Vehicular operation pedal device

Abstract

This vehicular operation pedal device comprises: an arm (40) configured so as to rotate about a first center line (L1) of an arm support shaft (42); a sheet (50) provided to the arm (40) via a sheet support shaft (53) and configured so as to rotate about a second center line (L2) of the sheet support shaft (53); an upper contact part (44) provided to one of the arm (40) and the sheet (50) at a position above the sheet support shaft (53), and configured to contact the other of the arm (40) and the sheet (50); and a biasing member (60) that is provided between the arm (40) and the sheet (50) and configured to bias the sheet (50) to one side such that the lower end of the sheet (50) separates from the arm (40) in the rotation direction around the second center line (L2).

Description

Vehicle operation pedal device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an operation pedal device for a vehicle.

[0002] Vehicles such as automobiles are provided with vehicle operation pedal devices such as a brake pedal device, an accelerator pedal device, a clutch pedal device, etc. For example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is an organ-type vehicle operation pedal device.

[0003] The vehicle operation pedal device described in Patent Document 1 has a pedal arm that is depressed by the vehicle driver. The pedal arm extends upward from a pedal support shaft and has an operation surface that is depressed. When the pedal arm is depressed, the pedal arm rotates around the center line of the pedal support shaft so that its upper end tilts toward the front of the vehicle.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-9016

[0005] In the above-described vehicle operation pedal device, the angle of the operating surface of the pedal arm changes as the pedal arm rotates due to depression of the pedal arm, which may result in a decrease in the operability of the pedal arm, and ultimately the vehicle operation pedal device.

[0006] A vehicle operation pedal device according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises: an arm having an arm support shaft extending in a vehicle width direction, the arm extending upward from the arm support shaft and configured to rotate around a first center line which is the center line of the arm support shaft; an operation surface that is operated by a driver by stepping on it; and a seat having a seat support shaft extending along the arm support shaft above the arm support shaft, the seat being attached to the arm via the seat support shaft and configured to rotate around a second center line which is the center line of the seat support shaft; an upper abutment portion that is provided at a position above the seat support shaft with respect to one of the arm and the seat and configured to abut against the other of the arm and the seat; and a biasing member that is provided between the arm and the seat and configured to bias the seat in a direction that moves the lower end of the seat away from the arm in the rotational direction around the second center line.

[0007] 12 is a side cross-sectional view showing an upper part of a vehicle operation pedal device of one embodiment. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the vehicle operation pedal device of FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a side view of the vehicle operation pedal device of FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a rear view of the vehicle operation pedal device of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3. FIG. 13 is a side cross-sectional view showing an upper part of the vehicle operation pedal device of FIG. 1 in a state where the lower contact portion is in contact with the seat. FIG. 14 is a graph showing the relationship between the depression operation amount and the seat tread angle in the vehicle operation pedal device of FIG. 1. FIG. 15 is a side view showing the vehicle operation pedal device of FIG. 1 in a state where the upper and lower contact portions are not in contact with the seat. FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a vehicle operation pedal device of another embodiment. FIG. 17 is a perspective view of an arm of another embodiment. FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing a seat support shaft and its surrounding structure of a further embodiment. FIG. 19 is a rear view of a vehicle operation pedal device of yet another embodiment. FIG. 19 is an end view taken along line 13-13 of FIG. 12. FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view showing the seat and its surrounding structure of the vehicle operation pedal device of FIG. 12.

[0008] An embodiment of a vehicle operation pedal device will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 8. In the following description, the width direction of the vehicle will be referred to as the vehicle width direction X, the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle will be referred to as the front-to-rear direction Y, and the up-to-down direction of the vehicle when the vehicle is positioned on a horizontal plane will be referred to as the up-to-down direction Z. Furthermore, the front and rear sides in the front-to-rear direction Y will be simply referred to as the "front side" and the "rear side," respectively, and the upper and lower sides in the up-to-down direction Z will be simply referred to as the "upper side" and the "lower side," respectively.

[0009] 2 and 3 , the vehicle operation pedal device 30 includes an arm 40 and a seat 50. The arm 40 and the seat 50 are operating members that are depressed by the driver of the vehicle. The vehicle operation pedal device 30 of this embodiment is a brake pedal device that is depressed by the driver to activate the brake device 21.

