Brake fluid charging and bleeding apparatus, system, method, and computer readable storage medium
By using hydraulic pumps and wirelessly controlled automated equipment, the problem of high manpower consumption during brake fluid filling and draining has been solved, achieving efficient and safe brake fluid replacement and bleed operation.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- VOLVO CAR CORP
- Filing Date
- 2022-08-08
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-03
Smart Images
Figure CN117566679B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of vehicles, and more specifically to apparatus, systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for filling and discharging brake fluid. Background Technology
[0002] The vehicle braking system is a crucial component of a vehicle, and its performance directly determines the safety and comfort of the vehicle during driving. In common hydraulic braking systems, brake fluid is used as the liquid medium to transmit braking pressure to each brake wheel cylinder, thereby generating friction to achieve vehicle braking.
[0003] When adding brake fluid to a vehicle for the first time at the factory, the existing method mainly involves injecting brake fluid into the vehicle's brake fluid reservoir, allowing the brake fluid to flow through the brake fluid circuit and ultimately reach the brake wheel cylinders. However, since brake fluid has a limited lifespan and needs to be replaced periodically to ensure vehicle driving safety, or for other maintenance or testing purposes, there is a need to drain the old brake fluid and fill it with new brake fluid.
[0004] In addition, air must be bled during the filling and draining of brake fluid. If air is present in the closed circuit of the braking system, it will be compressed before it can move the brake fluid during braking. This will result in a loss of brake pedal travel, thereby increasing braking response time and reducing braking force output, creating a serious safety hazard.
[0005] Therefore, based on actual testing, appropriate bleed screws are installed at suitable locations in the closed braking circuit. After repeated braking, air in the circuit gradually flows and accumulates at the bleed screw location. At this point, the bleed screw can be opened to release the gas mixed with brake fluid. In practice, this requires multiple operators to cooperate in a strict sequence to complete a large number of operations. It presents significant challenges in terms of time consumption, physical exertion, brake fluid replacement efficiency, and failure rate, and has always been a key concern in the vehicle after-sales service field.
[0006] Therefore, a technology that can easily and efficiently fill and drain brake fluid is needed. Summary of the Invention
[0007] According to one aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus for charging and discharging brake fluid is provided, comprising: a hydraulic pump configured to supply brake fluid to a brake fluid reservoir of a vehicle; a command transmitting unit configured to send a command to the vehicle's hydraulic braking system to pump brake fluid to a bleed screw disposed on the brake fluid circuit; and a wireless transmitter configured to send a wireless control signal to a bleed device connected to the bleed screw to actuate the locking or releasing of the bleed screw.
[0008] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a system for charging and discharging brake fluid is provided, comprising: a brake fluid charging / discharging machine and a bleed device. The brake fluid charging / discharging machine includes: a hydraulic pump configured to supply brake fluid to a brake fluid reservoir of a vehicle; a command transmitting unit configured to send a command to the vehicle's hydraulic braking system to pump brake fluid to a bleed screw disposed on the brake fluid circuit; and a wireless transmitter configured to send a wireless control signal to the bleed device connected to the bleed screw to actuate the locking or releasing of the bleed screw. The bleed device is connected to the bleed screw and includes: a wireless receiver configured to receive the wireless control signal; and an actuator configured to transmit rotational torque to the bleed screw according to the wireless control signal to actuate the locking or releasing of the bleed screw.
[0009] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method for charging or discharging brake fluid is provided, comprising: supplying brake fluid to a brake fluid reservoir of a vehicle; sending a command to the vehicle's hydraulic braking system to pump brake fluid to a bleed screw disposed on the brake fluid circuit; and sending a wireless control signal to a bleed device connected to the bleed screw to actuate the locking or releasing of the bleed screw.
[0010] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores instructions that cause a processor to perform a method for charging or discharging brake fluid, comprising: supplying brake fluid to a brake fluid reservoir of a vehicle; sending a command to the vehicle's hydraulic braking system to pump brake fluid to a bleed screw disposed on a brake fluid circuit; and sending a wireless control signal to a bleed device connected to the bleed screw to actuate the locking or releasing of the bleed screw.
[0011] The brake fluid filling and draining technology disclosed herein enables simple and efficient completion of vehicle brake fluid filling and draining operations, effectively saving labor and time costs, while standardizing the operation process and providing user-friendly operation. Attached Figure Description
[0012] These and / or other aspects and advantages of this disclosure will become clearer and more readily understood from the following detailed description of embodiments of this disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0013] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the brake fluid filling and discharging process performed manually in existing methods is shown.
[0014] Figure 2 An overall framework diagram of a system for filling and discharging brake fluid according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.
[0015] Figure 3 A structural block diagram of a device for filling and discharging brake fluid according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.
[0016] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an exemplary exhaust device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.
[0017] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating an example of a method for filling and discharging brake fluid according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.
[0018] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating another example of a method for charging and discharging brake fluid according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.
[0019] Figure 7 A hardware block diagram of an apparatus for filling and discharging brake fluid according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation
[0020] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand this disclosure, the disclosure will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.
[0021] First, a brief description of the operations involved in the existing brake fluid filling and draining process will be provided. The vehicle braking system is a crucial component of a vehicle, typically consisting of a closed brake fluid circuit in which essentially incompressible brake fluid circulates. For brake fluid replacement and bleed air, a bleed screw is usually installed at a suitable location in the closed brake circuit (e.g., near the brake caliper). The bleed screw is usually a hollow bolt or valve stem, connected to the brake fluid circuit and having a vent chamber. A steel ball and spring are located at one end of the vent chamber. The steel ball presses against the spring and the vent port. When the bleed screw is loosened, the positive pressure in the brake fluid line pushes the steel ball open, thus simultaneously bleeding the air. After repeated braking, air in the circuit gradually flows and accumulates at the location of the bleed screw, at which point the bleed screw can be opened to bleed the air.
[0022] Typically, a vehicle has brake calipers on all four wheels, and correspondingly, four bleed screws. However, the positions of these four bleed screws are not always the same. For example, the two bleed screws on the front wheels are usually located further out, while the two bleed screws on the rear wheels are usually located further in. Therefore, it is necessary to locate and align the bleed screws according to the positions of the different wheels, which is a cumbersome operation. In addition, the operating space is limited, and it is difficult to tighten and loosen them manually.
