Telescopic Pedal Unit with Progressive Spring Force
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle brake systems, particularly in electric vehicles, face challenges in replicating the force/travel characteristic of conventional brake pedals and require flexible, independent output signals for braking requests, especially in autonomous driving modes where space optimization is crucial.
Innovation Solution
A pedal unit with telescopic cylinder elements, spring elements, and a sensor unit that generates output signals based on activation travel, allowing for a progressive opposing force and hysteresis, enabling flexible operation and space optimization in electrically controllable vehicle systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional brake pedal is mechanically coupled to the brake booster, then the force/travel characteristic is naturally reproduced, but the system lacks flexibility and independence for electrical control and autonomous driving modes
Solution Approach 1:
The brake pedal system is segmented into independent components: the pedal unit with sensor for detecting activation, and the brake booster with electrical actuator. This segmentation allows the pedal to be mechanically simple while providing independent electrical control signals for both conventional and autonomous driving modes, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical coupling between pedal and brake booster is replaced with an electrical control system. The sensor unit detects pedal activation and generates electrical control signals that actuate the brake booster independently, eliminating the need for direct mechanical coupling and enabling flexible control in both conventional and autonomous modes
2Volume of moving object
If the brake pedal is retracted to optimize space in autonomous driving mode, then passenger compartment space increases, but the force/travel characteristic reproduction becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical connection that requires fixed pedal positioning is replaced with an electrical sensor system that can accurately detect pedal activation regardless of retraction position. The sensor unit generates control signals based on activation detection, maintaining reliable force/travel characteristic reproduction even when the pedal is retracted to optimize space
Solution Approach 2:
The pedal unit is designed with dynamic positioning capability, allowing it to be retracted or extended based on driving mode. The sensor unit continuously monitors activation state, ensuring reliable operation whether the pedal is in its conventional position or retracted for autonomous driving mode, thus maintaining reliability while enabling space optimization
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple independent sensor signals are implemented for braking requests, then control flexibility for autonomous driving improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor unit is designed with multi-functionality to serve both conventional and autonomous driving modes. It detects pedal activation and generates control signals that can be used independently for braking requests, providing universal functionality that reduces the need for separate sensing systems and thereby limits the increase in device complexity
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 pedal unit effectively replicates the force/travel characteristic of conventional brake pedals, provides flexible operation, and optimizes space in vehicles by allowing retraction, ensuring safe and reliable braking performance in both driver-controlled and autonomous modes.
Implementation Method 1
one or more spring elements, wherein each spring element is configured to interact with two cylinder elements assigned thereto, as a result of which, when the pedal face is activated an opposing force can be generated at the pedal face, the opposing force depending progressively on movement travel of the pedal face
Data Source
AI summary
A pedal unit for a motor vehicle may include a multiplicity of cylinder elements which are guided one inside the other in a telescopic fashion along a movement axis, a pedal face for a user, one or more spring elements, and a sensor unit. The pedal face may be coupled to one of the cylinder elements. Each of the spring elements is configured to interact with two cylinder elements assigned thereto, as a result of which, when the pedal face is activated an opposing force can be generated at the pedal face, the opposing force depending progressively on movement travel of the pedal face. The sensor unit may be configured to generate an output signal that is dependent on activation of the pedal face.