PEDAL ASSEMBLY FOR ELECTRONIC BRAKING SYSTEM

• US 20110185843A1
• Filed: 02/04/2011
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KSR Technologies Co.
• Original Assignee: KSR Technologies Co.
• Inventors: Sung, Nack J., Soltys, Jarek
• Granted Patent: US 8,474,348 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 74/560
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 11/18 Connection thereof to initiating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/042 by electrical means, e.g. using travel or force sensors
• 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 5/03 Means for enhancing the operator's awareness of arrival of the controlling member at a command or datum position; Providing feel, e.g. means for creating a counterforce arrangements for indicating the position of the controlling member G05G1/015
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20528 Foot operated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20888 Pedals

Abstract

An electrical-mechanical brake apparatus includes a bracket (20) and a pedal arm (40) supported by the bracket (20). One of the bracket (20) and the pedal arm (40) presents a cam body (72). The other of the other of the pedal arm (40) and the bracket (20) presents a cam follower (64). One of the cam body (72) and the cam follower (64) is rotatable. A cam bias (86) interconnects the rotatable one of the cam body (72) and the cam follower (64) to one of the bracket (20) and the pedal arm (40). As the pedal arm (40) moves toward the bracket (20), the cam follower (64) moves along the cam body (72), compressing the cam bias (86) for simulating the feel of a purely mechanical brake system. In certain embodiments, the bracket (20) presents the cam body (72) while in other embodiments the pedal arm (40) presents the cam body. In certain embodiments, the cam body (72) rotates while in others the cam follower (64) rotates.

Claims

1. An electrical-mechanical brake apparatus for simulating the feel of a purely mechanical brake system including;

a bracket and a pedal arm movably supported by said bracket,

one of said bracket and said pedal arm presenting a cam body,

the other of said bracket and said pedal arm presenting a cam follower,

a cam bias interconnecting one of said cam body and said cam follower to one of said bracket and said pedal arm to bias said cam follower and said cam body against each other,

one of said cam body and said cam follower being rotatable and said cam bias interconnects the rotatable one of said cam body and said cam follower to one of said bracket and said pedal arm,

whereby said cam follower moves progressively along said cam body against resistance from said cam bias as said pedal arm moves toward said bracket for simulating the feel of a purely mechanical brake system.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cam follower extends from said pedal arm and said cam body extends from said bracket and is rotatable and said cam bias interconnects said bracket to said cam body.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein a cam puller interconnects said cam body and said bracket for pulling said cam surface against said cam body.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said bracket includes a cam support extending from said bracket and presenting a boss and said bracket includes a cam pin extending outward from said boss and rotatably supporting said cam body.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said cam body extends arcuately between a pivot end hingedly fixed to said cam pin and through a trough point to a traveling end to present a crescent-shape having a cam surface being concave and slidably disposed against said cam follower and said cam body has a lower anchor disposed adjacent said trough point and extending radially outward from said inner surface and said cam puller is a spring interconnecting said bracket and said lower anchor of said cam body to push said cam surface of said cam body against said cam follower and said cam body has an upper anchor disposed between said trough point and said traveling end and extends perpendicularly from said inner surface and said cam bias is a spring and interconnects said bracket to said upper anchor of said cam body.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein a pedal return rod extends perpendicularly from said pedal arm parallel with said pivot axis and a pedal return spring extends from said bracket to said pedal return rod to bias said pedal arm to a home position and said pedal return spring has a saddle disposed between said pedal return rod and said pedal return spring for permitting relative rotation between said pedal return rod and said pedal return spring and said apparatus includes a position sensor fixed to said bracket for measuring the position of said pedal arm.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said bracket includes a cam support presenting a friction surface and said cam body has a shoe and said shoe is hingedly fixed to said cam body and is disposed between said friction surface and said cam bias to provide frictional resistance to the movement of said cam body.

