Method of anti-lock braking of a motorcycle and of determining the coefficient of adhesion

• US 5,244,259 A
• Filed: 09/05/1991
• Issued: 09/14/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lucas Industries Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: Lucas Industries Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Weidele, Alois, Fischer, Martin, Pickenhahn, Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): Oberleitner, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Muratori, Alfred
• Application Number:
  US07/752,448
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 303/9.64, 303/103, 303/106, 303/108, 303/111, 303/113 AP, 303/109, 303/120, 364/426.01-426.03
• US Class Current: 303/137
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/12 Friction
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2240/06 Wheel load; Wheel lift
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1706 for single-track vehicles, e.g. motorcycles

Abstract

A method of determining the coefficient of adhesion between a roadway and the wheels of a motorcycle provides for retarding the rear wheel of the motorcycle more strongly than the front wheel for a predetermined period of time and for comparing the rotational speeds or the rotational retardations of the front and rear wheels. Furthermore, the sloping of the motorcycle is measured directly so as to determine both the longitudinal coefficient of adhesion and the lateral coefficient of adhesion from the sloping. The coefficients of adhesion thus obtained serve for adjustment of threshold values for anti-lock braking of the motorcycle.

Claims

1. A method of anti-lock braking of a motorcycle having front and rear wheels each having a brakes, comprising the steps of:

a) applying braking pressure to said front and rear wheel brakes,

b) measuring the value of rotational retardation and slip of the front wheel and the rear wheel of the motorcycle,

c) comparing the value of the measured rotational retardation and slip of the front and rear wheels with a predetermined threshold value,

d) maintaining or reducing said braking pressure when said measured value exceeds a predetermined threshold value,

e) applying for a predetermined period of time to the brake of the rear wheel a higher brake pressure than to the brake of the front wheel,

f) comparing, at the time when a higher brake pressure is applied to the brake of the rear wheel than to the brake of the front wheel, rotational speeds and rotational retardations of the front and the rear wheels, and

g) adjusting said threshold value in response to said comparison.

4. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in addition a slope of the motorcycle relative to a surface on which it is traveling is measured.

2. A method of determining a coefficient of adhesion between a roadway and wheels of a motorcycle, the motorcycle having a front and a rear wheel each wheel having a brake, comprising the steps of:

a) applying to the brake of the rear wheel of the motorcycle a brake pressure such that the rear wheel is retarded more than the front wheel for a predetermined period of time,

b) comparing, at the time when the rear wheel is retarded more than the front wheel, rotational speeds of the front and the rear wheels, and

c) deriving said coefficient of adhesion from the result of said comparison.

3. A method of anti-lock braking of a motorcycle having front and rear wheels each provided with brakes, comprising the steps of:

a) measuring a value of rotational retardation and slip of the front wheel and the rear wheel of the motorcycle,

b) comparing the measured value of rotational retardation and slip of the front and rear wheels with a threshold value in order to derive control signals for said anti-lock braking,

c) applying to the brakes of the rear wheel of the motorcycle a brake pressure such that the rear wheel is retarded more than the front wheel for a predetermined period of time,

d) comparing, at the time when the rear wheel is retarded more than the front wheel rotational speeds of the front and the rear wheels,

e) deriving a coefficient of adhesion from the result of said comparison, and

f) adjusting said threshold value in accordance with said derived coefficient of adhesion.