Abstract:
A tactile feedback device such as a bumper or prod located to give the operator of a wheeled vehicle tactile feedback when the leg of the operator is in operable position to depress the brake pedal. Preferably, the feedback device is locatably adjustably fixed to the body of the vehicle in a location causing contact when the leg of the operator is in an ergonomically comfortable and ordinary position for depressing the brake. Illustratively, the device may depend from the steering column of a passenger automobile. In an alternative embodiment, the feedback device is readily removable from the vehicle. In a further alternative embodiment, contact characteristics may be adjusted to be, at one end of a range of adjustment a soft contact, at the other end of a range of adjustment a solid, unyielding contact, or any intermediate between the two ends of the range of adjustment.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an interface aspect of motor vehicle control systems. More particularly, it relates to a tactile indicator for indicating to the operator of a motor vehicle that his or her leg is positioned to operate the brake pedal. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Occasionally, automobiles have accelerated from a stop, quite unexpectedly to the operators. Vehicle malfunction has been found responsible in some cases, but in other cases, it is operator error. In the latter case, it is thought that operators of motor vehicles, particularly passenger automobiles, inadvertently apply pressure to the accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal. This obviously entails potentially catastrophic consequences. 
     There exists a need for indicating to an operator when his or her foot is in a position to operate the brake pedal of a motor vehicle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention solves the above problem by providing distinctive tactile feedback when the driver&#39;s foot is placed on the brake pedal but not when it is placed elsewhere, particularly on the accelerator pedal. Tactile feedback is accomplished by positioning an object such that it will be contacted and sensed by the operator&#39;s leg in the course of applying the brake pedal, but not otherwise. Because the brake is used many times in ordinary driving, the operator will become conditioned to the tactile stimulation. In most situations calling for the brakes to be applied, the operator will consciously or unconsciously be aware of whether his or her foot is appropriately located to operate the brake pedal of a vehicle. 
     Accordingly, it is one object of the invention to provide tactile feedback to the operator of a motor vehicle that his or her foot is appropriately located for operating the brake. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide subconscious guidance of the operator of a vehicle in placing his or her foot in proximity to a brake pedal of the vehicle. 
     It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes. 
     These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Various other objects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will become more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, environmental side elevational view of one embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic, front elevational detail view of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is an environmental, front elevational view of one embodiment of the invention, drawn to enlarged scale. 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the embodiment of FIG.  3 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 of the drawings shows a portion of the interior of a wheeled vehicle such as a passenger automobile. The vehicle has a body, represented by dashboard  2 . The body will be understood to encompass at least that structural portion of the vehicle which supports significant components of the vehicle and which in most vehicles encloses a human operator  4 . The wheeled vehicle will be understood to include conventional road engaging wheels (not shown) rotatably connected to the body either directly or indirectly through, for example, a suspension (not shown), and a conventional braking system (not shown in its entirety) including brakes which are disposed to brake the wheels. It will be appreciated that in a conventional braking system, brake operating pedal  12  activates the brakes to brake the road engaging wheels when brake operating pedal  12  is depressed. 
     As depicted, the body includes a floor  6  and a seat  8  mounted to the body at floor  6 . Operator  4  is shown grasping a steering wheel  10  and engaging a brake pedal  12 . Steering wheel  10  and brake pedal  12  are ultimately fixed to the body of the vehicle. Brake pedal  12  is an interface element which receives an input from the human operator. In the particular example of brake pedal  12 , the foot of the human operator contacts and applies operative pressure to the conventional hydraulic circuit of the brake system. Brake pedal  12  is the only element of the brake system to be contacted or mechanically engaged and moved to exercise control of or operate the brake system. In other control devices (not shown), levers and other devices have corresponding interface elements which are manipulated by the human operator. 
     It will be seen that a projection  100  depends from dashboard  2  alongside the lower leg of operator  4 . Projection  100  is fixed to the body of the vehicle in any suitable way, and serves as a tactile feedback member which is located, dimensioned, and configured to provide tactile feedback to operator  4  confirming that the body member of operator  4  which ordinarily depresses brake operating pedal  12 , in this case the leg, is in fact in operative position to depress brake operating pedal  12 . Tactile feedback is a consequence of contact of the leg of operator  4  with projection  100 . It is important to the invention and to safe and intended operation of the vehicle that the tactile feedback member be different and distinct from the interface element of the operator control. It will be appreciated that contact with brake pedal  12  will signal that the foot of the operator is in operative position, but such contact does not assure in vehicles with a plurality of pedals in close proximity to one another that the intended pedal has been contacted. Provision of a tactile feedback member appropriately located with respect to one particular pedal or control device, as occurs in the present invention, assures that the operator know which control is about to be operated. The operator may then operate the control device or alternatively, adjust position of his or her foot to operate the intended pedal should the initial position have been inappropriate. 
     FIG. 2 shows contact between the leg of operator  4  and projection  100  when the foot of operator  4  is suitably located for operating brake operating pedal  12 . It will be seen that this contact displaces projection  100  to the left of operator  4 , which of course is to the right in FIG. 2 as depicted. It will further be seen that operator  4  need not make conscious effort to contact projection  100  due to location of the latter relative to brake operating pedal  12 . 
