HOUSING AND PULLEY FOR A BRAKE DEVICE FOR A VEHICLE, BRAKE DEVICE AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A BRAKE DEVICE

Description

[0001] The present approach relates to a housing arrangement for a brake device for a vehicle, a piston for a brake device, a brake device with a housing arrangement and a piston, and a method for operating a brake device.

[0002] DE 10 2014 112 014 A1 describes a method for controlling a service brake system of a vehicle and a service brake valve system for such a service brake system.

[0003] Document DE 10 2019 200 581 A1 discloses a sensor unit.

[0004] Document DE 10 2017 217 608 A1 discloses a cylinder unit for an electronic braking system of a vehicle.

[0005] Publication DE 10 2016 207 839 A1 discloses a tandem master brake cylinder.

[0006] Document US 2016 / 0325723 A1 discloses a brake master cylinder.

[0007] Publication US 2017 / 0182988 A1 discloses a brake device and a brake master cylinder.

[0008] Document DE 10 2016 005 377 A1 discloses a hydraulic cylinder, in particular a master brake cylinder for hydraulic brake systems.

[0009] Publication WO 2016 / 012066 A1 discloses an electropneumatic control valve.

[0010] Against this background, the objective of the present approach is to create an improved housing device for a brake device for a vehicle, an improved piston for a brake device, a brake device with an improved housing device and an improved piston, and finally an improved method for operating a brake device.

[0011] This problem is solved by a housing device having the features of device claim 1, by a piston according to claim 8, by a brake device according to claim 10, by a method according to claim 11, by a device according to claim 12 and by a computer program according to claim 13.

[0012] The advantages achievable with the presented approach are that the service life of a braking device can be increased.

[0013] A housing assembly for a vehicle's braking system comprises a piston chamber, a sensor chamber, and a sensor unit. The piston chamber is designed to accommodate a piston, which is linearly movable within the chamber by means of a plunger-spring assembly actuated by the driver. The sensor chamber is separate from the piston chamber and contains the sensor unit. The sensor unit is designed to detect the position and, additionally or alternatively, the movement of the piston within the piston chamber in order to initiate braking of the vehicle.

[0014] The plunger-piston assembly is movable within the piston chamber by the driver's input, for example, by manual pressing or foot pedal operation, to indicate a braking request. Depending on the intensity of the driver's input, i.e., the resulting linear movement of the piston, the desired braking intensity is perceived by the driver. The sensor unit is designed to detect this movement, that is, one stroke of the plunger. Since the housing presented here has separate compartments for the piston and the sensor unit, the sensor unit is advantageously not affected by piston movements. For example, during piston operation, no lubricating grease from the piston chamber can reach the sensor unit, which could impair its function. This increases the durability and service life of the sensor unit.

[0015] The sensor unit can include at least one Hall sensor and, additionally or alternatively, a reed switch designed to sensing a magnetic field emanating from the plunger in order to detect its position and, additionally or alternatively, its movement. This enables contactless yet precise detection of the plunger's position and, additionally or alternatively, its movement.

[0016] The piston chamber can have a tappet opening to receive a tappet piston section of the piston, with the sensor chamber being located at one end of the piston chamber facing the tappet opening. The tappet piston section is understood to be the section of the piston that is actuated by the driver to indicate the braking request, i.e., pressed into the piston chamber. The tappet opening can be located on the top of the piston chamber. The tappet opening can be a through-opening through the top of the piston chamber or through a housing cover of the piston chamber. A tappet of the tappet piston section can protrude from the piston chamber through the tappet opening to enable actuation. The sensor chamber can be located on a side wall of the housing assembly, extending transversely to the top, to detect the linear movement of the tappet piston section from the side.The sensor chamber can be located inside or outside the piston chamber.

[0017] For example, the piston chamber and the sensor chamber can be fluidically separated by a partition. Alternatively, the piston chamber and the sensor chamber can be hermetically separated by the partition. This prevents the passage of liquid, grease, or even air between the piston chamber and the sensor chamber.

[0018] The wall thickness of the partition can be smaller than the wall thickness of an adjacent housing section of the housing assembly, and additionally or alternatively, the partition can be made of a non-ferromagnetic material. This allows magnetic field lines emanating from the plunger to be detected through the partition.

[0019] It is further advantageous if, according to one embodiment, the sensor compartment has a cover that forms an outer wall of the housing and is additionally or alternatively designed to be removable. This allows for quick and easy removal or replacement of the sensor unit or other electronic components within the sensor compartment.

