SYSTEM AND A METHOD FOR STABILISING A VEHICLE COMBINATION

• US 20100063702A1
• Filed: 07/06/2006
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB (Volvo AB)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB (Volvo AB)
• Inventors: Larsson, Lena, Sabelström, Mats
• Application Number:
  US11/995,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20100063702A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/06 Tractor-trailer swaying
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/20 specially for trailers, e.g. in case of uncoupling of or overrunning by trailer inertia-actuated overrun brakes B60T13/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/00 Arrangements for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or ground-surface conditions, e.g. limiting or varying distribution of braking force by changing number of effective brake cylinders in power brake systems B60T17/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1708 for lorries or tractor-trailer combinations
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/175 Brake regulation specially adapted to prevent excessive wheel spin during vehicle acceleration, e.g. for traction control safety devices for propulsion unit control responsive to, or preventing, skidding of wheels B60K28/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1766 Proportioning of brake forces according to vehicle axle loads, e.g. front to rear of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/24 responsive to vehicle inclination or change of direction, e.g. negotiating bends using electrical circuitry or regulation means B60T8/17
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/248 Trailer sway, e.g. for preventing jackknifing

Abstract

In a system and a method of stabilizing a vehicle combination of a towing vehicle and a trailer or a semi-trailer, wherein a trailer brake system on the trailer or semi-trailer which may be operated together with the a vehicle brake system on the towing vehicle as well as independent from said vehicle brake system, the system and method includes: detecting at least one signal corresponding to at least one driving condition; computing the detected at least one signal corresponding to said at least one driving condition and comparing the at least one detected signal with a corresponding predetermined values representing a critical driving condition; allowing independent operation of the trailer brake system in response to a detected critical driving condition; and automatically operating the trailer brake system in response to the activation means by applying temporary braking actions on the trailer. Hereby, a proactive stabilising trailer brake system, also known as stretch-braking, is provided.

Claims

1. A system for stabilising a vehicle combination comprising a towing vehicle and a towed vehicle, the system including:

a trailer brake system on the towed vehicle which may be operated together with a vehicle brake system on the towing vehicle as well as independent from said vehicle brake system;

means for detecting at least one signal corresponding to at least one driving condition comprising a braking balance between the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle;

means for computing the at least one detected signal and comparing the at least one detected signal with a corresponding predetermined value representing a potentially critical driving condition;

activation means for allowing independent operation of the trailer brake system in response to a detected potentially critical driving condition; and

means for automatically operating the trailer brake system in response to the activation means by applying temporary braking actions on the towed vehicle so as to achieve a proactive stabilization of the vehicle combination.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the detection means includes detecting a steering wheel angle.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the detection means includes detecting a vehicle combination speed.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the detection means includes detecting at least one of the following driving conditions:

ambient temperature, road inclination, vehicle combination weight, and vehicle combination speed.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the detection means further includes detection of auxiliary braking of the towing vehicle with a braking torque above a predefined limit.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the computing means receiving the detected signals determines if a critical driving condition is present and alerts the activation means.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the activation

means automatically activates the operation means.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the activation means includes an indicator and a driver operated activation switch for activating the operation means.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the indicator is an audio, visual or audiovisual indicator in a driver compartment of the towing vehicle.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the operating means automatically provides a series of short repeated trailer brake actuations when the trailer brake system is activated by the activation means.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein the towed vehicle consists of a single trailer.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein the

towed vehicle comprises a plurality of trailers.

13. A method of stabilising a vehicle combination of a towing vehicle and a towed vehicle, wherein a trailer brake system on the towed vehicle may be operated together with a vehicle brake system on the towing vehicle as well as independent from the vehicle brake system, the method including the steps of:

detecting at least one signal corresponding to at least one driving condition comprising a braking balance between the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle;

computing the at least one detected signal and comparing the at least one detected signal with a corresponding predetermined value representing a potentially critical driving condition;

allowing independent operation of the trailer brake system in response to a detected potentially critical driving condition; and

automatically operating the trailer brake system in response to the activation means by applying temporary braking actions on the towed vehicle so as to achieve a proactive stabilization of the vehicle combination.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the driving condition detection includes detecting a steering wheel angle.

15. A method according to claim 13, whereby wherein the driving condition detection includes detecting a vehicle combination speed.

16. A method according to claim 13, wherein the driving condition detection includes detecting one or more driving conditions selected from the group including:

ambient temperature, road inclination, steering wheel angle, and vehicle combination weight.

17. A method according to claim 13, wherein the driving condition detection further includes detection of auxiliary braking of the tractor vehicle with a braking torque above a predefined limit.

18. A method according to claim 13, wherein the computing of the detected signals determines if a critical driving condition is present and alerts the activation means.

19. A method according to claim 13, wherein the independent operation of the trailer brake system is automatically activated in response to the detected critical driving condition.

20. A method according to claim 13, wherein the independent operation of the trailer brake system may be activated by a driver operated activation switch in response to an indicator triggered by the detected critical driving condition.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein the indicator

is an audio, visual or audiovisual indicator in a driver compartment of the vehicle.

22. A method according to claim 13, wherein the independent operation of the trailer brake system automatically provides a series of short repeated trailer brake actuations when the trailer brake system is allowed activation.

23. A computer program comprising program code for carrying out all the steps in claim 13, when the program is executed by a computer.

24. A computer program product comprising program code, stored on a computer-readable medium, for carrying out the method in claim 13, when the program is executed by a computer.