HYDRAULIC MOTOR VEHICLE BRAKE SYSTEM

Abstract

A hydraulic motor vehicle brake system that is operable in a brake-by-wire mode and/or a push-through mode is disclosed. The brake system comprises: a pedal module having a master cylinder which, in the push-through mode, is actuatable by a driver by way of a pedal in order to generate a respective brake pressure at wheel brakes of the motor vehicle; and a functional module having at least one electrical brake pressure generator by which, in the brake-by-wire mode, a respective brake pressure can be generated at the wheel brakes. The pedal module and the functional module are arranged separately from one another and are couplable and/or coupled to one another via lines, such as fluid lines.

Claims

1. A hydraulic motor vehicle brake system that is operable in a brake-by-wire mode and/or a push-through mode, wherein the brake system comprises: a pedal module having a master cylinder which, in the push-through mode, is actuatable by a driver by way of a pedal in order to generate a respective brake pressure at wheel brakes of the motor vehicle; and a functional module having at least one electrical brake pressure generator by which, in the brake-by-wire mode, a respective brake pressure can be generated at the wheel brakes, wherein the pedal module and the functional module are arranged separately from one another and are couplable and/or coupled to one another via fluid lines.

2. The hydraulic motor vehicle brake system according to claim 1, wherein the hydraulic motor vehicle brake system and/or the functional module is configured to generate a respective brake pressure at the wheel brakes on a wheel-specific basis.

3. The hydraulic motor vehicle brake system according to claim 1, wherein the pedal module has a pedal simulator arrangement that is connected to the master cylinder.

4. The hydraulic motor vehicle brake system according to claim 3, wherein the pedal simulator arrangement is configured to convey a pedal reaction behaviour to a driver in an event of hydraulic decoupling of the master cylinder.

5. The hydraulic motor vehicle brake system according to claim 1, wherein the pedal module has a first controller and the functional module has a second controller.

6. The hydraulic motor vehicle brake system according to claim 5, wherein the first controller and the second controller are implemented as separate control units.

7. The hydraulic motor vehicle brake system according to claim 1, wherein the functional module is arranged so as to act between the pedal module and the wheel brakes.

8. The hydraulic motor vehicle brake system according to claim 1, wherein the functional module comprises a first valve device per wheel brake with at least one first valve, wherein the first valve device, in an electrically non-activated state, connects the wheel brake assigned thereto to an outlet of the electrical brake pressure generator of the functional module and, in an electrically activated state, separates said wheel brake from the outlet of the electrical brake pressure generator of the functional module.

9. The hydraulic motor vehicle brake system according to claim 1, wherein the functional module comprises a second valve device with at least one valve, wherein the second valve device is configured to selectively couple the master cylinder of the pedal module to, or decouple said master cylinder from, the wheel brakes.

10. The hydraulic motor vehicle brake system according to claim 1, wherein the second valve device of the functional module is configured to selectively couple the master cylinder of the pedal module and/or the electrical brake pressure generator of the functional module to the wheel brakes.

11. The hydraulic motor vehicle brake system according to claim 1, wherein the first controller of the pedal module and/or the second controller of the functional module is configured to identify a functional failure of the functional module and thereupon initiate a switch from the brake-by-wire mode to the push-through mode.

12. The hydraulic motor vehicle brake system according to claim 1, wherein the first controller of the pedal module and/or the second controller of the functional module is configured to, in the event of a failure of the functional module, for a switch from the brake-by-wire mode to the push-through mode, switch the second valve device of the functional module such that the master cylinder of the pedal module is coupled to the wheel brakes.

13. The hydraulic motor vehicle brake system according to claim 1, wherein the functional module is configured to generate brake pressure blending and/or wheel blending.

14. The hydraulic motor vehicle brake system according to claim 13, wherein the function module comprises a third valve device with at least one third valve, wherein the third valve device is configured to generate the brake pressure blending and/or wheel blending.

