DESC:FORM 2
The Patent Act 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
The Patent Rules, 2005

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(SEE SECTION 10 AND RULE 13)

TITLE OF THE INVENTION

“Pedal Catcher Assembly”

APPLICANTS:

Name Nationality Address
Mahindra & Mahindra Limited Indian Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.,
MRV, Mahindra World City (MWC),
Plot No. 41/1, Anjur Post, Chengalpattu,
Kanchipuram District – 603204 (TN) INDIA

The following specification particularly describes and ascertains the nature of this invention and the manner in which it is to be performed:-

TECHNICAL FIELD
[001] The embodiments herein generally relate to safety system in automobiles, and more particularly to a pedal catcher assembly in automobiles.

BACKGROUND
[002] During frontal crash of a vehicle, the occupant, especially the driver, is exposed to a high degree of injuries depending on the speed and the type of collision. To minimize the injuries to the driver below the biomechanical limits, movement of components in the front structure of the vehicle has to be restricted.
[003] Pedal assembly, including the brake pedal, clutch is a critical assembly in the occupant area that is bound to increase the injuries to the occupant, if the occupant comes into contact with it during crash. Excess movement of clutch and brake pedal causes lower leg injuries to the occupant.
[004] Some of the conventional assemblies try to minimize the brake pedal intrusions by using dash reinforcement on either sides of the dash i.e., on the inner side of the dash inside the occupant compartment or on the outer side of the dash outside the occupant compartment. Many a times a combination of both inner and outer dash is also used. In addition to the complexity in installation and manufacturing, the cost incurred with such assemblies are high.
[005] Other conventional ways of reducing pedal intrusion include varying the joinery and thickness of parts adjacent to the brake pedal assembly. However, such conventional ways include iterative processes and may not yield the desired results.
[006] Therefore, there is a need in the art for a mechanism to arrest or minimize the pedal intrusion to the occupant compartment.

OBJECT
[007] The principal object of the embodiments of this invention is to provide a pedal catcher assembly to reduce the pedal intrusion in automobiles during collision.
[008] Another object of the embodiments of this invention is to provide a pedal catcher assembly to restrict a movement of the pedals of an automobile beyond a desired limit.
[009] Another object of the embodiments of this invention is to provide a pedal catcher assembly, which is easy to install.
[0010] These and other aspects of the embodiments herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicating preferred embodiments and numerous specific details thereof, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the embodiments herein without departing from the spirit thereof, and the embodiments herein include all such modifications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
[0011] The embodiments of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, through out which like reference letters indicate corresponding parts in the various figures. The embodiments herein will be better understood from the following description with reference to the drawings, in which:
[0012] FIG. 1a is a perspective view of the pedal catcher assembly, according to embodiments as disclosed herein;
[0013] FIG. 1b is a front view of the pedal catcher assembly, according to embodiments as disclosed herein;
[0014] FIG. 1c shows a perspective view of the pedal catcher assembly along with the pedals, according to embodiments as disclosed herein;
[0015] FIG. 2a is a perspective view of the pedal catcher assembly, according to another embodiment as disclosed herein;
[0016] FIG. 2b is a front view of the pedal catcher assembly of Fig. 2a, according to embodiments as disclosed herein; and
[0017] FIG. 3 is a graph comparing the pedal displacement with and without the pedal catcher assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
[0019] The embodiments herein achieve a pedal intrusion restriction in automobiles by providing a pedal catcher assembly. Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 through 3, where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures, there are shown preferred embodiments.
[0020] FIGs 1a, 1b and 1c show a perspective view, a front view and a perspective view with pedals of the pedal catcher assembly 100. The pedal catcher assembly 100 includes a catcher 102, a plurality of first brackets 104a and 104b, a plurality of second brackets 106a and 106b. In an embodiment, the second brackets 106a and 106b are attached to the steering column mounting bracket S. The first bracket 104a is attached to one end of the catcher 102. The first bracket 104b is attached to another end of the catcher 102. In an embodiment, the first brackets 104a and 104b are attached to the respective ends of the catcher 102 by welding. It is also within the scope of this invention to attach the first brackets 104a and 104b by any other known means without otherwise deterring the intended function of the assembly 100.
[0021] Further, the first brackets 104a and 104b are configured to be attached to the second brackets 106a and 106b, respectively.
[0022] Further, in another embodiment (not shown in figures), the catcher 102 is directly attached to the second brackets 106a and 106b. In another embodiment, the catcher 102 and the brackets form a unitary member.
[0023] FIGs 2a and 2b show a perspective view and a front view, respectively, of the pedal catcher assembly 200 according to another embodiment. The pedal catcher assembly 200 has a catcher 202. The catcher 200 is attached to vertical brackets 206a and 206b. A horizontal bracket 204 is connected to the vertical brackets 206a and 206b. Each of the vertical brackets is connected to the cross car beam C. In an embodiment, the catcher 200 is attached to the vertical brackets 206a and 206b by welding and each of the vertical brackets 206a and 206b are connected to the cross car beam C by welding.
[0024] In operation, in an event of frontal crash, the shock waves travel from the front of the vehicle where the impact occurs to the rear of the vehicle. The shock waves travel through the body of the vehicle through different load paths designed to absorb the energy. The Kinetic energy resulting from the crash has to be absorbed in the form of internal energy in the vehicle. The energy from crash is absorbed mainly in the form of crushing or bending. As the impact occurs in the front, there is a lot of deformation in the front end of the vehicle. But as the shock waves pass through they become weak and gets absorbed by the vehicle structure. The pedal catchers 102 and 202 are configured to absorb the shock waves that try to travel through the brake pedals onto the occupant resulting in injury to the occupant.
[0025] The shock waves from the front, travel through the crush box, bumper beam, long rails and shotgun onto the Cross Car Beam (CCB). The pedals which are mounted on the brake booster in front of the dash panel experience a lot of shock waves thereby trying to intrude into the passenger compartment. The pedal catchers 102 and 202 are configured to stop the movement of pedals into the passenger compartment.
[0026] Further, provided below is an example table showing the brake pedal displacement value with and without the pedal catcher assemblies according to the embodiments as disclosed herein.

