Patent ID: 7673948
Filing Date: 2010-03-09
Classification: B60K,B60T

Abstract:
1. A hydraulic brake apparatus for use in a vehicle having a plurality of wheels and a brake operating member manually operable by a driver of the vehicle, the apparatus comprising: a manual pressure source including (a) a hydraulic booster which boosts an operating force applied by the driver to the brake operating member and produces a first hydraulic pressure corresponding to the boosted operating force, and (b) a master cylinder which produces a second hydraulic pressure corresponding to the boosted operating force as an output of the hydraulic booster; a power pressure source including at least a pumping device which produces, by utilizing a power, a third hydraulic pressure irrespective of whether the brake operating member is operated by the driver; a plurality of hydraulic brakes which are provided in association with the plurality of wheels, respectively, and include respective brake cylinders, and each of which, upon supplying of a hydraulic pressure to a corresponding one of the brake cylinders, applies a hydraulic braking force to a corresponding one of the wheels; a hub portion which is connected to each of the respective brake cylinders of the hydraulic brakes and to which the hydraulic booster, the master cylinder, and the power pressure source are connected in parallel with each other; and a pressure-source communication control device which selectively allows at least one of the hydraulic booster, the master cylinder, and the power pressure source to communicate with the hub portion, wherein the power pressure source comprises a hydraulic-pressure control valve device which is provided between the pumping device and the hub portion and is connected to each of the pumping device and the hub portion, which includes at least one linear valve having a solenoid, and which can continuously control a pressure difference across itself, to a continuously changeable value corresponding to a continuously changeable electric current supplied to the solenoid, and wherein the hydraulic brake apparatus further comprises a hydraulic-pressure-control-valve-device control portion which continuously controls the electric current supplied to the solenoid and thereby controls the hydraulic-pressure control valve device, so as to control a hydraulic pressure in the hub portion, wherein the hydraulic pressure-control-valve-device control portion controls said at least one linear valve of the hydraulic-pressure control valve device to control the hydraulic pressure in the hub portion to a target value corresponding to a current condition of the vehicle.