Acceleration and braking mechanism kit for a vehicle

• US 9,823,685 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2014
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Bledsoe, Jeffry Michael, Billot, Darin R., Kinney, Joseph, Duncan, Jack
• Primary Examiner(s): Dolak, James M
• Application Number:
  US14/562,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20160161974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• Field of Search: 745015 R, 745015 H, 74512, 74513, 74514, 74560
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/54 Controlling members specially adapted for actuation by auxiliary operating members or extensions; Operating members or extensions therefor (pedal extensions)

Abstract

An acceleration and braking mechanism kit autonomously controls a vehicle brake pedal and a vehicle accelerator pedal. The kit includes a support bracket and bell crank supported on the support bracket for connection with an acceleration pedal or a brake pedal of the vehicle. An actuator is connected to the bell crank for moving the bell crank. A first base bracket is configured to mount to a first vehicle. A second base bracket is configured to mount to a second vehicle. The first base bracket and the second base bracket each include a mounting feature. The support bracket includes a mounting base alternately engageable with the mounting feature of the first base bracket and the mounting feature of the second base bracket such that the support bracket may be mounted to the first base bracket in the first vehicle or to the second base bracket in the second vehicle.

Claims

1. An acceleration and braking mechanism kit comprising:

a support bracket;

a bell crank supported on the support bracket for connection with one of a vehicle acceleration pedal and a vehicle brake pedal;

an actuator connected to the bell crank for moving the bell crank;

a first base bracket mountable to a first vehicle; and

a second base bracket mountable to a second vehicle different than the first vehicle;

the first base bracket and the second base bracket each including a mounting feature, the support bracket including a mounting base alternately engageable with the mounting feature of the first base bracket or the mounting feature of the second base bracket;

wherein the first base bracket includes a first vehicle mounting feature mountable to the first vehicle, and the second base bracket includes a second vehicle mounting feature different than the first mounting feature and mountable to the second vehicle; and

wherein the first vehicle mounting feature includes a pair of flanges engageable with the first vehicle, and the second vehicle mounting feature includes a pair of second flanges engageable with the second vehicle, wherein a distance between the pair of flanges is different than a distance between the pair of second flanges, wherein each of the pair of flanges and each of the pair of second flanges includes a hole, and wherein a distance between the holes of the pair of flanges is different than a distance between the holes of the pair of second flanges.

2. The kit as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a pusher connected to the bell crank for placement between the bell crank and the one of the acceleration pedal and the brake pedal.

3. The kit as set forth in claim 2 further comprising a pin removably connecting the pusher to the bell crank.

4. The kit as set forth in claim 2 wherein the pusher includes a cylinder and a rod extending from the cylinder along the axis and being adjustable relative to the cylinder along the axis.

5. The kit as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a torsion spring between the bell crank and the support bracket.

6. The kit as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first vehicle mounting feature includes a flange engageable with the first vehicle and the second vehicle mounting feature includes a second flange different than the flange of the first bracket and engageable with the second vehicle.

7. The kit as set forth in claim 6 wherein the flanges of the first bracket and the second bracket each include a hole for receiving a fastener to engage the vehicle.

8. The kit as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a control system in communication with actuator for controlling the actuator.

9. The kit as set forth in claim 1 wherein the mounting base of the support bracket includes holes and the mounting features of the first bracket and the second bracket include corresponding holes for receiving fasteners to engage the mounting base to alternately engage the support bracket to the first bracket or the second bracket.

10. The kit as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a spindle supported on the support bracket with the bell crank supported on the spindle.

11. The kit as set forth in claim 1 wherein the actuator is a linear actuator including a cable connected to the bell crank and a mechanism connected to the cable for extending and retracting the cable.

12. The kit as set forth in claim 11 wherein the mechanism is supported on the support bracket.

13. The kit as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a second support bracket and a second bell crank supported on the second support bracket for connection with the other of the acceleration pedal and the brake pedal of the vehicle.

14. The kit as set forth in claim 13 wherein the first base bracket and the second base bracket each include a second mounting feature and wherein the second support bracket includes a mounting base alternately engageable with the second mounting feature of the first base bracket or the second mounting feature of the second base bracket.

15. The kit as set forth in claim 14 further comprising a second actuator connected to the second bell crank for moving the second bell crank.

16. A system comprising:

a first vehicle and a second vehicle;

a support bracket;

a bell crank supported on the support bracket;

an actuator connected to the bell crank;

a first base bracket including a first vehicle mounting feature mounted to the first vehicle;

a second base bracket including a second vehicle mounting feature different than the first vehicle mounting feature, the second vehicle mounting feature being mounted to the second vehicle;

the first base bracket and the second base bracket each including a mounting feature, the support bracket including a mounting base alternately engageable with the mounting feature of the first base bracket or the mounting feature of the second base bracket; and

wherein the first vehicle mounting feature includes a pair of flanges, and the second vehicle mounting feature includes a pair of second flanges, wherein a distance between the pair of flanges is different than a distance between the pair of second flanges, wherein each of the pair of flanges and each of the pair of second flanges includes a hole, wherein a distance between the holes of the pair of flanges is different than a distance between the holes of the pair of second flanges, and wherein fasteners connect the first base bracket to the first vehicle through the holes in the pair of flanges and connect the second base bracket to the second vehicle through the holes in the pair of second flanges.

17. The system as set forth in claim 16 wherein the first vehicle includes a seat having a base, and the second vehicle includes a seat having a base having a different configuration than the base of the seat of the first vehicle, the pair of flanges of the first vehicle mounting feature being mounted to the base of the seat of the first vehicle, and the pair of second flanges of the second vehicle mounting feature being mounted to the base of the seat of the second vehicle.

18. The system as set forth in claim 16 wherein the mounting base of the support bracket includes holes and the mounting features of the first bracket and the second bracket include holes aligned with the holes in the mounting base of the support bracket for receiving fasteners to engage the mounting base to alternately engage the support bracket to the first bracket or the second bracket.