Patents Assigned to Lucas Automotive GmbH
  • Patent number: 9145939
    Abstract: The invention relates to a subassembly for a brake actuator which is provided for an electromechanically operated parking brake. The subassembly comprises a drive device and gear device for generating and transmitting a torque to a brake device and a fixing element which secures the arrangement of the gear device relative to the drive device, an internal-toothed wheel of the gear device being integrated in the fixing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: Lucas Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Wilfried Giering
  • Patent number: 9145950
    Abstract: The invention relates to a subassembly for a brake actuator, which is provided for an electromechanically operated parking brake. The subassembly comprises a drive device and a gearing device, which comprises in succession a first, second and third gear stage for transmitting a torque generated by the drive device. The first gear stage is designed in the form of a gearwheel or belt drive, the second gear stage is designed in the form of a gearwheel mechanism, and the third gear stage is designed in the form of a planetary gear, wherein a planet carrier of the third gear stage receives a first gearing shaft for a sun gear of the planetary gear and an output-side gearwheel of the second gear stage that is coupled to rotate with the sun gear, and bearing elements for planet gears of the third gear stage. The invention further relates to an electromechanical brake actuator and to an electric parking brake, which include the sub-assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignees: Lucas Automotive GmbH, Oechsler AG
    Inventors: Stefan Dettenberger, Gregor Poertzgen
  • Patent number: 9139171
    Abstract: A method of stopping a motor vehicle without jolting is described, which is characterized in that a sum of the hydraulic fluid pressures generated by a foot-force-actuable brake system and acting upon the braking devices of the motor vehicle during the stopping operation is reduced in a driver-independent manner by 30% to 70% in dependence upon a variable that is related to the vehicle velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Lucas Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Josef Knechtges
  • Patent number: 9139172
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for controlling the speed of a motor vehicle in particular during a hill ascent are described. In a PID controller acting upon the brake system of the motor vehicle the change of the vehicle inclination is fed into the I branch of the controller, thereby providing an adaptive speed control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Lucas Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Bach, Michael Bleser, Elmar Hoffmann, Stefan Wöll, Harald Thelen
  • Publication number: 20150224986
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating an environment-monitoring system for a motor vehicle, by means of which the positions of objects in the environment laterally adjacent to, in front of, and behind the vehicle are determined. According to the invention, in order to improve the accuracy of the environment-monitoring system, the motion path is determined for a stationary object which the vehicle passes, and said motion path is used to determine the angular deviation with which the motion path determined for the stationary object deviates from the motion path of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Publication date: August 13, 2015
    Applicant: LUCAS AUTOMOTIVE GmbH
    Inventor: Sascha Heinrichs-Bartscher
  • Publication number: 20150211589
    Abstract: A disc brake for a motor vehicle brake system and a restoring spring arranged therein, the disc brake comprising the following: a brake support which has at least one receiving region; a brake lining arrangement which has a brake lining support and a brake lining which is attached to the brake lining support and which can be brought into interaction with a brake disc in order to achieve a braking effect, wherein the brake lining arrangement is received in the at least one receiving region in a guided manner via a guiding portion formed on the brake lining support; and at least one restoring spring which engages the brake lining arrangement and biases the brake lining arrangement under elastic deformation into a starting position that does not produce a braking effect. The at least one restoring spring can be plastically deformed in order to compensate for brake lining wear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2013
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Applicant: LUCAS AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventor: Markus Mallmann
  • Patent number: 9085289
    Abstract: A method for operating an electrically controllable brake system for a motor vehicle having at least one electrically actuated valve arrangement for setting a pressure difference between a second brake pressure and a first brake pressure, wherein in a first time interval a predetermined first pressure difference is set and an associated first power consumption value of the pump is identified; in a second time interval a predetermined second pressure difference is set and an associated second power consumption value of the pump is identified; a correction value is obtained from the first power consumption value and the second power consumption value; the correction value is taken into account for setting a set-point value for the pressure difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: Lucas Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Josef Knechtges, Frank Heller, Thomas Bach
  • Publication number: 20150197229
