Abstract:
A hydraulic brake system for a land vehicle, having a master cylinder, which is actuable by the driver by means of a pedal directly or via a brake booster disposed downstream of the pedal, for generating brake pressure in two brake circuits, each of which comprises two wheel brakes, wherein a hydraulic connection between the master cylinder and the wheel brakes is to be established or blocked by valve arrangements in dependence upon trigger signals from an electronic control unit in order to implement normal braking operations brought about directly by the driver or braking operations influenced by the electronic control unit in dependence upon measured variables, which are supplied to the electronic control unit and reflect the vehicle behaviour and/or the driver request, in that the brake pressure characteristic in the wheel brakes is varied by activating the valve arrangements associated therewith, wherein the electronic control unit is devised and programmed in such a way that, in order to set a brake pressure characteristic required for a specific vehicle behaviour, it supplies trigger signals, by means of which the setting of a respective brake pressure characteristic in the two brake circuits in predefined pressure stages (delta-p) is staggered in terms of time by a substantially predefined time stage (delta-t).

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a National stage of International Application No. PCT/EP2006/005492 filed Jun. 8, 2006, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, and which claimed priority to German Patent Application No. 10 2005 026 735.1 filed Jun. 9, 2005, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a hydraulic brake system for a land vehicle having a master cylinder, which is actuable by the driver by means of a pedal directly or via a brake booster disposed downstream of the pedal, for generating brake pressure in two brake circuits, each of which comprises two wheel brakes. In this case, a hydraulic connection between the master cylinder and the wheel brakes is to be established or blocked by means of valve arrangements in dependence upon trigger signals from an electronic control unit in order that normal braking operations brought about directly by the driver or braking operations influenced by the electronic control unit may be carried out in dependence upon measured quantities, which are supplied to the electronic control unit and reflect the vehicle behaviour and/or the driver request, by varying the brake pressure characteristic in the wheel brakes by activating the valve arrangements associated therewith. 
         [0003]    Such hydraulic brake systems are able and intended to carry out automatic braking operations. By these are meant braking operations that occur as a rule independently of a force introduced by the driver at the pedal. Examples of these are braking operations for acceleration spin regulation (ASR), which prevents individual wheels from spinning during the starting operation by targeted braking of the corresponding wheels, braking operations for an electronic stability program (ESP), which adapts the vehicle behaviour in extreme ranges to the driver request and the road conditions by targeted braking of individual wheels, or braking operations for adaptive cruise control (ACC), in which i.a. by automatic braking a defined distance of the actual vehicle from a vehicle travelling in front is maintained. 
         [0004]    Such automatic braking operations, which, caused by corresponding input variables (wheel speeds and/or vehicle speed, or the like) have to run off at low brake pressure level, are particularly susceptible to a jerking and/or pulling of the vehicle that is perceptible by the driver. This is the case for example during ACC braking interventions. These situations make it necessary for almost the same brake pressure levels to prevail in both brake circuits I, II during the braking operation in order to prevent such a jerking and/or pulling of the vehicle from occurring. 
         [0005]    The underlying problem of the invention is that during automatic braking operations the two brake circuits are hydraulically uncoupled from one another, with the result that a pressure equalization between them cannot occur. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The solution according to the invention therefore provides that the electronic control unit is devised and programmed in such a way that, in order to set a brake pressure characteristic required for a specific vehicle behaviour, it supplies trigger signals, by means of which the setting of a respective brake pressure characteristic in the two brake circuits in predefined pressure stages is staggered in terms of time by a substantially predefined time stage. 
         [0007]    This achieves the surprising effect that the smallest reproducibly adjustable pressure stage in the total brake pressure characteristic is smaller than if the pressure characteristic were varied synchronously for both brake circuits. Thus, slight braking interventions are more finely apportionable and any asymmetries are not so immediately detectable by the driver. It is therefore possible to at least partially compensate the fact that the two brake circuits are not hydraulically coupled during automatic braking operations. 
