Patent ID: 7448296

Claim:
A brake pedal apparatus comprising: (a) an operating pedal which is to be depressed so as to be pivoted about a first axis; (b) a pivot member which is pivotable about a second axis parallel to the first axis, and which is connected to the operating pedal via a link mechanism so as to be pivoted about the second axis in response to a depression of the operating pedal; and (c) an output member which is to receive an output generated upon pivot motion of the pivot member, wherein the link mechanism includes a first link which is connected to the operating pedal via a first connecting pin parallel to the first axis and which is pivotable about the first connecting pin relative to the operating pedal, wherein the link mechanism further includes a second link which is connected to the pivot member via a second connecting pin parallel to the second axis and which is pivotable about the second connecting pin relative to the pivot member, wherein the first and second links are connected to each other via a third connecting pin, and are pivotable about the third connecting pin relative to each other, wherein the first and second links are integrally displaced with constant attitudes thereof that have the third connecting pin positioned on a straight line connecting the first and second connecting pins, while the operating pedal is in a first region of a pedal stroke thereof, and wherein one of the first and second links is inhibited from being pivoted relative to one of the operating pedal and the pivot member that is connected to the one of the first and second links via a corresponding one of the first and second connecting pins, and is caused to be pivoted about the third connecting pin relative to the other of the first and second links, while the operating pedal is in a second region of the pedal stroke that is different from the first region.