PEDAL ASSEMBLY FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

A pedal assembly for a motor vehicle with at least one support and at least two pedals, each comprising a pedal arm mounted to the at least one support and pivotable around a corresponding pivot axis, a sensor for detecting a rotational movement of the pedal arm around the pivot axis and an interface for an electrical contact of the sensor with a control unit of the motor vehicle. In order to provide a pedal assembly for a motor vehicle, which shows an easy design, the at least one support is designed as a single base plate for the at least two pedals and at least one of the at least two pedals is housed by the single base plate, whereat the pedal arm of the housed pedal is extending through a pedal arm opening of the single base plate.

Claims

1. A pedal assembly for a motor vehicle comprising: at least one support; and at least two pedals, each of the at least two pedals comprising a pedal arm mounted to the at least one support and pivotable around a corresponding pivot axis, a sensor for detecting a rotational movement of the pedal arm around the pivot axis and an interface for an electrical contact of the sensor with a control unit of the motor vehicle, wherein the at least one support is designed as a single base plate for the at least two pedals and at least one of the at least two pedals is housed by the single base plate, and wherein the pedal arm of the housed pedal is extending through a pedal arm opening of the single base plate.

2. The pedal assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least two of the at least two pedals are housed by the single base plate.

3. The pedal assembly according to claim 1, wherein the single base plate is designed such that the at least one pedal housed by the single base plate is mountable from a rear side of the single base plate, and wherein the rear side is facing a frame of the motor vehicle that the pedal assembly is mounted to.

4. The pedal assembly according to claim 3, wherein the single base plate comprises a frame part for the at least one pedal housed by the single base plate.

5. Pedal assembly according to claim 1, wherein the pedal arm of at least one pedal housed by the single base plate comprises a central part corresponding to the single base plate and an actuation part linked to the central part in a power transmitting manner.

6. The pedal assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least two pedals comprise at least one pedal not housed by the single base plate, whereat the at least one pedal not housed by the single base plate is housed by a separate cover mounted to the single base plate

7. The pedal assembly according to claim 1, wherein the sensor of the pedal housed by the single base plate is designed as a separate sensor module and incorporated through a sensor opening of the single base plate.

8. The pedal assembly according to claim 7, wherein the interface corresponding to the sensor of the pedal housed by the single base plate is designed as an integral part of the separate sensor module.

9. The pedal assembly according to claim 1, wherein the single base plate and/or the separate cover are/is built from plastics.

10. The pedal assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least two pedals of the pedal assembly are designed as an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

[0019] FIG. 1 is an embodiment of the pedal assembly for a motor vehicle according to the invention in a perspective view facing a front side of the pedal assembly;

[0020] FIG. 2 is the embodiment of FIG. 1 in an exploded view; and

[0021] FIG. 3 is the embodiment of FIG. 1 in a perspective view facing a rear side of the pedal assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] FIG. 1 displays an embodiment of a pedal assembly 2 for a motor vehicle in a first perspective view with a single support 4 and two pedals, namely an accelerator pedal 6 and a brake pedal 8. The first perspective view is showing the single support 4 from a front side of the single support 4, which is facing a user of the pedal assembly 2 and arranged opposite to a rear side of the single support 4. The single support 4 is designed as a single base plate for the two pedals 6, 8 and made from plastics. The accelerator pedal 6 comprises a pedal arm 10 and the brake pedal 8 comprises a pedal arm 12. Each pedal arm 10, 12 is mounted to the single support 4 and pivotable around a corresponding pivot axis, namely a pivot axis of the pedal arm 10 of the accelerator pedal 6 and a pivot axis of the pedal arm 12 of the brake pedal 8. Both of the two pedals 6, 8 are housed by the single base plate 4, whereat the pedal arm 10 of the accelerator pedal 6 is extending through a pedal arm opening 7 of the single base plate 4 and the pedal arm 12 of the brake pedal 8 is extending through a pedal arm opening 9 of the single base plate 4. The pedal arms 10, 12 as well as the corresponding pedal arm openings 7, 9 are shown in an exploded view in FIG. 2. The motor vehicle is not displayed.

[0023] The pivot axis of the pedal arm 10 of the accelerator pedal 6 is symbolized by a broken line 14 and the pivot axis of the pedal arm 12 of the brake pedal 8 is symbolized by a broken line 16. Furthermore, the pedal assembly 2 comprises a sensor 18 for detecting a rotational movement of the pedal arm 10 of the accelerator pedal 6 around the pivot axis 14 and a sensor 20 for detecting a rotational movement of the pedal arm 12 of the brake pedal 8 around the pivot axis 16. Each of the sensors 18, 20 of the accelerator pedal 6 and the brake pedal 8 is designed as a separate sensor module and incorporated through a sensor opening 22, 24 of the single base plate 4. The separate sensor module 18 of the accelerator pedal 6 and the sensor module 20 of the brake pedal 8 as well as the corresponding sensor openings 22, 24 of the single base plate 4 are shown in an exploded view in FIG. 2.

[0024] An interface 26 for an electrical contact of the sensor 18 with a control unit of the motor vehicle and an interface 28 for an electrical contact of the sensor 20 with the control unit of the motor vehicle each is incorporated in the corresponding separate sensor module 18, 20, namely the interface 26 is incorporated in the separate sensor module 18 corresponding to the accelerator pedal 6 and the interface 28 is incorporated in the separate sensor module 20 corresponding to the brake pedal 8. Thus, the interface 26 is designed as an integral part of the separate sensor module 18 and the interface 28 is designed as an integral part of the separate sensor module 20. The control unit is not displayed.

