Anti-skid system for the driving wheels of automotive vehicles

• US 3,938,612 A
• Filed: 04/24/1973
• Issued: 02/17/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Regie Nationale Des Usines Renault (Renault), Automobiles Peugeot (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Regie Nationale Des Usines Renault (Renault), Automobiles Peugeot (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Boudeville, Jean-Claude, Gelin, Jacques
• Primary Examiner(s): Blix, Trygve M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kunin, Stephen G.
• Application Number:
  US05/353,936
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 180/54 R, 180/82 R, 180/105 E, 188/181 C, 235/150.2, 235/151.32, 246/182 C, 303/21 BE, 303/21 EB, 303/21 CF, 317/5, 318/52, 324/161, 324/169, 340/52 R, 340/53, 340/262
• US Class Current: 180/197
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/16 responsive to, or preventing, skidding of wheels brake control systems for vehicle drive stability B60T8/1755; arrangements responsive to a speed condition for adjusting wheel braking force B60T8/32; control of vehicle driving stability otherwise than by controlling the propulsion unit only B60W30/02; preventing wheel slippage by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/3205 acceleration B60T8/34, B60T8/52, B60T8/54, B60T8/56, B60T8/58, B60T8/72, B60T8/86, B60T8/88 take precedence

Abstract

An anti-skid system for a motor vehicle having a driving wheel and a non-driving wheel to protect the driving wheel from skidding. The system includes a first sensor for generating a number of pulses proportional to the peripheral distance traveled by the driving wheel, a second sensor for generating a number of pulses proportional to the peripheral distance traveled by the non-driving wheel, the second sensor generating a higher number of pulses than the first sensor for the same peripheral distance traveled by the respective driving and non-driving wheels, and a unit, responsive to the signals generated by said first and second sensors, for detecting the difference in peripheral distance traveled by the driving and non-driving wheels independently of time. The detecting unit includes a circuit for producing a delay in the ignition system when the difference in peripheral distance traveled is greater than a predetermined value to adjust engine torque and to maintain optimum road adherence of the wheels.

Claims

1. An anti-skid system for a motor vehicle having an ignition system, a driving wheel and a non-driving wheel, said anti-skid system protecting the driving wheel from skidding, said anti-skid system comprising a first sensor for generating a number of pulses proportional to the peripheral distance traveled by the driving wheel, a second sensor for generating a number of pulses proportional to the peripheral distance traveled by the non-driving wheel, the second sensor generating a higher number of pulses than the first sensor for the same peripheral distance traveled by the respective driving and non-driving wheels, and a calculating unit means, responsive to the signals generated by said first and second sensors, for detecting the difference in peripheral distance traveled by the driving and non-driving wheels independently of time, said detecting means including means for producing a delay in the ignition system when said difference in peripheral distance traveled is greater than a predetermined value to adjust engine torque and to maintain optimum road adherence of the wheels and wherein said detecting means includes means for constantly comparing the pulses generated by the first sensor and the pulses generated by the second sensor, said comparing means including a counter connected to said first and second sensors wherein when the number of pulses generated by said second sensor exceeds the number of pulses generated by said first sensor, said counter is in a zero condition and when said counter receives a number of pulses from said first sensor which is greater by a predetermined amount than the number of pulses received from said second sensor, said counter generates a first signal, said detecting means also including a first monostable multivibrator for receiving said first signal, an ignition signal shaping circuit for generating an ignition signal, a time lag circuit, connected to said ignition signal shaping circuit, for generating a delayed ignition signal, and a switching logic circuit having inputs connected to each of said first monostable multivibrator, said ignition signal shaping circuit and said time lag circuit, said switching logic circuit being controlled by said delayed ignition signal when said first signal is applied to said first monostable multivibrator.

2. An anti-skid system according to claim 1, wherein said time lag circuit comprises one pair of monostable multivibrators connected to said ignition signal shaping circuit, a gate circuit connected to said pair of monostable multivibrators and a bistable multivibrator connected to said gate circuit and said switching logic circuit, said gate circuit and said bistable multivibrator determining a fixed time period in relation to a normal time period for delaying the ignition of a motor in the vehicle.

3. An anti-skid system according to claim 2, wherein said counter comprises an up/down counter having up counting and down counting inputs and wherein the pulses generated by the first and second sensors, respectively, are delivered to the up counting and down counting inputs, and when the number of pulses down counted is greater than the number of pulses up counted, said counter is in its zero condition.

4. An anti-skid system according to claim 3, wherein when the number of pulses up counted exceeds by a predetermined number the number of pulses down counted, said first signal is generated at the output of said counter and said counter is reset automatically.

5. An anti-skid system according to claim 3, wherein when the pulses up counted exceeds by a predetermined number the number of pulses down counted, said first signal is produced at the output of said counter and said counter is set to a predetermined value.

6. An anti-skid system according to claim 1 wherein said motor vehicle further includes two driving wheels and two non-driving wheels, said system further comprising third and fourth sensors for generating, respectively, pulses proportional to the distances traveled by the additional driving and non-driving wheels, said calculating unit means for detecting including means for detecting pulses generated by said third and fourth sensors.

7. An anti-skid system according to claim 1 wherein said motor vehicle further includes a plurality of driving wheels and a plurality of non-driving wheels, said system further comprising a plurality of sensors for generating, respectively, pulses proportional to the distances traveled by the plurality of driving and non-driving wheels, said calculating unit means for detecting including means for detecting pulses corresponding to the fastest driving wheel and the fastest non-driving wheel.