CONSTANT-SPEED TRAVELING APPARATUS FOR VEHICLES

[Technical Field]

The present invention relates to a constant-speed traveling apparatus for vehicles, which maintains a pressed state of an accelerator even when a driver presses the accelerator by his/her foot and then takes off his/her foot from the accelerator, thereby allowing a vehicle to travel at a constant speed.

[Background Art]

The present applicant filed a constant-speed traveling apparatus for vehicles, which allows a vehicle to travel at a constant speed, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIGS. 2 A to 2C, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, and allowed as Korean Patent No. 388602. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIGS. 2A to 2C, the above conventional constant- speed traveling apparatus comprises a control device installed between an accelerator pedal 1 and a shaft 2 of a throttle valve for controlling the rotation of the shaft 2. The control device includes a driving member 3 rotated in a regular or a reverse direction by a pressing or releasing motion of the accelerator pedal 1, and a driven member 4 controlled by a brake device 5. Here, the driving member 3 and the driven member 4 are elastically connected by springs 6 so that the driven member 4 is interlocked with the shaft 2 of the throttle valve. Switches 7 for controlling the operation of the brake device 5 are installed at a connection portion between the driving member 3 and the driven member 4. In order to connect the driving member 3 and the driven member 4, push rods 31 are installed on the driving member 3, through holes 41, into which the push rods 31 are inserted, are formed through the driven member 4, the springs 6 are installed between the corresponding push rods 31 and front ends of the corresponding through holes 41, and the switches 7 are interposed between the corresponding push rods 31 and rear ends of the corresponding through holes 41. In the above conventional constant-speed traveling apparatus, the shaft 2 is rotated by the pressing motion of the accelerator pedal 1, and the driving member 3 installed at the shaft 2 is rotated. Then, the push rods 31 installed on the driving member 3 presses the springs 6 inside the through holes 41, and move, and the switches 7 are disconnected from the push rods 31. Thereby the brake device 5 is released from the constant-speed traveling apparatus. Thereafter, the shaft 2 is rotated by the continuous pressing motion of the accelerator pedal 1, and the opening degree of the throttle valve is increased, thereby accelerating the vehicle. When vehicle reaches a constant speed, a driver removes his/her foot from the accelerator pedal 1 or stops the pressing motion of the accelerator pedal 1. When the pressing motion of the accelerator pedal 1 is stopped, the rotation of the driving member 3 is stopped, and the springs 6 installed between the push rods 31 and the through holes 41 are stretched and returned to their original shape so that the driven member 4 is rotated and the switches 7 contact the push rods 31. The brake device 5 is operated by the contact between the switches 7 and the push rods 31, and restricts the rotation of the driven member 4, thereby maintaining the opened state of the throttle valve so that the vehicle travels at a constant speed. From the above test of the constant-speed traveling apparatus, it was known that the constant-speed traveling apparatus has a heavy weight and is thus limited in its installation space. Further, it was known that the constant-speed traveling apparatus is disadvantageous in that the constant-speed traveling mode of the apparatus must be stopped when the vehicle enters an uphill or a downhill so that there is a variation in speed of the vehicle, thereby supplying inconvenience to the driver.

[Disclosure] [Technical Problem]

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a constant-speed traveling apparatus for vehicles, which allows a vehicle to travel at a constant speed required by a driver when the traveling vehicle enters an uphill or a downhill.

[Technical Solution]

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of a constant-speed traveling apparatus for vehicles comprising a control device installed between an accelerator pedal and a shaft for controlling the rotation of the shaft, and including: a driving member fixedly installed at the shaft and rotated by a pressing or releasing motion of the pedal; a driven member controlled by a brake device; a spring for elastically connecting the driving member and the driven member so that the shaft is interlocked with the driven member; and a switch installed at a connection portion between the driving member and the driven member for controlling the operation of the brake device, the brake device including electromagnets controlled by the on/off motions of the switch, wherein the driven member includes a second electromagnet, a fixing plate installed in the rear of the second electromagnet, and a first electromagnet installed in the rear of the fixing plate.

[Advantageous Effects]

The constant-speed traveling apparatus for vehicles of the present invention allows a vehicle to travel at a constant speed desired by a driver, has a small volume so as not to limit an installation space, and, when the travel speed of the vehicle is changed according to the change of road conditions, automatically compensates for the change. [Description of Drawings]

The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional constant-speed traveling apparatus, which is disclosed in Korean Patent No. 388602 filed by the present inventor(s); FIGS. 2 A to 2C illustrate states of operation of a driving member and a driven member in the constant-speed traveling apparatus shown in FIG. 1 ; FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a constant-speed traveling apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the constant-speed traveling apparatus of the present invention in an assembled state; FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the constant-speed traveling apparatus of the present invention; FIGS. 6 to 8 illustrate a constant-speed traveling apparatus in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, and more specifically: FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a main portion of the constant-speed traveling apparatus; and FIGS. 7 and 8 are exploded perspective views of the main portion of the constant-speed traveling apparatus shown in FIG. 6, which are viewed from other directions.

