GB2580043A

GB2580043A - A valve support with sealing means for hydraulic electronic control unit brake system and brake control system using said valve support

Info

Publication number: GB2580043A
Application number: GB1820773.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tudorel Damian Radu; Andrei Vadeanu Victor; Constantin Apetrei Cristian
Original assignee: Continental Teves AG and Co OHG; Continental Automotive Romania SRL
Current assignee: Continental Teves AG and Co OHG; Continental Automotive Romania SRL
Priority date: 2018-12-20
Filing date: 2018-12-20
Publication date: 2020-07-15
Anticipated expiration: 2038-12-20
Also published as: GB201820773D0; GB2580043B

Abstract

A valve support (hydraulic valve block) comprising two cuboid sections: a base 6.1, and a rib 6.2, with the same length in the longitudinal direction y-y, but the rib having a smaller cross sectional area than the base, e.g. together forming a t-shaped cross section. A through bore 7 is included longitudinally in the block to accommodate the entirety of a linear actuator (LAC), i.e. a piston to generate pressure. The block also includes a groove 13 around the bore opening, and a seal (12, figure 8) in the groove to seal between the block and an electric motor (3, fig. 8). The seal may be an o-ring. The valve support is for a hydraulic electronic control unit (HECU) braking system and the position of the bore is so as to allow parallel arrangement of the motor shaft (3.1, fig. 2b,c) relative to the ECU (4, fig. 2a-c). The rib may be flared toward one end into a squared flange 8, with threaded holes for mounting the motor.

Description

A valve support with sealing means for Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit brake system and brake control system using said 5 valve support

Field of the invention

[0001] The invention relates to a hydraulic electronic control unit (hereafter HECU) for electronic brake control systems and, 10 in particular, to anew configuration of a valve support for said hydraulic control unit braking system.

Prior art

[0002] Within the automotive braking industry, HECU is provided in order to ensure the control of the hydraulic pressure of the fluid from the wheel to the braking system, the latter including the main component parts such as: a reservoir, valves and valve support, an electric motor with hollow shaft, a ball screw drive (BSD), hydraulic piston (further referred as piston) and piston housing.

[0003] The mechanical architecture of a braking system according to prior art is presented in Fig. 1, comprising the following components: a brake fluid reservoir, a valve support, an electric motor and a BED, an electronic control unit (ECU), a piston (not visible) and its corresponding piston housing.

[0004] Other several components are not presented here, for the sake of simplicity, as not being concerned by the invention (valves, brake pipes).

[0005] The electric motor is used to generate hydraulic pressure 30 inside the system, which is necessary for controlling the brake process, specifically to ensure the proper function of the braking system. The transforming of the rotation movement of the motor shaft into linear movement of the piston (not visible) is made by means of the BSD. The valves (not represented graphically) are used to regulate the pressure of the brake fluid, so as to ensure the control of the braking process.

[0006] The system consisting of the BSD assembly, the piston and piston housing is called a linear actuator assembly (LAC). [0007] The valve support fulfils main roles such as: Accommodates the valves of the braking system; Ensures the hydraulic connections in between all assembly 10 components; Fixes the components mechanically.

[0008] In the state of the art (Fig. 1 (a) and (b)), the electric motor is placed on one side, the LAC is placed through the valve support and through the ECU, out of which the piston housing protrudes at the opposite end of the assembly, as seen in Fig. 1 (b). As the electric motor is placed on one side of the valve support and the ECU is placed on the opposite side, other subassemblies must also be placed through the valve support in order to ensure the communication between the motor and the ECU.

[0009] Moreover, the configuration of the actual valve support involves a complex shape for the existing sealing element between the valve support and electric motor.

