Concentric brake booster with moving hoses

Claim 2

In a hydraulic boost device: a housing defining a first bore therewithin; a piston slidably mounted in said first bore cooperating with one end of said housing to define a fluid chamber therebetween; a second bore defined within said piston; an elongated opening in the wall of said housing exposing a portion of the outer surface of said piston; fluid ports extending through said piston communicating said second bore with the portion of the outer surface of said piston exposed by said elongated opening; operator-actuated valve means in said second bore for controlling fluid communication between said fluid ports and said chamber, said valve means admitting pressurized fluid into said chamber when a Brake application is effected to slide said piston; and conduit means communicating said fluid ports with the vehicle''s hydraulic system, said conduit means shifting with said piston relative to said housing when the piston slides within said housing.

Claim 3

The invention of claim 1: said piston including a portion extending through said elongated opening: said conduit means including an inlet port, an outlet port, and an exhaust port housed within said portion.

Claim 4

The invention of claim 1: said second bore having an inlet port in fluid communication with a pressure source, an outlet port, and an exhaust port in fluid communication with a fluid reservoir; said valve means being slidably mounted in said second bore and shiftable from a first position communicating substantially all of the fluid flowing into the inlet port to the outlet port and communicating said chamber to the exhaust port to a second position communicating at least a portion of the fluid flowing into the inlet port to said chamber for shifting said piston.

Claim 5

The invention of claim 1: a fluid compartment within said second bore defined between one end of the valve means and a corresponding end of the second bore: operator-actuated control means extending from said housing for actuating said valve means; and passage means within said piston for communicating said chamber with said compartment to permit pressurized fluid to act upon said one end of the valve means whereby a reactive force proportional to the fluid pressure level in said chamber is transmitted to said rod through said valve means.

Claim 6

The invention of claim 1: said valve means including a spool valve slidably mounted in said second bore; and operator-operated control means for actuating said spool valve projecting from said housing.

Claim 7

In a vehicle hydraulic system having a pressure source, a fluid reservoir, and an accumulator, a hydraulic boost device comprising: a housing defining a bore therewithin; a piston slidably mounted within said bore cooperating with said housing to define a fluid chamber between one end of said piston and a corresponding end of said housing; said housing having an opening extending therethrough exposing a portion of the outer surface of said piston; said piston defining a second bore therein; fluid ports extending through said piston communicating said second bore with the portion of the outer surface of said piston exposed by said elongated opening; valve means slidably mounted in said piston bore and shiftable from a first position communicating said chamber to the reservoir to a second position communicating said chamber to the pressure source; conduit means extending through said openings and communicating said fluid ports with said pressure source, said reservoir, and said accumulator, said conduit means shifting with said piston relative to said housing when the piston slides within said housing; said valve means being operative to permit flow of fluid through said conduit means from the accumulator to the chamber when the valve means is shifted past the second position and a malfunction prevents a fluid communication between the pressure source and the chamber.

Claim 8

In a vehicle hydraulic system having a pressure source, a fluid reservoir, and an accumulator, a hydraulic boost device comprising: a housing defining a bore therewithin; a piston slidably mounted within said bore cooperating with said housing to define a fluid chamber between one end of said piston and a corresponding end of said housing; said housing having an opening extending therethrough exposing a portion of the outer surface of said piston; said piston defining a second bore therein; fluid ports extending through said piston communicating said second bore with the portion of the outer surface of said piston exposed by said elongated opening; valve means slidably mounted in said piston bore and shiftable from a first position communicating said chamber to the reservoir to a second position communicating said chamber to the pressure source; conduit means extending through said openings and communicating said fluid ports with said pressure source, said reservoir, and said accumulator, said conduit means shifting with said piston relative to said housing when the piston slides within said housing; said valve means being operative to permit flow of fluid through said conduit means from the accumulator to the chamber when the valve means is shifted past the second position and a malfunction prevents a fluid communication between the pressure source and the chamber.

Claim 9

The invention of claim 6; said conduit means including passage means communicating said accumulator with said second bore; and normally closed flow control means within said piston for controlling flow of fluid through said passage means; said valve means being operative to open said flow control means when the valve means is shifted a predetermined distance beyond said second position.

Claim 10

The invention of claim 7: a fluid compartment within said piston bore defined between one end of the valve means and a corresponding end of the piston bore; said flow control means being mounted in said compartment dividing the latter into a first section between the control means and the end of the bore and a second section between the control means and the end of the valve means; said passage means including a first fluid channel communicating said accumulator with said first section and a second fluid channel communicating said second section with said chamber; and means carried on said one end of said valve means for opening said flow control means to permit flow of fluid from accumulator into the chamber upon movement of the valve means a predetermined distance past said second position.

Claim 11

The invention of claim 8: said piston having a portion extending through said opening; said conduit means including a first section extending between said pressure source and one of said fluid ports and a second section extending between another of said fluid ports and said reservoir; said first and second sections of said conduit means and said first fluid channel extending through said portion; and a fluid passage extending through said portion between said first fluid channel and the first section of the conduit means to permit flow of fluid into the fluid storage device when the pressure level in the latter is less than the pressure level in the first section of the conduit.