Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2022689
SPECIFICATION
1. TITLE OF THE INVENTION
PEDAL PRESSURE RELIEF APPARATUS
2. FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT
The present invention relates to a pedal pressure
relief apparatus for operating a clutch and the like of
an automobile.
Conventionally, a return spring using a torsion
spring is fitted to a clutch pedal and the like of an
automobile so that the worked pedal may be returned
easily by means of this return spring. In such a const-
ruction, however, there has been such a drawback that
a large pedal pressure is required due to the urging
force of the spring, and one has a heavy feeling in
working the pedal.
Therefore, as a pedal pressure relief apparatus
of this type, those that are shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4
have been proposed for instance. In the pedal pressure
relief apparatus shown in Fig. 3, when a pedal 51 is
worked in a direction shown with an arrow mark A, a
coupling pin 52 rotates with a support pin 53 as a
center and the central point of the coupling pin 52
moves toward a line n-n connecting central points of
2022~89
pivot pins 53 and 54 with each other, thereby compressing
a compression spring 55. When the central point of the
coupling pin 52 crosses the line n-n, a pressing force
of the compression spring 55 acts on the pedal 51 in
the direction shown with the arrow mark A, and the pedal
pressure on the pedal 51 is relieved.
Further, in a pedal pressure relief apparatus
shown in Fig. 4, when a pedal 61 is worked from a return
position shown with a solid line in the direction shown
with an arrow mark B, an arm 62 rotates in a direction
shown with an arrow mark C with a pivot pin 64 as the
center through a rod 65. A pivot pin 63b of a pedal
arm 66 and an end part 63a of the arm 62 are connected
with each other by means of a spring 63. As described
above, the arm 62 rotates and the spring 63 extends.
However, the urging force of the spring 63 operates as
the force of rotating the arm 62 in the direction shown
with an arrow mark C since after the line connecting
both ends of the spring 63 passes over the pin 64 which
is the center of rotation of the arm 62, and this rotating
force acts as a force of relieving the pedal pressure
on the pedal 61 through the rod 65.
In the apparatus shown in Fig. 3, however,
2022689
hysteresis is increased at the working time of the compres-
sion spring 55, and the compression spring 55 is liable
to become fatigued. In addition, since spring 55 has
to be installed after being compressed, the assembly
work is troublesome, and even 12 to 13 pieces of parts
are required, thus causing disadvantage in point of cost
due to numerous number of parts.
Further, in the apparatus shown in Fig. 4,
although a spring retaining end portion 63a of the arm
62 moves with working on the pedal 61, the tension of
the spring 63 is reduced gradually with the progress
of working on the pedal 61 because a retaining end 63b
on the side of a pedal shaft 66 is fixed. That is, when
such an operation is considered as a rotating force of
the arm 62 in the direction shown with an arrow mark C,
the foregoing means that the rotating force of the arm
62 reaches a peak in the first half of the pedal stroke
and the torque is lowered thereafter. Therefore, a suf-
ficient pedal pressure relief effect is unobtainable
in the vicinity of the middle of the pedal stroke where
the utmost aiding force of the pedal pressure is required.
Moreover, there are such drawbacks that the number of
parts is large and the product cost is expensive similarly
20226"'''
to the relief apparatus shown in Fig. 3.
3.OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention which has
been made in view of such actual circumstances to provide a
pedal pressure relief apparatus which is able to eliminate
above-described drawbacks.
According to a broad aspect the present invention
provides a pedal pressure relief apparatus, comprising: a
pedal member having a pivot point, pivotably connected to a
pedal bracket for pivoting with respect to the pedal bracket
in a first plane, said pivot point located at one end of said
pedal member; an actuating arm including a first actuating arm
portion and a second actuating arm portion, said first and
second actuating arm portions being connected to form a bent
shape member, said first actuating arm portion having a
rotatable end, rotatably connected to a middle part of said
pedal member so as to permit rotation of the actuating arm in
a second plane parallel with but a spaced distance from the
first plane, said first actuating arm portion having a length
which is substantially equal to a length of said second
actuating arm portion, said first actuating arm portion and
said second actuating arm portion being disposed relative to
one another so as to define an acute angle; and a tension
spring disposed substantially in said second plane and having
a retaining end connected to said pedal bracket and having a
connection end connected to a free end of said second
actuating arm portion such that said first actuating arm
portion is positioned at one side of said pivot point and said
- 4 -
21326-147
202268q
second actuating arm portion is positioned at an opposite side
of said pivot point to position said actuating arm such that
said pedal pivot, said rotation end of said first actuating
arm and said retaining end of said tension spring lie along a
straight line.
