Method for actuating a hydraulic braking system

Abstract

In a method for actuating a hydraulic braking system, a hydraulic fluid is temporarily stored in a storage chamber when the antilocking system is activated. An additional hydraulic buffer volume of the storage chamber increases as the vehicle speed decreases.

Claims

1. A method for actuating a hydraulic braking system having an antilocking system in a vehicle, the method comprising: storing hydraulic fluid of a brake circuit in a storage chamber when the antilocking system is activated; and subsequently recirculating a working volume of the hydraulic fluid from the storage chamber into the brake circuit with the aid of a recirculation pump, while leaving a buffer volume of the hydraulic fluid to remain in the storage chamber after the working volume is conveyed out of the storage chamber, wherein a size of the buffer volume relative to a storage capacity of the storage chamber increases as a speed of the vehicle decreases.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the buffer volume increases conditional upon the speed of the vehicle being below a first speed limiting value.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the speed limiting value is a maximum of 10 km/h.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the buffer volume remains constant conditional upon the speed of the vehicle decreasing below a second speed limiting value which is lower than the first speed limiting value.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the buffer volume increases as the vehicle speed decreases conditional upon a friction coefficient between at least one wheel of the vehicle and a roadway being below a specified friction coefficient limiting value.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the friction coefficient limiting value is a maximum of 0.2.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a pump speed of the recirculation pump is at least one of: substantially constant when the buffer volume is increased, or decreased when the buffer volume is increased.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the working volume is at most as large as the buffer volume.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the increase of the buffer volume is reduced or neutralized if the vehicle is not continuously decelerated.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the increase of the buffer volume is neutralized after lapse of a defined period of time.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the increase of the buffer volume occurs conditional upon the vehicle being continuously decelerated.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the working volume decreases as the buffer volume increases.

13. A system for controlling a hydraulic braking system having an antilocking system in a vehicle, the system comprising: a control unit including a processor configured to control the following: storing hydraulic fluid of a brake circuit in a storage chamber when the antilocking system is activated; and subsequently recirculating a working volume of the hydraulic fluid from the storage chamber into the brake circuit with the aid of a recirculation pump, while leaving a buffer volume of the hydraulic fluid to remain in the storage chamber after the working volume is conveyed out of the storage chamber, wherein a size of the buffer volume relative to a storage capacity of the storage chamber increases as a speed of the vehicle decreases.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the buffer volume increases conditional upon a speed of the vehicle being below a first speed limiting value.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the buffer volume remains constant conditional upon the speed of the vehicle decreasing below a second speed limiting value which is lower than the first speed limiting value.

16. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the buffer volume increases as the vehicle speed decreases conditional upon a friction coefficient between at least one wheel of the vehicle and a roadway being below a specified friction coefficient limiting value.

17. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein a pump speed of the recirculation pump is at least one of: substantially constant when the buffer volume is increased, or decreased when the buffer volume is increased.

18. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the working volume is at most as large as the buffer volume.

19. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the increase of the buffer volume is reduced or neutralized if the vehicle is not continuously decelerated.

20. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the increase of the buffer volume occurs conditional upon the vehicle being continuously decelerated.

21. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the increase of the buffer volume is neutralized after lapse of a defined period of time.

22. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the working volume decreases as the buffer volume increases.

23. A system for actuating a hydraulic braking system having an antilocking system in a vehicle, the system comprising: means for storing hydraulic fluid of a brake circuit in a storage chamber when the antilocking system is activated; and means for subsequently recirculating a working volume of the hydraulic fluid from the storage chamber into the brake circuit with the aid of a recirculation pump, while leaving a buffer volume of the hydraulic fluid to remain in the storage chamber after the working volume is conveyed out of the storage chamber, wherein a size of the buffer volume relative to a storage capacity of the storage chamber increases as a speed of the vehicle decreases.

24. The system as recited in claim 23, wherein the buffer volume increases conditional upon a speed of the vehicle being below a first speed limiting value.

25. The system as recited in claim 24, wherein the buffer volume remains constant conditional upon the speed of the vehicle decreasing below a second speed limiting value which is lower than the first speed limiting value.

26. The system as recited in claim 23, wherein the increase of the buffer volume occurs conditional upon the vehicle being continuously decelerated.

27. The system as recited in claim 23, wherein the working volume decreases as the buffer volume increases.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a hydraulic circuit diagram of a vehicle braking system having two brake circuits and an integrated antilocking system.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a diagram with the curve of a buffer volume in a storage chamber as a function of the vehicle speed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(3) The hydraulic brake configuration in a braking system 1 depicted in the hydraulic circuit diagram according to FIG. 1 includes a first brake circuit 2 and a second brake circuit 3 for supplying in each case two wheel brake units 8, 9, 10, 11 with hydraulic brake fluid. The distribution of the brake circuits is split diagonally, for example, so that per brake circuit 2, 3, one wheel brake unit is provided on one front wheel and on one rear wheel.

(4) The two brake circuits 2, 3 are connected to a shared main brake cylinder 4, which is supplied with brake fluid via a brake fluid reservoir 5. Main brake cylinder 4 is actuated by the driver via brake pedal 6; the pedal travel applied by the driver may be measured via a pedal travel sensor.