[0023] As discussed earlier, in the existing brake fluid filling and draining process, multiple operators need to cooperate with each other in a strict sequence to complete a large number of operations, such as supplying new brake fluid, actuating the brake pedal, and turning the bleed screw. Figure 1The diagram illustrates a conventional method for manually charging and discharging brake fluid. This method relies on one operator in the cab intermittently pressing the brake pedal to pump brake fluid into the brake fluid circuit and reach the vicinity of the bleed screw. Simultaneously, another operator tightens or loosens the bleed screw as needed to expel air from the brake fluid circuit using the flow of brake fluid.
[0024] like Figure 1 As shown, existing brake fluid filling and draining methods require at least two operators working in close coordination to perform the operations described above in a specific sequence: one operator needs to repeatedly depress and release the brake pedal from inside the driver's cab, using a hydraulic pump to pressurize the brake fluid and deliver it through the brake fluid circuit to the vicinity of the bleed screw in the brake fluid circuit of the braking system; the other operator needs to use a wrench to tighten and loosen the bleed screw near the brake caliper at the wheel, using the flow of brake fluid to expel air from the brake fluid circuit, while continuously adding new brake fluid to prevent the brake fluid reservoir from running low. It is evident that existing brake fluid filling and draining methods require two operators to complete the operations of depressing / releasing the brake pedal and tightening / loosening the bleed screw, consuming significant manpower, time, and physical effort, and resulting in low brake fluid filling and draining efficiency. Furthermore, if the two operators do not accurately control the force or timing of pressing / releasing the brake pedal and tightening / releasing the bleed screw, or if there is a miscoordination between the operations, it may result in incomplete bleeding of old brake fluid or incomplete removal of air, potentially leading to rework or even a safety accident. Because residual air in the brake fluid circuit can adversely affect the vehicle's braking system and driving safety, vehicle after-sales centers need to invest significant time and manpower to ensure the quality of the brake fluid filling and draining process, and require extensive training for operators. Therefore, how to perform brake fluid filling and draining simply and efficiently is a problem that vehicle after-sales service providers urgently need to solve.
[0025] In view of this, this disclosure proposes a novel automated brake fluid filling and discharging technology. Through the coordinated design of hardware and software, the control of brake fluid supply, brake fluid pumping in the brake fluid circuit, and bleed screw turning are integrated into one, making the brake fluid filling and discharging process simpler and avoiding operational inconvenience.
[0026] Next, a brief overview of the basic idea of the brake fluid charging / draining technology proposed in this disclosure will be provided. On one hand, in a vehicle's hydraulic braking system, the source of brake hydraulic power includes not only the driver's pressing of the brake pedal but also the electro-hydraulic pump of the hydraulic braking system. The latter can be controlled by the electronic control unit (ECU) of the hydraulic braking system to pump brake fluid to the vicinity of the bleed screw in the brake fluid circuit, thereby causing air in the brake fluid circuit to gradually flow and accumulate at the location of the bleed screw for venting. Therefore, instead of requiring manual pressing of the brake pedal to pump brake fluid to the vicinity of the bleed screw in existing brake fluid charging / draining methods, this disclosure, by connecting to the vehicle's on-board diagnostic (OBD) system, can achieve the pumping of brake fluid in the brake fluid circuit under the control of the ECU by sending commands to the vehicle. On the other hand, instead of requiring the use of a wrench to periodically tighten / untighten the bleed screw in existing brake fluid charging / draining methods, this disclosure proposes to control the tightening / untightening state of the bleed screw by sending wireless control signals, so that the venting device connected to the bleed screw can provide the rotational torque required to turn the bleed screw under the action of the wireless control signal.
[0027] Figure 2 An overall framework diagram of a system for charging and discharging brake fluid according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Figure 2 As shown, the brake fluid charging / draining system 200 mainly includes a brake fluid charging / draining machine and four bleed devices (as indicated by the symbol "T") located near the four wheels, wherein each bleed device is connected to a bleed screw located near the corresponding wheel to actuate the locking or releasing of the bleed screw. In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the brake fluid charging / draining machine can integrate the following three functions required during the brake fluid charging / draining process: (1) supplying brake fluid to the vehicle's brake fluid reservoir; (2) sending hydraulic control commands to the vehicle's hydraulic braking system to pump brake fluid to the vicinity of the bleed screw located in the brake fluid circuit; and (3) sending wireless control signals to the bleed screws near the four wheels to actuate the locking or releasing of the bleed screws. Accordingly, as Figure 2As shown, the various interfaces of the brake fluid inflator / discharger can be connected to the various unit modules of the vehicle or venting system to prepare for brake fluid filling and discharging. Specifically, a fluid line connects the outlet of the brake fluid inflator / discharger to the brake fluid reservoir in the vehicle's front compartment, thereby continuously supplying new brake fluid. Furthermore, a cable connects the command output port of the brake fluid inflator / discharger to the OBD port in the vehicle's driver's compartment, thereby causing the vehicle's hydraulic braking system to establish hydraulic pressure in the brake fluid circuit upon receiving a command, pumping brake fluid to the vicinity of the bleed screw. Additionally, the wireless transmitter of the brake fluid inflator / discharger is wirelessly connected to the wireless receiver of the venting system, thereby actuating the tightening or loosening of the bleed screw under the action of a wireless control signal, ultimately causing the brake fluid discharged from the bleed screw, carrying air, to be collected in the reservoir. The apparatus and method for filling and discharging brake fluid provided in this disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples.
[0028] First, refer to Figure 3 This invention describes an apparatus for filling and discharging brake fluid according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3 A structural block diagram of a device for filling and discharging brake fluid according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 3 As shown, device 300 may include a hydraulic pump U301, a command sending unit U302, and a wireless transmitter U303.
[0029] Hydraulic pump U301 can supply brake fluid to the vehicle's brake fluid reservoir. It is understood that hydraulic pump U301 can replenish brake fluid to the reservoir in various ways, and this disclosure does not limit the specific method of brake fluid supply. As an illustrative example, hydraulic pump U301 can pressurize brake fluid and inject it into the vehicle's brake fluid reservoir through a fluid line. In one example, hydraulic pump U301 can provide a pressure of approximately 1 to 4 bar.
[0030] The command sending unit U302 can send commands to the vehicle's hydraulic braking system to pump brake fluid to the bleed screw located on the brake fluid circuit. This causes air in the brake fluid circuit to gradually flow and accumulate at the bleed screw location for venting. As discussed above, considering that the electro-hydraulic pump of the hydraulic braking system can provide hydraulic power, it can be controlled to build up hydraulic pressure by sending electronic commands, thus replacing the manual brake pedal actuation in existing methods. It is understood that electronic commands can be sent to the electro-hydraulic pump in the electro-hydraulic braking system in various ways to build up hydraulic pressure and pump brake fluid to the vicinity of the bleed screw.
