System and method for controlling pneumatic control signal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9758140-B2
Application number	US-201514971195-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2015
Priority date	Dec 16, 2015
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

An electronic controller includes an electrical input and an electrical output. The electronic controller is adapted to receive an electronic status signal at the electrical input. The electronic status signal is indicative of a pneumatic pressure in a supply line communicating pneumatic fluid between a towing portion of a vehicle and a towed portion of the vehicle. The electronic controller is also adapted to transmit an electronic control signal from the electrical output to an associated valve, based on the electronic status signal, for controlling delivery of a pneumatic control signal from the towing portion of the vehicle to the towed portion of the vehicle.

First claim

We claim:

1. An electronic controller, comprising:
an electrical input; and
an electrical output;
the electronic controller being adapted to:
receive an electronic status signal at the electrical input, the electronic status signal being indicative of a pneumatic pressure in a supply line communicating pneumatic fluid between a towing portion of a vehicle and a towed portion of the vehicle; and
transmit an electronic control signal from the electrical output to an associated valve, based on the electronic status signal and a service brake demand, for controlling delivery of a pneumatic control signal from the towing portion of the vehicle to the towed portion of the vehicle.

2. The electronic controller as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
if the status signal indicates the pneumatic pressure of the pneumatic fluid in the supply line is below a predetermined supply pressure and the service brake is demanded, the electronic controller is adapted to control the electronic control signal to cause the associated valve to cease delivery of the pneumatic control signal to the towed portion of the vehicle; and
if at least one of the status signal indicates the pneumatic pressure of the pneumatic fluid in the supply line is not below the predetermined supply pressure and the service brake is not demanded, the electronic controller is adapted to control the electronic control signal to cause the valve to deliver the pneumatic control signal to the towed portion of the vehicle.

3. The electronic controller as set forth in claim 2 , wherein:
the service brake is demanded by at least one of a service foot brake control valve, a service hand brake control valve, and the electronic controller.

4. The electronic controller as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the electronic controller is adapted to:
receive the electronic status signal at the electrical input, the electronic status signal being indicative of the pneumatic pressure in the supply line on the towing portion of the vehicle communicating the pneumatic fluid between the towing portion of the vehicle and the towed portion of the vehicle.

5. The electronic controller as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the electronic controller is adapted to:
control the electronic control signal to cause the pneumatic control signal to be modulated while being delivered to the towed portion of the vehicle during an automatic braking system event.

6. The electronic controller as set forth in claim 5 , wherein the electronic controller is adapted to:
modulate the electronic control signal to cause the pneumatic control signal to be modulated while being delivered to the towed portion of the vehicle during the automatic braking system event.

7. The electronic controller as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
if the status signal indicates the pneumatic pressure of the pneumatic fluid in the supply line is below a predetermined supply pressure, the electronic controller is adapted to control the electronic control signal to cause the associated valve to cease delivery of the pneumatic control signal to the towed portion of the vehicle; and
if the status signal indicates the pneumatic pressure of the pneumatic fluid in the supply line is not below the predetermined supply pressure, the electronic controller is adapted to control the electronic control signal to cause the valve to deliver the pneumatic control signal to the towed portion of the vehicle.

8. The electronic controller as set forth in claim 7 , wherein:
the electronic controller is adapted to control the electronic control signal to cause the valve to open to deliver the pneumatic control signal to the towed portion of the vehicle; and
the electronic controller is adapted to control the electronic control signal to cause the valve to close to cease delivery of the pneumatic control signal to the towed portion of the vehicle.

9. The electronic controller as set forth in claim 8 , wherein:
the electronic controller is adapted to transmit the electronic control signal from the electrical output to cause the valve to open to deliver the pneumatic control signal to the towed portion of the vehicle; and
the electronic controller is adapted to not transmit the electronic control signal to cause the valve to close to cease delivery of the pneumatic control signal to the towed portion of the vehicle.

10. The electronic controller as set forth in claim 8 , wherein:
the service brake demand is provided from at least one of a foot valve and a hand valve.

11. The electronic controller as set forth in claim 7 , wherein the electronic controller is adapted to:
identify the predetermined supply pressure is about 45 psi.

12. The electronic controller as set forth in claim 7 , wherein:
if the status signal indicates the pneumatic pressure of the pneumatic fluid in the supply line is below the predetermined supply pressure, the electronic controller is adapted to alert an operator of the vehicle that the pneumatic pressure is below the predetermined supply pressure.

13. A system for controlling a pneumatic control signal communicated between a tractor portion of an articulated vehicle and a trailer portion of the articulated vehicle, the system comprising:
a normally-open valve, on the tractor portion, included in an associated electronic control system;
a supply line, fluidly communicating with the valve on the tractor portion, communicating a pneumatic fluid between the tractor portion and the trailer portion; and
an electronic controller adapted to:
receive an electronic status signal indicative of a pneumatic pressure in the supply line; and
control communication of the pneumatic control signal between the tractor portion and the trailer portion via the valve based on the pneumatic pressure in the supply line.

14. The system for controlling a pneumatic control signal as set forth in claim 13 , wherein the electronic controller is adapted to:
control communication of the pneumatic control signal between the tractor portion and the trailer portion via the valve based on the pneumatic pressure in the supply line and a service brake demand.

15. The system for controlling a pneumatic control signal as set forth in claim 13 , wherein:
the valve is a modulator valve.

16. The system for controlling a pneumatic control signal as set forth in claim 13 , wherein:
the associated electronic control system is an automatic braking system.

17. The system for controlling a pneumatic control signal as set forth in claim 16 , wherein:
if the electronic status signal received at the electrical input indicates the pneumatic pressure in the supply line is below a predetermined supply pressure, the electronic controller is adapted to:
control the communication of the pneumatic control signal by causing the communication of the pneumatic control signal between the tractor portion and the trailer portion to cease; and

if the electronic status signal received at the electrical input indicates the pneumatic pressure in the supply line is at least the predetermined supply pressure, the electronic controller is adapted to:
during a non-automatic braking event, control the communication of the pneumatic control signal by causing the communication of the pneumatic control signal between the tractor portion and the trailer portion to occur; and
during an automatic braking event, control the communication of the pneumatic control signal by causing the communication of the pneumatic control signal between the tractor portion and the trailer portion to modulate.

18. The syste

Assignees

• Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems Llc

Inventors

• Eberling Charles E
• Ramler Travis G

Classifications

• B60T11/326 Primary

  in pneumatic systems · CPC title

• B60T2270/403

  Brake circuit failure · CPC title

• B60T13/403

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

• B60T8/1708

  for lorries or tractor-trailer combinations · CPC title