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US 6,655,751 B2Granted
Method of controlling vehicle hydraulic brake system
AssigneeSumitomo (SEI) Brake Systems, Inc.
InventorKeita Nakano
Life of this patent
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AssigneeSumitomo (SEI) Brake Systems, Inc.
InventorKeita Nakano
Estimating the term…
A control method of a hydraulic pressure source-driven type vehicle hydraulic pressure brake system in which no irritating noises or vibrations are produced during stoppage of the vehicle and which does not consume electric power in waste. When the vehicle stops and the surroundings become quiet, by detecting stoppage of the vehicle by a sensor for detecting the rotation of a wheel, stopping a motor for a pump for producing brake hydraulic pressure, and opening a solenoid valve in a master cylinder passage bringing the master cylinder and the wheel cylinder into communication with each other, it is possible to prevent noises or vibrations from the motor and wasteful consumption of electric power.
A method of controlling a vehicle hydraulic brake system comprising a brake operating member, a master cylinder for producing hydraulic pressure corresponding to a brake operating force applied to said brake operating member, a wheel cylinder, a hydraulic pressure source for producing brake hydraulic pressure in said wheel cylinder, a driving device for said hydraulic pressure source, a fluid passage bringing said hydraulic pressure source and said wheel cylinder into communication with each other, a master cylinder passage bringing said master cylinder and said wheel cylinder into communication with each other through a first on-off valve, a relief passage having a second on-off valve for releasing pressure in said wheel cylinder into a reservoir by opening said second on-off valve, and a brake operating force detector that detects the brake operating force applied to said brake operating member, wherein while said hydraulic pressure source functions normally, the first on-off valve in said master cylinder passage is closed, and said driving device for said hydraulic pressure source is actuated based on a detection signal from said brake operating force detector, characterized in that a vehicle stoppage detector that detects stoppage of a vehicle is provided, and when said vehicle stoppage detector detects stoppage of the vehicle, said driving device for said hydraulic pressure source is stopped and the first on-off valve in said master cylinder passage is opened;
A method of controlling a vehicle hydraulic brake system comprising a brake operating member, a master cylinder for producing hydraulic pressure corresponding to a brake operating force applied to said brake operating member, a wheel cylinder, a hydraulic pressure source for producing brake hydraulic pressure in said wheel cylinder, a driving device for said hydraulic pressure source, a fluid passage bringing said hydraulic pressure source and said wheel cylinder into communication with each other, a master cylinder passage bringing said master cylinder and said wheel cylinder into communication with each other through a first on-off valve, a relief passage having a second on-off valve for releasing pressure in said wheel cylinder into a reservoir by opening said second on-off valve, and a brake operating force detector that detects the brake operating force applied to said brake operating member, wherein while said hydraulic pressure source functions normally, the first on-off valve in said master cylinder passage is closed, and said driving device for said hydraulic pressure source is actuated based on a detection signal from said brake operating force detector, characterized in that a vehicle stoppage detector that detects stoppage of a vehicle is provided, and when said vehicle stoppage detector detects stoppage of the vehicle, said driving device for said hydraulic pressure source is stopped and the first on-off valve in said master cylinder passage is opened;
A method of controlling a vehicle hydraulic brake system comprising a brake operating member, a master cylinder for producing hydraulic pressure corresponding to a brake operating force applied to said brake operating member, a wheel cylinder, a hydraulic pressure source for producing brake hydraulic pressure in said wheel cylinder, a driving device for said hydraulic pressure source, a fluid passage bringing said hydraulic pressure source and said wheel cylinder into communication with each other, a master cylinder passage bringing said master cylinder and said wheel cylinder into communication with each other through a first on-off valve, a relief passage having a second on-off valve for releasing pressure in said wheel cylinder into a reservoir by opening said second on-off valve, and a brake operating force detector that detects the brake operating force applied to said brake operating member, wherein while said hydraulic pressure source functions normally, the first on-off valve in said master cylinder passage is closed, and said driving device for said hydraulic pressure source is actuated based on a detection signal from said brake operating force detector, characterized in that a vehicle stoppage detector that detects stoppage of a vehicle is provided, and when said vehicle stoppage detector detects stoppage of the vehicle, said driving device for said hydraulic pressure source is stopped and the first on-off valve in said master cylinder passage is opened;
A method of controlling a vehicle hydraulic brake system, said system comprising a brake operating member, a master cylinder for producing hydraulic pressure corresponding to brake operating force applied to said brake operating member, a wheel cylinder, a hydraulic pressure source for producing hydraulic pressure, a driving device for driving said hydraulic pressure source, a fluid passage connecting said hydraulic pressure source to said wheel cylinder for applying hydraulic pressure produced by the hydraulic pressure source to the wheel cylinder, at least one master cylinder passage having a first on-off valve for bringing said master cylinder into fluid communication with said wheel cylinder when said first on-off valve is opened, said master cylinder being completely shut off from said wheel cylinder while said first on-off valve is closed, and a relief passage having a second on-off valve for releasing pressure in said wheel cylinder into a reservoir when said second on-off valve is opened, said method comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Systems in which a driver input signal is used as a control signal for the additional fluid circuit which is normally used for braking: systems…
Control of the pump unit: involving ON/OFF switching
Component parts, details, or accessories of power brake systems not covered by groups B60T8/00, B60T13/00 or B60T15/00, or presenting other…:…
Fluid-pressure and analogous brake systems: brake control by pressure comparison
Term ended 22 May 2021 (estimated)
This invention relates to a method of controlling a vehicle hydraulic brake system which is provided with a hydraulic pressure source for producing brake hydraulic pressure and in which the hydraulic pressure produced in the master cylinder can also be used as brake hydraulic pressure.
