GB2235026A

GB2235026A - Assembled module of brake booster and pedal

Info

Publication number: GB2235026A
Application number: GB8918638A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andre Vachet
Original assignee: General Motors France SA
Current assignee: General Motors France SA
Priority date: 1989-08-15
Filing date: 1989-08-15
Publication date: 1991-02-20
Also published as: GB8918638D0

Abstract

An assembled module (10) for a motor vehicle comprising a brake booster (12) securable to a firewall (20) of the motor vehicle; support means (32, 33, 34) integral with a rear wall (22) of the brake booster; and a brake pedal (14) pivotally mounted on the support means prior to securing of the brake booster to the firewall; the brake booster or the brake pedal being passable through an opening (30) in the firewall on securing of the brake booster. Allows pre-assembly of the brake booster and pedal as a single unit before installation in the motor vehicle. The module may include two or three pedals. The support means and rear wall (22) may be integrally moulded from plastics material, or may be connected together by welding or gluing. <IMAGE>

Description

ASSEMBLED MODULE OF BRAKE BOOSTER AND PEDAL This invention relates to an assembled module of a brake booster and pedal for use in a motor vehicle.

It is well known to provide, in a motor vehicle, a brake booster for the brake system of the motor vehicle. In such known arrangements, it is usual practice to mount the brake booster on the engine compartment side of the firewall of the motor vehicle, and to mount the brake and accelerator (and clutch, where present) pedals on the passenger compartment side of the firewall in a separate operation, with suitable actuating means (such as a push rod and accelerator cable) passing through the firewall to interconnect the various vehicle components. This known arrangement can cause problems on a motor vehicle assembly line when mounting the brake booster and pedals in the motor vehicle, especially in relation to aligning and securing the actuating means, and in the brake booster and pedals.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above mentioned problems.

To this end, an assembled module for a motor vehicle comprises a brake booster securable to a firewall of the motor vehicle; support means integral with a rear wall of the brake booster; and a brake pedal pivotally mounted on the support means prior to securing of the brake booster to the firewall; the brake booster or the brake pedal being passable through an opening in the firewall on securing of the brake booster.

In the present invention, the brake booster and brake pedal are assembled as a single unit prior to installation in a motor vehicle. This arrangement removes the above mentioned problems associated with the previously known arrangement.

Preferably, the rear wall of the brake booster is securable to the firewall. In this case, the rear wall preferably comprises through apertures through which threaded studs, secured to the firewall, can pass for threaded engagement by suitable nuts. This arrangement has the advantage that the assembled module can be mounted from, and secured from, the same side of the firewall, which further simplifies assembly on a motor vehicle production line. The threaded studs can be secured to the firewall by welding. Alternatively, the rear wall may comprise threaded apertures which are engageable by threaded studs passable through corresponding apertures in the firewall for securing the brake booster to the firewall.

The rear wall and the support means have preferably been integrally moulded in one-piece from plastic material. Alternatively, however, the support means may be defined by a bracket which is secured to the rear wall by gluing or welding.

Preferably, the assembled module also comprises an accelerator pedal pivotally mounted on the support means, and an accelerator cable having an inner cable secured to the accelerator pedal and an outer sheath engageable with the rear wall.

The assembled module preferably comprises a clutch pedal pivotally mounted on the support means, and a clutch cable having an inner cable secured to the clutch pedal and an outer sheath engageable with the rear wall.

The assembled module preferably comprises a brake master cylinder secured to the brake booster and a fluid reservoir secured to the master cylinder.

Preferably, the assembled module comprises a brake light actuating switch mounted on the rear wall and actuable by the brake pedal.

The rear wall preferably includes a circumferentially extending groove for positioning a seal between the rear wall and the firewall.

The present invention also includes a method of assembling and securing an assembled module as herein defined, comprising the sequential steps of pivotally mounting the brake pedal on the support means; passing the brake booster or the brake pedal through the opening in the firewall; and then securing the brake booster to the firewall.

Preferably, the assembled module is mounted from, and secured from, the same side of the firewall.

The assembled module is preferably mounted from the engine compartment side of the firewall.

Attention is drawn to our GB patent application no. 918636.o (Ref:MJD/477) filed the same day as the present application.

The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view (partly in cross-section) of an assembled module in accordance with the present invention secured to a firewall of a motor vehicle; Figure 2 is an end view of the assembled module of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the arrangement by which the clutch cable engages the rear wall of the brake booster; Figure 4 is a side view (partly in cross-section) of a second embodiment of an assembled module in accordance with the present invention secured to a firewall of a motor vehicle; Figure 5 is an end view of the assembled module of Figure 4 with the brake light actuating switch omitted for clarity; and Figure 6 is a perspective view of an alternative support bracket to that shown in Figure 4.

An assembled module 10 in accordance with the present invention is shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings. The assembled module 10 includes a brake booster 12 and brake, accelerator and clutch pedals 14,16,18 respectively. The assembled module 10 is secured to a firewall 20 (omitted from Figure 2 for clarity) of a motor vehicle.

