JP7708357B2 - Brake system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a brake device equipped with a main reservoir tank and a sub-reservoir tank.

The brake system includes a brake booster, a master cylinder, and a reservoir tank, which are arranged in the engine compartment. The brake booster is attached to the dash panel at the rear of the engine compartment, the master cylinder is attached in front of the brake booster, and the reservoir tank is provided on the master cylinder.

Here, a part of the cowl member is provided on the dash panel so as to protrude towards the front of the vehicle, and the master cylinder is located below the cowl member, so the reservoir tank is installed in a location that makes it difficult to perform refueling operations. Therefore, Patent Document 1 describes a brake device in which the reservoir tank is divided into two for ease of operation. A sub-reservoir tank is provided above the master cylinder, and a main reservoir tank is provided in a position forward and away from the sub-reservoir tank. The sub-reservoir tank and main reservoir tank are connected by a hose.

JP 2005-206038 A

Various pipes run through the engine compartment, and air conditioning pipes are installed at the rear of the engine compartment, passing from near the main reservoir tank to above the sub-reservoir tank. This limits the installation location of the main reservoir tank, and the hoses cannot be installed in a straight line, so they end up being routed and long. It is necessary to fasten these hoses midway, but when assembling the hoses using harness clips, cowl parts and the like get in the way, making it difficult to see and making the work difficult.

In view of the above, the present invention aims to provide a brake device that allows for easy assembly of a hose connecting the main reservoir tank and the sub-reservoir tank.

The brake device of the present invention has a master cylinder located in front of a brake booster that is placed on a dash panel that is difficult to see due to the cowl and piping in the engine compartment, a sub-reservoir tank is provided on the master cylinder, and a main reservoir tank is provided at a position away from the sub-reservoir tank. The main reservoir tank is connected to the sub-reservoir tank by a hose, and a hose clamp that opens toward the front of the vehicle is provided on the upper surface of the sub-reservoir tank, and the hose is fitted into the clamp across the front of the brake booster in the vehicle width direction.

The clamp on the top surface of the sub-reservoir tank opens forward, so by pushing the hose backward along the top surface of the sub-reservoir tank, even if the clamp is obscured by the cowl member, the top surface of the sub-reservoir tank acts as a guide, and the hose reaches the opening of the clamp, allowing the hose to be easily fitted into the clamp.

According to the present invention, by providing a clamp that opens forward on the top surface of the sub-reservoir tank, the hose can be easily attached even if the sub-reservoir tank is difficult to see due to the cowl member.

1 is a perspective view of a brake device in an engine compartment according to an embodiment of the present invention; Top view of the brake system in the engine compartment Side view of the brake device A perspective view of a clamp holding a hose

A brake device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figures 1 to 3. The brake device includes a brake booster 1 to which a brake pedal is connected, a master cylinder 2 connected to the brake booster 1, a sub-reservoir tank 3 connected to the master cylinder 2, and a main reservoir tank 5 connected to the sub-reservoir tank 3 by a hose 4. This brake device is disposed at the rear of an engine compartment 10, and a dash panel 11 is provided at the rear end of the engine compartment 10 to separate the engine compartment 10 from the passenger compartment. A cowl member 12 is provided above the dash panel 11, and a cowl inner 13 of the cowl member 12 is provided so as to protrude into the engine compartment 10 toward the front of the vehicle.

The brake booster 1 is attached to the dash panel 11, and the master cylinder 2, with the sub-reservoir tank 3 integrally provided on the upper surface, is attached slightly diagonally upwards to the front of the brake booster 1. The master cylinder 2 and the sub-reservoir tank 3 are located below the cowl inner panel 13.

The main reservoir tank 5 is located at a distance forward of the sub-reservoir tank 3 and forward of the cowl inner panel 13. The main reservoir tank 5 is placed on a bracket 14, which is attached to a suspension tower 15, which is a vehicle component.

A fuel fill port 20 is provided on the rear of the main reservoir tank 5, toward the outside in the vehicle width direction, and one end of a hose 4 is inserted into the fuel fill port 20 and secured in place by a clip 21. A fuel fill port 22 for the sub-reservoir tank 3 is provided on the inside side in the vehicle width direction, and the other end of the hose 4 is inserted into the fuel fill port 20 and secured in place by a clip 21.

