Brake booster utilizing a pump of a power steering device

Claim 1

A brake booster utilizing a pump of a power steering device comprising: a reservoir; a source of fluid pressure; a brake pedal to be actuated by means of a vehicle driver; wheel brake cylinders; said brake booster including a stepped cylinder, a power piston slidably disposed within said cylinder, a manual piston slidably disposed within said cylinder and operated by means of said brake pedal, an actuating chamber defined between said power piston and said manual piston and acting upon said power piston in accordance with the actuation of said manual piston, a valve member slidably disposed within said power piston and provided with a first valve cooperative with said power piston according to the movement of said manual piston for controlling the communication between an inlet port and said actuating chamber and a second valve cooperative with said manual piston for controlling the communication between an outlet port and said actuating chamber, said inlet port being directly fluidically connected to said pump and directly communicable with said first valve of said valve member, said outlet port being fluidically connected to said reservoir, a flow divider valve interposed between said inlet port and said power steering device for dividing the hydraulic fluid flow from said pump into said actuating chamber and to said power steering; and a master cylinder operatively connected with said power piston for supplying the fluid pressure to said wheel brake cylinders, thereby controlling the hydraulic fluid within said actuating chamber in accordance with said brake pedal by means of said first and second valves of said valve member.