Adjustable pedal apparatus
First Claim
1. An adjustable pedal apparatus comprising:
- a support configured for attachment to a vehicle; and
a pedal-supporting subassembly with an upper portion pivotally engaging the support, a lower portion supporting a pedal construction, and an adjustment mechanism connecting the upper and lower portions, the adjustment mechanism including a longitudinally elongated track having a transverse cross section with an elongated vertical dimension defined by upper and lower flanges that stiffen the track, and including a follower slidably engaging the track, wherein the upper and lower flanges define top and bottom slots and wherein the follower includes opposing edges that slidably engage the slots.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A pedal-supporting apparatus includes a bracket support configured to pivotally support a brake pedal subassembly and an accelerator pedal subassembly. The brake pedal subassembly includes a first upper portion and a brake pedal coupled to the first upper portion by an adjustment device comprising a vertically-elongated C-shaped track and follower. A rack on the track is engaged by a worm gear for adjusting the brake pedal location. The accelerator pedal subassembly is supported by an adjustment device like the brake pedal subassembly, and has a second rack on its track engaged by a worm gear for adjusting the accelerator pedal location. A reversible electric motor includes a rotatable shaft and a driving gear, and gear-driven cables engage the driving gear and extend to the worm gears so that the brake pedal and accelerator pedal are simultaneously and equally adjusted upon actuation of the motor. The tracks can be linear or arcuate.
88 Citations
39 Claims
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1. An adjustable pedal apparatus comprising:
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a support configured for attachment to a vehicle; and
a pedal-supporting subassembly with an upper portion pivotally engaging the support, a lower portion supporting a pedal construction, and an adjustment mechanism connecting the upper and lower portions, the adjustment mechanism including a longitudinally elongated track having a transverse cross section with an elongated vertical dimension defined by upper and lower flanges that stiffen the track, and including a follower slidably engaging the track, wherein the upper and lower flanges define top and bottom slots and wherein the follower includes opposing edges that slidably engage the slots. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
an accelerator pedal-supporting subassembly pivotally engaging the support, the accelerator pedal-supporting subassembly including an upper portion with a second track having a transverse cross section with an elongated vertical dimension defined by upper and lower second flanges that stiffen the second track;
a second actuator coupled to the accelerator pedal-supporting subassembly and adapted for operative connection to a second control system of a vehicle for operating the second control system when the accelerator pedal-supporting subassembly is moved;
the subassembly further including an accelerator pedal construction including a downwardly hanging accelerator pedal and a second follower slidably engaging the second track; and
a second adjuster for adjusting the accelerator pedal construction including a second rack oriented parallel the second linear track and attached to one of the second track and the accelerator pedal construction, and further including a second driven gear operably supported on the other of the second track and the accelerator pedal construction for operably engaging the second rack to adjust the accelerator pedal construction along the second track, the motor being also connected to the second driven gear for rotating the second driven gear.
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7. The adjustable pedal apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the track is elongated and comprises a curved channel defining a virtual pivot.
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8. The adjustable pedal apparatus defined in claim 7, wherein the follower has a hat-shaped cross section that is elongated to define a curve complementary to the track.
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9. The adjustable pedal apparatus defined in claim 8, wherein the hat-shape of the follower defines a longitudinally extending recess, and including a row of teeth formed along the recess.
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10. The adjustable pedal apparatus defined in claim 9, including a gear box adapted to receive and engage an actuator cable, the gear box including a gear operably engaged with the row of teeth and including a driving member configured to rotate the gear and to be rotated by the actuator cable.
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11. The adjustable pedal apparatus defined in claim 7, where the virtual pivot is spaced between 350 mm to 800 mm from the pedal pad.
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12. The adjustable pedal apparatus defined in claim 11, where the virtual pivot is spaced between 400 mm and 700 mm from the pedal pad.
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13. The adjustable pedal apparatus defined in claim 12, where the virtual pivot is spaced between 500 mm and 600 mm from the pedal pad.
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14. The adjustable pedal apparatus defined in claim 7, where the ratio of the distance of the virtual pivot from the pedal pad, divided by the distance of the virtual pivot to the centerline of the curved track, is in a range of 1.3:
- 1 to 3.5;
1.
- 1 to 3.5;
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15. The adjustable pedal apparatus defined in claim 14, the ratio of the distance of the virtual pivot from the pedal pad, divided by the distance of the virtual pivot to the centerline of the curved track, is in a range of 1.5:
- 1 to 2.5;
1.
- 1 to 2.5;
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16. The adjustable pedal apparatus defined in claim 15, where the ratio of the distance of the virtual pivot from the pedal pad, divided by the distance of the virtual pivot to the centerline of the curved track, is in a range of 1.5:
- 1 to 2.0;
1.
- 1 to 2.0;
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17. The pedal apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the adjustment mechanism includes an adjuster for adjusting the lower portion including a rack oriented parallel the track and attached to one of the track and the upper portion, and further including a driven gear operably supported on the other of the track and the pedal construction for operably engaging the rack to adjust the pedal construction along the track.
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18. The pedal apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the opposing edges include bearing material attached to the edges and slides within the slots, the bearing material chosen and configured to provide a constant level of friction.
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19. An adjustable pedal apparatus comprising:
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a support configured for attachment to a vehicle;
a first pedal-supporting subassembly with a first upper portion pivotally engaging the support, a first lower portion supporting a first pedal construction, and a first adjustment mechanism connecting the first upper and lower portions, the first adjustment mechanism including a first curved track and a first follower slidably engaging the first track that define a first virtual pivot; and
a first adjuster for adjusting the first pedal construction including a first rack extending along the first track and attached to one of the first track and the first pedal construction, and further including a first driven gear operably supported on the other of the first track and the first pedal construction for operably engaging the first rack to adjust the first pedal construction along the first track, a second pedal-supporting subassembly including a second upper portion with a second curved track having a cross section with an elongated vertical dimension and having upper and lower second flanges that stiffen the second track;
the subassembly further including a second pedal construction including a downwardly hanging pedal and a second follower slidably engaging the second curved track; and
a second adjuster for adjusting the second pedal construction including a second rack oriented along the second track and attached to one of the second track and the second pedal construction, and further including a second driven gear operably supported on the other of the second track and the second pedal construction for operably engaging the second rack to adjust the second pedal construction along the second track, and further including a second drive cable operably connected to the first driven gear and to the second driven gear for rotating the second driven gear. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. An adjustable pedal apparatus comprising:
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an upper portion adapted for attachment to a vehicle support;
a lower lever portion supporting a pedal pad; and
an adjustment mechanism connecting the upper and lower portions, the adjustment mechanism including a curved track and a follower slidably engaging the track to define a virtual pivot spaced away from the track so that the pedal pad follows a predetermined path as the follower is slidably adjusted along the curved track, whereby the follower travels a shorter distance than the pedal pad during adjustment of the adjustment mechanism, wherein the follower includes a row of teeth, and wherein the adjustment mechanism includes a three-dimensional one-piece body defining a first side of the track and integrally-formed flanges forming another side of the track, the adjustment mechanism including gearing and the body further including a window for receiving and operably supporting the gearing adjacent the track so that the gearing operably engages the row of teeth for motivating the follower along the track. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification