33) formed in an upwardly concave arc shape in the central portion of the rotating member (30) within the interior of the placement groove (31), and the pressure lever (50) further includes an arc projection (53) formed in an upwardly convex arc shape on the upper surface of the pressure lever (50) so as to be inserted into the arc groove (33) and supported so as to be rotatable. Claim 3 An accelerator pedal device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the pedal housing (10) further comprises a stopper (14) formed on the inner upper surface of the pedal housing (10), and the rotating member (30) further comprises an elastic support (34) formed on the upper surface of the rotating member (30) so as to be elastically bendable so as to be elastically close to the stopper (14). Claim 4 The accelerator pedal device according to claim 1 further comprises a sensor housing (80) mounted on one side of the pedal housing and capable of housing a sensor, and the rotating member further comprises a first circular groove (35) formed circularly on the inner side of the part where the friction shaft is fitted and open to the inside, and a second circular groove (36) formed circularly on the outer side of the part where the friction shaft is fitted and open to the outside, the pedal housing further comprises a first circular jaw (15) formed to protrude from the outer circumference of the friction shaft and rotatably fitted into the first circular groove (35) to support the rotation of the rotating member, and the sensor housing (80) further comprises a second circular jaw (81) formed to protrude from the inner circumference of the sensor housing (80) and rotatably fitted into the second circular groove (36) to support the rotation of the rotating member.

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