1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pedal retraction amount control apparatus for a running vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a pedal retraction amount control apparatus for a running vehicle which prevents a pedal from moving in a rearward direction with respect to a vehicle body, and moving into a passenger compartment side at the time of a vehicle head-on collision, there is, for example, the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 3239790. In the apparatus disclosed in this publication, when at the time of a vehicle head-on collision, the vehicle body is deformed so that the whole pedal system moves in the rearward direction of the vehicle, a steering hanger which is provided on a horizontal beam member connecting between pillars restricts the movement of this pedal in the rearward direction beneath the support shaft of the pedal. As a result, the pedal rotates about the support shaft so that the tread portion moves towards the front side, and is thus moved from the passenger compartment in the forward direction.
In a pedal retraction amount control apparatus, the greater the amount of forward movement of the pedal the better. However, in the abovementioned case, the amount of forward movement of the pedal is mainly determined by the rotation amount of the pedal about the support shaft, and there are cases where this is not sufficient.