Pedal Pad Displacement Sensing for Floor Mat Interference
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pedal devices fail to accurately sense the operation amount when the pedal is caught by an object, such as a floor mat, leading to unintended compression of the expandable and contractible member and incorrect operation values.
Innovation Solution
A pedal device with a deformable pedal pad and a displacement amount sensor that senses the displacement of the pedal pad, providing a signal corresponding to its displacement amount, allowing for accurate operation amount measurement and preventing unintended values due to external interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the pedal is caught by an object such as a floor mat, then the pedal cannot return to its initial state, but the displacement amount sensor still outputs a signal, leading to incorrect operation values
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from the displacement amount sensor to monitor the pedal's position continuously. When the pedal fails to return to its initial state due to being caught by an object, the sensor detects the abnormal position and the control device receives this feedback signal, enabling the system to identify and handle the abnormal condition appropriately.
2Measurement precision
If the pedal is caught by an object, then unintended compression of the expandable and contractible member occurs, but this should not be interpreted as normal operation
Solution Approach 1:
The system takes preliminary anti-action by establishing a reference value for the pedal's initial state and comparing the sensor output against this reference. When an object interferes with the pedal's movement, the system detects the deviation from the expected state and can prevent incorrect operation values from being generated, thereby counteracting the harmful effect of external interference.
3Device complexity
If the pedal structure is simplified without a return mechanism, then device complexity is reduced, but the ability to accurately sense operation amount when caught by objects deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the traditional mechanical return mechanism with an electronic sensing system. Instead of using complex mechanical components to ensure pedal return, the system uses a displacement amount sensor to detect the pedal's position and a control device to process the sensor output, thereby achieving accurate operation measurement with simpler mechanical structure.
Data Source
AI summary
An accelerator device includes a pedal pad and a strain gauge. When a driver of a vehicle having the accelerator device depresses the pedal pad, the pedal pad is deformed in a direction of a blank arrow. The strain gauge senses the displacement amount of the pedal pad in the direction of the blank arrow and outputs an electric signal, which corresponds to the displacement amount, to an outside as the depression amount of the accelerator device. When the driver removes a foot from the pedal pad, the pedal pad returns to a state of the pedal pad that is not depressed by the driver. Therefore, it is possible to limit occurrence of that the depression amount of the pedal pad becomes an unintended value due to, for example, catching of the pedal pad by a floor mat. As a result, the accelerator device can reliably sense the depression amount.