     It will further be appreciated that when operator  4  moves his or her right leg to operate accelerator pedal  14 , this being shown in broken lines in FIG. 2, the leg is out of contact with projection  100 . In the embodiment of FIG. 2, projection  100  is flexible or resilient, thereby being disposed to yield responsive to body contact with operator  4 , and will depend straight downwardly (this is not shown in FIG.  2 ) when the leg of operator  4  is moved out of engagement with brake pedal  12 , as it would be to operate accelerator pedal  14 . 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 show mounting and adjustment details of the invention. A base member  102  is suitably fixed to a part of the vehicle V, such as the dashboard, steering column, firewall, or other suitable structural part. Stepped setscrews  104 ,  106  having knurled heads  108 ,  110  and threaded shafts  112 ,  114  which engage respective threaded holes (not separately shown) formed in the structural part of the vehicle. Setscrews  104 ,  106  both removably and releasably mount the tactile feedback device to the vehicle and also serve as positional adjusters enabling lateral horizontal adjustment of position on the vehicle. As seen in FIG. 4, shafts  112  and  114  occupy horizontally extending slots  116 ,  118  formed in base member  102 . If desired, these slots could be arranged to have vertical legs (not shown), so that vertical adjustment could be made utilizing setscrews  104 ,  106 . Additional setscrews  120 ,  122  are also provided, and their arrangement is structurally similar to that of setscrews  104 ,  106 . 
     Tactile feedback member  100  is adjustably fixed to base member  102  by the following arrangement. A support member  124  has a tongue  126  which is slidably insertable into base member  102 . Tongue  126  is pinned in a selected position relative to base member  102  by a friction pin  128 . Several different holes  129  for receiving pin  128  are provided in tongue  126  to enable different positions of vertical adjustment of tactile feedback member  100 . The direction of vertical adjustment is indicated by arrow  127 . Arrow  127  extends in a direction perpendicular to slots  116 ,  118  which provide horizontal adjustment. 
     Tactile feedback member  100  is pivotally mounted on support member  124 , so that it can yield to body contact with the operator. In FIG. 3, the knee of the operator is shown almost in contact with feedback member  100 . If contact ensues, feedback member  100  will pivot in the direction of arrow  130  if not restrained. Feedback member  100  is pivotally supported on an axle  132  having an axis of rotation  134 . Preferably, a torsion spring  136  urges feedback member  100  in a direction counter to arrow  130 . It will be understood that in the arrangement of torsion spring  136 , one end (not shown) of spring  136  is anchored at feedback member  100 , and the other end (not shown) is anchored at member  124 . 
     If it is desired to immobilize feedback member  100  in place, then a pin  138  is employed. Pin  138  passes through a hole  139  formed in support member  124  and then into a hole  141  formed in feedback member  100 . Installation of pin  138  secures feedback member  100  rigidly to support member  124  and ultimately rigidly to the vehicle. 
     A cylindrical member  140 , rotatable on axle  146 , is mounted, by the ends of axle  146 , in a rectangular void or opening  147  penetrating support member  124 . The cylindrical member  140  has on its surface a plurality of lobes (lobes  142 ,  144  are shown, but additional lobes may be provided), each extending for the full length of the cylindrical member  140 . Each lobe  142  or  144  has a degree of hardness differing from that of every other lobe. Hard plastic, rubber, and diverse elastomeric foams may be utilized to form the lobes. 
     The function of the cylindrical member  140  is to signal proper positioning of the leg in one aspect or another, such as height above the brake pedal. Such indication is distinct from horizontal or azimuthal indication provided by projection  100 . One or more of the lobes makes contact with the operator&#39;s leg, ordinarily the medial surface of the knee, as the operator&#39;s leg is lifted or is suspended preparatory to depressing the brake pedal. Cylindrical member  140  may be secured in any of a plurality of rotated positions by friction pin  148  so as to place and hold any selected lobe in a position of prominence relative to the operator&#39;s leg, thus making provision for a degree of intensity of tactile feedback as selected by the operator. Member  140  could be relocated to feedback member  100  if desired. 
     It will be appreciated that the invention may be applied to any vehicle and to any control which is mechanically moved by a human operator. For this purpose, the benefits of the present invention are not limited to foot operated pedals, but may be applied to levers and other controllers (none shown), including hand operated. Furthermore, the vehicle need not be wheeled, and the operator control need not be limited to controlling only the braking function. Any transport vehicle for transporting at least a human operator throughout an environment may incorporate the present invention. The transport vehicle, which may be a boat, ship, or aircraft, must have at least one movement component (such as, for example, a brake pedal) disposed to control a function of the transport vehicle such as, for example, movement throughout its environment, and at least one operator control for controlling the movement component. Of course the operator control is of a type which is mechanically engaged and moved by the human operator to exercise control of the movement component. The tactile feedback member is in all functional characteristics preferably but not necessarily in the form of feedback member  100  of FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     Although brakes are referred to in the plural, the invention would encompass a vehicle having a single brake regardless of the number of wheels provided and of the number of wheels which are braked by the single brake. 
     The alternative embodiments may be combined to provide any combination of respective effects as desired. 
     The invention may also be practiced by a device (not shown) which projects energy in order to accomplish tactile stimulation of the operator. Such a device could, for example, provide a mild electrical shock or other electromagnetic field which would be sensed by the operator, or which may project heat, or which may be significantly colder than the environment, or may impart vibrations to the operator. The tactile feedback device could supplement physical contact as well as supplant physical contact in order to provide tactile feedback. 
     It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.