Fluid Pressure And Electric Patents (Class 303/3)
  • Patent number: 6454364
    Abstract: A braking force control apparatus and method control a braking force of a motor vehicle that has (a) regenerative braking devices for front wheels and rear wheels, respectively, and (b) a friction braking device for each of the front wheels and the rear wheels. A target braking force of the front wheels and a target braking force of the rear wheels are calculated, based on a braking requirement made by a driver of the vehicle and a ratio of braking forces of the front wheels and the rear wheels. Initially, the regenerative braking devices are controlled to generate regenerative braking forces at the front wheels and the rear wheels, and then, if necessary, the friction braking device is controlled to generate a friction braking force at each of the front wheels and rear wheels, so that a total braking force applied to the front wheels and a total braking force applied to the rear wheels are controlled to the front-wheel target braking force and the rear-wheel target braking force, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoru Niwa, Michihito Shimada, Junichi Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 6447074
    Abstract: A parking brake system for a motor vehicle has a control for activating the parking brake, an electrical parking brake control unit for controlling braking devices which are assigned to the parking brake, a brake booster function control unit for controlling brake booster functions which promote traveling comfort and safety. When the control is activated at a vehicle velocity above a predefined minimum velocity, the braking devices assigned to the service brake are controlled by the brake booster function control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Willibald Engelhard
  • Publication number: 20020117891
    Abstract: An electro-hydraulic braking system of the type which operates normally in a brake-by-wire mode wherein hydraulic pressure is applied to braking devices at the vehicle wheels in proportion to the driver's braking demand as sensed electronically at a brake pedal (10), and which, if the brake-by-wire mode should fail, operates in a push-through mode wherein hydraulic pressure is applied to the braking devices at the vehicle wheels by way of a master cylinder (34) coupled mechanically to the brake pedal (10), the system including also an electric parking braking means for enabling the braking devices to be actuated for parking braking purposes but which is also arranged to be activated to supplement push-through braking in the event of failure of the brake-by-wire mode. Electro-hydraulic braking at the rear axle of the vehicle is allowed only when a control unit (13) of the electro-hydraulic braking system has confirmation that the electric parking means is in a satisfactory operational state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2001
    Publication date: August 29, 2002
    Inventor: Alan Leslie Harris
  • Patent number: 6435624
    Abstract: An integrated locomotive braking and ECP braking control on a lead locomotive for implementing braking effort on all locomotives in a manner relative to braking effort applied on ECP freight cars. On the lead locomotive, a data interface can be established between an head-end-unit and a brake controller. The head-end-unit can electrically signal each ECP freight car to carry out braking commands. The integrated brake control can include a CPU, as part of either the brake controller or the head-end-unit, which can be programmed to provide braking effort on the lead locomotive relative to the braking effort applied on the ECP freight cars. The braking on the lead locomotive is implemented by the brake controller by controlling the independent brake relative to the braking effort commanded on the ECP freight cars. The independent brake on non-ECP trailing locomotives is connected to the lead locomotive independent brake via a standard independent brake pneumatic connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Robert C. Kull, Robert D. Dimsa
  • Patent number: 6435623
    Abstract: A method for providing brake control for a rail car having a brake cylinder, a reservoir, and an exhaust vent includes steps of fluidly interconnecting four electrically controlled valves between a train brake pipe, the brake cylinder, the reservoir, and the exhaust vent, and controlling air flow between the brake pipe, car brake cylinder, car reservoir, and exhaust vent using the valves. The above described method allows mixing of conventional ABDW rail cars with ECP-equipped cars in an ECP-equipped train.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: GE Harris Railway Electronics, LLC
    Inventor: David M. Peltz
  • Patent number: 6431660
    Abstract: A method is provided for automatically detecting the installation position of brake force generating units of an electromechanical motor vehicle brake system. A steered direction of the motor vehicle during cornering is sensed. Wheel speeds occurring at each wheel of the motor vehicle during the cornering are sensed. The wheel speed occurring for each wheel is compared with a position scheme of setpoint wheel speeds which is representative of the direction of cornering. The actual position of the brake force generating units is determined on the basis of the above comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Stefan Hackl
  • Patent number: 6428117