[0010] <Arm> The arm 40 has an arm main body 41 and an arm support shaft 42. The arm main body 41 is plate-shaped and extends in the front-rear direction Y and the up-down direction Z. The arm main body 41 is formed in a shape that is longer and narrower in the up-down direction Z than in the front-rear direction Y. The arm support shaft 42 is provided at the bottom of the arm main body 41. The arm support shaft 42 is cylindrical. A center line of the arm support shaft 42 (hereinafter referred to as a first center line L1) extends in the vehicle width direction X.

[0011] As shown in Fig. 3, a base portion 22 is fixed to the floor 20 of the vehicle at the feet of the driver's seat. The base portion 22 is a portion to which an arm 40 is attached. An arm support pin 23 extending in the vehicle width direction X is provided on the base portion 22. The arm 40 is attached to the base portion 22 via this arm support pin 23. More specifically, the arm support pin 23 is fixed to the base portion 22 with an arm support shaft 42 inserted therethrough.

[0012] In this embodiment, the arm 40 extends upward from the arm support shaft 42, more specifically, diagonally upward and forward. The arm 40 is configured to be rotatable about a first center line L1 of the arm support shaft 42 when the driver depresses the arm 40. In the following description, in the rotation direction about the first center line L1, the side on which the upper end of the arm 40 moves away from the driver is referred to as the "on side," and the side on which the upper end of the arm 40 moves closer to the driver is referred to as the "off side."

[0013] The vehicle has a brake device 21. The brake device 21 is activated by moving an operating rod 21A forward. The rear end of the operating rod 21A is connected to the arm 40. When the driver depresses the arm 40 and seat 50, the arm 40 rotates to the ON side about the first center line L1, causing the operating rod 21A to move forward. This activates the brake device 21. On the other hand, when the driver releases the depressing operation of the arm 40 and seat 50, the operating rod 21A moves rearward, causing the arm 40 to rotate to the OFF side about the first center line L1. In this case, the arm 40 stops at a predetermined position (hereinafter referred to as the arm initial position) and is maintained in the arm initial position (the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 3 ).

[0014] 2 to 4, the seat 50 extends in the vehicle width direction X and the up-down direction Z. The seat 50 is attached to an upper portion of the arm 40. The seat 50 is disposed on the rear side of the arm 40. In this embodiment, the surface of the seat 50 farther from the arm 40, i.e., the rear surface of the seat 50, forms an operation surface 50A that is depressed by the driver.

[0015] 1 and 4 , the seat 50 has a base portion 51, a cover portion 52, and a seat support shaft 53. The base portion 51 is in the shape of a plate extending in the vehicle width direction X and the up-down direction Z. The base portion 51 is the base of the seat 50.

[0016] The cover portion 52 is shaped to cover the entire rear surface and the outer edge of the front surface of the base portion 51. Specifically, the rear portion of the cover portion 52 extends in the vehicle width direction X and the up-down direction Z along the rear surface of the base portion 51. The front portion of the cover portion 52 extends in an annular shape along the outer edge of the front surface of the base portion 51. In this embodiment, the rear surface of the cover portion 52 forms the operation surface 50A.

[0017] The seat support shaft 53 is cylindrical. The center line of the seat support shaft 53 (hereinafter referred to as the second center line L2) extends in the vehicle width direction X along the first center line L1 of the arm support shaft 42. In other words, the seat support shaft 53 extends parallel to the arm support shaft 42. The seat support shaft 53 is provided above the arm support shaft 42. The seat support shaft 53 is disposed closer to the upper end of the seat 50 than the center position of the seat 50 in the up-down direction Z (the position indicated by line L3 in FIG. 1 ). In this embodiment, the seat 50 is provided to the arm main body 41 via the seat support shaft 53.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the seat 50 specifically has a pair of support walls 54. The pair of support walls 54 are integrally formed with the base member 51 so as to protrude forward from the rear surface 51A of the base member 51. Each of the pair of support walls 54 is plate-shaped and extends in the up-down direction Z and the front-rear direction Y. The pair of support walls 54 are spaced apart in the vehicle width direction X. As shown in FIG. 5 , each support wall 54 is provided with a support hole 55 penetrating in the vehicle width direction X. An insertion hole 43 penetrating in the vehicle width direction X is provided in the upper portion of the arm main body 41. In this embodiment, the seat support shaft 53 is attached to the pair of support walls 54 while being inserted through the support hole 55 of the pair of support walls 54 and the insertion hole 43 of the arm main body 41. More specifically, the seat support shaft 53 is shaped like a headed pin having a head 53A at one end. The seat support shaft 53 is configured so that a split pin 53B and a pressure plate 53C can be attached to the end opposite the head 53A. The seat support shaft 53 is provided on the pair of support walls 54 so that the pair of support walls 54 is sandwiched between the head 53A and the pressure plate 53C. In this way, the seat support shaft 53 is attached to the pair of support walls 54 so that it cannot fall off.

