Trailer anti-swing system and method
First Claim
1. A trailer anti-swing brake control method for articulated vehicles (10) of the type comprising a tractor (12) and a trailer (14) connected at an articulating connection (34/176) defining a pivot axis (176) about which the trailer is pivotable relative to the tractor, an articulation angle (AA) of said vehicle defined by the included angle defined by a longitudinally extending axis of the trailer passing through said pivot axis (202) relative to a longitudinally extending axis of the tractor passing through said pivot axis (200), a tractor brake system, a trailer brake system, a driver operated brake effort demand device (76/78) for providing a demand input signal indicative of the magnitude of operators demand for vehicle braking, trailer brake control means (174) responsive in at least one operating mode for causing the trailer brake system to be applied with an operating force generally proportional to the magnitude of said demand input signal, said control method characterized by:
- determining (170/172) a value indicative of at least one of articulation angle (AA), and a time derivative of articulation angle (dAA/dt, d2 AA/dt2) and providing at least one articulation input signal indicative thereof;
receiving and processing said input signals (70) according to predetermined logic rules to detect the existence of conditions indicative of at least one of incipient and initial trailer brake induced trailer swing events and generating command output signals in response to detection of the existence of said conditions; and
responding (174) by said control means to said command output signals by causing the trailer brake system brakes to be applied with a substantially reduced force (210-212) regardless of the magnitude of said demand input signal.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A brake control system/method for preventing or arresting and minimizing trailer-swing in an articulated vehicle (10) is provided. The control system/method senses or calculates values indicative of articulation angle (AA) and time derivatives thereof (dAA/dt, d2 AA/dt2) and processes same to sense conditions indicative of an incipient or initial trailer brake induced trailer-swing event.
-
Citations
59 Claims
-
1. A trailer anti-swing brake control method for articulated vehicles (10) of the type comprising a tractor (12) and a trailer (14) connected at an articulating connection (34/176) defining a pivot axis (176) about which the trailer is pivotable relative to the tractor, an articulation angle (AA) of said vehicle defined by the included angle defined by a longitudinally extending axis of the trailer passing through said pivot axis (202) relative to a longitudinally extending axis of the tractor passing through said pivot axis (200), a tractor brake system, a trailer brake system, a driver operated brake effort demand device (76/78) for providing a demand input signal indicative of the magnitude of operators demand for vehicle braking, trailer brake control means (174) responsive in at least one operating mode for causing the trailer brake system to be applied with an operating force generally proportional to the magnitude of said demand input signal, said control method characterized by:
-
determining (170/172) a value indicative of at least one of articulation angle (AA), and a time derivative of articulation angle (dAA/dt, d2 AA/dt2) and providing at least one articulation input signal indicative thereof; receiving and processing said input signals (70) according to predetermined logic rules to detect the existence of conditions indicative of at least one of incipient and initial trailer brake induced trailer swing events and generating command output signals in response to detection of the existence of said conditions; and responding (174) by said control means to said command output signals by causing the trailer brake system brakes to be applied with a substantially reduced force (210-212) regardless of the magnitude of said demand input signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. An trailer anti-swing brake control system for articulated vehicles (10) of the type comprising a tractor (12) and a trailer (14) connected at an articulating connection (34/176) defining a pivot axis (176) about which the trailer is pivotable relative to the tractor, an articulation angle (AA) of said vehicle defined by the included angle defined by a longitudinally extending axis of the trailer passing through the pivot axis (202) relative to a longitudinally extending axis of the tractor passing through said pivot axis (200), a tractor brake system, a trailer brake system, a driver operated brake effort demand device (76/78) for providing a demand input signal indicative of the magnitude of operators demand for vehicle braking, trailer brake control means (174) responsive in at least one operating mode for causing the trailer brake system to be applied with an operating force generally proportional to the magnitude of said demand signal, said control system characterized by:
-
