Method and apparatus for controlling the brake system of electric drive vehicles

• US 6,076,899 A
• Filed: 07/30/1997
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Isella, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Mark T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SICONOLFI, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US08/902,780
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 188/156, 188/159, 303/3, 303/152
• US Class Current: 303/152
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/30 Engine braking emulation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/24 with additional mechanical or electromagnetic braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 1/10 by utilising wheel movement for accumulating energy, e.g. driving air compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 11/103 in combination with other control devices conjoint control of brake system and at least another sub-unit B60W10/188
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/586 the retarders being of the electric type
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/602 ABS features related thereto
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/00 Arrangements for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or ground-surface conditions, e.g. limiting or varying distribution of braking force by changing number of effective brake cylinders in power brake systems B60T17/10

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for controlling the brake system of electric drive vehicles are proposed, in which the control of a friction brake and of an electric regenerative brake is divided between two pedals. The regenerative brake is controlled as a function of the actuation of the accelerator, independently of the extent to which the brake pedal is actuated.

Claims

1. Method for controlling the braking system of an electrically driven vehicle having a friction brake system and a regenerative braking function via the drive motor of the vehicle,

registering the extent of take-back of the vehicle accelerator pedal,

registering the activation of the vehicle brake pedal,

adjusting the braking effect applied by regenerative brake to be dependent on the extent of take-back of the accelerator pedal and to be independent of the extent of activation of the brake pedal, and

adjusting the braking effect of the friction brake to be dependent on the extent to which the brake pedal is depressed, and to be independent of the actuation of the accelerator.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the regenerative brake is controlled as a function of the rate at which the accelerator is released.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein the regenerative braking action produces a braking torque which increases as the rate at which the accelerator is released increases.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein, when rate of release of the accelerator exceeds a predetermined threshold and the brake pedal is subsequently actuated, no braking action is produced by the regenerative brake.

5. Method according to claim 1, said controlling of the regenerative brake being additionally dependent on at least one of the following indicia consisting of the group of:

the antilock controller of the vehicle, the rpms of the drive motor, the position of the accelerator, or the velocity of the vehicle.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein, when the brake pedal is actuated, the regenerative braking action remains unchanged or is produced at a predetermined level.

7. Apparatus for controlling the brake system of an electrically driven vehicle having both a friction brake system and a regenerative brake acting on at least one of the drive motors of the vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

at least one control unit which registers the extent of take-back of the accelerator pedal and the extent to which a brake pedal is activated,

the control unit adjusts the braking effect applied by the regenerative brake to be dependent on the extent of take-back of the accelerator pedal and to be independent on the extent to which the brake pedal is actuated, and

the control unit further adjusts the braking effect of the friction brake to be dependent on the extent of activation of the brake pedal and to be independent on actuation of the accelerator.