Abstract: A braking control device applicable to a vehicle having an electric parking brake with a motor-driven wheel braking mechanism includes a control unit, an offset estimation unit, and an offset correction unit. Based on a target motor current value indicating a target value of current to be inputted to the motor and a detection value from a current sensor that detects the current to be inputted to the motor, the control unit controls the current to the motor such that the detection value equals the target motor current value. The offset estimation unit determines an offset estimation value indicating an estimated value of offset of the detection value from the current sensor, based on behavior of the vehicle after lock control at the time of the vehicle's stoppage. The offset correction unit corrects the target motor current value or the detection value based on the offset estimation value.

Abstract: Provided is a vehicle shutter capable of detecting a flap to which power transmission is cut off by providing turn restriction units each having a simple structure in flaps. The vehicle shutter is provided with: a plurality of flaps 13 capable of opening and closing an outside air introduction path 8 for introducing outside air into an engine compartment and arranged in parallel to each other so as to cross the outside air introduction path 8; a linkage operation section linking the flaps 13 with each other to perform an opening/closing operation of the flaps; a drive section driving the flaps 13 to be open and closed through the linkage operation section; an abnormality detection section detecting an abnormality of the flaps 13 on the basis of an operating state of the drive section; and an abnormality notification section notifying the abnormality to a user on the basis of output from the abnormality detection section.

Abstract: When an abnormality is occurring in a main braking device for service brake, a parking brake control device determines whether the abnormality is a single system failure or a dual system failure and whether to execute an auxiliary lock control that generates a parking brake force by controlling a parking brake device. The parking brake control device then sets, in accordance with a mode of failure determined, a wheel on which the auxiliary lock control is to be executed.

Abstract: A parking brake control device performs a releasing control with good precision by more precisely maintaining clearance between a friction-applying member and a friction-applied member. During a releasing control, a timing at which a braking force generated by an electric parking brake 2 drops to zero is detected based on a change in a motor current, and a second releasing operation time is set according to the magnitude of the motor current at the time the braking force drops to zero. This makes it possible for the second releasing operation time to be set in accordance with fluctuations in a motor load due to temperature changes or the like. Therefore, a clearance between a brake pad and a brake disc can be kept constant according to the motor load.

Abstract: An impact absorption member is provided behind a bumper face, a lower stiffener is provided below this member and projects forward to sweep a leg portion of an object hitting against a front potion of a vehicle, and headlamp units are provided at both side portions of the bumper face. A lamp housing of the headlamp unit is supported at a vehicle-body member located in back of the lamp housing, a load absorption portion provided on the inside of and rearward from an edge of the bumper face to absorb an impact load is provided integrally at the lamp housing, and a load transmission portion to transmit the impact load inputted to the bumper face to the load absorption portion is provided at the bumper face.

Abstract: When a brake force is generated by a service brake in accordance with the depression of a brake pedal by a driver, a brake force generated by an electric parking brake is reduced when lock control is performed, taking the brake force generated by the service brake into consideration. More specifically, a target motor current value increase amount is corrected such that as the brake force generated by the service brake becomes larger, the target motor current value increase amount becomes smaller. Thus, when brake force is generated by the electric parking brake and the service brake compensates for the brake force, it is possible to inhibit generation of a brake force larger than necessary.

Abstract: A motor current detecting device is provided in a parking brake control system for detecting electric current flowing through an electric motor. And current supply to the electric motor is stopped in case of carrying out a parking brake releasing operation, when a time period in which a differentiated value of the electric current flowing through the electric motor is smaller than a predetermined threshold value exceeds a predetermined time. As a result, a partial braking condition, in which parking brake force partly remains even after the parking brake releasing operation, and which is caused by, for example, the elongation of the brake cable is prevented.

Abstract: The parking brake control device sets a lock control target tension TTAR to a value which depends on the brake fluid pressure (i.e. M/C pressure), wherein the lock control target tension TTAR is used as a threshold determining whether the condition for terminating a lock control is satisfied or not. This operation is aimed for compensating the decrease of the tension applied to the brake cable which occurs caused by the service brake when the service brake is operating and does not occur when the service brake is not operating. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the service brake from causing a problem in which the lock control is terminated while a desired brake force is not achieved at the EPB.

