Method of and apparatus for controlling the braking of a tractor trailer combination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9802587-B2
Application number	US-201314654374-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2013
Priority date	Dec 21, 2012
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

A method of controlling the braking of a tractor-trailer combination, in which the tractor includes a drive train having an engine and at least one ground-engaging member driveably connected thereto, at least one ground-engaging member of the tractor includes at least one tractor brake, and at least one ground-engaging member of the trailer includes at least one trailer brake, the operation of which depends at least in part on the operative condition of the at least one tractor brake, includes the steps of, on the initiation of operation of the at least one tractor brake and the at least one trailer brake to brake the tractor-trailer combination, commencing operation of a timer that times the duration of operation of the at least one tractor brake and/or the at least one trailer brake. On a parameter related to the duration of braking effort timed by the timer reaching or exceeding a threshold value, the method then includes adjusting the braking effort applied by the at least one trailer brake in order to achieve or maintain a chosen braking performance of the tractor-trailer combination.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of controlling braking of a tractor-trailer combination, in which the tractor includes a drive train having an engine, at least one ground-engaging member driveably connected to the engine, and at least one tractor brake that is capable of braking forward motion of the tractor, and in which the trailer includes at least one ground-engaging member having at least one trailer brake, the operation of which depends at least in part on the operative condition of the at least one tractor brake, the method comprising the steps of:
on the initiation of operation of the at least one tractor brake and the at least one trailer brake to brake the tractor-trailer combination, commencing operation of a timer that times a duration of operation of the at least one tractor brake and the at least one trailer brake; and
adjusting a braking effort applied by the at least one trailer brake, generating a human-detectable alert that is detectable by an operator of the tractor, or a combination thereof, upon the duration of operation reaching or exceeding a threshold value, wherein the threshold value is based on the duration of operation and a measure or estimate of a braking force applied by the at least one tractor brake and the at least one trailer brake.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tractor brake is or includes at least one engine brake that is capable of acting on the at least one ground-engaging member of the tractor.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the human-detectable alert is generated when the threshold value is reached or exceeded, and the braking effort applied by the at least one trailer brake is adjusted when a further threshold value is reached or exceeded, or wherein the braking effort applied by the at least one trailer brake is adjusted when the threshold value is reached or exceeded, and the human-detectable alert is generated when the further threshold value is reached or exceeded.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the braking effort applied by the at least one trailer brake includes reducing the braking effort applied by the at least one trailer brake, if the braking effort is adjusted.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein reducing the braking effort applied by the at least one trailer brake includes at least temporarily reducing the braking effort applied by the at least one trailer brake to zero, if the braking effort is adjusted.

6. The method of claim 4 , comprising detecting an emergency braking situation and permitting or causing overriding of a prevailing braking effort.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the measure of braking force applied by the at least one tractor brake or the at least one trailer brake is based on a pressure of hydraulic or pneumatic fluid in a hydraulic or pneumatic braking line forming part of the tractor-trailer combination.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the human-detectable alert includes one or more selected from the list:
a) an audible alert;
b) a visible alert;
c) a tactile alert; and
d) a reduction in the braking effort of the trailer brake that causes a change in the forward speed of the tractor-trailer combination.

9. An apparatus, comprising:
a tractor having a drive train including an engine and at least one ground-engaging member driveably connected thereto via an adjustable-ratio transmission, the tractor including at least one tractor brake that is capable of braking forward motion of the tractor;
a trailer having at least one ground-engaging member that includes at least one trailer brake;
an activator for the at least one tractor brake;
an activator for the at least one trailer brake;
a timer for timing a duration of operation of the at least one trailer brake during endurance braking; and
an electronic control unit (ECU) configured to initiate adjustment of the braking effort applied by the at least one trailer brake, to generate a human-detectable alert that is detectable by an operator of the tractor, or a combination thereof, upon the duration of operation reaching or exceeding a threshold value, wherein the threshold value is based on the duration of operation and a measure or estimate of a braking force applied by the at least one tractor brake and the at least one trailer brake.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one tractor brake is or includes at least one engine brake that is capable of acting on the at least one ground-engaging member of the tractor.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the human-detectable alert is generated when the threshold value is reached or exceeded, and the braking effort applied by the at least one trailer brake is adjusted a further threshold value is reached or exceeded, or wherein the braking effort applied by the at least one trailer brake is adjusted when the threshold value is reached or exceeded, and the human-detectable alert is generated when the further threshold value is reached or exceeded.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the ECU on adjusting the braking effort applied by the at least one trailer brake is configured to cause a reduction in the braking effort applied by the at least one trailer brake, if the braking effort is adjusted.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the reduction in the braking effort applied by the at least one trailer brake includes a reduction at least temporarily to zero, if the braking effort is adjusted.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , including a detector for detecting an emergency braking situation, and wherein the ECU is configured to permit or cause overriding of a prevailing braking effort of the at least one trailer brake in response thereto.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the ECU is programmable so as to permit variation of at least a value of the threshold value.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the ECU is configured to base a measure of braking force applied by the at least one tractor brake or the at least one trailer brake on a pressure of hydraulic or pneumatic fluid in a hydraulic or pneumatic braking line.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , including at least one pressure sensor that measures the pressure of hydraulic or pneumatic fluid in the hydraulic braking line, and wherein the ECU includes at least one processor for processing the output of the pressure sensor and determining a pressure value signal therefrom.

18. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the ECU is configured to generate the human-detectable alert as one or more selected from the list:
a) an audible alert;
b) a visible alert;
c) a tactile alert; and
d) a reduction in the braking effort of the trailer brake that causes a change in the forward speed of the tractor and the trailer.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the human-detectable alert terminates on increasing of the braking effort of the at least one trailer brake following detection of an emergency braking situation.

Assignees

• Morselli Riccardo
• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Morselli Riccardo

Classifications

• B60T11/203

  Side-by-side configuration · 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

• B60T8/248

  Trailer sway, e.g. for preventing jackknifing · CPC title

• B60T8/1708 Primary

  for lorries or tractor-trailer combinations · CPC title

• B60T8/171

  Detecting parameters used in the regulation; Measuring values used in the regulation · CPC title