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KR-102964408-B1 - FOLDABLE PEDAL APPARATUS FOR VEHICLE

KR102964408B1KR 102964408 B1KR102964408 B1KR 102964408B1KR-102964408-B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a foldable pedal device for a vehicle. In a manual driving mode where the driver drives directly, the pedal pad (100) that was in close contact with the seat cushion (10) becomes a pop-up state protruding forward from the seat cushion (10) so that it is exposed and can be operated by the driver. In an autonomous driving situation, the pedal pad (100) becomes a hidden state where it is in close contact with the front of the seat cushion (10) so that it cannot be operated by the driver, and the driver can operate the two pop-up pedal pads (100) individually with each foot.

Inventors

  • 김은식

Assignees

  • 현대자동차주식회사
  • 기아 주식회사

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20210419

Claims (14)

  1. A pedal pad that moves to be in close contact with the front of the seat cushion in an autonomous driving situation to become a hidden state where operation by the driver is impossible, and moves to protrude forward of the seat cushion in a pop-up state where operation by the driver is possible; and It includes a pedal pad actuator provided in the seat cushion, connected to the pedal pad, and moving the pedal pad in the forward and backward directions relative to the seat cushion when operated; A foldable pedal device for a vehicle characterized in that the above-mentioned pedal pad and pedal pad actuator are provided in the seat cushion so that the pedal pad also moves together when the seat cushion moves to a free position in an autonomous driving situation.
  2. In claim 1, A foldable pedal device for a vehicle comprising the above-mentioned pedal pad and pedal pad actuator is characterized by being composed of two identical devices and installed symmetrically on a seat cushion with a left-right spacing.
  3. In claim 2, A foldable pedal device for a vehicle characterized by having two pedal pads spaced apart left and right on the seat cushion, one of which is used as a pedal pad for an accelerator pedal device and the other as a pedal pad for a brake pedal device.
  4. In claim 2, The driver's legs are positioned between two pedal pads spaced apart left and right on the seat cushion; A foldable pedal device for a vehicle characterized in that one of the two pedal pads is operated by one of the driver's feet and the other pedal pad is operated by the driver's opposite foot.
  5. In claim 1, The above pedal pad actuator is a rotary motor installed to be fixed to the seat cushion; A pinion gear that rotates in combination with the above-mentioned rotary motor; and A foldable pedal device for a vehicle characterized by including a rack gear that meshes with the pinion gear and is installed to move back and forth relative to the seat cushion, with a pedal pad rotatably coupled to one end.
  6. In claim 5, A foldable pedal device for a vehicle, characterized in that the above pedal pad has a connecting pin integrally connected to its lower end, the connecting pin is rotatably connected to the front end of the rack gear, and the upper end is an organ-type pad that rotates back and forth with the connecting pin together with the rack gear.
  7. In claim 6, A foldable pedal device for a vehicle, further comprising a return spring that is penetrated by the above-mentioned connecting pin and has both ends connected to the connecting pin and the rack gear to provide a return force to the pedal pad.
  8. In claim 1, A foldable pedal device for a vehicle, further comprising a full stroke stopper formed to protrude forward at the lower front surface of the above-mentioned pedal pad and determining the full stroke of the pedal pad through contact with the vehicle floor when the pedal pad rotates forward by the driver's operation.
  9. In claim 7, A foldable pedal device for a vehicle, further comprising: a return stopper formed to protrude to one side from the bottom of the pedal pad and positioned above the rack gear, which determines the return position of the pedal pad by contacting the upper surface of the rack gear when the pedal pad returns to its initial position while rotating backward by the spring force of the return spring.
  10. In claim 9, A permanent magnet coupled to the above-mentioned return stopper; and It further includes a PCB installed to be fixed to a rack gear so as to face the above-mentioned permanent magnet; A foldable pedal device for a vehicle characterized by the above PCB detecting the rotation angle of the pedal pad through the change in magnetic flux of a permanent magnet when the return stopper rotates according to the rotation of the pedal pad, and generating a signal related to the pedal function.
  11. In claim 10, A foldable pedal device for a vehicle characterized in that the PCB generates a signal related to the pedal function only when the position of the permanent magnet changes as the pedal pad and the return stopper rotate due to the driver's operation in a pop-up state where the pedal pad is protruded forward of the seat cushion by the forward movement of the rack gear, and the rotary motor is not operating.
  12. In claim 5, The above rack gear is installed at an angle on the seat cushion so as to be forward downward and rear upward; A foldable pedal device for a vehicle characterized in that when the above-mentioned pedal pad is in a hidden state in close contact with the front of the seat cushion, the front end of the rack gear is spaced upward from the vehicle floor.
  13. In claim 5, The above rack gear is installed at an angle on the seat cushion so as to be forward downward and rear upward; A foldable pedal device for a vehicle, characterized in that when the above-mentioned pedal pad is in a pop-up state protruding forward of the seat cushion, the front end of the rack gear contacts the vehicle floor to secure support.
  14. In claim 5, The above rack gear is installed at an angle on the seat cushion so as to be forward downward and rear upward; A foldable pedal device for a vehicle, characterized by being able to variably adjust the forward protrusion length of the rack gear through the operation control of a rotary motor so that when the above-mentioned pedal pad is in a pop-up state protruding forward of the seat cushion, the front end of the rack gear contacts the vehicle floor or the front end of the rack gear is spaced upward from the vehicle floor.