[0031] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the vehicle's OBD system can be used to send and receive hydraulic control commands and control the hydraulic braking system. The OBD system is a diagnostic system developed for vehicle fault diagnosis, and its widespread application is due to the increasing internationalization and standardization of the automotive industry. It supports various communication protocols to provide useful diagnostic information to external devices and / or receive control commands from external devices to control the vehicle. As an illustrative example, the command sending unit U302 can send OBD commands to the electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle's hydraulic braking system, causing the ECU to control the electro-hydraulic pump of the hydraulic braking system to build up hydraulic pressure in the brake fluid circuit, thereby pumping the brake fluid to the vicinity of the bleed screw located in the brake fluid circuit.
[0032] It is understandable that in a vehicle's electro-hydraulic braking system, the pumping of the electro-hydraulic pump and the opening and closing of various electro-hydraulic valves can be controlled to pump brake fluid to the vicinity of each bleed screw for air release. For example, by controlling the opening and closing of each electro-hydraulic valve, the brake fluid circuit can be changed, thereby directing the brake fluid, along with any air it contains, towards the bleed screw requiring air release, and then opening that bleed screw allows air to be released. The specific control methods of the electro-hydraulic pump and electro-hydraulic valves in the electro-hydraulic braking system will not be elaborated upon here.
[0033] The wireless transmitter U303 can send a wireless control signal to the exhaust device connected to the bleed screw to actuate the tightening or loosening of the bleed screw. As an illustrative example, the wireless transmitter U303 can send the wireless control signal to the wireless receiver of the exhaust device, causing the actuator of the exhaust device to transmit rotational torque to the bleed screw under the control of the received wireless control signal, thereby tightening or loosening the bleed screw. In embodiments of this disclosure, the wireless control signal can be sent to the exhaust device via WiFi or Bluetooth. It is understood that various structures can be used to design the exhaust device in embodiments of this disclosure, thereby controlling the tightening / loosening state of the bleed screw by sending wireless control signals, replacing the manual operation using a wrench in existing methods. For the sake of completeness, the following is combined with... Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an exemplary exhaust device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is described.
[0034] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an exhaust device for a braking system according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 4As shown, the venting device 400 includes a hollow shaft 2, a fluid guide tube 3, and an actuator 5. The hollow shaft 2 is rotatably and fixedly connected to the bleed screw 1, and the hollow shaft 2 has a through hollow cavity. The fluid guide tube 3 is disposed within the hollow shaft 2, specifically within the hollow cavity. The fluid guide tube 3 is used to vent brake fluid and any air that may be mixed in the brake fluid. The actuator 5 is used to actuate the hollow shaft 2, thereby actuating the locking or releasing of the bleed screw 1. The following will be combined with... Figure 4 The connection relationships of each component and optional embodiments are described in detail.
[0035] The hollow shaft 2 includes a shaft body 20 and a first end 21 and a second end 22 connected to and opposite to the shaft body 20. The first end 21 and the second end 22 are rigid, while the shaft body 20 is flexible. Specifically, the shaft body 20 can be in the form of a bellows, which can be bent in the axial direction D, for example, bent into an arc or even a U-shape, but has a certain rigidity in the circumferential direction. Therefore, although the hollow shaft 2 can be bent, it can still transmit rotational torque while bending. In this embodiment, the rotational torque received at the second end 22 can be transmitted to the first end 21 through the shaft body 20. The hollow shaft 2 is continuous from the first end 21, the shaft body 20 to the second end 22, and can have a uniform inner diameter, thereby allowing the insertion of a discharge tube such as a liquid guide tube 3. The first end 21 is in the form of a connector, and the first end 21 can be rotatably and fixedly connected to the vent screw 1. The second end 22 can be actuated to transmit rotational torque along the shaft body 20 to the first end 21, thereby actuating the locking or releasing of the vent screw 1.
[0036] Based on the above characteristics, the flexible hollow shaft 2 has many advantages: First, the hollow shaft 2 can be equipped with a fluid guide tube 3 in the hollow cavity for discharging brake fluid, and at the same time, the hollow shaft 2 can also transmit torque; Second, the flexible hollow shaft 2 provides a more flexible operating method. The hollow shaft 2 can be bent to adapt to the different positions of the bleed screws of the front and rear wheels, and the distance and angle between the actuator and the bleed screw can be adjusted according to the actual situation.
[0037] The following combination Figure 4 The connection between the first end 21 of the hollow shaft 2 and the vent screw 1 is described exemplarily. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the first end 21 is coaxially connected to the bleed screw 1. The bleed screw 1 may exemplarily include multiple sections, such as an inlet 11 connected to the brake fluid circuit, an outlet 12 opposite to the inlet 11, an external hexagonal connector 13 between the inlet 11 and the outlet 12, and a groove adjacent to the external hexagonal connector 13 and close to the inlet 11. In the locked state, the inlet 11 is disconnected from the brake fluid circuit, while in the released state, the inlet 11 is in fluid communication with the brake fluid circuit, thereby allowing brake fluid to be discharged through the inlet 11 and ultimately through the outlet 12.
[0038] The first end 21 of the hollow shaft 2 may include an internal hexagonal portion 211 that mates with the external hexagonal connector 13 of the vent screw 1, so as to be rotatably and securely connected to the vent screw 1.
[0039] To axially fix the first end 21 and the vent screw 1, the first end 21 may optionally include a locking part 212. The locking part 212 may be, for example, in the form of a snap-fit, engaging with the slot of the vent screw 1 to restrict the relative movement of the hollow shaft 2 and the vent screw 1 in the axial direction D, thereby fixing the first end 21 to the vent screw 1.
[0040] The inlet 11 of the bleed screw 1 is connected to the brake fluid circuit, and the other side is the outlet 12, with the inlet 11 and outlet 12 in fluid communication. One end of the fluid guide tube 3 is sealed to the outlet of the bleed screw 1, and the other end is connected to the reservoir 4 to collect the brake fluid discharged from the bleed screw 1 into the reservoir 4. The reservoir 4 is a container for holding brake fluid, such as a transparent plastic bottle. Exemplarily, the bleed screw 1 may be provided with a tapered portion at the outlet, which can be inserted into one end of the fluid guide tube 3 and achieve a physical seal. The fluid guide tube 3 may be, for example, a latex fluid guide tube, and its length may be greater than the length of the hollow shaft 2. During installation, the fluid guide tube 3 can be sealed to the bleed screw 1 first, then the first end of the hollow shaft 2 can be inserted from the other end of the fluid guide tube 3 and installed to the bleed screw 1, and finally the actuator 5 can be connected to the second end 22 of the hollow shaft 2.
