Machine element or mechanism – Control lever and linkage systems – Foot operated
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-23
2004-06-22
Luong, Vinh T. (Department: 3682)
Machine element or mechanism
Control lever and linkage systems
Foot operated
C074S560000, C180S274000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06752038
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a system for releasing a pedal of a motor vehicle in the event of a frontal impact.
In order better to understand the art in this field, and the problems associated with it, a known embodiment of a system for the release of a pedal of a motor vehicle will be described first, with reference to
FIG. 5
of the appended drawings, which forms part of European Patent Application EP 0 827 885.
This application proposes a system which, in the event of an impact of the motor vehicle, is able to disengage a brake pedal lever
10
from a support body
16
, secured to the vehicle body, in order to minimize the risk of injury to the driver's legs. The pedal
10
is hinged by a pin
11
to a bracket
20
, a lower portion of which is pivoted in turn on the body
16
by means of a hinge
15
, and an upper portion of which is secured to a hook device
30
by means of a pin
21
. The hook device
30
is pivoted at a first point
32
on a steering column
40
and rigidly connected at a second point
33
to the support body
16
. Under normal operating conditions of the vehicle, the hook device
30
is held in a first working position in which it holds the bracket
20
stationary. In the event, however, of a frontal impact of the vehicle, movement of the support body
16
towards the passenger compartment, and thus towards the steering column
40
, causes the hook device
30
to rotate anticlockwise about the point
32
at which it is pivoted on the said steering column, resulting in disengagement of the pin
21
integral with the bracket
20
. No longer fixed to the hook device
30
, the bracket
20
is free to rotate clockwise about the point
15
at which it is pivoted on the support body
16
. This means that the pedal
10
also is free to rotate clockwise, about a point
13
at which it is connected to the control rod of the servo-assisted brake, by the effect of the reactive force exerted by the driver's foot, until it reaches a wall
17
separating the engine compartment from the passenger compartment.
The main disadvantage of an arrangement of this type consists in the space it takes up and in the risk of jamming during emergency operation in the event of a collision. In order to overcome this second drawback, the patent discussed above explicitly mentions the need to arrange the points at which the various elements of the system are connected very carefully, so that the point
13
at which a reactive force is applied to the pedal
10
, when this is pressed, substantially coincides with the point
15
at which the bracket
20
is pivoted on the support body
16
, in order to ensure that the pedal
10
and the bracket
20
rotate about the same point.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide an improved system for releasing a pedal of a motor vehicle which is of a reduced size, of simple structure and of reliable and quick operation.
As will become apparent from the description which follows, this object is achieved according to the invention by providing a system for releasing a pedal of a motor vehicle in the event of a frontal impact, characterised by the appended Claims and in particular by the fact that it includes
a pedal, comprising
a first, inner element, transversely pivoted at a first point on a support secured to the front portion of the vehicle body and able to operate a rod for controlling the device associated with the pedal;
a second, outer element which has a lower lever portion for operation by the driver, and an upper portion, transversely pivoted at a second point on the inner element, and
releasable coupling means for coupling the two inner and outer elements of the pedal; and
a stop member mounted in a portion of the passenger compartment behind the pedal;
the system being capable of assuming two operating conditions:
a first, normal operating condition, in which the inner and outer elements of the pedal are coupled by the releasable coupling means; and
a second operating condition, in the event of a frontal impact of the vehicle, in which movement backwards of the pedal towards the stop member is capable of causing the aforesaid coupling means to be released, thereby allowing the outer element of the pedal to rotate about the second pivoting point.
The main advantage of the system of the invention consists essentially in a reduction of the space occupied and in a simple structure, since the system forms part of the pedal and does not therefore require additional external support elements.
Another important advantage consists in the fact that a releasable pedal according to the invention can be mounted as it is on conventional pedal supports, since it requires only a support for the first pivoting pin.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5385068 (1995-01-01), White et al.
patent: 5921144 (1999-07-01), Williams, Jr. et al.
patent: 6089119 (2000-07-01), Leboisne et al.
patent: 6279417 (2001-08-01), Mizuma et al.
patent: 6336376 (2002-01-01), Lee
patent: 6339971 (2002-01-01), Kato
patent: 6539823 (2003-04-01), Tomono et al.
patent: 2001/0006010 (2001-07-01), Choi
patent: 2003/0047022 (2003-03-01), Gohbrandt et al.
patent: 019851017 (2000-05-01), None
patent: 0 827 885 (1998-03-01), None
patent: 0 982 645 (2000-03-01), None
patent: 001247710 (2002-10-01), None
patent: 2 330 647 (1999-04-01), None
patent: 2 332 264 (1999-06-01), None
Fiat Auto S.p.A.
Luong Vinh T.
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
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