Hydraulic brake system with slip control

• US 5,620,241 A
• Filed: 11/09/1994
• Issued: 04/15/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ITT Automotive Europe GmbH (Xylem, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ITT Automotive Europe GmbH (Xylem, Inc.)
• Inventors: Burgdorf, Jochen
• Primary Examiner(s): Young, Lee W.
• Application Number:
  US08/335,704
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 303/11, 303/139, 303/145, 303/113.5, 303/115.4, 303/116.1, 303/186
• US Class Current: 303/186
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/266 using valves or actuators with external control means B60T8/261 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/344 Hydraulic systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/4291 having means to reduce or eliminate pedal kick-back
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/445 replenishing the released brake fluid volume into the brake piping

Abstract

A pressure-medium displacing element is connected to the main pressure line which leads to the rear-wheel brake, and a first end surface of the pressure-medium displacing element is acted upon by the pressure of the auxiliary-pressure pump, while the pressure prevailing in the rear-wheel brake is applied to the second end surface which is opposed to the first end surface.

Claims

1. A hydraulic brake system with slip control, including a pedal-operable master cylinder, to which a front-wheel brake and a rear-wheel brake of an automotive vehicle are connected at least through a main pressure line, including a hydraulic auxiliary-pressure pump which is connected to an auxiliary-pressure line and takes in pressure medium from a reservoir and supplies it to the wheel brakes, and including wheel speed sensors and a controlling and regulating electronic unit to determine the wheel rotational behavior and to generate electric braking pressure control signals, said brake system further including pressure modulation valves, including at least one inlet valve and at least two outlet valves, connected to the wheel brakes to control the braking pressure, characterized in that a pressure-medium displacing element is connected to the main pressure line which leads to the rear-wheel brake, the pressure of the auxiliary-pressure pump being adapted to be applied to a first end surface of the pressure-medium displacing element, wherein said first end surface is in selective fluid communication with said front-wheel brake, and in that the pressure prevailing in the rear-wheel brake is adapted to be applied to a second end surface which is arranged opposite to the first end surface,, wherein said pressure-medium displacing element undergoes a stroke to displace a pressure from said front wheel-brake toward said rear-wheel brake.

2. A hydraulic brake system as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that said at least one inlet valve includes a rear-wheel brake inlet valve, which is electromagnetically actuated and open in its electromagnetically deenergized position, and the pressure-medium displacing element is connected between said rear-wheel brake inlet valve and the outlet of said pump.

3. A brake system as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the pressure-medium displacing element in the braking-pressure control mode is capable of hydraulically superimposing a brake force distributor, arranged between the rear-wheel brake and the master cylinder, and in that the brake force distributor is arranged in parallel to the pressure-medium displacing element.

4. A hydraulic brake as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a pressure valve and a non-return valve disposed in said auxiliary pressure line between the auxiliary-pressure pump and the pressure-medium displacing element, said pressure valve and said non-return valve closing in the direction of the auxiliary-pressure pump, wherein the pressure of the auxiliary-pressure pump, which acts upon the first end surface of the pressure-medium displacing element, is the pressure at a point between the pressure valve and the non-return valve.

5. A brake system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one inlet valve includes a rear-wheel brake inlet valve, which is electromagnetically actuated and open in its electromagnetically deenergized position, and said brake system further comprises a brake force distributor, which is arranged in series with said pressure-medium displacing element between said rear-wheel brake inlet valve and the master cylinder.

6. A brake system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a brake force distributor, wherein the pressure-medium displacing element is connected to the main pressure line between the rear-wheel brake and the master cylinder and is in series arrangement with the brake force distributor.

7. A hydraulic brake system as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a hydraulic circuit path, which is arranged in parallel to the pressure-medium displacing element and leads to the brake force distributor, and has a throttle or diaphragm in series arrangement with a first non-return valve opening in the direction of the brake force distributor.

8. A hydraulic brake system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said at least one inlet valve includes a front-wheel brake inlet valve which is electromagnetically open in its deenergized, initial position, and the hydraulic circuit path is connected between the front-wheel brake and the front-wheel brake inlet valve.

9. A hydraulic brake system as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a second non-return valve, which closes in the direction of the auxiliary-pressure pump, and a pressure medium accumulator which is arranged between the second non-return valve and a pressure valve of the auxiliary-pressure pump.

10. A hydraulic brake system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a non-return valve opening in the direction of the master cylinder is positioned in a first parallel circuit to the pressure-medium displacing element.

