Teleflex, Inc.

Drivesol Worldwide, Inc.

Sundar Ananthasivan

Christopher J Rixon

Christopher Rixon

A fluid relief device () is responsive to a sensor () for relieving the hydraulic fluid pressure in hydraulic line () in response to the crash conditions. A fuseable link () abuts the distal end of a shaft () and holds the piston () in the normal operating position until a crash where the fuseable link () is consumed or removed to allow movement of the shaft () and the piston () to the accumulator position to relieve pressure in the hydraulic system. A resilient curved leaf spring member () reacts between the cross beam () and the pedal arm () in the event of rearward movement of the pedal arm () out of the normal operating range due to a crash to limit movement of the pedal arm () toward the operator space. The resilient spring () and the fluid relief device () are reusable.

Crash relief pedal assembly

A pedal assembly (12) for a vehicle (10) includes a bracket (16), a pedal arm (20) and a support mechanism (26). The bracket (16) is adapted to be mounted to a vehicle structure (18) such as firewall or vehicle dashboard assembly. The pedal arm (20) extends downwardly from the bracket (16) to a distal end (22) for supporting a pedal pad (24). The support mechanism (26) interconnects the pedal arm (20) and the bracket (16) for allowing pivotal movement of the pedal arm (20) in an operating plane (28) relative to the bracket (16) during normal operation and for guiding the pedal arm (20) out of the operating plane (28) in response to a predetermined force between the pedal arm (20) and the bracket (16). Thus, under normal operation the pedal assembly (12) is pivotally moved between a rest position and a use position, but when the load exerted on the pedal pad (24) exceeds a pre-determined force the support mechanism (26) moves the pedal assembly (12) laterally with respect to the bracket (16) so that the pedal assembly (12) is moved away from a vehicle driver (14).

Growing community of inventors

Farmington Hills, MI, United States of America

Sundar Ananthasivan