8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said bracket includes a cam pin extending perpendicularly from said cam support and said cam body extends arcuately between a pivot end hingedly fixed to said cam pin and through a trough point to a traveling end to define a crescent-shape presenting a cam surface being concave and said cam body has a spring retainer rotatably connected to said cam body between said traveling end and said trough point and said spring retainer is disposed between said cam bias and said shoe and said cam bias interconnects said cam support of said bracket to said spring retainer of said cam body to push said cam follower against said cam surface.

9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein said cam follower extends from said pedal arm parallel to said pivot axis and said friction surface is arcuate said shoe has a hinge end being rotatably connected to said cam body at said traveling end and said shoe extends from said hinge end to a friction end being slidably disposed against said friction surface and said cam bias is a spring interconnecting said cam support and said spring retainer to push said cam body against said cam follower and to press said friction end of said shoe against said friction surface of said cam support.

10. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cam follower is rotatable and extends from said bracket and said cam body extends from said pedal arm and said cam bias interconnects said bracket to said cam follower.

11. An apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said cam follower extends from a pivot end hingedly fixed to said bracket to a traveling end and said traveling end has a roller and said roller of said cam follower is slidably disposed against said cam body and said traveling end has a spring retainer and said cam bias extends between said bracket and said spring retainer of said cam follower.

12. An apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein said bracket has an accelerator assembly mounted thereon and said cam body extends arcuately from said pedal arm between a first end adjacent said pedal arm and through a trough point to a second end to present a crescent-shape having a cam surface being concave and said bracket includes a pair of rocker pin arms each extending upward from said bracket and said bracket includes a rocker pin rotatably supported by said rocker pin arms said pivot end of said cam follower is hingedly fixed to said rocker pin of said bracket and said traveling end of said cam follower defines a spring retainer being saucer-shaped.

13. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cam follower is rotatable and extends from said pedal arm and said cam body extends from said bracket and said cam bias interconnects said pedal arm and said cam follower.

14. An apparatus as set forth in claim 13 wherein said cam follower extends from a pivot end hingedly fixed to said pedal arm to a traveling end and said traveling end has a roller and said roller of said cam follower is slidably disposed against said cam body and said cam bias extends between said pedal arm and said traveling end of said cam follower.

15. An apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein said cam body extends from a first end fixed to said bracket through a trough point and toward said pedal arm to a second end and said cam body presents a cam surface being arcuate and a bias clevis is hingedly mounted to said traveling end of said cam follower and said pedal arm has a bias retainer hingedly fixed thereto and said bias retainer extends therefrom toward said bracket and said cam bias interconnects said bias retainer and said bias clevis and includes a bias spring for pushing said cam follower against said cam surface and a spring collector for retaining said bias spring.

16. An apparatus as set forth in claim 15 wherein a position sensor is fixed to said bracket for detecting angular position of said pedal arm and a stop bolt extends through said pedal arm between said pivot end of said cam follower and said proximal end of said pedal arm and adjacent said cam follower and is fixed to said bracket for preventing said pedal arm from moving past home position of said pedal arm whereby said cam follower contacts said cam surface of said cam body adjacent said second end in home position of said pedal arm.

17. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said bracket includes a central planar portion having a lower end and an upper end and said lower end defines an aperture for allowing a brake rod to pass therethrough and said bracket includes a left arm and a right arm spaced from each other and each extending perpendicularly upward from said upper end and each of said right and left arms presents a flange extending perpendicularly therefrom for mounting said bracket to a firewall of a vehicle and each of said left and right arms define a pivot hole extending perpendicularly therethrough and each of said pivot holes being concentric to each other along a pivot axis and said bracket includes a pivot rod supported by and extending through each of said pivot holes and a pivot tube surrounding and rotatably supported by the pivot rod and said pedal arm extends between a proximal end fixed to said pivot tube between said left arm and said right arm and a distal end having a pad fixed thereto.

18. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein a pair of torsion springs is disposed about said pivot tube and between said left arm and said right arm and one of said torsion springs is on each side of said pedal arm and each engages said pedal arm and a different one of said right arm and said left arm for opposing the rotation of said pedal arm about toward said bracket and biasing said pedal arm to a home position of the pedal arm.