Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
444 words
A brake apparatus for use in a motor vehicle having at least one front-side wheel and at least one rear-side wheel, comprising: a braking pressure supply system including a master cylinder of said vehicle for generating a braking pressure in response to operation of a braking pedal of said vehicle, wheel braking cylinders for applying braking forces to said front-side wheel and rear-side wheel, and first and second supply passages so that the braking pressure generated by said master cylinder is supplied through said first supply passage to said front-side wheel braking cylinder and further supplied through said second supply passage to said rear-side wheel braking cylinder; braking pressure adjusting means provided in said braking pressure supply system for adjusting the braking pressure to be applied to said front-side and rear-side wheel braking cylinders in accordance with a drive signal; first sensor means for sensing a speed of said front-side wheel to generate a first detection signal indicative of the sensed speed of said front-side wheel; second sensor means for sensing a speed of said rear-side wheel to generate a second detection signal indicative of the sensed speed of said rear-side wheel; proportioning valve means provided in said second supply passage of said braking pressure supply system for controlling the braking pressure to be applied to said rear-side wheel braking cylinder in accordance with a control signal so as to vary the ratio of the braking pressure to said rear-side wheel braking cylinder with respect to the braking pressure to be applied to said front-side wheel braking cylinder; and electronic control means responsive to said first and second detection signals from said first and second sensor means to produce said control signal to said proportioning valve means and to control said braking pressure adjusting means, said electronic control means including first lock-tendency calculation means for calculating a lock tendency of said front-side wheel on the basis of said first detection signal; second lock-tendency calculation means for calculating a lock tendency of said rear-side wheel on the basis of said second detection signal; parameter calculation means for obtain a parameter corresponding to the difference between the front-side wheel and rear-side wheel lock tendencies calculated in said first and second lock-tendency calculation means; command-value calculation means for calculating a command value by integration of the parameter obtained by said parameter calculation means; first output means for outputting to said braking pressure adjusting means said drive signal determined in accordance with the lock tendencies of said front-side and rear-side wheels; and second output means for outputting to said proportioning valve means said control signal determined in accordance with the command value calculated by the command-value calculation means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
444 words
A brake apparatus for use in a motor vehicle having at least one front-side wheel and at least one rear-side wheel, comprising: a braking pressure supply system including a master cylinder of said vehicle for generating a braking pressure in response to operation of a braking pedal of said vehicle, wheel braking cylinders for applying braking forces to said front-side wheel and rear-side wheel, and first and second supply passages so that the braking pressure generated by said master cylinder is supplied through said first supply passage to said front-side wheel braking cylinder and further supplied through said second supply passage to said rear-side wheel braking cylinder; braking pressure adjusting means provided in said braking pressure supply system for adjusting the braking pressure to be applied to said front-side and rear-side wheel braking cylinders in accordance with a drive signal; first sensor means for sensing a speed of said front-side wheel to generate a first detection signal indicative of the sensed speed of said front-side wheel; second sensor means for sensing a speed of said rear-side wheel to generate a second detection signal indicative of the sensed speed of said rear-side wheel; proportioning valve means provided in said second supply passage of said braking pressure supply system for controlling the braking pressure to be applied to said rear-side wheel braking cylinder in accordance with a control signal so as to vary the ratio of the braking pressure to said rear-side wheel braking cylinder with respect to the braking pressure to be applied to said front-side wheel braking cylinder; and electronic control means responsive to said first and second detection signals from said first and second sensor means to produce said control signal to said proportioning valve means and to control said braking pressure adjusting means, said electronic control means including first lock-tendency calculation means for calculating a lock tendency of said front-side wheel on the basis of said first detection signal; second lock-tendency calculation means for calculating a lock tendency of said rear-side wheel on the basis of said second detection signal; parameter calculation means for obtain a parameter corresponding to the difference between the front-side wheel and rear-side wheel lock tendencies calculated in said first and second lock-tendency calculation means; command-value calculation means for calculating a command value by integration of the parameter obtained by said parameter calculation means; first output means for outputting to said braking pressure adjusting means said drive signal determined in accordance with the lock tendencies of said front-side and rear-side wheels; and second output means for outputting to said proportioning valve means said control signal determined in accordance with the command value calculated by the command-value calculation means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