    Abstract: A parking brake system (10) for a vehicle. The control system (10) includes solenoid valve (30) which controls communicating of pressurized fluid from an inlet port (32) to the actuator assembly (12) of a drum brake and from the actuator assembly (12) to a reservoir (41). Solenoid valve (30) has a coil (50) consisting of a first circuit (52) and a second circuit (54). In response to an operator activating a parking brake switch (80) and after signals corresponding to the operational condition of the vehicle are evaluated by an electronic control unit (100) current may directly flow in the first circuit (52) from a battery (200) to the solenoid valve (30) and may flow in a second circuit (54) after the closure of an ignition switch (201).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Robert Bosch Corporation
    Inventor: William Kent Messersmith
  • Patent number: 6422658
    Abstract: A brake pedal position circuit includes a brake pedal mechanism having a ferromagnetic portion, which is movably mounted in a motor vehicle. At least one permanent magnet for generating a magnetic field is provided, as well as at least one Hall effect device for generating output data states that are dictated by variations in the magnetic field. A housing for the permanent magnet and the Hall effect device is fixedly secured in the vehicle so as to provide a portion in proximate relation to the brake pedal ferromagnetic portion when the brake pedal is in an “at rest” position. Movement of the brake pedal mechanism in the vehicle changes the magnetic field and causes a resulting change in the Hall effect device data state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: Carling Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Frederick Valeriano
  • Publication number: 20020088684
    Abstract: A control device for the parking lock of a motor vehicle has at least one actuating drive (46) that can be operated by triggering means and with which a locking device (11) can be moved between engaged and disengaged positions. For reliable operation, at least two independent triggering means are provided and a change in position takes place only if both triggering means (56, 58) are actuated. Preferably a hydraulic piston (46) brings the parking lock into its disengaged position when subjected to pressure. The triggering means are constructed as solenoids (56, 58) under the control of two electrical controllers (140,142) that undertake an evaluation of relevant control and measurement parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2001
    Publication date: July 11, 2002
    Inventors: Bruno Hoess, Helmut Schafer, Nicolai Tarasinski, Peter Falck, Timothy Kilworth, Uwe Kugler
  • Patent number: 6416138
    Abstract: A slave operated self-contained hydraulic brake system having an electric motor that is mounted on a gear housing. The electric motor moves a threaded rod in a lateral direction. Movement in a first direction results in contact of the rod with a master cylinder piston assembly within a master cylinder. Movement of the master cylinder piston assembly forces hydraulic fluid out of the master cylinder to actuate brakes of a towed vehicle. A pressure sensor is attached to the master cylinder and measures the hydraulic fluid pressures in master cylinder chamber. Movement of the rod in a second direction is detected by a reverse limit switch. Electrical signals are used to control the slave operated self-contained hydraulic brake system. The brake system communicates electrically with a brake control board. Sensors may be provided to provide information to a microprocessor on the control board to add control features to the brake system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Inventor: William Lunceford Barnett
  • Publication number: 20020084690
    Abstract: A brake pedal feel emulator that produces a pedal characteristic not unlike conventional vacuum boosted or hydraulic brake systems. The system includes a master cylinder, a first and second piston slidably carried in the master cylinder, a gas-filled bellows emulator and a spring emulator operably attached to the master cylinder, and a reservoir carrier near the master cylinder. When a brake force is manually applied, a gas within gas-filled bellows compresses thereby generating a first stage of emulator travel. Once a pre-load force is surpassed, a coil spring within the spring emulator compresses thereby generating, along with the gas-filled bellows, a second stage of emulator travel. The two stages of emulator travel comprise a characteristic rate of pedal travel versus pedal force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2001
    Publication date: July 4, 2002
    Applicant: DELPHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS
    Inventors: James W. Zehnder, John C. Layman
  • Patent number: 6394235
    Abstract: A hydraulic vehicle brake (10) has a hydraulic chamber (16) which sealingly accommodates a brake piston (18) which can slide along an axis (A). The brake piston (18) acts upon a friction member and can be moved by means of hydraulic pressure which is supplied to the hydraulic chamber (16) into an actuating position in which it presses the friction member against a rotor (brake disk, brake drum, etc.). In order to be able to use the vehicle brake (10) besides its function as a hydraulic service brake also as a parking brake, a spindle/nut arrangement (24) is provided which is driven by an electric motor (42) and arranged coaxial to the axis (A) of the brake piston (18), the nut (30) of which arrangement (24) is secured against rotation, and by rotation of the spindle (26) as a function of the sense of rotation can either be moved into contact with the brake piston (18) or be moved away from the brake piston (18) translatorily along the axis (A).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: Lucas Industries plc
