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Pedal assembly having a hysteresis mechanism

  • US 7,503,236 B2
  • Filed: 04/24/2007
  • Issued: 03/17/2009
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2005
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A pedal assembly for use in association with a vehicle, comprising:

  • a pedal support adapted for mounting to the vehicle, said pedal support including a pivot shaft extending along a pivot axis, said pivot shaft having an outer circumference and an outer bearing surface formed directly on said outer circumference of said pivot shaft;

    a pedal arm including a lever portion and a mounting portion, said mounting portion rotatably engaged to said pivot shaft to allow pivotal movement of said pedal arm about said pivot axis;

    a clamp arm pivotally coupled to said pedal arm, said clamp arm having a compression surface facing said bearing surface of said pivot shaft;

    a biasing member engaged between said pedal support and said clamp arm and arranged to apply a biasing force to said clamp arm to pivot said clamp arm relative to said pedal arm and toward said pivot shaft to provide direct frictional engagement between said compression surface of said clamp arm and said bearing surface of said pivot shaft;

    wherein said mounting portion of said pedal arm defines a space and wherein said mounting portion includes a pair of oppositely disposed flanges defining said space therebetween with said clamp arm positioned within said space, said biasing member arranged to apply said biasing force to said clamp arm to pivotally displace said clamp arm within said space of said mounting portion toward said pivot shaft to provide said direct frictional engagement between said compression surface of said clamp arm and said bearing surface of said pivot shaft; and

    wherein application of an activation force onto said lever portion of said pedal arm provides said pivotal movement of said pedal arm about said pivot axis, said pivotal movement of said pedal arm increasing said biasing force applied to said clamp arm by said biasing member to correspondingly increase said frictional engagement between said compression surface of said clamp arm and said bearing surface of said pivot shaft to provide increased resistance to further pivotal movement of said pedal arm about said pivot axis.

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