Method and system for reducing vacuum consumption in a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9902386-B2
Application number	US-201514966871-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2015
Priority date	Jul 16, 2013
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

A system and method for conserving vacuum within a vehicle is described. In one example, vacuum is conserved via limiting volume expansion of a brake booster working chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for conserving vacuum, comprising:
limiting volume expansion of a brake booster working chamber and brake line pressure via closing a first valve, the first valve located along a brake line between a master cylinder and a wheel brake, in response to a speed of a vehicle while an engine of the vehicle is running; and
while limiting volume expansion of the brake booster working chamber and brake line pressure, adjusting vacuum within the brake booster working chamber by limiting air flow into the brake booster working chamber via a second valve.

2. The method of claim 1 , where the speed of the vehicle is less than a threshold speed or zero speed, and where the limiting of volume expansion occurs while the engine of the vehicle is being started via a pushbutton.

3. The method of claim 1 , where adjusting vacuum within the brake booster working chamber includes decreasing vacuum.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising not constraining volume expansion of the brake booster working chamber in response to the speed of the vehicle exceeding a threshold speed and closing the first valve in response to vehicle braking force reaching a threshold level.

5. The method of claim 1 , where the volume expansion of the brake booster working chamber occurs in response to deflection of a brake booster diaphragm.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Cunningham Ralph Wayne
• Pursifull Ross Dykstra

Classifications

• Y10T477/813

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B60T13/46 Primary

  Vacuum systems · CPC title

• B60T8/32

  responsive to a speed condition, e.g. acceleration or deceleration ({using electrical circuitry or regulation means B60T8/17} ; B60T8/28 takes precedence; electric devices on electrically propelled vehicles indicating the wheel slip B60L3/10; measuring linear or angular speed per se G01P3/00) · CPC title

• B60W10/18

  including control of braking systems · CPC title

• B60T13/565

  characterised by being associated with master cylinders, e.g. integrally formed · CPC title