US 6,309,032 B1Granted

Brake control apparatus with a stroke simulator

AssigneeAisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsAkihito Kusano, Hiroaki Aizawa, Hiroshi Toda

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Abstract

A brake control apparatus is provided with a simulator for applying a biasing force to a manually operated braking member of a vehicle in response to braking operation. A sensor detects conditions of the vehicle including a braking condition of the vehicle. A first biasing device applies a first biasing force to the manually operated braking member in response to braking operation, and a second biasing device applies a second biasing force, as well. Only one of the first and second biasing devices applies the biasing force to the manually operated braking member when a predetermined condition is detected by the sensor, while both of the first and second biasing devices apply the biasing forces in the normal braking operation. The second biasing device may include a cylinder having a bore defined therein, and a piston slidably received in the bore to define a chamber filled with brake fluid, an elastic member for biasing the piston to expand the chamber, and a reservoir communicated with the chamber of the cylinder for storing the brake fluid drained from the cylinder, and controlled by a controller in response to outputs of the sensor.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A brake control apparatus having a simulation means for applying a biasing force to a manually operated braking member of a vehicle in response to braking operation of said manually operated braking member comprising:

detection means for detecting conditions of said vehicle including a braking condition of said vehicle;
first biasing means for applying a first biasing force to said manually operated braking member in response to braking operation of said manually operated braking member;
and
second biasing means for applying a second biasing force to said manually operated braking member in response to braking operation of said manually operated braking member;
braking force control means for controlling a pressure of brake fluid applied to a wheel brake cylinder in response to the conditions detected by said detection means;
pressure generating means for discharging a pressurized brake fluid to said braking force control means;
and wherein only one of said first and second biasing means is adapted to apply the biasing force to said manually operated braking member in response to braking operation of said manually operated braking member to positively change a characteristic between a depressing force and a depressing stroke of said manually operated braking member, when a predetermined condition is detected by said detection means.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/115,506Filed 15 Jul 1998 · us provisional application
Priority: JP 9-19268417 Jul 1997
Granted: 30 Oct 2001
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

B60T 8/326
Systems in which the braking action is dependent on brake pedal data: hydraulic systems
B60T 7/042
Foot actuated: by electrical means, e.g. using travel or force sensors
B60T 13/662
Electrical control in fluid-pressure brake systems: characterised by specified functions of the control system components
B60T
Vehicle brake control systems or parts thereof