The brake booster 12 is the vacuum-operated type and comprises a rear wall 22 having four threaded apertures 24 and a circumferentially extending groove 26 as shown. Threaded studs 72 having heads 74 pass through corresponding apertures 76 in the firewall 20 for threaded engagement with the threaded apertures 24 to secure the brake booster 12, and hence the assembled module 10, to the firewall. A seal 28 is positioned in the groove 26 prior to securing of the brake booster 12 to provide a fluid-tight seal between the brake booster 12 and the firewall 20 around an opening 30 in the firewall.

The position of the opening 30 relative to the assembled module 10 is shown in dashed lines in Figure 2. The brake booster 12 includes a front wall 78 which is preferably rotatable relative to the rear wall 22 to removably secure the front and rear walls together in sealed relationship. This arrangement allows for servicing of the brake booster 12 after securing of the assembled module 10 to the firewall 20.

Integral with the rear wall 22 of the brake booster 12 is support means in the form of three upstanding plates 32,33,34. In a preferred arrangement, the rear wall 22 and the upstanding plates 32,33,34 are integrally moulded in one piece from suitable plastic material. The clutch pedal 18 is pivotally mounted on two of the upstanding plates 32,33 by way of a pivot pin 36. An assist spring 38 assists movement of the clutch pedal 18 against the bias exerted by the clutch (not shown). A clutch cable 40 comprising an inner cable 42 and an outer sheath 44 is secured in position with the outer sheath engaging the rear wall 22 of the brake booster 12 and with the inner cable being secured to the clutch pedal 18 by way of a stud 46 passing through an aperture 48 in the clutch pedal as shown. The clutch pedal 18 actuates the clutch (not shown) of the motor vehicle in the well known manner, and will not be described herein.

Figure 3 illustrates the arrangement by which the outer sheath 44 of the clutch cable 40 engages the rear wall 22. As shown, an aluminium support piece 82 is positioned in an opening 84 in the rear wall 22. The support piece 82 has a shoulder 86 against which the end 88 of the outer sheath 44 abuts. The inner cable 42 of the clutch cable 40 passes through the support piece 82, with a plastics bush 90 positioned around the inner cable as it passes through the support piece. A rubber seal 92 between the support piece 82 and the rear wall 22 substantially seals the opening 84.

In a similar manner, an inner cable 50 of an accelerator cable 52 is secured to the accelerator pedal 16, and an outer sheath 54 of the accelerator cable 52 engages the rear wall 22 for well known actuation and control of the engine (not shown) of the motor vehicle. The accelerator pedal 16 is pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 56 mounted on the upstanding plates 33,34, and biased by a return spring 58 to a rest position as shown.

The brake pedal 14 is also pivotally mounted on the pivot pin 36 and biased by a return spring 60 to a rest position as shown. A push rod 62 is secured to the brake pedal 14 for actuation of the braking system of the motor vehicle on movement of the brake pedal. Part of the braking system is shown in Figure 1 in the form of any suitable master cylinder 64 secured to the brake booster 12 and having a suitable fluid reservoir 66. A brake light actuating switch 68 is mounted on a bracket 70 secured to one of the upstanding plates 33 for engagement and actuating by the brake pedal 14.

In accordance with the present invention, the brake, accelerator and clutch pedals 14,16,18 are pivotally mounted on the rear wall 22 of the brake booster 12 before the brake booster is secured to the firewall 20. In such an arrangement, the assembled module 10 is secured to the firewall 20 by passing the pedals 14,16,18 through the opening 30 in the firewall 20 from the engine compartment side 80 of the firewall, and then the threaded studs 72 are screw threaded into the threaded apertures 24. With this arrangement, the assembled module 10 can be assembled off-line (that is, away from the assembly line of the motor vehicle) as a single unit allowing far easier and quicker mounting and securing of the brake booster 12 and pedals 14,16,18 in the motor vehicle. This also provides the additional advantage of a reduced number of parts, reduced cost, and reduced total weight.

In a preferred arrangement, the assembled module 10 also includes the master cylinder 64 and fluid reservoir 66; and/or the accelerator and clutch cables 52,40; and/or the brake light actuating switch 68; secured in position prior to the securing of the assembled module 10 to the firewall 20. This arrangement also enhances the above advantages by allowing an even larger unit to be assembled off-line, thereby providing even quicker and easier installation of the various components of the assembled module 10 into the motor vehicle. Further, the assembled module 10 can be set up with a predetermined brake pedal clearance and brake light actuating switch adjustment, removing the need for these adjustments to be made on the assembly line of the motor vehicle.

Various alterations can be made to the above described embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the rear wall 22 and the upstanding plates 32,33,34 could be formed from any suitable material, and/or could be formed separately and then integrally joined by welding, gluing, or by any other suitable means.

