Adjustable pedal assembly

• US 7,051,613 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2003
• Issued: 05/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KSR IP Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: KSR Industrial Corporation
• Inventors: O'Neill, Dan, Kelloway, Dave, Burton, Pat, Soteros, Rob
• Primary Examiner(s): LUONG, VINH
• Application Number:
  US10/447,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20030192394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 745/12, 745/13, 745/14, 745/22, 745/60
• US Class Current: 74/512
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/405 infinitely adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20528 Foot operated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20534 Accelerator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20888 Pedals

Abstract

An adjustable pedal assembly for a vehicle includes an adjustment bracket adapted for mounting on a vehicle, and the adjustment bracket includes a pair of outwardly extending side portions having a vertically extending arcuate slot. The adjustable pedal assembly also includes a pedal arm pivotally attached to the adjustment bracket using a pivot pin, such that an end of the pivot pin is slidably disposed within the arcuate slot in the adjustment bracket. The adjustable pedal assembly further includes a pedal pad mounted to the pedal arm, and a pedal adjustment mechanism operatively attached to the pedal arm, for adjusting the position of the pedal arm along a predetermined path, such that the pivot pin is slidably positioned in the arcuate slot relative to the predetermined path of the pedal arm to ergonomically position the pedal pad.

Claims

1. An adjustable pedal assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a support bracket for attaching the pedal assembly to the vehicle;

a vertically extending adjustment bracket pivotally mounted to said support bracket at a fixed, stationary pivot point, wherein an upper end of the adjustment bracket includes a pair of outwardly extending side portions, with each side portion having one generally vertically extending arcuate slot;

a one piece pedal arm, wherein an upper end of said pedal arm is pivotally attached to said adjustment bracket at a single attachment point using one pivot pin, such that each end of said pivot pin is slidably disposed within the corresponding one vertically extending arcuate slot in each side portion of said adjustment bracket to adjustably position said pedal arm relative to said adjustment bracket along a vertically oriented arcuate line;

a pedal pad mounted to a lower end of said pedal arm; and

a pedal adjustment mechanism fixedly attached to a mid-portion of said pedal arm, for adjusting the position of said pedal arm relative to said adjustment bracket by slidably positioning said pivot pin in the corresponding one vertically extending arcuate slot in each side portion to ergonomically position the pedal pad.

2. A pedal assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the support bracket includes a mounting surface and a support arm extending from the mounting surface.

3. A pedal assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said adjustment bracket is a channel-shaped member and each of said side portions extend outwardly from an upper portion of said adjustment bracket.

4. A pedal assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein an end of said pivot pin is elongated so that the pedal arm is slidably supported in the arcuate slot.

5. The pedal assembly of claim 1, wherein said pedal adjusting mechanism includes a screw member and a drive mechanism, one end of said screw member is pivotally connected to said pedal arm.

6. An adjustable accelerator pedal assembly for a vehicle for ergonomically adjusting the position of the accelerator pedal assembly relative to an operator of the vehicle comprising:

a vertically extending adjustment bracket adapted for pivotal mounting on a vehicle at a fixed, stationary pivot point, wherein an upper end of the adjustment bracket includes a pair of outwardly extending side portions, with each side portion having one generally vertically extending arcuate slot;

a one piece pedal arm disposed between each side portion of said adjustment bracket, wherein an upper end of said pedal arm is pivotally attached to said adjustment bracket at a single attachment point using one pivot pin, such that each end of said pivot pin is slidably supported in the corresponding one vertically extending arcuate slot in each side portion of said adjustment bracket to adjustably position said pedal arm relative to said adjustment bracket along a vertically oriented arcuate line;

a pedal pad mounted to a lower end of said pedal arm; and

an accelerator pedal adjustment mechanism fixedly attached to a mid-portion of said pedal arm, for adjusting the position of said pedal arm relative to said adjustment bracket by slidably positioning said pivot pin in the corresponding one vertically extending arcuate slot in each side portion to ergonomically position the pedal pad.

7. An accelerator pedal assembly as set forth in claim 6, wherein said adjustment bracket is a vertically oriented channel-shaped member and each of said side portions extend outwardly from an upper portion of said adjustment bracket.

8. An accelerator pedal assembly as set forth in claim 6, wherein said pedal adjusting mechanism includes a screw member and a drive mechanism, and one end of said screw member is pivotally connected to said pedal arm.

9. An adjustable accelerator pedal assembly for a vehicle for ergonomically adjusting the position of the accelerator pedal assembly relative to an operator of the vehicle comprising:

a vertically oriented adjustment bracket wherein a lower end of said adjustment bracket is adapted for pivotal mounting on a vehicle at a fixed, stationary pivot point, and an upper end of said adjustment bracket includes a pair of outwardly extending side portions and each side portion includes one generally vertically extending arcuate slot;

a one piece pedal arm, wherein an upper end of said pedal arm is pivotally attached to said adjustment bracket at a single attachment point using one pivot pin, such that each end of said pivot pin is slidably supported in the corresponding one arcuate slot in each side portion of said adjustment bracket to adjustably position said pedal arm relative to said adjustment bracket along a vertically oriented arcuate line;

a pedal pad mounted to a lower end of said pedal arm; and

an accelerator pedal adjustment mechanism fixedly connected to a mid-portion of said pedal arm for adjusting the position of said pedal arm relative to said adjustment bracket, wherein said pedal adjusting mechanism includes a screw member and a drive mechanism, and one end of said screw member is pivotally connected to the mid-portion of said pedal arm, and said pedal adjusting mechanism slidably positions said pivot pin in the one arcuate slot relative to the vertically oriented arcuate movement of the pedal arm, to ergonomically position the pedal pad.