11. A brake system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a circuit path which is arranged in parallel to the pressure-medium displacing element and a brake force distributor which is integrated in the circuit path between a throttle or restrictor, which is connected upstream of the rear-wheel brake, and a non-return valve opening in the direction of the brake force distributor.

12. A brake system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one inlet valve includes a rear-wheel brake inlet valve which is open in its electromagnetically deenergized, initial position and is associated with the rear-wheel, and wherein the pressure-medium displacing element is connected between the rear-wheel brake inlet valve and the pressure side of the auxiliary-pressure pump communicating with the front-wheel brake, and further comprising a brake force distributor which is inserted into the main pressure line between the master cylinder and the rear-wheel brake inlet valve.

13. A hydraulic brake system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one inlet valve includes a front wheel brake inlet valve, interposed between the front-wheel brake and the master cylinder, wherein said front-wheel brake inlet valve can be switched over by the pressure of the auxiliary-pressure pump into an operating position disconnecting the master cylinder from the front-wheel brake, and wherein a restricted pressure medium connection, which terminates between the front-wheel brake inlet valve and the front wheel brake, is connected to the pressure side of the auxiliary-pressure pump.

14. A hydraulic brake system as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that a throttle or restrictor is connected upstream of the front-wheel brake.

15. A hydraulic brake system as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the pressure-medium displacing element is provided as a screw-in insert unit.

16. A hydraulic brake system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a housing for the pressure-medium displacing element, wherein said housing is an integral part of a valve housing block accommodating the pressure modulation valves.

17. A hydraulic brake system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the pressure-medium displacing element includes a stepped piston which is sealed in the housing, the second piston end surface having a small nominal diameter being adapted to be acted upon by the pressure of the rear-wheel brake, while the larger first piston end surface is adapted to be acted upon by the pressure of the auxiliary-pressure pump.

18. A hydraulic brake system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pressure displaced by said pressure-medium displacing element is displaceable in dependence on the stroke and the nominal diameter of the second end surface and corresponds to the wheel braking pressure which is necessary for the slip-free deceleration of the rear-wheel brake.

19. A brake system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pedal-operable master cylinder is assisted by auxiliary force.

20. A hydraulic brake system with slip control comprising:

a master cylinder;

a main pressure line having a front-wheel branch and a rear-wheel branch;

an auxiliary-pressure line;

a front-wheel brake associated with a front wheel and connected to said master cylinder through said front-wheel branch of said main pressure line;

a rear-wheel brake associated with a rear wheel and connected to said master cylinder through said rear-wheel branch of said main pressure line;

a pressure-medium reservoir;

an auxiliary-pressure pump connected to said auxiliary-pressure line for supplying pressure medium from said pressure-medium reservoir to said front-wheel brake and said rear-wheel brake;

a front-wheel sensor for developing a front-wheel signal representative of the wheel rotation behavior of the front wheel;

a rear-wheel sensor for developing a rear-wheel signal representative of the wheel rotation behavior of the rear wheel;

a controlling and regulating electronic unit responsive to said front-wheel signal and said rear-wheel signal for determining the wheel rotation behavior of the front wheel and the rear wheel and for generating braking pressure control signals;

pressure modulation valves, including at least one inlet valve and at least two outlet valves, in said front-wheel branch of said main pressure line and said rear-wheel branch of said main pressure line responsive to said braking pressure control signals for regulating pressure medium flow to said front-wheel brake and said rear-wheel brake to control braking pressure in said front-wheel brake and said rear-wheel brake; and

a pressure-medium displacing element, having a first end and a second end having a nominal diameter, which undergoes a stroke to displace a pressure from said front wheel-brake toward said rear-wheel brake and is connected in said rear-wheel branch of said main pressure line and responsive to;

(a) pressure of the pressure medium supplied by said auxiliary-pressure pump to a first end surface of said pressure-medium displacing element, wherein said first end surface is in selective fluid communication with said front-wheel brake, and

(b) pressure of the pressure medium prevailing in said rear-wheel brake applied to a second end surface of said pressure-medium displacing element opposite to said first end surface;

wherein the pressure displaced by the stroke and the nominal diameter of said second end surface corresponds to the wheel braking pressure which is necessary for slip-free deceleration of said rear-wheel brake.

21. A hydraulic brake system according to claim 20 wherein said at least one inlet valve includes a rear-wheel brake inlet valve, which is electromagnetically actuated and open in its electromagnetically deenergized position, and said pressure-medium displacing element is connected between said rear-wheel brake inlet valve and the outlet of said pump.

