Fluid-pressure and analogous brake systems – Speed-controlled – Having a valve system responsive to a wheel lock signal
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-19
2003-09-09
Schwartz, Christopher P. (Department: 3683)
Fluid-pressure and analogous brake systems
Speed-controlled
Having a valve system responsive to a wheel lock signal
C303SDIG001
Reexamination Certificate
active
06616248
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an automotive anti-lock brake control system, and more particularly to an improved automotive anti-lock brake control system in which valve portions of electromagnetic valves for controlling brake hydraulic pressures of wheel brakes and hydraulic pumps are accommodated in a housing. Further, solenoid portions which constitute the electromagnetic valves in cooperation with the valve portions protrude from one side of the housing, and an electric motor for driving the hydraulic pumps is joined to another side of the housing. Moreover, an electronic control unit for controlling the energizing of the electric motor and the solenoid portions and a cover for covering the solenoid portions are joined to the one side of the housing, and a coupler is provided on the cover for connection with an external electric circuit.
Conventionally, a control system of this type is known in, for example, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei.8-11691.
Incidentally, noise attributed to electromagnetic waves occurred from an electric motor of an anti-lock brake system may be generated from the on-board radio while the anti-lock brake control system is in operation. In order to prevent the generation of such noise, it is known as a well-accepted technology to connect in parallel an electric component such as a capacitor for countermeasure against noise to the electric motor.
Referring to
FIG. 9
, a conventional technology will be described in which an electric component is used as a countermeasure against noise. A positive side conductive line
46
having a relay circuit
45
interposed at an intermediate position along the length thereof is provided on a substrate
17
of an electronic unit
16
. The positive side conductive line
46
connecting a motor coupler terminal
37
P that is to be connected to a positive terminal of a battery
48
with a positive terminal
39
P of an electric motor
12
. A motor coupler terminal
37
N that is to be connected to a negative terminal of the battery
48
is connected to a negative terminal
39
N of the electric motor
12
without passing through the substrate
17
. A pair of substrate coupler terminals
38
P,
38
N is connected to the substrate
17
. The terminals
38
P,
38
N are connected to positive and negative terminals of the battery
48
, respectively, and independent from the respective coupler terminals
37
P,
37
N. Moreover, an electric component such as a capacitor for countermeasure against noise is mounted on the substrate
17
so as to be interposed between the conductive line
46
and the substrate coupler terminal
38
N that is connected to the negative side of the battery
48
.
However, a power supply line on the electric motor
12
including the positive side conductive line
46
is formed by a conductor having a large cross-sectional area. On the other hand, a power supply line for the substrate
17
is formed by a conductor having a cross-sectional area which is made relatively small. Accordingly, if there occurs a disconnection along the line connecting the substrate coupler terminal
38
N and the substrate
17
, the relay circuit
45
becomes unstable, resulting in the possibility that the electric motor
12
is activated unintentionally.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was made in view of the situation, and an object thereof is to provide an automotive anti-lock brake control system which prevents the generation of noise attributed to the electric motor and avoids allowing only the substrate side of the electric control unit to be put in a non-grounded condition so that an undesired activation of the electric motor is prevented.
The above-mentioned object can also be achieved by an automotive anti-lock brake control system, according to the present invention, comprising:
electromagnetic valves
5
A to
5
D,
6
A to
6
D, having valve portions
5
a,
6
a
and solenoid portions
5
b,
6
b
for controlling brake hydraulic pressures of wheel brakes BA to BD, respectively;
hydraulic pumps
11
A,
11
B for generating the brake hydraulic pressures;
a housing
20
accommodating the valve portions
5
a,
6
a
of the electromagnetic valves and the hydraulic pumps
11
A,
11
B, wherein the solenoid portions
5
b,
6
b
of the electromagnetic valves
5
A to
5
D,
6
A to
6
D protrude from one side
21
a
of the housing,
an electric motor
12
joined to another side
20
b
of the housing
20
for driving the hydraulic pumps
11
A,
11
B;
an electronic control unit
16
for controlling the energizing of the electric motor
12
and the solenoid portions
5
b,
6
b;
a cover
21
joined to the one side
20
a
of the housing for covering the solenoid portions
5
b,
6
b
and the electronic control unit
16
;
a coupler
35
provided on the cover
21
for connection with an external electric circuit, the coupler
35
having positive and negative motor coupler terminals
37
P,
37
N which are connected to ends of an external power source
48
respectively;
a substrate
17
provided in the electronic control unit
16
;
a positive side conductive line
46
having one end connected to a positive terminal
39
P of the electric motor
12
and the other end connected to the positive motor coupler terminal
37
P, the positive side conductive line
46
having a relay circuit
45
interposed at a position along the length thereof, and the positive side conductive line
46
provided on the substrate
17
;
a negative side conductive line
47
having one end connected to a negative terminal
39
N of the electric motor
12
and the other end connected to the negative motor coupler terminal
37
N, the negative side conductive line
47
provided on the substrate
17
so as to function as a negative side power supply line for the substrate
17
; and
an electric component
50
mounted on the substrate
17
for preventing a generation of noise attributed to the electric motor
12
, the electric component
50
connecting the positive side conductive line
46
to the negative side conductive lines
47
.
In the above-mentioned automotive anti-lock brake control system according to the present invention, the electric component may be a capacitor
50
.
In addition, in the above-mentioned automotive anti-lock brake control system according to the present invention, the external power source may be a battery
48
.
According to the construction described above, since the electric component acting as the countermeasure against noise is connected to the electric motor in parallel, noise attributed to electromagnetic waves generated from the electric motor is prevented from being generated in on-board equipment such as a radio. Moreover, since the positive side and negative side conductive lines which continue to the positive and negative terminals of the electric motor, respectively, are provided on the substrate of the electric control unit with the negative side conductive line being used as the substrate negative side power supply line, there occurs no status in which only the substrate side is put in a non-grounded condition to thereby avoid allowing the relay circuit on the substrate to become unstable, whereby the possibility can be eliminated that the electric motor is activated unintentionally.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5988770 (1999-11-01), Volz
patent: 6079798 (2000-06-01), Hosoya
patent: 6396226 (2002-05-01), Schmider et al.
patent: 6396238 (2002-05-01), Miyahara
patent: 6416139 (2002-07-01), Warner et al.
patent: 6443536 (2002-09-01), Tracht et al.
patent: 8-11691 (1996-01-01), None
patent: 2000-016264 (2000-01-01), None
Obuse Naoki
Yamashita Jun
McGuireWoods LLP
Nissin Kogyo Co. Ltd.
Schwartz Christopher P.
Torres Melanie
LandOfFree
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