[0019] 1, in this embodiment, the seat 50 is configured to be rotatable relative to the arm 40 about a second center line L2 of the seat support shaft 53. In the following description, in the rotation direction about the second center line L2, the side where the lower end of the seat 50 moves away from the arm 40 is referred to as the "first rotation side," and the side where the lower end of the seat 50 moves closer to the arm 40 is referred to as the "second rotation side."

[0020] 1 and 6 , in this embodiment, the rear end portion of the arm 40 abuts against the back surface 51A of the seat 50, thereby restricting the relative rotation of the seat 50 with respect to the arm 40. Specifically, the arm 40 has an upper abutment portion 44 and a lower abutment portion 45.

[0021] The upper contact portion 44 is integrally formed with the arm body 41. The upper contact portion 44 is provided on the arm body 41 above the seat support shaft 53. More specifically, the upper contact portion 44 is provided at the upper end of the arm body 41. The upper contact portion 44 has a shape that protrudes rearward more than a portion adjacent to the lower side of the upper contact portion 44. The upper contact portion 44 is a convex portion that protrudes rearward from the rear end of the arm body 41 toward the seat 50. As shown in FIG. 1 , when the seat 50 is rotated in the first rotation direction, a portion of the back surface 51A of the seat 50 above the seat support shaft 53 abuts against the upper contact portion 44. In this embodiment, when the back surface 51A of the seat 50 abuts against the upper contact portion 44 of the arm 40, further rotation of the seat 50 in the first rotation direction is restricted.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 , the lower abutment portion 45 is integrally formed with the arm body 41. The lower abutment portion 45 is provided at a central position of the arm body 41 in the up-down direction Z. Specifically, the lower abutment portion 45 is provided below the seat support shaft 53 and above the arm support shaft 42 on the arm body 41. The lower abutment portion 45 has a shape that protrudes rearward relative to portions adjacent to both sides of the lower abutment portion 45 in the up-down direction Z. The lower abutment portion 45 is a convex portion that protrudes rearward from the rear end of the arm body 41 toward the seat 50. As shown in FIG. 6 , when the seat 50 is rotated in the second rotation direction, a portion of the back surface 51A of the seat 50 below the seat support shaft 53 abuts against the lower abutment portion 45 of the arm 40. In this embodiment, the abutment of the back surface 51A of the seat 50 against the lower abutment portion 45 of the arm 40 restricts further rotation of the seat 50 in the second rotation direction.

[0023] <Using Member> As shown in Figures 1, 4, and 5, the vehicle operation pedal device 30 includes a urging member 60. The urging member 60 is configured by a torsion spring. The urging member 60 is provided between the arm main body 41 and the seat 50. The urging member 60 urges the seat 50 so as to rotate the seat 50 in the first rotation side.

[0024] The biasing member 60 has a winding portion 61, a first end 62 that is one end of the biasing member 60, and a second end 63 that is the other end of the biasing member 60. The biasing member 60 is attached as follows: A cylindrical collar 56 is provided on the sheet support shaft 53. Specifically, the sheet support shaft 53 is inserted into the collar 56. The sheet support shaft 53 and the collar 56 are inserted into the winding portion 61. The first end 62 is hooked onto the arm body 41 while being pressed against a portion of the rear surface 41A of the arm body 41 below the sheet support shaft 53. The second end 63 is pressed against a portion of the back surface 51A of the sheet 50 below the sheet support shaft 53 and abuts against the back surface 51A. The biasing member 60 presses the back surface 51A of the sheet 50 with the second end 63. In this embodiment, two pairs of biasing members 60 and collars 56 are provided. A pair of a biasing member 60 and a collar 56 is disposed on each side of the arm body 41, sandwiching the arm body 41. The two biasing members 60 are integrally configured by connecting their second ends 63 to each other.

