Abstract: There is provided a brake control device for a brake device including a basic fluid pressure generating unit which generates a basic fluid pressure according to an operation to a brake operating member, a hydraulic pump which generates a fluid pressure to generate a differential pressure, a pressure regulating valve which regulates the differential pressure, and a friction brake mechanism which applies a fluid pressure obtained by adding the differential pressure to the basic fluid pressure, to a wheel cylinder. The control device includes a regulating unit which regulates the differential pressure according to an operating amount correlated value and which decreases the differential pressure according to an increase of the basic fluid pressure due to an increase of the operating amount correlated value when the vehicle is stopped and the differential pressure is regulated to a value larger than 0 by an operation to the brake operating member.

Abstract: In the brake control device, a wheel-cylinder hydraulic pressure (Pw) obtained by adding the linear-valve pressure difference to a master-cylinder hydraulic pressure (Pm) is applied to the wheel cylinder while the vehicle is running. When an operation of a brake pedal is started while the vehicle is running (t1), the driving of the hydraulic pump is started. Thereafter, when the vehicle is stopped (t2), the driving of the hydraulic pump is stopped. When the start of movement of the vehicle is detected during an operation of returning the brake pedal (t4) and an operation of re-depressing the brake pedal is detected (t5) in this state (specifically, while the vehicle is in a stopped state, the hydraulic pump is in a stopped state, and the brake pedal is being operated), the driving of the hydraulic pump is started (t5).

Abstract: A force sensor includes a shaft to which a magnet is fixed, and a case which can reciprocate with respect to the shaft and to which a Hall IC element is fixed. The Hall IC element outputs an output voltage which changes in accordance with relative displacement between the Hall IC element and the magnet. A main spring is interposed between the shaft and the case and elastically deforms in accordance with force produced between the shaft and the case in the reciprocating direction. A sub spring is provided in order to impart a preload such that when the amount of elastic deformation of the main spring is substantially zero, no axial clearance is formed between a flange portion of the shaft and one end portion of the main spring, and no axial clearance is formed between the case and the other end of the main spring.

Abstract: A force sensor includes a shaft to which a magnet is fixed, and a case which can reciprocate with respect to the shaft and to which a Hall IC element is fixed. The Hall IC element outputs an output voltage which changes in accordance with relative displacement between the Hall IC element and the magnet. A main spring is interposed between the shaft and the case and elastically deforms in accordance with force produced between the shaft and the case in the reciprocating direction. A sub spring is provided in order to impart a preload such that when the amount of elastic deformation of the main spring is substantially zero, no axial clearance is formed between a flange portion of the shaft and one end portion of the main spring, and no axial clearance is formed between the case and the other end of the main spring.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to smoothen the operation and stabilize the output of a negative pressure type booster device for a hydraulic brake device of the stroke-independent type, in which the brake operating force is amplified using negative pressure of an engine and the master cylinder is actuated using the amplified force. Airtight sealing between a power piston and a valve piston which is axially movable relative to the power piston, and between a plunger coupled to an input shaft and the valve piston are carried out by rolling seals to prevent inaccurate movement of the valve piston, which tends to occur when such airtight sealing is carried out using slide seals.

Abstract: A brake control apparatus for automotive vehicles is provided which has two separate hydraulic brake lines leading to wheel cylinders and performs a brake assisting operation to hold the wheel cylinder pressure higher than the master cylinder pressure in each of the hydraulic brake lines when a brake pedal is depressed by a vehicle operator. The brake control apparatus also includes a fluid pressure difference regulator which regulates a pressure difference between the two hydraulic brake lines so as to fall within a given allowable pressure range, thereby minimizing adverse effects on the brake assisting operation which are caused by electric and/or mechanical performance difference between the two hydraulic brake lines.

Abstract: A turning state of a vehicle is detected to specify an outer side front wheel and an inner side rear wheel of a turning circle. A controlling device controls the brake fluid pressures of wheel cylinders of the specified wheels so that the brake fluid pressure of the wheel cylinder of one of the specified wheels is made smaller than a master cylinder pressure while substantially simultaneously the brake fluid pressure of the wheel cylinder of the other wheel of the specified wheels is made larger than the master cylinder pressure.

Abstract: During a time period of from a time that is immediately before a vehicle being stopped to a time of the vehicle being stopped, a pressure increase gradient in braking fluid pressure which is applied to wheel cylinders of rear wheels is made to be larger than a pressure increase gradient that prevailed until a time that was immediately before the vehicle being stopped. As a result, a pitching motion that occurs in a vehicle body can be suppressed.

Abstract: A solenoid valve driving device includes a bypassing current path of which one end is connected to a point between a first switching device and a first solenoid valve and another end is connected to a point between a second switching device and a second solenoid valve, and an element disposed in the bypassing current path and having a characteristic that causes current to flow from the first switching device side to a second switching device side. By adopting the above described constitution, through current generated when the first switching device is switched from an OFF-state to an ON-state during duty control of the first switching device can be suppressed by the inductance of the second solenoid valve. In this way, one solenoid valve among a pair of the first and second solenoid valves, which is not operated, has a function of suppressing the through current.

Abstract: A shock absorber damping force control system for a vehicle employs at least a high-frequency component included in sprung mass vibration as a factor to control a damping force of a shock absorber. The system provides a lower damping force of the shock absorber with a larger magnitude of the high-frequency component when signs of a sprung mass velocity and a relative velocity between a sprung mass and an unsprung mass coincide with each other. A low-frequency component may also be employed as a factor to control the damping force of the shock absorber. The system provides a lower damping force with a larger ratio of the high-frequency component relative to the low-frequency component when signs of the sprung mass velocity and the relative velocity coincide with each other.