2475results about "Braking element arrangements" patented technology

Described herein are devices, systems, and methods for managing the power consumption of an automotive vehicle, and thereby for optimizing the power consumption of the vehicle. The devices and systems for managing the power consumption of the vehicle typically include power management logic that can calculate an applied power for the vehicle engine based on information provided from the external environment of the vehicle, the operational status of the vehicle, one or more command inputs from a driver, and one or more operational parameters of the vehicle.

Novel composite disc brake rotor assemblies are provided, along with novel and efficient methods for manufacturing them. Preferably, the rotor assemblies comprise annular wear plates formed of particle reinforced aluminum-based metal matrix composite (MMC), ceramic matrix composite (CMC), or of ‘carbon graphite foam.’ The wear plates, made of a first material, are attached to annular surfaces of a central rotor, made of a second material, by fusing bonding layers between the wear plates and the rotor surfaces. The bonding layers are comprised of at least one of a metal alloy having a melting temperature lower than that of either the first or second materials, and a high-temperature adhesive. Preferably, the wear plates comprise projections that are positioned within adjacent receiving recesses in the center rotor. The bonding layers and projections enhance thermal and acoustical transference between the wear plates and the center rotor section. Carbon graphite foam provides for substantially enhanced heat transference. Use of the fusable binding layer, or adhesive provides for an efficient, low cost method of manufacturing for composite disc brake rotor assemblies.

All all-terrain vehicle has a shiftable transmission that is coupled to a variable speed V-belt transmission. The variable speed V-belt transmission is joined to a crankshaft through a centrifugal clutching arrangement. The shiftable transmission enables an operator to go between low, high, neutral, reverse, and park. In the park position, the transmission is locked from substantial rotation such that the engaged wheels of the all-terrain vehicle are also locked from substantial rotation, whether or not the engine speed is sufficient to allow the centrifugal clutch to be engaged with the variable speed transmission.

Smart Active Tyre Pressure Optimising System [TPOS]102 is a highly time sensitive design and technique that acts instantaneously in sensing and controlling the tire pressure particularly in imminent and inevitable critical driving situations to reduce emergency & high speed breaking distance, mitigate—loss of traction, hydroplaning, roll over, loss of stability, over & under steering, break failure, loss of control due to puncture by smartly sensing, perform context aware computing and directing the Tyre Pressure Control Units [TPCU]104 to instantaneously control the tyre pressure in right time with right pressure on right tyres thereby actively controlling the footprint and sidewall deformation rate to enhance traction & stability simultaneously sustaining drivability or steerability ultimately to avoid or reduce the impact of collusion and overcome or mitigate critical situations for protecting the vehicles, occupants, pedestrians and other objects around or on the way; also according to design, configurations and scenarios the system instantaneously optimises the tyre pressure on all tyres for further safe driving till next restoration else restores the pressure to optimum preset value utilising inbuilt reservoir or other external restoration systems immediately after the vehicle overcomes the critical situation to continue with safe and comfortable driving. In critical situations TPOS performs sensing, pre computing, current computing for controlling the tire pressure during critical situation, post computing to optimise tire pressure after overcoming accordingly. TPOS 102 utilise smart and adaptive closed loop processing algorithm with predetermined and tested lookup table to instantaneously check and compare the effects between predetermined and tested real world scenarios to the actual real world scenarios for actively sensing, computing and controlling the tire pressure accordingly to mitigate the critical situations. The controlling of tyre pressure is computed mainly based on parameters comprising of sensor system, vehicle safety and stability systems, nature of breaking & break force distribution, tires upper & lower cut-off pressure values, sensing reservoirs and tires internal & external pressure, temperature, moisture, humidity, wheel & tire specifications, vehicle & wheel speed, acceleration & deceleration, vehicle orientation & axial rotation, transverse motion & lateral acceleration, tires position or angle of attack, load & torque distribution, tire traction, steering position, cornering effects, change in Centre of gravity, over & under steering, hydroplaning, sensing road conditions, etc and to further enhance the efficiency, the system interoperates with vehicles existing safety and stability systems like ABS, EBD, ESC, TCS, Rollover mitigation systems, ECU, BA, Precrash systems, suspension & vertical dynamics, radar assisted auto breaking, cruise control system, aerodynamics & airbrakes etc. Other aspects of present invention are controlling the tire temperature according to environmental temperature, moisture and humidity thereby to enhance traction and vary tire pressure according to change in centre of gravity & load, driving modes—comfort, standard and sports modes.

