HK1228857B - Vehicle brake management device - Google Patents

Description

Vehicle brake management device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a vehicle brake management device that determines whether there are any abnormalities in the vehicle brake system in real time. More specifically, it relates to a vehicle brake management device that monitors in real time whether there are any abnormalities in the various structural elements that constitute the brake system, and when an abnormality in an accessory is found, issues an alarm to the corresponding structure to guide the replacement of the accessory, thereby preventing safety accidents caused by brake performance failures during vehicle driving in advance.

Background Art

Typically, the braking system for slowing down and stopping a moving vehicle is composed of wheel brakes, which include a brake pedal that is subjected to the driver's operating force; a supercharger that acts as an amplification factor to increase the pedal force applied to the brake pedal; a master cylinder that generates hydraulic pressure by pressurizing the engine oil through the supercharger; and a wheel cylinder that controls the steering wheel through the master cylinder.

The brake pedal uses the principle of leverage and is set with the point of action as the center. When the driver steps on the pedal, the force acting on the push rod from the fixed point pushes the piston of the master cylinder through the booster to generate hydraulic pressure, which is then transmitted to the brakes of each wheel in a specified manner to apply braking force.

A supercharger is a device that doubles the pressure transmitted from the brake pedal to the master cylinder by the driver, that is, it increases the amplification factor of the braking force. Large trucks or heavily loaded vehicles are suitable for the indirect operation method of the oil pressure vacuum braking method, which uses a separate vacuum compressor to operate the supercharger. Ordinary cars use the direct operation method of the master cylinder vacuum braking method, which uses the vacuum obtained from the engine's intake manifold to operate the supercharger.

The master cylinder converts brake pedal force into hydraulic pressure. Internally, it transfers brake fluid and hydraulic pressure generated by a piston through the brake pipe to the wheel cylinder. The piston inside the wheel cylinder uses this hydraulic pressure to push the brake shoe or pad against the wheel disc or pad, generating braking force. Hydraulic system failures such as brake fluid leaks can cause braking to cease. To address this issue and improve safety, master cylinders are available in tandem, stepped, tandem with a center valve, and residual check valve configurations. The tandem configuration employs two master cylinders in series. The stepped tandem configuration uses pistons of different diameters to compensate for a lack of braking force if one line is damaged by increasing the pressure in the other, healthy line. Tandem master cylinders with a center valve are used on vehicles equipped with anti-lock braking systems. The center valve on the piston acts as a compensation port. When annular seals are used on drum brake wheel cylinders, residual check valves are installed between the brake pipe or master cylinder and the brake pipe or master cylinder.

The vehicle is equipped with wheel brakes that brake the front and rear wheels to stop and slow down, a booster that generates brake hydraulic pressure and transmits the operating pressure to the wheel brake side, and a master cylinder. When the driver steps on the brake pedal, braking force is generated based on the pressure transmitted to the booster, master cylinder, and wheel brake. Among them, the booster amplifies the small force applied to the brake pedal; the master cylinder converts the large force into hydraulic pressure to transmit the pressure in a specified manner without being affected by the distance of the braking device; the wheel brake has a wide-area hydraulic cylinder and brake pads with excellent friction, so that the transmitted hydraulic pressure generates a large force.

On the other hand, since the braking performance of a vehicle is directly related to safety, manufacturers conduct inspections on the components that make up the braking system.

The prior art technology for detecting and setting performance includes Korean Patent No. 10-0405569, which discloses "Braking Performance Evaluation Test Device", which states that "the braking performance evaluation test device includes: a wheel speed sensor for detecting whether the vehicle is moving; a pedal force sensor for detecting whether the brake pedal is actuated; a pressure sensor for detecting the brake pressure supplied through the brake pipe when a braking force is applied to a moving vehicle; an electronic control unit for inputting a target brake pressure set according to the conditions and type of the braking performance evaluation test, a target time required to reach the target pressure, and a brake pressure holding time for maintaining the target brake pressure at the end of braking; auxiliary braking A hydraulic device is provided in connection with the brake pipe and is selectively driven according to the control of the electronic control unit to generate auxiliary brake hydraulic pressure; a first pressure control valve is controlled to open a channel according to the control of the electronic control unit, so that the brake hydraulic pressure generated by the action of the brake pedal and the auxiliary brake hydraulic pressure generated by the action of the auxiliary brake hydraulic device are selectively supplied to the brake body side according to the braking performance evaluation test steps; a plurality of second pressure control valves are provided, which are respectively provided on the brake pipe connected to the brake body of the front wheel and the brake pipe connected to the brake body of the rear wheel, and are selectively opened and closed by the control of the electronic control unit according to the braking performance evaluation test steps.

