Motor vehicles – With means responsive to speed of vehicle for maintaining...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-24
2003-09-09
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Motor vehicles
With means responsive to speed of vehicle for maintaining...
C180S171000, C180S168000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06615943
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a speed adjusting system, a control unit for such a system as well as a method for adjusting the speed of a vehicle. The invention relates more specifically to such a system comprising a gas adjusting means adjustable by means of an accelerator, a control unit for such a system and a method for adjusting the speed of a vehicle.
BACKGROUND ART
The speed limits prevailing on the roads aim at increasing road safety. Nevertheless it is common for vehicles to exceed the permissible speeds. It goes without saying that this is not satisfactory from the viewpoint of road safety.
For this reason, various systems have been developed to ensure that the prevailing speed limits are obeyed.
For example, German Published Application DE 19638900 discloses a system preferably for vehicles with diesel engines, said system comprising a speed limiting device which is activated in case a permissible speed is exceeded. The speed is adjusted by pressing an accelerator for controlling a pump for fuel injection to the engine. The speed limiting device is, on activation, arranged in such manner that, independently of the position of the accelerator, the pump adjusts the fuel injection so that the speed of the vehicle does not exceed the permissible speed.
Moreover, German Published Application DE 2836342 discloses a system for vehicles, which system comprises a speed limiting device which, in case a permissible speed is exceeded, is activated in such manner that a coupling rod arranged between an accelerator and a throttle is extended, thereby reducing the speed provided by pressing down the accelerator. When the speed of the vehicle has been reduced to the necessary extent, the rod is retracted, whereby the speed of the vehicle can again be adjusted by operating the accelerator.
When these prior-art systems are activated, it is thus not possible to increase or even maintain the current speed, which of course in some cases can be disadvantageous or even dangerous, such as in overhauling.
When the above-described prior-art systems for adjusting the speed of a vehicle to the permissible speed are activated, the driver thus loses his capability of controlling the speed. The driver's only way of avoiding this is to accurately observe on a speedometer the speed with which he drives his vehicle, and thereby ensure that this speed is at all times below the permissible speed.
A solution to this problem is disclosed in e.g. DE 2444518. The described system comprises a means for returning the accelerator, said means being activated if a permissible speed is exceeded. The accelerator can, however, still be pressed down, which requires an extra effort. It will thus be possible to drive the vehicle at a speed above the permissible maximum speed. However, the accelerator will be difficult to operate, which probably means that the driver chooses to lower the speed of the vehicle for the accelerator again to be easily operated.
Also the system according to DE 2444518 relates to a system which is not activated until a permissible speed has been exceeded. Thus, there is a need for a system which can be used to better promote the adjustment of the speed of a vehicle, i.e. a system which helps to ensure that the current speed limits are obeyed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first object of the present invention thus is to provide an improved system for adjusting the speed of a vehicle. The system should be designed so that it can be used to adjust the speed of a vehicle to a currently prevailing permissible maximum speed. More specifically, the system should promote such adaptation of the speed and at the same time allow driving of the vehicle at a speed exceeding the currently prevailing permissible maximum speed.
It is also advantageous if the system is designed in such manner that it draws the driver's attention to the speed which is the currently permissible maximum speed.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a device which can be arranged in a system for adjusting the speed of a vehicle, said device being designed so as to promote adaptation of the speed of the vehicle to the currently permissible maximum speed.
A third object of the present invention is to provide an improved method for adjusting the speed of a vehicle, said method promoting adaptation of the speed of the vehicle to the permissible speed while the driver of the vehicle has the possibility of choosing to drive his vehicle at a speed exceeding the currently permissible maximum speed.
More specifically, according to the invention a speed adjusting system for vehicles is provided, comprising an accelerator, such as a throttle pedal, a speed adjusting means, such as a throttle or a fuel injection pump, which is adjustable by operating the accelerator, and a control unit which is connected to the accelerator and which is settable between a first operating position, in which the accelerator is operable without difficulty and a second operating position, in which the accelerator is operable with difficulty, said system being characterised in that the second operating position is a basic state of the control unit, the difficulty, with which the accelerator is operable when the control unit is arranged in said basic state, appearing as a resistance which is generated by the control unit and acting on the accelerator and which must be overcome for operating the accelerator and which clearly exceeds the resistance that exists for operating a conventional accelerator, and that the control unit comprises a drive means, the drive means, on activation, being adapted to counteract said resistance, which control unit will thus be arranged in its first operating position through activation of the drive means.
Thus a system is provided, which can be used to promote adaptation of the speed of the vehicle so that a permissible maximum speed is not exceeded while the driver of the vehicle always has the possibility of driving his vehicle at the desired speed.
The control unit is suitably arranged in its first operating position for driving the vehicle at a speed which is lower than or corresponds to a currently prevailing permissible maximum speed and in its second operating position when exceeding said permissible maximum speed. Thus, a system is provided, which when exceeding a permissible maximum speed makes the accelerator difficult to operate. The driver can choose either to reduce the speed, in which case the control unit is arranged in its first operating position when the speed falls below the permissible speed-which makes the accelerator once more easy to operate-or to maintain or even increase the speed, in which case the control unit will remain in its second operating position-whereby the accelerator remains difficult to operate. The system thus is satisfactory in terms of road safety since the driver all the time keeps control of the vehicle. At the same time it is, of course, most favourable for the driver to drive the vehicle at a permissible speed since this makes the accelerator easier to operate.
A particularly advantageous effect obtained in the inventive system is that the driver's attention is at all times attracted to the speed which is the permissible maximum speed. This is achieved by the driver, when operating the accelerator, senses a final position of the accelerator, in which final position the throttle pedal will be stiff to operate. It will thus be extremely simple for the driver to drive the vehicle at the permissible speed by always seeing to it that the accelerator is never moved past said final position. The final position is provided by the drive means, which in the first operating position of the control unit counteracts the resistance acting on the accelerator. Thus the drive means will assist in operating the accelerator as long as the control unit is arranged in its first operating position. This assistance ceases immediately when the control unit is arranged in its second operating position, which, as mentioned above, suitably corresponds to the d
Burns Doane Swecker & Mathis L.L.P.
Johnson Brian L.
Nomix AB
Phan Hau
LandOfFree
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