Pedal assembly

Abstract

A pedal assembly comprises a pedal arm; a pedal plate; a vehicle mounting bracket; a pivot pin receiving member; and a pivot pin. A first end of the pedal arm is operatively connected to the pivot pin receiving member to provide pivotal movement to the pivot pin receiving member during movement of the pedal arm between first and second arm positions. The pivot pin is at least partially and axially received by the pivot pin receiving member. The pivot pin receiving member and the pivot pin are mechanically coupled to one another via an interlock connection therebetween to simultaneously pivot together about the pivot axis as a unit during movement of the pedal arm between the first and second arm positions. At least a portion of the pivot pin receiving member or the pivot pin is deformed to form the interlock connection therebetween.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pedal assembly for operating a push rod that activates a functional system of a vehicle, the pedal assembly comprising:
 a pedal arm comprising an elongated lever structure with a first end and a second end and configured for movement between a first arm position and a second arm position;   a pedal plate provided on the second end of the elongated lever structure of the pedal arm for depression by a foot of a driver of the vehicle;   a vehicle mounting bracket;   a pivot pin receiving member configured for pivoting relative to the vehicle mounting bracket about a pivot axis, the first end of the pedal arm being operatively connected to the pivot pin receiving member to provide pivotal movement to the pivot pin receiving member during movement of the pedal arm between the first arm position and the second arm position; and   a pivot pin at least partially and axially received by the pivot pin receiving member and configured to pivotally connect the pedal arm and the vehicle mounting bracket;   wherein the pivot pin receiving member and the pivot pin are mechanically coupled to one another via an interlock connection therebetween to simultaneously pivot together about the pivot axis as a unit during movement of the pedal arm between the first arm position and the second arm position,   wherein at least a portion of the pivot pin receiving member or the pivot pin is deformed to form the interlock connection between the pivot pin receiving member and the pivot pin.   
     
     
         2 . A method of assembling a pedal assembly, the pedal assembly comprising a pedal arm comprising an elongated lever structure with a first end and a second end and configured for movement between a first arm position and a second arm position; a pedal plate provided on the second end of the elongated lever structure of the pedal arm for depression by a foot of a driver of the vehicle; a vehicle mounting bracket comprising spaced-apart walls with openings formed therein; a pivot pin receiving member configured for pivoting relative to the vehicle mounting bracket about a pivot axis; and a pivot pin configured to pivotally connect the pedal arm and the vehicle mounting bracket, the method comprising:
 connecting the first end of the pedal arm to the pivot pin receiving member to provide pivotal movement to the pivot pin receiving member during movement of the pedal arm between the first arm position and the second arm position;   disposing the pivot pin receiving member between the walls of the vehicle mounting bracket such that an opening of the pivot pin receiving member is aligned with the openings in the walls; and   inserting the pivot pin into the pivot pin receiving member along an axial direction of the pivot pin and through the aligned openings in the walls and the opening of the pivot pin receiving member such that an interlock connection portion of one of the pivot pin and the pivot pin receiving member deforms an interlock connection portion of the other of the pivot pin and the pivot pin receiving member to form an interlock connection between the pivot pin receiving member and the pivot pin, the interlock connection formed between the pivot pin and the pivot pin receiving member simultaneously pivots them together about the pivot axis as a unit during movement of the pedal arm between the first arm position and the second arm position.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the interlock connection portion on one of an outer peripheral surface of the pivot pin and an inner peripheral surface of the pivot pin receiving member deforms the interlock connection portion on the other of the outer peripheral surface of the pivot pin and the inner peripheral surface of the pivot pin receiving member to form the interlock connection between the inner peripheral surface of the pivot pin receiving member and the outer peripheral surface of the pivot pin. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , where in the deformation is plastic deformation. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the interlock connection on the pivot pin comprises knurls on the outer peripheral surface thereof and the knurls deform the interlock connection on the inner peripheral surface of the pivot pin receiving member to conform about the knurls on the interlock connection portion of the pivot pin to form the interlock connection. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein during deformation the material of the interlock connection on the pivot pin receiving member flows into spaces of the valleys of the knurls of the interlock connection portion of the pivot pin.