[0010] In Fig. 1 (b) it can be seen that the electric motor has a hollow shaft which transfers the movement / torque to a BSD as an individual part transversely passing through the valve support. The motor shaft is continued with the piston housing transversely passing through the ECU, placed on the opposite side of the motor. The motor shaft is perpendicular to the valve support, being an individual part transversely passing through the valve support, complex sealing means being provided between the valve support and the electric motor. The motor shaft is continued with the piston housing transversely passing through the ECU, placed on the opposite side of the assembly. The motor shaft is perpendicular to the valve support.

[0011] The motor, the valve support and the ECU, as well as the connecting elements need to be mounted in a very strict position, so as to ensure a continuous central bore, crossing each of the three component parts mentioned above. The continuous central bore accommodates the LAC, as seen in Fig. 1 (c).

[0012] The current HECU braking systems have major constraints, as it is necessary to ensure a very accurate positioning for the following components: electric motor, valve support, ECU and 10 piston housing for ensuring a continuous bore.

[0013] Moreover, the piston housing projects out of the ECU at one end, the casing fixed to the surface of the ECU being necessary to have a protruding portion in order to accommodate the protruding end of the piston housing (as seen in Fig. 1 a).

Disadvantages of prior art

[0014] Some of the disadvantages of the actual brake control systems from the prior art are the following: -High product weight considering that it has many component parts; -The sealing means have a complex shape, difficult to be manufactured (as seen in Fig. 8) and are mounted on the contact surface between the valve support and the electric motor, without being provided a groove; -The actual system is far from being a compact product, because the piston housing projects out of the ECU at one end, the casing fixed to the surface of the ECU being necessary to have a protruding portion in order to accommodate the protruding end of the piston housing (as seen in Fig. 1 a). Moreover, the size of the system can restrict the placement of the control unit within the vehicle; -It is necessary to ensure a very accurate positioning for the electric motor, ECU and piston housing components for ensuring a continuous bore to accommodate the LAC; -As a result of the current mechanical architecture, with the motor shaft perpendicular to the valve support, several milling steps are necessary to facilitate the mentioned subassemblies to pass through it, while the sealing element has a complex shape, thus resulting a complex system; -The sealing means from the prior art have a complicate shape (as seen in Fig. 8) and are mounted on the contact surface between the valve support and the electric motor, without being provided a groove.

Problem to be solved by the invention [0015] The problem solved by the invention is to reduce the size and weight and to simplify the configuration of the braking control system, and to provide simplified sealing means between the valve support and the electric motor.

SUMMARY OE THE INVENTION

[0016] The first objective of the invention is to provide a valve support 2 for hydraulic electronic control unit (HECU) braking system for holding various components of the braking system and enabling connections between them, said components including an electric motor 3 having a hollow motor shaft 3.1 used to generate hydraulic pressure inside the HECU braking system, a LAC comprising an assembly consisting of a piston and its corresponding piston housing 5, a BED 3.2, an electronic control unit ECU 4, the valve support 2 comprising a through bore 7 and sealing means 12 on a contact surface between the valve support 2 and the electric motor 3, where: -said valve support 2 has the geometry consisting of two substantially cuboid pieces forming a single body, namely a base 6.1 and a rib 6.2 placed on top of the base 6.1, where the transversal area of the rib 6.2 is smaller than the transversal area of the base 6.1 and the base 6.1 and the rib 6.2 have the same length along a longitudinal horizontal symmetry axis y-y; said bore 7 is positioned longitudinally within the valve support 2, so as to allow a parallel arrangement of the motor shaft 3.1 in respect to the ECU 4; -said bore 7 is configured in such away to receive the LAC in its entirety; sealing means between the valve support 2 and the electric motor 3 are provided, being accommodated in a groove positioned on the contact surface of the valve support 2 with the electric motor 3, concentrically surrounding the bore 7.

[0017] The second objective of the invention is to provide a braking control system using said valve support.

