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EP1547886A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Pedal support structure for a vehicle

Assignee: Mazda Motor Corp
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Filing: 2004-12-17
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2024-12-17
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Abstract

Abstract According to a pedal support structure (A), the slide comprises two slide portions constituted of the first and second contact points (103, 203) and the first and second guide faces (301 a, 404). Further, these contact portions (103, 203) and these guide faces (301 a, 404) are respectively located longitudinally separately from each other, and are located so as to be offset from each other in the vehicle width direction, whereby the first and second contact portions and the first and second guide faces can be located substantially horizontally. Accordingly, there can be provided the pedal support structure (A) which can improve flexibility of a layout of the guide face to guide a position change of a pedal bracket (200) and to make the structure compact.

Inventors

  • 👤 Kouji c/o Mazda Motor Corporation Hayashi

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 16:33
CPC Classifications
G; G05; G05G; G05G1/00; G05G1/30; G05G1/32; B; B60; B60R; B60R21/00; B60R21/02; B60R21/09; B60T; B60T7/00; B60T7/02; B60T7/04; B60T7/06; B60T7/065; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T74/00; Y10T74/20; Y10T74/20528

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim 381 words
A pedal support structure (A) for a vehicle, comprising: a pedal unit including a pedal (100) with a pad portion (102), a pedal bracket (200; 200'; 200") to rotatably support the pedal (100), and first and second contact portions (103, 203; 203'; 203"); a guide member (300; 300'; 300"; 300'''; 300"", 400; 400'; 400") to be supported at an instrument panel reinforcement (5) of the vehicle and including first and second guide faces (301 a, 404; 404'; 400"), the guide member (300; 300'; 300"; 300'''; 300"", 400; 400'; 400") being operative to guide said pedal unit, when said pedal bracket (200) is moved backward, via a slide of said first contact portion (103) on said first guide face (301 a) and a slide of said second contact portion (203; 203'; 203") on said second guide face (404; 404'; 400") such that a position of said pedal unit changes in such a manner that said pad portion (102) of said pedal (100) is restrained from being moved backward, wherein said first and second contact portions (103, 203; 203'; 203") and said first and second guide faces (301 a, 404; 404'; 404") are configured such that said second contact portion (203; 203'; 203") comes to substantially contact and slide on said second guide face (404; 404'; 404") after said first contact portion (103) has started to substantially slide on said first guide face (301a) as said pedal bracket (200; 200'; 200") is moved backward, said first and second contact portions (103, 203; 203'; 203") are disposed separately in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and said first and second guide faces (301 a, 404; 404'; 404") are disposed separately in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, said first and second contact portions (103, 203; 203'; 203") are located so as to be offset from each other substantially in a vehicle width direction and said first and second guide faces (301 a, 404; 404'; 404") are located so as to be offset from each other substantially in the vehicle width direction as well corresponding to locations of said first and second contact portions (103, 203; 203'; 203"), whereby said first and second contact portions (103, 203; 203'; 203") and said first and second guide faces (301a, 404; 404'; 404") can be located substantially horizontally.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 49 words
The pedal support structure (A) for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein either one of said first and second contact portions (103, 203) is provided at said pedal bracket (200) and the other one of said first and second contact portions (103, 203) is provided at said pedal (100).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 113 words
The pedal support structure (A) for a vehicle of claim 1 or 2, wherein said pedal bracket (200) includes a rear end portion and a front end portion (204) which is to be fixed to a dash panel (1), said pedal (100) includes an upper end portion which is supported at said rear end portion of the pedal bracket (200) via an axis (103) and a lower end portion at which said pad portion (102) is provided, and said first contact portion is formed at part of said axis (103) and said second contact portion is formed at a rear end face (203) of said rear end portion of the pedal bracket (200).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 44 words
The pedal support structure (A) for a vehicle of claim 3, wherein said rear end face (203) of the pedal bracket (200) includes a curved face which is continuous to an upper end face of said rear end portion of the pedal bracket (200).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 103 words
The pedal support structure (A) for a vehicle of one of the preceding claims, wherein said guide member (300) includes a fixing portion (302a) which fixes said pedal bracket (200) thereto in such a manner that said first and second contact portions (103, 203) are separate from said first and second guide faces (301 a, 404) during a normal state, whereas said pedal bracket (200) is allowed to be moved backward when a specified great load is applied to said pedal bracket (200) backward, and said pedal bracket is fixed at said fixing portion (302a) and a dash panel (1) of the vehicle.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 124 words
The pedal support structure (A) for a vehicle of one of the preceding claims, wherein said guide member includes a first guide member (300) having said first guide face (301 a) and a second guide member (400) having said second guide face (404), and said first guide face (301 a) is configured such that a direction (d1) substantially perpendicular to said first guide face (301 a) in an initial contact position does not pass an axis center (P) of said instrument panel reinforcement (5), whereas the direction perpendicular (P) to said first guide face (301 a) gradually gets close to the axis center (P) of said instrument panel reinforcement (5) as said first contact portion (103) slides on said first guide face (301 a).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 74 words
The pedal support structure (A) for a vehicle of claim 6, wherein said second guide face (404) is configured such that an offset value between a direction perpendicular (d3) to said second guide face (404) in a specified contact position and said axis center (P) is smaller than an offset value between the direction (d1) substantially perpendicular to said first guide face (301 a) in the initial contact position and said axis center (P).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 56 words
The pedal support structure (A) for a vehicle of claim 6 or 7, wherein said first guide face (301 a) is configured so as to slant rearward and downward and such that said direction substantially perpendicular (d1) to said first guide face (301 a) in the initial contact position passes above said instrument panel reinforcement (5).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 43 words