88 words
A brake apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said braking pressure adjusting means includes control valve means for effecting control to increase and decrease the braking pressures to be applied to said front-side and rear-side wheel braking cylinders and pump means for discharging the braking pressure emerging from said wheel braking cylinders during the pressure-decreasing control due to said control valve means, said pump means comprising piezoelectric means which expands and contracts in response to application of a voltage thereto, said application voltage being a non-rectangular-wave voltage.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
149 words
A brake apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said braking pressure adjusting means includes control valve means for effecting control to increase and decrease the braking pressures to be applied to said front-side and rear-side wheel braking cylinders, pump means for discharging the braking pressure emerging from said wheel braking cylinders during the pressure-decreasing control due to said control valve means, and reservoir means for storing the braking pressure, said control valve means being provided between said rear-side wheel braking cylinder and said reservoir means whereby the pressure-decreasing for said rear-side wheel braking cylinder is performed by supplying the braking pressure in said rear-side wheel braking cylinder through said control valve means to said reservoir means and further the pressure-decreasing for said front-side wheel braking cylinder is performed by supplying the braking pressure therein through said proportioning valve means and said control valve means to said reservoir means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
93 words
A brake apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said braking pressure adjusting means includes control valve means for effecting control to increase and decrease the braking pressures to be applied to said front-side and rear-side wheel braking cylinders, pump means for discharging the braking pressure emerging from said wheel braking cylinders during the pressure-decreasing control due to said control valve means, and shut-off valve means for shutting off the communication between said master cylinder and said wheel braking cylinders when said brake apparatus is under the condition of a predetermined control operation.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
252 words
A brake apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electronic control means further includes vehicle-speed estimating means for estimating a speed of said motor vehicle on the basis of said first and second detection signals from said first and second sensor means, and said first lock-tendency calculation means comprising means for calculating a wheel speed V F and deceleration G F of said front-side wheel on the basis of said first detection signal, means for determining a front-wheel target speed V STF and front-wheel target deceleration G STF on the basis of the estimated vehicle speed, means for obtain a lock parameter L PF in accordance with an equation L PF = K1(V F - V STF ) + K2(G F - G STF ) where K1 and K2 are constants and means for calculating the lock tendency on the basis of the obtained lock parameter L PF , and further said second lock-tendency calculation means comprising means for calculating a wheel speed V R and deceleration G R of said rear-side wheel on the basis of said first detection signal, means for determining a rear-wheel target speed V STR and rear-wheel target deceleration G STR on the basis of the estimated vehicle speed, means for obtain a lock parameter L PR in accordance with an equation L PR = K1(V R - V STR ) + K2(G F - G STF ) and means for calculating the lock tendency on the basis of the obtained lock parameter L PR .
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
78 words
A brake apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said proportioning valve means is adapted to have a proportional characteristic which is variable to change the ratio of the braking pressure to said rear-side wheel braking cylinder to the braking pressure to the front-side wheel braking cylinder in accordance with said control signal, said command-value calculation means calculates said command value so as to vary said proportional characteristic when said braking pressure adjusting means takes the pressure-decreasing mode.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
63 words
A brake apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said command-value calculation means compares said parameter calculated said parameter calculation means with a predetermined threshold so that the initial value of said command value is set to a predetermined maximum value when said parameter is greater than said predetermined threshold and set to zero when said parameter is smaller than said predetermined threshold.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
54 words
A brake apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said command-value calculation means calculates said command value Icp(n) in accordance with the following equation: Icp(n) = Icp(n-1) + K₃ · Cp where Icp(n-1) represents a previously calculated command value, K designates a constant, and Cp is the parameter calculated by said parameter calculation means.