The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 30, 2006
Filed:
Sep. 28, 2001
Masato Kumamoto, Odawara, JP;
Takumi Oikawa, Odawara, JP;
Tsuyoshi Hosono, Odawara, JP;
Mikuni Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
The present apparatus includes an accelerator pedal 10, a pedal arm 20, a pedal shaft 30 which supports the pedal arm 20 so as to be free to swing, a return spring 40, a friction generating mechanism 50 which generates friction force corresponding to a position of the pedal arm 20, an accelerator position sensor 60 and a control segment 70 which controls an opening of a throttle valve 110 based on an output signal of the sensor 60. A play range in which a friction force equal to or larger than a specific level is not generated is set to the friction generating mechanism in the range where the pedal arm moves from a resting position by a specific amount. In the play range, an output signal of the accelerator position sensor 60 is kept constant so that the throttle valve is kept at a specific opening. In this manner, a desirable operating feeling without an unsuitable feeling with the accelerator pedal operation is obtained, and the accelerator apparatus is compact.