[0025] <Operation of this embodiment> The operation of this embodiment will be described below. As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, when the driver takes his / her foot off the operating surface 50A of the seat 50, for example, and the seat 50 is placed in a non-operated state where it is not depressed, the arm 40 rotates to the OFF side, which brings the upper end of the arm 40 closer to the driver. The arm 40 then stops and is held in the arm initial position (the position indicated by the solid line in Figure 3).

[0026] 1 , in this embodiment, the seat 50 is biased by the biasing member 60 toward the first rotation side, which separates the lower end of the seat 50 from the arm 40. Therefore, in the non-operated state, the biasing force of the biasing member 60 causes the seat 50 to rotate toward the first rotation side relative to the arm 40. When the upper part of the back surface 51A of the seat 50 abuts against the upper contact portion 44 of the arm 40, the seat 50 is held in the seat initial position (the position shown in FIG. 1 ), which is the rotation position at that time. In this embodiment, in the non-operated state, the upper part of the back surface 51A of the seat 50 is pressed against the upper contact portion 44 of the arm 40.

[0027] 7, in the non-operation state where the depression amount is "0", the angle of the operation surface 50A of the seat 50 (hereinafter referred to as the tread angle AL) is the angle when the arm 40 is in the arm initial position and the seat 50 is in the seat initial position (hereinafter referred to as the initial angle). In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, the tread angle AL is the angle between an imaginary line extending in the vertical direction Z and an imaginary line perpendicular to the operation surface 50A.

[0028] In this embodiment, the depression operation amount is an amount corresponding to the tilt angle (rotation angle) of the arm 40 and the seat 50 to the on side. In the following description, as shown in Fig. 7 , a period in which the depression operation amount is equal to or greater than "0" and less than a first predetermined amount V1 is defined as a "first period," a period in which the depression operation amount is equal to or greater than the first predetermined amount V1 and less than a second predetermined amount V2 is defined as a "second period," and a period in which the depression operation amount is equal to or greater than the second predetermined amount V2 is defined as a "third period."

[0029] As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, when the driver depresses the seat 50, the arm 40 rotates forward together with the seat 50. Here, as the driver's depression amount increases, the forward tilt angle of the operating surface 50A of the seat 50 also increases, thereby reducing the tread angle AL of the seat 50. In this case, there is a risk that the driver's foot may slip forward on the operating surface 50A of the seat 50, making it difficult for the driver's operating force to be transmitted to the seat 50 and the arm 40. In this regard, in this embodiment, the angle of the seat 50 relative to the arm 40 changes in accordance with the driver's depression of the seat 50.

[0030] In this embodiment, when the driver starts to depress the seat 50, the arm 40 rotates forward together with the seat 50, thereby reducing the tread angle AL of the seat 50.

[0031] Here, the greater the amount of depression by the driver, the greater the reaction force of the brake device 21, and therefore the greater the depression force required by the driver to operate the seat 50 and the arm 40 against this reaction force.

[0032] In this embodiment, during the first period at the beginning of the depression operation, i.e., during the first period when the depression force is not very large, the biasing force of the biasing member 60 is set so that the seat 50 does not rotate toward the second rotation side, in which the lower end of the seat 50 approaches the arm 40. Therefore, during the first period, although the arm 40 rotates so as to tilt forward, the seat 50 does not rotate toward the second rotation side relative to the arm 40. At this time, the angle of the arm 40 and the tread angle AL of the seat 50 change in the same manner. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7 , during the first period at the beginning of the depression operation, the tread angle AL of the seat 50 changes in proportion to the amount of depression by the driver.

[0033] Thereafter, when the depression amount reaches the first predetermined amount V1 and the second period begins, the seat 50 starts to rotate relatively to the second rotation side against the biasing force of the biasing member 60. In the second period, as the depression amount increases, the arm 40 rotates to the ON side which moves the upper end of the arm 40 away from the driver, and the seat 50 rotates relatively to the arm 40 in the second rotation side.

