IP Library Granted Patent US 9,902,378
Granted Patent B2
US 9,902,378 · App. 14/833,561 · Granted Feb 27, 2018

Brake system

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,902,378
App. No.
14/833,561
Granted
Feb 27, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

An object of the present invention is to obtain a brake system that can generate appropriate braking force without influence of temperature. A brake system includes: a piston that presses pressing members; a motor that moves the piston; a current detection unit that detects current flowing in the motor; a storage unit that stores a correspondence relation between idle running current and motor stopping current; a motor stopping current setting unit that sets the motor stopping current using the storage unit and the idle running current; and a control unit that stops to supply the current to the motor when the current flowing in the motor reaches the motor stopping current. The correspondence relation is set so that the rate of change of the motor stopping current relative to the idle running current becomes smaller when the idle running current is small than that when it is large.

Claims (36)

1. A brake system that presses pressing members to a rotary member to control the rotation of the rotary member, the system comprising:

a piston that can be moved in the pressing direction of the pressing members;

a motor that moves the piston with the supply of a power source;

a current detection unit that detects current flowing in the motor;

a storage unit that stores a correspondence relationship between idle running current flowing in the motor from the time the piston is started to move to the time the pressing members are started to be pressed and motor stopping current serving as a standard when the supply of current to the motor is stopped;

a motor stopping current setting unit that sets the motor stopping current by referring to the storage unit using the idle running current; and

a control unit that stops the supply of current to the motor when the current flowing in the motor reaches the motor stopping current, wherein

the correspondence relationship is set in the storage unit so that the rate of change of the motor stopping current relative to the idle running current becomes smaller when the idle running current is small than that when the idle running current is large.

2. The brake system according to claim 1 , wherein

the correspondence relation is set in the storage unit so that as the idle running current is increased, the motor stopping current becomes smaller in a range of small idle running current, and as the idle running current is increased, the motor stopping current becomes larger in a range of large idle running current.

3. The brake system according to claim 2 , wherein

the correspondence relation is set in the storage unit so that the increased amount of the motor stopping current relative to the increased amount of the idle running current becomes larger in a range of large idle running current.

4. The brake system according to claim 3 , wherein

the correspondence relation is set in the storage unit on the basis of the temperature of the motor and the temperature of a reduction gear.

5. The brake system according to claim 4 , wherein

the temperature of the motor is estimated on the basis of the current flowing in the motor.

6. The brake system according to claim 4 , wherein

when the temperature of the reduction gear is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value, as the idle running current becomes larger, the motor stopping current is set to become larger.

7. The brake system according to claim 3 , wherein

the storage unit includes a first area, a second area, and a third area for the idle running current in ascending order, the rate of change of the motor stopping current relative to the idle running current in the first area is substantially 0, and the rate of change of the motor stopping current relative to the idle running current in the second area is smaller than the rate of change of the motor stopping current relative to the idle running current in the third area.

8. A brake system comprising:

pressing members that apply braking force to a vehicle by pressing a rotor rotated together with a wheel;

a piston that moves the pressing members towards the rotor, or in a direction away from the rotor;

a motor that moves the piston with a supply of current;

a reduction gear that transmits the power of the motor to the piston;

a detection unit that detects idle running current flowing after inrush current flowing immediately after the motor is started to be driven is converged; and

a control unit that generates the braking force for the vehicle by driving the motor, and then stops the motor under a completion condition in which the pressing force of the pressing members to the rotor reaches a target value at which the driving of the motor is stopped, wherein

the control unit sets the target value on the basis of the changes of a torque constant of the motor and the changes of the resistance of the reduction gear.

9. A brake system comprising:

pressing members that apply braking force to a vehicle by pressing a rotor rotated together with a wheel;

a piston that moves the pressing members towards the rotor, or in a direction away from the rotor;

a motor that moves the piston with a supply of current;

a detection unit that detects idle running current flowing after inrush current flowing immediately after the motor is started to be driven is converged;

a temperature estimation unit that estimates the temperature of the motor on the basis of current flowing in the motor; and

a control unit that generates the braking force for the vehicle by driving the motor, and then stops the motor under a completion condition in which the pressing force of the pressing members to the rotor reaches a target value at which the driving of the motor is stopped, wherein

when the temperature of the motor is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value, the control unit sets the target value to become larger as the idle running current becomes larger.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 30, 2021
From: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
To: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
Reel/Frame 058481/0935 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 24, 2015
From: SETO, SHINJI; KOBUNE, TATSURO; SAKASHITA, TAKAYASU
To: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 036403/0906 →