22. A hydraulic brake system according to claim 21 further including a brake force distributor arranged between said rear-wheel brake and said master cylinder and in parallel with said pressure-medium displacing element.

23. A hydraulic brake system according to claim 20 further including:

(a) a pressure valve in said auxiliary-pressure line at the pressure side of said auxiliary-pressure pump, and

(b) a non-return valve between said pressure valve and said master cylinder which closes in the direction of said auxiliary-pressure pump, and

wherein the pressure of said auxiliary-pressure pump which acts upon said first end surface of said pressure-medium displacing element is the pressure at a point between said pressure valve and said non-return valve.

24. A hydraulic brake system according to claim 23, wherein said at least one inlet valve includes a rear-wheel brake inlet valve, which is electromagnetically actuated and open in its electromagnetically deenergized position, and said system further comprises a brake force distributor arranged in series with said pressure-medium displacing element and between said master cylinder and said rear-wheel brake inlet valve.

25. A hydraulic brake system according to claim 20 further including a brake force distributor connected in series with said pressure-medium displacing element between said rear-wheel brake and said master cylinder.

26. A hydraulic brake system according to claim 25 further including a non-return valve connected in parallel with said pressure-medium displacing element and opening in the direction of said master cylinder.

27. A hydraulic brake system according to claim 25 further including a hydraulic circuit path connected to said brake force distributor and in parallel with said pressure-medium displacing element and having:

(a) a non-return valve opening in the direction of said brake force distributor, and

(b) a throttle in series with said non-return valve.

28. A hydraulic brake system according to claim 27 wherein:

(a) said at least one inlet valve includes a front-wheel brake inlet valve which is electromagnetically open in its deenergized, initial position, and

(b) said hydraulic circuit path is connected into said front-wheel branch of said main pressure line between said front-wheel brake and said front-wheel brake inlet valve.

29. A hydraulic brake system according to claim 20 further including:

(a) a pressure valve in said auxiliary-pressure line at the pressure side of said auxiliary-pressure pump,

(b) a non-return valve between said pressure valve and said master cylinder which closes in the direction of said auxiliary-pressure pump, and

wherein said pressure-medium reservoir is a pressure-medium accumulator connected into said auxiliary-pressure line between said non-return valve and said pressure valve.

30. A hydraulic brake system according to claim 20 further including:

(a) a throttle connected upstream of said rear-wheel brake,

(b) a hydraulic circuit path connected in parallel with said pressure-medium displacing element,

(c) a non-return valve in said hydraulic circuit path and opening in the direction of said brake force distributor, and

(d) a brake force distributor in said hydraulic circuit path between said throttle and said non-return valve.

31. A hydraulic brake system according to claim 20 wherein:

(a) said at least one inlet valve includes a rear-wheel brake inlet valve which is open in its electromagnetically deenergized, initial position and is associated with the rear-wheel;

(b) said system further includes a brake force distributor in said main pressure line between said master cylinder and said rear-wheel brake inlet valve;

(c) said pressure-medium displacing element is connected between said rear-wheel brake inlet valve and the pressure side of said auxiliary-pressure pump, and

(d) said pressure side of said auxiliary-pressure pump is connected to said front-wheel brake.

32. A hydraulic brake system according to claim 20, wherein said at least one inlet valve includes a front-wheel brake inlet valve which switches by the pressure of said auxiliary-pressure pump into a position disconnecting said master cylinder from said front-wheel brake, and wherein said system further includes a restricted pressure medium connection, which terminates between said front-wheel brake inlet valve and said front-wheel brake, and which is connected to the pressure side of said auxiliary-pressure pump.

33. A hydraulic brake system according to claim 32 further including a throttle connected upstream of said front-wheel brake.

34. A hydraulic brake system according to claim 33 said pressure-medium displacing element is a screw-in insert unit.

35. A hydraulic brake system according to claim 20 further including a valve housing block within which said pressure modulation valves are housed and wherein said pressure-medium displacing element has a housing which is an integral part of said valve housing block.

36. A hydraulic brake system according to claim 20 wherein said pressure-medium displacing element includes:

(a) a housing, and

(b) a stepped piston sealed in said housing and having a first piston end surface acted upon by the pressure of said auxiliary-pressure pump and a second piston end surface having a nominal diameter smaller than the diameter of said first piston end surface and acted upon by the pressure of said rear-wheel brake.