Electronic mechanical brake parking lock mechanism

Abstract

The application provides an electronic mechanical brake parking locking mechanism and belongs to the technical field of vehicle brake control. In view of the problems of complex structure and large required installation space of the electronic mechanical brake parking locking mechanism, the application provides an electronic mechanical brake parking locking mechanism, which comprises a driving mechanism, the driving mechanism has a driving end, the end of the driving end has a locking part, the driving end moves linearly in a first direction under the action of the driving mechanism and drives the locking part to move linearly synchronously, and a parking part is located in the first direction of the locking part and connected with the output end of the brake; wherein the locking part can extend and limit the rotation of the parking part in a second direction, the second direction is the rotation direction of the parking part for brake release; and the locking part is provided in the shape of a reversed hook, and the parking part is matched with the locking part; when locked, the movement of the locking part in the first direction is limited by the parking part. The integration of the driving mechanism and the locking part reduces the cost and assembly difficulty, reduces the overall weight, reduces the overall volume, and is more conducive to the wheel edge installation arrangement.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of vehicle braking control technology, and in particular to an electromechanical brake parking lock mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] With the popularization of new energy vehicles and autonomous driving, the commercialization of electromechanical brakes in passenger cars is accelerating. Electromechanical brakes integrate service braking and parking braking functions. Compared with traditional hydraulic calipers or EPB calipers, electromechanical brakes have larger motors and transmission structures, and also include an ECU, which further increases their size and weight. Therefore, it is more difficult to install them at the wheel end, and they are prone to interference with the suspension and wheel rims.

[0003] The parking mechanism in existing electromechanical brakes generally uses an electromagnet to drive a pawl, which engages with a ratchet to achieve the parking function. However, in conventional designs, such as CN118220091A and CN116135626A, the electromagnet push rod requires an additional adapter mechanism. This means that an additional threaded sleeve structure, a long pawl, and bolts for fixing the pawl need to be installed at the front of the electromagnet, which increases the complexity of the structure, occupies a lot of installation space, not only increases manufacturing costs but also places higher demands on the assembly process, and occupies a large amount of wheel rim space. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this application is to address the problem that existing electromechanical brake parking lock mechanisms are complex in structure and require a large installation space. Therefore, this application provides an electromechanical brake parking lock mechanism that, through the integration of the drive mechanism and the locking part, reduces cost and assembly difficulty, lightens the overall weight, reduces the overall size, and facilitates wheel-side installation.

[0005] This application provides an electromechanical brake parking lock mechanism, including: A driving mechanism having a driving end and a locking part at the end of the driving end, wherein the driving end moves linearly in a first direction under the action of the driving mechanism and drives the locking part to move linearly in sync. The parking unit is located in the first direction of the locking unit and is connected to the brake output end; wherein... The locking part can extend and restrict the parking part from rotating in a second direction, which is the rotation direction in which the parking part is released from braking. Furthermore, the locking part is configured as a barb, and the parking part is adapted to the locking part; when locked, the parking part restricts the movement of the locking part in the first direction.

[0006] By adopting the above technical solution, the drive mechanism integrates a locking part at the drive end, eliminating the intermediate conversion mechanism required in conventional structures. This significantly reduces the number of parts, lowers costs and assembly difficulty, simplifies the structure, reduces the weight and size of the actuator, and facilitates wheel-side installation.

[0007] In some embodiments, the driving end and the locking part are an integral structure, and both move along the same straight line.

[0008] By adopting the above technical solution, the integration of the drive end and the locking part is improved, the assembly difficulty is further reduced, and the structure is further simplified.

[0009] In some embodiments, the drive mechanism is connected to a power-off stabilizing element, which is used to maintain the current state of the locking part when the drive mechanism is powered off.

[0010] In some embodiments, the driving mechanism is a solenoid, the power-off stabilizing element is a permanent magnet, and the permanent magnet is sleeved in the middle of the electromagnetic coil of the solenoid.

