CONTROL PEDAL

Abstract: A control pedal for a motor vehicle is produced from plastics material by a one-piece single moulding operation and comprises a pedal arm (10A, 10B) supporting a foot-receiving portion (12). In cross section, the pedal arm has a circular or ellipsoidal shape (20) in cross section, with two parallel opposite side walls (22, 24).

Description: CONTROL PEDAL The invention relates to a control pedal produced by moulding from plastics material, comprising a longitudinally extending pedal arm having a hollow closed interior and carrying a foot- receiving part, the hollow pedal arm having first and second walls which are opposed to each other in the cross-section of the pedal arm. The invention also relates to a pivotally mountable control pedal for a motor vehicle, the pedal being integrally moulded from plastics material in a single moulding operation, comprising a longitudinally extending hollow pedal arm supporting a foot-receiving part. Such control pedals are known, for example, from US-A-5 575 181 and US-A-5 074 163. However, these pedals have pedal arms which are rectangular in cross-section. It is desired to produce pedals having improved characteristics of strength, mouldability (particularly de-moulding) and productivity. According to the invention, therefore, the control pedal as first set forth above is characterised in that the first and second walls are integrally joined by third and fourth walls which are opposed to each other in the cross-section of the pedal arm and face convexly outwards. According to the invention, also, the control pedal as secondly set forth above characterised in that the pedal arm has a hollow interior cross-section which is substantially circular or ellipsoidal in cross-section with first and second external walls opposed to each other to each other in the cross-section of the pedal arm and extending tangentially to opposite sides of the circular or ellipsoidal cross-section to present oppositely outwardly facing wall surfaces which are planar or have planar portions . Control pedals embodying the invention for use in a motor vehicle, such as for controlling the clutch or brakes of the vehicle, will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of one of the pedals; Figure 2 is a front view of the pedal of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrow II of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section on the line III-III of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a section on the line IV-IV of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a section on the line V-V of Figure 3; and Figures 6 and 7 correspond to Figure 4 but show modified configurations . The pedals to be described are of closed sectional form and are moulded from suitable plastics material. As shown in Figure 1, the pedal comprises a pedal arm 10 in the form of parts 10A and 10B integrally connected at 11 and disposed at a slight angle to each other, the part 10B integrally carrying a plate 12 against which the driver applies foot pressure so as to pivot the pedal about a pivot pin passing through a bore 14. A bore 15 enables the pedal to be pivotally connected to the piston rod of a hydraulic piston-cylinder arrangement, or to a mechanical actuating rod, or to the end of a flexible cable, or to any other suitable means, for operating the vehicle's clutch or brakes as the case may be. An integral bracket 16 has a bore 18 which can receive one end of a clutch pedal assisting spring. Figure 2 shows how the pedal arm 10 can be slightly offset at an angle to the vertical. However, this is purely by way of choice according to the requirements of the particular installation. Figures 3,4 and 5 show the construction of the pedal arm. In cross-section (Figures 4 and 5), it has an open cylindrical, ellipsoidal or other similar hollow form 20, reinforced by two integral walls 22,24 diametrically opposed to each other. As shown in Figure 3, the cross-sectional shape of the hollow interior 20 is not constant along the length of the pedal arm, increasing in both directions away from the connecting region 11, the walls 22,24 thus correspondingly diverging. Such configuration is shown purely by way of example and will depend on the particular requirements for the pedal. Instead, for example, the cross-section could have a diverging shape across its width (e.g. increasing in area in the direction from left to right as viewed in Figure 4 or in some other direction) . Although each wall 22,24 has been shown to be longitudinally planar, this is not necessary though may be advantageous for ease of moulding. Instead, each wall could, for example, have an outwardly facing longitudinal V-shape. The pedal arm is reinforced at intervals by ribs 26 which integrally join the free edges of the walls 22,24 for reinforcing purposes . The moments of inertia of the profile of the pedal arm relative to the two principal axes of its section will be different. Therefore, the orientation of the profile should be arranged according to the direction of application of the applied force. More specifically and referring to Figure 4 by way of example, the moment of inertia of the section with reference to the axis O-X is greater than the moment of inertia with reference to the axis O-Y. In order to minimise deformation of the structure, it is therefore advantageous to arrange for the force F applied to the pedal to be applied parallel to axis O-Y. The pedal is of one-piece construction and produced by a single moulding operation. It is preferably produced by injection moulding using retractable cores (as necessitated by the connecting region 11) . If the pedal arm is rectilinear, however, a single fixed core can be used. During the moulding operation, the two cores are temporarily locked together by locking fingers whose position is shown diagrammatically at 27 in Figure 3. One core extends upwardly (as viewed in Figure 3) from the bend 11, its position being shown at 28, and the other core extends downwardly therefrom, its position being shown at 29. At the completion of the moulding process, the fingers 27 are unlocked and the cores 28 and 29 are removed. The inside faces of the pedal arm are smooth. Figures 6 and 7 correspond to Figure 4 but show modifications to the cross-sectional shape of the hollow interior 20 of the pedal arm. