Brake Fluid Reservoir Venting for Fast Filling Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
In motor vehicles with automated driving, the packaging constraints make it difficult to access and quickly fill the brake fluid reservoir, leading to slow and unreliable filling due to air entrapment issues in the brake fluid line.
Innovation Solution
A brake fluid device with an integrated air line within the brake fluid line allows air to escape easily by maintaining a larger cross-sectional area for the brake fluid flow, ensuring rapid and reliable filling by preventing air from being trapped by incoming brake fluid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the filling adapter is arranged higher than the brake fluid reservoir to enable filling, then the brake fluid can flow from the filling adapter to the reservoir, but the air trapped in the reservoir is prevented from escaping, causing slow filling
Solution Approach 1:
The filling adapter is segmented into two functional parts: a filling line for brake fluid and a vent line for air evacuation. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each function - the filling line maintains the height advantage for accessibility while the vent line provides a dedicated escape route for air, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and filling speed
Solution Approach 2:
The vent line acts as an intermediary element that mediates between the filling process and the trapped air. By providing this intermediate air evacuation path, the system allows brake fluid to flow into the reservoir without being blocked by air pockets, thereby maintaining high filling speed while keeping the filling adapter accessible
2Productivity
If a separate vent line is provided for air evacuation, then air can escape freely, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The filling adapter merges the filling line and vent line into a single integrated component. Both lines originate from the same filling adapter housing, allowing air and brake fluid to be managed simultaneously through one access point. This merging maintains fast filling speed while avoiding the complexity of completely separate venting systems
Solution Approach 2:
The filling adapter serves multiple functions: it acts as both the filling access point and the venting station. By making the filling adapter universal - capable of both introducing brake fluid and evacuating air - the system achieves high productivity without adding separate dedicated components, thus limiting device complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables quick and reliable filling of the brake system by ensuring air can escape freely, reducing filling time and improving the efficiency of the brake fluid reservoir filling process.
Implementation Method 1
An air line extends through the brake fluid line in such a manner that one of its two line ends is located inside the receiving space of the filling adapter and the other line end is located inside the storage space of the brake fluid reservoir. Venting of the brake fluid reservoir during filling is thus possible. The air located in the brake fluid reservoir is displaced by incoming brake fluid and is able to escape without difficulty through the air line
Implementation Method 2
Through the brake fluid line, brake fluid is able to flow from the filling adapter into the brake fluid reservoir
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a brake fluid device comprising a brake fluid reservoir having a storage space, having a fastening device for fastening to a pressure generator unit of a motor vehicle brake system and/or to a mounting interface in a motor vehicle. The brake fluid interface has an outlet interface for transporting brake fluid into such a pressure generator unit, and having an inlet interface (15) for brake fluid. The brake fluid device further includes a filling adapter having a filling opening, having a receiving space, and having an outlet interface for brake fluid. A brake fluid line connects the outlet interface of the filling adapter and the inlet interface of the brake fluid reservoir and through which brake fluid is able to flow from the filling adapter into the brake fluid reservoir. An air line extends through the brake fluid line in such a manner that one of its two line ends is located inside the receiving space of the filling adapter and the other line end is located inside the storage space of the brake fluid reservoir.