Hydraulic brake apparatus

A hydraulic brake apparatus comprising:

• a tandem brake master cylinder comprising:
• a cylinder body;
• a rod piston moving in response to a brake-operating member, the rod piston defining within the cylinder body a first reservoir pressure chamber in communication with a reservoir, and a first pressure chamber in communication with a hydraulic brake circuit connecting the tandem brake master cylinder and a brake wheel cylinder, the rod piston having a first valve adapted to establish and shut off communication between the first pressure chamber and the first reservoir pressure chamber, the rod piston being capable of an idle stroke while the first valve is in an establishing condition establishing the communication between the first pressure chamber and the first reservoir pressure chamber;
• a floating piston moving in response to the rod piston, the floating piston defining within the cylinder body a second reservoir pressure chamber in communication with the reservoir and a second pressure chamber in communication with the hydraulic brake circuit, the floating piston having a second valve adapted to establish and shut off communication between the second pressure chamber and the second reservoir pressure chamber, the floating piston being capable of an idle stroke while the second valve is in an establishing condition establishing the communication between the second pressure chamber and the second reservoir pressure chamber;
• a separation valve provided in the hydraulic brake circuit and adapted to establish and shut off communication between the tandem brake master cylinder and the brake wheel cylinder;
• a pressure control valve unit controlling fluid pressure to be supplied from an external fluid-pressure supply source to the brake wheel cylinder while the separation valve is in a shutoff condition;
• and
• a stroke simulator mechanism for ensuring a stroke of the brake-operating member in accordance with an input load to the brake-operating member while the separation valve is in the shutoff condition, by allowing a stroke of the rod piston and a stroke of the floating piston, the stroke simulator mechanism comprising a simulator piston which is caused to move by fluid pressure in the second pressing chamber;
• wherein a first orifice is provided in a first passage which establishes, during the idle stroke of the rod piston, communication between the first pressure chamber and the first reservoir pressure chamber;
• and a second orifice is provided in a second passage which establishes, during the idle stroke of the floating piston, communication between the second pressure chamber and the second reservoir pressure chamber;
• wherein the idle stroke of the floating piston starts and ends during the idle stroke of the rod piston, and the simulator piston starts its stroke after completion of the idle stroke of the floating piston and before or upon completion of the idle stroke of the rod piston so as to ensure the stroke of the brake-operating member.
• wherein the length of the idle stroke of the rod piston is set to be longer than the length of the idle stroke of the floating piston.