Patent ID: 8002364
Filing Date: 2011-08-23
Classification: B60T

Abstract:
1. A control unit of a brake apparatus for a vehicle, the brake apparatus including: a basic-hydraulic-pressure generating means for generating a basic hydraulic pressure according to an operation of a brake operating member by a driver; a hydraulic pump for generating a pressurizing hydraulic pressure higher than a pressure level of the basic hydraulic pressure; and a pressure control valve for controlling an amount of pressurization to the basic hydraulic pressure by use of the pressurizing hydraulic pressure generated by the hydraulic pump, wherein a sum of the basic hydraulic pressure and the pressurization corresponds to a wheel cylinder pressure applied to a wheel cylinder so as to generate at least a hydraulic braking force, the control unit of the brake apparatus, comprising: a compensation braking force controlling means for controlling a compensation braking force in response to the operation of the brake operating member so that a characteristic of a total braking force relative to the operation of the brake operating member agrees with a predetermined target characteristic, the total braking force being a sum of at least the compensation braking force containing a pressurizing hydraulic braking force based upon the pressurization and a basic hydraulic pressure braking force based upon the basic hydraulic pressure, the compensation braking force controlling means including: a judging means for judging whether the vehicle has stopped; and a limiting means for limiting the amount of pressurization via the pressure control valve when the judging means judges that the vehicle has stopped, wherein the limiting means includes an upper limit setting means for setting an upper limit of the wheel cylinder pressure, wherein, when the judging means judges that the vehicle has stopped, the limiting means limits the amount of pressurization in a manner that the wheel cylinder pressure does not exceed the upper limit, the limiting means limits the amount of pressurization to a value obtained by subtracting the basic hydraulic pressure from the upper limit while a target wheel cylinder pressure relative to the operation of the brake operating member exceeds the upper limit in a situation where the vehicle has stopped, and the target wheel cylinder corresponds to the predetermined target characteristic, and the control unit maintains the wheel cylinder pressure at a constant pressure value by maintaining the pressure control valve at a closed state and by stopping the hydraulic pump, and the limiting means maintains the pressure control valve at the closed state and stops the hydraulic pump after the limiting means limits the amount of pressurization to the value obtained by subtracting the basic hydraulic pressure from the upper limit while the target wheel cylinder pressure relative to the operation of the brake operating member exceeds the upper limit in a situation where the vehicle has stopped, and the target wheel cylinder corresponds to the predetermined target characteristic.