Apparatus and method for controlling pneumatic fluid to a trailer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10780871-B2
Application number	US-201816142703-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2018
Priority date	Sep 26, 2018
Publication date	Sep 22, 2020
Grant date	Sep 22, 2020

Abstract

A trailer control valve comprises a valve electronic control port adapted to receive an electronic control signal; a valve pneumatic supply port unrestrictedly fluidly communicating with a first supply of a pneumatic fluid; a valve pneumatic control port normally proportionally fluidly communicating with a second supply of the pneumatic fluid based on a pressure representing a driver brake demand, the first supply of the pneumatic fluid being in an independent pneumatic circuit from the second supply of the pneumatic fluid; and a valve delivery port selectively fluidly communicating with at least one of the valve pneumatic supply port and the valve pneumatic control port based on the electronic control signal, the pressure representing the driver brake demand and a pressure of the first supply of the pneumatic fluid. A first pneumatic check valve includes a first check valve supply port fluidly communicating with the first supply of the pneumatic fluid; and a first check valve delivery port fluidly communicating with the relay valve pneumatic supply port. The first pneumatic check valve controls the fluid communication of the first supply of the pneumatic fluid with the relay valve pneumatic supply port based on the pressure of the first supply of the pneumatic fluid at the valve pneumatic supply port.

First claim

We claim:

1. A trailer control valve, including:
a valve electronic control port adapted to receive an electronic control signal;
a valve pneumatic supply port unrestrictedly fluidly communicating with a first supply of a pneumatic fluid;
a valve pneumatic control port normally proportionally fluidly communicating with a second supply of the pneumatic fluid based on a pressure representing a driver brake demand, the first supply of the pneumatic fluid being in an independent pneumatic circuit from the second supply of the pneumatic fluid;
a valve delivery port selectively fluidly communicating with at least one of the valve pneumatic supply port and the valve pneumatic control port based on the electronic control signal, the pressure representing the driver brake demand and a pressure of the first supply of the pneumatic fluid;
a first pneumatic check valve, including:
a first check valve supply port fluidly communicating with the first supply of the pneumatic fluid; and
a first check valve delivery port;

a first solenoid valve, including:
a first solenoid electronic control port electrically communicating with the valve electronic control port;
a first solenoid pneumatic supply port fluidly communicating with the valve pneumatic control port; and
a first solenoid pneumatic delivery port; and

a relay valve, including:
a relay valve pneumatic supply port fluidly communicating with the first supply of the pneumatic fluid based on a pressure of the first supply of the pneumatic fluid at the valve pneumatic supply port, the first check valve delivery port fluidly communicating with the relay valve pneumatic supply port, the first pneumatic check valve controlling the fluid communication of the first supply of the pneumatic fluid with the relay valve pneumatic supply port based on the pressure of the first supply of the pneumatic fluid at the valve pneumatic supply port;
a relay valve pneumatic delivery port fluidly communicating with the valve delivery port; and
a relay valve pneumatic control port fluidly communicating with the first solenoid pneumatic delivery port, a pressure of the pneumatic fluid at the relay valve delivery port based on a pressure of the pneumatic fluid at the relay valve control port; and

a second solenoid valve, including:
a second solenoid electronic control port electrically communicating with the valve electronic control port;
a second solenoid pneumatic supply port fluidly communicating with the relay valve pneumatic supply port; and
a second solenoid pneumatic delivery port fluidly communicating with the relay valve pneumatic control port;

wherein during a first failure:
the electronic control signal received at the electronic control port causes the second solenoid pneumatic supply port to alternately fluidly communicate with the second solenoid pneumatic delivery port; and
the pneumatic fluid from the first supply is fluidly transmitted to the relay valve pneumatic control port via the second solenoid valve pneumatic supply port and the second solenoid valve pneumatic delivery port during alternate fluid communications between the second solenoid valve pneumatic supply port and the second solenoid valve pneumatic delivery port;
wherein during the first failure, the electronic control signal received at the electronic control port causes the first solenoid pneumatic delivery port to not fluidly communicate with the first solenoid pneumatic supply port.

