Electric control apparatus for brake

• US 6,543,859 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2002
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bosch Automotive Systems Corporation (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Bosch Braking Systems Corporation (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Tadashige
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwartz, Christopher P.
• Application Number:
  US10/085,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20020125764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 405 Days
• Field of Search: 303/113--11, 303/116.1, 303/116.2, 303/139, 303/140
• US Class Current: 303/113.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/662 characterised by specified functions of the control system components
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/3225 Systems specially adapted for single-track vehicles, e.g. motorcycles B60T8/3235 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/4081 Systems with stroke simulating devices for driver input B60T8/4077 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/4275 Pump-back systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/4872 pump-back systems

Abstract

An electric control apparatus of a brake is provided with a second reservoir, in which a brake fluid is stored in advance, separately from a control device of a brake hydraulic pressure. The second reservoir communicates with a pump, which is an original component of the control device, on the side of a suction opening of the pump through a second liquid passage equipped with a first on-off valve. A first liquid passage is equipped with a second on-off valve. The pump is operated with the first on-off valve being opened to supply a brake hydraulic pressure corresponding to the quantity of an operation of a brake pedal in a sate in which the second on-off valve is closed to a wheel cylinder as an electric control mode of a brake hydraulic pressure of an electronic control unit.

Claims

1. An electric control apparatus of a brake comprising:

a master cylinder for generating a brake hydraulic pressure according to an operation of a brake pedal;

a first liquid passage for supplying the brake hydraulic pressure to a wheel cylinder by making said master cylinder and the wheel cylinder communicate with each other;

a control device of the brake hydraulic pressure provided at a part of said first liquid passage, said control device including a control valve, a pump and a first reservoir containing a brake fluid as main components, said control device increasing and decreasing the brake hydraulic pressure to be supplied to the wheel cylinder by controlling operations of the components;

detection means of a quantity of the operation of the brake pedal for detecting a physical quantity corresponding to the operation of the brake pedal;

a second reservoir provided separately from said control device, said second reservoir storing the brake fluid in advance, said second reservoir further communicating with a part in the first liquid passage between a second on-off valve and said control device through a pressure relief valve by a third liquid passage;

a second liquid passage making said second reservoir communicate with the pump, which is one component of said control device, on a side of a suction opening of the pump, said second liquid passage being provided with a first on-off valve;

said second on-off valve provided at a position in said first liquid passage, the position being nearer to the master cylinder than a position of said control device; and

an electronic control unit for outputting a command signal for operating said control device, said electronic control unit including an electric control mode of the brake hydraulic pressure as an operation in a normal state of said unit and a mechanical control mode of the brake hydraulic pressure as an operation in an abnormal state in execution of said electric control mode, the electric control mode being for operating the pump with said electric control mode the electric control mode being for operating the pump with said first on-off valve being opened in order to supply a brake hydraulic pressure to the wheel cylinder, the brake hydraulic pressure being corresponding to a detection signal of said detection means in a state such that said second on-off valve is closed, said mechanical control mode being for supplying a brake hydraulic pressure to the wheel cylinder directly, the brake hydraulic pressure corresponding to the quantity of the operation of the brake pedal in a state such that said second on-off valve is opened after turning off components concerning the execution of said electric control mode.

2. The electric control apparatus according to claim 1, said apparatus further comprising a brake simulator communicating with said master cylinder through a fourth liquid passage with a third on-off valve,

wherein said electronic control unit is set to keep said third on-off valve in an opened state thereof when said unit shifts to the mechanical control mode in a case where an abnormality is generated in execution of the electric control mode after a beginning of an operation of the brake pedal in the electric control mode.

3. The electric control apparatus according to claim 1, said apparatus further comprising a brake light signal outputting part provided in the brake pedal, said brake light signal outputting part being connected with said electronic control unit to transmit a brake light signal to said unit when the brake pedal is operated, wherein said unit executes said electric control mode after confirming that the brake pedal has normally operated by transmission of the brake light signal.

4. The electric control apparatus according to claim 1, said apparatus further comprising a brake light signal outputting part provided on the brake pedal, said brake light signal outputting part being connected with said electronic control unit to transmit a brake light signal to said unit when the brake pedal is operated, wherein said detection means is connected with said electronic control unit to transmit the detection signal of said detection means to said electronic control unit when the brake pedal is operated, and said electronic control unit executes said mechanical control mode when either of both the signals is abnormal.

5. The electric control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control device includes an anti-lock braking system function and a traction control system function.