Abstract: In a parking brake control device, the minimum value of a motor current is set as an idle current after a motor begins to be driven, specifically, in a period during which the idle current is being sampled. As a result, the idle current is set to a value which reflects the temperature of an electric parking brake and the dispersion of individual units of the motor. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a parking brake control device, which can set a target current value capable of coping with the dispersion of the individual units of the motor by calculating the target current value by adding a target effective current necessary to generate an actuation force to the idle current set as described above.

Abstract: An impact absorption member is provided behind a bumper face, a lower stiffener is provided below this member and projects forward to sweep a leg portion of an object hitting against a front potion of a vehicle, and headlamp units are provided at both side portions of the bumper face. A lamp housing of the headlamp unit is supported at a vehicle-body member located in back of the lamp housing, a load absorption portion provided on the inside of and rearward from an edge of the bumper face to absorb an impact load is provided integrally at the lamp housing, and a load transmission portion to transmit the impact load inputted to the bumper face to the load absorption portion is provided at the bumper face.

Abstract: When a release control is executed while a service brake is operating, a parking brake control device continues the release control until a first predetermined time passes even if the pressing force for moving a friction material becomes a target value, wherein the first predetermined time is a time period which is longer than a time period which it is supposed to take until the negative influence of the service brake vanishes.

Abstract: A parking brake control device performs a releasing control with good precision by more precisely maintaining clearance between a friction-applying member and a friction-applied member. During a releasing control, a timing at which a braking force generated by an electric parking brake 2 drops to zero is detected based on a change in a motor current, and a second releasing operation time is set according to the magnitude of the motor current at the time the braking force drops to zero. This makes it possible for the second releasing operation time to be set in accordance with fluctuations in a motor load due to temperature changes or the like. Therefore, a clearance between a brake pad and a brake disc can be kept constant according to the motor load.

Abstract: When a brake force is generated by a service brake in accordance with the depression of a brake pedal by a driver, a brake force generated by an electric parking brake is reduced when lock control is performed, taking the brake force generated by the service brake into consideration. More specifically, a target motor current value increase amount is corrected such that as the brake force generated by the service brake becomes larger, the target motor current value increase amount becomes smaller. Thus, when brake force is generated by the electric parking brake and the service brake compensates for the brake force, it is possible to inhibit generation of a brake force larger than necessary.

Abstract: The parking brake control device sets a lock control target tension TTAR to a value which depends on the brake fluid pressure (i.e. M/C pressure), wherein the lock control target tension TTAR is used as a threshold determining whether the condition for terminating a lock control is satisfied or not. This operation is aimed for compensating the decrease of the tension applied to the brake cable which occurs caused by the service brake when the service brake is operating and does not occur when the service brake is not operating. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the service brake from causing a problem in which the lock control is terminated while a desired brake force is not achieved at the EPB.

Abstract: When a release control is executed while a service brake is operating, a parking brake control device continues the release control until a first predetermined time passes even if the pressing force for moving a friction material becomes a target value, wherein the first predetermined time is a time period which is longer than a time period which it is supposed to take until the negative influence of the service brake vanishes.

Abstract: In a parking brake control device, the minimum value of a motor current is set as an idle current after a motor begins to be driven, specifically, in a period during which the idle current is being sampled. As a result, the idle current is set to a value which reflects the temperature of an electric parking brake and the dispersion of individual units of the motor. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a parking brake control device, which can set a target current value capable of coping with the dispersion of the individual units of the motor by calculating the target current value by adding a target effective current necessary to generate an actuation force to the idle current set as described above.

Abstract: A motor current detecting device is provided in a parking brake control system for detecting electric current flowing through an electric motor. And current supply to the electric motor is stopped in case of carrying out a parking brake releasing operation, when a time period in which a differentiated value of the electric current flowing through the electric motor is smaller than a predetermined threshold value exceeds a predetermined time. As a result, a partial braking condition, in which parking brake force partly remains even after the parking brake releasing operation, and which is caused by, for example, the elongation of the brake cable is prevented.