Electropneumatic Control Arrangement for an Automatic Vehicle Level Control System

• US 20110208390A1
• Filed: 05/26/2009
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZF CV Systems Europe BV
• Original Assignee: Wabco GmbH (Wabco Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stellmacher, Thomas, Schwarzer, Andreas, Kleen, Berend, Jovers, Ingo, Lucas, Johann, Rutsch, Andreas, Rathjen, Frauke
• Granted Patent: US 8,190,328 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/37
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0523 Regulating distributors or valves for pneumatic springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/0116 Integrated distribution control units with valves, accumulators, PCB's or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/203 Distributor valve units comprising several elements, e.g. valves, pump or accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 57/908 Jet interlaced or intermingled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

The invention relates to an electropneumatic control arrangement for an automatic vehicle level control system, particularly of a commercial vehicle, wherein the control arrangement (1) comprises at least: a solenoid valve unit (2) comprising at least two electropneumatic solenoid valves (3, 4, 5), a compressed air inlet (2.1) for infeeding compressed air (13), at least one compressed air connection (2.2, 2.3) for at least one air bellows (10, 11) and electrical control inputs (22.1, 22.2, 22.3), and an electronic control unit (14) for actuating the solenoid valve unit (2), wherein the electronic control unit (14) comprises control outputs (16.1, 16.2, 16.3) for electrically connecting to the control inputs (22.1, 22.2, 22.3) of the solenoid valve unit (2). According to the invention, a plug connector (22) is configured on the housing (2a) of the solenoid valve unit (2), in which the electrical control inputs (22.1, 22.2, 22.3) are disposed, a plug connector (16) is provided on the housing (14a) of the electronic control unit (14), in which the control outputs (16.1, 16.2, 16.3) are disposed, and the plug connectors (16, 22) are mechanically plugged into each other.

Claims

1. An electropneumatic control arrangement for controlling the ride level of a vehicle, in particular a commercial vehicle, with the control arrangement (1) at least having:

a solenoid valve unit (2) which has at least two electropneumatic solenoid valves (3, 4, 5), a compressed-air inlet (2.1) for a compressed-air supply means (13), at least one compressed-air connection (2.2, 2.3) for at least one air bellows (10, 11) and electrical control inputs (22.1, 22.2, 22.3), and

an electronic control device (14) for driving the solenoid valve unit (2), with the electronic control unit (14) having control outputs (16.1, 16.2, 16.3) for electrical connection to the control inputs (22.1, 22.2, 22.3) of the solenoid valve unit (2),

wherein

a plug connector (22) is formed on the housing (2a) of the solenoid valve unit (2), the electrical control inputs (22.1, 22.2, 22.3) being arranged in said plug connector,

a plug connector (16) is provided on the housing (14a) of the electronic control device (14), the control outputs (16.1, 16.2, 16.3) being arranged in said plug connector, and

the plug connectors (16, 22) are mechanically inserted one into the other.

2. The control arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical connection between the solenoid valve unit (2) and the electronic control device (14) is formed without cables and solely by means of the two plug connectors (16, 22).

3. The control arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, in addition to the plug connection of the two plug connectors (16, 22), an interlocking connection, for example a screw connection by way of screws (23, 24), is formed between the solenoid valve unit (2) and the control device (14).

4. The control arrangement as claimed in claim 3, wherein the interlocking connection is formed in or on the two plug connectors (16, 22).

5. The control arrangement as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein mechanical fixing connections for fixing purposes in the vehicle are provided on the solenoid valve units (2), and the electronic control device (14) is mounted solely on the solenoid valve unit (2) and supported by said solenoid valve unit.

6. The control arrangement as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein, in addition to the plug connector (16) with the control outputs (22.1, 22.2, 22.3), a further plug connector (15) for connection to at least one electrical supply voltage, for example the on-board electrical system of the vehicle, and a data line (15.1, 15.2, 15.3) of the vehicle, for example a data bus (30), is formed on the housing (14a) of the electronic control device (14).

7. The control arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the connections (15.8, 15.9) for one or more sensors (20) for measuring a level height for ride level control are also provided on the further plug connector (15) of the control device (14).

8. The control arrangement as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein the two plug connectors (15, 16) of the electronic control device (14) are provided on the same side of the housing (14a) of the control device (14).

9. The control arrangement as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein the two plug connectors (15, 16) of the control device (14) are provided on opposite sides of the housing (14a) of the control device (14).

10. The control arrangement as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein the electronic control device (14) has a circuit mount (14.3) and, mounted on the circuit mount, a microcontroller (14.1) and one or more driver circuits (14.2) for driving the solenoid valves.

11. The control arrangement as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein the solenoid valve unit (2) has a 3/2-way valve (4) and at least two 2/2-way valves (3, 5) which are provided to selectively block or unblock the compressed-air connections (2.2, 2.3) at either the compressed-air connection (2.1) or a compressed-air output (2.4) for discharging compressed-air.

12. The control arrangement as claimed in claim 11, wherein the two electrical pilot control units (26, 27) for driving the solenoid valves (3, 4, 5) are provided in the housing (2a) of the solenoid valve device (2).

13. A vehicle having an electropneumatic control arrangement (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, with the solenoid valve device (2) being fixed to a component of the vehicle, and the electronic control device (14) not being fixed to the vehicle.

14. A method for mounting an electropneumatic control arrangement (1) as claimed in one of claims 1 to 12 on a vehicle, in particular a commercial vehicle, comprising the following steps in any desired order:

connection of compressed-air lines (7, 8, 13) to compressed-air connections (2.1, 2.2, 2.3) of the solenoid valve device (2),

fixing of the solenoid valve device (2) to the vehicle, plugging of the electronic control device (14) onto the solenoid valve device (2).