Adjustable pedal assembly

• US 6,298,745 B1
• Filed: 03/18/1999
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: KSR IP Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Comfort Pedals, Inc.
• Inventors: Bortolon, Christopher, Rixon, Christopher J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Green, Mary Ann
• Application Number:
  US09/271,571
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 745/14, 745/13, 745/60, 745/12, 297/330
• US Class Current: 74/512
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 26/021 with means for providing feel, e.g. by changing pedal force characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/586 the retarders being of the electric type
• 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: B60T 8/3255 Systems in which the braking action is dependent on brake pedal data
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/405 infinitely adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20528 Foot operated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2054 Signal

Abstract

An adjustable control pedal assembly for a motor vehicle. The pedal assembly includes an upper hub structure and a pedal arm extending downwardly from the hub structure and mounting the pedal pad. The hub structure is slidably mounted on a single hollow guide rod extending rearwardly from a transmission housing which in turn is rigidly secured to a pivot arm. The pivot arm is pivotally mounted to a bracket secured to the firewall of the vehicle. A nut is positioned slidably within the hollow guide rod and a screw shaft extends rearwardly from the transmission housing for threaded engagement with the nut. The upper end of the pedal arm extends upwardly through a slot in the bottom of the hub structure and through a slot in the bottom of the guide rod and the nut is positioned on the upper end of the pedal arm within the hub so that linear movement of the nut within the hollow rod as generated by rotation of the screw shaft results in forward and rearward movement of the pedal assembly along the guide rod. The adjustable pedal assembly includes an actuating mechanism for remotely controlling the pedal to move the pedal to a desired position. The adjustable pedal assembly also includes a memory control for storing at least one pre-selected pedal position. The memory control can be remotely activated by an actuating mechanism to move the pedal to the pre-selected pedal position.

Claims

1. An adjustable pedal apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a carrier for movement relative to a vehicle structure;

a support assembly mounting said carrier for fore and aft movement relative to the vehicle structure;

a drive assembly for providing said fore and aft movement of said carrier along said support assembly;

at least one pedal operatively connected to said carrier for pivotal movement independent of said fore and aft movement of said carrier along said support assembly; and

an actuating mechanism for remotely controlling said drive assembly to move said pedal to a desired position relative to the vehicle structure,

said support assembly including a mounting bracket mounted to the vehicle structure, a guide rod extending in a cantilevered fashion from said mounting bracket, and a screw shaft mounted parallel to said guide rod;

said carrier including a pedal guide connected to said pedal and slidably disposed on said guide rod for fore and aft movement relative to said rod; and

said drive assembly including a motor and a drive member for rotating said screw shaft to move said pedal guide along said guide rod.