[0011] In some embodiments, the driving end is provided with a limiting groove extending along the first direction, and the driving mechanism has a limiting member adapted to the limiting groove. The limiting member is inserted into the limiting groove and restricts the rotation of the driving end.

[0012] By adopting the above technical solution, rotation of the drive end is avoided, ensuring that the locking part on the drive end extends accurately and restricts the parking part.

[0013] In some embodiments, the drive mechanism is disposed within a housing, the end of the housing is provided with an opening, the drive end extends out of the housing through the opening, and the limiting member is disposed at the opening.

[0014] In some embodiments, the locking part is a barbed pawl, the parking part is an adapted ratchet, and the pawl can extend into the tooth groove of the ratchet and restrict the ratchet from rotating in the second direction, and when locked, the ratchet restricts the movement of the pawl in the first direction.

[0015] In some embodiments, the drive mechanism is disposed within the housing, and the housing is provided with mounting connecting pieces staggered on both sides along the first direction, which can be fixed to the electronic parking actuator housing by fasteners.

[0016] Other features and corresponding beneficial effects of this application will be described in the latter part of the specification, and it should be understood that at least some of the beneficial effects will become obvious from the description in this application. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the state of the device installed in the electronic parking actuator according to this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the drive mechanism in this application; Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the drive mechanism in this application.

[0018] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Drive mechanism; 2. Parking unit; 3. Brake input gear; 4. Fastener; 5. Power input terminal; 6. Brake output gear; 7. Brake intermediate gear; 8. Electronic parking actuator housing; 9. Brake motor; 10. Housing; 11. Electromagnetic coil; 12. Permanent magnet; 15. Drive end; 16. Limiting component; 20. Limiting groove; 21. Locking part; 22. Gear groove. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of this application. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this application from the content disclosed in this specification. Although the description of this application is presented in conjunction with preferred embodiments, this does not mean that the features of this application are limited to this embodiment. On the contrary, the purpose of describing the application in conjunction with embodiments is to cover other options or modifications that may be derived based on the claims of this application. To provide a thorough understanding of this application, many specific details will be included in the following description. This application may also be implemented without using these details. Furthermore, to avoid confusion or obscuring the focus of this application, some specific details will be omitted in the description. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.

[0020] It should be noted that in this specification, similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0021] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used solely for the convenience of describing this application and for simplification, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, features defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more. Unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; or a connection within two elements. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0022] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the state of the device installed in the electronic parking actuator according to this application.

[0023] The electronic parking actuator (MGU) is integrated into the electro-mechanical brake (EMB). It converts electrical energy into the mechanical force required for braking via a motor and gear transmission mechanism. The gear transmission mechanism typically includes a brake input gear 3 connected to the brake motor 9, which meshes with a brake intermediate gear 7, which in turn meshes with a brake output gear 6. To ensure the reliability of the parking brake, the MGU also includes a parking locking mechanism. This mechanism comprises a parking section 2 (usually a ratchet) coaxial with the brake input gear 3 and connected to the brake motor 9 (typically both the brake input gear 3 and the parking section 2 are fixed to the central shaft of the brake motor 9 and rotate with it), and a drive mechanism 1 that controls the movement of the locking section 21 (usually a pawl).

[0024] In the prior art, the drive mechanism 1 of the parking lock mechanism usually has disadvantages such as complex structure and large size, requiring a large installation space and affecting the wheel-side installation layout.

[0025] This application provides an electromechanical brake parking lock mechanism. By integrating the drive mechanism 1 and the locking part 21, the cost and assembly difficulty are reduced, the overall weight is reduced, and the overall volume is reduced. Furthermore, the drive mechanism 1 can be arranged parallel to the gear transmission mechanism, which controls the overall height and is more conducive to wheel-side installation.

[0026] Please see Figure 2-4 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the drive mechanism 1 in this application; Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the drive mechanism 1 in this application.

[0027] Specifically, the parking lock mechanism includes a drive mechanism 1 and a parking unit 2.