[0027] To arrive at the aforementioned values, a Finite Element (FE) model was built with appropriate loads and boundary conditions as prescribed in Economic Commission for Europe ECE R-94. A CAE to test correlation was performed to assess the authenticity of the CAE FE model. A correlation of about 80% was achieved. An intrusion value of 260 mm in X was observed in physical test and the CAE model yielded a pedal intrusion value of 226mm in X direction, which was a concern and one of the reason for reduced star rating. Hence appropriate measures were to be taken to reduce the Brake pedal and clutch pedal intrusion to considerable levels. By incorporating the above mentioned pedal catcher assembly, the brake pedal intrusion was brought down from 226mm to 135mm which is a significant reduction of 91. Hence the physical test can be approached with a greater confidence of meeting the required higher star rating criteria of Frontal Offset Deformable Barrier test as prescribed in ECE R-94.
[0028] FIG. 3 is a graph comparing the pedal displacement with and without the pedal catcher assembly.
[0029] The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.

CLAIMS
WE CLAIM:

1. A pedal catcher assembly for a vehicle, said assembly comprising:
a pedal catcher;
a plurality of first brackets connected to corresponding portions of the pedal catcher; and
a plurality of second brackets, each of said second bracket connected to the corresponding first bracket on one end and to a steering column mounting bracket on another end, wherein
said pedal catcher is positioned in front of and away from a pedal assembly.

2. The pedal catcher assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said first bracket is welded to the corresponding portion of the pedal catcher.
3. The pedal catcher assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the welded first bracket is locked to the corresponding second bracket.
4. The pedal catcher assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the pedal catcher is a solid rod.
5. A pedal catcher assembly for a vehicle, said assembly comprising:
a pedal catcher; and
a plurality of second brackets adapted to secure said pedal catcher to a steering column mounting bracket, wherein said pedal catcher is positioned in front of and away from a pedal assembly .
6. A pedal catcher assembly for a vehicle, said assembly comprising:
a pedal catcher;
a first vertical bracket and a second vertical bracket, each of said first and second vertical brackets adapted to be mounted onto a cross car beam; and
a horizontal bracket, said horizontal bracket connected to said first vertical bracket at one end and to said second vertical bracket on another end thereof, wherein
said pedal catcher is adapted to be secured to the first and second vertical brackets; and
said pedal catcher is positioned in front of and away from a pedal assembly.
7. The pedal catcher assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein said pedal catcher is a solid rod.
8. The pedal catcher assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein said pedal catcher at one end is secured to the first vertical bracket and at another end is connected to the second vertical bracket.
9. The pedal catcher assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein a portion of the pedal catcher is substantially parallel to said horizontal bracket.
10. The pedal catcher assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the portion of the pedal catcher substantially parallel to said horizontal bracket is positioned in front of the pedal assembly.

Dated this 30th November 2015

Signatures:
Name of the Signatory: Dr. Kalyan Chakravarthy

ABSTRACT
The pedal catcher assembly 100 includes a catcher 102, a plurality of first brackets 104a and 104b, a plurality of second brackets 106a and 106b. In an embodiment, the second brackets 106a and 106b are attached to the steering column mounting bracket S. The first bracket 104a is attached to one end of the catcher 102. The first bracket 104b is attached to another end of the catcher 102.
FIG. 1
,CLAIMS:CLAIMS
WE CLAIM:

1. A pedal catcher assembly for a vehicle, said assembly comprising:
a pedal catcher;
a plurality of first brackets connected to corresponding portions of the pedal catcher; and
a plurality of second brackets, each of said second bracket connected to the corresponding first bracket on one end and to a steering column mounting bracket on another end, wherein
said pedal catcher is positioned in front of and away from a pedal assembly.

2. The pedal catcher assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said first bracket is welded to the corresponding portion of the pedal catcher.
3. The pedal catcher assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the welded first bracket is locked to the corresponding second bracket.
4. The pedal catcher assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the pedal catcher is a solid rod.
5. A pedal catcher assembly for a vehicle, said assembly comprising:
a pedal catcher; and
a plurality of second brackets adapted to secure said pedal catcher to a steering column mounting bracket, wherein said pedal catcher is positioned in front of and away from a pedal assembly .
6. A pedal catcher assembly for a vehicle, said assembly comprising:
a pedal catcher;
a first vertical bracket and a second vertical bracket, each of said first and second vertical brackets adapted to be mounted onto a cross car beam; and
a horizontal bracket, said horizontal bracket connected to said first vertical bracket at one end and to said second vertical bracket on another end thereof, wherein
said pedal catcher is adapted to be secured to the first and second vertical brackets; and
said pedal catcher is positioned in front of and away from a pedal assembly.
7. The pedal catcher assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein said pedal catcher is a solid rod.
8. The pedal catcher assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein said pedal catcher at one end is secured to the first vertical bracket and at another end is connected to the second vertical bracket.
9. The pedal catcher assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein a portion of the pedal catcher is substantially parallel to said horizontal bracket.
10. The pedal catcher assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the portion of the pedal catcher substantially parallel to said horizontal bracket is positioned in front of the pedal assembly.