Brake fluid pressure controller for vehicle

• US 5,219,210 A
• Filed: 12/16/1991
• Issued: 06/15/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Akebono Brake Industry Company Limited (Akebono Brake Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Akebono Brake Industry Company Limited (Akebono Brake Corporation)
• Inventors: Maehara, Toshifumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Butler, Douglas C.
• Application Number:
  US07/807,701
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 303/103-111, 303/113 R, 303/113 SS, 303/113 AP, 303/116 R, 303/119 R, 303/DIG. 5, 303/DIG. 4, 303/119 SV, 303/9.62-9.75 , 303/95-99, 303/100, 303/93, 303/24.1, 303/, 188/349, 188/181 C, 364/426.02, 364/426.03, 364/426.01
• US Class Current: 303/9.62
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1764 Regulation during travel on surface with different coefficients of friction, e.g. between left and right sides, mu-split or between front and rear
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1766 Proportioning of brake forces according to vehicle axle loads, e.g. front to rear of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/268 using the valves of an ABS, ASR or ESP system
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/4275 Pump-back systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 303/90 ABS throttle control

Abstract

To dispense with a proportioning valve for the rear wheel brake fluid pressure line system of a brake anti-locking controller for a vehicle to reduce the cost of the controller. A brake fluid pressure controller comprises a controller for opening and closing the hold valves of a rear wheel brake fluid pressure line system at the time of brake fluid pressure increase after the start of braking of the vehicle but before the start of the brake anti-locking control thereof in order to keep the rate of the break fluid pressure increase in the rear wheel brake fluid pressure system lower than that of the brake fluid pressure increase in the front wheel brake fluid pressure line system.

Claims

1. A brake fluid pressure controller for a vehicle having front and rear wheels, a master cylinder for transmitting brake fluid pressure, rear wheel cylinders for applying said brake fluid pressure to said rear wheels, a brake fluid reservoir for holding excess brake fluid, and wheel speed sensors indicating individual speeds of said front and rear wheels, said brake fluid pressure controller comprising:

an anti-lock control means for generating command signals for controlling the individual functions of increase, maintenance or decrease in pressure of brake fluid in said rear wheel cylinders of said vehicle based on upon wheel speed signals received from said wheel speed sensors;

hold valves which, when activated by said command signals from said anti-lock control means, apply and maintain said pressure of brake fluid from said master cylinder in a corresponding rear wheel cylinder of said vehicle; and

decay valves which, when activated by said command signals said from said anti-lock control means, decrease said pressure of brake fluid in said rear wheel cylinders of said vehicle by releasing brake fluid into said reservoir,

wherein said control means controls the opening and the closing of said hold valves based on said wheel speed signals from individual wheel speed sensors to control brake fluid pressure in a time interval between initial braking of said vehicle and initiation of brake anti-locking control to keep an increase in pressure of brake fluid in a rear wheel cylinder lower than an increase in pressure of brake fluid in a corresponding front wheel cylinder based solely upon the electrical signals generated from the individual wheel speed sensors without the use of a brake fluid pressure control valve to regulate the distribution of brake fluid.

2. The brake fluid pressure controller of claim 1, wherein said anti-lock control means comprises:

calculation circuit means for receiving said individual wheel speed signals and generating electric signals corresponding to said respective wheel speeds;

computed vehicle speed calculation circuit means for receiving said electric wheel speed signals from said calculation circuit means and outputting a computed vehicle speed, a constant and uniform speed indicative of either acceleration or deceleration of said vehicle;

differentiation circuit means for receiving and differentiating said computed vehicle speed to determine a rate of decrease in said wheel speeds;

comparison means comprising;

a first comparison circuit means for generating a first comparison output of said rate of decrease in computed vehicle speed with a reference deceleration rate,

a second comparison circuit means for generating a second comparison output of a front wheel speed with a rear wheel speed, and

control logic means for receiving said first and second comparison outputs of said first and second comparison circuits, operating to either open or close said hold valves for said rear wheel cylinders to keep said increase in pressure of brake fluid in said rear wheel cylinders lower than said increase in pressure of brake fluid in said front wheel cylinders.

3. The brake fluid pressure controller of claim 2, wherein said control logic means maintains constant brake fluid pressure in said rear wheel cylinders by commanding said hold valves to close when said first comparison circuit means detects said computed vehicle speed being larger than said reference deceleration rate and said second comparison circuit means detects said rear wheel speeds being lower than said front wheel speeds.

4. The brake fluid pressure controller of claim 3, wherein said control logic means slowly increases brake fluid pressure in said rear wheel cylinders by commanding said hold valves to open and close according to a prescribed duty factor when said first comparison circuit means detects said computed vehicle speed being larger than said reference deceleration rate and said second comparison circuit means detects said rear wheel speeds being higher than said front wheel speeds.