[Best Mode]

Now, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a constant-speed traveling apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the constant-speed traveling apparatus of the present invention in an assembled state, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the constant-speed traveling apparatus of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the constant-speed traveling apparatus of this embodiment comprises a control device installed between an accelerator pedal 1 and a shaft 2 for controlling the rotation of the shaft 2. The control device includes a driving member 3 fixedly installed at the shaft 2 and rotated by a pressing or releasing motion of the accelerator pedal 1, a driven member 4 controlled by a brake device 5, a spring 6 for elastically connecting the driving member 3 and the driven member 4 so that the shaft 2 is interlocked with the driven member 4, and a switch 7 installed at a connection portion between the driving member 3 and the driven member 4 for controlling the operation of the brake device 5. The brake device 5 includes electromagnets controlled by the on/off motions of the switch 7. Here, the driven member 4 includes a second electromagnet 44, a fixing plate 45 installed in the rear of the second electromagnet 44, and a first electromagnet 46 installed in the rear of the fixing plate 45. The conventional constant-speed traveling apparatus is directly connected to the shaft of the throttle valve. On the other hand, the constant-speed traveling apparatus of the present invention is configured such that the shaft 2 is divided into a shaft 21 of the constant-speed traveling apparatus and a shaft 22 of a throttle valve, and an interlocking device 9 is installed between the shafts 21 and 22. Accordingly, the constant-speed traveling apparatus of the present invention eliminates a limit in the installation position thereof, which was caused by installing the apparatus in a conventional vehicle. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the interlocking device 9 includes rotating units 90 and 91 respectively installed at ends of the shafts 21 and 22 and interconnected by cables 92. The above configuration of the interlocking device 9 is stated for convenience of description. That is, the configuration of the interlocking device 9 is not limited thereto, but may be variously modified. A through hole 451 for passing the shaft 21 is formed through the central portion of the fixing plate 45. A protrusion 452 is formed on the upper edge of the fixing plate 45, and is inserted into a groove 81 of a case 8 so that the fixing plate 45 can move in the direction of the shaft 21 but cannot be rotated centering on the shaft 21. A position fixing unit is installed on the first electromagnet 46. The position fixing unit includes a bushing 462 fixed to the first electromagnet 46 by bolts and passing through a through hole 461 formed through the central portion of the first electromagnet 46. Preferably, one end of the bushing 462 contacts the inner wall of the case 8, and the other end of the bushing 462 passes through the through hole 451 of the fixing plate 45 so that the other end of the bushing 462 contacts the rear surface of the driving member 3 through a second bushing 463 and restricts the movement of the first electromagnet 46. An accelerating/decelerating device for accelerating and decelerating the vehicle in a constant-speed traveling state is installed on one end of the shaft 21. The accelerating/decelerating device includes third and fourth electromagnets 61 and 66 fixedly installed on the shaft 21 and a gear plate 62 provided with a gear 621 installed between the third and fourth electromagnets 61 and 66 so that a gear 651 installed on a rotary shaft of a motor 65 is engaged with the gear 621. Here, the operations of the third electromagnet 61, the fourth electromagnet 66, and the motor 65 are controlled by a microprocessor 200 connected to a speed sensing device 100. When the above accelerating/decelerating device is connected to the constant-speed traveling apparatus, power supplied to the first electromagnet 46 and the second electromagnet 44 is controlled also by the microprocessor 200. Hereinafter, the operation of the above-described constant-speed traveling apparatus will be described.

- In accelerating mode - When a driver presses the accelerator pedal 1 by his/her foot to accelerate a vehicle, the rotating unit 90 of the interlocking device 9 is rotated, and the shaft 22 of the throttle valve is rotated in a regular direction so that the throttle valve is opened, thereby accelerating the vehicle. At a point of time when the driver presses the accelerator pedal 1 by his/her foot to accelerate the vehicle, the other rotating unit 91 connected to the rotating unit 90 by the cables 92 is rotated, and the shaft 21 is rotated. Then, the driving member 3 connected to the shaft 21 is rotated under the condition that the spring 6 is extended. Here, power is applied to the second electromagnet 44 of the driven member 4, and the second electromagnet 44 attracts and contacts the fixing plate 45 so that the driven member 4 cannot be rotated. Since one end of the spring 6 is connected to a protrusion of the driving member 3, and the other end of the spring 6 is connected to a protrusion of the second electromagnet 44 of the driven member 4, the spring 6 is extended and retains electricity under the condition that a push rod 31 of the driving member 3 does not contact a supporter 440. The switch 7 installed on the driving member 3 contacts the support installed on the inner cylindrical surface of the second electromagnet 44, and is operated. When the microprocessor 200 senses an operating signal of the switch 7, the microprocessor 200 interlocks the supply of power to the second electromagnet 44 so that the second electromagnet 44 loses magnetic force, and supplies power to the first electromagnet 46 so that the first electromagnet 46 generates magnetic force. Thereby, the fixing plate 45 is attracted to the first electromagnet 46, and the second electromagnet 44 is freely rotated. The push rod 31 of the driving member 3 pushes the support 440 by the continuous rotation of the driving member 3, thus rotating the driven member 4. The rotation of the driving member 3 accompanied by the rotation of the driven member 4 accelerates the vehicle.

