Patent ID: 8376098

Claim:
A vehicle pedal resistance mechanism adapted to generate a force sensed by a user as an increased resistance to depression of a vehicle pedal and comprising: a case including at least a first exterior side wall defining at least one slot and the case defining an interior bore; a piston mounted in the interior bore of the case and defining at least one recess and opposed ends, one of the opposed ends being disposed within the case and the other of the opposed ends extending from the case; a single spring located in the case between an interior wall of the case and the one of the opposed ends of the piston and biasing the piston outwardly from the case; at least one rod located in the case adjacent the at least one recess: and a retainer including at least a first arm extending along the at least first exterior side wall of the case and biasing the at least one rod in the direction of the at least one recess, the piston being movable from a first position in which the at least one rod is seated in the recess in the piston to a second position in which the at least one rod is seated outside the at least one recess and in the at least one slot defined in the at least first exterior side wall of the case.