Further, instead of using threaded studs 72 and threaded apertures 24, the brake booster 12 may be secured by welding, or by the use of self-tapping screws, or by threaded studs and nuts. Further still, any suitable type of brake booster could be used other than the vacuum-operated type described above. Still further, in the case of motor vehicles having an automatic transmission, the clutch cable 40 and clutch pedal 18 may be omitted.

A second embodiment of an assembled module 110 is shown in Figures 4 and 5. In this arrangement, parts which are the same as, or are similar to, those shown in Figures 1 to 3 have been given the same reference numeral. Most of the features of the second embodiment are the same as in Figures 1 to 3, and will not be described again.

The assembled module 110 in Figures 4 and 5 does not include an accelerator pedal and cable. In this arrangement, however, the support means is provided by a one-piece support bracket 94 which is substantially U-shaped (in a similar manner to the support bracket shown in Figure 6 and described below) having a cross-member 96 and two arms 98,100.

The pivot pin 36 extends between, and through aligned apertures 102 in the arms 98,100. The bracket 70 for the brake light actuating switch 68 is secured to the cross-member 96. The support bracket 94 and rear wall 22 are preferably moulded in one-piece from plastics material. Alternatively, the support bracket 94' may be formed separately, as shown in Figure 6, and then glued or otherwise secured to the rear wall 22. Features of the support bracket 94' in Figure 6 which are similar to those shown in Figures 4 and 5 have been given the same reference numeral with a prime (').

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the brake booster 12 is secured to the firewall 20 by nuts and bolts (threaded studs). In this arrangement, the bolts 104 are welded to the firewall 20 with their threaded shanks 106 projecting into the engine compartment of the motor vehicle. On mounting the assembled module 110, the brake and clutch pedals 14,18 are passed through the opening 30, and as the brake booster 12 is moved towards the firewall 20, the threaded shanks 106 pass through corresponding through-apertures 108 in the rear wall 22. Nuts 109 are then screw-threaded onto the threaded shanks 108 to mount and secure the assembled module 110. As can be seen, the assembled module 110 can be mounted and secured from one side (the engine compartment side 80) of the firewall 20. This arrangement considerably simplifies assembly of a motor vehicle on its production line.

Various modifications can be made to the assembled module 110, including those detailed above with reference to the assembled module 10, and further including the addition of an accelerator pedal and cable.

Further still, the size of the opening 30, and the shape and size of the rear wall 22 may be modified such that the assembled modules 10,110 can be mounted and secured by passing the brake booster 12 through the opening 30 from the passenger compartment side of the firewall 20, and then securing the assembled module.

Claims

Claims:

1. An assembled module for a motor vehicle comprising a brake booster securable to a firewall of the motor vehicle; support means integral with a rear wall of the brake booster; and a brake pedal pivotally mounted on the support means prior to securing of the brake booster to the firewall; the brake booster or brake pedal being passable through an opening in the firewall on securing of the brake booster.

2. An assembled module as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the rear wall of the brake booster is securable to the firewall.

3. An assembled module as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the rear wall comprises throughapertures through which threaded studs, secured to the firewall, can pass for threaded engagement by nuts.

4. An assembled module as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the rear wall comprises threaded apertures which are engageable by threaded studs passable through corresponding apertures in the firewall for securing the brake booster to the firewall.

5. An assembled module as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the rear wall and the support means have been integrally moulded in one-piece from plastic material.

6. An assembled module as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5, comprising an accelerator pedal pivotally mounted on the support means, and an accelerator cable having an inner cable secured to the accelerator pedal and an outer sheath engaging the rear wall.

7. An assembled module as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6, comprising a clutch pedal pivotally mounted on the support means, and a clutch cable having an inner cable secured to the clutch pedal and an outer sheath engaging the rear wall.

8. An assembled module as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7, comprising a brake master cylinder secured to the brake booster and a fluid reservoir secured to the master cylinder.

9. An assembled module as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8, comprising a brake light actuating switch mounted on the rear wall and actuable by the brake pedal.

10. An assembled module as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 9, wherein the rear wall includes a circumferentially extending groove for positioning a seal between the rear wall and the firewall.

11. An assembled module substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, Figures 1 to 3, or Figures 3 to 5, of the accompanying drawings.

12. A method of assembling and securing an assembled module as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 11, comprising the sequential steps of pivotally mounting the brake pedal on the support means; passing the brake booster or the brake pedal through the opening in the firewall; and then securing the brake booster to the firewall.

13. A method as claimed in Claim 12, in which the firewall separates an engine compartment side from a passenger vehicle side in the motor vehicle, wherein the assembled module is mounted from, and secured from, the same side.

14. A method as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the same side is the engine compartment side.

15. A method as claimed in Claim 12, in which the firewall separates an engine compartment side from a passenger vehicle side in the motor vehicle, wherein the assembled module is mounted from the engine compartment side.