         [0008]    Preferably a pump, which is actuable by the electronic control unit by means of a trigger signal, is provided for raising or lowering the brake pressure in the wheel brakes and may vary its delivery rate in dependence upon the trigger signal. 
         [0009]    An electric motor may further be provided, which actuates the pumps of both brake circuits simultaneously. 
         [0010]    In one embodiment, the electronic control unit is devised and programmed in such a way that, in order to set a brake pressure characteristic, it supplies trigger signals, by means of which starting from an initial value at a point of time in one of the brake circuits the brake pressure rises by a pressure stage to a value and after attainment thereof this brake pressure remains substantially constant for the duration of a pressure stage up to a point of time. 
         [0011]    In this case, the electronic control unit may further be devised and programmed in such a way that, in order to set a brake pressure characteristic, it supplies trigger signals, by means of which in parallel to the raising of the brake pressure in the one brake circuit by a pressure stage to a value, in the other brake circuit the brake pressure from the point of time remains substantially constant at the initial value for the duration of the time stage, and the brake pressure in the second brake circuit at a point of time rises by a pressure stage to a value, which has been achieved at the point of time. 
         [0012]    Furthermore, in the present case the electronic control unit may be devised and programmed in such a way that the alternating pressure increase and pressure keeping phases between the two brake circuits continues from the point of time. 
         [0013]    In a further embodiment, the electronic control unit is devised and programmed in such a way that, in order to set a brake pressure characteristic, it supplies trigger signals, by means of which starting from an initial value at a point of time in one of the brake circuits the brake pressure drops by a pressure stage to a value and after attainment thereof this brake pressure remains substantially constant for the duration of a time stage up to a point of time. 
         [0014]    In this case, the electronic control unit may be devised and programmed in such a way that, in order to set a brake pressure characteristic, it supplies trigger signals, by means of which in parallel to the dropping of the brake pressure in the one brake circuit by a pressure stage to a value, in the other brake circuit the brake circuit from the point of time remains substantially constant at the initial value for the duration of the time stage, the brake pressure in the other circuit at the point of time drops by a pressure stage to a value, which has been attained at the point of time. 
         [0015]    Furthermore, the electronic control unit in this case may be devised and programmed in such a way that the alternating pressure reduction and pressure keeping phases between the two brake circuits continue from the point of time. 
         [0016]    In a further embodiment, the electronic control unit is devised and programmed in such a way that, in order to set a brake pressure characteristic, it supplies trigger signals, by means of which starting from an initial value at a point of time in one of the brake circuits the brake pressure rises by a preliminary pressure stage to a value, which has been attained at a point of time, and after attainment thereof this brake pressure remains substantially constant for the duration of a time stage up to a point of time. 
         [0017]    In this case, the time stage may be a multiple of, preferably two-times, the preliminary time stage. 
         [0018]    Furthermore, in this case the electronic control unit may be devised and programmed in such a way that, in order to set a brake pressure characteristic, it supplies trigger signals, by means of which at the point of time in the one brake circuit the brake pressure up to a point of time rises by a pressure stage to a value, wherein the difference of the points of time corresponds substantially to the time stage and the pressure stage substantially corresponds to a multiple of, preferably two times, the preliminary pressure stage. 
         [0019]    In a development of the last-described embodiment, the electronic control unit is devised and programmed in such a way that, in order to set a brake pressure characteristic, it supplies trigger signals, by means of which in parallel to the increasing of the brake pressure in the one circuit by the preliminary pressure stage to a value and the keeping of said pressure for the duration of a time stage up to the point of time, the brake pressure in the other circuit from the point of time remains substantially constant at the initial value for the duration of the preliminary time stage, rises at the point of time by the pressure stage to the value, which has been attained at the point of time, wherein the difference of the points of time corresponds to the duration of the time stage, and from the point of time the brake pressure in the second brake circuit remains substantially constant for the duration of the time stage up to the point of time. 
         [0020]    It is further provided that the electronic control unit is devised and programmed in such a way that the alternating pressure build-up and pressure keeping phases between the two brake circuits continue from the point of time. 