Description

Foldable Pedal Apparatus for Vehicle The present invention relates to a foldable pedal device for a vehicle, and more specifically, to a technology for a foldable pedal device for a vehicle in which, in a manual driving mode where the driver drives directly, the pedal pad protrudes forward from the seat cushion to be exposed so that it can be operated by the driver, and in an autonomous driving situation, the pedal pad is pressed against the seat cushion so that it cannot be operated by the driver and its exposure is blocked. Autonomous vehicles are smart vehicles equipped with autonomous driving technology that allows them to find their way to a destination on their own without the driver directly operating the steering wheel, accelerator, or brakes, and their development has been progressing rapidly recently. When autonomous driving becomes a common reality, drivers can select a manual driving mode in which they drive directly, and an autonomous driving mode in which the vehicle drives itself to the destination without the driver driving directly. In autonomous driving mode, the driver needs to be able to stretch their legs and rest comfortably, so if the pedals (accelerator pedal, brake pedal) located in the lower space of the driver's seat remain exposed inside the cabin, it has the disadvantage of interfering with the driver's rest. In addition, an autonomous driving situation is one in which the driver does not operate the vehicle's pedals (accelerator pedal, brake pedal). If the driver operates the pedals during autonomous driving, the vehicle controller determines that the driver wishes to terminate autonomous driving and take over driving, and terminates the control for autonomous driving. However, since the vehicle's pedals are installed to be exposed in the space under the driver's seat, there is a risk that the driver may unconsciously operate the pedals during autonomous driving (situations of pedal misoperation), and in such cases, there is a risk of accidents occurring depending on road conditions or the distance between vehicles. Therefore, it is necessary to develop technology for a pedal device that exposes the pedal pad so that it protrudes toward the driver to enable operation in manual driving mode, and blocks the exposure of the pedal pad to prevent operation by the driver in autonomous driving situations to ensure safety, such as comfortable rest and prevention of erroneous operation. In addition, in autonomous driving situations, it is possible for the driver to freely move the seat to a desired position or rotate it to the rear and side. However, most conventional foldable pedal devices are configured to pop up from a footrest panel located in the lower space of the driver's seat. This has the disadvantage that in autonomous driving situations, the driver cannot quickly operate the pedal pad that pops up from the footrest panel when the driver's seat is located far from the footrest panel in front and an emergency situation arises requiring manual operation of the pedal pad. The matters described above as background technology are intended only to enhance understanding of the background of the present invention and should not be construed as an acknowledgment that they constitute prior art already known to those skilled in the art. FIG. 1 is a drawing in which a foldable pedal device is provided on a seat cushion according to the present invention, a drawing in a hidden state in which a pedal pad is in close contact with the front surface of the seat cushion. FIGS. 2 and 3 are a side view and a front view of FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a foldable pedal device according to the present invention, FIG. 5 is a diagram of the combined state of FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the area where the pedal pad is attached in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a front view of FIG. 6. Fig. 8 is a partial enlarged view of Fig. 7, FIG. 9 is a side view of FIG. 6, FIG. 10 is a drawing of a pop-up state in which a pedal pad protrudes forward of a seat cushion according to the present invention. FIG. 11 is a side view of FIG. 10, FIG. 12 is a drawing for explaining another embodiment in which the front end of the rack gear is spaced upward from the vehicle floor when the pedal pad pops up according to the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the popped-up pedal pad rotating forward in a full stroke by the driver's operation and operating normally. Specific structural or functional descriptions of the embodiments of the present invention disclosed in this specification or application are merely illustrative for the purpose of explaining embodiments according to the present invention, and embodiments according to the present invention may be implemented in various forms and should not be interpreted as being limited to the embodiments described in this specification or application. Since embodiments according to the present invention may be subject to various modifications and may take various