    Inventors: Gregor Poertzgen, Karl Friedrich Wörsdorfer, Ralf Erben, Guido Zenzen
  • Patent number: 6394558
    Abstract: A braking system for a towed vehicle having a hydraulic brake system wherein a continuously variable hydraulic pressure is generated to provide a corresponding and proportional brake force in the towed vehicle. A hydraulic pressure generator having an electric motor with variable electric input is employed to provide a corresponding a proportional hydraulic pressure by a hydraulic pressure generator, wherein the resulting variable hydraulic pressure is employed to provide a proportional braking force in the towed vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: Ausco Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Frederick W. Cords
  • Patent number: 6390565
    Abstract: A brake by wire system provides the capability of both travel and force sensors on a brake apply input member such as a brake pedal and also provides redundancy in sensors by providing the signal from a sensor responsive to travel or position of the brake pedal to a first controller and the signal from a sensor responsive to force applied to the brake pedal to a second controller. The first and second controllers are connected by a bi-directional communication link whereby each controller may communicate its received one of the sensor signals to the other controller. In at least one of the controllers, linearized versions of the signals are combined for the generation of first and second brake apply command signals for communication to brake apply units. If either controller does not receive one of the sensor signals from the other, it nevertheless generates its brake apply command signal on the basis of the sensor signal provided directly to it from the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan Peter Riddiford, John Benjamin Hageman, Donald Edward Schenk, Schuyler Scott Shaw
  • Patent number: 6386649
    Abstract: A two solenoid pressure modulated ABS relay valve incorporates a quick release valve in the control air circuit to allow a majority of the air in the control cavity to escape directly to ambient. The orifice through the exhaust solenoid need only handle a relatively small volume of air upstream of the quick release valve, i.e., between the quick release diaphragm and the inlet solenoid seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: AlliedSignal Truck Brake Systems
    Inventor: Charles E. Ross
  • Patent number: 6386645
    Abstract: A method for the controlled power activation of an electromechanical braking system in a motor vehicle where the maximum power available is less than the nominal capacity includes the step of activating brake force-generating units of the braking system individually or in subgroups in succession to one another. The brake force-generating units are in each case activated with a power level corresponding to a portion of the maximum power available. The portion of the maximum power available is sufficient for the individual unit to function at least partially.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Stefan Hackl
  • Patent number: 6375275
    Abstract: A brake pipe overcharge detection scheme determines when an overcharge situation occurs followed by an interruption of the brake pipe slow pressure reduction process of the brake system assimilation. When the slow pressure reduction process is interrupted, the rail cars may be left in an overcharged state (i.e., the car braking system is charged to a pressure greater than the normal brake pipe pressure). When the brake pipe pressure is set to its normal brake-release value, the pressure of the car braking systems will be greater than the brake pipe pressure. The car braking system will interpret this positive pressure differential as a request to set the car brakes, and will therefore partially apply the car brakes. As a result, additional drag forces will be encountered by the locomotive as it moves the train, which may result in train separations, and overheating of the car brake shoes and wheels may result in cracked wheels and derailments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: GE-Harris Railway Electronics, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Eugene A. Smith, Jr., Milton C. Deno, Don K. Johnson, Dale H. Delaruelle, Carl Hines
  • Patent number: 6375277
    Abstract: A release valve apparatus for use on freight railcars equipped with ECP brake equipment comprises a spool valve assembly and a control valve assembly. The control valve assembly features a lever with which a railroad worker can affect the pressure in a brake cylinder to which the spool valve assembly is connected. By operating the lever after a brake application, a worker can not only manually release the pressure from the brake cylinder but also lock the brake cylinder in a release state until the spool valve assembly is reset. The spool valve assembly can be reset merely by commanding the ECP brake equipment to depressurize a control chamber underneath the spool valve assembly, in response to which the ECP application and release valves are again placed in communication with the brake cylinder. The lever can also be used to manually blow down the auxiliary and emergency reservoirs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: John B. Carroll
  • Patent number: 6371256
