Pressure releasable vehicle pedal assembly

• US 6,672,682 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2003
• Issued: 01/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ewing, Kip Alan, Baker, Gerard Edward, Pease, Bruce Frederick, Rupp, Jeffrey Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lavinder, Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pezzlo, Benjamin A.
• Application Number:
  US10/248,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20030094852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 337 Days
• Field of Search: 303/122, 303/122.11, 303/157, 303/177, 303/191, 303/81, 303/1, 180/274, 180/275, 180/282, 180/232, 180/271
• US Class Current: 303/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/065 with means to prevent injuries in case of collision for vehicle pedals in general by moving them from an operative to an out-of-the way position B60R21/09
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/32 with means to prevent injury

Abstract

A releasable brake pedal system 10 for a vehicle includes a pedal assembly 12 operatively engageable by the driver of the vehicle and a hydraulic actuator assembly 20 for generating pressurized hydraulic fluid for actuating one or more brakes 44A-44D. The pedal system 10 further includes a pressure release valve 30 or 30′ coupled in fluid communication with the pressurized hydraulic fluid. The pressure release valve 30 or 30′ is operative to reduce the amount of pressure applied to the brakes 44A-44D during a detected vehicle deceleration indicative of a collision event. The pressure release valve 30 is responsive to a deceleration sensor 40 according to one embodiment, and valve 30′ employs a deceleration sensitive inertial mass 76 according to another embodiment. Accordingly, the pedal system 10 reduces forces that may otherwise be transferred to the pedal assembly 12 during a collision.

Claims

1. A releasable pedal system for an automotive vehicle, said system comprising:

a pedal assembly including a pedal operatively engageable by a vehicle operator;

an actuator assembly for pressurizing a fluid to generate an amount of fluid pressure responsive to the pedal assembly, said actuator assembly comprising a fluid supply reservoir for containing a reserve of non-pressurized fluid; and

a pressure release valve coupled in fluid communication with the pressurized fluid and operable to release pressurized fluid to the fluid supply reservoir so as to reduce the amount of fluid pressure in response to detecting a vehicle collision.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said pedal assembly comprises a brake pedal assembly.

3. The system as defined in claim 1 further comprising a fluid path coupled between the pressure release valve and the fluid supply reservoir.

4. The system as defined in claim 1 further comprising a deceleration sensor for sensing deceleration of the vehicle, wherein said pressure release valve is actuated in response to said sensed deceleration.

5. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said pressure release valve comprises a spring biased inertial mass that is movable in response to deceleration to open a fluid path to reduce the amount of fluid pressure.

6. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said actuator assembly comprises a hydraulic actuator assembly for pressurizing hydraulic fluid.

7. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the actuator assembly further comprises a master cylinder.

8. A method of controlling the fluid pressure in a pedal system having a pedal assembly in a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

containing a reserve of non-pressurized fluid in a fluid supply reservoir;

pressurizing the fluid to generate an amount of fluid pressure in response to actuation of a pedal assembly;

detecting vehicle deceleration indicative of a collision; and

reducing the amount of fluid pressure by releasing pressurized fluid to the fluid supply reservoir in response to said detected vehicle deceleration to reduce collision caused intrusion force transferable to the pedal assembly.

9. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the step of generating an amount of pressurized fluid is performed by an actuator assembly comprising a master cylinder and the fluid supply reservoir.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the step of pressurizing the fluid to generate an amount of fluid pressure comprises actuating the master cylinder of the actuator assembly.

11. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the step of releasing pressurized fluid to the fluid supply reservoir further comprises releasing pressurized fluid to a fluid path in fluid communication with the fluid supply reservoir.

12. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the method controls fluid pressure in a brake pedal system having a brake pedal assembly.

13. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein said step of detecting vehicle deceleration comprises sensing vehicle deceleration with a deceleration sensor.

14. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein said step of detecting vehicle deceleration comprises detecting movement of a spring biased inertial mass and said step of reducing the amount of fluid pressure comprises controlling a valve responsive to movement of the spring biased inertial mass.

15. A releasable pedal system for an automotive vehicle, said system comprising:

a pedal assembly including a pedal operatively engageable by a vehicle operator;

an actuator assembly for generating an amount of pressurized fluid responsive to the pedal assembly; and

a pressure release valve coupled in fluid communication with the pressurized fluid and operable to release pressurized fluid to reduce the amount of pressurized fluid in response to detecting a vehicle collision, wherein the pressure release valve comprises a housing having an inlet port and an outlet port, an inertial mass disposed in the housing and movable in response to deceleration to open a fluid path to reduce the amount of pressurized fluid, and a spring disposed in the housing and biasing the inertial mass to a closed valve position.

16. The system as defined in claim 15, wherein the pedal assembly comprises a brake pedal assembly.

17. The system as defined in claim 15, wherein said actuator assembly comprises a hydraulic actuator assembly for generating pressurized hydraulic fluid.

18. A method of controlling a fluid pressure in a pedal system having a pedal assembly in a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

generating an amount of pressurized fluid in response to actuation of a pedal assembly;

detecting a vehicle deceleration indicative of a collision by providing a spring biased inertial mass that is movable in response to deceleration; and

reducing the amount of pressurized fluid by releasing pressurized fluid in response to movement of the inertial mass that opens a fluid path to reduce the amount of pressurized fluid and thus reduce collision caused intrusion force transferable to the pedal assembly.

19. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the step of reducing the amount of pressurized fluid includes returning the released pressurized fluid to a fluid supply reservoir containing non-pressurized fluid.

20. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the method controls fluid pressure in a brake pedal system having a brake pedal assembly.