Machine element or mechanism – Control lever and linkage systems – Foot operated
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-14
2001-10-02
Marmor, Charles A (Department: 3681)
Machine element or mechanism
Control lever and linkage systems
Foot operated
Reexamination Certificate
active
06295891
ABSTRACT:
PRIOR ART
The invention is based on an accelerator pedal module for a motor vehicle.
There are already a number of disclosures (e.g. DE 34 11 455 A1; WO 89/07706; WO 97/12780) in which a pivoting body is provided that can be actuated by the driver of the motor vehicle, wherein the position of the pivoting body is designated for establishing the power to be output by the drive engine desired by the driver. A restoring spring is provided in order to restore the pivoting body to an idle position. In order to assure a reliable resetting of the pivoting body under all circumstances, even if there should be a fracture of the restoring spring that restores the pivoting body into the idle position, two restoring springs are usually provided. In order to assure that the restoring force is sufficient for restoring the pivoting body into the idle position when one of the two individual springs of the restoring spring breaks, the restoring spring must by and large be embodied as significantly stronger than is needed for restoring the pivoting body. More precisely stated, in order to assure that the restoring force is sufficient for restoring the pivoting body when one of the two individual springs of the restoring spring breaks, the overall restoring force of the two restoring springs must be more than twice as great as is required. Many people who use the accelerator pedal module find this unpleasant. Another disadvantage is the large amount of space required for the two relatively large individual springs.
In order to give the driver as pleasant a feel as possible when actuating the pivoting body, a friction element is provided, which counteracts an actuation of the pivoting body with a certain frictional resistance. The expense for generating the frictional resistance, however, cannot be ignored and is difficult to produced due to frequently very limited space conditions.
The restoring spring in the known embodiments has a slight tendency to vibrate. As a result, unpleasant noise is produced, which is caused by the restoring spring. Sometimes the attempt is made to shift the noise into an inaudible range in terms of frequency by changing the length of the restoring spring. But this has other disadvantages, for example in terms of strength. Sometimes a damping element is also inserted approximately in the middle of the restoring spring in order to prevent noise. The damping element is provided, for example, between a housing and the restoring spring or between the two individual springs of the restoring spring. The insertion of this damping element, however, signifies an additional expense and also there is the danger of the damping element getting clamped between the coils of the restoring spring and as a result, the restoring spring can have an uneven restoring force. The damping element is comprised, for example, of a foam material resting against the coils of the restoring spring. A further disadvantage is that the durability and effectiveness of this damping element are limited. The installation of the damping element between the spring coils requires a costly manual labor that is difficult to automate.
ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
The accelerator pedal module according to the invention has an advantage over the prior art that the functionally reliable operation of the accelerator pedal module is significantly increased. Even with a potential damage to the restoring spring, the restoring force of the restoring spring only decreases slightly. Therefore it is advantageously not necessary to oversize the restoring spring far beyond the amount required for restoring the pivoting body. As a result, the restoring spring requires a particularly small amount of structural volume.
Through the internal friction of the multi-wire spring, i.e. through the friction between the individual wires of the multi-wire spring, the multi-wire spring suppresses its own vibration. As a result, the restoring spring produces significantly less noise or no noise at all and the spring is prevented from fracturing due to its own vibrations.
Because the vibration damping takes place inside the restoring spring, the significant advantage is obtained that in the dimensioning of the restoring spring, no consideration or hardly any consideration has to be taken as to the natural frequency of the restoring spring.
Since fewer components are required with the accelerator pedal module embodied according to the invention, because two separate springs previously required for safety reasons and an additional damping element are not required in particular for the restoring spring, the expenditure for the assembly is significantly reduced in an advantageous manner. In particular, no pre-assembled structural groups have to be formed.
The internal friction in the multi-wire spring is not only evident due to the reduction in noise or the lack of noise, but without additional expense, this friction also advantageously produces a frictional force that counteracts the movement of the pivoting body, which gives a better feel when actuating the pivoting body. As a result, an additional frictional device can be advantageously eliminated or the additional frictional device can be sized smaller.
An additional damping element required for noise reduction is not necessary, which as a result advantageously reduces the expense significantly when assembling the accelerator pedal module. Because in the past, an additional damping element occasionally led to malfunctions, a risk source for malfunctions is advantageously eliminated without expense.
Advantageous improvements and updates of the accelerator pedal module disclosed are possible by means of the measures set forth hereinafter.
If some or all of the individual wires of the multi-wire spring are secured against drifting out of the multi-wire spring, then the advantage is obtained that a sliding or drifting of an individual wire out of the multi-wire spring need not be feared even with an extended alternating stress on the restoring spring.
REFERENCES:
patent: 99475 (1870-02-01), Rhinelander
patent: 4473217 (1984-09-01), Hashimoto
patent: 4991827 (1991-02-01), Taylor
patent: 5934152 (1999-08-01), Aschoff et al.
patent: 637739 (1983-08-01), None
patent: 2624233 (1989-06-01), None
patent: 91940 (1983-06-01), None
patent: 1384852 (1988-03-01), None
patent: 8808933 (1988-11-01), None
Pierenkemper Rolf
Velte Uwe
Greigg Edwin E.
Greigg Ronald E.
Ho Ha
Marmor Charles A
Robert & Bosch GmbH
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