[0025] FIG. 3 displays the pedal assembly 2 in a second perspective view showing the pedal assembly 2 from a rear side of the base plate 4, which is facing a frame of the motor vehicle the pedal assembly 2 is mounted to. The frame of the motor vehicle is not displayed. As can be seen best from FIG. 3, the single base plate 4 is comprising a frame part 30 for the accelerator pedal 6 and the brake pedal 8, each housed by the single base plate 4.

[0026] In the following, the function of the embodiment of a pedal assembly for a motor vehicle according to the invention is explained by means of FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0027] In order to manufacture the pedal assembly 2 the accelerator pedal 6 and the brake pedal 8 each are assembled from the rear side of the single base plate 4 via the frame part 30 of the single base plate 4; see FIG. 3. The pedal arms 10, 12 of the accelerator pedal 6 and the brake pedal 8 each are fed through the corresponding pedal arm openings 7, 9 of the single base plate 4 from the rear side of the single base plate 4. Thus, after the assembly of the accelerator pedal 6 and the brake pedal 8 the pedal arm 10 of the accelerator pedal 6 is extending through the pedal arm opening 7 and the pedal arm 12 of the brake pedal 8 is extending through the pedal arm opening 9. See FIG. 1.

[0028] The separate sensor module 18 of the accelerator pedal 6 is inserted into the sensor opening 22 of the single base plate 4 and the separate sensor module 20 of the brake pedal 8 is inserted into the sensor opening 24 of the single base plate 4. See FIG. 2.

[0029] A user of the pedal assembly 2, namely a driver of the motor vehicle, is pressing the pedal arm 10 of the accelerator pedal 6 in order to accelerate the motor vehicle. The pedal arm 10 is pivoted around the pivot axis 14 of the pedal arm 10. This pivot action of the pedal arm 10 around the pivot axis 14 is detected by the separate sensor module 18 corresponding to the accelerator pedal 6. The aforementioned pivot action of the accelerator pedal 6 is transferred to the control unit of the motor vehicle via the interface 26 of the separate sensor module 18. In case the user is no longer pressing the pedal arm 10 of the accelerator pedal 6, the pedal arm 10 is pivoted in opposite direction around the pivot axis 14 of the pedal arm 10. This pivot action of the accelerator pedal 6 is transferred to the control unit of the motor vehicle, too.

[0030] The function of the brake pedal 8 is analog to the function of the accelerator pedal 6 explained above. Thus, the user of the pedal assembly 2 is pressing the pedal arm 12 of the brake pedal 8 in order to decelerate the motor vehicle. The pedal arm 12 is pivoted around the pivot axis 16 of the pedal arm 12. This pivot action of the pedal arm 12 around the pivot axis 16 is detected by the separate sensor module 20 corresponding to the brake pedal 8. The aforementioned pivot action of the brake pedal 8 is transferred to the control unit of the motor vehicle via the interface 28 of the separate sensor module 20. In case the user is no longer pressing the pedal arm 12 of the brake pedal 8, the pedal arm 12 is pivoted in opposite direction around the pivot axis 16 of the pedal arm 12. This pivot action of the brake pedal 8 is also transferred to the control unit of the motor vehicle.

[0031] The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiment of the pedal assembly for a motor vehicle according to the invention discussed before.

[0032] Of course, the invention is not limited to an inventive pedal assembly comprising an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal. For example, another embodiment of the invention may comprise an acceleration pedal, a brake pedal and a clutch pedal. Still another embodiment of the invention may comprise a brake pedal and a clutch pedal.

[0033] In contrast to the embodiment of the invention explained, the pedal arm of the at least one pedal housed by the single base plate may comprise a central part corresponding to the single base plate and an actuation part linked to the central part in a power transmitting manner. Hereby, the assembly of the at least one pedal housed by the single base plate is simplified. Furthermore, the size of the pedal arm opening for the pedal arm of the at least one pedal housed by the single base plate can be reduced. Thus, the risk of getting debris like small stones into the mechanism of the pedal assembly can be reduced, too.

[0034] Furthermore, it is possible, that the at least two pedals comprise at least one pedal not housed by the single base plate, whereat the at least one pedal not housed by the single base plate is housed by a separate cover mounted to the single base plate. That way, the assembly of the at least one pedal not housed by the single base plate can be done from a front side of the single base plate positioned opposite to a rear side of the single base plate facing a frame of the motor vehicle the inventive pedal assembly is mounted to. Moreover, the pedal housed by the separate cover mounted to the single base plate can be accessed quite easily without the need for dismounting the inventive pedal assembly form the frame of the motor vehicle. A preferred embodiment of the aforementioned embodiment could be, that the separate cover is built from plastics. Plastics are available in a broad variety with different characteristics. Furthermore, plastics are lightweight materials and easy to process.

[0035] A main advantage of the pedal assembly for a motor vehicle according to the invention is, that the inventive pedal assembly shows an easy design, thus can be realized with less effort. Furthermore, the inventive pedal assembly can be manufactured with less material and less assembly work. Therefore, the inventive pedal assembly for a motor vehicle can be cost saving. This can be achieved by the inventive pedal assembly for a motor vehicle.

[0036] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.