    Abstract: A controller for controlling an actuator in response to an input signal. The controller includes a first control block and a second control block. The first control block receives the input signal, detects an operating condition of the input signal, and responsively produces an operating condition signal. The operating condition signal has a first value if the operating condition of the input signal is in a small signal mode and a second value if the operating condition of the input signal is in a saturated mode. The second control block has a small signal portion and a saturation portion. The second control block is adapted to receive the input signal and the operating condition signal and responsively deliver to the actuator a control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, INC
    Inventor: Robert John Disser
  • Patent number: 6371575
    Abstract: The vigilance process includes receiving inputs of operator activity and determining the presence or absence of activity inputs during a first delay period. The operator is warned, if activity inputs are absent during the first period. If the warning period expires before being cancelled, a vigilance penalty signal is produced. The brakes are applied for a first predetermined period in response to the vigilance penalty signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: New York Air Brake Corporation
    Inventors: Roger B. Lewis, Donald Baergen
  • Patent number: 6367886
    Abstract: A brake pedal emulator that produces a pedal characteristic not unlike conventional vacuum or hydraulic brake systems. The system includes an emulator housing, a damper positioned within the emulator housing, a shaft that is slidably received by the emulator housing, and a sequential spring system within the emulator housing in operable contact with the shaft. When a brake pedal force is manually applied, the sequential spring system compresses thereby providing a spring force, which in conjunction with the dynamic dampening force produced by the damper generates the desirable reaction force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Schuyler S. Shaw
  • Patent number: 6364427
    Abstract: There is provided an automotive brake control system capable of executing ABS control (skid control), in which when an abnormality such as superimposition of noise on the output of a wheel speed sensor occurs, a pseudo vehicle body speed is generated by wheel-speed sensor signal excluding an abnormal wheel-speed sensor signal. The automotive brake control system includes an abnormality judgment section which determines whether an abnormal wheel-speed sensor signal is included in the wheel-speed sensor signals. The abnormality judgment section cooperates with a pseudo vehicle body speed generating section for generating a pseudo vehicle body speed based on the wheel-speed sensor signals except the abnormal wheel-speed sensor signal when the abnormality judgment section determines that the abnormal wheel-speed signal is present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignees: Unisia Jecs Corporation, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Ohtsu, Toru Kojima, Yoshiyuki Izu
  • Patent number: 6361122
    Abstract: In a pedal assembly for a brake-by-wire vehicle braking system, feedback reaction means (10) is provided so that feedback to the driver through the pedal (3) provides comfortable feel, similar to the pedal feel achieved in a conventional hydraulic braking system fitted to a non-EBS equipped vehicle. The feedback reaction means may comprise a two-rate spring assembly (24, 26) or a variable rate spring assembly, in combination with a damper (40).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Lucas Industries public limited company
    Inventors: Robert Alan Anderson, Stephen Donald Crisp, Barry John Bridgens, Michael James Ayres
  • Publication number: 20020033636
    Abstract: A hydraulic braking system for wheel-borne devices permits brake actuation independent of operator-actuation of a normal brake valve. A braking circuit includes a flow line, a return line, and one or more wheel brakes. An electrically actuated valve system is installed parallel to the brake valve, which connects the wheel brakes to the flow line when actuated, and closes off the return line. Motor vehicles represent an important area of application for the invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 1999
    Publication date: March 21, 2002
    Applicant: PROSKAUER ROSE LLP
    Inventor: RALPH-CARSTEN LULFING
  • Patent number: 6354671
    Abstract: A brake signal transmitter for an electronic braking system produces an electrical braking requirement signal as well as a mechanically produced pneumatic braking pressure. The electronic braking requirement signal is evaluated, together with other measured magnitudes which define the travel state, in an electronic vehicle control system, and a braking pressure is produced as a function of this evaluation by a braking pressure modulator. Following the principle of addition redundancy, the pressure produced mechanically by the brake signal transmitter is added to the pressure produced electrically by the brake modulator and the total pressure represents the braking pressure acting on the brake cylinders. In the event of failure of the electronic system, the mechanically produced pressure automatically becomes active as the braking pressure, and functions as the redundancy pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: WABCO GmbH
    Inventors: Joachim Feldmann, Bernd Kiel
  • Patent number: 6354672
