Mechanical Brake Control Device

The present invention relates to a mechanical brake control device wherein a vehicle with a clutch pedal and a brake pedal can be held stationary on an incline without the vehicle operator retaining his foot on the brake pedal and while the clutch pedal is actuated to disengage a transmission.

A mechanical brake control device for a vehicle including a brake pedal and a clutch pedal wherein the brake pedal is movable to a brake applied mode during braking, the device comprising a housing adapted for attachment to the vehicle, a connecting member extending from the housing to the brake pedal for movement with the latter, locking means cooperating with the housing and the connecting member to selectively fix the connecting member and the brake pedal relative to the housing, and control means extending from the clutch pedal to the housing, the control means being operable in response to movement of the clutch pedal to render the locking means in an operative mode or an inoperative mode.

It is known that a valve can be disposed in a brake fluid line for a vehicle to generate a hill-holding effect so that the vehicle will remain stationary on an inclined surface upon termination of braking, thereby permitting a vehicle operator to use one foot to control a clutch pedal while the other foot is controlling an accelerator pedal. This type of hydraulic hill-holder requires alterations for the brake fluid lines and introduces addition potential leak points in the fluid lines. In view of the critical operation of vehicle brakes, these added leak possibilities are not widely accepted by vehicle manufactures.

It is also known that a mechanical brake control, such as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 1,909,859 can be provided which provides a mechanical lock for a brake pedal in response to operation of a vehicle clutch pedal with a positive connection being required between a locking roller and the clutch pedal. The clutch pedal moves the roller into an operative position and also withdraws the roller therefrom. Consequently, the locking roller is engageable with the brake pedal extension every time the clutch pedal is depressed. In addition, the brake control requires a large support for receiving a brake pedal extension and a separate bearing assembly is required to carry the locking roller within the large support.

The present invention is characterized in that said housing defining a guide upon which said locking means is disposed, said guide being normally disposed in a substantially horizontal plane when the vehicle is also disposed on a substantially horizontal surface, said locking means being movable into direct engagement with said connecting member solely in response to the vehicle and said guide being repositioned angularly relative to the horizontal plane, provided said control means maintains said locking means in an operative mode, whereby said locking means frictionally engages said connecting member to fix the latter and said brake pedal relative to said housing in a brake applied mode.

It is an advantage of the present invention that a compact control device is provided for disposition between the brake pedal and the clutch pedal. In addition, the control device herein is provided with a locking member or ball that is solely responsive to vehicle angular elevation to hold the vehicle on an inclined surface and prevent roll back.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle brake pedal and clutch pedal with the control device in operation therewith;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the control device apart from the brake pedal and the clutch pedal;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the control device in the absence of the brake pedal and the clutch pedal;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial view of an embodiment similar to FIG. 2.

A brake pedal 10 is disposed in a vehicle so that a vehicle operator can depress the brake pedal to brake the vehicle. A clutch pedal 12 is disposed in the vehicle adjacent the brake pedal 10 so that the operator can disengage a transmission (not shown) by depressing the clutch pedal thereby permitting the transmission to be shifted to different gears. The vehicle also includes an accelerator pedal 14 to control engine operation.

In accordance with the invention, a mechanical brake control device 20 is disposed substantially between the brake pedal 10 and the clutch pedal 12. A mounting bracket 22 is secured to the vehicle and a housing 24 is carried by the bracket adjacent the pedals 10 and 12. A connecting member 26 extends from the brake pedal 10 to the housing 24 and a control assembly 28 extends from the clutch pedal 12 to the housing 24. The connecting member 26 includes a pin 30 with a wire clip 32 biasing the pin 30 into abutment with the brake pedal 10. Such an arrangement permits the brake pedal 10 to overcome the wire clip 32 in the event the connecting member 26 fails to move with the brake pedal during braking. However, the brake pedal can not return to its rest position without also returning the connecting member 26 to its rest position. The control assembly 28 includes a link 34 coupled to a cam shaft 36 and the link is slotted at 38 to movably receive a pin 40 secured to the clutch pedal 12.