[0034] Specifically, as shown in an example in FIG. 8 , during the second period, the upper portion of the underside 51A of the seat 50 is separated from the upper contact portion 44 of the arm 40, and the lower portion of the underside 51A of the seat 50 is separated from the lower contact portion 45 of the arm 40. At this time, the arm 40 rotates to tilt forward away from the driver as the amount of depression increases. Meanwhile, the seat 50 rotates to rise rearward toward the driver as the amount of depression increases. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7 , during the second period, the seat 50 is prevented from tilting forward so as to reduce the tread angle AL of the seat 50, compared to a comparative example in which the seat 50 is fixed to the arm 40 (shown by the dashed line in the figure).

[0035] Thereafter, when the depression amount reaches the second predetermined amount V2, the seat 50 rotates toward the second rotation side, causing the underside 51A of the seat 50 to abut against the lower abutment portion 45 of the arm 40. This restricts the seat 50 from rotating toward the second rotation side relative to the arm 40 during the subsequent third period. Therefore, during the third period, the arm 40 rotates forward away from the driver, but the seat 50 no longer rotates toward the second rotation side relative to the arm 40. At this time, the angle of the arm 40 and the tread angle AL of the seat 50 change in the same manner. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7 , during the third period, the tread angle AL of the seat 50 changes in proportion to the depression amount by the driver.

[0036] 7, the vehicle operation pedal device 30 of this embodiment, shown by the solid line in the figure, is less likely to have a reduced tread angle AL of the seat 50, i.e., is less likely to rotate the operation surface 50A of the seat 50 so as to tilt forward away from the driver, compared to the comparative example shown by the dashed-dotted line in the figure. This prevents a decrease in operability caused by the operation surface 50A of the seat 50 rotating so as to tilt forward.

[0037] Here, if the tread angle AL of the seat 50 is less than 45 degrees, the inclination angle of the operation surface 50A of the seat 50 relative to the vehicle floor 20 (more specifically, the floor surface extending in the vehicle width direction X and the front-rear direction Y) becomes excessively acute. As a result, when the seat 50 is depressed, the forward force acting on the operation surface 50A tends to be greater than the downward force. Therefore, the driver's foot tends to slip forward on the operation surface 50A of the seat 50, and the depression force is less likely to be transmitted to the seat 50 compared to when the tread angle AL of the seat 50 is 45 degrees or greater. In light of this, in the vehicle operation pedal device 30 of this embodiment, the shapes of the components are set so that the tread angle AL of the seat 50 does not fall below 45 degrees.

[0038] <Advantages of the Present Embodiment> The advantages of the present embodiment will be described. (1) The vehicle operation pedal device 30 includes an arm 40, a seat 50, an upper contact portion 44, and a biasing member 60. The arm 40 has an arm support shaft 42 extending in the vehicle width direction X. The arm 40 extends upward from the arm support shaft 42 and rotates around a first center line L1 of the arm support shaft 42. The seat 50 has an operation surface 50A that is depressed by the driver and a seat support shaft 53 that extends along the arm support shaft 42 above the arm support shaft 42. The seat 50 is attached to the arm 40 via the seat support shaft 53 and is configured to be rotatable around a second center line L2 of the seat support shaft 53. The upper contact portion 44 is attached to the arm 40 above the seat support shaft 53 and abuts against the seat 50. The biasing member 60 is provided between the arm 40 and the seat 50, and biases the seat 50 in a first rotation direction that moves the lower end of the seat 50 away from the arm 40 in the rotation direction around the second center line L2.

[0039] In the above configuration, when the seat 50 is in the non-operating state, the seat 50 is urged toward the first rotation side by the urging member 60, causing the back surface 51A of the seat 50 to abut against the upper abutment portion 44 of the arm 40, i.e., restricting rotation of the seat 50 toward the first rotation side. According to the above configuration, the angle of the operating surface 50A of the seat 50 relative to the arm 40 (seat initial position) when the seat 50 is in the non-operating state can be determined in this way. This makes it possible to determine the tread angle AL of the seat 50 when the seat 50 is in the non-operating state, more specifically, the initial angle that is the angle when the arm 40 is in the arm initial position and the seat 50 is in the seat initial position.

[0040] Furthermore, when the seat 50 is depressed, the seat 50 can be rotated relative to the arm 40 to the second rotation side where the lower end of the seat 50 approaches the arm 40. This prevents the tread angle AL of the seat 50 from becoming smaller during operation, thereby preventing a decrease in operability caused by the operating surface 50A of the seat 50 rotating so as to tilt forward.