15. The hydraulic motor vehicle brake system according to claim 1, wherein the pedal module has, or is couplable and/or coupled to, a reservoir, for storing a hydraulic fluid.

16. The hydraulic motor vehicle brake system according to claim 1, wherein the pedal module is configured to implement a brake pressure at each wheel brake, on a wheel-specific basis, in a redundant manner in relation to the functional module.

17. The hydraulic motor vehicle brake system according to claim 1, wherein the pedal module has an electrical brake pressure generator or is configured to implement a respective brake pressure at the wheel brakes.

18. The hydraulic motor vehicle brake system according to claim 1, wherein the pedal module and/or the electrical brake pressure generator of the pedal module is configured to generate a respective pressure at the wheel brakes independently of the master cylinder of the pedal module and/or independently of the functional module and/or the electrical brake pressure generator of the functional module .

19. The hydraulic motor vehicle brake system according to claim 17, wherein the electrical brake pressure generator of the pedal module comprises at least one, fluid-conveying device(s), such as (a) piston pump(s) and/or radial piston pump(s) and/or gear pump(s) and/or multi-piston pump(s), which is/are actuatable by an electric motor.

20. The hydraulic motor vehicle brake system according to claim 17, wherein the electrical brake pressure generator of the pedal module comprises at least one single-acting or double-acting cylinder-piston arrangement that is actuatable by an electric motor.

21. The hydraulic motor vehicle brake system according to claim 1, wherein the pedal module is accommodated entirely or at least partially in a first housing block, and the functional module is accommodated entirely or at least partially in a second housing block, which differs and/or is separate from the first housing block.

22. The hydraulic motor vehicle brake system according to claim 21, wherein the functional module and/or the second housing block comprises connections for the wheel brakes.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0034] Exemplary arrangements of the disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to figures, in which, schematically and by way of example:

[0035] FIG. 1 shows a pedal module;

[0036] FIG. 2 shows a functional module;

[0037] FIG. 3 shows a further variant of a pedal module; and

[0038] FIG. 4 shows a further variant of a functional module.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] FIG. 1 schematically shows a pedal module 1 for a hydraulic motor vehicle brake system that can be operated in a brake-by-wire mode and a push-through mode. In addition to the pedal module 1, the brake system comprises a functional module 2. The functional module will be described in more detail on the basis of FIG. 2. The pedal module 1 and the functional module 2 are arranged separately from one another, for example in decentralized fashion, in the motor vehicle and are couplable and/or coupled to one another via fluid lines. The functional module 2 is arranged so as to act between the pedal module 1 and the wheel brakes VL, HR, HL, VR.

[0040] The pedal module 1 has a master cylinder 3 which, in the push-through mode, is actuatable by a driver by way of a pedal 4 in order to generate a respective brake pressure at wheel brakes VL, HR, HL, VR of the motor vehicle. The pedal module 1 may be configured to implement a brake pressure at each wheel brake, for example on a wheel-specific basis, in a redundant manner in relation to the functional module 2.

[0041] The pedal module 1 has a reservoir 5, such as a hydraulic fluid reservoir, for storing a hydraulic fluid, which reservoir is divided into three partial reservoirs T1, T2, T3. Furthermore, the pedal module 1 has a pedal simulator arrangement 6 that is connected to the master cylinder 3. The pedal simulator arrangement 9 is configured to convey a pedal reaction behaviour to the driver in the event of hydraulic decoupling of the master cylinder 3, in the brake-by-wire mode.

[0042] The pedal module 1 comprises a first controller 7 (ECU) that is configured to identify a functional failure of the functional module 2 and thereupon initiate a switch from the brake-by-wire mode to the push-through mode. The first controller 6 of the pedal module 1 are furthermore configured to, in the event of a failure of the functional module 2, switch from the brake-by-wire mode to a push-through mode, switch a second valve device of the functional module 2 such that the master cylinder 3 of the pedal module 1 is coupled to the wheel brakes VL, HR, HL, VR.

[0043] FIG. 2 schematically shows the functional module 2, which is configured as a pressure modulation module.