means (170/172) for determining a value indicative of at least one of articulation angle (AA) and a time derivative (dAA/dt, d2 AA/dt2) and providing at least one articulation signal indicative thereof; means (70) for receiving and processing said input signals according to predetermined logic rules to detect the existence of conditions indicative of at least one of incipient and initial trailer brake induced trailer swing events and for generating command output signals in response to detection of the existence of said conditions; and means for responding to said command output signals to cause said control means to cause the trailer brake system brakes to be applied with a substantially reduced force (210-212) regardless of the magnitude of said demand signal. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
-
-
47. A trailer anti-swing brake control method for articulated vehicles (10) of the type comprising a tractor (12) and a trailer (14) connected at an articulating connection (34/176) defining a pivot axis (176) about which the trailer is pivotable relative to the tractor, an articulation angle (AA) of said vehicle defined by the included angle defined by a longitudinally extending axis of the trailer passing through said pivot axis (202) relative to a longitudinally extending axis of the tractor passing through said pivot axis (200), a tractor brake system, a trailer brake system, a driver operated brake effort demand device (76/78) for providing a demand input signal indicative of the magnitude of operators demand for vehicle braking, trailer brake control means (174) responsive in at least one operating mode for causing the trailer brake system to be applied with an operating force generally proportional to the magnitude of said demand input signal, said control method characterized by:
-
determining (170/172) a value indicative of articulation angle (AA) and at least one time derivative of articulation angle (dAA/dt, d2 AA/dt2) and providing articulation input signals indicative thereof; receiving and processing said input signals (70) according to predetermined logic rules to detect the existence of conditions indicative of at least one of incipient and initial trailer brake induced trailer swing events and generating command output signals in response to detection of the existence of said conditions; and responding (174) by said control means to said command output signals by first causing said trailer brake system brakes to be substantially released (212-214) for a determined period of time (T) and then causing said trailer brake system brakes to be reapplied (214-216); said processing said input signals to determine 40 the existence of said conditions comprising (i) sensing that the operator has demanded at least partial braking, (ii) sensing that articulation angle and a time derivative articulation angle are in opposite directions of rotation about said pivot axis, (iii) sensing that the absolute value of a time derivative of articulation angle exceeds a predetermined first reference value and sensing that (iv) the absolute value of articulation angle exceeds the absolute value of a second reference value. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 58, 59)
-
-
52. A trailer anti-swing brake control method for articulated vehicles (10) of the type comprising a tractor (12) and a trailer (14) connected at an articulating connection (34/176) defining a pivot axis (176) about which the trailer is pivotable relative to the tractor, an articulation angle (AA) of said vehicle defined by the included angle defined by a longitudinally extending axis of the trailer passing through said pivot axis (202) relative to a longitudinally extending axis of the tractor passing through said pivot axis (200), a tractor brake system, a trailer brake system, a driver operated brake effort demand device (76/78) for providing a demand input signal indicative of the magnitude of the operator'"'"'s demand for vehicle braking, trailer brake control means (174) responsive in at least one operating mode for causing the trailer brake system to be applied with an operating force generally proportional to the magnitude of said demand signal, said control method characterized by;
-
determining (170,
172) a first value indicative of articulation angle (AA) and providing a first articulation input signal indicative thereof and sensing and/or calculating a second value indicative of at least one time derivative of articulation angle (dAA/dt, d2 AA/dt2) and providing at least one second articulation input signal indicative thereof;receiving and processing said demand and articulation input signals (70) according to predetermined logic rules to detect the existence of conditions indicative of at least one of incipient and initial trailer brake induced trailer swing events if (i) said demand input signal indicates a driver demand for vehicle braking, (ii) said first articulation signal exceeds a first reference value and (iii) said first and second articulation signals are of opposite signs, and generating command output signals indicative of detection of the existence of said conditions; and responding (174) by said control means to said command output signals by first causing the trailer brake system brakes to be applied with a substantially reduced force (210-212) regardless of the magnitude of said demand signal and then causing said trailer brakes system brakes to be reapplied to a determined maximum reapplication force (P) said determined maximum reapplication force having a magnitude considerably smaller than the maximum trailer brake system brake application force (208,
210). - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
-
Specification