Motor vehicles – Manually actuated controlling devices
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-23
2004-10-26
Carone, Michael J. (Department: 3641)
Motor vehicles
Manually actuated controlling devices
C180S274000, C074S512000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06808040
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to a vehicle-pedal-backward-displacement preventing device for preventing a depressable portion of a vehicle operating pedal from being backwardly displaced toward a vehicle operator's seat in the event of displacement of a dash panel toward the vehicle operator's seat.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
There is widely known an operating pedal of a vehicle, such as a brake pedal and an accelerating pedal, which is pivotably supported by a pedal bracket attached to a dash panel of the vehicle and which has in its lower end portion a depressable portion to be depressed in a forward direction of the vehicle by an operator of the vehicle, wherein the operating pedal is pivotable about an axis that is substantially parallel to a horizontal direction and a transversal (right and left) direction of the vehicle. There is proposed a vehicle-pedal-backward-displacement preventing device for preventing the depressable portion of the operating pedal from being backwardly displaced toward a vehicle operator's seat in the event of displacement of the dash panel toward the operator's seat, for example, due to an accidental application of large load to a front portion of the vehicle in the backward direction of the vehicle. An example of such a vehicle-pedal-backward-displacement preventing device is disclosed in JP-A-H9-123948 (publication of unexamined Japanese Patent Application laid open in 1997) In this device disclosed in JP-A-H9-123948, a bracket is buckled or deformed together with deformation of a dash panel, in such a direction that causes a pivot axis of an operating pedal to be displaced backwardly along an elongated hole which is formed through the bracket, whereby the operating pedal is pivoted about a connection point, at which the operating pedal is connected with an operating (push) rod, in such a direction that causes a pedal pad (depressable portion) of the pedal to be forwardly displaced. A device disclosed in JP-A-2001-114135 (publication of unexamined Japanese Patent Application laid open in 2001) also utilizes an operating (push) rod connected with an operating pedal, for thereby preventing a pedal pad of the pedal from being backwardly displaced. A device disclosed in JP-A-2001-163196 (publication of unexamined Japanese Patent Application laid open in 2001) has, in addition to a first bracket which supports an operating pedal, a second bracket which is connected with the first bracket and a reinforcement member located within a passenger compartment, such that the second bracket is disconnected from the first bracket upon deformation of the dash panel, and is then brought into abutting contact with the operating pedal, whereby the operating pedal is pivoted in such a direction that prevents a pedal of the pedal from being backwardly displaced.
However, in the device disclosed in JP-A-H9-123948 which is designed on the assumption that the dash panel is displaced in a larger amount than the connection point, it is not possible to satisfactorily prevent backward displacement of the pedal pad of the operating pedal, for example, where the displacement amount of the dash panel is not larger than that of the connection point by at least a certain amount, or where the displacement amount of the dash panel is small. Further, the device of JP-A-H9-123948 can not be used for an operating pedal of a parking brake device which is not equipped with an operating rod connected with the operating pedal. The device of JP-A-2001-114135 can not be used for an operating pedal of such a brake device which is not equipped with an operating rod, either.
The device disclosed in JP-A-2001-163196 has difficulty in designing and manufacturing, particularly, its structure required for the connection of the first and second brackets, because the structure necessarily has to permit the first and second brackets to be assuredly disconnected from each other in the event of deformation of the dash panel, while reliably maintaining the connection of the two brackets with a high strength during a routine pedaling operation except in the event of deformation of the dash panel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a pedal-backward-displacement preventing device, which is capable of satisfactorily preventing a depressable portion of an operating pedal from being backwardly displaced toward an operator's seat even where a dash panel is displaced in a small amount, which can be used for even an operating pedal of a parking brake device which is not equipped with an operating rod connected with the operating pedal, and which is relatively easy to be designed and manufactured. This object may be achieved according to any one of first through ninth aspects of this invention which are described below.
The first aspect of the invention provides a pedal-backward-displacement preventing device for a vehicle having a dash panel, a pedal bracket attached to the dash panel, and an operating pedal pivotally supported by the pedal bracket and having in a lower end portion thereof a depressable portion to be depressed in a forward direction of the vehicle by an operator of the vehicle. The pedal-backward-displacement preventing device is capable of preventing the depressable portion of the operating pedal from being displaced in a backward direction of the vehicle toward an operator's seat of the vehicle when the dash panel is displaced toward the operator's seat. The pedal-backward-displacement preventing device includes a connecting member which is disposed between the pedal bracket and a reinforcement member of the vehicle and connects the pedal bracket with the reinforcement member, and which is deformable in the event of displacement of the dash panel toward the operator's seat, wherein the connecting member includes a contactable portion which is to be brought into contact with the operating pedal upon deformation of the connecting member, for thereby causing the operating pedal to be pivoted in such a direction that causes the depressable portion to be displaced in the forward direction of the vehicle.
According to the second aspect of the invention, in the pedal-backward-displacement preventing device defined in the first aspect of the invention, the operating pedal is pivotable about an axis which is substantially parallel to a transverse direction of the vehicle, wherein the connecting member is deformable by displacement of the pedal bracket relative to the reinforcement member when the pedal bracket together with the dash panel is displaced toward the operator's seat.
According to the third aspect of the invention, in the pedal-backward-displacement preventing device defined in the second aspect of the invention, the connecting member is connected with at least one of the pedal bracket and the reinforcement member such that the connecting member is pivotable about the axis relative to the above-described at least one of the pedal bracket and the reinforcement member, wherein the connecting member is, upon deformation thereof due to the displacement of the pedal bracket relative to the reinforcement member, pivotable about the axis in such a direction that causes the contactable portion to be brought into contact with the operating pedal, for thereby causing the operating pedal to be pivoted about the axis.
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, in the pedal-backward-displacement preventing device defined in the third aspect of the invention, the operating pedal and the connecting member are connected with the pedal bracket through a common support shaft whose axis corresponds to the axis.
According to the fifth aspect of the invention, in the pedal-backward-displacement preventing device defined in any one of the first through fourth aspects of the invention, the operating pedal is pivotable about a first axis which is substantially parallel to a transverse direction of the vehicle, wherein the connecting member is defo
Hayashihara Takashi
Uno Takumi
Yagi Isao
Carone Michael J.
Sukman Gabriel S.
Toyoda Iron Works Co., Ltd.
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