[0041] In one example, actuator 5 is drivenly connected to the second end 22 of hollow shaft 2 to actuate hollow shaft 2. For example, actuator 5 can provide a rotational torque of up to 20 N·m. In this embodiment, actuator 5 may include motor 6 and reducer 7, with motor 6 drivenly connected to reducer 7. Reducer 7 may include output shaft 71, which is coaxially arranged with hollow shaft 2, particularly the second end 22 of hollow shaft 2, to ultimately output the reduced torque of motor 6 and transmit it to the second end 22. Output shaft 71 is fixedly connected to the second end 22 and is provided with a through hole in the axial direction D to allow liquid guide tube 3 to pass through. For example, output shaft 71 and the second end 22 may also be configured as an external hexagonal-internal hexagonal joint to form a rotationally fixed connection, and the second end 22 may be provided with a threaded hole perpendicular to the axial direction D, through which a locating pin 8 passes and presses against output shaft 71, thereby axially fixing output shaft 71 and thus fixing output shaft 71 to the second end.
[0042] It should be noted that the reducer 7 is not necessary. In an alternative embodiment, the actuator 5 may consist only of the motor 6, the output of which is directly connected to the second end 22 to actuate the rotation of the hollow shaft 2 and ultimately actuate the locking or releasing of the vent screw 1.
[0043] Therefore, the vent screw 1 can be tightened or released by controlling the rotation of the motor 6, without having to manually tighten / release the vent screw from time to time with a wrench, saving manpower and time costs.
[0044] To wirelessly control the tightening / unlocking of the bleed screw, the exhaust device 400 also includes a wireless receiver configured to receive wireless control signals, and the actuator 5 actuates the tightening or unlocking of the bleed screw 1 according to the wireless control signals. Thus, by sending wireless control signals, the tightening / unlocking state of the bleed screw is controlled, enabling the exhaust device to provide the rotational torque required to turn the bleed screw under the action of the wireless control signals.
[0045] Optionally, the exhaust system 400 may also include a mounting bracket configured to mount the actuator 5 to the inside of the vehicle wheel hub, thereby providing a reliable and convenient fixation of the actuator 5. It should be noted that "inside" refers to the side of the vehicle wheel hub closest to the passenger compartment. Optionally, the actuator 5 may also be attached to a mounting base located on the exterior of the vehicle.
[0046] It should be noted that the "bleeding device" described in this article refers to a device for tightening or releasing the bleed screw. By tightening or releasing the bleed screw, the bleeding device can easily and efficiently charge / discharge brake fluid and / or bleed air from the brake fluid circuit. The bleeding device can be electrically driven in conjunction with actuators such as motor assemblies. Its advantages include: automated bleeding operation with the aid of actuators, flexible operation, simple structure, and savings in manpower and time costs. It is understood that the above references... Figure 4 The described exhaust device structure is merely an illustrative example, and other suitable structures can also be used in this disclosure to achieve the electric actuation of the vent screw.
[0047] return Figure 3 The device 300 may also include a controller U304 for controlling the overall operation of the hydraulic pump U301, command sending unit U302, and wireless transmitter U303. As discussed above, during the brake fluid filling and draining process, if the two operators do not accurately control the force or timing of pressing / releasing the brake pedal and tightening / releasing the bleed screw, or if there is a miscoordination between the various operations, it may result in incomplete drainage of old brake fluid or failure to remove air. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a standardized operating sequence to regulate the various operations that the hydraulic pump U301, command sending unit U302, and wireless transmitter U303 must perform during the brake fluid filling and draining process, such as the time sequence of each operation, the duration and time interval of each operation, and the control command parameters involved in each operation. Accordingly, such as... Figure 3As described in the internal control flow, the controller U304 can control the operation of the hydraulic pump U301, the command sending unit U302, and the wireless transmitter U303 according to a standardized operating sequence.
[0048] As mentioned above, OBD systems can support various communication protocols to provide useful diagnostic information to external devices and / or receive control commands from external devices to control the vehicle. To standardize vehicle diagnostics, the automotive industry has established OBD-related standards, requiring vehicle manufacturers to adhere to the interface definitions, protocol specifications, and data command formats under these standards for industry promotion. Therefore, this disclosure utilizes a standardized OBD interface to control the vehicle's hydraulic braking system, thereby achieving sufficient pumping of brake fluid within the brake fluid circuit to the vicinity of the bleed screw. This allows air in the brake fluid circuit to gradually flow and accumulate at the location of the bleed screw for venting. In this way, the application of the brake fluid charging / draining device proposed in this disclosure is not limited to specific vehicle models. As long as the vehicle has an OBD system and is equipped with an electro-hydraulic braking system, the device can be controlled using standardized OBD commands, exhibiting broad applicability and facilitating the industry-wide promotion of standardized brake fluid charging / draining procedures.
[0049] Meanwhile, considering the risk of unauthorized access to the vehicle's OBD interface, potentially leading to the receipt of malicious control commands, it is necessary to determine whether the external device connected to the vehicle is an authorized security device for security reasons. This prevents malicious access to the vehicle's OBD interface from threatening vehicle driving safety. Therefore, the controller U304 can also determine whether the device 300 has the authority to charge / discharge brake fluid in the vehicle. Only when authorized will it control the operation of the hydraulic pump U301, command sending unit U302, and wireless transmitter U303 according to a standardized operating sequence. As an illustrative example, the device 300 can obtain prior authorization from the vehicle manufacturer, thus possessing the authority to access / control the vehicle manufacturer's OBD system (e.g., electronic key, serial number, etc.). Subsequently, after connecting the device 300 to the vehicle to be evacuated, the user can input the vehicle model into the device 300's input interface (e.g., keyboard, touchscreen, etc.). The controller U304 can then automatically determine whether the device 300 has the corresponding authority and, if not, prevent subsequent access operations to ensure the security of the vehicle system. In this way, by utilizing the standardized OBD system in the vehicle to realize the brake fluid filling and discharging process, it is possible not only to promote the standardized brake fluid filling and discharging process within the industry, but also to ensure the security of the vehicle's OBD system to prevent malicious intrusion.