Between the main reservoir tank 5 and the sub-reservoir tank 3, there is a pipe 16 for the air conditioner. This pipe 16 passes under the main reservoir tank 5 toward the rear, rises between the main reservoir tank 5 and the sub-reservoir tank 3, and crosses diagonally above the sub-reservoir tank 3 in the vehicle width direction. The hose 4 is arranged to bypass the pipe 16 for the air conditioner. In other words, the hose 4 connected to the main reservoir tank 5 passes toward the rear brake booster 1 while avoiding the pipe 16 for the air conditioner, is bent in an L-shape toward the inside in the vehicle width direction just before the brake booster 1, passes above the sub-reservoir tank 3, crosses in front of the brake booster 1, passes over the sub-reservoir tank 3, and is bent in a U-shape toward the inside side of the sub-reservoir tank 3. Therefore, the pipe 16 for the air conditioner passes diagonally above the hose 4.

In this way, a clamp 23 is provided on the sub-reservoir tank 3 to hold the long hose 4 midway. As shown in FIG. 4, the clamp 23 is U-shaped, has an opening 24 facing the front of the vehicle, and is fixed to the upper surface of the sub-reservoir tank 3. The clamp 23 is positioned a short distance from the front of the brake booster 1, and is located behind and lower than the air conditioning pipe 16 that crosses in front of the brake booster 1.

When installing the above brake device, the brake booster 1, to which the master cylinder 2 and sub-reservoir tank 3 are attached, is attached to the dash panel 11. The main reservoir tank 5, to which the hose 4 and bracket 14 are attached, is fixed to the suspension tower 15. At this point, the piping 16 for the air conditioner has not yet been installed.

After this, the worker routes the hose 4 and assembles it to the sub-reservoir tank 3. At this time, the sub-reservoir tank 3 is below the cowl member 12 and the piping 16 and is difficult to see, but when the hose 4 is pushed backwards using the upper surface of the sub-reservoir tank 3 as a guide, the hose 4 hits the clamp 23, enters the opening 24, and is fitted into the clamp 23, and the hose 4 is secured in place. In this way, even if the clamp 23 is difficult to see, the hose 4 can be easily brought close to the opening 24 of the clamp 23 and fitted in by using the upper surface of the sub-reservoir tank 3 as a guide. Then, the other end of the hose 4 is inserted into the fuel supply port 22 of the sub-reservoir tank 3 and fixed in place. When the hose 4 is secured to the clamp 23, the other end of the hose 4 is held close to the sub-reservoir tank 3, making it easy to insert the hose 4.

When a worker attempts to assemble the hose 4 with excessive load, the front of the brake booster 1 comes into contact with the worker's hand, preventing excessive load from being applied to the hose 4, clamp 23, and sub-reservoir tank 3, and thus preventing damage to these. Even if the clamp 23 is pushed in and bends backward, it comes into contact with the front of the brake booster 1, preventing displacement beyond a certain level and preventing damage to the clamp 23.

Even if the hose 4 is long, it can be fixed not only at both ends of the hose 4 but also on the sub-reservoir tank 3, so the hose 4 can be firmly attached and is less likely to come off even if vibrations are applied. Furthermore, the longer the hose 4, the more effective it is at suppressing vibrations, reducing the impact of vibrations on the reservoir tanks 3 and 5 and making it easier to ensure a sufficient amount of brake fluid.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and many modifications and variations can be made to the above embodiment within the scope of the present invention. The clamp 23 is molded separately from the sub-reservoir tank 3, but may be molded integrally with the sub-reservoir tank 3.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Brake booster 2 Master cylinder 3 Sub-reservoir tank 4 Hose 5 Main reservoir tank 10 Engine compartment 11 Dash panel 12 Cowl member 13 Cowl inner 23 Clamp 24 Opening

Claims (1)

A brake device comprising: a master cylinder provided on a front surface of a brake booster provided on a dash panel separating an engine room from a passenger compartment; a sub-reservoir tank provided on the master cylinder; a main reservoir tank provided on a vehicle component in the engine room away from the sub-reservoir tank; and the main reservoir tank connected to the sub-reservoir tank by a hose, the brake device being characterized in that a clamp for a hose opening toward the front of the vehicle is provided on an upper surface of the sub-reservoir tank, and the hose is fitted into the clamp across the front surface of the brake booster in the vehicle width direction.