Device for transmitting acceleration, braking and like manual controls

Abstract: The invention refers to a device for transmitting acceleration, braking and like manual controls, particularly from the vehicle steering wheel, comprising a circular bearing element (4, 5; 12) upon which a plurality of lever elements (1; 11; 21) is provided, said lever elements being swingable in order to swing on said bearing element (4, 5; 12) all together between a rest position and control transmission positions by the manual action of the driver, and to elastically come back to the rest position once finished the manual action; at least one of said lever element (1, 11; 21) acting, when is in one of the operative positions, on a potentiometer element.

Description: The present invention concerns a device for transmitting acceleration, braking and like manual controls. More specifically, the invention concerns a device of the above mentioned kind suitable for transmitting the acceleration or braking control to an electronic manual accelerator or to a braking system acting on potentiometers. As it is well known, in the last years devices always more convenient and precise have been realized in order to allow the driving also to the handicapped people. In this light, also in view of the problems connected with this kind of users, the search must be addressed to the achievement of devices allowing the operation of the controls by the simplest operations, but at the same time with the maximum safety. As to the controls to be operated directly acting on the steering wheel of the vehicle, with particular reference to the accelerator and to the brake, different solutions have been proposed, particularly by the same Applicant, concerning the use of mechanical or electromechanical devices that during the years allowed to many people to drive. However, with the development of the technology, and particularly with the development of the electronic, new horizons opened in this specific field. In fact, using electronic devices it is possible to make much more easy and safe the driving by handicapped people, giving performances far more better then those obtained until now. Obviously, the development of electronic acceleration, braking and friction devices requires the realization of control transmission members different with respect to those presently used for the mechanical and electromechanical devices. In EP-A-0,069,090 it is described a device for transmitting acceleration and like manual controls particularly from the vehicle steering wheel (10), comprising a circular bearing element (22,26) upon which two ring elements (28A, 28B), connected to respective lever elements (12A, 12B) are provided, said ring elements (28A,28B) and the relevant lever elements (12A,12B) being swingable upon acting on a sheath (23), between a rest position and control transmission positions, spring means (41) being provided to bring back said ring elements (28A,28B) in the rest position. In this context, the Applicant has realized and set a modified steering wheel allowing to transmit the manual controls by the user to the electronic actuators, either for the accelerator or for another member of the vehicle. The solution suggested according to the present invention further has the object of allowing the transmission of the controls with the maximum safety in any situation. A further object of the present invention is that of allowing the transmission of the control either in case the driver is driving along a rectilinear direction or he is preparing a bend, or he is making another king of maneuver. It is therefore specific object of the present invention a device for transmitting acceleration, braking and like manual controls, particularly from the vehicle steering wheel, comprising a circular bearing element, characterized by the features specified in the characterizing part of claim 1. According to a first embodiment of the device according to the invention, said lever elements are fixedly mounted on a cable having elastic features when is torsionally stressed, said cable being provided within a seat realized above said circular support. In a further embodiment of the device according to the invention, said lever elements are singularly swingable mounted on said bearing element, each one with a pivoting point, and are made integral each other by restraining sliding means realized, complementary along their lateral surfaces. Particularly, said pivoting point for each lever element is made up by a support bracket on the bearing element, having a transverse hole and of a couple of brackets astride of the bearing element bracket and having a corresponding transverse hole for the insertion of a pin. Still according to the invention, said lever elements can be provided on the bearing element so as to swing inwardly or outwardly. According to another embodiment of the device according to the invention, said lever elements can be provided in such a way to elastically swing both inwardly and outwardly, so that at least one of them can act on potentiometer means inwardly provided with respect to the bearing element, and at least one of them, even the same, can act on potentiometer means externally provided with respect to the bearing element. The present invention will be now described, for illustrative, but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, with particular reference to the figures of the enclosed drawings, wherein: figure 1 shows a partial view of a first embodiment of the device according to the invention; figure 2 shows a particular of the device of figure 1; figure 3 shows a section view of the device according to figure 1; figure 4 is a partial view from above of a second embodiment of the device according to the invention; figure 5 is an exploded partial view of the device of figure 4; figure 6 shows a lateral view of a particular of the device of figure 4; figure 7 is a plan view of a lever element of a further embodiment of the device according to the invention; figure 8 is a plan view of the embodiment of the device according to the invention employing the element of figure 7; figure 9 is section view along the line IX-IX of figure 7; and figure 10 is a section view along the line X-X of figure 10. Referring first to figures 1 - 3, it is shown a first embodiment of the device according to the invention. Structurally, it provides a plurality of levers 1 flanked provided along a circumference substantially corresponding to the circumference of the vehicle steering wheel (not shown). Said levers 1, in the described solution, are integrally coupled with a cable 2, having elastic features when is torsionally stressed, and seated in a suitable seat 3 realized in a circular bearing made up of two halves 4 and 5 coupled by a series of pins 6. As it is well evident from figures 2 and 3, the coupling between the levers 1 and the cable 2 occurs by spherical elements 7, fixed below each lever 1, having a through hole 8 along which the cable 2 passes. The blocking of the single levers 1 fixed along the cable 2 is realized by pins 9 blocking from the above the levers 1. Said spherical elements have such shape and dimensions to be able to rotate within the seat 3 realized between the two halves 4 and 5. When the described structure is completely assembled, a disposition of levers 1 is obtained swinging in the same way and together if a pressure is applied, and that come back to the rest position when the pressure is finished, due to the elastic return force of the cable 2. In correspondence of one of the levers 1, below the same, it will be provided a potentiometer (not shown) that will be connected to the accelerator or other mechanism to be controlled. In the illustrated embodiment, the levers 1 are mounted on the cable 2 in such a way to act on the potentiometer when they are pressed outwardly: in fact they project outwardly with respect to the same cable 2. As already said, it is however important to point out that said levers 1 could also project inwardly, in this case acting on a potentiometer internally provided with respect to the bearing 4, 5. This kind of solution is particularly interesting and advantageous in case it is provided the air bag, since, if during the acceleration an accident occurs causing the opening of the air bag, the latter would determine a sudden deceleration of the vehicle since it thrust again outwardly the levers 1 that was pressed inwardly. It must further taken into consideration that this kind of solution, like the one that will be described in the following and other that could be realized on the basis of the technical solution according to the present invention, could be used to manually control two different devices. In fact, if the levers 1 are swinging provided on the cable 2, or on other means, internally and externally projecting, two potentiometers connected to two different controls can be provided. Coming now to examine figure 4 - 6, it can be considered a second embodiment of the device according to the invention, the operating principle being the same of the preceding embodiment. In the illustrated solution, the single levers 11 are integrally swinging mounted on a bearing 12 upon which brackets 13 with a through hole 14 are provided. Each one of the levers 11 is inferiorly provided with brackets 15 placed astride of the corresponding bracket 13 on the bearing 12 and having a through hole 16. The blocking of the single lever 11 on the bearing 12 is realized by blocking pins 17. Each lever 11 is made integral with the others, during their swinging motion about the pivot realized by said pins 17, by lateral projections 18 introduced in corresponding recesses 19 provided on the other side of the adjacent lever 11 so as to leave a determined clearance allowing to the lever to be lifted and lowered. Once assembled, the structure comprised by the levers 11, integral each other as described, and by the bearing 12, a disposition is obtained having mechanical features very similar to those of the solution described with reference to he figures 1 - 3, and thus able to act in a similar way upon one or two potentiometers. Coming now to the figures 7 - 10, it is illustrated a further embodiment of the device according to the invention, similar to the solution described with reference to the figures 1 - 3, providing a plurality of lever elements 21 coupled to a cable (not shown), particularly a Bauder cable. Laterally, each one of said elements 21 has a upperly shaped portion 22 coupling with a inferiorly shaped portion 23 on the confining side of the adjacent element 21. In this way, all the lever elements 21 are operatively connected each other, so that it is sufficient to act upon one of them to operate the others. However, generally speaking, it can be noted how the solution according to the present invention allows to act on only one potentiometer, or in anycase on only one potentiometer for each kind of control to be transmitted, making a pressure on the steering wheel in any point of its circumference, and obtaining always the same kind of effect on the device to be controlled. This result is obtained during a rectilinear motion, along a bend or during a manoeuvre. Further, the structure of the device just described allows to immediately obtain the interruption of the control when the action on the device is finished. The present invention has been described for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, but it is to be understood that modifications and/or changes can be introduced by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the enclosed claims.

