Adjustable pedal system with misalignment sensor

• US 6,450,061 B1
• Filed: 08/16/2000
• Issued: 09/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Strattec Power Access LLC (Strattec Security Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (Aptiv PLC)
• Inventors: Gmurowski, Waldemar Wawrzyniec, Chapman, David Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Bonck, Rodney H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, David D.
• Application Number:
  US09/640,384
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 745/12, 745/13, 745/60, 745/22, 74/892.8, 74/893.7, 180/334, 180/326
• 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 74/2054 Signal

Abstract

An adjustable pedal system has a first pedal pivotally attached to the translatable nut of a first jack screw actuator for adjusting the fore and aft position of the first pedal and a second pedal pivotally attached to the translatable nut of a second jack screw actuator for adjusting the fore and aft position of the second pedal and a third pedal pivotally attached to the translatable nut of a third jack screw actuator for adjusting the fore and aft position of the third pedal. An electric motor drives the translatable nuts fore and aft, and a motor control switch assembly controlled by the fore and aft movements of two of the nuts maintain alignment of the three pedals. A memory circuit may be incorporated into the system for moving the pedals to a preselected adjusted position or indicating the preselected adjusted position. The memory circuit may be separate or incorporated in a seat memory module.

Claims

1. An adjustable pedal system comprising,

a first pedal attached to a first moveable member of a first actuator for adjusting position of the first pedal in a fore and aft direction,

a second pedal attached to a second moveable member of a second actuator for adjusting position of the second pedal in the fore and aft direction,

motor means drivingly connected to the first actuator and the second actuator for driving the first and the second moveable members in the fore and aft direction,

the first actuator being driven via a first drive member and the second actuator being driven via a second drive member,

means to maintain the position of the first pedal with respect to the position of the second pedal in the fore and aft direction within a predetermined limit in the event that one of the first and second drive members breaks while another of the first and second drive members remains intact during pedal adjustment.

2. The adjustable pedal system as defined in claim 1 further including memory means comparing the position of one of the first pedal and the second pedal with a preselected position of the one of the first pedal and the second pedal.

3. The adjustable pedal system as defined in claim 1 wherein:

the motor means includes an electric motor, the means to maintain position of the first pedal with respect to the second pedal includes a switch assembly in an electrical circuit that controls operation of the electric motor,

the switch assembly has a first conducting rail and a second conducting rail, and

means drivingly connected to the first and second moveable members that bridge the first and second conducting rails to feed electrical power to the electric motor when the first pedal and the second pedal are aligned and that interrupt electrical power to the electric motor when the first and the second pedals are out of alignment by a predetermined distance.

4. The adjustable pedal system as defined in claim 3 wherein the means drivingly connected to the first and second moveable members comprise a first slide and a second slide disposed in a housing of the switch,

the first slide and the second slide each have a first conducting portion contacting the first conducting rail and the second conducting rail respectively, and

the first slide and the second slide each have a second conducting portion contacting the second conducting portion of the other slide when the first slide and the second slide are aligned,

the first slide and the second slide are drivingly connected to the first and the second moveable members of the first and second actuators respectively so that the relative positions of the first and second slides in the housing correspond to the relative positions of the first and second moveable members of the respective first and second actuators, and

the second contact portions of the first and the second slides break contact with each other when the respective positions of the first and second slides are out of alignment by the predetermined distance to interrupt electrical power to the electric motor.

5. The adjustable pedal system as defined in claim 4 wherein the first slide and the second slide are biased toward one end of the housing by first and second coil springs respectively, that are arranged on parallel centerlines in the housing.

6. The adjustable pedal system as defined in claim 4 further including a memory circuit that includes a potentiometer, the potentiometer having a brush contact on one of the first slide and the second slide that engages a resistance strip and a parallel conducting rail of the memory circuit.

7. The adjustable pedal system as defined in claim 4 wherein the first slide and the second slide are biased toward one end of the housing by first and second coil springs respectively, that are arranged on parallel centerlines in the housing.