[0028] The drive mechanism 1 has a drive end 15, and the end of the drive end 15 has a locking part 21. Under the action of the drive mechanism 1, the drive end 15 moves linearly in a first direction, and drives the locking part 21 to move linearly in sync. It should be noted that the linear movement of the drive end 15 in the first direction under the action of the drive mechanism 1 can be a unidirectional linear movement or a bidirectional reciprocating linear movement.

[0029] The parking unit 2 is located in the first direction of the locking unit 21 and is connected to the output end of the brake (i.e. the output end of the brake motor 9).

[0030] The locking part 21 can extend and restrict the parking part 2 from rotating in a second direction, thereby achieving parking lock. The second direction is the rotation direction of the parking part 2 when the brake is released.

[0031] In this way, the drive mechanism 1 integrates the locking part 21 through the drive end 15, eliminating the intermediate conversion mechanism required in conventional structures (such as the screw sleeve structure, long pawl and bolt fixed in the middle of the long pawl, etc.), which greatly reduces the number of parts, reduces costs and assembly difficulty, simplifies the structure, reduces the weight of the actuator, reduces the size of the actuator, and is more conducive to wheel-side installation.

[0032] Meanwhile, in the existing technology, the pawl (i.e., the locking part 21) rotates. Because the dimensional relationship between the pawl's rotation center and the pushing point and the pawl's rotation center and the ratchet pawl engagement point is difficult to optimize, the electromagnet requires a large stroke, resulting in a large overall volume and further occupying wheel-side space. In contrast, this method changes the movement of the locking part 21 to linear motion. Compared with the conventional rotation method, this can shorten the stroke of the drive mechanism 1, reduce the overall volume, and further reduce the occupied wheel-side space.

[0033] In one embodiment, the locking part 21 is configured as a barb, the parking part 2 is adapted to the locking part 21, and when locked, the parking part 2 restricts the movement of the locking part 21 in the first direction, so that even if the drive mechanism is de-energized, the locking part 21 will not move under external force vibration, and will remain locked with the parking part 2, thereby improving the reliability of parking lock.

[0034] In one embodiment, the drive end 15 and the locking part 21 are an integral structure, for example, they are integrally molded, which improves the integration of the drive end 15 and the locking part 21, further reduces the assembly difficulty, and further simplifies the structure.

[0035] Preferably, the drive end 15 and the locking part 21 move along the same straight line, thereby further ensuring the reliability of the parking lock.

[0036] In one embodiment, the locking part 21 is a barbed pawl, the parking part 2 is an adapted ratchet, and the pawl can extend into the tooth groove of the ratchet and restrict the ratchet from rotating in the second direction, and when locked, the ratchet restricts the movement of the pawl in the first direction.

[0037] In one embodiment, the drive mechanism 1 is connected to a power-off stabilizing element, which is used to maintain the current state of the locking part 21 when the drive mechanism 1 is powered off, that is, to maintain the state of the locking part 21 relative to the parking part 2, so that the locking part 21 can have a certain holding force in the power-off state, whether in the parking state or the non-parking state, so that the parking locking mechanism can also remain in the state position when it receives an impact load and will not move.

[0038] In one embodiment, the drive mechanism 1 includes an electromagnetic coil 11, and a drive end 15 extends under the action of the electromagnetic coil 11. The power-off stabilizing element is a permanent magnet 12, which is sleeved in the middle of the electromagnetic coil 11. This ensures that when the electromagnetic coil 11 is de-energized, the drive end 15 maintains its current state through the permanent magnet 12, thereby maintaining the locking part 21 in its current state through the drive end 15. Specifically, when power is off, the drive end 15 is prevented from being completely free and moving under impact loads in its retracted state, and when the drive end 15 is extended and locked with the parking part 2, the reliability of the parking lock is further improved.

