Provided is a vehicular accelerator pedal device equipped with an accelerator pedal that serves as a footrest during automatic driving, to enable switching to manual driving without causing a feeling of strangeness for a driver upon releasing of the automatic driving. The accelerator pedal device includes an accelerator pedal actuator that moves the accelerator pedal to a desired operation position, and an accelerator pedal operation amount sensor that detects an operation amount of the accelerator pedal. Upon releasing the automatic driving with step-on operation of the accelerator pedal, an accelerator pedal control unit obtains a step-on position of the accelerator pedal from the accelerator pedal operation amount sensor, calculates an operation position of the accelerator pedal corresponding to a throttle opening just before switching to the manual driving, and causes the accelerator pedal to be moved to the operation position by the accelerator pedal actuator.

An actuator is provided in an actuator housing. A lever is provided in the actuator housing, rotates by driving force from the actuator, contacts an arm that rotates together with the pedal, and is capable of imparting a reaction force to the pedal against a driver's depression force. A fixing member is formed so that a pedal housing and the actuator housing are fixed apart from each other, and are attachable to a vehicle. A positioning portion determines a contact position between an arm and the lever and between a rotation axis of the pedal and a rotation axis of the lever.

A driving assistance device enables a driver who manually performs an accelerator operation and a steering operation to easily retain an accelerator operation state in a constant state. A driving assistance device includes a manually operable accelerator operation unit in the vicinity of a steering wheel provided in front of a driver seat in a vehicle cabin. The accelerator operation unit is operable in a state where the steering wheel is gripped and an operation reaction force of the accelerator operation unit exhibits an inflection point POI at which the operation reaction force rapidly becomes large in response to an increase in an operation amount of the accelerator operation unit.

An accelerator pedal system includes a pedal lever configured to perform an operation in accordance with a step-on operation, a lock mechanism configured to restrict the operation of the pedal lever, and an actuator configured to switch 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 free from restriction by the lock mechanism. In the accelerator pedal system, a controller configured to change an energization amount to the actuator when a disturbance is detected during a vehicle traveling in the locked state. Thus, the lock state can be suitably controlled.

An electric vehicle is configured to be able to perform running by an MT mode that controls an electric motor with a torque characteristic like an MT vehicle having a manual transmission and an internal combustion engine, and running by an EV mode that controls the electric motor with a normal torque characteristic. The electric vehicle includes a mode changeover switch for switching to the running by the MT mode.

Embodiments herein are directed to a pedal emulator assembly including a housing having a cavity defined by a pair of sidewalls, a first end wall and a second end wall. A lower arm having a spring retaining portion is formed therein. A pedal arm is pivotally coupled the pedal arm and includes a pedal pad. A lever arm including a spring receiving portion is positioned within the cavity of the housing and is pivotally coupled to the housing. A spring carrier including a compressible member extends between the spring receiving portion and the spring retaining portion. When a first predetermined load is applied to the pedal pad, the pedal arm drives the lever arm into the compressible member and the compressible member compresses into an at least partially compressed state to generate a first return force on the pedal pad.

A pedal device includes a pedal, a connecting rod, a reaction force generating mechanism, a housing having a housing hole for allowing the connecting rod to pass therethrough when the pedal is stepped on by an operator, and a cover member. The cover member includes a first connecting portion and a covering portion. The first connecting portion is connected to a housing end portion of the housing forming a housing hole. The covering portion is arranged at a position between the first connecting portion and a back surface of the pedal and is connected to the first connecting portion to cover the housing hole.

A pedal device includes: a pedal that is depressed by a driver; and a reaction force generation mechanism. The reaction force generation mechanism generates a reaction force against a depression force applied from the driver to the pedal. The reaction force generation mechanism includes at least one resilient member, a first holder and a second holder. The first holder contacts the at least one resilient member from one side where the pedal is placed in one direction. The second holder contacts the at least one resilient member from another side that is opposite to the one side. One holder among the first holder and the second holder includes an outer guide portion, and another holder among the first holder and the second holder includes an inner guide portion that is fitted into the outer guide portion and is movable relative to the outer guide portion in the one direction.

An accelerator pedal system includes a pedal lever, a lock mechanism, an actuator, and an ECU. The lock mechanism can restrict the 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 a lock operation determination unit and an actuator control unit. The lock operation determination unit resumes the locked state by the drive of the actuator after a release from the locked state due to the step-on operation of the pedal lever during the automatic drive control in the locked state, when (i) the automatic drive control is continued or (ii) a resuming of the automatic drive control is detected.

An accelerator pedal system includes a pedal lever, a lock mechanism, an actuator, and an ECU. The pedal lever operates in accordance with a step-on operation. The lock mechanism is capable of restricting the operation of the pedal lever. The lock mechanism can switch 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 free from restriction by the lock mechanism. The ECU includes a locking operation determination unit, an actuator control unit, and an information acquisition unit. The locking operation determination unit determines switching of a locking operation by the lock mechanism. The actuator control unit controls a driving operation of an actuator. The locking operation determination unit locks the pedal lever when the vehicle is traveling on a specific position in an automatic driving mode.