8. An adjustable pedal system comprising,

a first pedal pivotally attached to a first translatable nut of a first jack screw actuator for adjusting position of the first pedal in a fore and aft direction,

a second pedal pivotally attached to a second translatable nut of a second jack screw actuator for adjusting position of the second pedal in the fore and aft direction,

an electric motor drivingly connected to the first jack screw actuator and the second jack screw actuator for driving the first and the second translatable nuts in the fore and aft direction,

the first jack screw actuator being driven via a first drive member and the second jack screw being driven via a second drive member, and

means including a switch assembly in an electrical circuit that controls operation of the electric motor to maintain the position of the first pedal with respect to the position of the second pedal in the fore and aft direction within a predetermined limit in the event that one of the first and second drive members breaks while another of the first and second drive members remains intact during pedal adjustment.

9. The adjustable pedal system as defined in claim 8, wherein:

the switch assembly has a first slide and a second slide disposed in a housing,

the housing has first and second internal conducting rails,

the first slide and the second slide each have a first conducting portion contacting the first internal conducting rail and the second internal conducting rail respectively, and

the first slide and the second slide each have a second conducting portion contacting the second conducting portion of the other slide when the first slide and the second slide are aligned,

the first slide and the second slide are drivingly connected to the first translatable nut of the first jack screw actuator and the second translatable nut of the second jack screw actuator respectively so that the relative positions of the first and second slides in the housing correspond to the relative positions of the first and second translatable nuts of the respective first and second jack screw actuators,

the first and second internal conducting rails are part of the electrical circuit that controls operation of the electric motor, and

the switch assembly interrupts electrical power to the electric motor when the respective positions of the first and the second slides are out of alignment by a predetermined distance, the second contact portions of the first and the second slides breaking contact with each other when the respective positions of the first and second slides are out of alignment by the predetermined distance.

10. The adjustable pedal system as defined in claim 9 wherein the first slide and the second slide are biased toward one end of the housing by first and second coil springs respectively, that are arranged on parallel centerlines in the housing.

11. The adjustable pedal system as defined in claim 9 further including a memory circuit that includes a potentiometer, the potentiometer having a brush contact on one of the first slide and the second slide that engages a resistance strip and a parallel conducting rail of the memory circuit.

12. The adjustable pedal system as defined in claim 8 further including memory means comparing the position of one of the first pedal and the second pedal with a preselected position of the one of the first pedal and the second pedal including a potentiometer.

13. The adjustable pedal system as defined in claim 12 wherein:

the switch assembly has a first slide and a second slide disposed in a housing,

the housing has first and second internal conducting rails,

the first slide and the second slide each have a first conducting portion contacting the first internal conducting rail and the second internal conducting rail respectively, and

the first slide and the second slide each have a second conducting portion contacting the second conducting portion of the other slide when the first slide and the second slide are aligned,

the first slide and the second slide are drivingly connected to the first translatable nut of the first jack screw actuator and the second translatable nut of the second jack screw actuator respectively so that the relative positions of the first and second slides in the housing correspond to the relative positions of the first and second translatable nuts of the respective jack screw actuators,

the first and second internal conducting rails are part of the electrical circuit that controls operation of the electric motor, and

the switch assembly interrupts electrical power to the electric motor when the respective positions of the first and the second slides are out of alignment by a predetermined distance, the second contact portions of the first and the second slides breaking contact with each other when the respective positions of the first and second slides are out of alignment by the predetermined distance.

14. The adjustable pedal system as defined in claim 13 wherein the potentiometer has a brush contact on one of the first slide and the second slide that engages an electrical resistance strip and a conducting rail that is spaced from and disposed parallel to the electrical resistance strip.

15. The adjustable pedal system as defined in claim 14 wherein the electrical resistance strip and the parallel conducting rail are attached to a cover of the housing.