    Abstract: An electrohydraulic motor vehicle brake system comprises a master cylinder, an electromechanical actuator for actuating a piston accommodated in the master cylinder, an accommodating device for at least temporarily accommodating hydraulic fluid from the master cylinder, and a set of electrically actuatable valve arrangements. The set of valve arrangements comprises a first valve arrangement between the master cylinder and every wheel brake of the plurality of wheel brakes and a second valve arrangement between the master cylinder and the accommodating device. The system further comprises a controller or a controller system which is designed to control at least one of the first valve arrangements and the second valve arrangement in a multiplex operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2013
    Publication date: July 16, 2015
    Applicant: Lucas Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Josef Knechtges, Nicholas Alford, Alexander Pinl
  • Patent number: 9073523
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a master cylinder arrangement for a motor vehicle hydraulic brake system comprising a housing, in which two adjacent cylinder bores are provided, two piston arrangements, wherein a first piston arrangement is received in a first of the cylinder bores so as to be displaceable along a first bore longitudinal axis and wherein a second piston arrangement is received in a second of the cylinder bores so as to be displaceable along a second bore longitudinal axis, a force input piston, which is connectable or connected to a brake pedal, wherein in accordance with a movement of the force input piston the first piston arrangement and the second piston arrangement are displaceable, wherein the first piston arrangement with the housing delimits a first pressure chamber, which is fluidically connected to a hydraulic brake system, and wherein the second piston arrangement with the housing delimits a second pressure chamber, which is fluidically connected to the hydraulic brake system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Lucas Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Schlüter, Monika Matthei
  • Publication number: 20150175142
    Abstract: A brake master cylinder arrangement includes a housing with a cylindrical recess, a pressure piston moveable in the cylindrical recess along a longitudinal axis and guided in a sealing manner, and a reservoir for storing brake fluid that is fluidically connected via a fluid channel to the housing. The pressure piston and the housing enclose a pressure chamber that is connected to a fluid circuit of the brake system. Depending on the position of the associated pressure piston, the pressure chamber is either fluidically connected to the fluid reservoir or disconnected therefrom. In a region that axially spans the sealing arrangement in a starting position of the pressure piston, the outer circumferential surface of the pressure piston has profiling that provides a fluidic connection between the fluid reservoir and the pressure chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2013
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Applicant: Lucas Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: David Lopéz-Larequi, Hans-Martin Giese
  • Patent number: 9027340
    Abstract: A brake booster with regenerative brake force generation comprising a force input element coupled to a brake pedal. A chamber arrangement having a vacuum chamber and a working chamber that are separated from one another by a movable wall. A control valve actuated in accordance with a displacement of the force input element. The working chamber is connectable selectively to the vacuum chamber and the atmosphere to generate and reduce a differential pressure at the movable wall. The control valve has a control valve housing that is connected for joint movement to the movable wall. In a first actuation phase of the brake booster from its rest position, the force input element is displaceable relative to the control valve housing by an idle travel, in which the control valve remains non-actuated to suppress a build-up of a differential pressure at the movable wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Lucas Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Ludwig Friedsam, Stefan Klöck
  • Publication number: 20150113977
    Abstract: A master brake cylinder arrangement (10) for a motor vehicle brake system, comprising a master brake cylinder housing (12) with a cylindrical recess (28), at least one pressure piston (30, 32) which is displaceable and sealingly guided in the cylindrical recess (28) of the master brake cylinder housing (12), a fluid reservoir (14) which is fluidically coupled to the master brake cylinder housing (12) via a connecting region (22) and which serves for storing brake fluid, wherein the at least one pressure piston (30, 32) together with the master brake cylinder housing (12) sealingly encloses a pressure chamber (38, 40) which, as a function of the position of the associated pressure piston (30, 32), is fluidically connected to or separated from the fluid reservoir (14), wherein furthermore the at least one pressure chamber (38, 40) can be or is fluidically coupled to a fluid circuit of the motor vehicle brake system, wherein the fluid reservoir (14) in the connecting region (22) is received, in a manner sealed b
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Applicant: Lucas Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: David Lopéz Larequi, Hans-Martin Giese
  • Publication number: 20150107944
    Abstract: A guiding means for a brake lining arrangement of a disc brake, comprising a main part which comprises a guiding portion provided for guiding a guiding projection of the brake lining arrangement and which comprises a fixing portion which is used to fix the guiding means to a brake support. The fixing portion has two contact surfaces and a stop surface which connects the two contact surfaces. At least one elastic retaining bracket is provided on the stop surface, the retaining bracket being in secure engagement with the brake support at least in some sections, and at least the stop surface is provided with a retaining portion which can be brought into contact with the brake support at least in some sections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: Lucas Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Marcus Mallmann
  • Publication number: 20150088396