         [0021]    In a further embodiment, the electronic control unit is devised and programmed in such a way that, in order to set a brake pressure characteristic, it supplies trigger signals, by means of which starting from an initial value at a point of time in the one brake circuit the brake pressure drops by a preliminary pressure stage to a value, which has been attained at a point of time, and after attainment thereof this brake pressure remains substantially constant for the duration of a time stage up to a point of time. 
         [0022]    Here too, the time stage may last a multiple of, preferably two times the preliminary time stage. 
         [0023]    The electronic control unit may further be devised and programmed in such a way that, in order to set a brake pressure characteristic, it supplies trigger signals, by means of which at the point of time in the one brake circuit the brake pressure up to a point of time drops by a pressure stage to a value, wherein the difference of the points of time corresponds substantially to the time stage and the pressure stage corresponds substantially to a multiple of, preferably two times, the preliminary pressure stage. 
         [0024]    In the last-described embodiment, it is further possible for the electronic control unit to be devised and programmed in such a way that, in order to set a brake pressure characteristic, it supplies trigger signals, by means of which in parallel to the dropping of the brake pressure in the one brake circuit by the preliminary pressure stage to a value and the keeping of said pressure for the duration of a time stage up to a point of time, the brake pressure in the other brake circuit from the point of time remains substantially constant at the initial value for the duration of the preliminary time stage, at the point of time drops by the pressure stage to the value, which has been attained at the point of time, wherein the difference of the points of time corresponds to the duration of the time stage, and from the point of time the brake pressure in the other brake circuit remains substantially constant for the duration of the time stage up to the point of time. 
         [0025]    The electronic control unit may further be devised and programmed in such a way that the alternating pressure reduction and pressure keeping phases between the two brake circuits continue from the point of time. 
         [0026]    Other advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, when read in light of the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0027]    In  FIG. 1  the hydraulic circuit diagram of an electronically controllable brake system is diagrammatically represented. 
           [0028]      FIG. 2  shows the hydraulic circuit diagram of the brake system of  FIG. 1 , in which because of specific position combinations the brake circuits are hydraulically separate from one another, so that a pressure equalization between them by means of the master cylinder is not provided. 
           [0029]      FIG. 3  illustrates a first pressure characteristic that arises when in the two brake circuits the setting of the respective brake pressure characteristics occurs in predefined pressure stages staggered in terms of time. 
           [0030]      FIG. 4  illustrates a first pressure characteristic that arises when in one of the two brake circuits the hydraulic pressure is initially raised or lowered by a preliminary pressure stage, and then the setting of the respective brake pressure characteristics occurs staggered in time in predefined pressure stages (which are greater than the preliminary pressure stage). 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0031]    The brake system  10  operates by means of hydraulic fluid that is stored in part in a tank  11 , which is connected as a reservoir to the master (brake) cylinder  12 . To generate brake pressure, which arises by pressurizing the hydraulic fluid, a master cylinder  12  is used, which may be actuated by the driver by means of a pedal  13 , wherein the force F introduced by the driver is boosted—preferably pneumatically or hydraulically—by means of a brake booster  14  that is disposed between the pedal  13  and the master cylinder  12 . 
         [0032]    From the master cylinder  12  a first and second brake circuit I, II are supplied with hydraulic fluid. The brake circuits I, II are of a substantially identical construction and each have two wheel brakes  50 ,  60 . For this reason, only the first brake circuit I that supplies the two wheel brakes  50  and  60  is represented in detail here. Depending on which wheel brakes of the vehicle are supplied from which brake circuit, the result is a front axle/rear axle split, i.e. the one brake circuit supplies the wheel brakes of the front axle and the other brake circuit supplies the wheel brakes of the rear axle, or a diagonal split, i.e. each brake circuit supplies the wheel brake of a front wheel and the wheel brake of the diagonally opposite rear wheel. 