Conventional braking performance evaluation testing equipment can calculate and collect braking performance data during vehicle development, enabling the development of vehicles with superior braking performance. However, it cannot detect abnormal conditions in the various components that make up the braking system. In other words, conventional braking performance evaluation testing equipment cannot determine the braking performance of a normal vehicle.

Furthermore, as a prior art, Korean Authorization Gazette No. 10-0348040 discloses a "brake booster performance test device," which discloses "a brake booster performance test device comprising: a fixed member; an arm member bracket, one side of which is hingedly coupled to a brake booster starter lever for movement, and the other side of which is rotatably fixed to an arm member and hingedly coupled to the arm member; a booster bracket provided with an opening for passage of the booster starter lever; a mounting unit for mounting the arm member and the booster at a predetermined distance on the fixed member; a vacuum unit for creating a negative pressure inside the booster; and a brake confirmation unit for detecting the proper braking state of the wheel according to the operation of the booster."

The performance test device for a brake booster having the above structure can confirm the performance of the brake booster before installing it on a vehicle, thereby preventing the use of defective products in advance. However, it is impossible to determine performance degradation when using the vehicle while it is running.

However, most existing vehicle brake performance testing devices are designed to evaluate the performance of various components that make up the brake system during vehicle manufacturing, or to determine if any components are defective before installation. They are unable to confirm any abnormalities in the braking performance of a vehicle immediately after it leaves the factory. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop devices that can address these shortcomings. Specifically, as components wear out while a vehicle is in motion, performance deteriorates or becomes damaged. While these devices provide the driver with real-time information such as engine rpm, engine temperature, fuel level, battery status, coolant temperature, and speedometer information, they are unable to provide the driver with any information related to braking performance required for stopping and decelerating. Consequently, brake system failures during driving can lead to serious traffic accidents. Furthermore, regular safety inspections only check the brake lights and brake fluid level, but do not test braking performance.

Therefore, the vehicle is operated in a state where abnormalities in the brake system cannot be confirmed, resulting in no safety guarantee for the driver.

While braking power is excellent when a vehicle leaves the factory, it degrades over time. However, engine power is regularly managed from the time the vehicle leaves the factory until it is scrapped, ensuring consistent performance. In other words, while vehicle driving performance is maintained through regular vehicle inspections, braking performance currently lacks a standard for monitoring and cannot be managed. Therefore, a solution is urgently needed.

Summary of the Invention

(1) Technical issues to be resolved

The present invention is proposed in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a vehicle brake management device that can confirm in real time whether there is any abnormality in the brake system of a moving vehicle, thereby preventing safety accidents caused by failure of the brake system in advance.

Furthermore, the present invention is a vehicle brake management device that prevents the vehicle from driving when restarting if the braking performance does not reach a reference value, thereby preventing safety accidents and improving the reliability of the vehicle's braking performance.

(2) Technical solution

In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the vehicle brake management device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that it includes: a brake pedal, which is affected by the pedal force of the driver; a booster, which acts as an amplification element and is linked with the pedal force of the brake pedal to multiply the pedal force; a master cylinder, which is connected to the booster to generate an operating pressure by pressurizing the engine oil; a wheel cylinder, which is connected to the master cylinder to control the disc of the disc-type wheel plate of the wheel; a pedal force sensor, which is arranged on one side of the brake pedal to detect the pedal force; a vacuum sensor, which detects the vacuum pressure in the booster; a pressure sensor, which detects the pressure of the master cylinder; a wheel plate sensor, which measures the wear degree of the disc-type wheel plate; a controller, which is connected to the pedal force sensor, vacuum sensor, pressure sensor, and wheel plate sensor to input a detection value, so that after comparing it with the input reference set value to determine whether it is abnormal or not, the result is output as a control signal.