(5) Situated in each brake circuit 2, 3 are inlet valves 13, which are currentless open and with which check valves are associated, through which fluid may flow from the wheel brake units in the direction toward the main brake cylinder.

(6) Each wheel brake unit 8, 9, 10, 11 is associated with an outlet valve 14, which is currentless closed. Each of the outlet valves 14 is linked to the intake side of a pump unit 15, which includes a recirculation pump 18 and 19 in each brake circuit 2, 3. Pump unit 15 is associated with an electric pump motor 22, which activates both recirculation pumps 18 and 19 via a shaft 23. The pressure side of recirculation pumps 18 and 19 empties into the respective brake circuit on the side facing toward the main brake cylinder. Pump unit 15, together with the two recirculation pumps 18 and 19, electric pump motor 22 and shaft 23 are part of an antilocking system for preventing wheel locking, and may also be activated in conjunction with an electronic stability program (ESP).

(7) Situated between outlet valves 14 and the intake side of recirculation pump 18 and 19 is one storage chamber 25 per brake circuit 2, 3, which is used for temporary storage of hydraulic fluid, which is released from wheel brake units 8, 9, 10, 11 through outlet valves 14 during a driving-dynamic intervention. Storage chambers 25 are also part of the antilocking system.

(8) Pressure sensors may be situated in the brake circuits for pressure measurement.

(9) When the antilocking system is activated, the inlet valves and outlet valves are alternately opened and closed in rapid succession to prevent a wheel from locking. If it is determined that the risk of a wheel locking is imminent, for example, by evaluating measured data of the wheel speed sensors, the regulation is then activated by the antilocking system, inlet valve 13 being closed and outlet valve 14 being opened in order to reduce the wheel brake pressure. Hydraulic fluid may then flow out of the wheel brake unit; the hydraulic fluid is retained in storage chamber 25. Once the wheel brake pressure is reduced, outlet valve 14 is closed again and inlet valve 13 is opened, whereupon the wheel brake pressure is again restored. This process is repeated at a defined control frequency when the antilocking system is actively regulated.

(10) FIG. 2 shows a buffer volume V.sub.p as a function of vehicle speed v. Buffer volume V.sub.p relates to the volume of the storage chamber and is part of the maximum allowable hydraulic volume, which may be retained in the storage chamber, and which is below the holding capacity of the storage chamber. Buffer volume V.sub.p is added together with a working volume to yield the maximum allowable hydraulic volume in the storage chamber, the working volume being conveyed into or out of the storage chamber when the antilocking system in the braking system is activated. Thus, the buffer volume expands the maximum allowable hydraulic volume in the storage chamber to the volume to which the storage chamber may be maximally filled with hydraulic fluid in the brake circuit. The physical overall storage chamber volume in this case does not change; the working volume becomes smaller during regulation of the antilocking system under defined boundary conditions.

(11) A prerequisite for the increase is that the vehicle is decelerated and, thus, as plotted with the arrow in FIG. 2, vehicle speed v is reduced. If a first speed limiting value v.sub.h is undercut, a linear increase in buffer volume V.sub.p begins up to a maximum buffer volume V.sub.p,max, which is reached when a second, lower speed limiting value V.sub.l is undercut. The first, higher speed limiting value V.sub.h is 2 m/s, for example; the lower speed limiting value V.sub.l is 1 m/s, for example.

(12) The working volume, with which the storage chamber is filled with hydraulic fluid when the antilocking system is activated, and the buffer volume with the maximum buffer volume V.sub.p,max, are in a defined relationship relative to one another, in which the working volume is at most as large as the maximum buffer volume. In addition, the sum of the working volume and the buffer volume may not exceed a maximum volume, which is advantageously smaller than the maximum storage capacity in the storage chamber.

(13) The use of an additional buffer volume V.sub.p permits a reduction in the pump speed of the recirculation pump, with which the storage chamber is again emptied. A constant pump speed is advantageously used, at least at speeds less than lower speed limiting value V.sub.l, so that, together with the lowering of the pump speed, a significantly lower noise emission is achieved.

(14) The use of additional buffer volume V.sub.p is preferably carried out only if the vehicle is slowed down with a defined deceleration. The deceleration must be steady or continuous. A deceleration limiting value may, if necessary, be predefined, which must be exceeded by the vehicle in order for buffer volume V.sub.p to increase.

(15) The deceleration may also be used for aborting or neutralizing the increase in buffer volume V.sub.p. Once the vehicle no longer decelerates or the deceleration drops below the deceleration limiting value, buffer volume V.sub.p is either reduced or completely eliminated, so that the maximum allowable hydraulic volume is limited to the working volume. Moreover, it is also advantageous for the buffer volume to be neutralized after the lapse of a defined period of time.

(16) Another prerequisite for increasing the buffer volume requires the condition to be met that the friction coefficient between the wheel and the roadway does not exceed a friction coefficient limiting value, which involves a comparatively small value of, for example, 0.1 or 0.2. This ensures that an additional lowering of the friction coefficient does not result, or at least not significantly, in a significant lowering of the wheel brake pressure and, concomitantly, in a significant increase in the degree of filling in the storage chamber.