[0020] The piston chamber can have a compressed air connection opening, in particular one that opens into a side wall of the piston chamber opposite the sensor chamber. Such a compressed air connection opening can serve to enable the vehicle to brake even without action by the driver. For this purpose, the compressed air connection opening can, for example, open substantially centrally into the side wall of the piston chamber opposite the sensor chamber, for instance, into an area where a piston spring of the piston can be located. This prevents the plunger from being moved by the compressed air when the piston is actuated, and it leaves sufficient space for the sensor chamber on the side wall. Particularly in an embodiment with the compressed air connection opening, the sensor chamber can advantageously be hermetically separated from the piston chamber.This way, the sensor unit can be protected from compressed air, and no additional reinforcement is needed for a cover of the sensor chamber.

[0021] According to one embodiment, a brake device is presented with a housing unit and a plunger which is arranged or can be arranged in the piston chamber, and which has a sensor element for determining the position and additionally or alternatively movement of the plunger in the piston chamber, in particular wherein the piston has a plunger piston section for actuation by a driver, a control piston section and additionally or alternatively a piston spring arranged between the plunger piston section and the control piston section.

[0022] The sensor element of the plunger can be arranged on an outer wall of the plunger piston section and may additionally or alternatively include at least one magnet for generating a magnetic field. This enables the housing device to sensing the magnetic field as described above. The magnet can be positioned on the plunger piston section facing the sensor chamber.

[0023] The braking device can be a foot brake device or a hand brake device for a vehicle.

[0024] A method for operating one of the braking devices described above comprises the following steps: detecting a position or movement of the plunger in the piston chamber; and outputting a sensor signal using the position or movement detected in the detection step, the sensor signal being configured to cause the braking of the vehicle.

[0025] This process can be implemented, for example, in software or hardware, or in a hybrid form of software and hardware, for example in a control unit.

[0026] The approach presented here also creates a device designed to carry out, control, and implement the steps of a variant of the method presented here in appropriate facilities. This device-based implementation of the approach also allows the underlying problem to be solved quickly and efficiently.

[0027] For this purpose, the device may include at least one processing unit for processing signals or data, at least one storage unit for storing signals or data, at least one interface to a sensor or actuator for reading sensor signals from the sensor or for outputting data or control signals to the actuator, and / or at least one communication interface for reading or outputting data embedded in a communication protocol. The processing unit may, for example, be a signal processor, a microcontroller, or the like, and the storage unit may be flash memory, an EPROM, or a magnetic storage device.The communication interface can be configured to read or output data wirelessly and / or via wired connections, whereby a communication interface that can read or output wired data can, for example, read this data electrically or optically from or output it into a corresponding data transmission line.

[0028] In this context, a device can be understood as an electrical device that processes sensor signals and outputs control and / or data signals accordingly. The device may have an interface, which can be implemented in hardware and / or software. In the case of a hardware-based interface, the interfaces can, for example, be part of a so-called system ASIC, which incorporates various functions of the device. However, it is also possible that the interfaces are separate integrated circuits or consist at least partially of discrete components. In the case of a software-based interface, the interfaces can be software modules, which, for example, are located on a microcontroller alongside other software modules.

[0029] In an advantageous embodiment, the device controls a sensor signal to initiate a braking process in a vehicle. For this purpose, the device can, for example, detect the position or movement of a plunger in the piston chamber and output the sensor signal using the detected position or movement. Control is achieved via actuators such as a sensor unit for detecting the position or movement and an output device for transmitting the sensor signal.

[0030] Examples of the approach presented here are explained in more detail in the following description with reference to the figures. These show: Fig. 1 a cross-sectional view of a vehicle with a brake device comprising a housing assembly and a piston according to an exemplary embodiment; Fig. 2 a cross-sectional view of a braking device according to an exemplary embodiment; Fig. 3 a cross-sectional view of a braking device according to an exemplary embodiment; and Fig. 4 a flowchart of a method for operating a braking device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0031] In the following description of favorable embodiments of the present approach, the same or similar reference numerals are used for the elements shown in the various figures and which have a similar effect, without repeating these elements.

[0032] Fig. 1 Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a vehicle 100 with a brake device 105 with a housing device 110 and a plunger 115 according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0033] By way of example only, the brake device 105 according to this embodiment is mounted on or in the vehicle 100 and / or designed as a foot brake for actuation with a foot. According to an alternative embodiment, the brake device 105 is designed as a hand brake. The brake device 105 comprises the housing assembly 110 and the plunger 115, which, in an operational state of the brake device 105 shown here, is received in the housing assembly 110. According to this embodiment, the brake device 105 is shown in a rest state in which the brake device 105 is not actuated.