    Abstract: A braking system including a brake cylinder, a first hydraulic pressure source having a first pump device for pressurizing a working fluid, a second hydraulic pressure source operable in response to an operation of a brake operating member, to pressurize the fluid to a pressure higher than a value corresponding to an operating force of the brake operating member, and a brake-cylinder-pressure control device operable when the brake cylinder is disconnected from the second hydraulic pressure source, to control the pressure of the fluid pressurized by the first hydraulic pressure source, such that the fluid pressure in the brake cylinder is controlled to a value determined on the basis of the operating force, and wherein an emergency communication device is operated when at least one of the brake-cylinder-pressure control device and the first pump device fails to normally function, to hold the brake cylinder in communication with the second hydraulic pressure source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Eiji Nakamura, Akihiro Otomo, Fumiaki Kawahata, Tetsuya Miyazaki, Hiroshi Toda
  • Publication number: 20020027386
    Abstract: A vehicular parking brake apparatus includes right and left-side brakes connected to an electric motor via a cable and an equalizer, so that the operating forces of the brakes become equal. In this case, the operating forces of the right and left brakes are commonly controlled based on one of the wheels that exhibits a greater rate of slip. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a rate of slip of the right and left wheels from becoming excessively great. The electric motor is controlled taking into account a transfer delay of the cable. Therefore, the slip rates of the right and left wheels can be quickly converged to a proper state. Thus, in a case where a parking brake is operated during the running of the vehicle, the operating force of the parking brake is controlled so that the state of slip of the wheels is a proper state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2001
    Publication date: March 7, 2002
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihiro Yanaka, Shoichi Shono, Toshiaki Hamada, Yoshikazu Tachiiri
  • Patent number: 6347840
    Abstract: An integrated pneumatic and electropneumatic train brake system and method of operation. An electropneumatic brake controller in at least one of the locomotives provides an emergency brake signal on a brake pipe and the network to the pneumatic and electropneumatic brakes for an emergency position of the operator interface. The brake controller also provides an emergency signal only on the network to the electropneumatic brakes in the continuous service position of the operator interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2002
    Assignee: New York Air Brake Corporation
    Inventors: Jon M. Marra, Dale R. Stevens, James R. Truglio, John W. LaDuc, Roger B. Lewis
  • Publication number: 20020011362
    Abstract: An electric vehicle braking control device includes a battery, an electric motor driving at least one wheel with electric energy of the battery, an electric energy re-generating mechanism that restores electric energy generated to the battery, a static pressure generator generating fluid pressure according to a brake pedal depressing force, a dynamic pressure generator generating a fluid pressure substantially equal to that generated by the static pressure generating mechanism, a first braking mechanism connected to the static pressure generating mechanism, a second braking mechanism connected to the dynamic pressure generating mechanism, a valve disposed in a fluid conduit connecting the dynamic pressure generating mechanism to the second braking mechanism to generate designated differential pressure with no steps, and a control that controls the valve to generate a differential pressure corresponding to the fluid pressure equivalent to the re-generating braking force applied by the electric energy re-genera
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2001
    Publication date: January 31, 2002
    Inventor: Hiroshi Toda
  • Patent number: 6334654
    Abstract: An integration train brake system including a single brake controller providing locomotive and train brake commands. A first control transmits a car brake signal on an electrical network for train brake commands to EP cars. A second control transmits a locomotive brake signal on the locomotive brake pipe for train and locomotive brake commands. The brake system may have a pneumatic mode and an electrical mode. The first control transmits car brake signals on the network in the electrical mode and the second control transmits car brake signals on the train brake pipe for the pneumatic mode. The second control transmits locomotive brake signals on the locomotive brake pipe in either mode. If the train is all electropneumatic, cars and locomotive braking signals are provided on the network. Distributive power may also be transmitted over the network in the electrical mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2002
    Assignee: New York Air Brake Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin B. Root, Bryan M. McLaughlin, Dale R. Stevens, Jon M. Marra
  • Patent number: 6322159
    Abstract: An electric control valve for a heavy duty vehicle air parking brake system. The system uses latching electrically controlled solenoid air valves to control the parking brake systems of the tractor and trailer. The system allows electric control devices to be placed in the vehicle's instrument panel. The system maintains a previously set state of the system even in the event of a loss of electrical power to the controller. Indicator lamps provide park status information to the vehicle driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Honeywell Commercial Vehicle Systems Co.
