US5927154A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Adjustable brake and clutch pedals
Assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
•
Filing: 1998-02-11
•
Granted: 1999-07-27
•
Expires: 2018-02-11
Abstract
Abstract An adjustable pedal mechanism for automotive vehicles utilizes a slave lever pivoted on a conventionally located laterally extending front pivot and actuated by a pedal lever on a parallel rear pivot located behind and below the front pivot. The levers are connected by an adjustable link lying generally parallel with the plane of the front and rear pivots to form a parallelogram linkage with the link side being of variable length to vary the initial angular position of a foot pedal at the lower end of the pedal lever. The slave lever connects with an actuator rod for actuating a vehicle device such as a brake or clutch and is applied by forward motion of the foot pedal acting through the pedal lever and adjustable link to the slave lever which moves the actuator rod. The lowered rearward location of the pedal lever allows a greater variation of the pedal position without excessively raising the pedal height while the parallelogram linkage arrangement maintains pedal actuating travel essentially constant at all locations within the range of adjustment positions. A preferred embodiment includes powered adjustment of a ballscrew for adjusting the link.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert Douglas Elton
- 👤 Lloyd Walker Rogers, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 17:10
CPC Classifications
G; G05; G05G; G05G1/00; G05G1/30; G05G1/40; G05G1/405; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T74/00; Y10T74/20; Y10T74/20528; Y10T74/20576; Y10T74/20888
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
222 words
An adjustable pedal mechanism for an automotive vehicle, said mechanism comprising: a support having front and rear pivots extending on laterally extending parallel axes, said rear pivot spaced behind and below said front pivot; a slave lever having an upper end pivotally mounted on said front pivot and extending downward to a lower end; an actuator rod for controlling a vehicle device, said rod connected with said lower end of the slave lever for causing axial actuating motion of the rod upon limited pivotal motion of the slave lever; a pedal lever having an upper end pivotally mounted on said rear pivot and extending downward beyond the extent of said slave lever to a lower end connected to a foot pedal for pivotal actuation of the pedal lever; and an adjustable link pivotally connecting a point on said pedal lever intermediate its ends with said lower end of the slave lever, said link being of variable length and operable to vary the pivotal position of said pedal lever and thereby adjust the fore and aft location of said pedal; said pedal being operable from any of a range of fore and aft locations to pivot the pedal lever, causing the link to pivot the slave lever to thereby axially move the actuator rod for controlling said vehicle device in a desired manner.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
222 words
An adjustable pedal mechanism for an automotive vehicle, said mechanism comprising: a support having front and rear pivots extending on laterally extending parallel axes, said rear pivot spaced behind and below said front pivot; a slave lever having an upper end pivotally mounted on said front pivot and extending downward to a lower end; an actuator rod for controlling a vehicle device, said rod connected with said lower end of the slave lever for causing axial actuating motion of the rod upon limited pivotal motion of the slave lever; a pedal lever having an upper end pivotally mounted on said rear pivot and extending downward beyond the extent of said slave lever to a lower end connected to a foot pedal for pivotal actuation of the pedal lever; and an adjustable link pivotally connecting a point on said pedal lever intermediate its ends with said lower end of the slave lever, said link being of variable length and operable to vary the pivotal position of said pedal lever and thereby adjust the fore and aft location of said pedal; said pedal being operable from any of a range of fore and aft locations to pivot the pedal lever, causing the link to pivot the slave lever to thereby axially move the actuator rod for controlling said vehicle device in a desired manner.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
82 words
An adjustable pedal mechanism as in claim 1 wherein said link extends generally parallel with a plane defined by said parallel pivot axes and said slave lever is generally parallel with said pedal lever between its upper end and said point connected with said adjustable link, whereby the mechanism approximates a parallelogram linkage having one side of variable length to vary the initial angle of the operating range of the pedal lever while maintaining the operating travel of the pedal relatively constant.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
47 words
An adjustable pedal mechanism as in claim 2 wherein said pedal lever between its upper end and said point connected with said adjustable link and said slave lever are exactly parallel at an intermediate point of the range of adjustment of said adjustable link in said mechanism.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
An adjustable pedal mechanism as in claim 1 wherein said adjustable link is power operated.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
An adjustable pedal mechanism as in claim 1 wherein said adjustable link includes a ballscrew.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
48 words
An adjustable pedal mechanism as in claim 5 wherein said ballscrew is rotatably drivable by a gear drive connected by a cable with an electric motor drive selectably operable to vary the fore and aft position of the pedal as desired for the convenience of various vehicle drivers.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3151499A
Cited
US3643524A
Cited
US3643525A
Cited
US3631739A
Cited
US3828625A
Cited
US3975972A
Cited
US4546667A
Cited
US4875385A
Cited
US5078024A
Cited
US4870871A
Cited
US5056742A
Cited
US5010782A
Cited
US5086663A
Cited
US5351573A
Cited
US5172606A
Cited
US5460061A
Cited
US5497677A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-07-26 | 2003-01-25 | 2003-07-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-07-26 | 2007-01-25 | 2007-07-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-07-26 | 2011-01-25 | 2011-07-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |