Foot pedal arrangement for electronic throttle control of truck engines

• US 5,241,936 A
• Filed: 09/09/1991
• Issued: 09/07/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Williams Controls Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Williams Controls, Inc. (Curtiss-Wright Corporation)
• Inventors: Byler, Jay D., Honyak, James G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dolinar, Andrew M.
• Application Number:
  US07/756,430
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 123/399, 74/513, 180/335
• US Class Current: 123/399
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 26/02 of initiating means or elements
• CPC Class Codes: F05C 2201/021 Aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/38 comprising means to continuously detect pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20534 Accelerator

Abstract

An accelerator foot pedal suspended from a support structure affixed to the front wall of a vehicle cab, a drum at the proximal end of the foot pedal defining, with the support structure, an enclosure which houses an internal rack-and-pinion gearing. A sensor mounted to the support structure generates a control signal representing the angular position of the foot pedal, the rack and pinion translating rotational movement of the foot pedal to an input of the sensor.

Claims

1. In a throttle control system of a vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a throttle controlling computer, a foot pedal arrangement providing input to the throttle controlling computer and including a support structure adapted for mounting onto an upright wall of a vehicle cab, a foot pedal suspended from the support structure and having a pivot journaled to the support structure, sensor means mounted to the support structure for generating a control signal representative of the angular position of the foot pedal, the throttle controlling computer coupled to the sensor means whereby the control signal generated by the sensor means is monitored by the computer for controlling the engine throttle, and means for translating pivotal movement of the foot pedal to an input of the sensor means, the improvement comprising:

the foot pedal and the support structure being conjoined to define an enclosure containing the journaled pivot and the pivotal movement translating means, the pivotal movement translating means moving said sensor input through a first range of angular movement in response to movement of said foot pedal through a second range of angular movement, the first range of angular movement being greater than the second range of angular movement.

2. The foot pedal arrangement of claim 1 wherein the enclosure contains a spring intermediate the foot pedal and the support structure, the spring applying a spring bias to the foot pedal with respect to the support structure.

3. The foot pedal arrangement of claim 2 wherein the spring is a coil spring coaxial with the pivot of the foot pedal.

4. In a throttle control system of a vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a throttle controlling computer, a foot pedal arrangement providing input to the throttle controlling computer and including a support structure adapted for mounting onto an upright wall of a vehicle cab, a foot pedal suspended from the support structure and having a pivot journaled to the support structure, sensor means mounted to the support structure for generating a control signal representative of the angular position of the foot pedal, the throttle controlling computer coupled to the sensor means whereby the control signal generated by the sensor means is monitored by the computer for controlling the engine throttle, and means for translating pivotal movement of the foot pedal to an input of the sensor means, the improvement comprising:

the pivotal movement translating means comprising a rack-and-pinion gearing.

5. The foot pedal arrangement of claim 4 wherein the rack-and-pinion gearing comprises a rack integral with the foot pedal and concentric with the pivot, and a pinion coupled to the input of the sensor means, the pinion being journaled to the support structure.

6. The foot pedal arrangement of claim 4 wherein the rack of the rack-and-pinion gearing is an internal gear interiorly disposed in the support structure.

7. In a throttle control system of a vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a throttle controlling computer, a foot pedal arrangement providing input to the throttle controlling computer, the foot pedal arrangement comprising:

a support structure having a base for mounting onto an upright wall of a vehicle cab, the support structure having an open cylindriform housing with a side wall;

a foot-pedal assembly pivotally suspended from the support structure and including a drive lever, a pedal at a distal end of the drive lever, a drum having an open end and a closed end and conforming generally with the shape of the open cylindriform housing, and a pivot axially disposed in the drum and affixed to the closed end of the drum, the pivot being journaled in the support structure such that the drum and the housing conjoined form an enclosure, the drum and the housing each closing the other;

sensor means mounted on the support structure for generating a control signal representing an angular position of the drive lever of the foot-pedal assembly, the throttle controlling computer coupled to the sensor means whereby the control signal generated by the sensor means is monitored by the computer for controlling the engine throttle; and

means disposed inside the enclosure for translating pivotal movement of the foot-pedal assembly to an input of the sensor means, the pivotal movement translating means being coupled to and responsive to rotation of said drum by causing corresponding rotation of said sensor input, the pivotal movement translating means moving said sensor input through a first range of angular movement in response to movement of said foot pedal through a second range of angular movement, the first range of angular movement being greater than the second range of angular movement.

