Brake pedal for motor vehicle

Details Brake pedal for motor vehicle Brake pedal for motor vehicle

1999-04-01

2001-02-13

Luong, Vinh T. (Department: 3682)

Machine element or mechanism

Control lever and linkage systems

Foot operated

C074S560000, C123S399000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06186026

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a motor vehicle brake pedal.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A traditional motor vehicle brake system includes a plurality of hydraulically actuated wheel brakes, a master cylinder, and a brake pedal. The brake pedal includes a pedal lever on a body of the motor vehicle linked to a piston assembly in the master cylinder. To apply the wheel brakes, an operator pushes on a foot pad on the pedal lever to pivot the pedal lever and linearly stroke the piston assembly in the master cylinder. The linear stroke of the piston assembly is opposed or resisted by a force attributable to fluid pressure in the wheel brakes and in a plurality of hydraulic channels between the wheel brakes and the master cylinder. The “pedal force” with which the operator must push on the foot pad to apply the wheel brakes mirrors the fluid pressure force opposing the stroke of the master cylinder piston assembly and initially increases slowly relative to pivotal movement of the pedal lever, i.e. relative to “pedal travel”, as compliance in the wheel brakes and in the hydraulic channels is taken up. Then, pedal force increases at an increasing rate, i.e. exponentially, relative to pedal travel as the wheel brakes become applied. Motor vehicle operators perceive this relationship between pedal travel and pedal force as the “feel” of the brake system and, because of the widespread use of such traditional brake systems for many years, expect generally the same feel from all motor vehicle brake systems. Accordingly, in a motor vehicle brake system in which fluid pressure to apply a wheel brake is created independently of a brake master cylinder by an electro-hydraulic apparatus such as a pump and an electric motor, i.e. in a “brake-by-wire” brake system, the brake pedal is adapted to artificially mimic or emulate the feel of the brake pedal in a traditional brake system. For example, brake pedals described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,729,979 and 5,603,217, issued Mar. 24, 1998 and Feb. 18, 1997, respectively, and assigned to the assignee of the this invention, include elastomeric compliant elements which, when squeezed, mimic the fluid pressure force which opposes pedal travel in a traditional motor vehicle brake system. A brake pedal according to this invention is a novel alternative to prior brake pedals which emulate, in a brake-by-wire brake system, the fluid pressure force which opposes pedal travel in a traditional motor vehicle brake system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is a new and improved brake pedal for a motor vehicle brake-by-wire brake system including a pedal lever resiliently flexible in beam bending, a foot pad on the pedal lever, and a mounting for the pedal lever on a body of the motor vehicle which constitutes the pedal lever a variable stiffness cantilever spring. The mounting for the pedal lever includes a socket for an inboard end of the pedal lever, a stationary reaction surface on the body of the motor vehicle, and a pedal lever reaction surface on the pedal lever which faces and diverges from the stationary reaction surface in a release position of the pedal lever. The stationary reaction surface and the pedal lever reaction surface become progressively engaged concurrent with resilient flexure of the pedal lever in cantilever spring bending to vary the stiffness of the cantilever spring. The stationary and pedal lever reaction surfaces are contoured or “tuned” to yield a pedal force which initially increases slowly relative to pedal travel and then increases exponentially relative to pedal travel thereby emulating the relationship between pedal force and pedal travel of a brake pedal in a traditional motor vehicle brake system.


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