The advantages of the invention [0018] The main advantages of this invention are the following: -Reduces the product final cost by optimizing the sealing solution replacing the current complicated sealing solution with a simple, safe and low-price 0-ring sealing (see Fig. 7); -Decreases the product complexity (reduced number of components by integrating the piston housing within the valve support); -Provides an optimized package of the entire product; -Nosealingrequiredbetweenthe piston housing and the valve support; -No piston housing required as a separate component to be handled; -No caulking process required to assemble the piston housing to the valve support; -Shorter hydraulic connection from the piston housing to the valve support and reservoir; -Increased system reliability due to the improved sealing and the reduced number of components.

Brief description of the drawings

[0019] The invention will be hereafter described with reference 10 to the drawings where: - Fig. 1 illustrates a HECU braking system from the state of the art, where Fig. 1 (a) is the representation in perspective, Fig. 1 (b) is the schematic view and Fig. 1 (c) is the schematic view with LAC contour; -Fig. 2 illustrates the HECU braking system according to the invention, where Fig. 2 (a) is the representation in perspective, Fig. 2 (b) is the schematic view and Fig. 2 (c) is the schematic view with LAC contour; - Fig. 3 shows a schematic view with placement of the valve support and piston housing in the HECU braking system from the prior art -Fig. 3 (a), compared to the HECU Brake system according to the invention -Fig. 3 (b); - Fig. 4 illustrates in perspective view the raw piece of material, including the bore, to be machined in order to obtain the valve support according to the invention; - Fig. 5 illustrates the machined valve support and the removed volume of material according to the invention; - Fig. 6 illustrates in perspective view, the valve support according to the invention, machined, with four screw threaded holes, and also with the groove for 0-ring sealing 13 and the longitudinal through bore 7; - Fig.7 shows prior art sealing means 12 between the electric motor 3 and the valve support 2; -Fig. 8 illustrates the sealing means 12 placed in the grove 13, according to the invention.

[0020] List of references in the drawings: 1 -Fluid reservoir 2 -Valve support 3 -Electric motor 3.1 -hollow motor shaft (dotted line) 3.2-BSD placed inside the electric motor (continuous line) 4 -ECU 5 -Piston housing (the piston being placed inside the piston housing, it is not visible) 6.1 -Base of the valve support 6.2 -Rib of the valve support 7 -Through bore 8 -Flange 9.1 -Bulk cuboid portion of the rib 6.2 9.2 -Transitional portion between middle portion of the rib 6.2 and flange 8 -Vertical bore for brake fluid admission 11 -Middle portion of the rib 6.2 12 -Sealing means 13 -Groove for 0-ring sealing means t -Threaded holes

Detailed description

[0021] The present invention provides a new arrangement of some of the components of the hydraulic electronic control unit, in particular the valve support 2, the ball screw drive (BED) 3.2 placed inside the electric motor 3 and the ECU 4 by means of a new valve support which configuration is specifically designed to this end.

[0022] The teaching of present invention provides a different positioning of the ECU 4 and valve support 2, both rotated with 900 counter clock-wise compared to the arrangement from the prior art, ECU 4 being placed below the valve support 2.

[0023] The valve support 2 according to the invention is reconfigured as shown in Fig. 2, namely it completely includes 5 the piston housing 5 and the portion of SSD 3.2 protruding from the electric motor 3.

[0024] The present invention provides the integration in the valve support of the entire LAC assembly inside a through bore 7. The LAC assembly consists of a piston (not shown in the drawings) and a piston housing 5 to be connected to the electrical motor 3, and an assembly transforming the ro-_ation movement of the motor shaft 3.1 into linear movement of the piston. The through bore 7 is designed to accommodate the entire LAC assembly in contrast with prior art where not all the components of LAC are accommodated by the valve support, said components passing through ECU and the piston housing protrudes out of the assembly. Further on, according to the invention, the concerned bore 7 is positioned longitudinally within the valve support 2, instead of being transversal as in prior art, thus it allowing a parallel arrangement of the motor shaft 3.1 in respect to the electronic control unit ECU 4.

