Brake system and method for a two-wheeled motor vehicle

• US 7,347,508 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nakayama, Masanobu, Tani, Kazuhiko, Takahashi, Hideo, Nishimoto, Yukimasa
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US11/144,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20060170280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 303/9.61, 303/9.64, 303/9.65, 303/9.71, 303/137, 303/186, 303/187, 188/344, 188/349
• US Class Current: 303/9.64
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/662 characterised by specified functions of the control system components
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/04 foot actuated
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/10 Disposition of hand control
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1706 for single-track vehicles, e.g. motorcycles
• 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 8/261 specially adapted for use in motorcycles
• 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

Abstract

A combined brake system and method, for a two-wheeled motor vehicle, is capable of synchronizing a braking operation of either a front or rear wheel with a braking operation of the other wheel. The brake system enables a rider to perform braking operations in which the rider feels no little or no discomfort. The system includes a pair of hydraulic pressure modulators for supplying hydraulic pressure, generated by an electrically-operated actuator, to front and rear brake calipers, respectively. A controller electrically controls each hydraulic pressure modulator in response to a riding condition for the vehicle and in response to a braking operation applied by the vehicle operator.

Claims

1. A brake system for a two-wheeled motor vehicle having a front wheel and a rear wheel with each of said wheels having a wheel brake associated therewith, said brake system comprising:

an electronic controller which is capable of synchronizing a braking operation of either the front wheel or the rear wheel with a braking operation of the other wheel, said controller being operable to electrically control a braking force applied by the wheel brakes in response to a riding condition of the vehicle and a braking operation, wherein said controller is operable in any one of a plurality of control modes, and wherein each control mode comprises a unique way of distributing braking force to the front wheel brakes and to the rear wheel brakes; and

wherein said brake system further comprises a manually operable mode selection switch for enabling manual selection of a control mode for the controller.

10. The brake system for a two-wheeled motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein in the case where a braking operation for the front wheel is synchronized with the wheel brakes for the rear wheel,

a first control mode involves changing a braking force applied to the rear wheel from a gradually increasing force to a gradually decreasing force in response to an increase in a braking force for the front wheel, and maintaining the braking force applied to the rear wheel at a constant level in response to a decrease in the braking force for the front wheel, and

a second control mode involves changing a braking force applied to the rear wheel from a gradual increase to a gradual decrease in response to an increase in braking force applied to the front wheel, and gradually decreasing the braking force applied to the rear wheel in response to a decrease in the braking force for the front wheel.

2. A brake system for a two-wheeled motor vehicle having a front wheel and a rear wheel with each of said wheels having a wheel brake associated therewith, said brake system comprising:

a controller which is capable of synchronizing a braking operation of the front wheel with a braking operation of the rear wheel, said controller being operable to electrically control a braking force applied to each wheel brake in response to a riding condition of the vehicle and a braking operation,

wherein, in the case where a braking operation of the front wheel is synchronized with a braking operation of the rear wheel, the controller is operable to change a braking force for the rear wheel from a gradually increasing force to a gradually decreasing force in response to an increase in a braking force for the front wheel, and the controller is further operable either to maintain the braking force applied to the rear wheel or to gradually decrease the braking force applied to the rear wheel, in response to a decrease in the braking force for the front wheel.

3. A method of operating a brake system on a two-wheeled motor vehicle having a front wheel and a rear wheel with each of said wheels having a wheel brake associated therewith, said method comprising the steps of:

electrically controlling a respective braking force applied by each wheel brake in response to a riding condition for a vehicle and a braking operation, using an electronic controller,

synchronizing operation of the front wheel brake with operation of the rear wheel brake,

and when an amount of braking force applied to the front wheel increases beyond a predetermined threshold amount, changing a braking force applied to the rear wheel from a gradually increasing force to a gradually decreasing force in response to a further increase in the amount of braking at the front wheel; and

,

once the braking operation enters an operation area in which the braking force for the rear wheel is gradually decreased, corresponding to a time of increase in the amount of braking operation for the front wheel, when the amount of braking operation for the front wheel decreases after entering the operation area, changing operation of the controller to a braking release mode in which the braking force for the rear wheel is maintained at a constant level at a time where the amount of braking operation for the front wheel is at a maximum value.

