Adjustable control pedal assembly for motor vehicle

• US 6,443,028 B1
• Filed: 10/02/2000
• Issued: 09/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Brock, Thomas Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Bucci, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stefanon, Justin
• Application Number:
  US09/676,571
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 745/12, 745/13, 745/60
• US Class Current: 74/512
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/405 infinitely adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20528 Foot operated

Abstract

An adjustable control pedal assembly for a motor vehicle, presenting a compact arrangement of throttle control and brake pedals having a fixed spatial relationship throughout a range of adjustability. The pedals present a constant control set to the operator of the motor vehicle throughout the range of adjustability both in their separation distances, pedal face step-over relationship, and the attitude of the pedal faces with respect to the vehicle operator.

Claims

1. A control pedal assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a first pedal,

a second pedal,

a cradle for pivotally connecting the first and second pedals to the motor vehicle, and

a pedal positioning assembly including,

a first controllable linear displacement mechanism pivotally mounted to the cradle and

a second controllable linear displacement mechanism pivotally mounted to one of the first pedal and the second pedal,

wherein consonant movement of the first and second linear displacement mechanisms results in movement of the first and second pedals such that they maintain a uniform attitude.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first controllable linear displacement mechanism comprises a first motor-driven ball screw threadably connected with a drive nut pivotally mounted to the cradle.

3. The assembly of claim 1, herein the second controllable linear displacement mechanism comprises a second motor-driven ball screw threadably connected with a second drive nut pivotally mounted to one of the first pedal and the second pedal.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second ball screws are driven by a single motor.

5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the first and second ball screws have different thread pitches.

6. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the first and second ball screws have the same thread pitch.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the second ball screw further comprises a rotation socket operably connected to a brake push rod.

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the rotation socket is pivotally connected to the brake push rod.

9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second ball screws are configured to simultaneously position the cradle and the one of the first and second pedals, whereby the first pedal maintains a fixed spatial relationship to the second pedal throughout the range of adjustability.

10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first pedal is operably connected to a throttle control, and the throttle control is an electronic throttle control pivotally connected to the cradle at the pedal pivot axis.

11. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first pedal is configured to be in a fixed spatial relationship to the second pedal throughout the range of adjustability.

12. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first pedal is configured to maintain a constant attitude to an operator of the vehicle throughout the range of adjustability.

13. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the second pedal is a brake pedal adapted to be operably and adjustably connected to a brake push rod.

14. The assembly of claim 13, wherein a ball screw rotates in a rotation hub pivotally connected to the brake push rod, and wherein the rotation hub and brake push rod are restricted to move in an arc by an idler arm adapted to be pivotally connected at a first end to the vehicle and at a second end to the rotation hub and brake push rod.

15. A control pedal assembly for a motor vehicle comprising:

a cradle, wherein the cradle is adapted to be pivotally mounted to the motor vehicle about a cradle pivot axis,

a brake pedal, wherein the brake pedal is pivotally mounted to the cradle about a brake pedal pivot axis,

an electronic throttle control, wherein the electronic throttle control includes a throttle control pedal and is connected to a bracket pivotally mounted to the cradle about the brake pedal pivot axis, and

a pedal positioning assembly for adjustably positioning the pedals within a range of adjustability, wherein the pedal positioning assembly comprises a first controllable linear displacement mechanism pivotally mounted to the cradle and a second controllable linear displacement mechanism pivotally mounted to one of the brake pedal and the throttle control pedal, and wherein the cradle is pivotable about the cradle pivot axis by the first controllable linear displacement mechanism throughout a range of adjustability.

16. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the pedal positioning assembly is configured to adjustably position the cradle about the cradle pivot axis.

17. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the throttle control pedal is arranged with a fixed spatial relationship to the brake pedal.

18. The assembly of claim 17, wherein the pedal positioning assembly is configured to maintain the spatial relationship of the throttle control pedal and the brake pedal throughout the range of adjustability.

19. The assembly of claim 18, wherein the assembly includes a guide pin configured to ride in a guide pin slot for maintaining the throttle control pedal at a constant attitude.

20. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the pedal positioning assembly is further configured to adjustably position the brake pedal relative to a brake booster push rod.

21. The assembly of claim 20, wherein the brake pedal maintains a constant attitude to an operator of the motor vehicle throughout the range of adjustability.

22. The assembly of claim 21, wherein the pedal positioning assembly is configured to maintain the spatial relationship of the throttle control pedal and the brake pedal throughout the range of adjustability.

23. The assembly of claim 22, wherein the throttle control pedal presents a constant attitude to an operator of the motor vehicle throughout the range of adjustability.

24. The assembly of claim 23, wherein the assembly includes a guide pin configured to ride in a guide pin slot for maintaining the throttle control pedal at the constant attitude.

25. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the pedal positioning assembly is configured to maintain the spatial relationship of the throttle control pedal and the brake pedal throughout the range of adjustability.