Patent ID: 8069750
Filing Date: 2011-12-06
Classification: B60K,B60T,G05G,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A compact pedal assembly for a vehicle comprising: a mounting bracket adapted for mounting to the vehicle, wherein the mounting bracket is an F-shaped bracket having a mounting face that is adapted for mounting on the vehicle and an upper arm extending radially from an upper end of the mounting face to a free end, and a lower arm extending radially from a lower end of the mounting face to a free end that includes a longitudinally extending guide slot; a swing plate having a mounting face with an upper end and a lower end, and an upper arm extending radially from an upper edge of the mounting face upper end to a free end that includes a guide slot, wherein the swing plate upper arm is pivotally connected to the mounting bracket upper arm by a pivot pin slidingly disposed within the swing plate guide slot at a first pivot axis, so that the upper end of the swing plate has a first degree of freedom of movement during pedal adjustment, and the first pivot axis is fixed during pedal actuation; a pedal arm assembly mounted to the swing plate mounting face, wherein the pedal arm assembly includes a pedal arm member having a pedal pad mounted to a lower end of the pedal arm member and an upper end operatively connected to an electronic position sensing device; a drive apparatus mounted to the mounting bracket mounting face; and a screw member having one end operatively connected to the drive apparatus, and an opposite end that is connected to the swing plate lower end and slidingly disposed within the mounting bracket lower arm guide slot at a second pivot axis that is below the third pivot axis, so that the swing plate lower end has a second degree of freedom of movement relative to the mounting bracket during pedal adjustment, wherein activation of the drive apparatus to adjust the position of the pedal pad along a predetermined path between a non-adjusted position and a fully adjusted position displaces the screw member within the mounting bracket lower arm guide slot and the pivot pin in the swing plate guide slot to pivot the swing plate and the pedal arm assembly together as a unit without relative movement between the pedal arm member and the pedal pad about the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis, and the first degree of freedom is less than the second degree of freedom to constrain the pivotal movement of the swing plate.