Braking system for vehicles, in particular for cycles and motorcycles, and actuation method of a braking system for vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10464541-B2
Application number	US-201615223205-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2016
Priority date	Jul 31, 2015
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

A braking system for vehicles comprising a pilot pump provided with a manual actuation means, the pilot pump being fluidically connected to a hydraulic actuator device in turn operatively connected to a braking device associated with a wheel of said vehicle, wherein the hydraulic actuator device delimits a first and a second actuation chamber fluidically separated by a movable septum along an axial direction X-X, the first actuation chamber containing fluid pressurized by the pilot pump, the second actuation chamber being filled with fluid under pressure and being provided with a delivery duct fluidically connected to said braking device. Advantageously, the hydraulic actuator device comprises a by-pass, offset axially with respect to said delivery duct and fluidically connected with the latter, the movable septum being connected to motor means in order to translate axially, independently of the braking action imposed through the manual actuation means of the pilot pump, the system comprising a processing unit and control operatively connected with the motor means and programmed so as to pass from a condition of standard operation or deactivation of the motor means, in which the movable septum connects the first actuation chamber with the by-pass and with the second actuation chamber, to a braking correction condition in which the motor means are activated to move the movable septum so that the first actuation chamber is fluidically separated from the by-pass and the second actuation chamber. In this way, the second actuation chamber, fluidically connected to the delivery duct, commands the actuation of the braking device, excluding the action imposed by the user through the pressurized fluid in the first actuation chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A braking system for two or three wheel vehicles, the braking system comprising:
a pilot pump provided with a manual actuator, the manual actuator comprising a lever or a pedal, the pilot pump being fluidically connected to a hydraulic actuator device,
wherein said hydraulic actuator device is operatively connected to a braking device associated with a wheel of said vehicle,
wherein the hydraulic actuator device delimits a first and a second actuation chamber separated fluidically from a movable septum along an axial direction,
wherein the first actuation chamber delimits a first volume that contains fluid pressurised by the pilot pump via the manual actuator,
wherein the second actuation chamber delimits a second volume that contains pressurised fluid and is provided with a delivery duct fluidically connected to said braking device,
wherein:
the hydraulic actuator device comprises a by-pass, offset axially with respect to said delivery duct and fluidically connected with the delivery duct,
the movable septum is connected from a side of the second volume to a motor configured to translate axially, independently of a braking action imposed by the pilot pump by the manual actuator,
the system comprising a processing and control unit operatively connected with said motor and programmed so as to pass from a standard operating or deactivation condition of the motor, in which the movable septum connects the first actuation chamber with the by-pass to the second actuation chamber and the delivery duct, to a braking correction condition in which the motor is activated to translate the movable septum so that the first actuation chamber is fluidically separated from the by-pass and the second actuation chamber, and in a manner such that the second actuation chamber is fluidically connected to the delivery duct to control the actuation of the braking device by the pressurised fluid contained in the second actuation chamber,

wherein said movable septum is configured in such a way that the pressure in the first actuation chamber is always greater than, or equal to, the pressure in the second actuation chamber,
wherein said movable septum comprises lip gasket elastically deformable so as to ensure said pressure difference between the first and the second actuation chamber; and
wherein the system comprises at least one vehicle stability sensor, said at least one vehicle stability sensor being operationally connected with the processing and control unit so as to control the actuation of the motor as a function of data received from said at least one vehicle stability sensor.

2. The braking system for vehicles according to claim 1 , wherein the lip gasket is shaped so as to have a frustoconical body that tapers moving from a first face facing the first actuation chamber to a second face facing the second actuation chamber.

3. The braking system for vehicles according to claim 2 , wherein each of the first and the second face have a circular section configured to correspond in shape with respect to a circular cross-section of each of said first and second actuation chambers.

4. The braking system for vehicles according to claim 2 , wherein the frustoconical body comprises an annular seat formed on a side of the first face so as to receive the pressurised fluid from the side of the first actuation chamber and to deform, ensuring sealing against an inner side wall of a volume that delimits the first and the second actuation chamber.

