Pedal apparatus for vehicle

1. A pedal apparatus for a vehicle, the pedal apparatus comprising:

a pedal housing configured to be fixedly mounted in a space in which a driver's foot is located;

an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal pivotably connected to the pedal housing;

a guide groove arranged in a side surface of the pedal housing to extend along a radius of a rotation of the brake pedal;

a flange protruding from the brake pedal toward the guide groove; and

a stopper pin having a first end portion coupled to the flange and a second end portion inserted into the guide groove,

wherein, when the accelerator pedal is operated, the accelerator pedal pivots with respect to the pedal housing independently of the brake pedal,

wherein, when the brake pedal is operated, the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal pivot with respect to the pedal housing, and

wherein the stopper pin moves along the guide groove to guide pivoting of the brake pedal and to prevent the brake pedal from being separated from the pedal housing when the brake pedal is operated.

2. The pedal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a portion of a top surface in the accelerator pedal and a portion of a bottom surface in the brake pedal overlap each other.

3. The pedal apparatus of claim 1 , further including:

a pedal hinge detachably connected to the pedal housing,

wherein the pedal hinge includes:

a first hinge protrusion to which the accelerator pedal is coupled; and

a second hinge protrusion to which the brake pedal is coupled, and

wherein the first hinge protrusion and the second hinge protrusion are separated from each other to be pivotable independently of each other with respect to the pedal housing.

4. The pedal apparatus of claim 3 ,

wherein the accelerator pedal includes:

a first hinge coupling portion coupled to the first hinge protrusion;

an overlapping portion vertically extending from the first hinge coupling portion to overlap a portion of a bottom surface in the brake pedal; and

a first control portion laterally extending from a distal portion of the overlapping portion to protrude beyond an edge portion of the brake pedal, and

whereby the first control portion is operated by a front portion of the driver's foot that adjoins the first control portion.

5. The pedal apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the accelerator pedal further includes:

a connecting portion laterally protruding from the overlapping portion in a direction opposite to the first control portion to be overlapped with the brake pedal.

6. The pedal apparatus of claim 4 ,

wherein the brake pedal includes:

a second hinge coupling portion coupled to the second hinge protrusion; and

a second control portion vertically extending from the second hinge coupling portion to overlap a portion of an upper surface in the overlapping portion of the accelerator pedal,

whereby the second control portion is configured to be operated by an entire portion of the driver's foot that adjoins the second control portion.

7. The pedal apparatus of claim 6 , further including:

a side cover bent from an edge portion of the second control portion toward the pedal housing.

8. The pedal apparatus of claim 7 , further including:

a permanent magnet coupled to the side cover of the brake pedal; and

a printed circuit board coupled to the pedal housing, the printed circuit board being configured to detect a pivot angle of the brake pedal on a basis of displacements of the permanent magnets and transfer a signal to the controller when the brake pedal is manipulated.

9. The pedal apparatus of claim 1 , further including:

a pedal arm mounted in the pedal housing to be pivotable about a hinge shaft of the pedal housing;

a first elastic member having first and second end portions supported on the pedal housing and the pedal arm, respectively;

a push rod connecting the pedal arm and the accelerator pedal; and

an accelerator position sensor coupled to the pedal housing to detect a pivot angle of the pedal arm and transfer a signal to a controller.

10. The pedal apparatus of claim 1 , further including:

a second elastic member having first and second end portions supported on the pedal housing and the brake pedal to provide an elastic force by which the brake pedal resumes an original position of the brake pedal.

11. The pedal apparatus of claim 1 , further including:

a permanent magnet coupled to a side cover of the brake pedal; and

a printed circuit board coupled to the pedal housing, the printed circuit board being configured to detect a pivot angle of the brake pedal on a basis of displacements of the permanent magnets and transfer a signal to a controller when the brake pedal is manipulated.

12. The pedal apparatus of claim 11 ,

wherein, when only the accelerator pedal is operated, an acceleration signal is generated by the accelerator position sensor, and

wherein when the brake pedal is operated, both an acceleration signal by the accelerator position sensor and a braking signal by the printed circuit board are generated.

13. The pedal apparatus of claim 12 ,

wherein, when only the acceleration signal is generated by the accelerator position sensor, the controller is configured to perform a control process to accelerate the vehicle,

wherein, when the acceleration signal by the accelerator position sensor and the braking signal by the printed circuit board are generated, the controller is configured to perform a control process to brake the vehicle by accepting the braking signal with priority higher than when only the acceleration signal is generated by the accelerator position sensor, and

wherein, when only the braking signal is generated by the printed circuit board, the controller is configured to perform a failure mode control process.

14. The pedal apparatus of claim 13 ,

wherein, when the vehicle provided with an electronic brake system and only the acceleration signal is generated by the accelerator position sensor in a response to the accelerator pedal being operated, the controller is configured to control an engine to accelerate the vehicle, and

wherein, when the vehicle provided with the electronic brake system and the acceleration signal by the accelerator position sensor and the braking signal by the printed circuit board are generated in a response to the brake pedal being operated, the controller is configured to perform a control process to brake the vehicle by controlling operations of a front wheel power transmission caliper and a rear wheel power transmission caliper.

15. The pedal apparatus of claim 13 ,

wherein, when the vehicle is provided with an in-wheel propulsion system and only the acceleration signal is generated by the accelerator position sensor in a response to the accelerator pedal being operated, the controller is configured to perform a control process to accelerate the vehicle by controlling operations of a front in-wheel motor and a rear in-wheel motor, and

wherein, when the vehicle is provided with the in-wheel propulsion system and the acceleration signal by the accelerator position sensor and the braking signal by the printed circuit board are generated in a response to the brake pedal being operated, the controller is configured to perform a control process to brake the vehicle by controlling operations of the front in-wheel motor and the rear in-wheel motor.