A control unit for a brake system of a vehicle. Using a sensor signal, provided by a sensor and is in regard to a distance moved by a driver braking-force transmission component or by a booster force transmission component, the control unit discerns if a movable piston of a master brake cylinder of the brake system is moved by a brake actuating distance equal to a specified, limiting brake actuating distance, and, possibly, to output at least one control signal to a pump control unit of at least one hydraulic pump of the brake system. The pump control unit can be activated by the at least one control signal so that brake fluid may be conveyed from a brake fluid reservoir of the brake system into at least one wheel brake cylinder of the brake system using at least one hydraulic pump controlled by the pump control unit.

A brake system includes a reservoir and a motor-driven master cylinder operable during a backup braking mode by actuation of an electric motor of the master cylinder to generate brake actuating pressure for hydraulically actuating the pair of front wheel brakes and the pair of rear wheel brakes. A power transmission unit is configured for selectively providing pressurized hydraulic fluid to a PTU output for actuating the pair of front wheel brakes and the pair of rear wheel brakes in a normal non-failure braking mode. First and second two-position three-way valves are each hydraulically connected with the master cylinder, the power transmission unit, and a selected pair of the front and rear wheel brakes. Each of the first and second three-way valves selectively controls hydraulic fluid flow from a chosen one of the master cylinder and the power transmission unit to the selected pair of front and rear wheel brakes.

A hydraulic brake system includes: a plurality of hydraulic brakes respectively provided for a plurality of wheels of a vehicle, each of which is configured to reduce rotation of a corresponding one of the wheels by a hydraulic pressure in a hydraulic-pressure chamber of a wheel cylinder; and a plurality of electric cylinder devices each of which is provided for one or more of the plurality of hydraulic brakes. Each electric cylinder device includes: a housing; a piston fluid-tightly and slidably disposed in the housing; an electric motor as a drive source; a rotation-linear motion converting mechanism configured to convert a rotational motion of the electric motor to a linear motion of the piston; and a volume change chamber disposed forward of the piston and connected to the hydraulic-pressure chamber of the wheel cylinder of each of the one or more of the plurality of hydraulic brakes.

A fluidic control system (1) for controlling a vehicle, which includes a controller (2) and a closed fluidic circuit. The circuit includes a pump (3) for pressurizing fluid in the circuit, valve means (40, 50, 60), an actuator (4, 5, 6) and a precharge accumulator (7). The valve means (40, 50, 60) is fluidly connected to the inlet and outlet of the pump (3) and the actuator (4, 6) is fluidly connected to the valve means (40, 50, 60) for selectively receiving pressurized fluid therefrom. The precharge accumulator (7) includes a movable member (73, FIG. 2) that describes a variable volume (71) fluidly connected to the circuit between the valve means (40, 50, 60) and the inlet of the pump (3). The system (1) also includes a sensor (70) for determining the position of the movable member (73) for estimating the quantity of fluid and/or detecting an abnormal pressure variation within the circuit.

Disclosed are systems and methods for regulating application of an emergency brake configured to minimize jerk for riders' comfort while assuring safe application of the emergency brake. An emergency brake optimization module may be provided and positioned in fluid communication with a standard hydraulic brake system to regulate the application of the emergency brake through (i) providing an initial inflow of hydraulic fluid through a dead time caliper fill circuit to the brake supply line during a dead time period of fluid supply through the emergency brake valve to reduce dead time in emergency brake application, (ii) providing an oversized choke, or optionally no choke, in the emergency brake circuit with jerk being controlled through consumption of excess hydraulic fluid by a secondary volume consumption circuit, and (iii) providing both a dead time caliper fill circuit and a secondary volume consumption circuit to more precisely control reduction in dead time and minimization of jerk during application of the emergency brake.

Disclosed are systems and methods for regulating application of an emergency brake configured to minimize jerk for riders' comfort while assuring safe application of the emergency brake. An emergency brake optimization module may be provided and positioned in fluid communication with a standard hydraulic brake system to regulate the application of the emergency brake through (i) providing an initial inflow of hydraulic fluid through a dead time caliper fill circuit to the brake supply line during a dead time period of fluid supply through the emergency brake valve to reduce dead time in emergency brake application, (ii) providing an oversized choke, or optionally no choke, in the emergency brake circuit with jerk being controlled through consumption of excess hydraulic fluid by a secondary volume consumption circuit, and (iii) providing both a dead time caliper fill circuit and a secondary volume consumption circuit to more precisely control reduction in dead time and minimization of jerk during application of the emergency brake.

An on-board brake system mounted in an autonomous vehicle comprises a brake unit, a first brake actuator and a second brake actuator for driving the brake unit, and a main ECU for controlling drive of the first and second brake actuators; the second brake actuator is an accumulating actuator; and when an emergency stop switch is depressed, the main ECU operates only the second brake actuator or operates the second brake actuator with precedence over the first brake actuator.

A control method of a hydraulic brake apparatus for a vehicle including a first brake device and a second brake device configured to supply hydraulic pressure to wheel brakes, and a control unit including a first controller controlling the first brake device and a second controller controlling the second brake device, includes receiving information for determining a status of the first brake device by means of the control unit; determining whether the first brake device is normally operated using the information for determining a status of the first brake by means of the control unit; and controlling at least one of the first brake device and the second brake device to decrease a hydraulic pressure loss amount in the wheel brakes when the control unit determines that the first brake is not normally operated.

The present disclosure provides a vehicle brake comprising: a reservoir configured to store a fluid therein; a hydraulic circuit configured to transfer a hydraulic pressure to a wheel of a vehicle; a plurality of valves disposed to regulate a flow of the fluid in the hydraulic circuit; and a master cylinder including a cylinder body, a main piston which is movably disposed within the cylinder body and in which a receptacle is formed at one side thereof, and a center piston which is disposed within the cylinder body and in which a penetration hole is formed in at least a part thereof, wherein the penetration hole is formed to have a size smaller than a cross-sectional area of the receptacle, and as the main piston moves, at least a part of the center piston is inserted into the receptacle, and thus a pressurizing area of the main piston decreases.

According to at least one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a brake system for a vehicle which includes a 3-way solenoid valve to reduce the number of solenoid valves mounted to the brake system.