[0041] (2) The upper contact portion 44 is a convex portion that is provided on the arm 40 and protrudes toward the seat 50. With this configuration, the upper contact portion 44 that restricts the relative rotation of the seat 50 in the first rotation side with respect to the arm 40 can be realized with a simple configuration in which a convex portion is provided on the arm 40. Furthermore, by setting the protruding height of the upper contact portion 44, the position at which the rotation of the seat 50 in the first rotation side is restricted can be determined.

[0042] (3) The vehicle operation pedal device 30 includes a lower abutment portion 45. The lower abutment portion 45 is located below the seat support shaft 53 with respect to the arm 40 and abuts against the seat 50. According to the above configuration, when the seat 50 rotates toward the second rotation side in response to a depression operation, the rear surface 51A of the seat 50 abuts against the lower abutment portion 45 of the arm 40, thereby restricting further rotation of the seat 50 toward the second rotation side. This prevents the seat 50 from rotating too far toward the second rotation side, thereby minimizing a decrease in operability of the seat 50.

[0043] (4) The lower contact portion 45 is a convex portion that is provided on the arm 40 and protrudes toward the seat 50. With this configuration, the lower contact portion 45 that restricts the relative rotation of the seat 50 in the second rotation side with respect to the arm 40 can be realized with a simple configuration in which a convex portion is provided on the arm 40. Furthermore, by setting the protruding height of the lower contact portion 45, the position at which the rotation of the seat 50 in the second rotation side is restricted can be determined.

[0044] (5) The seat support shaft 53 is disposed closer to the upper end of the seat 50 than the center position of the seat 50 in the up-down direction Z. According to the above configuration, when the driver depresses the seat 50, the portion of the seat 50 that is lower than the seat support shaft 53 is depressed. As a result, in response to the depressing operation, the seat 50 can be rotated relative to the arm 40 to the second rotation side, which brings the lower end of the seat 50 closer to the arm 40.

[0045] <Modifications> The above embodiment can be modified as follows: The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0046] The seat support shaft 53 may be supported using a bracket separate from the base 51. An example of such a bracket is shown in FIG. 9 . Note that in FIG. 9 , components similar to those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same or corresponding reference numerals, and redundant descriptions of those components will be omitted. In the example shown in FIG. 9 , the bracket 70 has a U-shaped cross section including a substantially rectangular plate-shaped base 71 and a pair of support walls 72 protruding forward from both ends of the base 71 in the vehicle width direction X. Each of the pair of support walls 72 has a substantially rectangular plate shape. The bracket 70 is fastened or welded to the seat 80 with the rear surface of the base 71 of the bracket 70 facing the front surface of the base 81 of the seat 80. With this configuration, the abutment portion of the seat 80 where the second end 63 of the biasing member 60 abuts has a dual structure consisting of the base 81 and the base 71 of the bracket 70. This increases the strength of the abutment portion while minimizing the thickness of the base 81.

[0047] One or both of the upper contact portion 44 and the lower contact portion 45 may be separate from the arm main body 41. An example of the above configuration is shown in Figure 10. In Figure 10, components similar to those in the above embodiment are denoted by corresponding reference numerals, and redundant explanations of these components will be omitted. In the example shown in Figure 10, the arm 90 has an arm main body 91, a first member 97, and a second member 98.

[0048] The first member 97 has an L-shaped plate shape. One end of the first member 97 constitutes an upper contact portion 94. The first member 97 is fixed to the arm body 91 so that the upper contact portion 94 is positioned above the seat support shaft 53 (see FIG. 1). With this configuration, the position at which the rear end of the upper contact portion 94 contacts the underside 51A of the seat 50 (see FIG. 1) can be adjusted by adjusting the fixed position of the first member 97 relative to the arm body 91. Furthermore, by using first members 97 with different shapes for each vehicle model, a common arm body 91 can be used for multiple vehicle models.

[0049] The second member 98 has an L-shaped plate shape. One end of the second member 98 forms a lower abutment portion 95. The second member 98 is fixed to the arm body 91 so that the lower abutment portion 95 is located lower than the seat support shaft 53 (see FIG. 1 ). With this configuration, the position at which the rear end of the lower abutment portion 95 abuts against the underside 51A of the seat 50 can be adjusted by adjusting the fixed position of the second member 98 relative to the arm body 91. Furthermore, by using second members 98 with different shapes for each vehicle model, a common arm body 91 can be used for multiple vehicle models.