[0025] In this case the accommodation of the entire LAC into a through longitudinal bore 7 represents an adaptation providing the repositioning of the component parts of the braking system, wherein the motor shaft 3.1 is no longer perpendicular, but it is parallel to the valve support 2, as seen in Fig. 2. The valve support according to the invention, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, has an adapted shape, having an increased width compared to the valve support from the prior art, so as to accommodate a longitudinal bore instead of the transversal central bore for the LAC.

[0026] The new valve support consists of two substantially cuboid pieces forming a single body, namely a base 6.1 and a rib 6.2 placed on top of the base 6.1, where the transversal area of the rib 6.2 is smaller than the transversal area of the base 6.1 and the base 6.1 and the rib 6.2 have the same length along a longitudinal horizontal symmetry axis y-y.

[0027] The rib 6.2 has a rectangular transversal section in respect to y-y symmetry axis. The rib 6.2 comprises a squared flange 8 at the end of the valve support 2 in contact with the electric motor 3, continued with a transitional portion 9.2 flared towards the flange 8, further continued with a middle portion 11 recessed and narrowed to match the longitudinal bore 7 and further continued with a cuboid bulk portion 9.1 at the opposite end of the valve support 2 with regards to the electric motor 3.

[0028] The rib. 6.2 accommodates in longitudinal direction the upper part of the through longitudinal bore 7. The lower part of the longitudinal bore is accommodated by the upper part of the base 6.1. This new valve support with the rib 6.2 has a reduced volume considering that it totally integrates the LAC.

[0029] The bore 7 is positioned longitudinally within the valve 20 support 2, so as to allow a parallel arrangement of the motor shaft 3.1 in respect to the ECU 4.

[0030] The sealing means 12 concentrically surrounding the bore 7 are provided in order to seal the valve support 2 onto the electric motor 3. Said sealing means 12 are accommodated in a groove 13 positioned on the contact surface of the valve support 2 with the electric motor 3, instead of being applied directly on the valve support 2, as in the state of the art.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment, the rib. 6.2 ends with a squared flange 8 at one side (also visible in Fig. 2), and with a bulk cuboid portion 9.1 at the opposite end, a middle portion 11 recessed and narrowed to match the longitudinal bore 7, and also a transitional portion 9.2 with adapted differential volume between the flange 8 and the middle portion 11.

[0032] The bulk cuboid portion 9 also has a vertical bore 10 for brake fluid admission, near and perpendicular to the through longitudinal bore 7.

[0033] Fig. 3 (a) and 3 (b) illustrate the schematic comparison 5 between the valve support from the prior art and the valve support according to the invention, in each case with the piston housing corresponding positioning.

[0034] In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the valve support 2 is fixed with the electric motor using four screws accommodated by corresponding four threaded holes t placed inside the valve support, two positioned on the upper corners of the squared flange 8, and the other two on the essentially parallelepiped base of the valve support, said holes forming a square and said holes having corresponding holes on the contact surface of the electric motor 3, on a squared flange (see Fig. 9).

[0035] Fixing the electric motor with screws is more effective, as the electric motor positioning assembly provided in the system from the prior art being no longer necessary, and, in this way, the braking system according to the invention being more compact. [0036] The sealing means 12 on the contact surface of the valve support 2 with the electric motor 3 consist in an 0-ring, accommodated in the groove 13, the groove 13 being placed in concentric position surrounding the bore 7.

[0037] In order to obtain a valve support with best mechanical characteristics, it can be used the raw piece of material shown in the Figure 4. The extrusion is done from the direction indicated by the arrow in order to obtain an optimum external shape necessary to ensure the integration of the piston housing.

Using this extrusion concept, in another preferred embodiment, the packaging machining necessary to obtain the final valve support shown in Fig. 6 is well optimized in order to reduce the material waist (see Fig. 5) and also to reduce the machining

II

process cycle time (process can be easily done with standard big diameter milling tools; e.g. 080mm, 030mm).