    Inventor: Charles E. Eberling
  • Patent number: 6322168
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a brake force control apparatus performing a brake assist control for generating a brake force larger than that of a normal time when an emergency braking is required and an ABS control. A start condition of the brake assist control may be established due to a vibration of a brake fluid pressure associated with an execution of the ABS control. Accordingly, when the ABS control is being performed, a start of the brake assist control is prohibited (steps 140 and 102). Thereby, the brake assist control is prevented from being frequently started due to the vibration of the brake fluid associated with an execution of the ABS control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yutaka Ohnuma
  • Publication number: 20010043009
    Abstract: In a pedal assembly for a brake-by-wire vehicle braking system, feedback reaction means (10) is provided so that feedback to the driver through the pedal (3) provides comfortable feel, similar to the pedal feel achieved in a conventional hydraulic braking system fitted to a non-EBS equipped vehicle. The feedback reaction means may comprise a two-rate spring assembly (24, 26) or a variable rate spring assembly, in combination with a damper (40).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 1997
    Publication date: November 22, 2001
    Inventors: ROBERT ALAN ANDERSON, STEPHEN DONALD CRISP, BARRY JOHN BRIDGENS, MICHAEL JAMES AYRES
  • Patent number: 6318811
    Abstract: A brake control unit having a brake cylinder valve (62), equalization reservoir valve (82), brake signal valve (89), and brake back-up valve (182).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: New York Air Brake Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin B. Root, Ronald O. Newton, Premal Desai
  • Publication number: 20010030461
    Abstract: In an electro-hydraulic braking system a housing is provided having at least three discrete housing portions (1, 2, 3), a first portion being adapted to contain electrical drive circuitry for said at least one actuator, the second portion being adapted to contain hydraulic flow passages to and from the electrically operated actuator, and the third portion being adapted to house one or more pressure sensors. On assembly of the housing, electrical contacts from the one or more pressure sensors in the third portion provide a connection between the one or more pressure sensors and the electrical circuitry contained in the first portion, and hydraulic passages extending from the pressure sensors in the third portion provide a connection between one or more pressure sensors and fluid passages in the second portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2001
    Publication date: October 18, 2001
    Inventor: Robert Alan Anderson
  • Patent number: 6302495
    Abstract: A railway car brake system includes a pneumatic brake cylinder and a relay valve for controlling pressure in the brake cylinder. The relay valve is responsive to a pilot pressure which is generated by a pilot valve connected to the relay valve, the pilot valve including at least one piezoelectric element. The system also includes a controller connected to the piezoelectric element to control the pilot pressure and thereby control braking. The pilot valve releases braking upon loss of power to the at least one piezoelectric element to thereby provide a failsafe release of braking. The pilot valve may also include a first piezoelectric element for controlling fluid flow from a pressure source to the relay valve, and a second piezoelectric element for controlling fluid flow from the relay valve to atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: GE Harris Railway Electronics, LLC
    Inventor: David Peltz
  • Patent number: 6302500
    Abstract: In order to obtain the vehicle speed of an ordinary automobile operating with a pair of drive wheels and a pair of driven wheels, so as to provide the base of a due slipless rotation speed of the respective wheels for use in an ABS control, the rotation speed of each of the pairs of drive and driven wheels are detected. Then the data signals generated by the detection are low pass filtered and checked to determine if any of the rotation speeds detected with the driven wheels is larger than the largest of the filtered rotation speeds. Then the vehicle speed is determined from the filtered rotation speeds, excluding that or those of the driven wheel or wheels whose detected rotation speed is larger than the largest of the filtered rotation speeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideyuki Aizawa
  • Patent number: 6296323
    Abstract: A braking system for a towed vehicle having a hydraulic brake system wherein a continuously variable hydraulic pressure is generated to provide a corresponding and proportional brake force in the towed vehicle. A hydraulic pressure generator having an electric motor with variable electric input is employed to provide a corresponding a proportional hydraulic pressure by a hydraulic pressure generator, wherein the resulting variable hydraulic pressure is employed to provide a proportional braking force in the towed vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2001
