Parking brake apparatus and method for a vehicle power unit to which a vehicle towed unit can be connected

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11390260-B2
Application number	US-202016993446-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2020
Priority date	Aug 14, 2020
Publication date	Jul 19, 2022
Grant date	Jul 19, 2022

Abstract

A parking brake apparatus is provided for a power unit having air brake parking components and to which a towed unit having air brake parking components can be connected. The parking brake apparatus comprises a controller arranged to monitor a pressure signal indicative of a delivery air pressure applied to the air brake parking components of the towed unit when the towed unit is connected to the power unit. The controller is also arranged to provide a status signal indicative of whether or not a towed unit is connected to the power unit based upon the pressure signal. The controller further enables the status signal to be processed to control application or release of any combination of air brake parking components of the power unit and the towed unit to park or unpark the power unit as well as the towed unit, if connected to the power unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A parking brake apparatus for a vehicle power unit having air brake parking components and capable of being connected to a vehicle towed unit having air brake parking components, the parking brake apparatus comprising:
an electronic controller associated with the vehicle power unit and arranged to (i) monitor a pressure signal indicative of a delivery air pressure applied to air brake parking components of a vehicle towed unit when the vehicle towed unit is connected to the vehicle power unit, (ii) provide a status signal indicative of whether or not the vehicle towed unit is connected to the vehicle power unit based upon the pressure signal, and (iii) enable the status signal to be processed to control application or release of any combination of air brake parking components of the vehicle power unit and air brake parking components of the vehicle towed unit to park or unpark the vehicle power unit and the vehicle towed unit when connected to the vehicle power unit;
wherein the status signal is indicative of the vehicle towed unit being connected to the vehicle power unit when the pressure signal indicative of the delivery air pressure applied to the air brake parking components of the vehicle towed unit is above a predetermined threshold pressure for a predetermined amount of time, and the second pressure signal is within a predetermined tolerance of a pressure signal indicative of a delivery air pressure applied to the air brake parking components of the vehicle power unit.

2. A parking brake apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the status signal is indicative of the vehicle towed unit not being connected to the vehicle power unit when the pressure signal is either below a predetermined threshold pressure or absent.

3. A parking brake apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the status signal is indicative of the vehicle towed unit being connected to the vehicle power unit when the pressure signal is above a predetermined threshold pressure for a predetermined amount of time.

4. A parking brake apparatus for a vehicle power unit having air brake parking components and capable of being connected to a vehicle towed unit having air brake parking components, the parking brake apparatus comprising:
an electronic controller associated with the vehicle power unit and arranged to (i) monitor a first pressure signal indicative of a delivery pressure applied to air brake components of the vehicle power unit, (ii) monitor a second pressure signal indicative of a delivery air pressure applied to air brake parking components of a vehicle towed unit when the vehicle towed unit is connected to the vehicle power unit, (iii) provide a status signal indicative of whether or not the vehicle towed unit is connected to the vehicle power unit based upon the first and second pressure signals, and (iv) enable the status signal to be processed to control application or release of any combination of air brake parking components of the vehicle power unit and air brake parking components of the vehicle towed unit to park or unpark the vehicle power unit and the vehicle towed unit if connected to the vehicle power unit; wherein the status signal is indicative of the vehicle towed unit being connected to the vehicle power unit when the first pressure signal is above a first predetermined threshold pressure for a first predetermined amount of time, and the second pressure signal is above a second predetermined threshold pressure for a second predetermined amount of time.

5. A parking brake apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the status signal is indicative of the vehicle towed unit not being connected to the vehicle power unit when the second pressure signal is either below a predetermined threshold pressure or absent.

6. A parking brake apparatus, for a vehicle power unit having air brake parking components and capable of being connected to a vehicle towed unit having air brake parking components, the parking brake apparatus comprising:
an electronic controller associated with the vehicle power unit and arranged to (i) monitor a first pressure signal indicative of a delivery pressure applied to air brake components of the vehicle power unit, (ii) monitor a second pressure signal indicative of a delivery air pressure applied to air brake parking components of a vehicle towed unit when the vehicle towed unit is connected to the vehicle power unit, (iii) provide a status signal indicative of whether or not the vehicle towed unit is connected to the vehicle power unit based upon the first and second pressure signals, and (iv) enable the status signal to be processed to control application or release of any combination of air brake parking components of the vehicle power unit and air brake parking components of the vehicle towed unit to park or unpark the vehicle power unit and the vehicle towed unit if connected to the vehicle power unit; wherein the status signal is indicative of the vehicle towed unit being connected to the vehicle power unit when the first pressure signal is above a first predetermined threshold pressure for a first predetermined amount of time, the second pressure signal is above a second predetermined threshold pressure for a second predetermined amount of time, and the second pressure signal is within a predetermined tolerance of the first pressure signal.

7. A parking brake apparatus, for a vehicle power unit having air brake parking components and capable of being connected to a vehicle towed unit having air brake parking components, the parking brake apparatus comprising:
an electronic controller associated with the vehicle power unit and arranged to (i) monitor a first pressure signal indicative of a delivery pressure applied to air brake components of the vehicle power unit, (ii) monitor a second pressure signal indicative of a delivery air pressure applied to air brake parking components of a vehicle towed unit when the vehicle towed unit is connected to the vehicle power unit, (iii) provide a status signal indicative of whether or not the vehicle towed unit is connected to the vehicle power unit based upon the first and second pressure signals, and (iv) enable the status signal to be processed to control application or release of any combination of air brake parking components of the vehicle power unit and air brake parking components of the vehicle towed unit to park or unpark the vehicle power unit and the vehicle towed unit if connected to the vehicle power unit; wherein the electronic controller is arranged to monitor a third pressure signal indicative of a highest pressure associated with a compressed air reservoir of the vehicle power unit.

8. A parking brake apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the status signal is indicative of the vehicle towed unit being connected to the vehicle power unit when the first pressure signal is above a first predetermined threshold pressure for a first predetermined amount of time, the second pressure signal is above a second predetermined threshold pressure for a second predetermined amount of time, the second pressure signal is within a predetermined tolerance of the first pressure signal, and at least one of the first and second pressure signals is within another predetermined tolerance of the third pressure signal.

9. A parking brake apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the status signal is indicative of the vehicle towed unit being connected to the vehicle power unit when the first pressure signal is above a first predetermined threshold pressure for a first predetermined amount of time, the second pressure signal is above a second predetermined threshold pressure for a second predetermined amount of time, the second pressure signal is within a first predetermined tolerance of

Assignees

• Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems Llc

Inventors

• Barade Girish
• Hutchins Christopher H
• Weed Thomas J
• Kennedy andrew l

Classifications

• F16D2121/10

  for releasing a normally applied brake · CPC title

• B60T13/263 Primary

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

• B60T17/226 Primary

  using devices being responsive to the difference between the fluid pressions in conduits of multiple braking systems · CPC title

• B60T13/265

  dependent systems, e.g. trailer systems · CPC title

• B60T13/268

  using accumulators or reservoirs · CPC title