Back to results
US 12,487,625 B2Granted
Vehicular pedal assembly
AssigneeCTS Corporation
InventorsJohn Clark, Kevin Wolschlager
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicular pedal assembly includes a pedal including a first support and a second support, a pedal shaft supported by the pedal housing for rotation about a pedal axis, a pedal arm drivably engaged with the pedal shaft to rotate the pedal shaft about the pedal axis, and a position sensor assembly coupled to the pedal shaft and operable to determine a rotational position of the pedal shaft and generate a signal based on the rotational position. The pedal shaft includes a first shaft portion coupled to the first support, a second shaft portion coupled to the second support, and a joint coupling the first shaft portion and the second shaft portion. The joint is positioned between the first support and the second support.
Claims23
A vehicular pedal assembly comprising:
- a pedal housing configured for mounting within a vehicle, the pedal housing including a first support and a second support;
- a pedal shaft supported by the pedal housing for rotation about a pedal axis, the pedal shaft including
- a first shaft portion coupled to the first support, and
- a second shaft portion formed separately from the first shaft portion and coupled to the second support, wherein the first and second shaft portions are configured to come together and form a joint;
- a pedal arm drivably engaged with the pedal shaft and configured to pivot in response to input of a driver to rotate the pedal shaft about the pedal axis;
- and
- a position sensor assembly coupled to the pedal shaft and operable to determine a rotational position of the pedal shaft and generate a signal based on the rotational position,
- wherein the joint is positioned between the first support and the second support, and
- wherein the first shaft portion includes
- a first bearing hub supported for rotation about the pedal axis in a first bore extending through the first support of the pedal housing,
- a first mounting hub extending from the first bearing hub along the pedal axis and coupled to the pedal arm to rotate therewith, and
- a first ratchet portion extending from the first mounting hub along the pedal axis.
9 more elements
A vehicular pedal assembly comprising:
- a pedal housing configured for mounting within a vehicle, the pedal housing including a first support and a second support;
- a pedal shaft supported by the pedal housing for rotation about a pedal axis, the pedal shaft including
- a first shaft portion coupled to the first support, and
- a second shaft portion formed separately from the first shaft portion and coupled to the second support, wherein the first and second shaft portions are configured to come together and form a joint;
- a pedal arm drivably engaged with the pedal shaft and configured to pivot in response to input of a driver to rotate the pedal shaft about the pedal axis;
- and
- a position sensor assembly coupled to the pedal shaft and operable to determine a rotational position of the pedal shaft and generate a signal based on the rotational position,
- wherein the joint is positioned between the first support and the second support,
- wherein the joint includes a plurality of ratchet fingers each including a first portion having a first toothed surface, a second portion have a second toothed surface, and a slot positioned between the first portion and the second portion,
- wherein each one of the plurality of ratchet fingers engages an adjacent one of the plurality of ratchet fingers such that the first toothed surface of the one ratchet finger engages the first toothed surface of the adjacent ratchet finger to axially join the first shaft portion with the second shaft portion, and
- wherein the slot is configured to allow the first portion of each ratchet finger to deflect as the first toothed surfaces are engaged.
8 more elements
A vehicular pedal assembly comprising:
- a pedal housing configured for mounting within a vehicle, the pedal housing including a first support and a second support;
- a pedal shaft supported by the pedal housing for rotation about a pedal axis, the pedal shaft including
- a first shaft portion coupled to the first support, and
- a second shaft portion formed separately from the first shaft portion and coupled to the second support, wherein the first and second shaft portions are configured to come together and form a joint;
- a pedal arm drivably engaged with the pedal shaft and configured to pivot in response to input of a driver to rotate the pedal shaft about the pedal axis;
- and
- a position sensor assembly coupled to the pedal shaft and operable to determine a rotational position of the pedal shaft and generate a signal based on the rotational position, wherein the joint is positioned between the first support and the second support,
- wherein the pedal housing includes a first bore extending through the first support of the pedal housing and a second bore extending through the second support of the pedal housing,
- wherein the pedal shaft includes a first bearing hub rotatably supported in the first bore, a second bearing hub rotatably supported in the second bore, and a mounting hub disposed between the first bearing hub and the second bearing hub and coupled to the pedal arm to transmit rotation from the pedal arm to the pedal shaft,
- wherein the mounting hub has a width measured perpendicular to the pedal axis that is smaller than a width of either the first bearing hub or the second bearing hub,
- wherein the first shaft portion is coupled to the pedal arm for corotation therewith at a first opening,
- wherein the second shaft portion is coupled to the pedal arm for corotation therewith at a second opening,
- wherein the joint is disposed between the first opening and the second opening,
- wherein the mounting hub has a non-circular profile that corresponds to the first opening, and
- wherein the first shaft portion is rotatably coupled to the pedal arm via an interference fit between the mounting hub and the first opening.