         [0033]    Between the master cylinder  12  and the wheel brakes  50  and  60  there is a hydraulic connection. This hydraulic connection is determined by 2/2-way valves  51 ,  52 ,  61 ,  62 ,  71  and  72 , which are actuated by electromagnets and in the non-actuated, i.e. electrically non-activated state adopt the illustrated basic positions. In their basic position the 2/2-way valves  51 ,  61  and  71  are situated each in their flow position and the 2/2-way valves  52 ,  62  and  72  each in their blocked position. 
         [0034]    To implement normal braking operations, in the illustrated basic position of the 2/2-way valves  51 ,  52 ,  61 ,  62 ,  71  and  72  there is a direct hydraulic connection between the master cylinder  12  and the wheel brakes  50  and  60 . In this case, when the master cylinder  12  is actuated, in the wheel brakes  50  and  60  a brake pressure is effective, the amount of which is dependent upon the force F introduced by the driver into the pedal  13  and upon the boost characteristic of the brake booster  14 . 
         [0035]    The brake system according to the invention is devised so as to implement anti-lock control (ABS) in order to prevent locking of the wheels during a braking operation. For this purpose, individual modulation of the effective brake pressure in the wheel brakes  50  and/or  60  is necessary. This occurs by setting in a time sequence alternating pressure build-up, pressure keeping and pressure reduction phases as described in detail further below, which arise in that the 2/2-way valves  51 ,  52  and  61 ,  62  associated with the wheel brakes  50  and  60  respectively are suitably activated by means of an electronic control unit ECU. This electronic control unit ECU, besides a row of signal inputs that may be supplied i.a. by wheel speed sensors, yaw rate sensors and/or transverse acceleration sensors etc., has trigger outputs for trigger signals m, n, . . . , s for the electrical activation of the 2/2-way valves  51 ,  52 ,  61 ,  62 ,  71  and  72  as well as of the electric motor  32  of a pump  31 . The activating operations occur in dependence, on the one hand, upon measured variables describing the vehicle behaviour (for example wheel speeds, yaw rate, transverse acceleration) and, on the other hand, upon measured variables describing the driver request (for example actuation of the pedal  13 , steering wheel angle). As a measured variable describing the driver request it is also possible to use the brake pressure p that is generated in the master cylinder  12  and then acquired by means of a sensor  41  and supplied as a signal input to the ECU. 
         [0036]    During a pressure build-up phase the 2/2-way valves  51 ,  52  and  61 ,  62  each adopt their basic position, so that owing to an actuation of the pump  31  brought about by the electronic control unit ECU by means of a trigger signal s an increase of the brake pressure in the wheel brakes  50  and/or  60  is effected as in a normal braking operation. 
         [0037]    For a pressure keeping phase, only the 2/2-way valves  51  and  61  are activated by means of trigger signals p, n and transferred in this case into the respective blocked positions. The 2/2-way valves  52  and  62  are not activated in the pressure keeping phase and therefore remain in their blocked position. Consequently, the wheel brakes  50  and  60  are hydraulically uncoupled from the rest of the brake circuit, with the result that brake pressure in the wheel brakes  50  and  60  is held constant and cannot escape. 
         [0038]    During a pressure reduction phase, both the 2/2-way valves  51 ,  61  and the 2/2-way valves  52 ,  62  are activated by means of trigger signals p, n; m, o. During the pressure reduction phase the 2/2-way valves  51  and  61  are transferred into their respective blocked position and the 2/2-way valves  52  and  62  into their respective flow positions. Thus, hydraulic fluid is able to flow out of the wheel brake  50  and/or  60  in order to lower a brake pressure in the wheel brakes  50  and/or  60 . 
         [0039]    The hydraulic fluid, which during a pressure reduction phase flows out of the wheel brakes  50  and  60  through the 2/2-way valves  52  and  62  respectively, is fed back into the brake circuit I by means of a pump  31 , which is actuated by means of an electric motor  31  (activated by a trigger signal s), wherein a low-pressure receiver  21  is used for the temporary storage of hydraulic fluid. 