[0050] It is understood that although the application of the brake fluid charging / discharging device and method based on the OBD system proposed in this disclosure is not limited to a specific vehicle model, the standardized operating sequence described above can be specific to a vehicle model; that is, each vehicle has its own unique standardized sequence to meet its individual needs. In the embodiments of this disclosure, the standardized operating sequence may include at least the following operations in sequence:
[0051] (A) Hydraulic pump start-up operation, used to supply brake fluid to the brake fluid reservoir;
[0052] (B) Brake fluid pumping operation, used to control the electro-hydraulic pump and electro-hydraulic valve of the hydraulic braking system to pump brake fluid to the bleed screw through the brake fluid circuit;
[0053] (C) Bleed screw release operation, used to release the bleed screw to release air;
[0054] (D) A vent screw tightening operation, used to tighten the vent screw after a predetermined time; and
[0055] (E) The hydraulic pump stops operating to stop the supply of brake fluid.
[0056] It should be noted that operations (A)-(E) described above can refer to the air bleed process required for the bleed screw at the brake caliper of one of the vehicle's wheels. Before operations (A)-(E), a command can be sent to the vehicle's OBD system to put its hydraulic braking system into test mode, allowing control of the electro-hydraulic pump's hydraulic build-up process via electronic commands from an external device. Furthermore, each operation in (A)-(E) can involve specific command parameters. For example, for the hydraulic pump start-up operation, the standardized operation sequence above could include parameters for pressurizing the brake fluid when adding new brake fluid in operation (A), to inject the pressurized brake fluid into the brake fluid reservoir. As another example, for the brake fluid pumping operation, the standardized operation sequence above could include parameters for the hydraulic pressure required to be built up by the electro-hydraulic pump in operation (B) to pump the brake fluid to the vicinity of the bleed screw, thereby pumping the brake fluid sufficiently to the vicinity of the bleed screw to bleed air with an appropriate hydraulic pressure. For example, regarding the bleed screw tightening operation, the standardized operation sequence described above may include a time delay parameter for operation (D) to avoid premature tightening of the bleed screw, resulting in insufficient air venting, or premature tightening, unnecessarily lengthening the entire operation or introducing air into the brake fluid circuit of the hydraulic braking system. For the remaining wheels of the vehicle, operations (A)-(E) can be repeated to bleed the bleed screws at other wheels. As an illustrative example, the bleed operation can be performed sequentially in the order of right front wheel, right rear wheel, left rear wheel, and left front wheel; this disclosure does not restrict the order of wheel bleeding. Furthermore, during a single brake fluid filling / draining process, one or more bleed operations can be performed on any one or more wheels to completely remove old brake fluid and residual air and fill with new brake fluid. As an illustrative example, the exhaust process can be performed once in the order of right front wheel, right rear wheel, left rear wheel and left front wheel, and then the exhaust process can be performed one or more times in the order of right front wheel, right rear wheel, left rear wheel and left front wheel. This disclosure is not limited to this.
[0057] In other words, the standardized sequence according to embodiments of this disclosure may include routines composed of any combination of operations (A)-(E), and may be stored in device 300 for later recall. In this way, for any vehicle requiring brake system bleeding, simply recalling the standardized operation sequence corresponding to the vehicle model will allow standardized operations to be executed in a strict order under the overall control of controller U304. For example, strictly following the standardized procedure to control the timing sequence, duration, and time interval of each operation of hydraulic pump U301, command sending unit U302, and wireless transmitter U303, as well as the control command parameters involved in each operation, etc., thereby avoiding the consequences of incomplete air bleeding caused by inaccurate control of the operator's force or timing, or errors in coordination between operations, as in existing manual brake fluid filling and draining methods.
[0058] On the other hand, in existing brake fluid filling and draining methods, whether the air in the brake fluid circuit has been purged relies on experience. For example, the operator needs to closely observe the brake fluid draining from the bleed screw; when no air bubbles are present, the operator judges that the brake fluid replacement is complete and ends the entire workflow. However, this visual observation method is highly dependent on the operator's experience, and there are still cases where air in the brake fluid is not purged but is mistakenly judged as a complete replacement, resulting in a certain failure rate for brake fluid replacement, thus requiring rework or even potentially causing safety accidents. In view of this, the standardized operating sequence according to the embodiments of this disclosure further includes: (F) an air check operation, used to send an on-board diagnostic (OBD) command to check whether air is present in the brake fluid circuit. As discussed above, once air is present in the closed circuit system of the braking system, the air in the circuit will be compressed first during braking before it can drive the brake fluid, thereby increasing the braking response time. In light of this, in one example, the air check operation may include: sending an OBD command to the electro-hydraulic pump to pump brake fluid into the brake wheel cylinder to pressurize it, and determining the time required to reach a specific pressure to infer the air content in the brake fluid. For example, the pressure in the brake wheel cylinder can be monitored by a pressure sensor to determine the time required to reach a predetermined pressure (e.g., 50 bar), where a longer time indicates more residual air in the brake fluid, and a shorter time indicates that the air in the brake fluid has been completely purged. In this case, if the air check fails, steps (A)-(E) are repeated until the air check passes. It is understood that when the air check passes, a qualified brake fluid filling and draining process can be considered complete. At this point, a command can be sent again to the vehicle's OBD system to exit the test mode of its hydraulic braking system, thereby allowing the normal operation of the vehicle's hydraulic braking system, and finally, the connection between the device 300 and the vehicle and the venting device can be disconnected, thus completing the after-sales maintenance work for delivery.
[0059] The apparatus for charging and discharging brake fluid according to embodiments of the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. By using this apparatus for charging and discharging brake fluid, the charging and discharging process can be completed simply and efficiently. The apparatus for charging and discharging brake fluid proposed in this disclosure has the following beneficial technical effects:
[0060] 1. Reduced labor costs. By using the brake fluid filling and emptying device disclosed herein, only one operator is needed to complete the entire brake fluid filling and emptying process. Compared to the traditional purely manual filling and emptying method, this effectively saves labor costs.
[0061] 2. Standardized Work Process. By using the brake fluid filling / draining equipment disclosed in this disclosure, the various operations involved in the brake fluid filling / draining process can be strictly and orderly executed according to a standardized operating sequence. This effectively avoids human errors caused by insufficient operator experience, inaccurate control of operating force or timing, or poor cooperation, ensuring high-quality brake fluid filling / draining results. Furthermore, the air check operation within the standardized operating sequence avoids the uncertainties of manual visual air bubble inspection, thereby ensuring the reliability of the brake fluid filling / draining results.
[0062] 3. Saves time and costs. By using the device for charging and discharging brake fluid disclosed in this disclosure, the pumping of brake fluid to the bleed screw and the tightening / releasing of the bleed screw can be controlled electronically, effectively saving time compared to manual operation. Furthermore, tightening or releasing the bleed screw does not require wheel removal, thus saving the time required for wheel removal in existing brake fluid charging and discharging methods.
