DEVICE IN VEHICLES, PARTICULARLY AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES, FOR SKID PREVENTION

• US 3,719,246 A
• Filed: 12/16/1969
• Issued: 03/06/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Helmuth Bott
• Original Assignee: Helmuth Bott
• Inventors: Bott, Helmuth
• Primary Examiner(s): Friaglia, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Silverstrim, John P.
• Application Number:
  US04/885,438
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: 180/103,104,82,76 303/21R,21P,21CG,21BE,21A,21AF,21H,21B,21FD 244/111 123/102,198
• US Class Current: 180/197
• 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 8/1755 Brake regulation specially adapted to control the stability of the vehicle, e.g. taking into account yaw rate or transverse acceleration in a curve road vehicle drive control systems for control of driving stability otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/02
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/246 Change of direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/32 responsive to a speed condition, e.g. acceleration or deceleration using electrical circuitry or regulation means B60T8/17 ; B60T8/28 takes precedence; electric devices on electrically propelled vehicles indicating the wheel slip B60L3/10; measuring linear or angular speed per se G01P3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/329 Systems characterised by their speed sensor arrangements

Abstract

A device for automotive vehicles including an antiblocking mechanism and means for skid prevention. The device essentially includes measuring instruments which detect the instantaneous driving condition and which are coupled with a control mechanism responsive to specific critical values of the vehicle. This control mechanism triggers actuatable means for the automatic control of at least one device serving to keep the vehicle on course upon reaching a predetermined critical value of lateral acceleration.

Claims

1. An anti-skid device for use in a vehicle, especially an automotive vehicle;

said device comprising;

measuring means for detecting a plurality of driving parameters associated with the instantaneous driving condition of the vehicle, wherein said driving parameters detected by the measuring means include;

the transverse acceleration of the vehicle, and at least one of the position of a power control member of a vehicle internal combustion engine propelling the vehicle, and the angular movement of sprung masses of the vehicle with respect to the roll, pitch and yaw axes;

said measuring means supplying measuring means output signals for each of the values of the driving parameters detected, course maintaining means for maintaining the vehicle on course, said course maintaining means including means for varying the vehicle wheel position relative to the surface over which the wheels are travelling, and control means responsive to the measuring means output signals for automatically actuating and controlling said course maintaining means, said control means being programmed with at least one control program corresponding to predetermined characteristics values and interrelationships of said driving parameters and with a program for actuating and controlling said course maintenance means as a function of measuring means output signals corresponding to differences in the values and interrelationships of said driving parameters from those of the control program.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the driving parameters detected by the measuring means include the angular movement of sprung masses of the vehicle with respect to the roll, pitch and yaw axes.

3. Device according to claim 1, wherein the driving parameters detected by the measuring means includes the position of a power control member of the vehicle internal combustion engine, said measuring means including a potentiometer means for detecting said position.

4. Device according to claim 3, wherein the driving parameters detected by the measuring means include the angular movement of the sprung masses of the vehicle with respect to the roll, pitch and yaw axes, and the vehicle driving speed.

5. Device according to claim 1, wherein said measuring means includes sensor means provided in the wheel axles for detecting said transverse acceleration or optionally transverse velocity of the vehicle wheels.

6. Device according to claim 1, wherein said measuring means further includes sensor means being provided at the vehicle steering wheel for detecting the directional orientation of the vehicle wheels.

7. Device according to claim 1, the driving parameters detected by the measuring means includes the angular movement of sprung masses of the vehicle with respect to the roll, pitch, and yaw axes, said measuring means including gyroscope means having three axes of freedom which is disposed in the over-all center of gravity of the vehicle for detecting said angular movement.

8. Device according to claim 7, wherein the gyroscope means are operatively associated with means for converting the measured values into electrical pulses.

9. Device according to claim 1, wherein several control programs for various road conditions are programmed in the control means, and wherein automatic switching means are provided whereby the several control programs can be selectively switched over to operate automatically in response to varying road conditions.

10. Device according to claim 9, wherein the driving parameters detected by the measuring means includes the angular movement of sprung masses of the vehicle with respect to the roll, pitch, and yaw axes, said measuring means including gyroscope means having three axes of freedom which is disposed in the over-all center of gravity of the vehicle for detecting said angular movement.

11. Device according to claim 9, further including means for measuring the air temperature and humidity directly above the surface of a road being operatively connected with the control means for automatically selecting the suitable program.

12. Device according to claim 11, wherein a switching knob is provided at the vehicle dashboard for selectively actuating and deactivating the control means.

13. Device according to claim 1, wherein a switching knob is provided at the vehicle dashboard for selectively actuating and deactivating the control means.

14. Device according to claim 13, wherein several control programs for various road conditions are programmed in the control means, and wherein automatic switching means are provided whereby the several control programs can be selectively switched over to operate automatically in response to varying road conditions.

15. Device according to claim 1, wherein said driving parameters detected incLude the directional orientation of the vehicle wheels associated with the steering of the vehicle, and wherein said measuring means includes a sensor means provided at the vehicle steering wheel for detecting said directional orientation of the vehicle wheels associated with the steering of the vehicle.

16. Device according to claim 1, wherein said course maintaining means includes an anit-blocking and anti-spin mechanism for the vehicle wheels.

17. Device according to claim 16, wherein said course maintaining means includes a mechanism for regulating the position of a power control member of the engine propelling the vehicle.

18. Device according to claim 1, wherein said measuring means output signals are electrical signals.

19. An anti-skid device for use in a vehicle, especially an automotive vehicle;

said device comprising;

measuring means for detecting a plurality of driving parameters associated with the instantaneous driving condition of the vehicle, wherein the driving parameters detected by the measuring means include the transverse acceleration of the vehicle, said measuring means supplying a measuring means output signal dependent on the values of the driving parameters detected, course maintaining means for maintaining the vehicle on course, said course maintaining means including means for varying the vehicle wheel position relative to the surface over which the wheels are travelling, and control means responsive to the measuring means output signal for automatically actuating and controlling said course maintenance means when the transverse acceleration of the vehicle reaches a predetermined value, wherein the driving parameters detected by the measuring means includes the angular movement of sprung masses of the vehicle with respect to the roll, pitch, and yaw axes.