Electro-hydraulic brake actuator for vehicle brake

1. An electro-hydraulic brake actuator for a vehicle brake having a default brake engagement position, the actuator comprising:

an electric motor configured to operate at about 28 Vdc, the motor further configured to operate at about 2 Amps to maintain a vehicle brake in a disengaged position; and

a hydraulic master piston operatively coupled to the electric motor, the hydraulic master piston configured to slidingly move within a master cylinder fillable with a hydraulic fluid such that advancement of the master piston within the master cylinder varies the hydraulic pressure supplied to the vehicle brake,

wherein the hydraulic piston is operatively coupled to the motor via a gear train mechanism coupled to a lead screw and a shaft of the motor, wherein the motor is configured to rotate the shaft to rotate one or more gears of the gear train, which in turn rotates the lead screw thereby causing the hydraulic master piston to move within the master cylinder.

2. The electro-hydraulic brake actuator of claim 1 , wherein the motor operates the hydraulic master piston to vary the hydraulic pressure applied to the vehicle brake such that the vehicle brake can be fully engaged in about 100 ms or less and fully disengaged in about 200 ms or less.

3. The electro-hydraulic brake actuator of claim 1 , further comprising:

a controller that actuates the motor to slidingly move the master piston within the master cylinder in order to advance a brake pad into engagement with a disc of the vehicle brake so as to exert a braking force corresponding to a brake command signal, the controller actuating the motor to retract the brake pad from engagement with the disc until a detected brake force is approximately zero upon receipt of a brake release signal.

4. The electro-hydraulic brake actuator of claim 1 , further comprising a bypass valve communicating the master cylinder with a hydraulic fluid reservoir, the bypass valve selectively actuatable by a controller to allow a flow of hydraulic fluid from the master cylinder into the reservoir to thereby reduce the hydraulic pressure in the master cylinder.

5. The electro-hydraulic brake actuator of claim 1 , wherein the electric motor and hydraulic master cylinder are configured to fit within a wheel hub corresponding to the vehicle brake, the motor configured to operate the hydraulic master piston to vary the hydraulic pressure applied to the brake.

6. An electro-hydraulic brake actuator for a vehicle brake having a default brake engagement position, the actuator comprising:

an electric motor configured to operate at about 28 Vdc, the motor further configured to operate at about 2 Amps to maintain a vehicle brake in a disengaged position; and

a hydraulic master piston operatively coupled to the electric motor via a cam nut moveable along a lead screw, the hydraulic master piston configured to slidingly move within a master cylinder fillable with a hydraulic fluid such that advancement of the master piston within the master cylinder varies the hydraulic pressure supplied to the vehicle brake,

wherein the electric motor and hydraulic master cylinder are configured to fit at least partially within a wheel hub corresponding to the vehicle brake.

7. The electro-hydraulic brake actuator of claim 6 , wherein the motor operates the hydraulic master piston to vary the hydraulic pressure applied to the vehicle brake such that the vehicle brake can be fully engaged in about 100 ms or less and fully disengaged in about 200 ms or less.

8. The electro-hydraulic brake actuator of claim 6 , wherein the electric motor and hydraulic master cylinder are configured to completely fit within a wheel hub corresponding to the vehicle brake.

9. The electro-hydraulic brake actuator of claim 6 , wherein the cam nut comprises an inclined surface relative to its axis that contacts a portion of the piston, the piston configured to translate along the cylinder as the cam nut translates along the lead screw, thereby causing said portion of the piston to move along the inclined surface.

10. The electro-hydraulic brake actuator of claim 6 , wherein the motor and the piston extend along axes that are at an angle relative to each other.

11. An electro-hydraulic brake actuator for a vehicle brake having a default brake engagement position, the actuator comprising:

an electric motor configured to operate at about 28 Vdc, the motor further configured to operate at about 2 Amps to maintain a vehicle brake in a disengaged position; and

a hydraulic master piston operatively coupled to the electric motor via a lead screw driven by a gear train mechanism coupled to the lead screw and a shaft of the motor, the hydraulic master piston configured to slidingly move within a master cylinder fillable with a hydraulic fluid such that advancement of the master piston within the master cylinder varies the hydraulic pressure supplied to the vehicle brake,

wherein the electric motor and hydraulic master cylinder are configured to at least partially fit within a wheel hub corresponding to the vehicle brake.

12. The electro-hydraulic brake actuator of claim 11 , wherein the motor operates the hydraulic master piston to vary the hydraulic pressure applied to the vehicle brake such that the vehicle brake can be fully engaged in about 100 ms or less and fully disengaged in about 200 ms or less.

13. The electro-hydraulic brake actuator of claim 11 , wherein the motor and the hydraulic master piston extend along generally parallel axes.

14. A method for operating an electro-hydraulic brake actuator for a vehicle brake having a default brake engagement position, comprising:

actuating an electric motor at about 28 Vdc;

translating a master piston within a master cylinder to increase the hydraulic pressure within the master cylinder to thereby retract a brake pad of a vehicle brake from engagement with a disc of the vehicle brake, the master cylinder being operatively coupled to the electric motor;

actuating the motor to advance the master piston to move the vehicle brake into a disengaged position out of engagement with the disc upon receipt of a brake release signal; and

operating the electric motor at about 2 Amps to maintain the vehicle brake in the disengaged position,

wherein actuating the motor to advance the master piston comprises rotating a motor shaft to in turn rotate a lead screw via a gear train, the lead screw coupled to the master piston.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein actuating the motor to advance the master piston to move the vehicle brake into the disengaged position includes moving the brake pad away from the disc until a detected brake force is approximately zero.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein translating the master piston to advance the brake pad into engagement with the disc includes advancing the brake pad into engagement with the disc in about 100 ms or less.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein advancing the master piston to move vehicle brake into the disengaged position includes retracting the brake pad out of engagement with the disc in about 200 ms or less.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising

detecting at least one of a loss of power and a loss of hydraulic pressure, and

opening a bypass valve between the master cylinder and a hydraulic fluid reservoir to allow flow of hydraulic fluid from the master cylinder to the reservoir, thereby reducing a hydraulic pressure in the master cylinder and allowing the brake pad to engage the brake disc.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein actuating the motor to advance the master piston comprises rotating a lead screw to advance a cam nut having an outer inclined surface along a length of the lead screw, which causes an end of the master piston in contact with the cam nut to move up the inclined surface of the cam nut to thereby advance the master piston within the master cylinder.