- In constant-speed traveling mode after the vehicle reaches a proper travel speed - When the driver stops the pressing motion of the accelerator pedal 1 by his/her foot, the rotation of the driving member 3 is stopped, and the spring 6 installed between the driving member 3 and the second electromagnet 44 is returned to its original shape. Then, the second electromagnet 44 is further rotated in proportion to the contraction of the spring 6, thus separating the switch 7 from the support 440. When the separating motion of the switch 7 from the support 440 is transmitted to the microprocessor 200, the microprocessor 200 interlocks the supply of power to the first electromagnet 46 and supplies power to the second electromagnet 44. Then, the first electromagnet 46 loses magnetic force and the second electromagnet 44 generates magnetic force, thereby causing the fixing plate 45 to fixedly contact the second electromagnet 44 so that the driving member 3 and the rotary shaft 21 are not rotated but maintain their stopped states. Thereby, the opened state of the throttle valve is maintained so that a designated amount of fuel is continuously supplied to an engine and the vehicle is maintained in the constant- speed traveling mode. When the driver puts his/her foot on the accelerator pedal 1 for decelerating or accelerating the vehicle under the above condition, the shaft 21 is rotated, the driving member 3 connected to the shaft 21 is rotated to extend the spring 6, and the switch 7 installed on the driving member 3 contacts the support 440 installed on the inner cylindrical surface of the second electromagnet 44. Then, the switch 7 is operated, and interlocks the supply of power to the second electromagnet 44 so that the second electromagnet 44 loses magnetic force and supplies power to the first electromagnet 46 so that the first electromagnet 46 generates magnetic force. Thereby, the fixing plate 45 is attracted to the first electromagnet 46, and the second electromagnet 44 is freely rotated, thus performing accelerating and decelerating motions. When the brake device is operated or a clutch pedal is pressed in the constant-speed traveling mode, in the same manner as the above procedure, the microprocessor 200 senses this motion, and interlocks the supply of power to the second electromagnet 44 and supplies power to the first electromagnet 46, thereby releasing the constant-speed traveling mode and setting a general traveling mode. The above procedure is achieved by the configuration of the constant-speed traveling apparatus of the present invention the same as that of the conventional constant-speed traveling apparatus disclosed by the Patent filed in advance by the present applicant.

- Operation of the accelerating/decelerating device in the constant-speed traveling mode - When the vehicle traveling in the constant-speed traveling mode enters an uphill or a downhill, the speed of the vehicle is changed. When the speed of the vehicle in the constant-speed traveling mode is changed according to the change of road conditions, the constant-speed traveling apparatus of the present invention automatically compensates for the change. That is, when the vehicle in the constant-speed traveling mode enters an uphill or a downhill and the vehicle is thus decelerated or accelerated, the speed sensing device 100 senses the speed of the vehicle and transmits a signal regarding the sensed speed of the vehicle to the microprocessor 200. Then, the microprocessor 200 interlocks the supply of power to the second electromagnet 44 so that the second electromagnet 44 loses magnetic force, and supplies power to the first electromagnet 46 so that the fixing plate 45 is attracted to the first electromagnet 46 and the second electromagnet 44 of the driven member 4 is freely rotated. Simultaneously, the microprocessor 200 interlocks the supply of power to the fourth electromagnet 66 so that the fourth electromagnet 66 loses magnetic force, and supplies power to the third electromagnet 31 so that the third electromagnet 31 generates magnetic force, thereby causing the gear plate 62 to be attracted to the third electromagnet 61. Under the above condition, the microprocessor 200 rotates the motor 65 in a regular or a reverse direction so that the gear plate 62 is rotated, and rotates the shaft 21 , thereby accelerating/decelerating the vehicle. FIGS. 6 to 8 illustrate a constant-speed traveling apparatus in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

[Industrial Applicability]

As apparent from the above description, the present invention provides a constant-speed traveling apparatus for vehicles, which allows a vehicle to travel at a constant speed desired by a driver, has a small volume so as not to limit an installation space, and, when the travel speed of the vehicle is changed according to the change of road conditions, automatically compensates for the change. Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.