Patent Publication Number: US-2018052482-A1

Title: Vehicle pedal release system

Description:
FIELD 
     The present application relates generally to vehicle pedal assemblies and, more particularly, to a pedal release system for a vehicle pedal assembly. 
     BACKGROUND 
     During a vehicle frontal impact event, portions of the vehicle may be urged or pushed rearward and may potentially cause a brake and/or clutch pedal to intrude into a passenger area of the vehicle and possibly transfer a force to a foot or leg of a driver of the vehicle. Systems have been developed to mechanically disengage the pedals in an effort to prevent the pedals from potentially being forced into the passenger area during such an impact event. These systems typically rely only gravity to disengage the pedals. While such systems work well for their intended purpose, there remains a desire in the relevant art to have the mechanical disengagement of the pedals be even more responsive. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one exemplary aspect of the invention, a pedal release system for a vehicle is provided. In an example implementation, the pedal release system includes a pedal bracket configured to couple to a vehicle dash panel, a pivot pin received within the pedal bracket and defining a first rotational axis, a pedal arm configured to rotate about the first rotational axis, an activation bracket coupled to a stationary structural component of the vehicle, and a pedal release lever coupled to the pedal bracket and movable between a first position and a second position. The pedal release lever includes a contact lever, a pivot release arm, and a pivot push arm. In the first position the pivot release arm facilitates maintaining the pivot pin within the pedal bracket. Upon an impact event where the contact lever is brought into contact with the activation bracket, the pedal release lever is moved to the second position where the pivot push arm urges the pivot pin out of the pedal bracket to release the pedal arm from the pedal bracket so as to prevent intrusion of the pedal arm into a passenger area of an interior of the vehicle. 
     In another exemplary aspect of the invention, a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes a dash panel and a pedal release system. The pedal release system includes, in one example implementation, a pedal bracket coupled to the dash panel, a pivot pin received within the pedal bracket and defining a first rotational axis, a pedal arm configured to rotate about the first rotational axis, an activation bracket coupled to a stationary structural component of the vehicle, and a pedal release lever coupled to the pedal bracket and movable between a first position and a second position. The pedal release lever includes a contact lever, a pivot release arm, and a pivot push arm. In the first position the pivot release arm facilitates maintaining the pivot pin within the pedal bracket. Upon an impact event where the contact lever is brought into contact with the activation bracket, the pedal release lever is moved to the second position where the pivot push arm urges the pivot pin out of the pedal bracket to release the pedal arm from the pedal bracket so as to prevent intrusion of the pedal arm into a passenger area of an interior of the vehicle. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an example pedal release system in accordance with the principles of the present application; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a portion of the system shown in  FIG. 1  in a first position in accordance with the principles of the present application; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a portion of the system shown in  FIG. 1  in a second position in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the pedal release system in the first position in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the pedal release system in the second position in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the pedal release system with a brake pedal released in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     With initial reference to  FIG. 1 , an example pedal release system for a vehicle is illustrated and generally identified at reference numeral  10 . The pedal release system  10  is mechanically activated when the dash panel, pushed rearward towards the driver by a frontal impact, pushes pedal release system  10  into a stationary bracket. Thus, physical movement of the pedal release system  10  causes its activation by releasing the pedal pivot from the main bracket housing and mechanically pushing the pivot from the bracket at the equivalent speed of the impact. In this way, the pedal release system  10  is activated (i.e., released) as quickly as the impact and collapse of the dash panel. 
     With additional reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , pedal release system  10  generally includes a brake pedal bracket  12 , a pedal pivot pin  14 , a brake pedal arm  16 , a pedal release member or lever  18 , and an activation bracket  20 . 
     In the example embodiment, brake pedal bracket  12  is configured to couple to a vehicle dash panel  22  (see  FIG. 4 ) and generally includes a forward wall  30 , a pair of opposed sidewalls or flanges  32 , and a bottom wall  34 . The forward wall  30  is configured to be disposed at least partially against the vehicle dash panel  22  for coupling thereto. Flanges  32  extended outwardly from forward wall  30  generally toward a rear of the vehicle, and the bottom wall  34  is coupled to and extends between the flanges  32 . 