         [0040]    The pump  31  designed for example as a radial piston pump is designed to block counter to its feed direction by means of a non-return valve  33  at the output of the pump  31  and a non-return valve  34  at the input of the pump  31 . 
         [0041]    The rotational speed of the electric motor  32  is adjustable and/or controllable by means of the trigger signal s of the ECU. The delivery rate of the pump  31  may therefore be varied. It is also possible for the electric motor  32  simultaneously to actuate the corresponding pump of the second brake circuit II, which is not represented in detail here. 
         [0042]    Automatic braking operations occur as a rule independently of a force F introduced by the driver at the pedal  13 . Such automatic braking operations occur for example in acceleration spin regulation (ASR), which prevents individual wheels from spinning during a starting operation by targeted braking, or in an electronic stability program (ESP), which adapts the vehicle behaviour to the request of the driver and the road conditions in extreme ranges through targeted braking of individual wheels, or in adaptive cruise control (ACC), whereby by means of i.a. automatic braking a distance of the actual vehicle from a vehicle travelling in front is maintained. 
         [0043]    To implement automatic braking operations, the 2/2-way valves  71  and  72  are activated so that the 2/2-way valve  71  adopts its blocked position and the 2/2-way valve  72  adopts its flow position. This means that, on the one hand, the output of the pump  31  is hydraulically uncoupled from the brake circuit II and/or the master cylinder  12 , i.e. a direct hydraulic connection exists only between the output of the pump  31  and the wheel brakes  50  and  60 . On the other hand, a hydraulic connection of the input of the pump  31  to the master cylinder  12  and/or the tank  11  exists, thereby allowing the pump  31  to take in hydraulic fluid from the tank  11  in order to generate brake pressure in the wheel brakes  50  and  60 . A fine adjustment and/or modulation of the brake pressure may be effected by corresponding activation of the 2/2-way valves  51 ,  52  and  61 ,  62  associated with the wheel brakes  50  and  60  respectively, as explained in connection with ABS. 
         [0044]    Connected in parallel to the 2/2-way valve  71  is a pressure relief valve  73 . This prevents the brake pressure, which that is generated at the output of the pump  31  when the 2/2-way valve is in blocked position, from exceeding a predetermined dimension. This measure prevents damage to the brake system. 
         [0045]    During automatic braking operations that have to run off at low brake pressure level, the driver very easily perceives a jerking and/or pulling of the vehicle. This is because in such brake systems during automatic braking operations in both brake circuit I, II the output of the pump  31  is hydraulically uncoupled from the master cylinder  12  on account of the 2/2-way valve  71  being switched into blocked position. The brake circuits I, II are therefore hydraulically separate from one another and so a pressure equalization in the master cylinder  12  according to the floating piston principle, such as is otherwise the case in conventional brake systems, is not provided. 
         [0046]    This situation is represented in  FIG. 2 , wherein the 2/2-way valve  72  is switched into flow position to allow the pump  31  to take in hydraulic fluid from the tank  11  in order to generate a brake pressure p-circuit- 1  in the wheel brakes  50  and  60  of the first brake circuit I. 
         [0047]    According to the invention, it is then proposed that the setting of a brake pressure characteristic p-total that is required for a specific vehicle behaviour, particularly in terms of deceleration or acceleration, is effected in that in each of the brake circuits I, II the setting of a brake pressure characteristic p-circuit- 1 , p-circuit- 2  is effected in predefined pressure stages delta-p in terms of time in such a way that the brake pressure characteristics p-circuit- 1 , p-circuit- 2  occur staggered by a predefined time stage delta-t. 
         [0048]      FIG. 3  illustrates a first procedure for this purpose. Starting from an initial value p 0 , at a point of time t 0  in the first brake circuit I the brake pressure p-circuit- 1  is raised by a pressure stage delta-p to a value p 1 . As soon as the brake pressure p-circuit- 1  has reached the value p 1  at the point of time t 1 , it is held constant up to a point of time t 2  for the duration of a time stage delta-t that corresponds to the difference of the points of time t 1 , t 0 . 