4.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a side view of a pedal provided with a
pedal pressure relief apparatus according to the present
invention;
Fig. 2 is a front view of the pedal pressure relief
apparatus shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a side view of a pedal provided with a
conventional pedal pressure relief apparatus; and
Fig. 4 is a side view of a pedal provided with
another conventional pedal pressure relief apparatus.
5.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention will be described in detail
hereafter with reference to an embodiment illustrated in the
drawings.
Fig. 1 and Fig 2 show an embodiment of a pedal
pressure relief apparatus according to the present invention.
In those figures, a numeral 1 indicates a pedal bracket fixed
on a car body side, and an upper end of a pedal 2 is fitted
rotatably to this bracket 1 by means of a pedal shaft 3. the
pedal 2 consists of a pedal arm 4 and a pedal tread portion 5
-- 5
21326-147
2 0 2 2 6 ~,
provided at the lower end of the pedal arm 4, and is
constructed so as to be rotatable with the pedal shaft 3 as
the center.
One end 6a of an actuating arm 6 which is formed in
an almost L-shape on the whole is fitted rotatably to the
middle part of the pedal arm 4 by means of a pivot pin 7, and
a free end 6b is formed at another end of this actuating arm
6. Further, the pedal shaft 3 which is the center of rotation
of the pedal 2 is disposed so as to be positioned inside the
actuating arm 6. The shape of the actuating arm 6 may be an
optional shape such as an almost L-shape, a boomerang shape
and the like as shown so far as the pedal shaft 3 can be
disposed inside. The pivot pin 7 has a length which is
sufficient to rotatably connect the actuating arm 6 to the
pedal arm 4 in a manner which allows the actuating arm 6 to
pivot in a plane which is parallel with, but spaced from, the
pivot plane of the pedal arm 4.
A support pin 8 is protruded on the pedal bracket 1
above said pedal 2, and one end of a tension spring 9 is
retained at the point portion of the support pin 8.
Another end of the tension spring 9 is retained at
the free end 6b of the actuating arm 6. Here, a line
connecting the center of rotation (pivot pin 7) of the
actuating arm 6, the center rotation (pedal shaft 3) of the
pedal 2 and the retaining end (support pin 8) on the side of
the bracket 1 of the tension spring 9 is set to show an almost
straight line at a predetermined position (for example, the
position of an imaginary line in the figure) in accordance
- 6 -
21326-147
20226",'~
with working on the pedal 2.
The support pin 8 is required to maintain the spring
9 in the same plane as the plane in which actuating arm 6
rotates.
Besides, in Fig. 1, 10 indicates a clutch cable
connected to the point of the pedal 2 at one end thereof, and
this clutch cable 10 moves vertically interlocking the
rotation of the pedal 2.
In the pedal pressure relief apparatus constructed
as described ahove when the pedal 2 is located at a non-
working position (a position shown with a solid line in Fig.
1), a resultant force of the tension of the tension spring 9
and the force of the clutch cable 10 in the direction shown
with an arrow mark F3 acts in the direction shown with an
arrow mark F1. When the pedal 2 is continued to be worked
starting from this state, the tension of the tension spring 9
is changed from the direction shown
21326-147
2~22~8J
with the arrow mark Fl over to the direction shown with
the arrow mark F2 with the pedal position (a position
shown with a chain line in Fig. 1) where the line con-
necting centers of the pivot pin 7, the pedal shaft 3
and the support pin 8 shows an almost straight line as
the boundary. With this, a resultant force of the force
of the clutch cable 10 and the tension of the tension
spring 9 applied in a reverse direction thereto through
the actuating arm 6 acts on a pedal tread portion 5 and
energizes the pedal 2 in a working direction. Thus,
the pedal pressure on the pedal 2 is relieved.
Further, when working on the pedal 2 is released,
the tension of the tension spring 9 acts on the pedal
2 in a direction reverse to the working direction through
the actuating arm 6. Therefore, the pedal 2 returns to
the non-working position.
Since the pedal pressure relief apparatus of
the present embodiment is composed of the actuating arm
6, two pieces of pins 7 and 8, and the tension spring 9,
sliding portions are less and the number of parts can
be reduced by a large margin as compared with a conventional
apparatus.
An embodiment of the present invention has
2022~8~
been described above. However, the present invention
is not limited to the embodiment which has been described,
but variety of modifications and alterations can be made
based on the technical concept of the present invention.
For example, the present invention has been
applied to the pedal 2 in which a torsion spring which
acts as a return spring is not fitted to the pedal shaft
3 in above-said embodiment. However, it is needless
to say that the present invention is applicable to the
pedal 2 fitted with a torsion spring.
