Electric brake system

An electric brake system comprising:

• a brake manipulated variable sensor that detects a driver's brake manipulated variable of a brake operating device;
• an electric wheel brake mechanism having a pair of brake friction pads that are opposite to each other for sandwiching therebetween a disk rotor rotatable together with a road wheel and for producing a braking force resulting from braking torque application to the disk rotor;
• a brake friction pad thrust sensor that detects a pressure of either one of the brake friction pad pair against the disk rotor;
• a control unit configured to be electronically connected to the brake manipulated variable sensor, the brake friction pad thrust sensor and the electric wheel brake mechanism, for controlling the electric wheel brake mechanism responsively to the brake manipulated variable, and the pressure of the one brake friction pad against the disk rotor;
• the control unit comprising:
• a maximum disk-rotor thickness angular position detecting section that detects an angular position of the disk rotor at which a disk rotor portion has a maximum thickness;
• and
• the control unit causing a movement of the brake friction pad pair into contact with the disk rotor when the brake operating device is conditioned in an inoperative state, and detecting a position of the brake friction pad pair, at which the pressure becomes greater than a predetermined threshold value at the angular position of the disk rotor corresponding to the disk rotor portion having the maximum thickness during the movement of the brake friction pad pair into contact with the disk rotor, as a braking initiation position.

An electric brake system comprising:

• a brake manipulated variable sensing means for detecting a driver's brake manipulated variable of a brake operating device;
• an electric wheel brake means having a pair of brake friction pads that are opposite to each other for sandwiching therebetween a disk rotor rotatable together with a road wheel and for producing a braking force resulting from braking torque application to the disk rotor;
• a first brake friction pad thrust sensing means for detecting a first pressure of a first one of the brake friction pad pair against one side wall of the disk rotor;
• a second brake friction pad thrust sensing means for detecting a second pressure of the second brake friction pad against the other side wall of the disk rotor;
• a brake control means configured to be electronically connected to the brake manipulated variable sensing means, the first and second brake friction pad thrust sensing means and the electric wheel brake means, for controlling the electric wheel brake means responsively to the brake manipulated variable, and the first and second pressures;
• and
• the control means causing a movement of the brake friction pad pair into contact with the disk rotor when the brake operating device is conditioned in an inoperative state, and detecting a position of the brake friction pad pair, at which the first and second pressures become greater than respective predetermined threshold values during the movement of the brake friction pad pair into contact with the disk rotor, as a braking initiation position.

An electric brake system comprising:

• a brake manipulated variable sensing means for detecting a driver's brake manipulated variable of a brake operating device;
• an electric wheel brake means having a pair of brake friction pads that are opposite to each other for sandwiching therebetween a disk rotor rotatable together with a road wheel and for producing a braking force resulting from braking torque application to the disk rotor;
• a brake friction pad thrust sensing means for detecting a pressure of either one of the brake friction pad pair against the disk rotor;
• a control means configured to be electronically connected to the brake manipulated variable sensing means, the brake friction pad thrust sensing means and the electric wheel brake means, for controlling the electric wheel brake means responsively to the brake manipulated variable, and the pressure of the one brake friction pad against the disk rotor;
• the control means comprising:
• a maximum disk-rotor thickness angular position detecting section that detects an angular position of the disk rotor at which a disk rotor portion has a maximum thickness;
• and
• the control means causing movement of the brake friction pad pair into contact with the disk rotor when the brake operating device is conditioned in an inoperative state, and detecting a position of the brake friction pad pair, at which the pressure becomes greater than a predetermined threshold value at the angular position of the disk rotor corresponding to the disk rotor portion having the maximum thickness during the movement of the brake friction pad pair into contact with the disk rotor, as a braking initiation position.

A method of detecting a braking initiation position of an electric brake system with a brake manipulated variable sensor detecting a driver's brake manipulated variable, an electric wheel brake mechanism having a pair of brake friction pads that are opposite to each other for sandwiching therebetween a disk rotor rotatable together with a road wheel and for producing a braking force resulting from braking torque application to the disk rotor and based on the brake manipulated variable, and a brake friction pad thrust sensor detecting a pressure of either one of the brake friction pad pair against the disk rotor, the method comprising:

• detecting an angular position of the disk rotor at which a disk rotor portion has a maximum thickness;
• causing a primary movement of the brake friction pad pair into contact with the disk rotor when a predetermined time period has expired from a time when a brake pedal has been recovered to an inoperative state;
• and
• detecting a position of the brake friction pad pair, at which the pressure becomes greater than a predetermined threshold value at the angular position of the disk rotor corresponding to the disk rotor portion having the maximum thickness during the primary movement of the brake friction pad pair into contact with the disk rotor, as the braking initiation position.