[0039] The combination of electromagnetic coil 11 and permanent magnet 12 to achieve a steady state after power failure is a commonly used bistable electromagnetic technology. This technology adds a permanent magnet in the middle of the electromagnetic coil. The moving iron (driving end) will generate an axial force under the action of the permanent magnet, so that the moving iron can remain in the extended or retracted state when the power is off. When the electromagnetic coil is energized, the force on the moving iron is greater than the force on the moving iron by the permanent magnet, thereby driving the moving iron to move.

[0040] In other alternative implementations, the power-off stabilizing element is a resilient latch, and the drive end 15 is held in this position by the resilient latch in both the parking and non-parking states.

[0041] It is understood that the drive mechanism 1 also includes a power input terminal 5 connected to the electromagnetic coil 11 to realize power on / off control.

[0042] Preferably, the drive mechanism 1 is a solenoid, which is low in cost, small in size, and simple to control. The solenoid mainly consists of a coil and a piston rod tightly connected together. When the coil is energized, the flow of current generates a strong magnetic force, which directly acts on the piston rod, thereby generating a thrust or pull force. The piston rod is the drive end 15. Furthermore, the drive end 15 extends outward when the solenoid is energized, and when the solenoid is de-energized and the parking part 2 rotates in a third direction (referring to the rotation direction of the parking part 2 during braking), Figure 2 When the parking section 2 rotates counterclockwise, it is pushed back to its initial position by the parking section 2 (i.e., retracted, and it can be understood that the thrust of the parking section 2 is greater than the holding force provided by the power-off steady-state component), thus achieving passive unlocking without the need for the solenoid to be energized, avoiding functional redundancy.

[0043] In other alternative embodiments, the drive mechanism 1 is a voice coil motor. Based on the interaction between the energized coil and the magnetic field of the permanent magnet, the voice coil motor enables bidirectional linear motion of the drive end 15. In this case, the drive end 15 extends or retracts under the control of the voice coil motor, thereby controlling the extension or retraction of the locking part 21, making the locking control more accurate. Simultaneously, when the power is off and the parking part 2 rotates in the braking direction, it can also return to its initial position (i.e., retract) under the thrust of the parking part 2.

[0044] In one embodiment, the drive end 15 is provided with a limiting groove 20 extending in a first direction, and the drive mechanism 1 has a limiting member 16 adapted to the limiting groove 20. The limiting member 16 is inserted into the limiting groove 20 and restricts the rotation of the drive end 15, that is, the drive end 15 does not rotate, ensuring that the locking part 21 on the drive end 15 does not rotate, thereby achieving accurate extension and limiting the parking part 2. The limiting member 16 can be a pin.

[0045] Preferably, the limiting groove 20 is located on the side of the drive end 15 away from the locking part 21, thereby reducing the impact on the strength of the locking part 21.

[0046] In one embodiment, the drive mechanism 1 is disposed within the housing 10, thereby protecting the internal components and facilitating assembly.

[0047] In one embodiment, the end of the housing 10 is provided with an opening, the drive end 15 extends out of the housing 10 through the opening, and the limiting member 16 is provided at the opening. This method has a simple structure.

[0048] In one embodiment, the housing 10 is provided with mounting connecting pieces on both sides of the first direction in an alternating manner, and can be fixed to the electronic parking actuator housing 8 by fasteners 4, such as screws. This method has fewer connection points and the connection is reliable.

[0049] During use, when the vehicle issues a parking command, the central shaft of the brake motor 9 drives the brake input gear 3 and the parking part 2 to rotate together. The brake input gear 3 then drives the brake intermediate gear 7 to rotate, and the brake intermediate gear 7 drives the brake output gear 6 to rotate. After the target parking clamping force is reached, the brake motor 9 stops the brake drive output. At this time, the drive mechanism 1 is energized, causing the drive end 15 to be pushed out. Then, the locking part 21 at the head of the drive end 15 is embedded in the gear 22 of the parking part 2 to restrict the parking part 2 from rotating in the second direction and prevent the brake from being released.

[0050] In the parking position, because the parking unit 2 moves in the second direction (i.e. Figure 2 The clockwise rotation has a component force along the first direction, which makes the tooth groove 22 of the parking part 2 tightly hold the parking part 21 (barb). Even when subjected to impact and vibration, the reliability of parking can be guaranteed and parking failure can be avoided.

