Dura Global Technologies, Inc.

Michael William Depotter

Gordon Lloyd Smith

Steven Allen Toelke

Richard Scott Bigham

Rongjun Zhang

James Robert Allen

Dean William Reynolds

An adjustable control pedal for a motor vehicle includes a first member having a slot formed therein, a pin laterally extending into the slot and having an abutment facing the first member on a side of the first member opposite the second member, and a second member rigidly secured to the pin and movable relative to the first member along the slot. A plastic bushing encircles the pin and extends into the slot. The bushing has a flange engaging the first member on a side of the first member opposite the second member. A plastic washer encircles the pin and is located between the first and second members. A spring washer such as a wave or Belleville washer is located between the abutment and the flange and resiliently biases the second member relative to the first member to resist relative lateral movement between the first and second members to reduce lash therebetween. The pin can be ether a guide pin or a drive pin of the control pedal. Various embodiments are disclosed wherein the first and second members are upper and lower pedal arms respectively and are a mounting bracket and an upper pedal arm respectively.

Adjustable brake, clutch and accelerator pedals

An adjustable control pedal for a motor vehicle includes a lower arm which moves relative to an upper arm to adjust the position of a pedal. A control system includes a sensor and a controller in communication with the sensor. The controller determines a position of lower arm based on signals from the sensor and automatically stops movement when the lower arm reaches a stored position or an end of travel without engaging mechanical stops, when sensors indicate that there is a failure in the drive system, and when sensors indicate that a predetermined fore/aft offset between two pedals is not maintained. The controller automatically moves the lower arm to a predetermined position when signals indicate the driver may egress the vehicle. A lock-out switch prevents movement of the lower arm so that the lower arm is not accidentally moved.

Control system for adjustable pedal assembly

A method of operating a control pedal assembly includes the steps providing a pair of adjustable control pedals. Each control pedal includes a first support and a second support having a lower arm and moveable relative to the first support to adjust the fore-aft position of the lower arm upon operation of a motor. A predetermined fore-aft relationship is provided between the lower arms of each of the pair of control pedals. The predetermined fore-aft relationship is maintained during operation of the motor to move the second supports relative to the first supports while adjusting the fore-aft position of the lower arms. The motor is stopped during operation if the predetermined fore-aft relationship between the lower arms is not maintained.

An adjustable control pedal for a motor vehicle includes a first member having a slot formed therein, a pin laterally extending into the slot and having an abutment facing the first member on a side of the first member opposite the second member, and a second member rigidly secured to the pin and movable relative to the first member along the slot. A plastic bushing encircles the pin and extends into the slot. The bushing has a flange engaging the first member on a side of the first member opposite the second member. A plastic washer encircles the pin and is located between the first and second members. A spring washer such as a wave or Belleville washer is located between the abutment and the flange and resiliently biases the second member relative to the first member to resist relative lateral movement between the first and second members to reduce lash therebetween. The pin can be either a guide pin or a drive pin of the control pedal. Various embodiments are disclosed wherein the first and second members are upper and lower pedal arms respectively and are a mounting bracket and an upper pedal arm respectively.

An adjustable control pedal for a motor vehicle includes an upper arm and a lower arm carrying a pedal. The lower arm is selectively moveable relative to the upper arm to adjust the position of the pedal relative to the upper arm. A drive screw is secured to the upper arm. A drive nut threadably engages the drive screw and is adapted to move axially along the drive screw upon rotation of the drive screw. A motor is operatively connected to the drive screw to selectively rotate the drive screw. The lower arm is operatively connected to the drive nut for fore-aft movement of the lower arm relative to the upper arm upon axial movement of the drive nut along the drive screw. A control system includes a sensor located at the drive screw and adapted to directly sense rotation of the drive screw and a controller in communication with the sensor to receive electrical signals from the sensor. The controller determines a position of the nut along the screw based on signals from the sensor and automatically stops the motor when the nut reaches a predetermined position along the screw such as a desired end of travel for the nut along the screw. The controller also automatically stops the motor when signals from the sensor indicate that the screw is not rotating. The controller is adapted to automatically move the lower arm in a forward direction relative to the upper arm to a predetermined position, such as a full forward position, when predetermined conditions are met which indicate the driver may egress the vehicle. The predetermined conditions can be the ignition switch turning off and/or the driver's door opening. The control assembly preferably includes a lock-out switch in communication with the controller to prevent movement of the lower arm relative to the upper arm when engaged so that the lower arm is not accidentally moved. The controller is preferably adapted to automatically stop the motor and prevent further pedal adjustment when sensors indicate that a predetermined fore/aft offset between an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal, i.e. step over, is not maintained.

An adjustable control pedal for a motor vehicle includes an upper arm and a lower arm carrying a pedal and selectively movable relative the upper arm to adjust the position of the pedal. The upper arm has a vertically extending flat or planar portion and a substantially horizontal slot formed at the planar portion. A drive screw is secured to the upper arm and is laterally spaced apart from the planar portion generally parallel to the slot. A drive nut threadably engages the drive screw and moves axially along the drive screw upon rotation of the drive screw. A motor is connected to the drive screw to selectively rotate the drive screw in one direction or the other. The lower arm has a guide extending into the slot which is connected to the drive nut for linear fore-aft sliding movement of the guide along the slot upon rotation of the drive screw and resulting linear fore-aft movement of the pedal. The drive screw is secured to the upper arm through a first self-aligning ball/socket joint and the drive nut is secured to the lower arm through a second self-aligning ball/socket joint so that the drive screw and the drive nut automatically self align as the drive nut travels along the drive screw. The drive screw is preferably secured to the upper arm by a snap-fit connection.

Growing community of inventors

Berkley, MI, United States of America

Michael William Depotter