    Assignee: Ausco Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Frederick W. Cords
  • Patent number: 6296326
    Abstract: An automatic braking operation is triggered before the operation of the brake pedal if, as the required criterion, the operating speed exceeds a triggering threshold value when the gas pedal is released. The triggering threshold value is adapted to the driver's actions to achieve a more reliable separation between necessary and unnecessary triggerings of the automatic braking operation. At least one magnitude is detected which represents the driver's actions and, on the basis of this magnitude, the triggering threshold value for the automatic braking operation is determined. It is thus unimportant whether the required criterion for the triggering of the automatic braking operation is sufficient or whether additional criteria are required for this purpose, such as the determination of a transfer of the driver's foot from the gas pedal to the brake pedal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2001
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Manfred Steiner, Bernd Knoff
  • Patent number: 6290030
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electromagnetic antilock brake system which comprises an electromagnetically actuated release arm capable of adjusting the position of a cam or other motion linkage to result in a controlled application of brake shoes to a brake drum. The invention further comprises a control system for controlling the actuation and release of the ABS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: The University of Tennessee Research Corporation
    Inventors: Frank H. Speckhart, James A. Ridnour
  • Patent number: 6286911
    Abstract: An electronic brake controller for an electropneumatic brake system including a housing having at least one brake operator and a display mounted to display the desired brake action. A controller in the housing determines the position of the operator and provides operator position signals at its outputs and drives the display to display the desired braking action as a function of the determined position of the operator. Additional information provided to the controller may also be displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignee: New York Air Brake Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Wright, John Allen
  • Patent number: 6280002
    Abstract: A hydraulic brake system wherein a portion of a volume of a first fluid supplied to a steering system by a pump is selectively diverted to an actuator assembly for a master cylinder to develop an force for actuating a master cylinder to pressurize fluid which is supplied to wheel brakes. An electronic control unit (ECU) for the brake system receives a first input signal indicative of the flow of fluid from the pump in the steering system, a second input signal indicative of the input force applied by the operator and a third input signal indicative of the speed of the wheels of the vehicle for developing a pulse modulated operational signal. The electronic control develops an operational signal which is supplied as the pulse modulated operational signal to a magnetic responsive valve. The pulse modulated operational signal creates a variable orifice in the magnetic responsive valve to restrict the flow of the first fluid to the steering gear and increases the fluid pressure of the first fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: Robert Bosch Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory Paul Goodzey, Bryan Frances Heinz, Timothy Jay Albert
  • Publication number: 20010015575
    Abstract: An electropneumatic brake control valve unit capable of operating at the interface of the emergency brake portion or the service brake portion of a standard brake control valve as a retrofit unit or operating as a stand alone electropneumatic unit. The unit includes electric valves responsive to electrical signals and sensed brake pipe pressures to operate pneumatic valves to control the brake cylinder. The pneumatic valves are also operable independent of the electric control valves so as to allow braking with the electrical controls off or disabled. The unit can operate in combination with a complete brake control valve or with either or none of its emergency and service portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2001
    Publication date: August 23, 2001
    Applicant: New York Air Brake Corporation
    Inventors: James R. Truglio, Bryan M. McLaughlin
  • Patent number: 6273521
    Abstract: An electronic air brake control system which utilizes an inter-car distance measuring sensor for determining the distance between adjacent railcars and thereby determining the coupling slack and also determining the performance and response of railcar brake applications. The system providing the capability of controlling the slack to increase or decrease slack at a controlled rate and further for monitoring and regulating the amount of pneumatic brake signal required to produce a predetermined level of wheel resistance, together with a system and method for applying railcar brakes when predetermined characteristics relating to distance between cars and rate of change of distance between cars meets predetermined characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: David H. Halvorson, Dennis W. Sutherland