5. The braking system for vehicles according to claim 2 , wherein the first face has a first outer diameter substantially equal to an inner diameter of an inner side wall of the volume that delimits the first and the second actuation chamber, and wherein the second face has a second external diameter less than the inner diameter of an inner side wall of the volume that delimits the first and the second actuation chamber, so as to allow a radial crushing of the frustoconical body when the pressure in the second actuation chamber exceeds the pressure in the first actuation chamber.

6. The braking system for vehicles according to claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic actuator device is configured in such a way that, in a condition of rest or non-actuation, and in the standard operating condition, the movable septum is positioned between the by-pass and the delivery duct so as to allow the fluid connection between said first and second actuation chamber through the by-pass, the pressures in said first and second actuation chamber being equal to each other and to the pressure in the delivery duct.

7. The braking system for vehicles according to claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic actuator device is configured in such a way that, in the braking correction condition, the processing and control unit controls the motor to move the movable septum so as to fluidically separate the first actuation chamber from the by-pass, reducing the first volume of the first actuation chamber and increasing the second volume of the second actuation chamber to decrease the pressure in said second actuation chamber and in said delivery duct.

8. The braking system for vehicles according to claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic actuator device is connected to a hydraulic fluid reservoir through a channel arranged on the hydraulic actuator device upstream of the movable septum and the by-pass, so as to allow compensation of wear of the friction material of the braking device by injecting hydraulic fluid into the first actuation chamber.

9. The braking system for vehicles according to claim 1 , wherein the motor comprises an electric motor and a related kinematic connection mechanism for translation of the movable septum.

10. The braking system for vehicles according to claim 9 , wherein said kinematic connection mechanism is configured to control the movable septum in response to pressure applied to the manual actuator.

11. The braking system for vehicles according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one vehicle wheel-lock detection sensor being operationally connected with the processing and control unit so as to control the actuation of the motor as a function of data received from said at least one vehicle wheel-lock sensor.

12. The braking system for vehicles according to claim 1 , wherein said braking device comprises a disc, drum or shoe brake.

13. The braking system for vehicles according to claim 1 , wherein the pilot pump is a front pilot pump with associated front manual actuator, the front pilot pump being operationally connected to a front hydraulic actuator device; and
the braking system further comprising a rear pilot pump with associated lever or pedal rear manual actuator, the rear pilot pump being operationally connected to a hydraulic actuator device,
wherein each front and rear hydraulic actuator device is operationally connected to a separate front and rear braking device associated, respectively, with a front and rear wheel of said vehicle,
wherein each front and rear hydraulic actuator device is provided with a front motor and a rear motor respectively, and wherein the system is provided with a processing and control unit operationally connected to the front and the rear motor of each front and rear hydraulic actuator device, in order to oversee the functioning of the braking system.

14. A kit for a braking system for a vehicle, the kit comprising:
a pilot pump provided with a manual actuator, the manual actuator comprising a lever or a pedal, the pilot pump being fluidically connected to a hydraulic actuator device,
wherein said hydraulic actuator device is operatively connected to a braking device associated with

Assignees

• Freni Brembo Spa

Inventors

• Arienti Roberto
• Odoni Andrea
• Cantoni Carlo

Classifications

• B62L3/08

  Mechanisms specially adapted for braking more than one wheel · CPC title

• B62L3/023

  acting on fluid pressure systems · CPC title

• B62L3/00

  Brake-actuating mechanisms {(for back-pedalling brakes B62L5/00)}; Arrangements thereof · CPC title

• B60T8/4266 Primary

  having an electro-mechanically actuated expansion unit, e.g. solenoid, electric motor, piezo stack · CPC title

• B60T8/3225

  Systems specially adapted for single-track vehicles, e.g. motorcycles (B60T8/3235 takes precedence) · CPC title