Measuring and testing – Brake testing – Brake depressor with measuring means
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-11
2004-01-27
Lefkowitz, Edward (Department: 2855)
Measuring and testing
Brake testing
Brake depressor with measuring means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06681620
ABSTRACT:
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No.2001-085525 filed on Mar. 23, 2001, including the specification, drawings and abstract is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a vehicle performance evaluation test method and apparatus, and more particularly to a vehicle performance evaluation test method and apparatus for evaluating a vehicle performance using a pressing device (an actuator) that automatically applies a depressing force to a control member to be operated by a vehicle operator.
2. Description of Related Art
In order to conduct a test for evaluating a braking performance such as a braking distance and deceleration of a vehicle, for example, a motor vehicle, a brake pedal needs to be depressed with a predetermined pressing force or the brake pedal needs to be depressed so as to achieve a predetermined deceleration while keeping the vehicle in a running state. It is, however, difficult for the vehicle operator to accurately operate the brake pedal as described above.
JP-A-11-132914 discloses a vehicle performance evaluation test apparatus that automatically operates the brake pedal for the vehicle operator. The test apparatus is fixedly set under the seat of the vehicle and provided with a control rod which extends in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and a driving mechanism which drives the control rod forward and backward. The control rod serves to automatically operate the brake pedal with its tip such that the performance evaluation test is conducted with respect to the braking operation of the vehicle.
With the aforementioned test apparatus, the brake pedal can be automatically depressed, and therefore the vehicle operator is able to conduct the evaluation test for the braking operation of the vehicle while driving the vehicle without operating the brake pedal. Furthermore, since a main portion of the test apparatus is fixedly set under the seat, the possibility of interfering with the vehicle operator when he/she enters or exits the vehicle or to perform smooth driving is reduced.
However, before conducting the evaluation test, the aforementioned test apparatus has to be installed in the vehicle by temporarily detaching the seat. After the test apparatus is installed in the vehicle, the seat is attached again such that the test can be started. Meanwhile, after the test is finished, the test apparatus is removed from the vehicle by temporarily detaching the seat. After the test apparatus is removed from the vehicle, the seat is attached again. Conducting the performance test, thus, requires much time and labor as aforementioned, preventing efficient and smooth testing.
The test apparatus is fixedly set under the seat, by which the direction for depressing the brake pedal by the control rod is defined. Accordingly, the direction for depressing the brake pedal cannot be adjusted. An axial tension of the control rod is detected by a load sensor attached to the control rod as a depressing load applied to the brake pedal. In the aforementioned test apparatus, the depressing load applied by the tip of the control rod to the brake pedal cannot be detected accurately, requiring further improvement in the accuracy of the evaluation test.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the invention to provide a performance evaluation test method for automatically applying pressure to a control member using the seat efficiently without requiring detaching/attaching the seat.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for conducting a vehicle performance evaluation test by automatically depressing a control member of the vehicle to be depressed by a vehicle operator using an actuator of a vehicle performance evaluation test apparatus. The method includes the steps of providing the actuator having a first end and a second end for pressing the control member, fixing the first end of the actuator to a seat of the vehicle, engaging the second end of the actuator with the control member of the vehicle, and causing the actuator to exert a depressing force to depress the control member relative to the seat so as to automatically depress the control member. Another aspect of the invention relates to a vehicle performance evaluation test apparatus which includes an actuator that is provided with a first end fixed to a seat of the vehicle and a second end engaging with the control member. The actuator automatically presses a control member of the vehicle to be depressed by an operator of the vehicle, and is operable to generate a force to depress the control member relative to the seat of the vehicle. The actuator further includes a rod member movable in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle so as to depress the control member.
One end of the actuator is fixed to the seat and the other end is engaged with the control member. The actuator generates the force for relatively pressing the control member with respect to the seat to automatically press the control member. As a result, the evaluation test for the vehicle performance can be performed requiring no need for removing or installing the seat.
According to one aspect of the invention, a direction of depressing a force receiving surface of the control member is adjusted to a predetermined direction by the actuator prior to automatic operation of the control member by the actuator. The actuator is adjusted such that the pressing direction with respect to a force receiving surface of the control member is aligned with a predetermined direction prior to automatic application of the depressing force to the control member by the actuator. Therefore, the evaluation test for the vehicle performance can be started in the state where the pressing direction with respect to the force receiving surface of the control member is accurately aligned with the predetermined direction.
According to one aspect of the invention, a depressing load applied to the force receiving surface of the control member by the second end of the actuator is detected, and the depressing operation is controlled on the basis of the detected depressing load. The depressing load applied to the force receiving surface of the control member from the end of the actuator is detected, and the pressing by the actuator is controlled based on the detected depressing load. Therefore the evaluation test for the vehicle performance can be properly performed by accurately controlling the depressing force applied to the control member from the end of the actuator.
According to one aspect of the invention, the depressing force applied to the control member is reduced by generating a force for driving the second end of the actuator in a direction reverse to the direction of the depressing force. The actuator is capable of generating a force for driving the end thereof in the pressing direction and in the reverse direction. The actuator generates the force to drive the end thereof in the direction reverse to the pressing direction such that the depressing force applied to the control member is reduced. This makes it possible to increase or decrease the depressing force applied to the control member with high response, thus reducing overshoot upon increase in the depressing force of the actuator to a target value or fluctuation caused by maintaining the depressing force at the target value compared with the conventional test method or apparatus that allows the depressing force to be increased or decreased only in the pressing direction. Accordingly the depressing force applied to the control member can be reduced or eliminated efficiently upon completion of the test.
According to one aspect of the invention, a state in which the first end of the actuator is fixed to the seat is adjusted by the vehicle operator who is seated on the seat prior to automatic depression of the control member. The fixed condition of the end of the actuator with respect to the seat can be adjusted by the vehicle operator already seated on the seat before automatic
Ogawa Tetsuya
Okochi Norihiko
Sakamoto Shigeru
Takeda Junichi
Takenaka Osamu
Davis Octavia
Lefkowitz Edward
Toyota Jidosha & Kabushiki Kaisha
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