Pedal device
A pedal device includes: a pedal configured to rotate about a rotational axis; and a reaction force generator configured to generate a reaction force corresponding to an urging force generated by pressing operation of the pedal. The pedal includes an urging portion configured to transmit the urging force to the reaction force generator when the urging portion is rotated integrally with the pedal. The reaction force generator includes a linearly moving portion configured to move linearly in an extending direction of a central axis of the reaction force generator when the pressing operation is performed. The urging portion has an urging surface configured to urge a contact surface of the linearly moving portion. The urging portion is placed at a position where a virtual urging center passes through a virtual axis perpendicular line when the pedal is rotated within a predetermined rotational range.
1 . A pedal device comprising:
a housing;
a pedal that is installed to the housing and is configured to rotate about a rotational axis within a predetermined rotational range in response to pressing operation of the pedal through a pedal portion of the pedal by a human driver; and
a reaction force generator that is disposed on the housing at a position between the rotational axis and the pedal portion in a longitudinal direction of the pedal and is configured to generate a reaction force which corresponds to an urging force generated by the pressing operation of the pedal, wherein:
the pedal includes an urging portion that is configured to transmit the urging force generated by the pressing operation of the pedal to the reaction force generator when the urging portion is rotated integrally with the pedal about the rotational axis;
the reaction force generator includes;
a linearly moving portion that is configured to move linearly in an extending direction of a central axis of the reaction force generator when the pressing operation of the pedal is performed;
a coupler that is disposed to face the linearly moving portion in the extending direction of the central axis;
a first resilient member that is a single resilient member disposed between the coupler and the housing; and
a second resilient member that is disposed between the linearly moving portion and the coupler;
the linearly moving portion has a contact surface that is configured to contact the urging portion;
the urging portion has an urging surface that faces a side opposite to the pedal portion in the extending direction of the central axis and is configured to urge the contact surface;
a virtual circle is defined to extend along the urging surface, and a center of the virtual circle is defined as a virtual urging center;
a line, which passes through the rotational axis and is perpendicular to the extending direction of the central axis, is defined as a virtual axis perpendicular line; and
the urging portion is placed at a position where the virtual urging center passes through the virtual axis perpendicular line when the pedal is rotated within the predetermined rotational range;
when the pedal is placed in an initial position before being pressed by the human driver, an axial extent of the linearly moving portion is entirely displaced from an axial extent of the coupler in the extending direction of the central axis;
when the urging portion is rotated integrally with the pedal in response to depression of the pedal, the urging portion urges the linearly moving portion so that the linearly moving portion compresses the second resilient member while movement of the coupler in response to an urging force transmitted to the coupler via the second resilient member is restricted by the first resilient member until the second resilient member is compressed by a predetermined amount; and
when the second resilient member is compressed beyond the predetermined amount, the coupler moves together with the linearly moving portion in the extending direction of the central axis to compress the first resilient member.
2 . The pedal device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the coupler is configured to clamp and resiliently deform the second resilient member in cooperation with the linearly moving portion when the linearly moving portion is moved;
the linearly moving portion has a one-side opposing portion that is opposed to the coupler in the extending direction of the central axis;
the coupler has an other-side opposing portion that is opposed to the one-side opposing portion of the linearly moving portion in the extending direction of the central axis;
a direction, which intersects the extending direction of the central axis, is defined as an intersecting direction;
the one-side opposing portion and the other-side opposing portion are configured to oppose each other in the intersecting direction when the linearly moving portion is moved; and
a distance between the one-side opposing portion and the other-side opposing portion in the intersecting direction is progressively reduced as the linearly moving portion is moved.
3 . The pedal device according to claim 1 , wherein at a time of rotating the pedal within a contact range in which the urging surface and the contact surface are kept in contact with each other, the pedal is rotatable up to a predetermined angle toward one side with reference to the virtual axis perpendicular line and is also rotatable up to the predetermined angle toward another side opposite to the one side with reference to the virtual axis perpendicular line.
4 . The pedal device according to claim 3 , wherein:
a straight line, which extends in the extending direction of the central axis, is defined as a virtual axial line; and
at a time when the pedal is rotated to the predetermined angle toward the one side, and also at a time when the pedal is rotated to the predetermined angle toward the another side, a part of the urging surface of the urging portion, which contacts the contact surface, is positioned on the virtual axial line.
5 . The pedal device according to claim 3 , wherein:
a straight line, which extends in the extending direction of the central axis, is defined as a virtual axial line;
a trajectory, along which the virtual urging center passes when the pedal is rotated within the predetermined rotational range, is defined as a center trajectory; and
the urging portion is placed at a position where the virtual axial line becomes a tangent line that is tangent to the center trajectory.
6 . The pedal device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first resilient member and the second resilient member is rubber or a coil spring.