12 more elements
A method of assembling a vehicular pedal assembly, the method comprising:
- mounting a pedal housing within a vehicle, the pedal housing having a first support and a second support;
- positioning a pedal arm between the first support and the second support;
- inserting a first shaft portion into a first bore in the first support by moving the first shaft portion along a pedal axis in a first direction;
- coupling the first shaft portion to the pedal arm through the first bore;
- inserting a second shaft portion into a second bore in the second support by moving the second shaft portion along the pedal axis in a second direction, opposite the first direction;
- coupling the second shaft portion to the pedal arm through the second bore;
- and
- coupling the first shaft portion to the second shaft portion between the first support and the second support to form a pedal shaft, and wherein the pedal shaft supports the pedal arm in the pedal housing for rotation about the pedal axis, wherein coupling the first shaft portion to the second shaft portion includes engaging a first toothed surface of the first shaft portion with a second toothed surface of the second shaft portion.
5 more elements
A method of assembling a vehicular pedal assembly, the method comprising:
- mounting a pedal housing within a vehicle, the pedal housing having a first support and a second support;
- positioning a pedal arm between the first support and the second support:
- inserting a first shaft portion into a first bore in the first support by moving the first shaft portion along a pedal axis in a first direction;
- coupling the first shaft portion to the pedal arm through the first bore;
- inserting a second shaft portion into a second bore in the second support by moving the second shaft portion along the pedal axis in a second direction, opposite the first direction;
- coupling the second shaft portion to the pedal arm through the second bore;
- and
- coupling the first shaft portion to the second shaft portion between the first support and the second support to form a pedal shaft, and wherein the pedal shaft supports the pedal arm in the pedal housing for rotation about the pedal axis,
- wherein inserting the first shaft portion into the first bore includes moving the first shaft portion inward along the pedal axis from an outer side of the first support toward the second support, and wherein inserting the second shaft portion into the second bore includes moving the second shaft portion inward along the pedal axis from an outer side of the second support toward the first support.
6 more elements
A method of assembling a vehicular pedal assembly, the method comprising:
- mounting a pedal housing within a vehicle, the pedal housing having a first support and a second support;
- positioning a pedal arm between the first support and the second support;
- inserting a first shaft portion into a first bore in the first support by moving the first shaft portion along a pedal axis in a first direction;
- coupling the first shaft portion to the pedal arm through the first bore;
- inserting a second shaft portion into a second bore in the second support by moving the second shaft portion along the pedal axis in a second direction, opposite the first direction;
- coupling the second shaft portion to the pedal arm through the second bore;
- and
- coupling the first shaft portion to the second shaft portion between the first support and the second support to form a pedal shaft, and wherein the pedal shaft supports the pedal arm in the pedal housing for rotation about the pedal axis, wherein inserting the first shaft portion into the first bore includes receiving a bearing hub of the first shaft portion in the first bore to support the first shaft portion for rotation about the pedal axis,
- wherein coupling the first shaft portion to the pedal arm includes
- inserting a first ratchet portion of the first shaft portion into a first opening of the pedal arm,
- translating the first shaft portion along the pedal axis until a mounting hub is received in the first opening, and
- fitting the mounting hub into the first opening using an interference fit.
9 more elements
A vehicular pedal assembly comprising:
- a pedal housing configured for mounting within a vehicle;
- a pedal shaft supported by the pedal housing for rotation about a pedal axis, the pedal shaft having
- a first shaft portion,
- a second shaft portion, and
- a one-way ratchet joint coupling the first shaft portion and the second shaft portion for corotation about the pedal axis;
- a pedal arm drivably engaged with the pedal shaft and configured to pivot in response to input of a driver to rotate the pedal shaft about the pedal axis;
- and
- a position sensor assembly operable to determine a rotational position of the pedal shaft and generate a signal based on the rotational position.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.