An electronically controlled pedal assembly with hysteresis includes a housing having a front wall and an arcuate friction wall having a radius of curvature centered on a pedal arm pivot point and extending from an edge of the front wall. The pedal assembly also includes a pedal arm rotatably supported at the pedal arm pivot point by a mounting means operatively connected to the housing, and a hysteresis generating means pivotally mounted to the pedal arm. The pedal assembly further includes a spring positioned between the housing and the hysteresis generating means, such that the spring biases the hysteresis generating means against the housing, so that depression of the pedal arm compresses the spring while generating an increasing frictional hysteresis force between the arcuate friction wall and the hysteresis generating means that is translated back through the pedal arm, and release of the pedal arm reduces the frictional hysteresis force.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/396,623 filed Jul. 17, 2002, entitled "Electronic Control With Hysteresis Device" (pending), and 60/413,504 filed Sep. 25, 2002 entitled "Induction Sensor for Pedal with Hysteresis Device" (pending) both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
A pedal assembly for use in association with a vehicle includes a pedal support adapted for mounting to the vehicle. The pedal support includes a pivot shaft extending along a pivot axis and having an outer bearing surface. A pedal arm is rotatably engaged to the pivot shaft to allow pivotal movement of the pedal arm about the pivot axis. A clamp arm is pivotally coupled to the pedal arm and has a compression surface. A biasing member is engaged between the pedal support and the clamp arm and is arranged to apply a biasing force to the clamp arm to pivot the clamp arm relative to the pedal arm and toward the pivot shaft. Application of an activation force onto the pedal arm pivots the pedal arm about the pivot axis, which in turn increases the biasing force applied to the clamp arm by the biasing member to correspondingly increase frictional engagement between the compression surface of the clamp arm and the bearing surface of the pivot shaft to provide increased resistance to further pivotal movement of the pedal arm.
