Brake retarder valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10442419-B2
Application number	US-201715585274-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2017
Priority date	Oct 26, 2016
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

A brake retarder valve for a tractor-trailer combination includes a valve housing and a valve assembly. The valve assembly includes a poppet valve biased by a spring and a gravity spool. The valve assembly is selectively operable between the operative closed configuration and an open configuration in response to a resultant of the fluid pressure between a trailer axle brake and a tractor axle brake. The tractor axle brake is actuated with a time delay from actuation of the trailer axle brake. This delay is actuation of the tractor axle brake prevents jack knifing of the trailer onto the tractor in a tractor-trailer combination, thereby ensuring safety during operation of a tractor-trailer combination.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A brake retarder valve for a tractor-trailer combination with a fluid line sequentially supplying pressurized fluid to a trailer axle brake and a tractor axle brake, said brake retarder valve being associated with said tractor axle brake, said brake retarder valve comprising:
a housing defining a valve chamber having an open end and a closed end, said housing defining a housing fluid inlet and at least one housing fluid outlet, said at least one housing fluid outlet being orthogonal to said housing fluid inlet end;
a valve seat defined in said housing; and
a valve assembly that is selectively operable between an open configuration and a closed configuration;
wherein in said open configuration, said valve assembly is spaced apart from said valve seat and a pathway is defined therebetween, such that a flow of a fluid goes from said fluid line, through said pathway, and to said tractor axle brake;
wherein in said closed configuration, said valve assembly is biased against said valve seat and a sealed connection is defined therebetween, such that said flow of said fluid goes from said fluid line, through an orifice defined by members of said valve assembly so as to bypass said sealed connection, and to said tractor axle brake;
wherein said members include a spring loaded poppet valve and a gravity spool; and
wherein said poppet valve is formed by a wall defining an axial passage and an annular valve head on one end thereof, said poppet valve defining at least one valve fluid inlet along the wall and an axial fluid outlet formed at said valve head.

2. The brake retarder valve of claim 1 , wherein said gravity spool is configured to restrict fluid flow through said poppet valve in said closed configuration.

3. The brake retarder valve of claim 1 , wherein said valve assembly is operable to be axially displaced within said valve chamber to said closed end of said housing in a tractor brake engaging condition.

4. The brake retarder valve of claim 1 , wherein said valve assembly is in said operative closed condition in a tractor-trailer braked condition, said tractor-trailer braked condition being achieved after trailer axle brake and the tractor axle brake are fully engaged, said orifice being configured to equalize fluid pressure in said trailer axle brake and the tractor axle brake.

5. The brake retarder valve of claim 1 , wherein a slot is formed into a wall proximate a valve head and extending from said valve head into an axial passage, said slot being configured to define said orifice between said gravity spool and said poppet valve.

6. The brake retarder valve of claim 1 , wherein said poppet valve has at least one valve fluid inlet along a wall and an axial valve fluid outlet.

7. The brake retarder valve of claim 1 , wherein said at least one valve fluid inlet being orthogonal to said axial valve fluid outlet, said housing fluid inlet and said axial valve fluid outlet being substantially co-axial.

8. A brake retarder valve for a tractor-trailer combination with a fluid line sequentially supplying pressurized fluid to a trailer axle brake and a tractor axle brake, said brake retarder valve being associated with said tractor axle brake, said brake retarder valve comprising:
a housing defining a valve chamber having an open end and a closed end, said housing defining a housing fluid inlet and at least one housing fluid outlet, said at least one housing fluid outlet being orthogonal to said housing fluid inlet end;
a valve seat defined in said housing; and
a valve assembly that is selectively operable between an open configuration and a closed configuration;
wherein in said open configuration, said valve assembly is spaced apart from said valve seat and a pathway is defined therebetween, such that a flow of a fluid goes from said fluid line, through said pathway, and to said tractor axle brake;
wherein in said closed configuration, said valve assembly is biased against said valve seat and a sealed connection is defined therebetween, such that said flow of said fluid goes from said fluid line, through an orifice defined by members of said valve assembly so as to bypass said sealed connection, and to said tractor axle brake;
wherein said members include a spring loaded poppet valve and a gravity spool; and
wherein a slot is formed into a wall proximate a valve head and extending from said valve head into an axial passage, said slot being configured to define said orifice between said gravity spool and said poppet valve.

9. The brake retarder valve of claim 8 , wherein said gravity spool is configured to restrict fluid flow through said poppet valve in said closed configuration.

10. The brake retarder valve of claim 8 , wherein said poppet valve is formed by a wall defining an axial passage and an annular valve head on one end thereof, said poppet valve defining at least one valve fluid inlet along the wall and an axial fluid outlet formed at said valve head.

11. The brake retarder valve of claim 8 , wherein said poppet valve has at least one valve fluid inlet along a wall and an axial valve fluid outlet.

12. The brake retarder valve of claim 8 , wherein said at least one valve fluid inlet being orthogonal to said axial valve fluid outlet, said housing fluid inlet and said axial valve fluid outlet being substantially co-axial.

13. The brake retarder valve of claim 8 , wherein said valve assembly is operable to be axially displaced within said valve chamber to said closed end of said housing in a tractor brake engaging condition.

14. The brake retarder valve of claim 8 , wherein said valve assembly is in said operative closed condition in a tractor-trailer braked condition, said tractor-trailer braked condition being achieved after trailer axle brake and the tractor axle brake are fully engaged, said orifice being configured to equalize fluid pressure in said trailer axle brake and the tractor axle brake.

15. A brake retarder valve for a tractor-trailer combination with a fluid line sequentially supplying pressurized fluid to a trailer axle brake and a tractor axle brake, said brake retarder valve being associated with said tractor axle brake, said brake retarder valve comprising:
a housing defining a valve chamber having an open end and a closed end, said housing defining a housing fluid inlet and at least one housing fluid outlet, said at least one housing fluid outlet being orthogonal to said housing fluid inlet end;
a valve seat defined in said housing; and
a valve assembly that is selectively operable between an open configuration and a closed configuration;
wherein in said open configuration, said valve assembly is spaced apart from said valve seat and a pathway is defined therebetween, such that a flow of a fluid goes from said fluid line, through said pathway, and to said tractor axle brake;
wherein in said closed configuration, said valve assembly is biased against said valve seat and a sealed connection is defined therebetween, such that said flow of said fluid goes from said fluid line, through an orifice defined by members of said valve assembly so as to bypass said sealed connection, and to said tractor axle brake;
wherein said members include a spring loaded poppet valve and a gravity spool;
wherein said poppet valve has at least one valve fluid inlet along a wall and an axial valve fluid outlet; and
wherein said at least one valve fluid inlet being orthogonal to said axial valve fluid outlet, said housing fluid inlet and said axial valve fluid outlet being substantially co-axial.

16. The brake retarder valve of claim 15 , wherein said gravity spoo

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Kini Prashantha
• Raibagi Rajgopal
• Thakur Ravi Ranjan

Classifications

• B60T15/223 Primary

  Trailer control valves · CPC title

• B60T7/20

  specially for trailers, e.g. in case of uncoupling of {or overrunning by} trailer (inertia-actuated overrun brakes B60T13/08) · CPC title

• B60T11/34

  Pressure reducing or limiting valves {(for arrangements for adjusting wheel-braking force responsive to vehicle weight or load B60T8/1831)} · CPC title

• B60T15/46 Primary

  for retarding braking action to prevent rear vehicles of a vehicle train overtaking the forward ones · CPC title

• B60T11/108

  to a trailer fluid system · CPC title