[0034] The housing assembly 110 comprises a piston chamber 117, a sensor chamber 120, and a sensor unit 125. The piston chamber 117 is shaped to accommodate the plunger 115, which is linearly movable within the piston chamber 117 by means of actuation by a driver. The sensor chamber 120 is separate from the piston chamber 117 and contains the sensor unit 125. The sensor unit 125 is designed to detect the position and / or movement of the plunger 115 within the piston chamber 117 in order to initiate a braking action of the vehicle 100.

[0035] The following details of the housing assembly 110 and / or the plunger 115 are optional: According to this embodiment, the plunger 115 is received in the piston chamber 117 and has a sensor element 127 for determining the position and / or movement of the plunger 115 in the piston chamber 117. According to this embodiment, the plunger 115 has a plunger piston section 130 for actuation by the driver, a control piston section 135, and / or a piston spring 140 arranged between the plunger piston section 130 and the control piston section 135. According to this embodiment, the sensor element 127 is arranged on an outer wall of the plunger piston section 130 and / or has at least one magnet for generating a magnetic field. According to this embodiment, the magnet is arranged on the plunger piston section 130 facing the sensor chamber 120.

[0036] The sensor unit 125 comprises at least one Hall sensor and / or reed switch configured to sensing a magnetic field emanating from the plunger 115 in order to detect the position and / or movement of the plunger 115. According to this embodiment, the piston chamber 117 has a plunger opening 145 for receiving the plunger piston section 130 of the plunger 115, with the sensor chamber 120 being located at one end of the piston chamber 117 facing the plunger opening 145. According to this embodiment, a plunger 150 of the plunger piston section 130 projects from the piston chamber 117 to allow the driver to actuate the plunger 115. According to this embodiment, the plunger opening 145 is arranged on a top surface 152 of the piston chamber 117 and / or the sensor chamber 120 is arranged on a side wall 153 of the housing assembly 110 which extends transversely to the top surface 152.In this embodiment, the piston chamber 117 and the sensor chamber 120 are fluidically separated from each other by a partition 155. The wall thickness of the partition 155 is less than the wall thickness of a housing section 157 of the housing assembly 110 adjacent to the partition 155, and / or the partition 155 is made of a non-ferromagnetic material. In this embodiment, the sensor chamber 120 has a cover 160 in the form of an electronics cover, which forms an outer wall of the housing assembly 110 and / or is removable. In this embodiment, the cover 160 forms a wall of the sensor chamber 120 opposite the partition 155. In this embodiment, the sensor unit 125 is part of a device 165, which can also be referred to as electronics, and which is also arranged in the sensor chamber 120.According to this embodiment, the piston chamber 117 has a compressed air connection opening 170, which, according to this embodiment, opens into a side wall 175 of the piston chamber 117 opposite the sensor chamber 120 and / or the side wall 153. According to this embodiment, the compressed air connection opening 170 opens substantially centrally into the opposite side wall 175, into a region of the piston chamber 117 in which the piston spring 140 of the plunger 115 is located.

[0037] The following section describes in more detail the brake device 105 and housing assembly 110: The brake device 105 comprises the housing assembly 110, in which the plunger piston section 130 of the plunger 115 is axially movably received by a plunger 150 projecting through the plunger opening 145, which is in the form of a cover opening in a housing cover 180 of the housing assembly 110. According to one embodiment, the plunger 150 is connected from above, i.e., from an end located outside the housing assembly 110, to a service brake actuation element in the form of a foot brake plate. Therefore, when the driver actuates the foot brake plate, the plunger 150 is pressed into the plunger opening 145, and the plunger piston section 130 is moved downwards by the actuating force.The tappet piston section 130 transmits the actuating force to the control piston section 135, which is also axially movable in the piston chamber 117, preferably via the piston spring 140 according to this embodiment, which is designed as a compression spring.

[0038] The brake device 105 presented here can also be described as a foot brake module with spatially separated sensing. One objective of the approach presented here is to separate the sensor chamber 120, which can also be referred to as the "electronics chamber", from the piston chamber 117, which can also be referred to as the "piston working chamber", within the foot brake module, while still sensing the stroke / movement initiated by the driver in the piston working chamber.

