Device for the transmission of the position of a control element, actuatable by the vehicle driver, controlling the traveling speed of a motor vehicle

• US 4,305,359 A
• Filed: 09/05/1979
• Issued: 12/15/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: VDO Adolf Schindling AG (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: VDO Adolf Schindling AG (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Inventors: Mann, Arnold, Stier, Bernhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Myhre, Charles J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dolinar, Andrew M.
• Application Number:
  US06/072,743
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 123/325, 123/333, 123/335, 123/361, 123/397, 123/399, 123/395, 123/198 D, 123/198 DB, 123/198 DC
• US Class Current: 123/333
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/00 Safety devices for propulsion-unit control, specially adapted for, or arranged in, vehicles, e.g. preventing fuel supply or ignition in the event of potentially dangerous conditions for electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; road vehicle drive control systems for purposes not related to the control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/00; drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/045 in a memory, e.g. a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0042 Transfer function lag; delays
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0225 Clutch actuator position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/16 Ratio selector position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0616 Position of fuel or air injector
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/106 Detection of demand or actuation

Abstract

A device for the transmission of the position of a control element, particularly a gas pedal, (which control element is actuatable by the vehicle driver and controls the traveling speed of a motor vehicle, the gas pedal being connected with an electrical position encoder), to an actuator via electrical transmission means, the actuator being coupled with a regulating member, particularly a throttle valve, which member controls the fuel-air mixture of an internal combustion engine. A pedal contact is coupled with the control element, a regulating member contact is coupled with the regulating member and the pedal contact and the regulating member contact are arranged in a logic circuit arrangement (the logic circuit arrangement being connected with a unit that brings about a rotational speed reduction of the internal combustion engine), such that the rotational speed is reduced with a non-actuated control element, but with a simultaneous position of the member that controls the fuel-air mixture in the gas position.

Claims

1. In a device for the transmission of the position of a control element (particularly a gas pedal, which control element is actuatable by the vehicle driver and controls the traveling speed of a motor vehicle, the gas pedal being connected with an electrical position encoder) to an actuator via electrical transmission means, the actuator being coupled with a regulating member, particularly a throttle valve, which regulating member controls the fuel-air mixture of an internal combustion engine, the vehicle including a unit effecting a rotational speed change of the engine, the improvement wherein

a pedal contact is coupled with the control element,

a regulating member contact is coupled with the regulating member,

said pedal contact and said regulating member contact are arranged in a logic circuit arrangement, the latter being connected with the unit, said unit constituting means for effecting a rotational speed reduction of the internal combustion engine,

said pedal contact and said regulating member contact are arranged in said logic circuit arrangement such that the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine is reduced with a non-actuated control element, but with a simultaneous position of the regulating member in a gas position,

said pedal contact is constructed as a normally open contact, said normally open contact is closed with the control element actuated,

said regulating member contact is constructed as a normally closed contact, said normally closed contact is open in the gas position of the regulating member,

a line is connected to said unit,

said pedal contact and said regulating member contact are arranged in parallel to one another in said line, said line is closed for normal operation of the internal combustion engine by at least one of said contacts being closed, said means reducing the rotational speed of the engine when said line is open when all of said contacts are open,

said unit which causes a reduction of the rotational speed is a fuel pump relay connected to said line.

2. In a device for the transmission of the position of a control element (particularly a gas pedal, which control element is actuatable by the vehicle driver and controls the traveling speed of a motor vehicle, the gas pedal being connected with an electrical position encoder) to an actuator via electrical transmission means, the actuator being coupled with a regulating member, particularly a throttle valve, which regulating member controls the fuel-air mixture of an internal combustion engine, the vehicle including a unit effecting a rotational speed change of the engine, the improvement wherein

a pedal contact is coupled with the control element,

a regulating member contact is coupled with the regulating member,

said pedal contact and said regulating member contact are arranged in a logic circuit arrangement, the latter being connected with the unit, said unit constituting means for effecting a rotational speed reduction of the internal combustion engine,

said pedal contact and said regulating member contact are arranged in said logic circuit arrangement such that the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine is reduced with a non-actuated control element, but with a simultaneous position of the regulating member in a gas position,

with an automatic electrical speed controller and at least one actuating element for operatively turning-on the speed controller instead of the control element, further comprising

a speed controller contact operatively connected with the actuating element,

said speed controller is arranged in said logic circuit arrangement such that the rotational speed of the engine is reduced upon simultaneously a turned-off speed controller and a non-actuated control element and a position of the regulating member in the gas position.