The pedal support structure (A) for a vehicle of claim 8, wherein said second guide face (404) is configured such that a direction (d3) perpendicular to said second guide face (404) in a specified contact position passes through said instrument panel reinforcement (5).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 68 words
The pedal support structure (A) for a vehicle of claim 6, wherein said first guide member (300) includes an attaching face (303), and a grade of said attaching face (303) is configured such that when a specified load is applied to said first guide face (301 a) from said first contact portion (103), said first guide member (300) is slid in a substantially vertical direction of the vehicle.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 48 words
The pedal support structure (A) for a vehicle of one of the preceding claims, wherein said first contact portion (103) is configured so as to go away from said first guide face (301 a) by said second contact portion (203') sliding substantially on said second guide face (404').
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 68 words
The pedal support structure (A) for a vehicle of claim 11, wherein said first guide face (301a) and said second guide face (404') are configured so as to slant backward and downward respectively and such that a distance therebetween gradually becomes smaller while going downward, and a distance between said first contact portion (103) and said second contact portion (203') is configured so as to be substantially constant.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 83 words
The pedal support structure (A) for a vehicle of claim 11 or 12, wherein said first guide face (301 a) and said second guide face (404') are configured so as to slant backward and downward respectively in parallel to each other, and said second contact portion (203') is configured such that a surface thereof is formed of an arc-shaped face having gradually changing distance from said first contact portion (103) as said second contact portion (203') slides on the second guide face (404').
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 104 words
The pedal support structure (A) for a vehicle of claim 11, 12 or 13, wherein said guide member (300') includes a fixing portion (302a) which fixes said pedal bracket (200') thereto in such a manner that said first and second contact portions (103, 203') are separate from said first and second guide faces (301 a, 404') during a normal state, whereas said pedal bracket (200') is allowed to be moved backward when a specified great load is applied to said pedal bracket (200') backward, and said pedal bracket (200') is fixed at said fixing portion (302a') and a dash panel (1) of the vehicle.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 138 words
The pedal support structure (A) for a vehicle of one of the preceding claims, wherein said first and second contact portions (103, 203") and said first and second guide faces (301 a", 404") are configured such that said first contact portion (103) slides on said first guide face (301 a") when said pedal bracket (200") is moved backward, and said second contact portion (203") comes to contact said second guide face (404") after said first contact portion (103) has gone away from said first guide face (301 a"), and a terminal end portion of said first guide face (301 a") includes a slant portion (301 a''') which reduces an approaching speed of said second contact portion (203") to said second guide face (404") when said first contact portion (103) goes away from said first guide face (301 a").
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 92 words
The pedal support structure (A) for a vehicle of claim 15, wherein said first guide face (301 a") is disposed backward with respect to said first contact portion (103) and said second guide face (404") is disposed backward with respect to said second contact portion (203"), said first and second contact portions (103, 203") are configured so as to slant backward and downward, and a grade of said slant portion (301 a''') is configured so as to be more vertical than that of other portion of said first guide face (301 a").
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 103 words
The pedal support structure (A) for a vehicle of claim 15 or 16, wherein said guide member (300") includes a fixing portion (302a") which fixes said pedal bracket (200") thereto in such a manner that said first and second contact portions (103, 203") are separate from said first and second guide faces (301 a", 404") during a normal state, whereas said pedal bracket (200") is allowed to be moved backward when a specified great load is applied to said pedal bracket (200") backward, and said pedal bracket (200") is fixed at said fixing portion (302a") and a dash panel (1) of the vehicle.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 146 words
The pedal support structure (A) for a vehicle of one of the preceding claims, wherein: there is further provided a fixing portion (302a) which fixes said pedal bracket (200') thereto in such a manner that said first and second contact portions (103, 203) are separate from said first and second guide faces (301 a, 404') during a normal state, whereas said pedal bracket (200') is allowed to be moved backward when a specified great load is applied to said pedal bracket (200') backward; said first guide face (301 a) includes a front end portion which extends upward from said first contact portion (103); and there is provided a restraint structure (301 b; 302b) at said front end portion which restrains a grade of said first guide face (301 a) from changing to being more vertical when a vehicle component (X) hits against said front end portion.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 55 words
The pedal support structure (A) for a vehicle of claim 18, wherein said restraint structure (301 b; 302b) is configured such that said front portion is made weaker than any other portion of said first guide member (300'''; 300""), whereby said front end portion can be broken by a hit of said vehicle component (X).
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 40 words
The pedal support structure (A) for a vehicle of claim 18 or 19, wherein said restraint structure comprises at least one notch (301 b), whereby said front end portion can be broken by a hit of said vehicle component (X).
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 67 words
The pedal support structure (A) for a vehicle of claim 18, 19 or 20, wherein said restraint structure comprises a slant face (302b) which is configured such that a load caused by the hit of said vehicle component (X) acts against said first guide member (300"") so as to change the grade of said first guide faces (301 a) in a specified direction to be more horizontal.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 53 words
The pedal support structure (A) for a vehicle of one of the preceding claims 18 to 21, wherein said fixing portion (302a) is provided at said first guide member (300'''; 300""), and said pedal bracket (200') is to be fixed at said fixing portion (302a) and a dash panel (1) of the vehicle.

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