[0063] 4. User-friendly operation. By using the device for charging and discharging brake fluid disclosed herein, the pumping of brake fluid to the bleed screw and the tightening / loosening of the bleed screw can be controlled by electronic commands, eliminating the need for manual labor to step on the brake pedal and the need for operators to manually tighten each bleed screw with a wrench at each wheel, effectively reducing the physical labor burden on operators.
[0064] Next, a system for filling and draining brake fluid according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. In embodiments of the present disclosure, the system for filling and draining brake fluid may include a brake fluid filling / draining machine and a venting device. Return to References Figure 2 An exemplary brake fluid charging / draining system may include a brake fluid charging / draining machine and four bleed devices (as indicated by the label "T") located near the four wheels, wherein each bleed device is connected to a bleed screw located near the corresponding wheel to actuate the locking or releasing of the bleed screw.
[0065] The brake fluid filling / draining machine in this system can have a reference Figure 3 The described configuration of the device for charging and discharging brake fluid includes at least a hydraulic pump, a command transmitting unit, and a wireless transmitter, wherein: the hydraulic pump is configured to supply brake fluid to the vehicle's brake fluid reservoir; the command transmitting unit is configured to send a command to the vehicle's hydraulic braking system to pump brake fluid to a bleed screw disposed on the brake fluid circuit; and the wireless transmitter is configured to send a wireless control signal to a bleed device connected to the bleed screw to actuate the tightening or loosening of the bleed screw. The bleed device in this system may have a reference... Figure 4 The described exemplary venting device is structured to connect to a vent screw and includes at least a wireless receiver and an actuator, wherein: the wireless receiver is configured to receive the wireless control signal; and the actuator is configured to transmit rotational torque to the vent screw according to the wireless control signal to actuate the locking or releasing of the vent screw. The various components may each have the same characteristics as described above. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The same structure and functions described herein will not be repeated here.
[0066] Next, refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 This disclosure describes a method for charging and discharging brake fluid according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The various steps of the method for charging and discharging brake fluid according to embodiments of the present disclosure can be performed using the apparatus for charging and discharging brake fluid as described above; therefore, to avoid repetition, only a brief description of the method is given below, omitting detailed descriptions of the same details.
[0067] Figure 5 A flowchart of a method 500 for charging and discharging brake fluid according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 5 As shown, in step S501, brake fluid can be supplied to the vehicle's brake fluid reservoir. It can be understood from the above reference... Figure 3 The hydraulic pump U301 of the described device 300 for charging and discharging brake fluid is used to replenish the brake fluid supply. In this step S501, the brake fluid can be pressurized and injected into the vehicle's brake fluid reservoir through a fluid pipeline.
[0068] In step S502, a command can be sent to the vehicle's hydraulic braking system to pump brake fluid to the bleed screw located on the brake fluid circuit. This can be understood from the above reference... Figure 3The command sending unit U302 of the described brake fluid charging / discharging device 300 transmits hydraulic control commands. In step S502, the transmission and reception of hydraulic control commands and the control of the hydraulic braking system can be performed using the vehicle's OBD system. As an illustrative example, an OBD command can be sent to the electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle's hydraulic braking system, causing the ECU to control the electro-hydraulic pump of the hydraulic braking system to build up hydraulic pressure in the brake fluid circuit. This pumps the brake fluid to the vicinity of the bleed screw in the brake fluid circuit, allowing air in the brake fluid circuit to gradually flow and accumulate at the bleed screw location for bleed air removal. It is understood that in the vehicle's electro-hydraulic braking system, the pumping of the electro-hydraulic pump and the opening and closing of each electro-hydraulic valve can be controlled to pump brake fluid to the vicinity of each bleed screw for bleed air removal.
[0069] In step S503, a wireless control signal can be sent to the venting device connected to the vent screw to actuate the tightening or loosening of the vent screw. It can be understood from the above reference... Figure 3 The described device 300 for charging and discharging brake fluid uses a wireless transmitter U303 to lock or release the bleed screw. In step S503, a wireless control signal can be sent to a wireless receiver of the bleed device, causing the actuator of the bleed device to transmit rotational torque to the bleed screw under the control of the received wireless control signal, thereby locking or releasing the bleed screw. For example, the wireless control signal can be sent to the bleed device via WiFi or Bluetooth. It is understood that the bleed device used in the embodiments of this disclosure may have, for example, […]. Figure 4 The described exemplary structure controls the locking / releasing state of the vent screw by sending wireless control signals.
[0070] It should be noted that although the steps involved in the brake fluid charging and discharging process are described above in the order of S501 to S503, this order should not be construed as limiting the execution order of each step. In fact, as mentioned above, a standardized operating sequence needs to be established to regulate the order and parameters of supplying brake fluid to the brake fluid reservoir, sending commands to the hydraulic braking system, and sending wireless control signals to the bleed device during the brake fluid charging and discharging process. Accordingly, in the embodiments of this disclosure, the operations of supplying brake fluid to the brake fluid reservoir, sending commands to the hydraulic braking system, and sending wireless control signals to the bleed device are controlled according to the standardized operating sequence. It is understood that the standardized operating sequence can be vehicle-model specific, meaning each vehicle has its own unique standardized sequence to meet individual needs. In the embodiments of this disclosure, the standardized operating sequence may include at least the following operations:
[0071] (A) Hydraulic pump start-up operation, used to supply brake fluid to the brake fluid reservoir;
[0072] (B) Brake fluid pumping operation, used to control the electro-hydraulic pump and electro-hydraulic valve of the hydraulic braking system to pump brake fluid to the bleed screw through the brake fluid circuit;
[0073] (C) Bleed screw release operation, used to release the bleed screw to release air;
[0074] (D) A vent screw tightening operation, used to tighten the vent screw after a predetermined time; and
[0075] (E) The hydraulic pump stops operating to stop the supply of brake fluid.
[0076] It should be noted that the above operations (A)-(E) can be described as the bleed process required for the bleed screw at the brake caliper of one of the vehicle's wheels. Before operations (A)-(E), a command can be sent to the vehicle's OBD system to put its hydraulic braking system into test mode, allowing the electro-hydraulic pump's hydraulic build-up process to be controlled by sending electronic commands via external devices. Furthermore, each operation in (A)-(E) can involve specific command parameters for that operation. For the remaining wheels of the vehicle, the above operations (A)-(E) can be repeated to achieve the bleed process at the bleed screws of the other wheels.