  • Patent number: 6272969
    Abstract: A pneumatic brake booster (10) has a booster housing (12), the interior of which is subdivided by at least one movable wall (22) into a vacuum chamber (24) and a working chamber (26). Projecting into the booster housing (12) is a control valve (28) which, after a response force acting counter to its operating direction has been overcome, controls a pneumatic pressure difference acting upon the movable wall (22). The control valve (28) is operable both by means of a mechanical input element (36) and, independently thereof, by means of an electromagnetic arrangement (48) comprising a coil (58) and an armature (50), which are displaceable relative to one another along the operating direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: Lucas Industries plc
    Inventors: Lothar Zeuner, Christoph Linden
  • Patent number: 6264289
    Abstract: Implementation of a travel dynamics control system in a vehicle is facilitated by integration of same with other operational components of an electrically controlled vehicle braking system. In an embodiment of the invention, travel dynamics electronics are integrated with the braking system electronics. In another embodiment, a yawing speed sensor and a transverse acceleration sensor are integrated with the travel dynamics electronics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Wabco GmbH
    Inventors: Torsten Franke, Klaus Gläbe, Bodo Klein, Ralf Koschorek, Erwin Petersen, Thomas Reich, Christian Wiehen
  • Patent number: 6266602
    Abstract: A road surface condition determination system for an automotive vehicle comprises wheel-speed sensors, and a control unit being configured to be electrically connected to the wheel-speed sensors for data-processing a wheel-speed data signal. The control unit calculates a wheel-speed fluctuation of each of the road wheels on the basis of a previous value of the wheel-speed data signal and a current value of the wheel-speed data signal, and calculates an absolute value of the wheel-speed fluctuation of each of the road wheels. A integration circuit is provided to produce a first integrated value of the absolute values of the wheel-speed fluctuations of the road wheels. A smoothing circuit is provided to make a smoothing operation to the integrated value to produce a smoothed value. A road-surface condition determining section is also provided to determine a road surface condition on the basis of the smoothed value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Unisia Jecs Corporation
    Inventor: Tamotsu Yamaura
  • Patent number: 6264288
    Abstract: A brake system for rail cars which contains an air powered fluid system, a device for providing a separate source of brake force, and a manifold connected to the air powered fluid system and the device for providing a separate source of brake force; the manifold simultaneously delivers pressurized fluid to two movable cylinders under certain conditions and in response to fluid flow from either the air powered fluid system or the device for providing a separate source of brake force; but when both the device for providing a separate source of brake force and the air powered fluid system are delivering fluid flow to the manifold, the brake system contains a device for terminating the pressure from the separate source of brake force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Miner Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: David F. Dreese
  • Publication number: 20010006306
    Abstract: A braking pressure control apparatus including a first pressure source including a power-operated pressurizing device, a second pressure source operable by a manually operable brake operating member to pressurize a fluid to a pressure higher than a level corresponding to the operating force of the brake operating member, a switching device for selectively placing the braking system in a first state in which a brake cylinder is operated with the fluid pressurized by the first pressure source and a second state in which the brake cylinder is operated with the fluid pressurized by the second pressure source, and a change restricting device operable upon a switching between the first and second states, to restrict a change of the operating state of the brake operating member and a change of the brake cylinder pressure, which change take place due to the switching, or a switching control device for controlling the switching device on the basis of the running condition of a vehicle whose wheel is braked by the brak
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2001
    Publication date: July 5, 2001
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazunori Kagawa, Kimihiro Matsuki, Tetsuya Miyazaki, Fumiaki Kawahata, Akihiro Otomo, Eiji Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6254197
    Abstract: A hydraulic braking system, method for controlling the hydraulic braking system, and a control system for controlling the hydraulic braking system are provided. The hydraulic braking system may be applied to any kind of moving elements or systems. For example, this system can be used with wind turbines, conveyor systems, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignee: Svendborg Brakes A/S
    Inventors: Per Lading, Ole Sangill, David Welner