Pumps – Motor driven – Electric or magnetic motor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-08
2001-06-05
Thorpe, Timothy S. (Department: 3746)
Pumps
Motor driven
Electric or magnetic motor
C439S675000, C439S744000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241489
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to hydraulic control units for anti-lock brake systems and in particular to an internal electrical connector for a hydraulic control unit.
An Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) is often included as standard or optional equipment on new vehicles. When actuated, the ABS is operative to control the operation of some or all of the vehicle wheel brakes. A typical ABS includes a plurality of solenoid valves mounted within a control valve body and connected to the vehicle hydraulic brake system. Usually, a separate hydraulic source, such as a motor driven pump, is included in the ABS for reapplying hydraulic pressure to the controlled wheel brakes during an ABS braking cycle. Typically, the pump is mounted within the control valve body and the pump motor is attached to a side of the valve body. An ABS further includes an electronic control module which is electrically connected to the pump motor, a plurality of solenoid coils associated with the solenoid valves, and wheel speed sensors for monitoring the speed and deceleration of the controlled wheels. The electronic control module is typically mounted directly upon the control valve body. The assembled valve body, pump motor and electronic control module form a compact unit which is often referred to as an ABS hydraulic control unit.
During vehicle operation, the ABS electronic control module continuously receives speed signals from the wheel speed sensors. The control module monitors the speed signals for potential wheel lock-up conditions. When the vehicle brakes are applied and electronic components within the control module sense an impending wheel lock-up condition, the control module is operative to actuate the pump motor and selectively operate the solenoid valves to cyclically relieve and reapply hydraulic pressure to the controlled wheel brakes. The hydraulic pressure applied to the controlled brakes is adjusted by the operation of the solenoid valves to limit wheel slippage to a safe level while continuing to produce adequate brake torque to decelerate the vehicle as desired by the driver.
Referring now to
FIG. 1
, there is shown an exploded perspective view of a typical prior art ABS hydraulic control unit
10
. For simplicity, hydraulic fittings for connecting the control unit
10
to vehicle brake components have been omitted from FIG.
1
. The hydraulic control unit
10
includes a control valve body
11
. As described above, a plurality of solenoid valves (not shown) and a pump (not shown) are mounted within the control valve body
11
. A plurality of valve sleeves (not shown), which are associated with the solenoid valves, extend upwardly from the top surface of the valve body
11
. Seals are formed between the valve sleeves and the valve body
11
to prevent loss of hydraulic fluid from the vehicle brake system. Each of the valve sleeves encloses an axially movable solenoid armature (not shown) which carries a valve ball on one end.
A pump motor
14
is mounted upon the bottom of the valve body
11
. The pump motor
14
has a shaft (not shown) that extends into the valve body
11
to drive a pump. The motor
14
receives electrical power through wires contained in a flexible pigtail
15
. The pigtail
15
extends through a vertical bore
16
that is formed through the valve body
11
. The lower end of the pigtail
15
terminates in an electrical connector
17
that is attached to a corresponding electrical connector
18
for the motor
14
.
A removable electronic control module
20
is attached to the top surface of the valve body
11
. The control module
20
includes a box-shaped housing
21
having an open bottom. A seal
22
is disposed between the housing
21
and the valve body
11
to prevent contamination of the interior of the module
20
. The housing
21
can be cast from an aluminum alloy or injection molded from a plastic.
A Printed Circuit Board (PCB)
25
is disposed within the control module housing
21
. Electrical traces (not shown) are deposited upon the top surface of the PCB
25
by a conventional method. The electrical traces connect electronic components
27
that are mounted upon the PCB
25
. The electronic components
27
, which include control logic and switching elements for the solenoid valves and motor, are mounted upon the upper surface of the PCB
25
. A plurality of solenoid coils
28
for actuating the solenoid valves are mounted upon the lower surface of the PCB
25
. When the control module
20
is attached to the valve body
11
, each of the valve sleeves extends through an associated solenoid coil
28
. When an electric current passes through a solenoid coil
28
, a magnetic field is created which causes the armature in the associated valve sleeve to shift and actuate the valve.
An electrical connector
30
is mounted upon the PCB
25
and has an end portion that receives the upper end of the motor pigtail
15
. As shown in
FIG. 1
, the upper end of the pigtail
15
is secured to the connector
30
. the electrical connector
30
is, in turn, connected to the control circuit components
27
by the electrical traces. An electrical socket
32
is formed in the control module housing
21
. The socket
32
includes a plurality of electrical connectors
33
that are electrically connected to the traces deposited upon the PCB
25
. the socket
32
provides an interface with the wheel speed sensors and vehicle power supply.
Typically, a plurality of threaded fasteners
35
attach the electronic control module
20
to the valve body
11
. The structure of the control module
20
allows its removal from the valve body
11
for service of the electrical and electronic components without opening the hydraulic brake lines of the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an internal electrical connector for an ABS hydraulic control unit.
As described above, prior art ABS hydraulic control units typically include a motor driven pump. The pump is mounted externally upon the control valve body and receives power from an electronic control module through an external pigtail connector. The pigtail connector requires additional wire, which is expensive. Also, the wire, being external to the control valve, is exposed to the operating environment, which can be harsh. Additionally, maintenance personnel have been known to use the pigtail as a carrying handle, which can damage the electrical connections. Accordingly, it would be desirable to eliminate the external pigtail connector for the pump motor. Additionally, it also would be desirable to reduce the overall size of the hydraulic control unit by relocating the motor from the side of the control valve body. However, any electrical connector between the motor and electronic control module must accommodate the accumulation, or “stack-up”, of individual part tolerances to permit alignment of the connector ends with corresponding receptacles for the motor and electronic control module.
The present invention contemplates an internal electrical connector for a hydraulic control unit which includes a connector body having a first end and a second end opposite from the first end. The connector body is adapted to extend through a bore formed in a hydraulic control unit valve body with the connector body movable within the bore. The connector also includes at least one electrical conductor extending along the connector body with the ends of the electrical conductor extending axially beyond the ends of the connector body. It is further contemplated that the conductor can move both transversely and axially within the valve body bore.
The connector also includes a retaining device which secures the connector body within the valve body bore. In the preferred embodiment, the retaining device includes a shoulder extending from the connector body near the first end of the connector body and at least one resilient barb extending from the connector body near the second end thereof.
The invention further contemplates a hydraulic control unit including a valve body having at least one solenoid
Cossins James
Lewin Douglas
Rea Paolo
Gray Michael K.
Kelsey-Hayes Company
MacMillan Sobanski & Todd LLC
Thorpe Timothy S.
LandOfFree
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