Patent ID: 8312789

Claim:
A foot pedal module ( 1 ) comprising: an enclosure ( 3 ), a rotor ( 11 ), a foot pedal ( 15 ), two haptic springs ( 17 , 19 ), and a circuit board ( 33 ), the enclosure ( 3 ) comprising a cylindrical trunnion ( 5 ), an outer ring ( 29 ), and a cover ( 39 ) for positioning and protecting the rotor ( 11 ), the two haptic springs ( 17 , 19 ) and the circuit board ( 33 ), and the rotor ( 11 ) being linked to a bushing ( 7 ), a lever ( 13 ), the two haptic springs ( 17 , 19 ), two damping elements ( 21 , 23 ) and a driving element ( 27 ), the bushing being rotationally supported by an exterior of the trunnion and having an inner extension that axially extends through an interior of the trunnion, the rotor being drivingly coupled to the inner extension of the bushing, the damping elements ( 21 , 23 ) being carried on a front face of the rotor ( 11 ); the circuit board ( 33 ) carrying an inductor array ( 25 ) in a shape and form of flat spiral coils; the inductor array ( 25 ) being positioned opposite the damping elements ( 21 , 23 ), and between the circuit board and the front face of the rotor ( 11 ), a foot pedal angular position signal is generated by the inductor array ( 25 ) and is based on movement of the damping elements ( 21 , 23 ) with respect to the inductor array ( 25 ); and the foot pedal ( 15 ) being linked with the lever ( 13 ) and the bushing ( 7 ) via a ball joint ( 35 ) and a socket ( 37 ).