Automotive Pedal Release System with Shear Pin Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the event of a vehicle collision, existing pedal release systems do not effectively disengage the brake pedal to prevent injury to the driver, as the pedals can transfer impact forces to the driver's foot or leg, leading to potential injury.
Innovation Solution
An automotive pedal release system comprising a housing, a brake pedal assembly, and a striker assembly, where the striker assembly collapses under threshold force, allowing the brake pedal to disengage from the housing and pivot to the floor, thereby reducing the risk of injury by preventing the transfer of collision forces through the pedal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the brake pedal is rigidly coupled to the housing, then the pedal provides stable braking support during normal operation, but the pedal transfers impact forces to the driver's foot or leg during a collision
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot member is configured to transition from a fixed position (providing stable braking support) to a movable position (allowing pedal disengagement during collision). The slot in the side plate enables this dynamic behavior by allowing the pivot member to shift position when subjected to impact forces, thereby converting a static rigid connection into a dynamic system that adapts to different operational conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling between the pedal arm and housing is segmented into discrete components (pivot member, slot, side plate) rather than being a monolithic rigid connection. This segmentation allows the system to maintain structural integrity during normal use while enabling controlled movement and disengagement when collision forces are applied.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the pedal assembly is designed to disengage during collision, then the risk of injury is reduced, but the structural complexity of the pedal system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The complexity is localized to specific components (the slot in the side plate and the pivot member configuration) rather than requiring a complete redesign of the entire pedal system. The majority of the pedal assembly remains simple and rigid, with only the coupling mechanism incorporating the disengagement capability. This localized approach minimizes overall system complexity while achieving the safety function.
3Ease of operation
If the pivot member is fixed in position, then the pedal maintains precise braking control, but the pedal cannot move to absorb impact forces during a collision
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot member transitions from a fixed position during normal braking operation (maintaining control precision) to a movable position during collision (allowing impact absorption). The slot geometry is designed to constrain the pivot member during normal use while permitting movement when subjected to collision forces, thereby achieving both precise control and impact mitigation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively disengages the brake pedal during a collision, reducing the risk of injury to the driver by allowing the pedal to swing freely and absorb the impact force, rather than transferring it to the driver's foot or leg.
Implementation Method 1
a shear pin coupling the striker bracket to at least one of the side walls, wherein the shear pin is configured to shear in response to a threshold force allowing the pivot member to move within each slotted opening
Data Source
AI summary
An automobile pedal release system that includes a housing having first and second side walls spaced apart by a cleft, where each side wall includes a pocket recessed into an inner surface such that the two pockets oppose one another; a brake pedal assembly having a pivot member disposed in the cleft and defining a pivot axis, first and second bushings, and a brake pedal arm rotatable about the pivot axis relative to the two bushings, where each busing is disposed in a first portion of one pocket and receives one of two ends of the pivot member; and a striker assembly having a striker and two plugs, the striker having an elongated body extending in the cleft between the side walls, where each plug is disposed in a second portion of one pocket and includes a bore that receives one of two ends of the striker.