System and method for controlling a hydraulic system

• US 8,444,229 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2005
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Brewer, Michael Edward, Brown, Todd Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, XUAN LAN T
• Application Number:
  US11/246,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20060028063A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,783 Days
• Field of Search: 303/156, 303/113.1, 303/113.2, 303/119.1, 303/119.2, 303/116.1, 303/68, 303/69, 137/110, 137/601.18
• US Class Current: 303/119.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 11/30 Bleed valves for hydraulic brake systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/222 by filling or bleeding of hydraulic systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/243 for roll-over protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/4809 Traction control, stability control, using both the wheel brakes and other automatic braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/5025 in hydraulic brake systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2562 Dividing and recombining

Abstract

A method for preventing a valve orifice from switching to the small size when a high build gradient is required includes briefly bleeding off a small amount of fluid at the upstream side of the valve. This momentarily reduces the pressure difference when beginning the pressure build. After the valve is opened with the large orifice, the fluid flow through the valve prevents a high pressure difference. The resulting build with the large orifice has the maximum pressure gradient.

Claims

1. A dynamic control system comprising:

a plurality of sensors generating a dynamic control signal;

a brake system comprising a fluid line coupled to a brake bleed mechanism and adapted to contain brake fluid, said brake system further comprising a switchable valve coupled to said fluid line and comprising a small orifice and an adjacent large orifice, said switchable valve adapted to switch to said small orifice in response to a high pressure difference across said valve, said switchable valve further adapted to switch to said large orifice in response to a low pressure difference across said valve, wherein said switchable valve moves laterally; and

a controller controlling said brake system in response to said dynamic control signal, said controller generating a pressure build and a pressure bleed at a beginning of said pressure build thereby relieving pressure on an upstream side of said switchable valve through said first brake bleed mechanism, whereby said switchable valve switches to said large orifice thereby allowing maximum fluid flow through said switchable valve.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic control system is a rollover control system, and the dynamic control signal is a rollover control signal.

3. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said fluid flows in a same direction through said small orifice as it does through said large orifice.

4. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said controller generates a valve control signal determining which of said large orifice and said small orifice is used for fluid flow.

5. A method for controlling a hydraulic system including a plurality of sensors and a valve, the valve having a small orifice and a large orifice comprising:

generating a rollover signal from one of the sensors;

generating a first pressure difference across the valve;

bleeding off a small amount of a fluid at an upstream side of the valve thereby generating a pressure difference less than the first pressure difference at an onset of a pressure build across the valve;

opening the large orifice of the valve in response to said reduced pressure difference thereby preventing a high pressure difference across the valve and generating a maximum pressure gradient; and

controlling a braking mechanism in response to fluid received through the large orifice.