In recent years, in order to realize sophisticated behavior control of the vehicle and get a light brake feeling, as described e.g. in Japanese patent publication 2590825, a vehicle hydraulic brake system is employed in which a hydraulic pressure source for producing brake hydraulic pressure is provided, and a driving device for the hydraulic pressure source is actuated based on a detection signal from a brake operating force detecting means for detecting the operating force of a brake operating member.
Among such hydraulic pressure source-driven type brake systems, there are many in which a master cylinder for producing hydraulic pressure corresponding to the operating force applied to the brake operating member is in communication with wheel cylinders through an on-off valve in a so-called master cylinder passage, and when the hydraulic pressure source is not operating normally, the hydraulic pressure in the master cylinder is transmitted as brake hydraulic pressure by opening the on-off valve to provide a failsafe function.
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing a brake system to which is applied a control method of a first embodiment;
FIG. 2 is a graph showing the relation between the step-in stroke of the brake pedal and the master cylinder hydraulic pressure after stoppage of the vehicle in the brake system of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a brake system to which is applied a control method of a second embodiment.
Hereinbelow, with reference to the drawings, the embodiments of this invention will be described. FIG. 1 shows a vehicle hydraulic brake system to which the control method of the first embodiment is applied. This brake system has a pump 1 as a hydraulic pressure source and a motor 2 as a driving device thereof. The pump 1 is mounted in a fluid passage 5 through which a reservoir tank 3 and a wheel cylinder 4 communicate with each other. A brake pedal 6 as a brake operating member is coupled to a master cylinder 8 through a booster 7. The master cylinder 8 communicates with a brake fluid absorbing chamber 9a of a stroke simulator 9. Also, the master cylinder 8 and the wheel cylinder 4 communicate with each other through a solenoid valve 10, which is an on-off valve, in a master cylinder passage 11. Between the wheel cylinder 4 and the reservoir tank 3, a relief passage 13 for brake fluid is provided in which is mounted a solenoid valve 12 as an on-off valve.
To the brake pedal 6, a stroke sensor 14 as a brake operating amount detecting means for detecting its step-in amount is mounted. In the master cylinder passage 11, a pressure sensor 15a for detecting the hydraulic pressure PM in the master cylinder 8, which is also a brake operating force detecting means, and a pressure sensor 15b for detecting the brake hydraulic pressure PW in the wheel cylinder 4 are mounted. Near the wheel (not shown), a sensor 16 for detecting the wheel rotation is mounted. Detection signals from the sensors 14, 15a, 15b, and 16 are entered into a controller 17. Based on these detection signals, the motor 2 and the solenoid valves 10 and 12 are actuated.
Hereinbelow, it will be described how the brake system is controlled by the controller 17 when stopping the vehicle. In a normal travel state, by closing the solenoid valve 10 to close the master cylinder passage 11 and actuating the motor 2 and the solenoid valve 12 based on the master cylinder hydraulic pressure PM as the brake operating force, which is detected by the pressure sensor 15a, a suitable brake hydraulic pressure PW is produced in the wheel cylinder 4. But if, for some reason, brake fluid supplied to the wheel cylinder 4 becomes insufficient, and the controller 17 detects that the brake hydraulic pressure PW detected by the pressure sensor 15b is insufficient, the solenoid valve 10 in the master cylinder passage 11 will be opened to transmit the master cylinder hydraulic pressure PM to the wheel cylinder 4 to produce a sufficient brake hydraulic pressure PW.