Brake Pedal Decoupling Mechanism for Collision Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
During a forward vehicle collision, the inward shifting of the brake pedal due to impact force increases the risk of injury to the driver as the impact force is transmitted directly to the driver's foot and leg, as the dash panel and brake system components move towards the driver.
Innovation Solution
A device that includes a mounting bracket, a pedal housing, a pedal arm hinge-coupled to the housing and a push rod, and a unit with a separating plate that decouples the pedal arm from its hinge point during a collision, allowing it to turn outward, thereby preventing inward shifting and reducing driver injury risk.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the brake pedal is rigidly coupled to the dash panel, then the braking operation is stable and reliable, but the driver's leg is at risk of injury during collision due to inward shifting
Solution Approach 1:
The pedal arm is designed to be detachably coupled to the pedal housing through a fixing pin that can be separated under collision conditions. The separating plate mechanism allows the coupling to transition from connected to disconnected state dynamically, enabling the pedal arm to rotate outward about the hinge point during collision while maintaining stable coupling during normal braking operation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the pedal arm is detachably coupled to allow outward rotation during collision, then driver injury risk is reduced, but the braking operation stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The separating plate is pre-configured with an inclined surface that engages with the fixing pin. During normal operation, the fixing pin remains securely engaged. During collision, the inward force on the pedal housing causes the separating plate to slide along the inclined surface, actively pushing the fixing pin outward to disconnect from the pedal arm, thereby preemptively preventing injury before it can occur.
Data Source
AI summary
A device for preventing an inward shifting of a brake pedal during a collision. The device includes a mounting bracket. A pedal housing is combined with the mounting bracket such that the pedal housing is movable in a rearwards direction from the mounting bracket. A pedal arm is hinge-coupled at upper and middle parts thereof with the pedal housing and a push rod, respectively. A unit for preventing the inward shifting of the pedal arm has a separating plate which, as the pedal housing is moved rearwards, presses against a fixing pin to decouple the fixing pin from the pedal arm, enabling the pedal arm to turn outwards about a hinge point at the middle part.