Robert Bosch

Alliedsignal Inc.

William John Penninger

John Edmund Mackiewicz

Richard Becker McClain

Timothy Jay Albert

Robert K Wilson

Gary L Doty

Kenneth S Towers

Andrew Paul Wasson

Raymond Kosarski, Jr

Thomas A Grana

Thomas David Rothbauer

A vehicle brake booster system includes a reservoir, a pump, and a brake booster. The brake booster includes an input member adapted to receive a manual braking input force and an output member adapted to apply a braking output force to a master cylinder. A supply line couples the pump to the brake booster, and a return line couples an outlet of the brake booster to the reservoir. A flow of hydraulic fluid pumped to the brake booster provides a boost factor by which the braking output force exceeds the braking input force. The brake booster is hydraulically lockable by a first valve in the supply line and a second valve in the return line such that when the first and second valves are closed, a quantity of hydraulic fluid is trapped within the brake booster to maintain operation of the brake booster without continued operation of the pump.

Vehicle hydraulic brake booster system and method

A brake booster wherein second and third pistons are separated within a bore of a master cylinder to define second and third chambers. Compensation valves control the flow fluid from a reservoir to the bore while a passage in the second piston connects the second chamber with the third chamber that is connected to the reservoir through an tilt valve that is held opened by pressurized fluid acting on a fourth piston. A control valve responds to a resiliently applied force from an input rod carried by the third piston to supply pressurized fluid to the brake system. In an event pressurized fluid is unavailable, a spring moves the fourth piston and a sixth spring to moves the tilt valve against a seat to seal the third chamber and create a hydraulic lock. Further movement of the third piston correspondingly moves the second piston to effect a manual brake application.

Blended hydraulic brake booster

A caging arrangement for setting a spring height and correspondingly chamber size in a master cylinder. A cylindrical member has a convoluted surface that is placed in a bore of a piston and a ball is pressed into the cylindrical member to radially expand the convoluted surface into engagement with the piston. A spring is placed on the piston and a disc placed on the spring. A first end of a valve stem having a radial projection is passed through the disc and a force applied to the valve stem while holding the piston stationary such that the radial projection engages and outwardly moves an inward flange on the cylindrical body to allow the radial projection to move past the inward flange. The force is removed and the spring expands until the radial projection engages the inward flange to set distance between the piston and the valve stem.

Caging arrangement for a spring

A control valve of a hydraulic brake booster for use in a brake system. The control valve is characterized by a shuttle member having a stem on a first end and an annular projection on a second end. The stem has an annular surface thereon that is matched with an orifice from an supply chamber such that metered pressurized fluid is uniformly presented to an actuation chamber to effect a brake application while the annular projection is matched with a flange on an actuator piston such that the pressurized fluid present in the actuation chamber is uniformly metered to a reservoir.

Control valve for a hydraulic brake booster

A control valve for a brake booster having a first member with a first bore, a second member located in the first bore and having a second bore, a plunger located in the second bore and connected to an input member. A gear fixed to the second member with teeth that engage a first rack retained in the first body and a stationary rack within the brake booster. A force applied to the input member controls the development of a pressure differential that moves a wall during a brake application. Movement of the wall causes a rotative torque to be transmitted from the first rack into teeth such that the gear moves with respect to the second rack and the second body to separates from the first body and as a result the travel of input member is less than the travel of the wall during a brake application.

Vacuum brake booster

A support for a disc brake has first and second bores in a first projection and third and fourth bores in a second projection located in a same horizontal plane and the first and third bores aligned in a first vertical plane and the second and fourth bores aligned in a second vertical plane. A first pin retained in the first and third bores extend through a first lever to position a first friction member adjacent a rotor while a second pin extends through the second and fourth bores to position a second friction member adjacent the rotor. Pressurized fluid is supplied to act on a piston retained in the first lever such that the first lever pivots on the first pin and the second lever pivots on the second pin to thereafter move the first and second friction members into engagement with the rotor and effect a brake application.

Disc Brake

A hydraulic brake booster for use in a brake system having a housing with a power piston located in a first bore and a control valve located in a second bore. An input member is connected to the power piston and linked to the control valve by a lever arrangement. The input member is characterized by a cylindrical body with a shaft attached thereto. A bracket with a radial opening is carried by the shaft and urged toward a head on the shaft by a spring. The lever arrangement is characterized by a first lever with a first end pivotally secured in the housing by a first pin and a second end located in the radial opening of the bracket and a second lever pivotally secured at a fulcrum on the first lever by a second pin extending through the first and second levers. A first input force applied to the cylindrical body is transmitted through the spring into the bracket and communicated through the fulcrum point to bring a first end of the second lever into engagement with the control valve and a second end of the second lever into engagement with the power piston. The first input force as applied to the bracket causes the end of the first lever to pivot about the first pin and transmit an actuation force through the fulcrum into the said second pin to move said first end and activate said control valve to meter pressurized fluid into the working chamber to develop a hydraulic force for effecting a brake application. The lever arrangement ratio defined by a first length between the first pin and the second end on the first lever and a second length between the first pin and the second end of the second lever such that axial movement of the cylindrical body and the power piston is defined by this ratio and as a result a hydraulic force produced by the metered pressurized fluid proportional to a manual input force.

Hydraulic brake booster

A brake booster amplifies driver brake pedal input into an output force and travel for operating a master cylinder. A power unit builds and stores high pressure fluid to provide boost. Inlet and outlet solenoid valves regulate pressurized fluid to the amplifying mechanism. In one embodiment, a single boost chamber provides fluid pressure to operate the master cylinder and to provide a brake pressure indicative opposing force to driver input. One travel sensor monitors the position and movement of an input rod and piston, and a second travel sensor monitors the position and movement of an output piston. An ECU monitors system parameters and controls a motor pump, inlet and outlet valves and peripherals. In another embodiment, the opposing force to the brake pedal input is provided by a separate pressure fluid chamber located within and movable with the output piston. Boost chamber pressure and, optionally, output piston travel are monitored to provide a braking force indication. An ECU monitors system parameters including input travel and boost chamber pressure, and controls the inlet and outlet valves and peripherals.

