A reaction force control system configured to control a reaction force applied to a pedal without reducing an operational feeling. A controller reduces a reaction force applied to the pedal mildly from a second reaction force to a first reaction force at a rate D upon satisfaction of a predetermined condition. The rate D is determined based on a depression of the pedal, a pedal force applied to the pedal, an elapsed time, or a predetermined function.

This accelerator pedal device includes a pedal arm having an accelerator pedal, a housing that supports the pedal arm so as to be capable of swinging about a prescribed axis line between a rest position and a maximum push position, a slider that slides over an inner wall of the housing, a contact part formed on the pedal arm in order to exert pressing force while separably coining into contact with the slider, and an urging spring disposed between the housing and the slider so that the urging force pressing the slider against the inner wall and the contact part increases in accordance with the pushing of the accelerator pedal.

Vehicle systems are disclosed. A vehicle system includes one or more sensors, a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal, a steering wheel actuator, an accelerator pedal actuator, and a controller. The controller is communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors and the steering sensitivity adjusting unit. The controller includes at least one processor and at least one memory module storing computer readable and executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to detect an object based on output from the one or more sensors, and send to the steering sensitivity adjusting unit an instruction for adjusting a sensitivity of the steering wheel in response to detecting the object.

A vehicle control system is provided, which includes a steering angle detector configured to detect a steering angle of a steering wheel by the operator, the steering wheel is mounted on the vehicle, a speed detector configured to detect a traveling speed of the vehicle, a reaction-force generator configured to generate a reaction force of the steering wheel, and a controller. The controller includes a processor configured to execute a lateral acceleration calculating module to calculate a lateral acceleration based on the traveling speed and the steering angle, a rigidity characteristic setting module to set the reaction force so that a rigidity value that is a ratio of the reaction force to the steering angle increases as the lateral acceleration increases, and a reaction-force control module to control the reaction-force generator so that the reaction force becomes the reaction-force value set by the rigidity characteristic setting module.

A vehicular pedal device includes a stroke characteristic control unit that controls a stroke characteristic of the vehicular pedal with respect to a pedaling force of a driver. the stroke characteristic control unit changes the stroke characteristic of the vehicular pedal to a stepped stroke characteristic when the vehicle is under automatic speed control, and the stepped stroke characteristic has a stepping force step corresponding to an override stroke position at which override of automatic speed control is started by operation of the vehicular pedal by the driver.

A pedal unit for a motor vehicle may include a multiplicity of cylinder elements which are guided one inside the other in a telescopic fashion along a movement axis, a pedal face for a user, one or more spring elements, and a sensor unit. The pedal face may be coupled to one of the cylinder elements. Each of the spring elements is configured to interact with two cylinder elements assigned thereto, as a result of which, when the pedal face is activated an opposing force can be generated at the pedal face, the opposing force depending progressively on movement travel of the pedal face. The sensor unit may be configured to generate an output signal that is dependent on activation of the pedal face.

An accelerator pedal system includes a pedal lever, a lock mechanism, an actuator, and an ECU. The pedal lever operates according to a step-on operation. The lock mechanism can restrict an operation of the pedal lever. The actuator switches between a locked state in which the operation of the pedal lever is restricted by the lock mechanism and an unlocked state in which the operation of the pedal lever is not restricted. The ECU includes an actuator control unit and a vehicle drive force control unit. The actuator control unit controls a drive of the actuator. When, during a travel of a vehicle in the locked state, (i) a disturbance is detected and (ii) the locked state is released, the vehicle drive control unit suppresses a vehicle drive force according to an opening degree of the pedal lever than a no disturbance situation.

In order to provide a pedal for a motor vehicle in which restoration of the pedal arm to its rest position is improved, it is proposed that a friction system has a rocker and the first return spring is disposed between the separate friction element and the rocker such that when the pedal arm moves in the direction of its maximum actuation position, the rocker is pressed against a friction surface of the separate friction elements in a friction force-generating manner, wherein the separate friction element is connected to the pedal arm in a compressive force-transmitting manner by means of the at least one first return spring, a bearing part for a second return spring, and a connecting element, and wherein the second return spring is disposed between the bearing part and the base part or the bearing part and the rocker.

A pedal unit for a motor vehicle may include a multiplicity of cylinder elements which are guided one inside the other in a telescopic fashion along a movement axis, a pedal face for a user, one or more spring elements, and a sensor unit. The pedal face may be coupled to one of the cylinder elements. Each of the spring elements is configured to interact with two cylinder elements assigned thereto, as a result of which, when the pedal face is activated an opposing force can be generated at the pedal face, the opposing force depending progressively on movement travel of the pedal face. The sensor unit may be configured to generate an output signal that is dependent on activation of the pedal face.

The pedal device includes a pedal portion which the operator depresses, a pedal effort detecting portion being configured to detect the magnitude of the pedal effort in the depression direction when the operator depresses the pedal portion and being configured to output a signal corresponding to the magnitude of the pedal effort to the outside.