Turning to FIG. 2, the housing 24 defines a bore 42 movably receiving the connecting member 26. A cavity 44 opens to the bore 42 and a plate 46 is secured to the housing to close the cavity and define an opening 48 movably receiving the connecting member 26. A ball or locking member 50 is movably disposed within the cavity 44. The cam shaft 36 is rotatably disposed within a cross bore 52 leading to the cavity 44 at one end thereof opposite from the plate 46. As shown in FIG. 3, the connecting member 26 forms an arcuate concave surface 54 substantially identical to the contour of the peripheral surface of ball 50. Similarly, the wall of cavity 44 forms an arcuate concave surface 56 opposing surface 54 and substantially identical to the contour of the peripheral surface of ball 50. In the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3, it is seen that the wall of the bore 42 is rectangular and the wall of cavity 44 is substantially U-shaped.

In the installed position, the housing 24 is orientated such that the bottom edge of cavity 44 defines a horizontal axis or plane AA which corresponds to a horizontal setting for the vehicle. Consequently, the ball 50 is free to move within the cavity. FIG. 2 shows the cam shaft 36 in its applied position corresponding to the clutch pedal 12 being depressed. With the cam shaft 36 applied, the ball 50 is free to move between the plate 46 and a fixed position, tightly engaging the connecting member 26 and the wall of cavity 44 adjacent the cam shaft 36. The connecting member 26 is angularly disposed to the horizontal axis AA so that it approaches the horizontal axis from the plate 46 to the cam shaft 36. Therefore, when the vehicle and axis AA are inclined upwardly, the ball 50 will roll into engagement with both the connecting member 26 via surface 54 and the wall of cavity 44 via surface 56. If the brake pedal 10 is depressed at this time, the connecting member 26 is able to move leftwardly in FIG. 2, as the ball acts as a one way lock permitting movement leftwardly. When the brake pedal 10 is released and the ball 50 is engaged with the connecting member 26 and the cavity wall, the ball 50 will be moved slightly into tight engagement with the surfaces 54 and 56 to wedge the connecting member to the housing, thereby preventing the connecting member and brake pedal from returning to their rest positions and maintaining the brake pedal in its applied or depressed position. The vehicle will remain stationary on the incline to permit the vehicle operator to position one foot on the accelerator pedal 14 while the other foot is maintaining the clutch pedal 12 in its applied or depressed position.

In order to start the vehicle moving up the incline, the operator releases the clutch at the same time the accelerator pedal is depressed. Movement of the clutch pedal 12 away from the depressed position pivots the cam shaft 36 via link 34 so that an abutment 60 on the cam shaft 36 will engage the ball 50 to move the latter leftwardly, viewing FIG. 2, out of engagement with the connecting member 26. The connecting member 26 and the brake pedal 10 will move in order to return the brake pedal 10 to its rest position in response to the force of a return spring (not shown). As a result the vehicle brakes will be released substantially simultaneously with the reengagement of the clutch assembly and the transmission to start the vehicle moving up the incline.

So long as the clutch pedal 12 remains in its rest position, the cam shaft 36 will prevent the ball 50 from tightly engaging both surfaces 54 and 56 so that the connecting member 26 and brake pedal 10 will be free to return to their rest position after each brake application. Also, if the vehicle is disposed on a horizontal surface or facing downhill, the ball 50, which is sensitive to angular elevation, will not roll rightwardly in FIG. 2 to engage the connecting member 26. Therefore, in the absence of an incline, the vehicle brakes will automatically be released upon termination of braking.

A further feature of the present invention provides a cushioned surface 63 (see FIG. 6) on the plate 46 to substantially prevent the ball 50 from bouncing relative to the plate 46 should the ball be impacted thereagainst during a panic stop. Also, plate 46 may be made of a suitable material in order to provide a cushioned surface 62 (see FIG. 2). In addition, it is contemplated that a fluid medium can be carried within the cavity 44 to dampen any oscillation movement of the ball 50 apart from being movable solely in response to an angular elevation for the vehicle.