     As illustrated in the example embodiment of  FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 , each flange  32  generally includes an outer surface  36 , an inner surface  38 , a first aperture  40 , a second aperture  42 , and an inner slot  44 . The first apertures  40  are configured to receive a fuse pin  46  configured to maintain release lever  18  in a first position until a vehicle impact breaks or shears the fuse pin  46  to release the release lever  18 , as will be described herein in more detail. The second apertures  42  are configured to receive a pivot pin  48 , and the inner slots  44  are formed in the flange inner surface  38  and configured to receive the pedal pivot pin  14 . 
     In the example embodiment, each inner slot  44  includes a closed end  50  and an open end  52 , which enables pedal pivot pin  14  to be inserted into and removed from the inner slot  44 . Moreover, open end  52  is located below closed end  50  such that pedal pivot pin  14  will be pushed out of inner slot  44  when pedal pivot pin  14  is released by release lever  18 , as described herein in more detail. As illustrated in the example implementation, pedal pivot pin  14  may include ends  54  having a smaller diameter than a middle portion  56 . As such, ends  54  may have a diameter sized to fit within a width of inner slot  44 , and middle portion  56  may have a larger diameter sized to be received within brake pedal arm  16  and a portion of release lever  18 . 
     In the example embodiment, brake pedal arm  16  generally includes a proximal end  60  and a distal end  62 . Proximal end  60  includes an aperture  64  configured to receive pedal pivot pin  14  such that brake pedal arm  16  is rotatable about a first axis ‘A 1 ’. Distal end  62  includes a foot pad  66  configured to receive a foot of the driver for actuation of the vehicle brakes. A booster input rod  68  is coupled to brake pedal arm  16  and is configured to provide input to a hydraulic brake booster (not shown) through the brake pedal arm  16 . Although a brake pedal arm  16  is described, the pedal release system  10  described herein may be utilized with other pedals such as, for example, a clutch pedal. 
     In the example embodiment, pedal release lever  18  is located proximate activation bracket  20  such that during a frontal collision, as the vehicle dash panel  22  moves rearward, release lever  18  is driven into activation bracket  20 , which is coupled to a stationary vehicle structure such as a cross-car beam (not shown). With further reference to  FIGS. 2-5 , the release lever  18  is thus movable between an unreleased home position ( FIGS. 1, 2, 4 ) and a released position ( FIGS. 3 and 5 ). As described herein in more detail, release lever  18  maintains pedal pivot pin  14  within inner slot  44  in the unreleased position, and allows pedal pivot pin  14  to drop out of inner slot  44  when in the released position, thereby releasing brake pedal arm  16  to fall away from the driver&#39;s legs and facilitate preventing injury during an impact event. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , release lever  18  generally includes a contact lever  70 , a first or pivot release arm  72 , and a second or pivot push arm  74 . In the example embodiment, contact lever  70  includes a contact face  76  extending between a pair of sidewalls  78 ,  80 . Contact face  76  is planar or substantially planar and defines an area configured to contact activation bracket  20  during an impact event. As partially shown in  FIG. 3 , each sidewall  78 ,  80  includes an aperture  82  configured to receive pivot pin  48  therethrough such that release lever  18  is rotatable about a second pivot axis ‘A 2 ’ when the activation bracket  20  engages contact face  76  during the impact event. 
