Adjustable pedal mechanism

• US 20050066764A1
• Filed: 09/29/2004
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ZF Lemforder Metallwaren AG
• Original Assignee: ZF Lemforder Metallwaren AG
• Inventors: Papke, Simone, Meyer, Wolfgang, Burgstaler, Andree, Dutz, Jan
• Application Number:
  US10/953,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20050066764A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 74/512
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 11/18 Connection thereof to initiating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/06 Disposition of pedal
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/36 Mounting units comprising an assembly of two or more pedals, e.g. for facilitating mounting
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/405 infinitely adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20528 Foot operated

Abstract

A device is provided for setting a connecting piece (5) mounted pivotably by a mounting device (1), especially a pedal mechanism in a motor vehicle, with which a transmission unit (6) is coupled for transmitting the movement of the connecting piece (5). The setting device has an adjusting mechanism (7) for adjusting the position of the connecting piece (5), a locking unit (8), which prevents the unintended adjustment of the position of the connecting piece (5), and a compensating unit (10) for compensating the change in the distance between the transmission unit (6) and the connecting piece (5), which change is brought about by the adjustment of the position of the connecting piece (5). The mounting device (1) comprises a carriage (3) and is coupled with an adjusting mechanism (7) comprising a drive unit (9), wherein the carriage (3) can be moved linearly via the drive unit (9), and the compensating unit (10) coupled with the carriage (3) and the drive unit (9) compensates essentially the change in the distance between the connecting piece (5) and the transmission unit (6) coupled with the connecting piece (5), which change is linked with the adjustment of the position of the connecting piece (5) arranged on the carriage (3).

Claims

1. A setting device for setting a connecting piece mounted pivotably and with a transmission unit coupled to the connecting piece for transmitting the movement of the connecting piece, the setting device comprising:

a mounting device for pivotably mounting the connecting piece;

an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the position of the connecting piece;

a locking unit to prevent an unintended adjustment of the position of the connecting piece;

a compensating unit for compensating a change in the distance between the transmission unit and the connecting piece, which change is brought about by the adjustment of the position of the connecting piece, said mounting device including a carriage coupled with said adjusting mechanism, said adjusting mechanism comprising a drive unit, wherein the carriage can be moved linearly via said drive unit, and said compensating unit is coupled with said carriage and said drive unit essentially compensates the changes in the distance between the connecting piece and the transmission unit coupled with the connecting piece, which changes are linked with the adjustment of the position of the connecting piece arranged on said carriage.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the connecting piece is a pedal of a motor vehicle.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the transmission unit transmits a force to a power booster, which converts and transmits the force as a manipulated variable for an actuating part mechanically via a linkage or pneumatically or hydraulically by means of a fluid pressurizing agent.

4. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein for transmission by means of a fluid pressurizing agent, the transmission unit is designed as a flexible, mobile line including a flexible tube, which transmits the force exerted on the connecting piece to a power booster in order to transmit the force as a manipulated variable for an actuating part in a correspondingly converted form.

5. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the transmission unit is coupled with the compensating unit of the adjusting mechanism via a hinge.

6. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein said compensating unit is coupled with said drive unit via a hinge in order to correspondingly transmit a movement generated by said drive unit to the transmission unit and to compensate at the same time a distance between the connecting piece and the transmission unit via a rotation in said hinge.

7. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the compensating unit includes a gear mechanism in order to transmit the change in position generated by said drive unit to said transmission unit in a correspondingly converted form.

8. A device in accordance with claim 7, wherein said compensating unit designed as a gear mechanism has essentially a linkage with a plurality of members, which are connected with one another via hinges.

9. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said drive unit is connected with said carriage via spindle elements comprising at least one said spindle and at least one spindle nut in order to move the guided carriage linearly.

10. A device in accordance with claim 9, wherein said spindle has two different threads in the area of the spindle nuts, wherein the threads differ mainly in the thread pitch.

11. A device in accordance with claim 9, wherein the locking unit is integrated in said drive unit via a self-locking device of said spindle elements.

12. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said drive unit can be driven manually or electrically via a power booster with an associated adjusting means.

13. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said drive unit is stationarily connected with a base plate.

14. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said mounting device has as spatial closing elements comprised of a front plate and a base plate, between which essentially all components of the setting device are arranged, said base plate being stationarily connected with a firewall of the vehicle.

15. A device in accordance with claim 14, wherein said base plate is stationarily connected with guides for guiding said carriage.

16. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein said hinge of said compensating unit is in functional connection with a gear, which is located between two toothed racks which are arranged displaceably in relation to one another.

17. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein said hinge is arranged in the middle between two outer articulation points of a reversing lever of said compensating unit.

18. A device in accordance with claim 16, wherein an axis of a gear and an axis of said hinge connected with said compensating unit are arranged coaxially with one another.

19. A device in accordance with claim 16, wherein a first toothed rack is arranged displaceably with said carriage.

20. A device in accordance with claim 16, wherein the connecting piece comprises a pedal mechanism and/or a body and a second toothed rack is held stationarily in relation to a base plate of the pedal mechanism and/or the body.