8. In a throttle control system of a vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a throttle controlling computer, a foot pedal arrangement providing input to the throttle controlling computer and including a support structure adapted for mounting onto an upright wall of a vehicle cab, a foot pedal suspended from the support structure and having a pivot journaled to the support structure, sensor means mounted to the support structure for generating a control signal representative of the angular position of the foot pedal, the throttle controlling computer coupled to the sensor means whereby the control signal generated by the sensor means is monitored by the computer for controlling the engine throttle, and means for translating pivotal movement of the foot pedal to an input of the sensor means, the improvement comprising:

the foot pedal and the support structure being conjoined to define an enclosure containing the journaled pivot and the pivotal movement translating means, the pivotal movement translating means comprising of rack-and-pinion gearing.

9. The foot pedal arrangement of claim 8 wherein the rack-and-pinion gearing comprises a rack integral with the foot pedal and concentric with the pivot, and a pinion having a shaft journaled to the support structure and coupled to the input of the sensor means.

10. In a throttle control system of a vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a throttle controlling computer, a foot pedal arrangement providing input to the throttle controlling computer, the foot pedal arrangement comprising:

a support structure having a base for mounting onto an upright wall of a vehicle cab, the support structure having an open cylindriform housing with a side wall;

a foot-pedal assembly pivotally suspended from the support structure and including a drive lever, a pedal at a distal end of thereof, the drum having an open end and a closed end and conforming generally with the shape of the open cylindriform housing, and pivot axially disposed in the drum and affixed to the closed end of the drum, the pivot being journaled in the support structure such that the drum and the housing conjoined form an enclosure, the drum and the housing each closing the other;

sensor means mounted on the support structure for generating a control signal representing an angular position of the drive lever of the foot-pedal assembly, the throttle controlling computer coupled to the sensor means whereby the control signal generated by the sensor means is monitored by the computer for controlling the engine throttle; and

means disposed inside the enclosure for translating pivotal movement of the foot-pedal assembly to an input of the sensor means, the pivotal movement translating means comprising a rack on an interior wall of the drum and a pinion meshed with the rack and having a shaft journaled to the support structure, the shaft being coupled to the input of the sensor means.

11. In a throttle control system of a vehicle having an engine and a throttle controlling computer, a foot pedal arrangement providing input to the throttle controlling computer, the foot pedal arrangement comprising:

a pedal portion moveable through a first range of angular rotation and spring biased toward an idle extreme of said first range of angular rotation whereby upon urging of said pedal through said first range of angular rotation to a full throttle extreme of said first range of angular rotation said pedal returns under said spring bias to said idle extreme of said first range of angular rotation;

a sensor portion moveable through a second range of angular rotation substantially greater than said first range of angular rotation, an idle extreme of said second range of angular rotation corresponding to said idle extreme of said first range of angular rotation, a full throttle extreme of said second range of angular rotation corresponding to the full throttle extreme of said first range of angular rotation whereby coordinated movement of said sensor through said second range of angular rotation provides sensor output corresponding to pedal positioning within said first range of angular rotation; and

a bi-directional pivotal translation mechanism coupling said pedal portion and said sensor portion whereby movement of said pedal portion from said idle extreme through said full throttle extreme of said first range of angular rotation moves by way of said mechanism said sensor portion from said idle extreme through said full throttle extreme of said second range of angular rotation, and further upon return of said pedal from said full throttle extreme to said idle extreme of said first range of angular rotation under said spring bias said mechanism moves said sensor portion from said full range extreme to said idle extreme of said second range of angular rotation.

12. In a throttle control system of a vehicle having an engine and a throttle controlling computer, a foot pedal arrangement providing input to the throttle controlling computer, the foot pedal arrangement comprising:

a pedal portion moveable through a first range of angular rotation and spring biased toward an idle extreme of said first range of angular rotation whereby upon urging of said pedal through said first range of angular rotation to a full throttle extreme of said first range of angular rotation said pedal returns under said spring bias to said idle extreme of said first range of angular rotation;

a sensor portion moveable through a second range of angular rotation substantially greater than said first range of angular rotation, an idle extreme of said second range of angular rotation corresponding to said idle extreme of said first range of angular rotation, a full throttle extreme of said second range of angular rotation corresponding to the full throttle extreme of said first range of angular rotation whereby coordinated movement of said sensor through said second range of angular rotation provides sensor output corresponding to pedal positioning within said first range of angular rotation; and

a pivotal translation mechanism coupling said pedal portion and said sensor portion whereby movement of said pedal portion from said idle extreme through said full throttle extreme of said first range of angular rotation moves said sensor portion from said idle extreme through said full throttle extreme of said second range of angular rotation, and further upon return of said pedal from said full throttle extreme to said idle extreme of said first range of angular rotation under said spring bias said coupling moves said sensor portion from said full range extreme to said idle extreme of said second range of angular rotation, said coupling mechanism comprising a rack-and-pinion gearing.