The Nybro Left Foot Accelerator is an adaptive control designed for use by people with amputations of the right leg, or reduced mobility and strength in the right leg.
It allows the driver to safely operate vehicles with an automatic transmission using a supplementary accelerator and the original brake pedal. A cover plate prevents the accidental operation of the original pedal.
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The control can be quickly & easily installed & removed when in service, so the vehicle can also be operated by an able bodied person.
The base consists of a heavy duty steel plate fitted beneath the vehicle carpet, and a small unobtrusive mounting plate fitted on top of the carpet.
Innovative features in the base plate, allow the Nybro Left Foot Accelerator to be installed in an extensive range of vehicles, and can easily be transferred to another vehicle in the future.
The unique design of the locking mechanism requires minimal effort to operate, and is not inhibited by the carpet.
The Nybro Left Foot Accelerator is made from a combination of corrosion resistant materials; Stainless Steel, Aluminium, ABS plastic, Zinc plated Steel.
Theses controls comply with Australian Standard 3954.1-1991, and require no additional inspection by transport authorities for approval.
This adaptive control consists of a fixed base plate mounted underneath the carpet in front of the existing pedals. This base plate has several options for mounting and incorporates jacking screws, allowing the plate to be mounted level, despite the irregular contours of a typical vehicle floor. This plate distributes the load, providing a stable and rigid platform for mounting the device.
A quick change base plate is attached to the base plate above the carpet so that the device can be quickly and easily installed or removed as required.
The device employs a shaft to transfer the effort of the drivers left foot, through a roller and onto the factory pedal to operate the accelerator. The shaft rotates in Teflon coated bushes requiring no lubrication.
The device has a cover plate located to prevent the factory accelerator being accidently operated by the right foot.
The position and angle of the auxiliary pedal can be adjusted to suit the ergonomics of different model vehicles.
This device is intended only for use in vehicles without a clutch pedal.
The device is easily removed from the vehicle by rotating a locking lever 90 degrees, allowing it to be removed. This lever is unable to be operated accidently as it has a detent to position it in the locked position. The lever is designed to reduce the effort required to engage and disengage the device so it can be operated by persons with limited dexterity and strength.
All of the screw fasteners in the device are prevented from coming loose with thread locking compounds.
The device is made from a combination of corrosion resistant materials; Stainless Steel, Aluminium, ABS plastic, Zinc plated Steel.
Theses controls comply with Australian Standard 3954.1-1991.
Base Plate
The patented design of the Nybro Base plate Allows for simple installation in many different vehicles without the need for custom fabrication of the supports and mounts. The unique jacking screws allow the plate to be accurately positioned and levelled. The numerous holes allow for fixing the plate in many different ways to avoid installation problems, such as ridges and valleys in the vehicle floor, avoiding chassis rails, fuel lines, electrical lines etc. The plate is simple to adjust, requiring only an Allen key to set it level and in position. The plate only requires to fasteners to hold it securely to the floor of the vehicle. These are spaced widely apart, distributing the load into the vehicle body, eliminating any flexing or movement during the operation of the pedals. This solution for securely installing the Left Foot Accelerator is not only unique, but the most effective available.
Lever Mechanism
The patented design of the Quick release mechanism on the Nybro Left Foot Accelerator allows for the easy installation and removal of the pedal actuator assembly. To release the pedal simply rotate the lever 90 degrees to the up position, then lift up the actuator and unhook it from the base plate. To lock the accelerator in position, hook the left side onto the base plate, lower the actuator down, and rotate the lever from the vertical 90 degrees to the right to securely lock it in position. It requires very little force to operate, but will lock the actuator securely in place. Other designs rely on heavy springs which are too difficult for persons with reduced strength to operate; overtime these mechanisms may wear and lose their effectiveness. The Nybro design incorporates an adjustment that allows for the easy compensation of any wear.
Simulation Study:
To ensure the most efficient use of material, and to guarantee the strength of material and fasteners, Nybro has utilised state of the art 3D Computer Aided Design software to analyse the stresses in the mechanism. A method called finite element analysis or FEA, was used. This software allows for analysing many different scenarios and provides results on stress, strain, deformation, vibration, minimum factor of safety. The distribution of stress can be clearly seen in the graphic, showing the maximum is far below the strength of the material. The maximum stress shown is 2Mpa, and the strength of the material is 228Mpa. The materials used in the device are 5083 H321-116DNV Grade Aluminium, AISI 316L Grade Stainless Steel, AS3679-300 Grade Structural Steel, ASTM D4673 ABS Plastic Sheet.
Key Features
Technical Information