4. The method of operating a brake system according to claim 3, wherein, after the control is changed to the braking release mode by the controller, the braking release mode is returned to a basic mode according to a reset condition, in which the amount of braking of the front wheel decreases down to a condition where the braking force for the rear wheel in the braking release mode is equal to that in the basic mode.

5. The method of operating a brake system according to claim 3, wherein, after the control is changed to the braking release mode by the controller, when the amount of braking operation for the front wheel increases beyond a predetermined value, the controller gradually decreases the braking force for the rear wheel in response to a further increase in the amount of braking operation for the front wheel, and, thereafter, when the amount of braking operation for the front wheel decreases, the braking force for the rear wheel at a time where the maximum value of the amount of braking operation for the front wheel is updated is maintained at a constant level.

6. A method of operating a braking system on a two-wheeled motor vehicle having a front wheel and a rear wheel with each of said wheels having a wheel brake associated therewith, said method comprising the steps of:

electrically controlling a braking force applied to each wheel brake, using an electronic controller, in response to a riding condition for a vehicle and a braking operation,

synchronizing operation of the front wheel brakes with the rear wheel brakes, using the electronic controller,

and after an amount of braking operation for the front wheel increases beyond a predetermined threshold amount, changing a braking force applied to the rear wheel from a gradually increasing force to a gradually decreasing force in response to a further increase in the amount of braking force applied to the front wheel; and

,

once the braking operation enters an operation area in which the braking force for the rear wheel is gradually decreased at a time of increase in the amount of braking operation for the front wheel, when the amount of braking operation for the front wheel decreases after entering the operation area, changing operation of the controller to a braking release mode in which the braking force for the rear wheel is gradually decreased from the level of braking force applied to the rear wheel at a time when the amount of braking operation for the front wheel is at a maximum value.

7. The method of operating a brake system according to claim 6, wherein the braking release mode is such that, when the amount of braking operation for the front wheel becomes less than or equal to the amount of braking operation corresponding to when the braking force for the rear wheel reaches a lower limit of a braking force due to a gradual decrease of a braking force, the braking force for the rear wheel is maintained at the lower limit of the braking force.

8. The method of operating a brake system according to claim 6, wherein, after the control is changed to the braking release mode by the controller, the braking release mode is returned to a basic mode according to a reset condition, the reset condition comprising that the amount of braking operation for the front wheel decreases down to an amount of braking operation where the braking force for the rear wheel in the braking release mode is equal to that in the basic mode.

9. The method of operating a brake system according to claim 6, wherein, after the control is changed to the braking release mode by the controller, when the amount of braking operation for the front wheel increases beyond a predetermined value, the controller gradually decreases the braking force for the rear wheel in response to a further increase in the amount of braking operation for the front wheel, and, thereafter, when the amount of braking operation for the front wheel decreases, the braking force gradually decreases from the braking force for the rear wheel corresponding to a time where the maximum value of the amount of braking operation is updated.

11. A method of operating a brake system on a two-wheeled vehicle having a front wheel and a rear wheel with each of said wheels having a wheel brake associated therewith, said method comprising the steps of:

electrically controlling a braking force applied to each wheel brake in response to a riding condition of the vehicle and a braking operation such that a braking operation of the front wheel is synchronized with a braking operation of the rear wheel,

changing a braking force applied to the rear wheel from a gradual increase to a gradual decrease in response to an increase in a braking force applied to the front wheel, and

either maintaining the braking force applied to the rear wheel or gradually decreasing the braking force applied to the rear wheel, in response to a decrease in the braking force applied to the front wheel.