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the cross-sectional shape is modified at points 30 in Figure 6 and at 32 and 34 in Figure 7 to eliminate the thickened regions shown at 36 in Figure 4. Elimination of the thickened portions 36 may provide more satisfactory moulding. As compared with pedal arms moulded from plastics material and having hollow rectangular cross-sections, the pedal arms described and illustrated herein have thinner walls for the same rigidity against bending. This correspondingly reduces the cooling time during the moulding process and can produce a productivity gain of the order of 20%. For the same rigidity as a pedal arm of rectangular cross- section, the pedal arms described can have a surface area reduced in the order of 20 to 25%, producing easier de-moulding.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A control pedal produced by moulding from plastics material, comprising a longitudinally extending pedal arm (10A, 10B) having a hollow closed interior (20) and carrying a foot-receiving part (12), the hollow pedal arm having first and second walls (22,24) which are opposed to each other in the cross-section of the pedal arm, characterised in that the first and second walls (22,24) are integrally joined by third and fourth walls which are opposed to each other in the cross-section of the pedal arm (10A,10B) and face convexly outwards. 2. A pedal according to claim 1, characterised in that each of the third and fourth walls joins one of the first and second walls (22,24) near a respective one of its longitudinal edges to a corresponding place on the other of the first and second walls. 3. A pedal according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that each of the first and second walls (10A,10B) is generally outwardly and longitudinally planar. 4. A pedal according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that each of the first and second walls is of outwardly facing longitudinal shallow V-shape. 5. A pedal according to any preceding claim, characterised in that along at least part of its length the hollow interior (20) of the pedal arm (10A, 10B) is substantially circular in cross- section . 6. A pedal according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that along at least part of its length the hollow interior (20) of the pedal arm (10A,10B) is ellipsoidal in cross-section. 7. A pedal according to any preceding claim, characterised by grooves (30) running longitudinally of the pedal arm (10A,10B) within the hollow interior (20) and respectively positioned at each junction of each of the third and fourth walls with the respective one of the first and second walls (22,24) so as to reduce the thickness of the plastics material there. 8. A pedal according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the hollow interior (20) of the pedal arm (10A,10B) in cross-section has a shape defined by two opposite rectilinear sides formed by the inside surfaces of the first and second walls (22,24) and joined together by opposite concave sides formed by the inside surfaces of the third and fourth walls. 9. A pedal according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the pedal arm (10A,10B) along at least part of its length has a cross-section which progressively increases in size. 10. A pedal according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the pedal arm comprises two longitudinal portions (10A,10B) extending in opposite directions from a region (11) where they are integrally connected, the two portions (10A,10B) extending away from the connecting region (11) at a small angle to each other. 11. A pedal according to claim 10, characterised in that the first and second walls of each longitudinal portion (10A,10B) of the pedal arm progressively diverge away from each other in directions away from the said region (11) . 12. A pedal according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the pedal arm (10A,10B) defines one or more transverse through bores (14) for pivotally supporting the pedal arm (10A, 10B) . 13. A pedal according to any preceding claim, characterised by means (15) integrally supported by the pedal arm (10A, 10B) for connection to an operating member arranged to be moved by pivotal movement of the pedal. 14. A pedal according to any preceding claim, characterised by one or more integral reinforcing ribs (26) extending between the first and second walls (22,24) and across and outside the third and fourth walls. 15. A pedal according to any preceding claim, characterised in that it is integrally moulded in a single moulding operation. 16. A pedal according to claim 15, characterised in that the moulding operation is an injection-moulding operation. 17. A pedal according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the internal surfaces of the walls are smooth. 18. A pivotally mountable control pedal for a motor vehicle, the pedal being integrally moulded from plastics material in a single moulding operation, comprising a longitudinally extending hollow pedal arm (10A,10B) supporting a foot-receiving part (12), characterised in that the pedal arm (10A,10B) has a hollow interior cross-section which is substantially circular or ellipsoidal in cross-section with first and second external walls (22,24) opposed to each other to each other in the cross-section of the pedal arm (10A,10B) and extending tangentially to opposite sides of the circular or ellipsoidal cross-section to present oppositely outwardly facing wall surfaces which are planar or have planar portions. 19. A pedal according to claim 18, characterised in that the pedal arm externally presents two oppositely and outwardly facing convex surfaces extending between the first and second walls (22,24) . 20. A pedal according to claim 18 or 19, characterised by a plurality of reinforcing ribs (26) extending between distal edges of the first and second walls (22,24) at respective positions along the length of the pedal arm (10A,10B) and positioned over and externally of the hollow interior (20) . 21. A pedal according to any one of claims 18 to 20, characterised in that the pedal arm is in two longitudinal portions (10A,10B) which extend in opposite directions away from each other and at an angle to each other from an integral connecting portion (11) . 22. A pedal according to claim 21, characterised in that the longitudinal section the substantially planar walls (22,24) diverge progressively from each other in the directions away from the connecting region (11) .

Inventors: BURSTERT PIERRE, COLLIGNON PASCAL, BURSTERT, PIERRE, COLLIGNON, PASCAL
Applicants: BURSTERT PIERRE, COLLIGNON PASCAL, DRAFTEX IND LTD, BURSTERT, PIERRE, COLLIGNON, PASCAL, DRAFTEX INDUSTRIES LIMITED
Application year: 1998
Main classification: G05G1
IPC codes: G05G1