[0050] The shapes of the upper contact portion 44 and the lower contact portion 45 are not limited to a convex shape in which the rear end of the arm 40 partially protrudes rearward, and can be changed as desired. The shapes of the upper contact portion 44 and the lower contact portion 45 may be, for example, a concave shape in which the rear end of the arm 40 is recessed forward, or may be a shape that is neither a convex shape that protrudes relative to an adjacent portion in the vertical direction Z nor a concave shape that is recessed relative to an adjacent portion.

[0051] The seat 50 may be provided with a convex portion serving as an upper contact portion that protrudes from the back surface 51A of the seat 50 toward the arm 40 and abuts against the rear surface of the arm 40. In this case, the convex portion serving as the upper contact portion may be provided above the seat support shaft 53 on the seat 50, more specifically, on the upper end side of the seat 50. Alternatively, the seat 50 may be provided with a convex portion serving as a lower contact portion that protrudes from the back surface 51A of the seat 50 toward the arm 40 and abuts against the rear surface of the arm 40. In this case, the convex portion serving as the lower contact portion may be provided below the seat support shaft 53 on the seat 50, more specifically, on the lower end side of the seat 50.

[0052] The support structure of the seat support shaft 53 can be changed as desired. Instead of attaching the split pin 53B to the end of the seat support shaft 53 opposite the head 53A, the structure for attaching the seat support shaft 53 may be a structure in which the end is crimped, or a structure in which a nut is fitted onto the male thread of the end.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 11 , the seat support shaft 103 may have a stepped, headed pin shape. In FIG. 11 , components similar to those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same or corresponding reference numerals, and redundant descriptions of those components will be omitted. In the example shown in FIG. 11 , the end of the seat support shaft 103 opposite the head 103A is crimped. This configuration allows one of the two collars 56 (see FIG. 5 ) to be omitted. Even with this configuration, the arm body 41 can be positioned between the pair of support walls 54 by sandwiching the arm body 41 between the stepped portion 103B of the seat support shaft 103 and the collar 56.

[0054] Alternatively, instead of using two collars 56 ( FIG. 5 ), a single collar may be used that is inserted into the insertion hole 43 of the arm main body 41 and extends between the pair of support walls 54. In this case, for example, a flange-like portion may be formed by bulging or the like at the middle portion of the collar in the vehicle width direction X, and the arm main body 41 may be sandwiched between the pair of support walls 54, thereby determining the position of the arm main body 41.

[0055] The arrangement of the biasing member 60 can be changed as desired as long as it can bias the seat 50 to rotate in the first rotation side relative to the arm 40. For example, only one biasing member 60 may be provided. This configuration makes it easier to assemble the seat 50 to the arm 40 than when two biasing members 60 are provided.

[0056] An example of this configuration is shown in Figures 12 to 14. In Figures 12 to 14, the same components as those in the above embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and corresponding components are given the reference numeral "1**", which is obtained by adding 100 to the reference numeral ** of the components in the above embodiment, thereby avoiding redundant explanation below.

[0057] 12 to 14, the seat 150 has a base portion 151, a bracket 170, a cover portion 152, and a seat support shaft 153. The base portion 151 is plate-shaped and extends in the vehicle width direction X and the up-down direction Z. The seat 150 has one support wall 154. The support wall 154 is integrally formed with the base portion 151 so as to protrude forward from a back surface 151A of the base portion 151. The support wall 154 is plate-shaped and extends in the up-down direction Z and the front-rear direction Y.

[0058] The bracket 170 has an L-shaped cross section including a base 171 and a support wall 174. The base 171 is plate-shaped and extends in the vehicle width direction X and the up-down direction Z. With the rear surface of the base 171 facing the front surface of the base material 151, the bracket 170 is fastened or welded to the base material 151 and fixed thereto. The support wall 174 is integrally formed with the base 171 so as to protrude forward from the back surface of the base 171. The support wall 174 is plate-shaped and extends in the up-down direction Z and the front-rear direction Y.