[0077] Furthermore, the standardized operating sequence according to embodiments of this disclosure further includes: (F) an air check operation, used to send an on-board diagnostic (OBD) command to check for the presence of air in the brake fluid circuit. In this case, if the air check fails, steps (A)-(E) are repeated until the air check passes. It is understood that when the air check passes, a qualified brake fluid charging / discharging process can be considered complete, at which point a command can be sent again to the vehicle's OBD system to exit the test mode of its hydraulic braking system, thereby allowing the normal operation of the vehicle's hydraulic braking system.
[0078] Figure 6 A flowchart of a method 600 for charging and discharging brake fluid according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 5 In comparison, Figure 6 This description focuses on the user's perspective when describing a method for charging and discharging brake fluid according to embodiments of this disclosure. For example... Figure 6As shown, the various interfaces of the brake fluid inflator / discharger can first be connected to the respective unit modules of the vehicle or exhaust system to prepare for brake fluid filling and discharging. For example, a fluid line can be connected between the outlet of the brake fluid inflator / discharger and the brake fluid reservoir in the vehicle's front compartment, thereby continuously supplying new brake fluid. Furthermore, the command output port of the brake fluid inflator / discharger can be connected to the OBD port in the vehicle's driver's compartment via cable, thereby causing the vehicle's hydraulic braking system to establish hydraulic pressure in the brake fluid circuit upon receiving a command, pumping brake fluid to the vicinity of the bleed screw. Additionally, the wireless transmitter of the brake fluid inflator / discharger can be wirelessly connected to the wireless receiver of the exhaust system, thereby actuating the tightening or loosening of the bleed screw under the action of a wireless control signal. After this, the brake fluid filling and discharging operation can begin.
[0079] like Figure 6 As shown, in step S601, the user can select the vehicle model at the input interface of the brake fluid refill / discharge machine. As mentioned above, the standardized operation sequence can be vehicle model-specific, meaning each vehicle has its own unique standardized sequence to meet its individual needs. Accordingly, in step S601, the user can provide the vehicle model through the input device such as the brake fluid refill / discharge machine's keyboard or touchscreen, so that the corresponding standardized sequence can be called later. This allows operations such as supplying brake fluid to the brake fluid reservoir, sending commands to the hydraulic braking system, and sending wireless control signals to the bleed device can be performed in a strict sequence.
[0080] In step S602, the operating permissions of the brake fluid inflator / discharger can be determined for secure access. As mentioned above, considering the risk of unauthorized access to the vehicle's OBD interface, for security reasons, it is necessary to determine whether the external device connected to the vehicle (i.e., the brake fluid inflator / discharger) is an authorized secure device. Therefore, in step S602, it can be determined whether the brake fluid inflator / discharger has the authority to inflate or discharge brake fluid in the vehicle. Only when it has the authority will it control the supply of brake fluid to the brake fluid reservoir, the sending of commands to the hydraulic braking system, and the sending of wireless control signals to the venting device according to a standardized operating sequence. For example, it can be determined whether the brake fluid inflator / discharger possesses prior authorization provided by the vehicle manufacturer, such as an electronic key or serial number. If it does not have the authority, subsequent operations are blocked to ensure the security of the vehicle system.
[0081] In step S603, a standardized operating sequence can be performed to thoroughly purge air from the brake fluid circuit. For example... Figure 6As shown, the standardized sequence may include operations (A)-(E) described above, which will not be repeated here. It is understood that the standardized sequence according to embodiments of this disclosure may include routines consisting of other combinations of operations (A)-(E) for later invocation. In this way, for any vehicle requiring brake system bleeding, simply calling the standardized operation sequence corresponding to the vehicle model allows standardized operations to be performed in a strict order under overall control, thereby avoiding the consequences of incomplete air bleeding caused by inaccurate operator control of force or timing, or errors in coordination between operations, as seen in existing manual brake fluid filling / draining methods. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the standardized operation sequence also includes: (F) an air check operation, used to send an on-board diagnostic (OBD) command to check for air in the brake fluid circuit. If the air check fails, (A)-(E) are repeated until the air check passes. In this embodiment of the disclosure, the execution of the standardized operation sequence can be transparent to the user. That is, the user does not need to understand the specific implementation of the internal program code. The user can simply call the standardized routine to complete the brake fluid filling and discharging operation with high quality, which reduces the complexity of the filling and discharging operation and reduces the requirements for the operator's experience.
[0082] It should be noted that at the beginning of the standardized operation sequence, a command can be sent to the vehicle's OBD system to put its hydraulic braking system into test mode, allowing brake fluid bleed operation to be performed by connecting to the OBD system. Conversely, at the end of the standardized operation sequence, a command can be sent to the vehicle's OBD system to exit test mode. The operations described above for setting the test mode can also be considered part of the standardized operation sequence, or separate operations performed at the beginning and end of the standardized operation sequence; this disclosure is not limited thereto.
[0083] The method for charging and discharging brake fluid according to embodiments of the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. By using this method, the charging and discharging process can be completed simply and efficiently. The method for charging and discharging brake fluid proposed in this disclosure has beneficial technical effects such as saving labor costs, standardizing the work process, saving time costs, and being user-friendly.
[0084] The method / apparatus / system for charging / discharging brake fluid according to this disclosure can also be implemented by providing a computer program product containing program code for implementing the method or apparatus, or by any storage medium storing such a computer program product. For example, according to another aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus for charging / discharging brake fluid is provided by means of a storage medium storing computer program instructions, as described below. Figure 7 A detailed description of device 700 for filling and draining brake fluid.
[0085] Figure 7 A hardware block diagram of an apparatus for filling and discharging brake fluid according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 7 As shown, the device 700 includes a processor U701 and a memory U702.
[0086] The processor U701 can be any processing device capable of implementing the functions of the various embodiments of this disclosure. For example, it can be a general-purpose processor, digital signal processor (DSP), ASIC, field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device (PLD), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein.
[0087] The memory U702 may include computer system readable media in the form of volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) and / or cache memory, or other removable / non-removable, volatile / non-volatile computer system memory, such as hard disk drives, floppy disks, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, or other optical storage media.
[0088] In this embodiment, the memory U702 stores computer program instructions, and the processor U701 can execute the instructions stored in the memory U702. When the computer program instructions are executed by the processor, the processor performs the method for charging and discharging brake fluid according to this embodiment of the present disclosure. The method for charging and discharging brake fluid is similar to that described above. Figures 5-6 The descriptions are basically the same, so to avoid repetition, I will not repeat them.