As a preferred feature of the present invention, the controller provides at least one or two of the processing result value, pedal force sensor detection value, vacuum sensor detection value, pressure sensor detection value, and wheel plate sensor detection value to the driver in real time, and is connected to a display unit, which includes a display panel for displaying information on a screen or one or two speakers for audio output.

As another preferred feature of the present invention, the controller is connected with a connector so as to provide at least one or more of the processing result value, pedal force sensor detection value, vacuum sensor detection value, pressure sensor detection value, and wheel sensor detection value to an external measuring device.

As another preferred feature of the present invention, the controller includes one or more of an input unit, a calculation unit, an output unit, and a storage unit, wherein the input unit inputs various detection values from the pedal force sensor, vacuum sensor, pressure sensor, and wheel plate sensor; the calculation unit compares the detection value input from the input unit with the input reference setting value and then processes it; the output unit outputs the information processed from the calculation unit; and the storage unit is connected to the input unit, the calculation unit, and the output unit to receive information for storage.

As another preferred feature of the present invention, the controller includes a start controller that selectively controls to prevent the vehicle from being started according to a processing result value.

(3) Beneficial effects

The vehicle brake management device according to the present invention detects in real time whether the braking performance of a moving vehicle is abnormal, so that the driver or maintenance personnel can easily confirm the cause of the brake failure and repair and replace accessories, thereby preventing safety accidents in advance.

Furthermore, the present invention displays an alarm to prompt the driver to confirm if an abnormality in the braking system is detected during driving. After driving ends, when the engine is restarted, the start is cut off and driving is impossible, thereby greatly reducing the risk of accidents and improving consumers' trust in the vehicle.

The features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent through the accompanying drawings and detailed description. Terms and words within the scope of the specification and claims are not to be interpreted in their ordinary meanings. Terms and concepts are appropriately defined to best illustrate the present invention and should be understood as meanings and concepts consistent with the technical concepts of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle brake management device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the structure of the vehicle brake management device according to the present invention.

FIG3 is a block diagram showing the structure of a controller according to the present invention.

In the picture

3: brake pedal, 5: booster, 7: master cylinder,

9: brake pad, 10: pedal force sensor, 20: vacuum sensor,

30: pressure sensor, 40: wheel sensor, 50: controller,

51: Input unit, 52: Calculation unit, 53: Output unit,

54: Storage unit, 60: Display unit

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, the vehicle brake management device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, the same symbols are marked on the same or corresponding components. When describing the present invention, the description of related known structures will be omitted in order to clarify the gist of the present invention.

FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a vehicle brake management device according to the present invention. The diagram shows a brake pedal 3 constituting the vehicle's braking system; a booster 5 linked to the brake pedal 3 to multiply the pedal force; a master cylinder 7 connected to the booster 5, which pressurizes oil to generate an operating pressure; and a disc pad 9 connected to the master cylinder 7, which frictionally contacts the wheel cylinder in response to the operating pressure. The diagram also shows a pedal force sensor 10, a vacuum sensor 20, a pressure sensor 30, and a pad sensor 40, which sense the status of each component of the braking system in real time. A controller 50 receives signals from these sensors, compares them with reference values, and outputs a control signal. A display 60, connected to an output terminal of the controller 50, receives the control signal and displays the resulting value. A connector 70, serving as an output port for connection to an external measuring device, is also shown.

Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating the components of a vehicle brake management system according to the present invention. The vehicle brake management system shown in the figure includes a pedal force sensor 10 for sensing a pedal force signal from a brake pedal 3; a vacuum sensor 20 for sensing the vacuum pressure of a booster 5; a pressure sensor 30 for sensing the operating pressure of a master cylinder 7; a pad sensor 40 for sensing the wear of a disc pad 9; a controller 50 for receiving signals from these sensors and performing control processing; a display unit 60 connected to an output terminal of the controller 50 to display output values in real time; and a connector 70 for connecting to external measurement equipment.

