Patent ID: 7047837

Claim:
A pedal device mounted on a bracket fixed to a body of an automotive vehicle, and including a pedal arm having an operating portion at a lower end thereof and being pivotal about a support shaft in accordance with a depressing operation thereof, and a position adjusting device operable to adjust a position of said operating portion in a longitudinal direction of the automotive vehicle where said pedal arm is placed in a non-operated state thereof, said pedal device comprising: a first member having a guide; a second member disposed movably relative to said first member in said longitudinal direction, and having a guide piece which is movable in engagement with said guide, respectively; and a positioning device operable to establish a desired relative position between said first and second members, by moving said guide and said guide piece relative to each other, said positioning device permitting said first and second members to maintain said desired relative position after said desired relative position is established, wherein one of said first and second members has said operating portion and is movable relative to the other of said first and second members, to move said operating portion in said longitudinal direction, and wherein said other of said first and second members is operatively connected to a power transmitting member such that an operating force acting on said operating portion of said pedal arm is transmitted to said power transmitting member, said pedal device further including a lever-ratio changing mechanism interconnected between said other of said first and second members and said power transmitting member, said lever-ratio changing mechanism being operable to change a lever ratio of said pedal device with a change in an operating stroke of said operating portion of said pedal arm, and wherein said lever-ratio changing mechanism indicates a non-linear pattern of change of the lever ratio with the change in the operating stroke of said operation portion while said pedal arm is pivoted about the support shaft.