US 12,031,555 B2Granted

Fluidic control system

AssigneeLiberty Vehicle Technologies Limited

InventorsAnthony Blackwell, Marc Amblard

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A fluidic control system (1) for controlling a vehicle, which includes a controller (2) and a closed fluidic circuit. The circuit includes a pump (3) for pressurizing fluid in the circuit, valve means (40, 50, 60), an actuator (4, 5, 6) and a precharge accumulator (7). The valve means (40, 50, 60) is fluidly connected to the inlet and outlet of the pump (3) and the actuator (4, 6) is fluidly connected to the valve means (40, 50, 60) for selectively receiving pressurized fluid therefrom. The precharge accumulator (7) includes a movable member (73, FIG. 2) that describes a variable volume (71) fluidly connected to the circuit between the valve means (40, 50, 60) and the inlet of the pump (3). The system (1) also includes a sensor (70) for determining the position of the movable member (73) for estimating the quantity of fluid and/or detecting an abnormal pressure variation within the circuit.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A fluidic control system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

a controller;
and
a fluidic circuit including:
a pump having an inlet and an outlet for pressurising fluid in the circuit;
a first valve assembly and a second valve assembly both operatively connected to the controller and having a high pressure inlet fluidly connected to the outlet of the pump and a low pressure outlet fluidly connected to an inlet of the pump such that the fluidic circuit is a pressurized closed circuit configured to operate at a non-zero pressure throughout the pressurized closed circuit;
a first actuator fluidly connected to the first valve assembly for selectively receiving pressurized fluid therefrom the first actuator comprising a first actuator type;
a second actuator fluidly connected to the second valve assembly for selectively receiving pressurized fluid therefrom, the second actuator comprising a second actuator type which is different from the first actuator type;
and
a precharge accumulator fluidly connected between the first and second valve assemblies and the inlet of the pump, the precharge accumulator comprising:
a movable member describing a variable volume fluidly connected to the first and second valve assemblies and the inlet of the pump;
and
a sensor for determining the position of the movable member;
wherein the controller comprises a processor and a computer readable medium with software stored thereon, the software comprising a set of instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to detect automatically, from a position of the movable member determined using the sensor, faults and/or leaks within the pressurized closed circuit by estimating the quantity of fluid within the pressurized closed circuit and/or by detecting an abnormal pressure variation within the pressurized closed circuit.

10 more elements

A fluidic control system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

a controller;
and
a fluidic circuit including:
a pump having an inlet and an outlet for pressurizing fluid in the circuit;
a valve assembly operatively connected to the controller and having a high pressure inlet fluidly connected to the outlet of the pump and a low pressure outlet fluidly connected to an inlet of the pump such that the fluidic circuit is a pressurized closed circuit configured to operate at a non-zero pressure throughout the pressurized closed circuit;
an actuator fluidly connected to the valve assembly for selectively receiving pressurized fluid therefrom;
and
a precharge accumulator fluidly connected between the valve assembly and the inlet of the pump, the precharge accumulator comprising:
a movable member describing a variable volume fluidly connected to the valve assembly and the inlet of the pump;
and
a sensor for determining the position of the movable member;
wherein the controller comprises a processor and a computer readable medium with software stored thereon, the software comprising a set of instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to detect automatically, from a position of the movable member determined using the sensor, faults and/or leaks within the pressurized closed circuit by estimating the quantity of fluid within the pressurized closed circuit and/or by detecting an abnormal pressure variation within the pressurized closed circuit;
and
wherein the fluidic circuit comprises a first fluidic circuit and the system comprises a second fluidic circuit and a master cylinder fluidly connected to the second fluidic circuit, the actuator being mechanically connected to, or integral with, the master cylinder and the controller being configured to operate the valve assembly to control, in use, the supply of pressurized fluid to the actuator in order to apply a mechanical force to the master cylinder for operating the second fluidic circuit of the vehicle.

11 more elements

A fluidic control system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

a controller;
and
a fluidic circuit including:
a pump having an inlet and an outlet for pressurizing fluid in the circuit;
a valve assembly operatively connected to the controller and having a high pressure inlet fluidly connected to the outlet of the pump and a low pressure outlet fluidly connected to an inlet of the pump such that the fluidic circuit is a pressurized closed circuit configured to operate at a non-zero pressure throughout the pressurized closed circuit;
an actuator fluidly connected to the valve assembly for selectively receiving pressurized fluid therefrom;
and
a precharge accumulator fluidly connected between the valve assembly and the inlet of the pump, the precharge accumulator comprising:
a movable member describing a variable volume fluidly connected to the valve assembly and the inlet of the pump;
and
a sensor for determining the position of the movable member;
wherein the valve assembly is a first valve assembly and the actuator comprises a brake actuator, the fluidic circuit further comprising a non-brake actuator fluidly connected to a second valve assembly operatively connected to the controller and the controller is configured to operate, in use, the first valve assembly for controlling the supply of pressurized fluid to the brake actuator to slow or stop the vehicle and to operate the non-brake actuator by operating the second valve assembly for controlling the supply of pressurized fluid to the non-brake actuator;
and
wherein the controller comprises a processor and a computer readable medium with software stored thereon, the software comprising a set of instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to detect automatically, from a position of the movable member determined using the sensor, faults and/or leaks within the pressurized closed circuit by estimating the quantity of fluid within the pressurized closed circuit and/or by detecting an abnormal pressure variation within the pressurized closed circuit.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/061,615Filed 5 Dec 2022 · continuation
Priority: GB 17092399 Jun 2017
Published: US 2023/0097474 A130 Mar 2023
Granted: 9 Jul 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification49 codes

F15B 1/027
Installations or systems with accumulators: having accumulator charging devices
F15B 19/005
Testing; Calibrating; Fault detection or monitoring; Simulation or modelling of fluid-pressure systems or apparatus not otherwise provided for:…
B60T 7/12
Brake-action initiating means: for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger
B60T 8/17
Arrangements for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or ground-surface conditions, e.g. limiting or varying distribution of…:…

Family

PCT/GB2018/051553Parent of this continuation · filed 7 Jun 2018
US 2023/0097474 A1Pre-grant publication · published 30 Mar 2023
Application16/620,662Parent of this continuation
US 11,619,244 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2020/0182262 A1Published application
US 12,031,555 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.