Vehicle Pedal Arm Rib Design for Strength and Weight
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle pedal arm designs using resin materials face limitations in increasing cross-sectional areas of side beams and ribs to achieve required strength and stiffness, especially when subjected to large depressing forces like those in brake pedals, while also needing to reduce weight and prevent interference with peripheral components.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle pedal arm design featuring a body with multiple ribs arranged in a standing manner, including first and second ribs that connect holes for shafts, with specific angles and orientations to distribute stress, and thickened or lightened portions to enhance strength and stiffness, allowing for integral molding and weight saving.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the cross-sectional areas of side beams and ribs are increased to improve strength and stiffness, then the strength and stiffness are improved, but the weight of the pedal arm increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the cross-sectional areas of ribs in different regions of the pedal arm. Specifically, the first rib connecting to the depressing portion has a larger cross-sectional area to handle higher stress, while the second rib has a smaller cross-sectional area. This localized optimization provides necessary strength where needed while minimizing weight in less critical areas, resolving the contradiction between strength and weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional planar structure to a three-dimensional curved structure by bending the pedal arm in the width direction. This dimensional change allows the arm to navigate around peripheral components while maintaining structural integrity through strategically placed ribs that compensate for the curvature-induced stress distribution changes.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the pedal arm is curved to prevent interference with peripheral components, then interference is prevented, but the strength and stiffness may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by curving the pedal arm in the width direction (another dimension) rather than compromising the vertical or longitudinal dimensions. This allows the arm to fit around peripheral components while maintaining adequate strength through proper rib placement and cross-sectional area optimization that compensates for the curvature effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material construction by combining resin material with strategically designed rib structures. The rib-reinforced resin composite provides both the curvature needed to avoid interference and the necessary strength and stiffness, as the ribs create a composite structure that resists bending and twisting forces despite the curved geometry.
3Weight of moving object
If resin material is used for weight saving, then weight is reduced, but the strength and stiffness are insufficient for large depressing forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite structure by combining resin material with a strategically designed rib reinforcement system. The resin provides lightweight properties while the ribs, positioned and sized optimally, provide the necessary structural strength and stiffness to handle large depressing forces. This composite approach allows the pedal arm to be both lightweight and strong.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating rib structures in specific high-stress regions of the resin pedal arm, such as near the depressing portion and shaft connection points. This localized reinforcement provides the necessary strength where forces are applied while keeping the rest of the resin structure lightweight, resolving the contradiction between weight saving and strength requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle pedal arm has a first rib connecting a first hole, into which a first shaft is inserted, and a peripheral edge on a side of a rear wall continuous of at least one of a left side wall and a right side wall in an arm body continuous upward from a first bent portion that bends in a rear direction side of a vehicle as being a lower side of the vehicle, to extend on a first straight line connecting a depressing portion and the first hole in a side view, and a second rib connecting a second hole, into which a second shaft is inserted, and the peripheral edge on a side of the rear wall continuous of the at least one of the both side walls to extend on a second straight line connecting the depressing portion and the second hole in a side view.