3. The device as set forth in claim 2, wherein

the actuating element is a selector switch means for operatively connecting either the speed controller or the control element to the electrical transmission means.

4. The device as set forth in claim 2, wherein

said speed controller contact is formed as a normally open contact, said normally open contact is closed with the speed controller operatively turned on, and

said normally open contact is connected in parallel to said regulating member contact and to said pedal contact.

5. The device as set forth in claim 2, wherein

said regulating member contact is opened only when the regulating member is located in the gas position outside of its idling position.

6. The device as set forth in claim 5, wherein

said regulating member contact is opened only when the regulating member is located in the gas position outside of its idling position by a predetermined safety distance margin.

7. The device as set forth in claim 4, further comprising

means for opening said speed controller contact after a delayed time upon turning-off of the speed controller.

8. The device as set forth in claim 2, wherein

said logic circuit arrangement is connected with an ignition unit as the unit which reduces the rotational speed.

9. In a device for the transmission of the position of a control element (particularly a gas pedal, which control element is actuatable by the vehicle driver and controls the traveling speed of a motor vehicle, the gas pedal being connected with an electrical position encoder) to an actuator via electrical transmission means, the actuator being coupled with a regulating member, particularly a throttle valve, which regulating member controls the fuel-air mixture of an internal combustion engine, the vehicle including a unit effecting a rotational speed change of the engine, the improvement wherein

a pedal contact is coupled with the control element,

a regulating member contact is coupled with the regulating member,

said pedal contact and said regulating member contact are arranged in a logic circuit arrangement, the latter being connected with the unit, said unit constituting means for effecting a rotational speed reduction of the internal combustion engine,

said pedal contact and said regulating member contact are arranged in said logic circuit arrangement such that the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine is reduced with a non-actuated control element, but with a simultaneous position of the regulating member in a gas position,

said pedal contact is constructed as a normally open contact, said normally open contact is closed with the control element actuated,

said regulating member contact is constructed as a normally closed contact, said normally closed contact is open in the gas position of the regulating member,

a line is connected to said unit,

said pedal contact and said regulating member contact are arranged in parallel to one another in said line,

an automatic electrical speed controller and at least one actuating element for operatively turning-on the speed controller instead of the control element,

a speed controller contact is operatively connected with the actuating element,

said speed controller contact is arranged in said logic circuit arrangement such that the rotational speed of the engine is reduced upon simultaneously a turned-off speed controller and a non-actuated control element and a position of the regulating member in the gas position,

said speed controller contact is formed as another normally open contact, which another normally open contact is closed with the speed controller operatively turned on, and

said another normally open contact is connected in parallel to said regulating member contact and to said pedal contact,

said line is closed for normal operation of the internal combustion engine by at least one of said contacts being closed, said means reducing the rotational speed of the engine when said line is open when all of said contacts are open.

10. In a device for the transmission of the position of a control element (particularly a gas pedal, which control element is actuatable by the vehicle driver and controls the traveling speed of a motor vehicle, the gas pedal being connected with an electrical position encoder) to an actuator via electrical transmission means, the actuator being coupled with a regulating member, particularly a throttle valve, which regulating member controls the fuel-air mixture of an internal combustion engine, the vehicle including a unit effecting a rotational speed change of the engine, the improvement wherein

a pedal contact is coupled with the control element,

a regulating member contact is coupled with the regulating member,

said pedal contact and said regulating member contact are arranged in a logic circuit arrangement, the latter being connected with the unit, said unit constituting means for effecting a rotational speed reduction of the internal combustion engine,

said pedal contact and said regulating member contact are arranged in said logic circuit arrangement such that the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine is reduced with a non-actuated control element, but with a simultaneous position of the regulating member in a gas position,

said logic circuit arrangement is connected with an ignition unit as the unit which reduces the rotational speed.