[0051] After the parking lock is engaged, the drive mechanism 1 is de-energized.

[0052] When parking release is required, brake motor 9 needs to rotate in the direction of increased braking force (braking direction). Since the drive mechanism 1 is de-energized, the locking part 21 is only affected by the de-energized stabilizer and the tooth groove 22 of the parking part 2. The thrust applied by the parking part 2 is greater than the holding force applied by the de-energized stabilizer, causing the tooth groove of the parking part 2 to disengage from the locking part 21. The parking part 2 moves freely, and at this time, brake motor 9 rotates in the opposite direction, eventually driving brake output gear 6 to rotate in the opposite direction (i.e., in the brake release direction), parking is released, and the vehicle can drive normally.

[0053] It should be noted that in the existing technology, to perform the hot disc re-clamping operation (for example, when the brake disc temperature is too high, the brake disc will be clamped again due to thermal expansion and contraction to prevent the vehicle from rolling after the handbrake is pulled), it is necessary to first drive the drive mechanism 1 to release the parking lock, then drive the brake motor 9 to clamp, and then drive the drive mechanism 1 to lock the parking lock.

[0054] However, in one application scenario, when this application performs a hot plate re-clamping operation: after the first clamping, the drive mechanism 1 is de-energized. For the second clamping, this parking locking mechanism simply drives the brake motor 9 to continue clamping. The parking unit 2 pushes the locking unit 21 (drive end 15) back. After clamping, the drive mechanism 1 is energized again, and the drive end 15 is extended, completing the parking process. This results in faster operation response and improved safety. Of course, this parking locking mechanism can also keep the drive mechanism 1 energized and operate using conventional methods.

[0055] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A parking lock mechanism for an electromechanical brake, characterized in that, include: A driving mechanism having a driving end and a locking part at the end of the driving end, wherein the driving end moves linearly in a first direction under the action of the driving mechanism and drives the locking part to move linearly in sync. The parking unit is located in the first direction of the locking unit and is connected to the brake output end; wherein... The locking part can extend and restrict the parking part from rotating in a second direction, which is the rotation direction in which the parking part is released from braking. Furthermore, the locking part is configured as a barb, and the parking part is adapted to the locking part; when locked, the parking part restricts the movement of the locking part in the first direction.

2. The electromechanical brake parking lock mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driving end and the locking part are an integral structure, and both move along the same straight line.

3. The electromechanical brake hold mechanism of claim 1, wherein, The drive mechanism is connected to a power-off stabilizing element, which is used to maintain the current state of the locking part when the drive mechanism is powered off.

4. The electromechanical brake hold mechanism of claim 3, wherein, The driving mechanism is a solenoid, and the power-off stabilizing component is a permanent magnet, which is sleeved in the middle of the electromagnetic coil of the solenoid.

5. The electromechanical brake hold mechanism of claim 1, wherein, The driving end is provided with a limiting groove extending along the first direction, and the driving mechanism has a limiting member adapted to the limiting groove. The limiting member is inserted into the limiting groove and restricts the rotation of the driving end.

6. The electromechanical brake hold mechanism of claim 5, wherein, The driving mechanism is disposed inside the housing, and the end of the housing is provided with an opening. The driving end extends out of the housing through the opening, and the limiting member is disposed at the opening.

7. The electromechanical brake hold mechanism of claim 1, wherein, The locking part is a barbed pawl, the parking part is a matching ratchet, and the pawl can extend into the tooth groove of the ratchet and restrict the ratchet from rotating in the second direction, and when locked, the ratchet restricts the movement of the pawl in the first direction.

8. The electromechanical brake hold mechanism of claim 1, wherein, The drive mechanism is disposed inside the housing, and the housing is provided with mounting connecting pieces on both sides along the first direction in an alternating manner, which can be fixed to the housing of the electronic parking actuator by fasteners.

Images