A vehicle radar safety apparatus employs a radar for detecting an object in front and/or to the rear and sides of a vehicle and for producing an indication of the distance and closing speed between the vehicle and the detected object. A signal processing unit sums the vehicle speed and the closing speed between the vehicle and detected object and compares the summed output with a signal corresponding to the distance between the vehicle and the detected object to provide an output to a display indicating the vehicle's capability of stopping prior to colliding with the detected object. The output from the signal processing unit is optionally applied to an accelerator and/or brake control circuit to automatically slow down the vehicle. A brake pedal override switch is connected to the accelerator and brake controls to override the accelerator and/or brake controls when the vehicle operator depresses the vehicle brake pedal. The radar includes a horn antenna having a plano-convex dielectric lens mounted at an exterior end. The lens has an exterior convex surface shaped to reduce side lobe generation of the transmitted radar wave so as to transmit a radar wave of a minimal beam width at a specified operating frequency and effective radar antenna diameter.

Vehicle radar safety apparatus

A brake system includes a controllable a pneumatic brake booster, whose control valve can be actuated independently of the driver's will by a solenoid. A control structure consisting of a brake pressure controller and a control valve positioning controller generate signals which represent the electrical current to be applied to the solenoid. To be able to use the brake system for the purpose of a control of a deceleration proportionally to the actuation force it is proposed, according to the invention, to use an installation for the generation of a signal, which represents an actuation force applied at the actuation pedal and which is applied, as input variable, to a prefilter, which contains a dynamic model of the actuation unit and whose output variable corresponds to the desired brake pressure and to use a pressure monitor which receives, as input variable, a signal representing the vehicle speed, which contains a dynamic model of the parts of the brake system connected to the actuation unit and of the vehicle behavior and whose output variable represents an estimated actual brake pressure value which is subtracted from the desired brake pressure for the formation of a control difference to be applied to the brake pressure controller.

Braking system for motor vehicles

An automatic braking system for a motor vehicle includes a sensor for detecting a distance and a relative speed between the vehicle and an obstacle in front of the vehicle. A judging device for judging an alarm sounding region and a region in which the vehicle has a possibility of contact with the obstacle, based on the detected distance and the relative speed and an automatic brake for automatically braking respective wheels when the judging device judges the region in which the vehicle has a possibility of the contact with the obstacle are provided. The automatic brake incudes a vacuum type booster which has a first chamber to which negative pressure is introduced and a second chamber to which atmospheric pressure is introduced. The first chamber is connected to the down stream portion, from a throttle valve, in an intake path of an engine. The booster uses a pressure difference between the negative pressure and the atmospheric pressure. A device for increasing the negative pressure in the first chamber of the automatic brake prior to the operation of the automatic brake is also provided.

Automatic braking system for motor vehicle

A brake booster (10, 210, 310) connected to a control circuit (120) provides a system for the continued braking of a vehicle when the vehicle is situated on an incline and the brake pedal (92) is released by the operator Continued brake application is accomplished by utilizing a control circuit (120) responsive to vehicular attitude, clutch pedal position, ignition status, vehicular speed, and vehicular direction The control circuit (120) is connected to the combination of a check valve and three-way solenoid valve (100, 200, 300) connected to a movable wall brake booster (10, 210, 310) The combination valve (100) is connected to a flexible hose (110) disposed interiorily of the booster (10), the other end of the flexible hose (110) connected to the input opening (32) of a three-way poppet valve (70) located at the central hub (30) of the booster (10) When the control circuit (120) senses that the vehicle is on an incline, the clutch pedal depressed, the ignition "on", the speed is zero, and the vehicle not backing up, it actuates the three-way solenoid of valve (100) which continues to supply a first fluid pressure to the front booster chamber (40) while supplying a second fluid pressure for the rear booster chamber (50) via the flexible hose (110) and poppet valve (70) The vehicle operator may release the brake pedal (92) which returns slightly toward an inactive position and which opens slightly valve (70), with the brakes remaining activated because the second fluid pressure is provided to the rear chamber (50) via the hose connection (110) and valve (70) to maintain the axially displaced position of the movable wall (24)

Control circuit for brake booster vehicular hill holder system

A brake booster (10, 210, 310) connected to a control circuit (120) provides for continued braking of a vehicle when the vehicle is situated on an incline and the brake pedal (92) is released by the operator. Continued brake application is accomplished by utilizing a control circuit (120) responsive to vehicular attitude, clutch pedal position, ignition status, vehicular speed, and vehicular direction. The control circuit (120) is connected to a combination check valve and three-way solenoid valve (100, 200, 300) connected to a movable wall brake booster (10, 210, 310). The combination valve (100) is connected to a flexible hose (110) disposed interiorily of the booster (10), the other end of the flexible hose (110) connected to the input opening (32) of a three-way poppet valve (70) located at the central hub (30) of the booster (10). When the control circuit (120) senses that the vehicle is on an incline, the clutch pedal depressed, the ignition "on", the speed is zero, and the vehicle not backing up, it actuates the three-way solenoid of valve (100) which continues to supply a first fluid pressure to the front booster chamber (40) while supplying a second fluid pressure for the rear booster chamber (50) via the flexible hose (110) and poppet valve 170. The vehicle operator may release the brake pedal (92) which returns slightly toward an inactive position and which opens slightly valve (70), with the brakes remaining activated because the second fluid pressure is provided to the rear chamber (50) via the hose connection (110) and valve (70) to maintain the axially displaced position of the movable wall (24).

Brake booster for vehicular hill holder system

An automotive vehicle brake system including a fluid motor brake actuator with a movable wall therein dividing the actuator into opposed chambers and foot pedal operated valve means for controlling the pressures in the respective chambers to establish a pressure differential across the movable wall in the brake applied position of the pedal. Electrical means in the system including an obstacle detecting device which senses range and range rate of an obstacle in front of the vehicle and generates signals representative of the distance to the obstacle as well as the relative velocity of the obstacle and vehicle. The generated signals are processed and applied to comparators, the outputs of which are fed into independent AND gates having their outputs connected to solenoid valves operatively connected to the brake actuator to regulate the differential fluid pressure in the opposed chambers so that the vehicle brakes are automatically applied independently of the foot pedal operated valve means. The AND gates control energization of the solenoid valve in a manner determined by the relationship of the range and range-rate signals to brake pressure signal.

G Hickner

Papers

Vehicle brake system having foot pedal operated brake actuator with electronic range control