Installation for the control of the brake force at wheels of motor vehicles

• US 4,060,284 A
• Filed: 12/06/1976
• Issued: 11/29/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daimler-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Steiner, Adolf
• Primary Examiner(s): Blix, Trygve M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Application Number:
  US05/747,724
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• Field of Search: 303/7, 303/20, 303/93, 303/100, 303/105, 303/112 R, 303/112 A, 303/119, 303/94, 280/432, 280/446 B, 244/111, 246/182 R, 188/3 R, 188/112, 188/181, 180/82 R, 180/103 BF, 180/104
• US Class Current: 303/123
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/06 Tractor-trailer swaying
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1708 for lorries or tractor-trailer combinations
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/246 Change of direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/248 Trailer sway, e.g. for preventing jackknifing
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/323 Systems specially adapted for tractor-trailer combinations

Abstract

An installation for the control of the brake force at the wheels of motor vehicle combinations, such as of truck-trailer combinations, in which one locking protective brake force control system each is coordinated to the truck and to the trailer which operate independently of one another, and by means of which each individual wheel is controllable within the stable range of the friction value-slippage-curve; a measuring device is thereby arranged in the connection between the truck and the trailer for measuring the tow bar force occurring thereat, whereby this measuring device is connected with the locking protective brake force control system of the truck and is operable to produce a signal when a predetermined, pushing tow-bar force value is exceeded, which blocks an increase of the brake force at the truck for the duration of the presence of the signal from the measuring device.

Claims

1. An installation for the control of the brake force at wheels of interconnected motor vehicle combinations including a pulling section and a trailer section connected to the pulling section, which comprises one locking protective brake force control means each coordinated to the pulling section and to the trailer section, said brake force control means being operable to control the individual wheels of a respective section within the stable range of the friction value-slippage-curve, characterized in that a measuring means is arranged in the connection between the pulling section and the trailer section for measuring the tow-bar force occurring thereat, said measuring means being operatively connected only with the locking protective brake force control means of the pulling section and being operable to produce a control signal upon exceeding a predetermined pushing tow-bar force value, and said control signal being operable to block an increase of the brake force in the pulling section for the duration of the control signal, whereby swerving or breaking out of the trailer section when the pulling and trailer sections are on road surfaces having different friction values is prevented.

2. An installation for the control of the brake force at wheels of interconnected motor vehicle combinations including a pulling section and a trailer section connected to the pulling section, which comprises one locking protective brake force control means each coordinated to the pulling section and to the trailer section, said brake force control means being operable to control the individual wheels of a respective section within the stable range of the friction value-slippage-curve, characterized in that a measuring means is arranged in the connection between the pulling section and the trailer section for measuring the tow-bar force occurring thereat, said measuring means being operatively connected with the locking protective brake force control means of the pulling section and being operable to produce a control signal upon exceeding a predetermined pushing tow-bar force value, said control signal being operable to block an increase of the brake force in the pulling section for the duration of the control signal, and characterized in that a threshold switch means is coordinated to the measuring means for producing an output signal upon exceeding a predetermined pushing tow-bar force value, said output signal being operable to at least initiate blocking of an increase of the brake force in the pulling section.

3. An installation according to claim 2, characterized in that said threshold switch means producing a digital output signal for the duration when the predetermined pushing tow-bar force value is exceeded, and said digital output signal being operable as a blocking signal in the brake force control means of the pulling section.

4. An installation according to claim 3, characterized in that the threshold switch means is operatively connected by way of a circuit means including a matching amplifier and a filter means with signal line means leading to inlet valve means of the locking protective brake force control means in the pulling section.

5. An installation according to claim 2, characterized in that a timing means of predetermined duration is started by the output signal of the threshold switch means, which in its turn prevents by way of a further circuit means a pressure increase in brake cylinder means of the brake system of the pulling section for such duration.

6. An installation according to claim 5, characterized in that the timing means includes a time-delay means.

7. An installation according to claim 5, characterized in that the timing means is operable by way of circuit means to close or keep closed the inlet valve means of the brake-slippage brake force control means for its duration.

8. An installation according to claim 7, characterized in that the duration of the timing means is automatically variable in dependence on the vehicle velocity in the sense that with an increasing vehicle velocity the duration is reduced.

9. An installation according to claim 2, characterized in that said threshold switch means producing an output signal for the duration when the predetermined pushing tow-bar force value is exceeded, and said output signal being operable as a blocking signal.

10. An installation according to claim 9, characterized in that the threshold switch means is operatively connected by way of a circuit means including a matching amplifier and a filter means with signal line means leading to inlet valve means of the locking protective brake force control means in the pulling section.

11. An installation according to claim 9, characterized in that a timing means of predetermined duration is started by the output signal of the threshold switch means, which in its turn prevents a pressure increase in the brake system of the pulling section for such duration.

12. An installation according to claim 11, characterized in that the timing means is operable by way of circuit means to close or keep closed the inlet valve means of the brake force control means for its duration.

13. An installation according to claim 11, characterized in that the duration of the timing means is automatically variable in dependence on the vehicle velocity in the sense that with an increasing vehicle velocity the duration is reduced.

14. An installation according to claim 2, characterized in that the threshold switch means is operatively connected by way of a circuit means with signal line means leading to inlet valve means of the locking protective brake force control means in the pulling section.

15. An installation according to claim 14, characterized in that the circuit means includes a matching amplifier and a filter means.

16. An installation according to claim 2, characterized in that a timing means of predetermined duration is started by the outpput signal of the threshold switch means which in its turn prevents a pressure increase in the brake system of the pulling section for such duration.

17. An installation according to claim 16, characterized in that the timing means includes a time-delay means.

18. An installation according to claim 16, characterized in that the timing means is operable by way of circuit means to close or keep closed the inlet valve means of the brake force control means for its duration.

19. An installation according to claim 16, characterized in that the duration of the timing means is automatically variable in dependence on the vehicle velocity in the sense that with an increasing vehicle velocity the duration is reduced.

20. An installation for the control of the brake force at wheels of interconnected motor vehicle combinations including a pulling section and a trailer section connected to the pulling section, which comprises one locking protective brake force control means each coordinated to the pulling section and to the trailer section, said brake force control means being operable to control the individual wheels of a respective section within the stable range of the friction value-slippage-curve, characterized in that a measuring means is arranged in the connection between the pulling section and the trailer section for measuring the tow-bar force occurring thereat, said measuring means being operatively connected with the locking protective brake force control means of the pulling section and being operable to produce a control signal upon exceeding a predetermined pushing tow-bar force value, said control signal being operable to block an increase of the brake force in the pulling section for the duration of the control signal, and wherein the locking protective brake force control means of the pulling section and the locking protective brake force control means of the trailer section are independent of one another.