16. An adjustable pedal system comprising,

a first pedal pivotally attached to a first translatable nut of a first jack screw actuator for adjusting position of the first pedal in a fore and aft direction,

a second pedal pivotally attached to a second translatable nut of a second jack screw actuator for adjusting position of the second pedal in the fore and aft direction,

a third pedal pivotally attached to a third translatable nut of a third jack screw actuator for adjusting position of the third pedal in the fore and aft direction,

an electric motor being drivingly connected to the first jack screw actuator by a first rotary member, the electric motor being drivingly connected to the second jack screw actuator by a second rotary member via the first jack screw actuator and the first rotary member, and the electric motor being drivingly connected to the third jack screw actuator by a third rotary member via the first and second jack screw actuators and the first and second rotary members for driving the first, the second and the third translatable nuts in the fore and aft direction, and

means to maintain the positions of the first pedal, the second pedal and the third pedal with respect to each other in the fore and aft direction including a switch assembly in an electrical circuit that controls operation of the electric motor,

the switch assembly having a first slide and a second slide each having a conducting portion contacting the conducting portion of the other when the slides are aligned,

the first slide and the second slide being drivingly connected to the first translatable nut and the third translatable nut respectively.

17. An adjustable pedal system comprising,

a first pedal pivotally attached to a first translatable nut of a first jack screw actuator for adjusting position of the first pedal in a fore and aft direction,

a second pedal pivotally attached to a second translatable nut of a second jack screw actuator for adjusting position of the second pedal in the fore and aft direction,

a third pedal pivotally attached to a third translatable nut of a third jack screw actuator for adjusting position of the third pedal in the fore and aft direction,

an electric motor being drivingly connected to the first jack screw actuator, the second jack screw actuator and the third jack screw actuator for driving the first nut, the second nut and the third nut in the fore and aft direction,

the electric motor being drivingly connected to the first jack screw actuator by a first rotary member and the electric motor being drivingly connected to the second jack screw actuator and the third jack screw actuator via the first jack screw actuator and the first rotary member, and

means to maintain the positions of the first pedal, the second pedal and the third pedal with respect to each other in the fore and aft direction including a switch assembly in an electrical circuit that controls operation of the electric motor,

the switch assembly having a first slide and a second slide each having a conducting portion contacting the conducting portion of the other when the slides are aligned,

the first slide being drivingly connected to the first translatable nut and the second slide being connected to either the second translatable nut or the third translatable nut.

18. An adjustable pedal system comprising,

a first pedal attached to a first moveable member of a first actuator for adjusting position of the first pedal in a fore and aft direction,

a second pedal attached to a second moveable member of a second actuator for adjusting position of the second pedal in the fore and aft direction,

an electric motor drivingly connected to the first actuator and the second actuator for driving the first and the second moveable members in the fore and aft direction,

the first actuator being driven via a first rotary cable and the second actuator being driven via a second rotary cable, and

means to maintain the position of the first pedal with respect to the position of the second pedal in the fore and aft direction within a predetermined limit in the event that one of the first and second rotary cables breaks while the other rotary cable remains intact during pedal adjustment.

19. The adjustable pedal system as defined in claim 18 wherein:

the means to maintain position of the first pedal with respect to the second pedal includes a switch assembly in an electrical circuit that controls operation of the electric motor,

the switch assembly has a first conducting rail and a second conducting rail, and means drivingly connected to the first and second moveable members that bridge the first and second conducting rails to supply electrical power to the electric motor when the first pedal and the second pedal are aligned and that undo the bridge to interrupt electrical power to the electric motor when the first and the second pedals are out of alignment by a predetermined distance.

20. The adjustable pedal system as defined in claim 19 wherein the means drivingly connected to the first and second moveable members comprise a first slide and a second slide disposed in a housing of the switch,

the first slide and the second slide each have a first conducting portion contacting the first conducting rail and the second conducting rail respectively, and

the first slide and the second slide each have a second conducting portion contacting the second conducting portion of the other slide when the first slide and the second slide are aligned,

the first slide and the second slide are drivingly connected to the first and the second moveable members of the first and second actuators respectively so that the relative positions of the first and second slides in the housing correspond to the relative positions of the first and second moveable members of the respective first and second actuators, and

the second contact portions of the first and the second slides breaking contact with each other when the respective positions of the first and second slides are out of alignment by the predetermined distance to interrupt electrical power to the electric motor.