US 6,663,191 B2Granted

Hydraulic brake apparatus for a vehicle

AssigneeAisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsYasunori Sakata, Yasuhito Ishida

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A vehicle hydraulic brake apparatus includes a linear solenoid valve unit for controlling a power hydraulic pressure supplied to a master cylinder from an auxiliary hydraulic pressure source. Master cylinder hydraulic pressure from the master cylinder detected by a pressure sensor is compared with a predetermined reference hydraulic pressure when the linear solenoid valve unit is electrically excited under a condition that the communication between the master cylinder and the wheel cylinders is interrupted by a hydraulic pressure control valve device disposed between the master cylinder and the wheel brake cylinders while the vehicle engine is activated and a brake operating member is not operated. The electric current supplied to the linear solenoid valve unit is corrected in response to a result of this comparison.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A hydraulic brake apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a brake operating member;
a master cylinder including a master piston which is moved forward in response to a depressing operation of the brake operating member to pressurize brake fluid in a reservoir and output a master cylinder hydraulic pressure to wheel brake cylinders mounted on vehicle wheels in response to the forward movement of the master piston;
an auxiliary hydraulic pressure source for pressurizing the brake fluid in the reservoir to a predetermined pressure level and for outputting a power hydraulic pressure;
master piston driving means for driving the master piston with the power hydraulic pressure outputted from the auxiliary hydraulic pressure source;
a linear solenoid valve unit for controlling the power hydraulic pressure supplied to the master piston driving means from the auxiliary hydraulic pressure source and for controlling a driving force applied to the master piston;
a hydraulic pressure control valve device disposed between the master cylinder and the wheel brake cylinders for controlling the master cylinder hydraulic pressure supplied to the wheel brake cylinders;
a pressure sensor for detecting the master cylinder hydraulic pressure;
control means for controlling the linear solenoid valve unit and the hydraulic pressure control valve device;
the control means including comparing means for comparing the master cylinder hydraulic pressure detected by the pressure sensor with a predetermined reference hydraulic pressure when the linear solenoid valve unit is electrically excited when communication between the master cylinder and the wheel brake cylinders is interrupted by the hydraulic pressure control valve device while a vehicle engine is activated and the brake operating member is not operated, and correcting means for correcting an electric current actually supplied to the linear solenoid valve unit in response to a result of the comparison performed by the comparing means.

6 more elements

A hydraulic brake apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a brake operating member;
a master cylinder, including a master piston, which pressurizes brake fluid in a reservoir through movement of the master piston and outputs a master cylinder hydraulic pressure to wheel brake cylinders in response to the movement of the master piston;
an auxiliary hydraulic pressure source connected to the master cylinder to pressurize the brake fluid in the reservoir to a predetermined pressure level and output a power hydraulic pressure to drive the master piston;
a linear solenoid valve unit disposed between the master cylinder and the auxiliary hydraulic pressure source to control the power hydraulic pressure supplied to the master cylinder from the auxiliary hydraulic pressure source and control a driving force applied to the master piston;
a hydraulic pressure control valve device disposed between the master cylinder and the wheel brake cylinders to control the master cylinder hydraulic pressure supplied to the wheel brake cylinders;
a pressure sensor detecting the master cylinder hydraulic pressure;
comparing means for comparing the master cylinder hydraulic pressure detected by the pressure sensor with a predetermined reference hydraulic pressure during electrical excitation of the linear solenoid valve unit when communication between the master cylinder and the wheel brake cylinders is interrupted by the hydraulic pressure control valve device and while an engine of the vehicle is activated and the brake operating member is not operated;
and
correcting means for correcting electric current actually supplied to the linear solenoid valve unit in response to a result of the comparison performed by the comparing means.

6 more elements

A method of controlling supply of electric current to a linear solenoid valve unit in a vehicle hydraulic brake apparatus, the vehicle hydraulic brake apparatus comprising a brake operating member, a master cylinder which pressurizes brake fluid in a reservoir through movement of a master piston and outputs a master cylinder hydraulic pressure to wheel brake cylinders mounted on vehicle wheels in response to the movement of the master piston, an auxiliary hydraulic pressure source which pressurizes the brake fluid in the reservoir to a predetermined pressure level and outputs a power hydraulic pressure to move the master piston, and a hydraulic pressure control valve device disposed between the master cylinder and the wheel brake cylinders for controlling the master cylinder hydraulic pressure supplied to the wheel brake cylinders, the linear solenoid valve unit controlling the power hydraulic pressure supplied to the master cylinder from the auxiliary hydraulic pressure source to control a driving force applied to the master piston, the method comprising:

detecting the master cylinder hydraulic pressure;
comparing the detected master cylinder hydraulic pressure with a predetermined reference hydraulic pressure when the linear solenoid valve unit is electrically excited while communication between the master cylinder and the wheel brake cylinders is interrupted by the hydraulic pressure control valve device and while an engine of the vehicle is activated and the brake operating member is not operated;
and
correcting electric current actually supplied to the linear solenoid valve unit the comparison of the detected master cylinder hydraulic pressure with the predetermined reference hydraulic pressure.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/052,548Filed 23 Jan 2002
Priority: JP 2001-01407423 Jan 2001
Published: US 2002/0096939 A125 Jul 2002
Granted: 16 Dec 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

B60T 8/4845
In hydraulic brake systems: using a booster or a master cylinder for traction control
B60T 8/24
Arrangements for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or ground-surface conditions, e.g. limiting or varying distribution of…:…
B60T 8/36
Having a fluid pressure regulator responsive to a speed condition: including a pilot valve responding to an electromagnetic force
B60T 8/3655
Electromagnetic valves specially adapted for anti-lock brake and traction control systems: continuously controlled electromagnetic valves