[0044] The functional module 2 has at least one electrical brake pressure generator 8 by which, in the brake-by-wire mode, a respective brake pressure can be generated at the wheel brakes VL, HR, HL, VR. In one exemplary arrangement, the functional module 2 is configured to generate a respective brake pressure at the wheel brakes VL, HR, HL, VR on a wheel-specific basis, for example by the electrical brake pressure generator 8.

[0045] The functional module 2 comprises one first valve device 9 per wheel brake VL, HR, HL, VR, with at least one first valve 10. In the present exemplary arrangement, four first valve devices 9 with in each case one first valve 10 are provided. The first valve devices 9 can, in an electrically non-activated state, connect the wheel brakes VL, HR, HL, VR assigned thereto to an outlet of the electrical brake pressure generator 8 of the functional module 2 and, in an electrically activated state, separate said wheel brakes from the outlet of the electrical brake pressure generator 8 of the functional module 2.

[0046] The functional module 2 furthermore comprises two second valve devices 11 with in each case at least one second valve 12. The second valve devices 11 are configured to selectively couple the master cylinder 3 of the pedal module 1 and the electrical brake pressure generator 8 of the functional module 2 to the wheel brakes VL, HR, HL, VR.

[0047] The functional module 2 furthermore has a second controller 13 (ECU). The first controller 7 of the pedal module and the second controller 13 of the functional module 2 are implemented as separate control units. The second controller 13 of the functional module 2 is configured identify a functional failure of the functional module 2 and thereupon initiate a switch from the brake-by-wire mode to the push-through mode. For example, the second controller 13 of the functional module 2 is configured to, in the event of a failure of the functional module 2, for a switch from the brake-by-wire mode to the push-through mode, switch the second valve devices 11 of the functional module 2 such that the master cylinder 3 of the pedal module 1 is coupled to the wheel brakes VL, HR, HL, VR.

[0048] Otherwise, reference is additionally made to FIG. 1 and the associated description.

[0049] FIG. 3 schematically shows a variant of a pedal module 14. The pedal module 14 corresponds substantially to the pedal module 1 as per FIG. 1, but additionally has a fourth partial reservoir T4 and an electrical brake pressure generator 15.

[0050] The electrical brake pressure generator 15 of the pedal module 14 is configured to generate a respective brake pressure, for example on a wheel-specific basis, at the wheel brakes VL, HR, HL, VR. Furthermore, the pedal module 14 and/or the electrical brake pressure generator 15 of the pedal module 14 is configured to generate a respective brake pressure at the wheel brakes VL, HR, HL, VR independently of the master cylinder 3 of the pedal module 14 and/or independently of the functional module 2 and/or the electrical brake pressure generator 8 of the functional module 2.

[0051] The electrical brake pressure generator 15 of the pedal module 14 has at least one, in this case two, fluid-conveying devices 17 that is/are actuatable by an electric motor 16. The fluid-conveying devices 17 are for example configured as piston pumps, such as radial piston pumps.

[0052] Otherwise, reference is additionally made to FIGS. 1 to 2 and the associated description.

[0053] FIG. 4 schematically shows a variant of a functional module 18. The functional module 18 corresponds substantially to the functional module 2 as per FIG. 2, but additionally has a third valve device 19 with at least one third valve 20. The third valve device 19 is configured to generate brake pressure blending and/or wheel blending, for example 1-wheel blending and/or 2-wheel blending and/or 4-wheel blending.

[0054] Otherwise, reference is additionally made to FIGS. 1 to 3 and the associated description.

[0055] The word “may” is used in particular to refer to optional features of the disclosure. Accordingly, there are also refinements and/or exemplary arrangements of the disclosure that additionally or alternatively have the respective feature or the respective features.

[0056] If necessary, isolated features may also be picked out from the combinations of features disclosed here and used, with the elimination of any structural and/or functional relationship that exists between the features, in combination with other features for the purposes of delimiting the claimed subject matter.