[0038] In Fig. 4 is shown the extruded raw valve support, in perspective view, which will be machined in the direction 5 indicated with the arrow in order to obtain the valve support according to the invention.

[0039] The second objective of the invention is to provide a brake control system using the valve support according to the invention.

[0040] The new architecture of a brake control system according to the present invention consists in changing the placement of the mechanical components of the assembly from the prior art, by means of a new valve support which integrates the linear actuator assembly and ensures the fixing of the electric motor, where the motor shaft is parallel to the valve support which partially includes the motor axis and the piston housing, in its entirety, instead of being perpendicular and protruding from the valve support.

[0041] The above valve support may be included in a brake control 20 system, it is conferring enhanced characteristics in terms of size, weight and complexity.

[0042]Therefore the new of the valve support provided with sealing means and correspondingly braking system using said valve support is not a mere change of the direction of the LAC, but involves complex changes and adaptations resulting from the relationship between the component parts of the system, where the new configuration eliminates the piston housing as separate part given that a housing for the piston is created inside the new valve support, the sealing means are simpler, safer and lower price, while the new arrangement of the component parts advantageously changes the position of the LAC.

[0043] The preferred embodiments have been showed and described for the purposes of illustrating the structural and functional principles of the present invention, as well as illustrating the methods of employing the preferred embodiments and are subject to change without departing from such principles. Therefore, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit of the following claims.

Claims

Patent claims 1. ir valve support (2) for Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) braking system for holding various components of the braking system and enabling connections between them, said components including an electric motor (3) having a hollow motorshaft (3.1) used to generate hydraulic pressure inside the HECU braking system, a linear actuator (LAC) comprising an assembly consisting of a piston and its corresponding piston housing (5), a ball screw drive (BED) (3.2), an electronic control unit ECU (4), the valve support (2) comprising a through bore (7) and sealing means (12) between the valve support (2) and the electric motor (3) characterized in that - said valve support (2) has the geometry consisting of two substantially cuboid pieces forming a single body, namely abase (6.1) and a rib (6.2) placed on top of the base (6.1), where the transversal area of the rib (6.2) is smaller than the transversal area of the base (6.1) and the base (6.1) and the rib (6.2) have the same length along a longitudinal horizontal symmetry axis (y-y); - said bore (7) is positioned longitudinally within the valve support (2), so as to allow a parallel arrangement of the motor shaft (3.1) in respect to the ECU (4); - said bore (7) is configured in such a way to receive the linear actuator assembly LAC in its entirety; - the sealing means (12) are accommodated in a groove (13) positioned on the contact surface of the valve support (2) with the electric motor (3), said groove (13) surrounding the bore (7).
2. The valve support according to claim 1 characterized in that the rib (6.2) has a rectangular transversal section in respect to (y-y) symmetry axis and said rib (6.2) comprises a squared flange (8) at the end of the valve support (2) in contact with the electric motor (3), continued with a transitional portion (9.2) flared towards said flange (8), continued with a middle portion (11) recessed and narrowed to match the longitudinal bore (7) and further continued with a cuboid bulk portion (9.1) at the opposite end of the valve support (2) with regards to the electric motor (3).
3. The valve support according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has four threaded holes (t), two positioned on the upper corners of the squared flange (8), and the other two on the essentially parallelepiped base of the valve support, said holes forming a square and said threaded holes (t) being aimed to fix the electric motor (3) on the valve support (2).
4. The valve support according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sealing means (12) on the contact surface of the valve support (2) with the electric motor (3) consist in an 0-ring accommodated in the groove (13), concentrically surrounding the bore (7).
5. The valve support according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that is produced by extrusion method, by using a standard big diameter milling tools, preferably of 080mm, 030mm.
6. A braking control system using the valve support according to any of the preceding claims. 25