[0059] The support wall 154 of the base portion 151 is provided with a support hole 155 that penetrates in the vehicle width direction X. The support wall 174 of the bracket 170 is also provided with a support hole 175 that penetrates in the vehicle width direction X. The seat support shaft 153 is shaped like a headed pin with a head 153A at one end, and is configured so that a nut 153C can be attached to the end opposite the head 153A. The seat support shaft 153 is attached to the support walls 154, 174 in a state where it is inserted through the support holes 155, 175 of the support walls 154, 174 and the insertion hole 143 at the top of the arm main body 141, with the support wall 154, 174 sandwiched between the head 153A and the nut 153C.

[0060] A pair of a biasing member 160 and a collar 156A is provided on one side of the arm main body 141 in the vehicle width direction X (the left side in FIG. 13 ) with the seat support shaft 153 inserted therethrough. The biasing member 160 and the collar 156A are sandwiched between the arm main body 141 and the support wall 174. Meanwhile, a single collar 156B is provided on the other side of the arm main body 141 in the vehicle width direction X (the right side in FIG. 13 ) with the seat support shaft 153 inserted therethrough. The collar 156B is sandwiched between the arm main body 141 and the support wall 154.

[0061] In this example, the upper contact portion 144 is configured as a separate member from the arm main body 141. More specifically, a first member 197, one end of which configures the upper contact portion 144, is fixed to the arm main body 141.

[0062] Alternatively, three or more biasing members 60 may be provided. The biasing members 60 may be provided at positions away from the seat support shaft 53. A type of biasing member 60 that applies a biasing force to pull the back surface 51A of the seat 50 toward the arm 40 may be provided. In this case, the biasing member 60 may be arranged so as to pull the portion of the back surface 51A of the seat 50 above the seat support shaft 53 toward the arm 40. Alternatively, the biasing member 60 may be a coil spring or the like. In this case, a tension coil spring may be provided above the seat support shaft 53 between the arm 40 and the seat 50, or a compression coil spring may be provided below the seat support shaft 53.

[0063] As long as the seat 50 is configured so that the portion of the seat 50 lower than the seat support shaft 53 is operated by depressing it, the arrangement of the seat support shaft 53 relative to the seat 50 can be changed as desired. For example, the seat support shaft 53 can be arranged in the center position of the seat 50 in the vertical direction Z, or can be arranged lower than the center position of the seat 50 in the vertical direction Z.

[0064] The relationship between the tread angle AL of the seat 50 and the depression amount is not limited to the relationship shown in FIG. 7 and can be set arbitrarily. Instead of setting the period during which the seat 50 rotates relative to the arm 40 in the second rotation side (hereinafter referred to as the specific period) to the second period during which the depression amount is medium, it can be set to the first period during which the depression amount is small or the third period during which the depression amount is large. Additionally, the specific period can be set to span the first and second periods, the second and third periods, or all of the first, second, and third periods. Such a configuration can be achieved by setting the biasing force of the biasing member 60.

[0065] The lower contact portion 45 may be omitted. The vehicle operation pedal device 30 according to the above embodiment is not limited to a brake pedal device including the arm 40 serving as a brake pedal, but may also be applied to an accelerator pedal device including an accelerator pedal or a clutch pedal device including a clutch pedal.

Claims

1. A vehicle operation pedal device comprising: an arm having an arm support shaft extending in the vehicle width direction, the arm extending upward from the arm support shaft and configured to rotate around a first center line that is the center line of the arm support shaft; a seat having an operating surface that is pressed down by a driver and a seat support shaft that extends along the arm support shaft above the arm support shaft, the seat being attached to the arm via the seat support shaft and configured to rotate around a second center line that is the center line of the seat support shaft; an upper abutment portion that is provided with respect to one of the arm and the seat at a position above the seat support shaft and configured to abut against the other of the arm and the seat; and a biasing member that is provided between the arm and the seat and configured to bias the seat in a direction that moves the lower end of the seat away from the arm in the rotational direction around the second center line.

2. The vehicle operation pedal device according to claim 1, wherein the upper contact portion is a convex portion that is provided on the arm and that protrudes toward the seat.

3. A vehicle operation pedal device as described in claim 1 or 2, further comprising a lower abutment portion provided on one of the arm and the seat at a position lower than the seat support axis and configured to abut against the other of the arm and the seat.

4. The vehicle operation pedal device according to claim 3, wherein the lower contact portion is a convex portion that is provided on the arm and that protrudes toward the seat.

5. A vehicle operation pedal device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the seat support shaft is positioned closer to the upper end of the seat than the center position of the seat in the vertical direction.

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