Pedal assembly with compensating bushing

• US 20040069091A1
• Filed: 10/15/2002
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Brad Menzies
• Original Assignee: Brad Menzies
• Inventors: Menzies, Brad
• Application Number:
  US10/271,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20040069091A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 74/560
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/405 infinitely adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20888 Pedals

Abstract

An adjustable pedal assembly including a carrier (14) slidably supported on a hollow rod (12) with first (24) and second (26) wedge members (24) and (26) urged up inclined surfaces (34) and (38) by a bolt (28) and spring (30) interconnecting the wedge members (24) and (26). The wedge members (24) and (26) include wedge flanking surfaces (42) in sliding engagement with lips (40) in the rod (12) for forcing the rod (12) into engagement with a bore (41) in the carrier (14) as the wedge members (24) and (26) are moved upwardly by the inclined surfaces (34) and (36).

Claims

1. A pedal (20) assembly comprising;

a guide (12),

a carrier (14) supported by said guide (12) for rectilinear movement along an adjustment path,

a pedal (20) supported by said carrier (14) and extending from said carrier (14) to a distal pedal end (22),

a mechanism interacting between said carrier (14) and said guide (12) for urging said guide (12) into engagement with said carrier (14),

said assembly characterized by said mechanism including at least one pair (32, 34) or (36, 38) of co-acting surfaces inclined relative to said path of movement and movable relative to one another in a wedging action to force said guide (12) into engagement with said carrier (14).

2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said mechanism includes a biasing device (30) for biasing said co-acting surfaces to move relative to one another in said wedging action.

3. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said mechanism includes a first wedge member (24) movably supported by said carrier (14) with one (32) of said pair of surfaces supported by said wedge member and the other (34) of said surfaces supported by said carrier (14).

4. An assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said mechanism includes a biasing device (30) for constantly biasing said first wedge member (24) to move relative to said carrier (14) in said wedging action.

5. An assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said mechanism includes second pair (36, 38) of surfaces and a second wedge member (26) movably supported by said carrier (14) with one (36) of a second pair of surfaces supported by said second wedge member (26) and the other (38) of said second pair of surfaces supported by said carrier (14), said first (32, 34) and second (36, 38) pair of surfaces being inclined in opposite directions, and an adjustment device interconnecting said wedge members (24, 26) for adjusting the position of said wedge members (24, 26) relative to said carrier (14) to adjust the amount of force between said carrier (14) and said guide (12).

6. An assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said adjustment device includes a biasing device (30) for constantly biasing said first (24) and second (26) wedge members to move relative to said carrier (14) in said wedging action.

7. An assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said carrier (14) presents a bore (41) and said guide includes a rod (12) slidably supported in said bore (41), said wedge member forcing said rod (12) into engagement with said bore (41).

8. An assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said rod (12) is hollow and includes a slot having circumferentially spaced lips (40) extending along said rod (12), said wedge member (24) having wedge flanking surfaces (42) in sliding engagement with said lips (40) for forcing said rod (12) into engagement with said bore (41).

9. An assembly as set forth in claim 8 including a screw (46) disposed longitudinally within said hollow rod (12), a nut device (48) threadedly engaging said screw (46) and connected to said carrier (14) for moving said carrier (14) along said rod (12) in response to rotation of said screw (46).

10. An assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein said mechanism includes second pair of surfaces (36, 38) and a second wedge member (26) movably supported by said carrier (14) with one (36) of a second pair of surfaces supported by said second wedge member (26) and the other (38) of said second pair of surfaces supported by said carrier (14), said first (32, 34) and second (36, 38) pair of surfaces being inclined in opposite directions, and an adjustment device interconnecting said wedge members (24, 26) for adjusting the position of said wedge members (24, 26) relative to said carrier (14) to adjust the amount of force between said carrier (14) and said guide (12).

11. An assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein said adjustment device includes a biasing device (30) for constantly biasing said first (24) and second (26) wedge members to move relative to said carrier (14) in said wedging action.

12. An assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein said carrier (14) includes a finger (56) extending radially into said bore (41) and between the lips (40) of said slot of said rod (12) to a distal end, said surfaces of said first and second pair supported by said carrier (14) being disposed on said finger (56) and inclined upwardly and inwardly toward said distal end with said first (24) and second (26) wedge members disposed on opposite sides of said finger (56) and longitudinally spaced along said screw (46) for sliding engagement with said inclined surfaces (34), (38) on said finger (56).

13. An assembly as set forth in claim 12 wherein said finger (56) includes a passage extending therethrough parallel to said screw (46) and said adjustment device includes a fastener interconnecting said first (24) and second (26) wedge members and extending through said passage.

14. An assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein said adjustment device includes a biasing spring (30) reacting between said fastener and at least one of said wedge members (24, 26) for constantly biasing said first (24) and second (26) wedge members to move against and relative to said surfaces (34, 38) on to said carrier (14) in said wedging action.

15. An assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein said nut device (48) is connected to said carrier (14) by being connected to said distal end of said finger (56).

16. An assembly as set forth in claim 15 wherein said nut device (48) includes a pocket (64) for receiving said distal end of said finger (56) and a retaining plate (66) for retaining said distal end of said finger (56) in said pocket (64).

17. An assembly as set forth in claim 16 including fasteners for securing said retaining plate (66) to said nut device (48).

18. An assembly as set forth in claim 15 wherein said finger (56) includes finger flanking surfaces (58) inclined inwardly and upwardly toward said distal end of said finger (56) and facing in opposite directions toward the interior of said bore (41), said finger flanking surfaces (58) and said inclined surfaces (34, 38) on said finger (56) being disposed in a pyramidal configuration.

19. An assembly as set forth in claim 18 wherein said nut device (48) includes a groove (72) and said hollow rod (12) includes a tongue (74) extending radially toward the center of said rod (12) and disposed in said groove (72) for preventing relative rotation between said rod (12) and said nut device (48).

20. An assembly as set forth in claim 19 including a drive motor (50) connected to said screw (46) for rotating said screw (46) relative to said rod (12).