[0039] Unlike a potentiometer that could potentially be positioned in the electronics compartment, whose mechanical lever projects into the piston working chamber and is mechanically actuated there, or a Hall sensor placed on a circuit board in the electronics compartment, whose sensing element is mechanically attached to the plunger located in the piston working chamber and projects into the electronics compartment, or a possible inductive sensor whose coil is positioned in the piston working chamber and the coil is either directly contacted with the circuit board located in the electronics compartment or via a flat connector, the sensor unit 125 of the housing assembly 110 presented here advantageously senses the position and / or movement of the plunger 115 without mechanical contact with the plunger 115, i.e., without contact. Thus, grease located in the piston chamber 117 and abrasion occurring over its service life cannot come into contact with the electronics.Another advantage is that in foot brake modules with electronic pressure control, where the piston chamber 117 is supplied with compressed air via the compressed air connection opening 170 in order to move the plunger 115 independently of the driver's request, the electronics in the sensor chamber 120 are not supplied with compressed air in the housing device 110 presented here and therefore do not come into contact with the media contained in the compressed air.

[0040] A fundamental inventive idea is therefore to spatially separate the sensor unit 125 in the form of a detecting element from the transmitter element 127 and still ensure its function.

[0041] In summary, the housing unit 110 presented here offers the following advantages: The sensor unit 125, which may include a circuit board or evaluation electronics, is protected from the grease present in the piston chamber 117, the resulting mechanical abrasion, and any condensation that may form. In foot brake modules with electronic pressure control, where the piston working chamber / electronics chamber is pressurized with compressed air to move the piston independently of the driver's request, the electronics are not exposed to compressed air and do not come into contact with the media contained in the compressed air. Furthermore, no additional reinforcement of the cover 160 or the use of additional components is required to withstand the resulting pressure.

[0042] According to this embodiment, the plunger 115 has a magnet which acts as a sensor element 127 and / or is located on the plunger piston section 130 in the piston chamber 117. The magnet on the plunger piston section 130 directly responds to the driver's command in the form of a movement or stroke. The piston chamber 117 is separated from the sensor chamber 120 by a wall thickness reduced to a minimum in the area of ​​the sensor element 127, so that the magnetic field lines of the sensor element 127 also prevail in the sensor chamber 120. According to this embodiment, the housing material of the housing assembly 110 and / or the partition 155 with the correspondingly reduced wall thickness is made of aluminum and / or plastic.According to this embodiment, the sensor unit 125 comprises a Hall chip and / or reed switch, which is positioned on the device 165 or another carrier element in the sensor chamber 120 and then uses these field lines to sensing the driver's request in the form of a stroke or movement and / or to actuate the switch. According to an alternative embodiment, the reduced wall thickness of the partition 155 is not implemented in the same housing, but also as a separate component, which is mounted in the housing between piston chamber 117 and sensor chamber 120.

[0043] In general, the plunger 150, the plunger piston section 130 and / or the plunger 115 can (but do not have to) be designed as one (e.g. integrated) component, with the lower part (here the plunger piston section 130) acting as a sensor element or magnetic receiver.

[0044] Fig. 2 Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a brake device 105 according to an exemplary embodiment. This can be an exemplary embodiment based on… Fig. 1 The brake device 105 described above is a different embodiment, with the difference that the brake device 105 in this embodiment is shown in a state pressurized with compressed air 200. The position of the plunger piston section 130 and the encoder element 127 is different from that described in the previous embodiment. Fig. 1 The brake device 105 remains in its resting state as shown. However, the control piston section 135 has been moved further away from the plunger piston section 130 by the pneumatic actuation. According to this embodiment, the partition 155 is shaped to hermetically separate the piston chamber 117 from the sensor chamber 120, so that no compressed air 200 enters the sensor chamber 120 during pneumatic actuation.

[0045] Fig. 3 Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a brake device 105 according to an exemplary embodiment. This can be an exemplary embodiment based on… Fig. 1 or 2 The brake device 105 described above is shown in this embodiment, with the difference that the brake device 105 is depicted in a state actuated by a driver's foot pedal 300. The position of the plunger piston section 130 and the sensor element 127 differs from that described in the previous illustration. Fig. 1 The brake device 105 is arranged in the shown resting state in a downward position. The control piston section 135 has also been moved further downwards by the piston spring 140.

[0046] According to this embodiment, the sensor unit 125 detects the position or movement of the plunger 115 in the piston chamber 117. In addition to the sensor unit 125, the device 165 according to this embodiment has an output device configured to output a sensor signal 305 representing the detected position or movement. According to this embodiment, the output device outputs the sensor signal 305 to a braking device 310 of the vehicle, which is configured to perform the braking process using the sensor signal 305.