Electro-hydraulic brake booster

A hydraulic brake booster has a housing with a stepped bore for retaining a cylindrical piston and a control bore for retaining a control valve. The cylindrical piston defines, with the stepped bore, an output chamber, a relief chamber and a power chamber; and includes a second stepped bore for a reaction piston. The reaction piston includes an axial bore, receiving a plunger defining an actuation chamber and a poppet valve. The input force initially moves the plunger and poppet valve to interrupt communication between the actuation and relief chambers; and thereafter moves the plunger to pressurize fluid in the actuation chamber, creating an input signal. The input signal activates the control valve; generating a regulated pressurized fluid, supplied directly to a second set of wheel brakes and acts on the cylindrical piston, to pressurize operational fluid supplied to a first set of wheel brakes.

A hydraulic brake booster ( ) having a housing (100,200) with a first bore ( ) separated from a second bore ( ). The first bore ( ) retains a power piston ( ) and the second bore ( ) retains a control valve ( ). The first bore ( ) is connected by a passage ( ) to the second bore (104) that is connected to a source of pressurized supply fluid (24). In responsive to a desired braking force being applied to the input member (30,30&prime;), the lever arrangement ( ) moves the control valve ( ) to allow controlled pressurized supply fluid to be communicated from the second bore ( ) by way of passage ( ) to the first bore ( ). The hydraulic brake booster ( ) is characterized by adjustable regulator means ( ) connected to the first bore ( ) for communicating a proportional reaction signal to the input member ( &prime;) that is derived from the controlled pressurized supply fluid to produce a variable gain between the input force applied to the input member ( &prime;) by the operator and the operational force developed through the power piston ( ) to effect a brake application.

A hydraulic brake booster ( ) for use in a brake system ( ) having a first housing ( ) with a first bore ( ) separated from a second bore ( ). The first bore ( ) retains a power piston ( ) and the second bore ( ) retains a control valve arrangement ( ). A push rod ( ) of an input arrangement ( ) is connected to the power piston ( ) and linked to the control valve arrangement ( ) by a lever arrangement ( ). A second housing ( ) encloses the control valve arrangement ( ), lever arrangement ( ) and a projection ( ) that extends from the power piston ( ) to define a cavity or relief chamber ( ) having a permanent low pressure. The input arrangement ( ) supplies the control valve arrangement ( ) with an input force in response to a braking force applied to the push rod ( ) to regulate the communication of pressurized supply fluid from the second bore ( ). The hydraulic brake booster is characterized in that the regulated supply fluid acts on the first piston ( ) to develop a corresponding operational fluid pressure which is communicated to a first set of wheel brakes ( ) while the regulated supply fluid is directly communicated to a second set of wheel brakes ( ) to effect a brake application.

Brake booster

A hydraulic system ( ) having a pump ( ) for sequentially supplying a brake booster ( ) and a steering gear ( ) with hydraulic fluid to an assist in effecting a brake application and/or a steering application. The brake booster ( ) has a housing ( ) with a chamber ( ) therein connected to a first bore ( ) which retains a piston ( ) connected to a master cylinder ( ) and a second bore ( ) which retains a control valve ( ). The second bore ( ) has an inlet port ( ) connected to the pump ( ) for receiving supply hydraulic fluid, an outlet port ( ) connected to the steering gear ( ) and a return port ( ) connected to the pump ( ). Linkage ( ) responsive to an input member ( ) moves the control valve ( ) to initially terminate communication from the second bore ( ) to the return port ( ) and direct the flow of a first portion of the supply hydraulic fluid to the chamber ( ) to effect a brake application while a second portion thereof is communicated to the steering gear ( ). A regulator ( ) is connected to the pump ( ) for receiving and directing the flow of supply hydraulic fluid to the inlet port ( ) of the housing ( ) of the booster ( ). The regulator ( ) responds to a preset hydraulic fluid pressure in the first portion of the supply hydraulic fluid by metering the flow of the supply pressurized hydraulic fluid to the inlet port ( ) of the brake booster and thereafter directly communicating a corresponding portion of the supply hydraulic fluid through a port ( ) to the steering gear ( ). The regulator ( ) on metering the supply hydraulic fluid to the inlet port ( ) establishing a maximum limit for the hydraulic pressure in that portion of the supply hydraulic fluid presented to the control chamber ( ) and to a chamber ( ) in an associated accumulator ( ).

Hydraulic system regulator for a brake and steering system

The piloted pressure relief valve (90) comprises a valve body (92) having a stepped bore (96) which receives a stationary bearing member (110) with a central through opening (117) through which extends a longitudinal extension (137) of a movable piston (130). The movable piston (130) has one end (133) sealingly received within a reduced diameter section (97) of the bore (96) and the opposite longitudinal extension (137) engages a valve member (154) captured between the bearing member (110) and a shoulder of the bore (96). The moveable piston (130) has a longitudinal through passage (132) permitting fluid flow therethrough when the piston (130) moves away from the valve member (154). A spring (140) disposed within the stepped bore (96) biases the piston (130) toward the valve member (154). The relief valve (90) enables a pumpback traction control system (10) to relieve fluid pressure buildup to the master cylinder ( 12) when a predetermined pressure limit is exceeded.

Growing community of inventors

Niles, MI, United States of America

William John Penninger