    Abstract: An electronically controllable braking system includes a hydraulic brake-pressure generator which generates the brake pressures for the wheel brakes. In the hydraulic connection to the brake-pressure generator, a valve arrangement has been assigned to each wheel brake in order to adjust the brake pressures demanded for the wheel brakes in the multiplex mode, for the purpose of operating the braking system. A method has the following steps: establishing for which of the wheel brakes the adjusting of the brake pressure demanded for it has priority in a current multiplex cycle; generating the brake pressure demanded for the wheel brake that has been set to priority; opening the valve arrangement that has been assigned to the wheel brake that has been set to priority; and closing the valve arrangements that have been assigned to the wheel brakes that have not been set to priority.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2013
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Applicant: LUCAS AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventor: Hubert Schmitt
  • Patent number: 8978837
    Abstract: The invention relates to a disc brake for a motor vehicle having a housing, a piston which is movable in the housing along a longitudinal axis and a nut-spindle arrangement which acts on the piston or can be brought into engagement with this, wherein the nut-spindle arrangement is arranged in the housing and is workingly supported via a bearing arrangement on a support surface of the housing. In order to increase the service life of the bearing arrangement, the support surface is formed by a defined contact surface which projects with respect to an adjacent housing region and against which the bearing arrangement bears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Lucas Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Erben, Michael Herberts
  • Patent number: 8978457
    Abstract: A sensor module for use with a master cylinder of a brake system is described, wherein the master cylinder has an input-side activation element and an underpressure region for communicating with an underpressure brake booster. The sensor module comprises an underpressure sensor for detecting an underpressure in the underpressure region of the master cylinder as well as at least one further sensor for detecting a signal transmitter which is rigidly coupled to the activation element. The underpressure sensor and the at least one further sensor are accommodated in a housing of the sensor module. An opening in the housing permits communication between the underpressure sensor and the underpressure region of the master cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Lucas Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Niko Naether, Thomas Baron, Karl-Heinz Schaust, Klaus Ullmer, Josef Knechtges
  • Patent number: 8972104
    Abstract: An electrical control unit, or ECU, for a vehicle actuation system is described. The electrical control unit determines a current consumption of a current controlled actuator and comprises an input to receive an input signal from the current controlled actuator, an adder to add a bias signal to the input signal, an amplifier to generate an amplified signal by amplifying the signal output by the adder, a subtractor to subtract a signal representative of the bias signal from the amplified signal, and a determining unit to determine the current consumption from the signal output by the subtractor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Lucas Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Stefan Grieser-Schmitz
  • Patent number: 8925693
    Abstract: A brake disc has an outer friction path on one side and an inner friction path on the other side. Between the friction paths free spaces are provided, which on the outer friction path side have a different configuration than on the inner friction path side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Lucas Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Seuser, Michael Rychlik, Serdar Seyhun, Jürgen Korte
  • Patent number: 8915080
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a pressure generator for a hydraulic vehicle brake system for the regulated generation of a hydraulic brake pressure in a brake circuit, the pressure generator having a multiple-piston pump for delivering a brake fluid with at least two pump pistons and associated pressure chambers, on which the pump pistons act, an actuator for actuating the multiple-piston pump, and a fluid feed line which extends to the pressure chambers and is configured for connection to a storage container, in which a hydraulic fluid is stored. At least one valve is arranged in the fluid feed line and divides the latter into a first section which is arranged upstream of the valve and into a second section which is arranged downstream of the valve, the valve being configured to optionally at least partly shut off or open the second section of the fluid feed line and therefore to control the fluid supply of at least one pressure chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Lucas Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Boris Köth
  • Publication number: 20140361607
    Abstract: The invention describes a vehicle brake system having a vehicle brake arrangement (10), an electronic control unit (ECU) for controlling a vehicle brake arrangement (10), and an electric machine which can be operated as a motor and as a generator. The electronic control unit (ECU) is designed to control valves (30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40) of the vehicle brake arrangement (10) and the electric machine in such a way that, when a brake pedal (12) is actuated, hydraulic fluid is supplied to a wheel brake (24a; 24b) from a master cylinder (16) via a feed line (20) in order to generate a brake pressure at the wheel brake (24a; 24b).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2012
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Applicant: LUCAS AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventor: Andreas Marx