         [0049]    In parallel thereto, in the second brake circuit II the brake pressure p-circuit- 2  from the point of time t 0  is held constant at the initial value p 0  for the duration of the time stage delta-t, at the point of time t 1  is raised by the pressure stage delta-p to the valve p 1 , which is held constant up to the point of time t 2 , wherein the difference of the points of time t 2 , t 1  corresponds to the duration of the time stage delta-t. 
         [0050]    If this interaction between the brake circuits I, II is continued from the point of time t 2 , this leads in the brake circuits I, II to the brake pressure characteristics p-circuit- 1 , p-circuit- 2  represented in  FIG. 3 . From these results the brake pressure characteristic p-total, which is decisive for the vehicle behaviour and for which an, in principle, linear shape arises. 
         [0051]    In the second embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 , at a point of time t 0  starting from an initial value p 0  in the first brake circuit I the brake pressure p-circuit- 1  is raised by a preliminary pressure stage delta-p/2 to a value p 1 , which has been reached at a point of time t 1 , wherein the difference of the points of time t 1 , t 0  corresponds to a preliminary time stage delta-t/2. As soon as the brake pressure p-circuit- 1  has reached the value p 1  at the point of time t 1 , it is held constant up to a point of time t 2  for the duration of a time stage delta-t. In this case, the time stage delta-t corresponds to the difference of the points of time t 2 , t 1  or to two times the preliminary time stage delta-t/2. At the point of time t 2  the brake pressure p-circuit- 1  up to a point of time t 3  is raised by a pressure stage delta-p to a value p 3 , wherein the difference of the points of time t 3 , t 2  corresponds to the time stage delta-t and the pressure stage delta-p corresponds to two times the preliminary pressure stage delta-p/2. 
         [0052]    In parallel thereto, in the second brake circuit II the brake pressure p-circuit- 2  starting from the point of time t 0  is held constant at the initial value p 0  for the duration of the preliminary time stage delta-t/2, is raised at the point of time t 1  by the pressure stage delta-t to the value p 2 , which has been reached at the point of time t 2 , wherein the difference of the points of time t 2 , t 1  corresponds to the duration of the time stage delta-t. From the point of time t 2  the brake pressure p-circuit- 2  is held constant for the duration of the time stage delta-t up to the point of time t 3 . 
         [0053]    By continuing this interaction between the brake circuits I, II from the point of time t 3  in the brake circuits I, II the brake pressure characteristics p-circuit- 1 , p-circuit- 2  arise, which are represented in  FIG. 4  and from which the brake pressure characteristic p-total that is decisive for the vehicle behaviour results. 
         [0054]    Whereas with the procedure according to  FIG. 3  the characteristic of the brake pressures p-circuit- 1 , p-circuit- 2  is staggered only in terms of time by a time stage delta-p relative to one another, the characteristics of the brake pressures p-circuit- 1 , p-circuit- 2  with the procedure according to  FIG. 4  are staggered both in terms of time by a time stage delta-t/2 and in terms of value by a pressure stage delta-p/2 relative to one another, so that the brake pressure characteristic p-total that is decisive for the vehicle behaviour is notable for a characteristic that is smoothed to an even greater extent. 
         [0055]    In any case, irrespective of whether the embodiment according to  FIG. 3  or  4  is used, the gradient of the brake pressure characteristic p-total that is decisive for the vehicle behaviour during the braking operation may be varied within a wide range by suitably adapting the pressure stages delta-p and delta-p/2 and/or the time stages delta-t and delta/2. 
         [0056]    It is also self-evident to the person skilled in the art that the raising according to the invention of the brake pressures p-circuit- 1 , p-circuit- 2  that is represented by way of the embodiments  FIGS. 3 and 4  may equally be used for the reducing of the brake pressures [sic]. 
         [0057]    In accordance with the provisions of other patent statutes, the principle and mode of operation of this invention have been explained and illustrated in its preferred embodiment. However, it must be understood that this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically explained and illustrated without departing from its spirit or scope.