Kick-down element for a vehicle

Abstract

A kick-down element for a vehicle, complete with a housing, an actuator that is fastened in the housing such that it can be moved axially and a force surge element that can be moved axially in the actuator and which is axially loaded by an elastic element. There is a plate-shaped protruding part on at least one housing panel, which runs perpendicular to the movement direction and the upper end of which runs diagonally downward. The force step element interacts with at least one roller, which is located between the protruding part and a wedgeshaped (9) of the force surge element in a resting position. The kick-down element is intended to allow for a relatively long travel path for the actuator in the most compact design possible. This is achieved by keeping the roller attached to a lower end of the actuator.

Claims

1. A kick-down element for a vehicle, comprising: a housing, an actuator that is fastened in the housing such that the actuator can be moved in an axial direction, a force step element that can be moved axially in the actuator and which is axially loaded by an elastic element, the force step element including an upper portion, a wedged-shaped extension located below the upper portion of the force step element and the wedge-shaped extension having an upper portion and a lower portion, and a neck portion located between the upper portion of the force step element and the upper portion of the wedge-shaped extension, wherein the neck portion has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the wedge-shaped extension and the upper portion of the force step element; a protruding part on at least one housing panel of said housing, said protruding part running perpendicular to the axial direction, the protruding part including an upper end of which runs diagonally downward; wherein in a resting position, the force step element interacts with at least one roller, which is located between the protruding part and the upper portion of the wedge-shaped extension of the force step element, and wherein in an actuated position, the lower portion of the wedge-shaped extension of the force step element reaches to proximate a base of the housing and the at least one roller abuts the neck portion of the force step element.

2. The kick-down element in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one roller includes two rollers.

3. The kick-down element in accordance with claim 1 wherein the wedge-shaped extension of the force step element can be used at two different gradients.

4. The kick-down element in accordance with claim 1 wherein the elastic element is a coil spring.

5. The kick-down element in accordance with claim 1 wherein a movement range of the actuator is 0 mm to 12 mm.

6. The kick-down element in accordance with claim 1 wherein a mandrel is attached to the base of the housing, where the elastic element is also located.

7. The kick-down element in accordance with claim 1 wherein ribs are attached to the housing, and corresponding guide grooves are formed on the actuator.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Reference is now made more particularly to the drawings, which illustrate the best presently known mode of carrying out the invention and wherein similar reference characters indicate the same parts throughout the views.

(2) FIG. 1 is a vertical cut through of a kick-down element, not actuated.

(3) FIG. 2 is a vertical cut through the kick-down element, actuated.

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the kick-down element

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(5) As you can see in FIGS. 1 to 3, a kick-down element is comprised of a housing 1, in which an actuator 2 is housed such that it can be moved axially.

(6) Axial in this context means parallel to a longitudinal axis of the kick-down element.

(7) The housing 1 is mostly cube-shaped, is comprised of one base la and four housing panels 1b, 1c and is open at the top. A mandrel 3 is located in the interior center of base 1a. This mandrel extends vertically (axially) across a distance about half the height of the housing 1. Openings are inset in housing panels 1b, 1c that extend from base 1a across a predetermined distance parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing 1. The openings reduce the amount of material needed and the weight and also hold snap-in elements 8 of the actuator 2 on at least two of the housing panels 1b, 1c. Two axial ribs 4 each are designed in at least two lengthwise housing panels 1b across from one another. The upper interior of each lengthwise housing panel 1c of the housing 1 contains a protruding part 6 that runs parallel to the base 1a. The protruding part extends across a predetermined distance between the lengthwise housing panels 1b and is parallel to the top of the lengthwise housing panel 1c. The protruding part 6 runs diagonally down towards the base 1a in the shape of a plate that is adequately shaped within the widthwise housing panel 1c and parallel to it all the way to the base 1a. The plate and protruding part 6 extend through the associated opening.

(8) Locking tabs are arranged on the exterior of housing 1 to fix the kick-down element in an accelerator pedal or, with the same effect, to the body of a vehicle.

(9) The actuator 2 is also mostly cube-shaped and dimensioned such that it is housed in the housing 1 so it can be moved axially with little play. An exclusion in the actuator 2 at the top across from the base 1a is rounded in a bow shape. Guide grooves 5 that correspond to the ribs 4 are inset in the exterior of the side panels; in this case, lengthwise sides 2a of the actuator 2. The snap-in elements 8 are arranged in a lower end area of both lengthwise sides 2a between the guide grooves 5.

(10) Alternatively, the ribs 4 are arranged on the actuator 2 and there are guide grooves 5 on housing 1.

(11) A force step element 7 is housed in actuator 2 such that it can be moved axially with little play. Force step element 7 features a shaft (neck portion) 7a with a rectangular cross section housed in actuator 2 with little play. One wedge-shaped extension 9 each is attached to two opposite sides on the lower end of the force step element 7. Each of these extensions is allocated to one of the protruding parts 6. Extension 9 can be used at two different gradients. A wedge surface connected directly to shaft 7a is less steep than the other wedge surface; for example, the angle between shaft 7a and the less steep wedge surface may be 125 and the angle between shaft 1a and the other wedge surface would be 135. A downward facing blind bore hole with a circular cross section is inset in the force step element 7 in order to hold an elastic element, in this case a coil spring 10.

(12) The coil spring 10 is still stored on the mandrel 3 in the housing 1.

(13) Two rollers 11 (cylinders with circular cross sections) are arranged in the kick-down element. Two rollers 11 (cylinders with circular cross sections) are arranged in the kick-down element. Each of the rollers 11 seizes in the resting position and is pretensioned between the remaining wedge surface, the protruding part 6, the widthwise housing panel 1c and the lower end of the actuator 2 by the coil spring 10. Here, the rollers 11 are across from each other and the force step element 7 is arranged between the two rollers 11.

(14) With the exception of the coil spring 10, the entire kick-down element is manufactured from plastic.

(15) Actuating the kick-down element presses the actuator 2 into the housing 1. Since the rollers 11 are tensioned as described above, they have to be pushed inward away from the protruding parts 6 at the precise moment of actuation. This is made possible by the fact that the rollers 11 use the wedge surfaces of the extensions 9 to press the force step element 7 down towards the base 1a relative to the actuator 2. The desired force step is achieved by the sudden movement of the rollers 11. After triggering the force surge, the actuator 2 can be pressed down by a specified travel length (travel path) into the housing 1. Here, both the force from the coil spring 10 and the usual pedal force must be overcome.

(16) When the kick-down element is released, the coil spring 10 pushes force step element 7 (and the actuator 2 via the rollers 11) upward until the force step element 7, the actuator 2 and the rollers 11 have all reached their resting positions. The snap-in elements 8 of the actuator 2 determine these resting positions.