[0047] Fig. 4 shows a flowchart of a method 400 for operating a braking device according to an exemplary embodiment. This can be one of the methods based on one of the Figuren 1 bis 3 described braking devices.

[0048] Method 400 comprises a detection step 405 and an output step 410. In detection step 405, a position or movement of the piston in the piston chamber is detected. In output step 410, a sensor signal is output using the position or movement detected in detection step 405, the sensor signal being configured to initiate the braking process of the vehicle.

[0049] The process steps presented here can be repeated and performed in a different order than described.

[0050] If an embodiment includes an "and / or" connection between a first feature and a second feature, this is to be read as meaning that the embodiment according to one embodiment has both the first feature and the second feature, and according to another embodiment either only the first feature or only the second feature. REFERENCE MARK LIST

[0051] 100 Vehicle 105 Brake device 110 Housing assembly 115 Tappet 117 Piston chamber 120 Sensor chamber 125 Sensor unit 127 Transmitter element 130 Tappet piston section 135 Control piston section 140 Piston spring 145 Tappet opening 150 Tappet 152 Top 153 Side wall 155 Partition 157 Housing section 160 Cover 165 Device 170 Compressed air connection opening 175 Opposite side wall 180 Housing cover 200 compressed air 300 Foot control 305 Sensor signal 310 Brake device 400Method for operating a braking device 405Step of detection

Claims

1. Housing apparatus (110) for a brake device (105) for a vehicle (100), wherein the housing apparatus (110) has the following features: a piston chamber (117) for receiving a plunger (115) which is movable linearly in the piston chamber (117) by means of an actuation by a driver; and a sensor chamber (120) separated from the piston chamber (117) having a sensor unit (125) which is designed to detect a position and / or a movement of the plunger (115) in the piston chamber (117) in order to initiate a braking operation of the vehicle (100), characterized in that the piston chamber (117) has a compressed air connection opening (170), wherein the sensor chamber (120) is hermetically separated from the piston chamber (117).

2. Housing apparatus (110) according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit (125) comprises at least one Hall sensor and / or reed switch, which is designed to sense a magnetic field emanating from the plunger (115) in order to detect the position and / or movement of the plunger (115).

3. Housing apparatus (110) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the piston chamber (117) has a plunger opening (145) for receiving a plunger piston section (130) of the plunger (115), wherein the sensor chamber (120) is arranged at an end of the piston chamber (117) facing the plunger opening (145).

4. Housing apparatus (110) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the piston chamber (117) and the sensor chamber (120) are separated from one another fluidically and / or hermetically by a partition wall (155).

5. Housing apparatus (110) according to claim 4, wherein a wall thickness of the partition wall (155) is smaller than a housing wall thickness of a housing section (157) of the housing apparatus (110) adjacent to the partition wall (155) and / or wherein the partition wall (155) has a non-ferromagnetic material.

6. Housing apparatus (110) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor chamber (120) has a cover (160) which forms an outer wall of the housing apparatus (110) and / or is formed to be removable.

7. Housing apparatus (110) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the compressed air connection opening (170) opens into a side wall (175) of the piston chamber (117) opposite the sensor chamber (120).

8. Brake device (105) having a housing apparatus (110) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plunger (115) is arranged or can be arranged in the piston chamber (117) and has a sensor element (127) for determining the position and / or movement of the plunger (115) in the piston chamber (117), wherein the plunger (115) has a plunger piston section (130) for actuation by a driver, a control piston section (135) and a piston spring (140) arranged between the plunger piston section (130) and the control piston section (135).

9. Brake device (105) according to claim 8, wherein the sensor element (127) is arranged on an outer wall of the plunger piston section (130) and / or has at least one magnet for generating a magnetic field.

10. Method (400) for operating a brake device (105) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the method (400) has the following steps: detecting (405) a position or movement of the plunger (115) in the piston chamber (117); and outputting (410) a sensor signal (305) using the position or movement detected in the detection step (405), wherein the sensor signal (305) is designed to initiate the braking operation of the vehicle (100).

11. Device (165), which is arranged to execute and / or control the steps (405, 410) of the method (400) according to claim 10 in corresponding units (125).

12. Computer program, which is arranged to execute and / or control the method (400) according to claim 12.

13. Machine-readable storage medium on which the computer program according to claim 12 is stored.