Claims: Device for transmitting acceleration, braking and like manual controls, particularly from the vehicle steering wheel, comprising a circular bearing element (4,5), characterized in that said circular bearing element (4,5) is comprised of an element having intrinsic features, in that upon said circular bearing element (4,5) a plurality of lever elements (1;11;21) is provided, said plurality of lever elements (1;11;21) being singularly mounted with respect to said circular bearing element (4,5) each one with a pivoting point, in order to swing all together between a rest position and control transmission positions upon acting on anyone of them by the manual action of the driver, and to elastically come back to the rest position once finished the manual action; at least one of said lever element (1;11;21) acting, when is in one of the operative positions, on a potentiometer element. Device according to claim 1 characterized in that said lever elements (1;11;21) are fixedly mounted on a cable (2) having elastic features when is torsionally stressed, said cable (2) being provided within a seat (3) realized on above said circular bearing element (4,5). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said lever elements (1;11;21) are made integral each other by lateral superimposition (22) of a lever element (11) with the adjacent one. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said lever elements (11) are singularly swinging mounted on said bearing element (4,5), each one with a pivoting point (14), and are made integral each other by restraining sliding means (18,19) realized, complementary along their lateral surfaces. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that said pivoting point (14) for each lever element (11) is made up by a support bracket (13) on the bearing element (4,5), having a transverse hole (14) and of a couple of brackets (15) astride of the bearing element (4,5) bracket (13) and having a corresponding transverse hole (14) for the insertion of a pin (17). Device according to each one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said lever elements (1;11;21) are provided on the bearing element (4,5) so as to swing inwardly. Device according to each one of the claims 1-5, characterized in that said lever elements (1;11;21) are provided on the bearing element (4,5) so as to swing outwardly. Device according to each one of the claims 1-5,characterized in that said lever elements (1;11;21) are provided in such a way to elastically swing both inwardly and outwardly, so that at least one of them can act on potentiometer means inwardly provided with respect to the bearing element (4,5), and at least one of them, even the same, can act on potentiometer means externally provided with respect to the bearing element (4,5).

Inventors: VENTURINI GIANCARLO, VENTURINI, GIANCARLO, VENTURINI, GIANCARLO, GUIDOSIMPL. SNC DI GIANCARLO
Applicants: GUIDOSIMPLEX S N C DI GIANCARL, GUIDOSIMPLEX S.N.C. DI GIANCARLO VENTURINI E C.
Application year: 1995
Main classification: B60K41
IPC codes: B60K26, B62D1, G05G11, B60W30