Parking brake for an electric vehicle with multi-speed gearbox

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11858482-B2
Application number	US-202217975853-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2022
Priority date	Jun 4, 2020
Publication date	Jan 2, 2024
Grant date	Jan 2, 2024

Abstract

A commercial vehicle includes at least one driven axle, a service brake, at least one propulsion engine, and wheels. A parking brake function of the vehicle is achieved by a bistable locking means that acts on both wheels. A first and second multi-speed gearbox having respective first and second gear stages are each activated by an actuator and coupled to the wheels. The parking brake function is achieved at least in-part by concurrently activating the first and second gear stages. A computing device is configured to activate the bistable locking means when the commercial vehicle is at a standstill and configured to send a brake request via an electronic signal to an electronic brake control unit to activate the service brake.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A commercial vehicle comprising:
at least one driven axle,
at least one service brake,
at least one propulsion engine,
a pair of wheels, wherein
a parking brake function of the vehicle is solved by a bistable locking means acting on both wheels, and
the bistable locking means comprises:
a first multi-speed gearbox having a first gear stage activated by a first actuator and coupled to a first wheel of the pair of wheels,
a second multi-speed gearbox having a second gear stage activated by a second actuator and coupled to a second wheel of the pair of wheels, wherein
the parking brake function is achieved at least in-part by concurrently activating the first gear stage and the second gear stage; and

an output shaft lock, when activated, to couple the first wheel of the pair of wheels to the second wheel of the pair of wheels;

a computing device configured to activate the bistable locking means when the commercial vehicle is at a standstill, and
an electronic brake control unit, wherein
when the vehicle is in motion, the computing device is configured to send a brake request via an electronic signal to the electronic brake control unit to activate the at least one service brake.

2. The commercial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein
the first gear stage is characterized by a first ratio that differs from a second ratio of the second gear stage.

3. The commercial vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
an outer planetary gear disposed in an outer wheel rim of each wheel of the wheels of the driven axle, wherein
a ratio between a final stage shaft of a differential driving the pair of wheels and the driven wheel is greater than one.

4. The commercial vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
a redundant foot brake module for redundant braking; and
a booster, wherein
the computing device is configured to send a brake request to the booster via an electronic signal to activate the redundant foot brake module when the electronic brake control unit fails to execute the brake request.

5. A commercial vehicle comprising:
at least one driven axle;
at least one service brake;
at least one propulsion engine;
a pair of wheels, wherein
a parking brake function of the vehicle is solved by a bistable locking means acting on both wheels, and
the bistable locking means comprises:
a first multi-speed gearbox having a first gear stage activated by a first actuator and coupled to a first wheel of the pair of wheels;
a second multi-speed gearbox having a second gear stage activated by a second actuator and coupled to a second wheel of the pair of wheels, wherein
the parking brake function is achieved at least in-part by concurrently activating the first gear stage and the second gear stage; and

an input shaft lock, when activated, to couple an input of the first multi-speed gearbox with an input of the second multi-speed gearbox;

a computing device configured to activate the bistable locking means when the commercial vehicle is at a standstill; and
an electronic brake control unit, wherein
when the vehicle is in motion, the computing device is configured to send a brake request via an electronic signal to the electronic brake control unit to activate the at least one service brake.

6. The commercial vehicle of claim 5 , wherein
the first gear stage is characterized by a first ratio that differs from a second ratio of the second gear stage.

7. The commercial vehicle of claim 5 , further comprising:
an outer planetary gear disposed in an outer wheel rim of each wheel of the wheels of the driven axle, wherein
a ratio between a final stage shaft of a differential driving the pair of wheels and the driven wheel is greater than one.

8. The commercial vehicle of claim 5 , further comprising:
a redundant foot brake module for redundant braking; and
a booster, wherein
the computing device is configured to send a brake request to the booster via an electronic signal to activate the redundant foot brake module when the electronic brake control unit fails to execute the brake request.

9. A commercial vehicle comprising:
at least one driven axle;
at least one service brake;
at least one propulsion engine;
a pair of wheels, wherein
a parking brake function of the vehicle is solved by a bistable locking means acting on both wheels, and
the bistable locking means comprises:
a first multi-speed gearbox having a first gear stage activated by a first actuator and coupled to a first wheel of the pair of wheels;
a second multi-speed gearbox having a second gear stage activated by a second actuator and coupled to a second wheel of the pair of wheels, wherein
the parking brake function is achieved at least in-part by concurrently activating the first gear stage and the second gear stage;

an elastic coupling; and
a sliding clutch comprising:
a toothed selector ring coupled to the elastic coupling that allows for limited rotational movement of the toothed selector ring about a sliding axis of the sliding clutch, wherein
the sliding clutch is actuated by the second actuator.

10. The commercial vehicle of claim 9 , wherein
the first gear stage or second gear stage comprises conjugated teeth; and
the teeth of the toothed selector ring are shaped to allow meshing with the conjugated teeth when in a tooth-to-tooth position.

11. The commercial vehicle of claim 9 , further comprising:
an outer planetary gear disposed in an outer wheel rim of each wheel of the wheels of the driven axle, wherein
a ratio between a final stage shaft of a differential driving the pair of wheels and the driven wheel is greater than one.

12. The commercial vehicle of claim 9 , further comprising:
a computing device to activate the bistable locking means when the commercial vehicle is at a standstill.

13. The commercial vehicle of claim 12 , further comprising:
an electronic brake control unit, wherein
when the vehicle is in motion, the computing device is configured to send a brake request via an electronic signal to the electronic brake control unit to activate the at least one service brake.

14. The commercial vehicle of claim 13 , further comprising:
a redundant foot brake module for redundant braking; and
a booster, wherein
the computing device is configured to send a brake request to the booster via an electronic signal to activate the redundant foot brake module when the electronic brake control unit fails to execute the brake request.

Assignees

• Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems Llc

Inventors

• Plow William
• Gyoerke Zsombor
• Toth Janos
• Krueger Sven
• Hos Levente
• Blessing Michael
• Nemeth Huba
• Kovacsik Peter
• Buch Andreas

Classifications

• F16H2200/0034

  the gear ratios comprising two forward speeds · CPC title

• F16H2200/0021

  specially adapted for electric vehicles · CPC title

• B60T1/005 Primary

  by locking of wheel or transmission rotation · CPC title

• B60K17/08

  of mechanical type · CPC title

• B60T7/042

  by electrical means, e.g. using travel or force sensors · CPC title