A brake unit comprising at least one brake and at least one brake pad having at least one friction lining is described. The brake has a disk brake with a brake rotor made of a ceramic-metal composite (CMC) whose outer surface or surfaces at least partially form a friction surface for the at least one friction lining, and a disk brake cup that is mounted on the disk brake by way of one or more mounting elements. The friction surface of the disk brake has a hardness of approximately 1600 to 2500 HV, and the at least one friction lining has a coefficient of friction of approximately 0.3 to 0.5. The disk brake cup and/or the mounting elements form a corrosion-inhibiting attachment to the disk brake. The brake unit can be operated in corrosion-free fashion over a service life of at least approximately eight to 10 years or approximately 200,000 to 300,000 km.

An electromechanical system and system are provided where a controller generates an electrical drive signal for an actuator using power from a power source. A capacitor stores electrical energy and avails the stored energy to the controller when a voltage potential of the store electrical energy is higher than the supply voltage of the power source. The stored electrical energy may originate from the power source and/or regenerative energy produced by the actuator.

A virtual sensor mast for a ground vehicle and a method for operating a ground vehicle using a virtual sensor mast are disclosed. The virtual sensor mast includes an unmanned airborne vehicle capable of lifting itself from the ground vehicle upon deployment therefrom; a sensor suite mounted to the unmanned airborne vehicle; and a tether between the unmanned airborne vehicle and the ground vehicle over which the sensor suite is capable of communicating sensed data upon deployment. The method includes elevating a tethered unmanned airborne vehicle from the ground vehicle to a predetermined height; sensing environmental conditions surrounding the ground vehicle; and terminating the deployment.

A brake apparatus for a vehicle controls braking force acting on front wheels by hydraulic braking force (front-wheel-side vacuum-booster hydraulic pressure fraction+linear-valve differential pressure fraction), which is frictional braking force, and regenerative braking force, and controls braking force acting on rear wheels by hydraulic braking force (rear-wheel-side vacuum-booster hydraulic pressure fraction) only, to thereby perform regeneration-coordinative brake control. During performance of ABS control, the apparatus sets the limit regenerative braking force to a force under which locking of the front wheels does not occur in a case in which the force acts on the front wheels, which are wheels undergoing regenerative braking, and adjusts the regenerative braking force such that the regenerative braking force does not exceed the limit regenerative braking force.

The invention concerns a starter/generator for an internal combustion engine (1), especially that of a motor vehicle, with an electric rotary-field machine (4), which exercises the starter and generator function; and at least one invertor (17) for generating the voltages and/or currents of variable frequency, amplitude and/or phase required for the magnetic fields of the electric machine (4); wherein the electric machine (4) starts the internal combustion engine (1) by merging in from standstill.

A hybrid vehicle is provided with a first transmission passage for transmitting driving force of an engine to driving wheels and a second transmission passage for transmitting driving force of a driving motor to the driving wheels, and driven by selectively using or in combination of the first transmission passage and the second transmission passage. The hybrid vehicle includes: a first input gear for inputting the driving force of the engine; a second input gear for inputting the driving force of the driving motor; and an idle gear meshed with the first input gear and the second input gear, and transmitting at least one of the driving force of the engine and the driving force of the driving motor toward the driving wheels. The driving force to be input from at least one of the first input gear and the second input gear is transmitted to the driving wheels via the idle gear and the final differential gears.

