Vehicle braking system

Claim 2

In a vehicle having a body supported by a resilient suspension system, a first wheel on one side of the vehicle and a second wheel on the other side of the vehicle, a first suspension component which moves with vertical movement of the first wheel relative to the vehicle body during vehicle cornering and a second suspension component which moves with vertical movement of the second wheel relative to the vehicle body during vehicle cornering, a fluid pressure braking system which comprises: a driver-controlled source of fluid pressure; a first brake operative to brake said first wheel; a second brake operative to brake said second wheel; a first brake actuator acting on said first brake; a second brake actuator acting on said second brake; a first fluid pressure modulating valve connected between the driver-controlled source and said first brake actuator; a second fluid pressure modulating valve connected between the driver-controlled source and said second brake actuator; and a control mechanism responsive to vehicle suspension movements during vehicle cornering to modify the performance of one of the modulating valves so that any pressure which acts in the brake actuator associated with the inboard of said first and second wheels is lower than any pressure which acts in the brake actuator associated with the outboard of said first and second wheels, said control mechanism comprising a valve loading element operable on each of said modulating valves and a cross-linkage including a first spring connecting the valve loading element to said first suspension component and a second spring connecting the valve loading element to said second suspension component to provide a controlling biassing load on the valve loading element which is proportional to and in the same sense as differences in the vertical positions, relative to the vehicle body, of the first and second wheels.

Claim 3

The invention of claim 1 wherein the valve loading element comprises a lever.

Claim 4

The invention of claim 1 wherein said first and second springs are tension springs which are preloaded to remain in tension during all movements of said first and second suspension components.

Claim 5

The invention of claim 1 wherein said first and second springs are torsion bars.

Claim 6

The invention of claim 1 wherein each of the fluid pressure modulating valves comprises a housing, a stepped bore in the housing, a stepped plunger slidable in the stepped bore and defining therewith first and second chambers, the first chamber being connected to said source of fluid pressure and the second chamber being connected to the respective one of said first and second brake actuators, a first, annular, piston area on the plunger exposed to pressure in the first chamber to bias the plunger in one direction, a second piston area on the plunger to bias the plunger in the other direction, a preloaded spring biassing the plunger in said one direction and valve means which are open to allow fluid from the first chamber to the second chamber when the source pressure is below a predetermined value and closed to prevent fluid flowing from the first chamber to the second chamber when the plunger moves in said other direction beyond a datum position, the valve loading element acting on one of said valves to reduce the total spring load on the plunger during vehicle cornering.

Claim 7

The invention of claim 5 wherein the total spring load on the plunger of the other of the fluid pressure modulating valves remains unchanged during vehicle cornering.

Claim 8

The invention of claim 1 wherein the pressure modulating valves are included in a valve unit which comprises a housing, first and second inlet ports for connection to the driver-controlled source, a first outlet port for connection to the first brake actuator, a first non-return valve capable of blocking communication from the first inlet port to the first outlet port, a first chamber within the housing connected to the first inlet port through the first non-return valve and to the first outlet port, a second outlet port for connection to the second brake actuator, a second non-return valve capable of blocking communication from the second inlet port to the second outlet port, a second chamber within the housing connected to the second inlet port through the second non-return valve and to the second outlet port, a bore in the housing, a first plunger positioned in the bore to define a wall of the first chamber and movable by the valve loading element in a direction which decreases the volume of the first chamber and unseats the first non-return valve, and a second plunger positioned in the bore to define a wall of the second chamber and movable by the valve loading element in a direction which decreases the volume of the second chamber and unseats the second non-return valve, the plungers being arranged and dimensioned such that when the valve loading element exerts no biassing load on either plunger the plungers are in mutual abutment and in a normal position in which both non-return valves are unseated, but when the first plunger is moved by the valve loading element away from the normal position to decrease the volume of the first chamber the second plunger can move with the first plunger to increase the volume of the second chamber and allow the second non-return valve to seat and when the second plunger is moved by the valve loading element away from the normal position to decrease the volume of the second chamber the first plunger can move with the second plunger to increase the volume of the first chamber and allow the first non-return valve to seat.