Patent Publication Number: US-6209417-B1

Title: Adjustable pedal with constant ratio cable assembly

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending application Ser. No. 09/335,112 filed Jun. 17, 1999. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The subject invention relates to an adjustable pedal assembly for use in automotive vehicles wherein the pedal position may be changed to accommodate various drivers. 
     Description of the Prior Art 
     The concept of an adjustable pedal for automotive vehicles has been known for some time but is just recently being accepted. Such assemblies include a support for attachment to the vehicle and a carrier supporting a pedal lever for pivotal movement during normal operation, e.g., applying the brakes. The pedal lever is attached to a mechanism for transmitting the pedal lever movement to some component of the vehicle, such as the brakes. A problem is that of the mechanism being capable of maintaining the movement of the vehicle component in proportion or a constant ratio to the movement of the pedal lever regardless of the adjusted position of the carrier on the support. One such assembly for adjusting the pad position while adjusting the position of a cable output is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,946 to Ewing. That assembly includes a complex parallel linkage for adjustment of the operational position of the pad. Other systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,643,524 to Herring and U.S. Pat. No. 3,643,525 to Gibas. However, there remains a need for a simple system wherein a pedal lever supports the pad at one end and actuates the cable assembly at the other end, i.e., a simplified connection between the cable and the pedal lever. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES 
     An adjustable pedal assembly comprising a support for attachment to a vehicle structure and a pedal lever rotatably supported by the support structure for rotation about a pivot axis and including an actuator arm extending in a first direction from the pivot axis and a pad arm extending in a second direction from the pivot axis. A slide member is slidably supported by the support for adjustment between various operational positions. A conduit has a first end attached to the slide member for movement therewith during the adjustment between the operational positions and a second end for attachment to support structure. A motion transmitting core element is slidably supported by said conduit and has a first end extending from the first end of the conduit and operatively attached to the pedal lever and a second end extending from the second end of the conduit for attachment to a control member for transmitting motion from the pedal lever to the control member. The assembly is characterized by the slide member being slidably supported by the support and including an extension extending in transverse relationship to the actuator arm with the first end of the core element extending from the first end of the conduit and in sliding engagement with the actuator arm of the pedal lever. 
     Accordingly, the subject invention provides an adjustable pedal assembly which may be adjusted between various operating positions while maintaining the operative and proportional connection between the pedal pad and the vehicle component to be controlled. This is accomplished in a simple and inexpensive assembly which may be easily installed into the vehicle. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the FIGURE, an adjustable pedal assembly is generally shown at  110 . 
     The adjustable pedal assembly  110  comprises a support or bracket  112  for attachment to a vehicle structure (not shown). A pedal carrier or slide member  114  is slidably supported by the support  112  for adjustment between various operational positions. The support  112  includes a rod  116  and the slide member  114  is slidably supported on the rod  16 . The slide member  114  is adjusted to various operational positions along the rod  116  by a screw  115  threadedly engaging the slide member  114 . The support  112  also includes a connection hole  118  for attaching the support  112  to vehicle structure. 
     A pedal lever  120  is movably supported by the support  112  for operational movement relative to the support  112 . A pivotal connection comprising a pin  122  pivotally supports the pedal lever  120  on the support  112  for the operational movement. 
     The assembly  110  includes a conduit  124  having a first end  126  attached to the slide member  114  for movement therewith during the adjustment between the operational positions and a second end  128  for attachment to support structure (not shown). The first end  126  includes a fitting molded about the conduit  124  for attachment to the slide member  112 . The slide member  112  includes an extension  130  extending in transverse relationship to the actuator arm  138  and the first end  134  of the core element  132  extends from the first end  126  of the conduit  124  and is in sliding engagement with the actuator arm  138  of the pedal lever  120 . The extension  130  is also in sliding engagement with the actuator arm  138  of the pedal lever  120 . More specifically, a lost motion connection comprising a slot  131  and cross pin  134  is disposed between and interconnects the core element  132  and the actuator arm  138  for allowing the core element  132  to be moved by the actuator arm  138  independently of the slide member  114 . The cross pin  134  is slidably retained in the slot  133  and is slidable along the edge of the actuator arm  138 . The pin  122  interconnects the support  112  and the pedal lever  120  below the rod  116  whereby the rod  116  extends above the pin  122 . 
     A motion transmitting core element  132  is slidably supported in and by the conduit  124  and has a first end extending from the first end  126  of the conduit  124  and attached to the cross pin  134  which engages the pedal lever  120  and a second end  136  extending from the second end  128  of the conduit  124  for attachment to a control member (not shown) for transmitting motion from the pedal lever  120  to the control member. More specifically, the pedal lever  120  includes an actuator arm or portion  138  extending in a first direction from the pivotal connection defined by the pin  122  and the first end  134  of the core element  132  is in sliding engagement with the actuator arm  138  a first predetermined distance from the pivotal connection  122 . 
     The extension  130  extends from the support  112  in transverse relationship to the actuator arm  138  and the first end  126  of the conduit  124  is attached to the slide member  114 . The pedal lever  120  also includes a pedal arm or portion  140  extending in a second direction from the pivotal connection defined by the pin  122  so that the pin  122  acts as a fulcrum in response to a pedal force applied to the pedal arm  140  to place the core element  132  in tension. 
     A pedal pad  142  is movably supported on the pad arm  140  for movement between various adjusted pad distances from the pivot axis  122  for being engaged by a vehicle operator. The pad  142  in the embodiment of FIG. 6 is supported by the pad arm  140  for movement rectilinearly in a direction transverse to the axis of the pad arm  140  by a mechanism as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,532, also in the name of applicant C. Bortolon herein and assigned to the assignee of the subject invention, wherein a connector drive screw or gear box  144  rotates telescoping screws within the boot  146 . 
     These components for moving the pad  142  are part of a drive mechanism for adjusting the slide member  114  and the pad  142  in unison. The drive mechanism includes a drive nut integral with the slide member  114  and the connector drive screw  115  threadedly engaging the slide member  114  for moving the slide member  114  in response to rotation of the drive screw  115 . Accordingly, the drive mechanism includes a pad drive screw  144  for moving the pad  142  in response to rotation of the pad drive screw  144 . 
     The drive mechanism also includes an interconnect for maintaining a constant ratio between the effective distance of the slide member  114  from the pivot axis  122  and the effective distance of the pad  142  from the pivot axis  122  in all of the adjusted positions. This interconnect of the drive mechanism includes a gear box  148  in driving engagement with the pad drive screw  144  and the connector drive screw  115  by or through a rotary drive cable  150  interconnecting the gear box  148  and at least one of the drive screw  144 . In order to maintain the constant ratio between movement of the pad  142  and the core element  132 , this interconnect maintains the effective distance of the slide member  114  from the pivot axis  122  equal to the effective distance of the pad  142  from the pivot axis  122  in all of the adjusted positions. Even though the pad  142  may move an actual distance which is greater than the distance the core element  132  moves, the effective distance will be maintained equal. This may be accomplished by varying the pitch of the drive screws and/or the gear train ratios in the gear box  148 . 
     The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. 
     Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings and the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described within the scope of the appended claims, wherein that which is prior art is antecedent to the novelty set forth in the “characterized by” clause. The novelty is meant to be particularly and distinctly recited in the “characterized by” clause whereas the antecedent recitations merely set forth an old and well known combination in which the invention resides and these antecedent recitations should be interpreted to cover any combination in which the inventive novelty has utility. In addition, the reference numerals are merely for convenience and are not to be in any way to be read as limiting.