An axial fixing device for axially fixing an annular brake disk on a wheel hub of a motor vehicle, the annular brake disk having the same axis of rotation as the hub and including radial ventilation ducts regularly distributed about its periphery. According to the invention, the hub has axial guide pieces in relief, or "lugs", for co-operating with fluting in an inner peripheral edge of the disk to center the disk, to lock it angularly, and to guide it axially relative to the hub, each lug of the hub having a radial through channel for co-operating with a corresponding ventilation duct of the disk, and the disk is held axially in the hub with play by axial holding means disposed between the disk and the hub.

The present invention relates to a cordless braking system for a mobility-aiding device, such as a wheeled walker (a rollator) or a transport chair. The cordless braking system includes a brake actuating linkage, disposed inside the leg and handlebar members of the mobility-aiding device, which extends during height adjustment of the handlebars. The brake-actuating linkage and the leg/handlebar of the mobility-aiding device are designed to enable a locking pin or bolt to extend all the way therethrough to ensure that all of the height-adjustable members are secured together during use.

The present invention broadly comprises a brake disc having superior cooling characteristics and a method for manufacturing brake discs with superior cooling characteristics. The brake disc has at least one slot arranged at an angle greater than zero degrees and less than ninety degrees with respect to a radius of said disc passing through said slot. The angle can be selected to enhance cooling under specified conditions. Slots in the disc can open to an inner or outer perimeter of the disc or may be fully enclosed within the disc. The shape and width of the slots and the spacing between the slots can be selected to enhance cooling properties of the disc.

The method includes detecting a brake pedal operation. Thereafter, calculating a non-driven wheel braking force applied to a non-driven wheel of the electric vehicle according to the brake pedal operation. Subsequently, calculating a target braking force for a driven wheel corresponding to the non-driven wheel braking force. Then, calculating an available regenerative braking force for the driven wheel. The method then compares the target braking force and the available regenerative braking force for the driven wheel. The method also controls regenerative braking and hydraulic braking of the driven wheel on the basis of the comparison of the target braking force and the available regenerative braking force for the driven wheel.

A pair of first speed gears (26a, 26b) is provided between a first input shaft (14) and a first output shaft (20), and a pair of fourth speed gears (30a, 30b) is provided between a second input shaft (18) and the first output shaft. A pair of third speed gears (34a, 34b) and a pair of fifth speed gears (36a, 36b) are provided between the first input shaft and a second output shaft (22), and a pair of second speed gears (40a, 40b) and a pair of sixth speed gears (30a, 42b) are provided between the second input shaft and the second output shaft. A backward input gear (34a) integrated with the first input shaft and a backward output gear (46b) provided on the first output shaft are connected to each other via idler gears (46a, 46b) disposed on a sub shaft (24). By this arrangement the length in an axial direction of the transmission is made short.

An electromagnetic brake, including an electromagnetic brake actuator coil surrounding a power input shaft for a multiple-ratio transmission in a vehicle powertrain, is disclosed. An electromagnetic flux flow path for the actuator coil is electromagnetically isolated from the power input shaft and other elements of the powertrain thereby avoiding residual magnetization.

An interface adaptor is provided between the locomotive MU cable and the ECP trainline permitting ECP data from the lead locomotive to be transmitted via the MU cable on trailing locomotives to a train of ECP cars. On the lead locomotive, the HEU Echelon interface is on a suitable line in the MU cable instead of the separate ECP trainline such the trailing locomotives do not require a separate ECP trainline. The adapter generally employs two transceivers configured as back-to-back repeaters to bridge ECP data between the locomotive MU cable and the ECP trainline. A DC--DC converter can be used to provide the ECP trainline voltage, either as 230 VDC or as a lower voltage. In lower voltage systems the converter may be replaced by a voltage regulator, or may be eliminated. In any case, an inductor is employed on the output to provide a high impedance to the overlay transceiver.