2. The trailer control valve as set forth in claim 1 :
further including a third solenoid valve, including:
a third solenoid electronic control port electrically communicating with the valve electronic control port;
a third solenoid pneumatic supply port fluidly communicating with both the second solenoid pneumatic delivery port and the relay valve pneumatic control port; and
a third solenoid pneumatic delivery port fluidly communicating with atmosphere pressure;

wherein during the first failure:
the electronic control signal received at the electronic control port causes the third solenoid pneumatic supply port to alternately fluidly communicate with the third solenoid pneumatic delivery port; and
the alternate fluid communication between the second solenoid valve pneumatic supply port and the second solenoid valve pneumatic delivery port in conjunction with the alternate fluid communication between the third solenoid pneumatic supply port to alternately fluidly communicate with the third solenoid pneumatic delivery port cooperates to achieve the driver brake demand.

3. The trailer control valve as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
the valve pneumatic supply port unrestrictedly fluidly communicates with the first supply of the pneumatic fluid independent of the driver brake demand.

4. The trailer control valve as set forth in claim 1 , wherein during a second failure:
the electronic control signal received at the electronic control port causes the first solenoid pneumatic delivery port to fluidly communicate with the first solenoid pneumatic supply port;
the pneumatic fluid at the valve pneumatic control port fluidly communicates with the relay valve pneumatic control port via the second solenoid pneumatic supply port and the second solenoid pneumatic delivery port; and
the pneumatic fluid at the valve pneumatic control port fluidly communicates with the relay valve pneumatic control port via a check valve.

5. A trailer control valve, including:
a valve electronic control port adapted to receive an electronic control signal;
a valve pneumatic supply port unrestrictedly fluidly communicating with a first supply of a pneumatic fluid;
a valve pneumatic control port normally proportionally fluidly communicating with a second supply of the pneumatic fluid based on a pressure representing a driver brake demand, the first supply of the pneumatic fluid being in an independent pneumatic circuit from the second supply of the pneumatic fluid;
a valve delivery port selectively fluidly communicating with at least one of the valve pneumatic supply port and the valve pneumatic control port based on the electronic control signal, the pressure representing the driver brake demand and a pressure of the first supply of the pneumatic fluid; and
a first pneumatic check valve, including:
a first check valve supply port fluidly communicating with the first supply of the pneumatic fluid; and
a first check valve delivery port;

a first solenoid valve, including:
a first solenoid electronic control port electrically communicating with the valve electronic control port;
a first solenoid pneumatic supply port fluidly communicating with the valve pneumatic control port; and
a first solenoid pneumatic delivery port; and

a relay valve, including:
a relay valve pneumatic supply port fluidly communicating with the first supply of the pneumatic fluid based on a pressure of the first supply of the pneumatic fluid at the valve pneumatic supply port, the first check valve delivery port fluidly communicating with the relay valve pneumatic supply port, the first pneumatic check valve controlling the fluid communication of the first supply of the pneumatic fluid with the relay valve pneumatic supply port based on the pressure of the first supply of the pneumatic fluid at the valve pneumatic supply port;
a relay valve pneumatic delivery port fluidly communicating with the valve delivery port; and
a relay valve pneumatic control port fluidly communicating with the first solenoid pneumatic delivery port, a pressure of the pneumatic fluid at the relay valve delivery port based on a pressure of the pneumatic fluid at the relay valve control port;

wherein during a second failure:
the electronic control signal received at the electronic control port causes the first solenoid pneumatic delivery port to fluidly commu

Assignees

• Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems Llc

Inventors

• Riley Brian J
• Niglas Paul C

Classifications

• B60T2270/403

  Brake circuit failure · CPC title

• B60T13/683 Primary

  in pneumatic systems or parts thereof (in vacuum systems B60T13/72) · CPC title

• B60T15/027

  in pneumatic systems · CPC title

• B60T13/263

  specially adapted for coupling with dependent systems, e.g. tractor-trailer systems · CPC title

• B60T8/1708

  for lorries or tractor-trailer combinations · CPC title