FIG3 is a block diagram illustrating the structure of a controller according to the present invention. The controller 50 includes an input unit 51 that receives information sensed by the pedal force sensor 10, vacuum sensor 20, pressure sensor 30, and wheel sensor 40; a calculation unit 52 that compares the sensed values input from the input unit 51 with a previously input reference set value; an output unit 53 that outputs information processed by the calculation unit 52 to the outside; and a storage unit 54 that stores information from the input unit 51, the calculation unit 52, and the output unit 53.

The structure of the vehicle brake management device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the above drawings.

The present invention senses in real time whether the brake pedal 3, booster 5, master cylinder 7 and disc lining 9 constituting the vehicle's braking system are abnormal, and provides information on the braking performance to the driver after comparing with the reference set value. The present invention includes: a pedal force sensor 10 for detecting the pedal force of the brake pedal 3; a vacuum sensor 20 for detecting the vacuum level of the booster 5; a pressure sensor 30 for detecting the input value of the master cylinder 7; a lining sensor 40 for detecting the degree of wear of the disc lining 9; a controller 50 for receiving the detected values from the multiple sensors and then processing them; a display unit 60 for receiving the processed results from the controller 50 and providing information to the driver; and a connector 70 for connecting the information to an external measuring device.

A pedal force sensor 10 is located on one side of the brake pedal 3 to detect pedal force. This is the force applied by the driver when depressing the brake pedal 3, and is applied by a controller 50 connected to the output terminal. The pedal force sensor 10 measures the force applied by the driver when depressing the brake pedal, i.e., the magnitude of the pedal force. The pedal force sensor 10 is located on one side of the brake pedal 3 to detect pedal force. The pedal force sensor 10 can also be implemented using known techniques, and therefore a detailed description is omitted.

The vacuum sensor 20 is a sensing element for detecting the vacuum pressure within the supercharger 5. It amplifies the pedal force in response to the driver's depressing the brake pedal 3 or measures the negative pressure applied to the supercharger 5, which serves as the amplification element, and then applies the measured value to the controller 50 connected to the output terminal. The vacuum sensor 20 is installed within the supercharger 5 and detects the negative pressure as an electrical signal. Various known vacuum sensors are applicable as long as they can detect the vacuum pressure within the supercharger 5, so a detailed description is omitted.

The pressure sensor 30 is provided in the master cylinder 7 or at the output end of the master cylinder 7 to detect the pressure. The detected value is applied to the controller 50 connected to the output end. The pressure sensor 30 can be implemented according to known techniques, so a detailed description is omitted.

Pad sensor 40 is a sensing element that measures the wear of disc pad 9. It is located on one side of disc pad 9 and detects the wear. The measured value is applied to controller 50, which is electrically connected to an output terminal. Pad sensor 40 is also known as a brake pad wear sensor and is implemented using known techniques. Therefore, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The controller 50 is connected to the pedal force sensor 10, vacuum sensor 20, pressure sensor 30, and wheel sensor 40. After receiving the sensing information, it compares it with pre-input reference values to determine if there is an abnormality and outputs the result as a control signal. The controller 50 includes an input unit 51 electrically connected to the sensing elements to receive the detection value; a calculation unit 52 that compares the detection value inputted by the input unit 51 with the pre-input reference value to determine if there is an abnormality; an output unit 53 that applies the result information processed by the calculation unit 52 to the display unit 60 or connector 70; and a storage unit 54 electrically connected to the input unit 51, the calculation unit 52, and the output unit 53 to receive and store the information.

On the other hand, the controller 50 includes a start controller that selectively controls the vehicle to be prevented from starting according to the processing result value. The start controller may be constructed separately or the vehicle's ECU (electronic control unit) may be used.