A regenerative braking system has a generator connected to at least one wheel set to apply regenerative brake torque to it by generating electricity, a regenerative braking control means controlling a regenerative braking amount, an actual wheel speed variation calculating means calculating an actual wheel speed variation between actual outer-wheel speed of an outer wheel of steerable wheels and actual inner-wheel speed of at least one wheel of front and rear wheel sets, a correspondent wheel speed variation calculating means calculating a correspondent wheel speed variation corresponding to an outer-to-inner wheel speed variation of the steerable wheels with road grip, a steer characteristic judging means judging strength of a steer characteristic based on the correspondent wheel speed variation and the actual wheel speed variation, and a regenerative braking amount compensating means compensating the amount to be more decreased as the steer characteristic becomes stronger.

A vehicle incorporating a power unit having a front portion, a rear portion and a power source. A drive wheel, disposed in the front of the power unit, is connected to the power source. A brake pad is connected to the power unit beneath the power source and a handle bar extends back from the power unit. The vehicle includes a trailer unit, disposed behind the power unit, having two trailer wheels, disposed on opposite sides of the trailer unit. A connecting joint, connecting the power unit to the trailer unit, allows the power unit and trailer unit to move with respect to one another about the horizontal pitch axis and/or vertical yaw axis.

The invention provides a motor-driven wheel drive device in which the durability of a wheel bearing is increased, the weight and size thereof are reduced, and the disassembly and reassembly thereof is taken into account. [MEANS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS] This motor-driven wheel drive device comprises a drive part (4) having an electric motor (M) driving a planetary speed reduction gear (2) installed in the wheel bearing (1) and a rotating member (17). The wheel bearing (1) further comprises a hub wheel (6) on which an inside rolling surface (6a) is formed, an inner ring (7) press-fitted to the hub wheel, an outer member (8) in which double rows of outside rolling surfaces (8a) are formed, and rolling elements (9). The planetary speed reduction gear (2) further comprises a sun gear (3) formed in a rotating member (17), a plurality of planetary gears (12) disposed between the outer member (8) and the sun gear (3), and carrier pins (14) pivotally supporting these planetary gears on a connection shaft (13). The drive part (4) further comprises the electric motor (M) releasably disposed on the outer member (8) and the rotating member (17). The connection shaft (13) is connected to the hub wheel (6) through a serration, and the rotation of the electric motor (M) is transmitted to the hub wheel (6) through the rotating member (17) and the planetary speed reduction gear (2).

A chassis having systems responsive to a nonmechanical control signals and a simplified body-attachment interface includes preassembled modules to enhance ease and simplicity of chassis assembly. The chassis is preferably configured to minimize the possibility of a preassembled module being incorrectly positioned within the chassis. Methods for advantageously employing preassembled modules to assemble vehicle chassis are also provided.

A disk brake having a brake caliper and a brake actuation mechanism being supported in it, in which the brake actuation mechanism includes an amplification mechanism for introducing a clamping force, an adjustment device for compensation of lining wear with a torque clutch, a thrust element for transmitting the clamping force onto a brake disc and a reset device, which components are arranged around a rod, in which the torque clutch, for example, is formed as a roller-ramp-mechanism. A spring force can act onto the torque clutch by means of the reset device thereby forming a torque limit. Furthermore the invention relates to an assembly method for such a disc brake.

When vehicle speed V decreases to or below a preset reference vehicle speed Vref during output of regenerative braking force from a motor in response to the driver's depression of a brake pedal, the vehicle of the invention performs a replacement pre-operation (steps S190 to S220 and S160) and a replacement operation (steps S240 to S280 and S160) and controls the motor and an electronically controlled hydraulic braking system to satisfy a braking force demand BF*. The replacement pre-operation actuates and controls pumps included in a brake actuator of the electronically controlled hydraulic braking system to exert their proper pressurization performance. The replacement operation decreases the regenerative braking force output from the motor and enhances a pressure increase by the pumps to replace the regenerative braking force with a pressure increase-based braking force BFpp.

An improved vehicle brake system for controlling the frictional braking force and the regenerative braking force to be applied to a wheel of a vehicle. The brake system reduces the regenerative braking force to a predetermined force and keeps the regenerative braking force at the predetermined force before the start of anti-lock control. When the anti-lock control starts, the brake system decreases the regenerative braking force from the predetermined force. With this arrangement, it is possible to quickly eliminate a locking tendency of any wheel of the vehicle, thereby stabilizing the vehicle.