     In one example implementation, pivot push arm  74  is coupled to and extends outwardly from contact lever  70 , and pivot release arm  72  is coupled to and extends outwardly from pivot push arm  74 . Pivot release arm  72  is generally curved or hook-shaped and is configured to be disposed about at least a portion of the pivot pin  14 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . In this way, pivot push arm  74  facilitates movement of pivot pin  14  from inner slot  44  such that brake pedal arm  16  exits the inner slot  44  to the fully released position ( FIG. 6 ). In some implementations, pivot release arm  72  maintains pivot pin  14  within inner slot  44  against closed end  50  by supporting the pivot pin  14  from below and/or by wedging pivot pin  14  against a wall of the inner slot  44 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , pivot push arm  74  includes an aperture  84  and a contact edge  86 . Aperture  84  is configured to receive fuse pin  46  (see  FIG. 2 ) to facilitate maintaining release lever  18  in the unreleased position. Contact edge  86  is configured to contact pedal pivot pin  14  and assist pushing pin  14  out of the inner slot  44  during the impact event. Accordingly, when release lever  18  is rotated to the released position both pivot push arm  74  and gravity help to push pivot pin  14  out of inner slot  44  to release brake pedal arm  16  from the brake pedal bracket  12 . Once pivot pin  14  exits inner slot  44 , brake pedal arm  16  is free to fall away from bracket  12  and the driver&#39;s legs to prevent injury thereto. Brake pedal arm  16 , however, remains coupled to booster input rod  68  which maintains brake pedal arm  16  in close proximity to vehicle dash panel  22 . 
     In operation, pedal release system  10  begins in the unreleased home position shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, and 4 . In this position, release lever  18  maintains pedal pivot pin  14  within inner slot  44  such that brake pedal arm  16  can rotate about pivot axis ‘A 1 ’. Moreover, one or more fuse pins  46  extend through an aligned pair of apertures  40  and  84  to hold the release lever  18  in the unreleased position. 
     Upon a predetermined impact event (e.g., a frontal collision), vehicle dash panel  22  collapses rearward toward the driver, which in turn causes rearward movement of brake pedal bracket  12  and associated pedal release system  10  rearward toward the activation bracket  20 , which is coupled to a stationary support structure of the vehicle. As such, contact face  76  of release lever  18  contacts activation bracket  20 , thereby causing counter-clockwise rotation of release lever  18  about pivot axis ‘A 2 ’ (as viewed in  FIG. 5 ). Upon contact between contact face  76  and activation bracket  20 , fuse pins  46  are sheared or otherwise break away, allowing the rotation of release lever  18  about pivot pin  48  and pivot axis ‘A 2 ’. 
     In the example embodiment, as the release lever  18  moves from the unreleased position to the released position, the pivot release arm  72  moves from the first position ( FIG. 2 ) where arm  72  supports pedal pivot pin  14  within inner slot  44 , to a second position ( FIG. 3 ) away from pivot pin  14  to provide a clear path for the pivot pin  14  to exit inner slot  44  through open end  52 . As such, pivot push arm  74  and gravity may urge pivot pin  14  towards the open end  52  of inner slot  44 . At the same, as the release lever  18  moves from the unreleased position to the released position, the contact edge  86  of pivot push arm  74  contacts pivot pin  14  and urges the pin towards the open end  52  of inner slot  44 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , once pivot pin  14  exits inner slot  44  and is released from the brake pedal bracket  12 , the pivot pin  14  and brake pedal arm  16  are free to rotate downward about the booster input rod  68  and fall away from the driver&#39;s legs to prevent injury. 
     Described herein are systems and methods for releasing a brake pedal during an impact event to prevent injury to a driver. A pedal release system includes a pedal release lever that contacts an activation bracket during the impact event. This contact causes the release lever to rotate such that a first arm enables a pedal pivot pin to release from the system while a second arm urges the pedal pivot pin away from the system, thereby releasing the brake pedal. As such, the system provides a simple mechanical release of the brake pedal that is activated based on movement of the vehicle dash panel. 
     It will be understood that the mixing and matching of features, elements, methodologies and/or functions between various examples may be expressly contemplated herein so that one skilled in the art would appreciate from the present teachings that features, elements and/or functions of one example may be incorporated into another example as appropriate, unless described otherwise above.