The display unit 60 is connected to the output unit 53 of the controller 50 and is used to receive result information and provide it to the driver in real time. The information provided to the driver includes the result information processed by the output unit 53 of the controller 50, namely, at least one or more of the following: the result value of the controller processing, the detection value of the pedal force sensor, the detection value of the vacuum sensor, the detection value of the pressure sensor, and the detection value of the wheel pad sensor. To facilitate the driver's confirmation of braking performance, the display unit 60 includes one or more of a display panel that displays the result information on a screen, or a speaker that provides an audible output to allow the driver to detect whether the braking performance is poor or not. Preferably, a combination of a speaker output and a visual information display panel is used.

The connector 70 is connected to the output part 53 of the controller 50 so that it serves as a connection port element to provide result information, i.e., at least one or two of the processing result value of the controller, the pedal force sensor detection value, the vacuum sensor detection value, the pressure sensor detection value, and the wheel sensor detection value, to an external measuring equipment or measuring device. A variety of well-known connectors can be used, and preferably, an OBD (On-board Diagonsis) connector basically provided on the vehicle is used.

The vehicle brake management device according to the present invention having the above-described structure functions as follows.

In order to make the vehicle run when the engine is started, respective detection values are applied to the controller 50 according to the actions of the pedal force sensor 10, the vacuum sensor 20, the pressure sensor 30, and the lining sensor 40, wherein the pedal force sensor 10 is arranged on one side of the brake pedal 3 to be subjected to the pedal force of the driver; the vacuum sensor 20 is arranged inside the booster 5 that generates negative pressure in conjunction with the brake pedal 3 to measure the negative pressure; the pressure sensor 30 is arranged inside the master cylinder 7 that generates the applied pressure to measure the pressure; the lining sensor 40 is arranged on the disc lining 9 that rubs against the wheel according to the applied pressure of the master cylinder 7 to measure the wear degree.

The controller 50 receives inputs such as a reference pedal force value for the brake pedal 3, a reference negative pressure value for the booster 5, a reference operating pressure value for the master cylinder 7, and a reference wear value for the disc pad 9. The controller 50 compares the input reference set values with the sensed values input from each sensor element to determine if an abnormality exists. Specifically, if the measured values input from each sensor are within the normal range or allowable error range of the input set values, the controller 50 operates normally. If the error exceeds the normal range, the controller 50 displays information regarding a brake element (brake pedal, booster, master cylinder, or disc pad) as a fault on the display unit 60, allowing the driver to recognize the fault.

The above examples illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims (2)

1. A vehicle braking management device, characterized in that it comprises at least one of a pedal force sensor, a vacuum sensor, a pressure sensor, and a brake pad sensor to manage vehicle braking; the pedal force sensor is disposed on one side of the brake pedal, which is subjected to the pedal force by the driver, to detect the pedal force; the vacuum sensor detects the vacuum pressure inside the supercharger, the supercharger being linked to and amplifying the pedal force of the brake pedal; the pressure sensor detects the pressure of the master cylinder, the master cylinder being connected to the supercharger and pressurizing oil to generate the operating pressure; and the brake pad sensor measures the wear degree of the disc brake pads, the disc brake pads being connected to the master cylinder and disposed on the wheel side. The system includes a controller connected to at least one of the pedal force sensor, vacuum sensor, pressure sensor, and vehicle sensor to receive detection values. These values are compared with an input reference setpoint to determine if an anomaly exists, and the result is output as a control signal. The controller further includes: The display unit is used to provide the driver with one or more of the following information in real time: processing result value, pedal force sensor detection value, vacuum sensor detection value, pressure sensor detection value, and vehicle plate sensor detection value. It consists of one or more of the following: a display panel for displaying information on the screen or a speaker for outputting information via an audio system. Connector for providing the information to external measuring equipment; The start control unit selectively controls the vehicle to prevent it from starting based on the processing result value. 2. The vehicle braking management device according to claim 1, characterized in that the controller includes one or more of an input unit, a calculation unit, an output unit, and a storage unit, wherein the input unit receives detection values from the pedal force sensor, the vacuum sensor, the pressure sensor, and the paddle sensor; the calculation unit compares the detection values input from the input unit with previously input reference settings and processes them; the output unit outputs the information processed by the calculation unit; and the storage unit is connected to the input unit, the calculation unit, and the output unit to receive and store information.