A hydraulic energy storage system (comprising a hydraulic pump/motor, a high pressure hydraulic accumulator, a low pressure hydraulic accumulator/reservoir, and interconnecting hydraulic lines) is incorporated into a EV, HEV, or PHEV to provide hydraulic regenerative braking and propulsive assistance for the vehicle. Implementation of the low cost and long-lasting hydraulic energy storage system in the vehicle, together with the electric energy storage system (comprising a motor/generator and battery pack) of the vehicle, allows significantly reduced demands and higher operating efficiencies for the battery pack, thereby facilitating a more cost-effective, efficient and/or durable overall energy storage system for the vehicle.

An improved electronic braking system for walkers that incorporates one or more electrically-operated brakes controlled by an electronic controller is disclosed. The controller is responsive to touch-sensitive switches for easy operation, and is adjustable and responsive to operator patterns of use to provide individualized control of the brake operation. The controller may also be responsive to environmental conditions such as the slope of the ground over which the walker is moving, to its rate of motion, or to the distance between the walker frame and the user, and may be adjusted to accommodate for the weight of the user or to set limits to the speed at which it can move.

The invention discloses a jet type emergency safety system for a vehicle, which comprises a micro-processing controller, a vehicle state detecting unit, a flow control valve group, a high-pressure gas storage tank, a high-pressure gas generating tank, gas guide pipes and nozzles, wherein the high-pressure gas storage tank is connected with the nozzles arranged on the vehicle through the gas guide pipe, the micro-processing controller is respectively connected with the vehicle state detecting unit and the flow control valve group, the flow control valve group comprises a plurality of flow control valves, the micro-processing controller is connected with the flow control valve group through valve controllers, and the flow control valves are arranged among the high-pressure gas storage tank and the nozzles. High-pressure gas is jetted out through the nozzles, so that the vehicle obtains the thrust in the direction opposite to the jet direction. The jet type emergency safety system for the vehicle has the advantages that the system is capable of providing a certain external force, realizing emergent braking and sudden acceleration and preventing side turnover and side slip when the vehicle is in emergent braking, sudden acceleration, side turnover and side slip so that driving safety and the like of the vehicle is enhanced.

Systems and methods are described for controlling engine operation of an engine that may be shut-down during engine idle stop conditions. The engine may include a high pressure direct injection fuel system. In one embodiment, a method comprises during at least a first fuel rail temperature below a threshold, automatically stopping engine operation during a selected engine idle stop condition; and during at least a second fuel rail temperature above the threshold, maintaining engine operation during the selected engine idle stop condition.

A brake control apparatus of an automotive vehicle employs a pump incorporated in a hydraulic actuator, a separate pressure control valve disposed between the pump and each individual wheel-brake cylinder and having an orifice having a predetermined orifice-constriction flow passage area, and vehicle sensors including at least wheel cylinder pressure sensors. Also provided is a controller configured to be connected to the vehicle sensors and the hydraulic actuator, for calculating, based on a driver's manipulated variable, target wheel cylinder pressures, and for controlling the hydraulic actuator responsively to the target wheel cylinder pressures. The controller is further configured for calculating a fluid-pressure deviation between the target wheel cylinder pressure and the actual wheel cylinder pressure, and for stopping working-fluid supply from the pump to the abnormal wheel-brake cylinder having an abnormality in the fluid-pressure deviation exceeding a predetermined threshold value.

A small vehicle has a frame assembly that is supported by rear wheels. An engine is supported by the frame assembly. The rear wheels are driven by the engine through a shaft drive arrangement. A brake assembly is connected to the shaft drive arrangement. An exhaust system extends away from the engine. An air cleaner is positioned along an air induction system of the engine. The air cleaner is positioned between the exhaust system and a cooling air duct that supplies cooling air to the brake assembly.