[0089] The basic principles of this disclosure have been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, it should be noted that the advantages, benefits, and effects mentioned in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely examples and not limitations, and should not be considered as essential features of each embodiment of this disclosure. Furthermore, the specific details disclosed above are for illustrative and facilitative purposes only, and are not limitations. These details do not limit the scope of this disclosure to the necessity of employing the aforementioned specific details for implementation.
[0090] The block diagrams of devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems involved in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that they must be connected, arranged, or configured in the manner shown in the block diagrams. As those skilled in the art will recognize, these devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems can be connected, arranged, and configured in any manner. Words such as “comprising,” “including,” “having,” etc., are open-ended terms meaning “including but not limited to,” and are used interchangeably with them. The terms “or” and “and” as used herein refer to the terms “and / or,” and are used interchangeably with them unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term “such as” as used herein refers to the phrase “such as but not limited to,” and is used interchangeably with it.
[0091] Additionally, as used herein, the “or” used in a list of items beginning with “at least one” indicates a separate list, such that a list of, for example, “at least one of A, B, or C” means A or B or C, or AB or AC or BC, or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Furthermore, the word “exemplary” does not imply that the described example is preferred or better than other examples.
[0092] It should also be noted that in the apparatus and methods of this disclosure, the components or steps can be disassembled and / or recombined. Such disassembly and / or recombination should be considered as equivalent solutions to this disclosure.
[0093] It will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that all or any part of the methods and apparatus of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof in any computing device (including processors, storage media, etc.) or network of computing devices. The hardware may be a general-purpose processor, digital signal processor (DSP), ASIC, field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device (PLD), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, it may be any commercially available processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors cooperating with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. The software may reside in any form of computer-readable tangible storage medium. By way of example and not limitation, such computer-readable tangible storage media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disc storage, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other tangible medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and is accessible by a computer. If used herein, the disks include compact discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital universal discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs.
[0094] Various changes, substitutions, and modifications can be made to the technology described herein without departing from the teachings defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, the scope of the claims of this disclosure is not limited to the specific aspects of the processes, machines, manufactures, events, means, methods, and actions described above. Currently existing or later-developed processes, machines, manufactures, events, means, methods, or actions that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding aspects described herein can be utilized. Therefore, the appended claims include such processes, machines, manufactures, events, means, methods, or actions within their scope.
[0095] The above description of the disclosed aspects is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use this disclosure. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other aspects without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but rather to be carried out within the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.
[0096] The above description has been given for purposes of illustration and description. Furthermore, this description is not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure to the forms disclosed herein. Although numerous exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those skilled in the art will recognize certain variations, modifications, alterations, additions, and sub-combinations thereof.
Claims
1. A device for filling and discharging brake fluid, comprising: A hydraulic pump is configured to supply brake fluid to the vehicle's brake fluid reservoir. The command sending unit is configured to send a command to the vehicle's hydraulic braking system to pump brake fluid to a bleed screw located on the brake fluid circuit. as well as A wireless transmitter is configured to send a wireless control signal to an exhaust device connected to the bleed screw to actuate the tightening or loosening of the bleed screw. The wireless transmitter is configured to send the wireless control signal to the wireless receiver of the exhaust device, so that the actuator of the exhaust device transmits rotational torque to the bleed screw under the control of the received wireless control signal.
2. The device according to claim 1, wherein, The hydraulic pump is configured to pressurize the brake fluid and inject it into the brake fluid reservoir through a liquid pipeline.
3. The device according to claim 1, wherein, The command sending unit is configured to send on-board diagnostic (OBD) commands to the electronic control unit of the hydraulic braking system, so that the electronic control unit controls the electro-hydraulic pump of the hydraulic braking system to build up hydraulic pressure in the brake fluid circuit.
4. The device according to claim 1, further comprising: The controller is configured to control the operation of the hydraulic pump, the command sending unit, and the wireless transmitter according to a standardized operating sequence.
5. The device according to claim 4, wherein: The controller is also configured to determine whether the device has permission to charge or discharge brake fluid in the vehicle, and only when permission is granted, to control the operation of the hydraulic pump, the command sending unit, and the wireless transmitter according to the standardized operating sequence.
6. The device according to claim 4, wherein, The standardized operation sequence includes: (A) Hydraulic pump start-up operation, used to supply brake fluid to the brake fluid reservoir; (B) Brake fluid pumping operation, used to control the electro-hydraulic pump and electro-hydraulic valve of the hydraulic braking system to pump brake fluid to the bleed screw through the brake fluid circuit; (C) Vent screw release operation, used to release the vent screw to release air; (D) A vent screw tightening operation, used to tighten the vent screw after a predetermined time; and (E) The hydraulic pump stops operating to stop the supply of brake fluid.
7. The device according to claim 6, wherein, The standardized operation sequence also includes: (F) Air check operation, used to send an on-board diagnostic (OBD) command to check for air in the brake fluid circuit, wherein: If the air check operation fails, repeat (A)-(E).
8. A system for charging and discharging brake fluid, comprising: The device according to any one of claims 1-7; as well as The exhaust device.
9. A method for filling and draining brake fluid, comprising: Supply brake fluid to the vehicle's brake fluid reservoir; Send a command to the vehicle's hydraulic braking system to pump brake fluid to the bleed screw located on the brake fluid circuit; as well as A wireless control signal is sent to the venting device connected to the vent screw to actuate the locking or unlocking of the vent screw. The wireless control signal is sent to the wireless receiver of the exhaust device so that the actuator of the exhaust device transmits rotational torque to the bleed screw under the control of the received wireless control signal.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: The operation of supplying brake fluid to the brake fluid reservoir, sending commands to the hydraulic braking system, and sending wireless control signals to the exhaust device are controlled according to a standardized operating sequence.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The standardized operation sequence includes: (A) Hydraulic pump start-up operation, used to supply brake fluid to the brake fluid reservoir; (B) Brake fluid pumping operation, used to control the electro-hydraulic pump and electro-hydraulic valve of the hydraulic braking system to pump brake fluid to the bleed screw through the brake fluid circuit; (C) Vent screw release operation, used to release the vent screw to release air; (D) A vent screw tightening operation, used to tighten the vent screw after a predetermined time; and (E) The hydraulic pump stops operating to stop the supply of brake fluid.
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The standardized operation sequence also includes: (F) Air check operation, used to send an on-board diagnostic (OBD) command to check for air in the brake fluid circuit, wherein: If the air check operation fails, repeat (A)-(E).
13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that cause a processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 9-12.