2014 - Mazda6 - Brakes

BRAKE PEDAL

Purpose/Function

• An intrusion-minimizing brake pedal has been adopted to the brake pedal to provide for a measure of safety in the event of an accident.

• The intrusion-minimizing brake pedal mechanism reduces impact to the lower extremities of the driver by minimizing the amount of rearward brake pedal thrust in a frontal collision.

Construction

• The intrusion minimizing brake pedal mechanism is structured on the brake pedal and consists of the following parts.

• Pedal arm

• Lever

• Pin A

• Pin B

• Pin C

• Bracket

  

Operation

During normal braking

• When the brake pedal is depressed, the pedal arm rotates at the pin A fulcrum point, and the pedal depression force is transmitted to the fork of the power brake unit.

• This pedal depression force pushes in the fork to operate the brakes.

  

Intrusion-minimizing operation

• In a frontal collision, the brake pedal is forced rearward by the movement of the dashboard.

• In response to this, force in the direction of X is applied to the brake pedal lever because the dashboard member and brake pedal lever interfere.

• With the addition of force in the direction of X, pin C releases from the lever, and the lever rotates around the pin B fulcrum point.

• When the lever rotates, it obstructs pin A at the fulcrum point of the pedal arm.

• If the pedal rotates further, pin A separates from the bracket (notch), and the pedal is freed.

• By freeing the pedal arm, the force applied to the lower extremities is reduced.