Controller for electric braking systems

• US 5,352,028 A
• Filed: 12/13/1991
• Issued: 10/04/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cequent Performance Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tekonsha Engineering Company
• Inventors: Eccleston, Larry
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham, Matthew C.
• Application Number:
  US07/807,115
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 303/3, 303/7, 303/20, 303/24.1, 303/15, 303/92, 188/112 R, 188/112 A, 188/181 A
• US Class Current: 303/20
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/66 Electrical control in fluid-pressure brake systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/74 with electrical assistance or drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/22 Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/20 specially for trailers, e.g. in case of uncoupling of or overrunning by trailer inertia-actuated overrun brakes B60T13/08

Abstract

An improved electronic controller for electrically actuated vehicle brakes includes a triple sloping integrator for providing a control signal to a pulse with modulator controller. The circuit further includes a protection circuit for protecting electrical devices in the electronic controller from an inadequate electrical ground. Where the electronic controller includes an inertial sensor, the electronic controller includes a current control device for controlling the current flow through the inertial sensor. The electronic controller also includes a device for disabling the inertial sensor.

Claims

1. An electronic controller for electrically actuated brakes of the type having means for producing control signals which are proportionally representative of the extent of vehicle braking desired, said means for producing control signals including a means for generating an input signal, said input signal generating means including an inertial sensor having an input and an output, and said electronic controller further having a brake actuation controller coupled to said means for producing control signals for receiving said control signals therefrom, said brake actuation controller responsive to said control signals for energizing and actuating said vehicle brakes with a current signal proportionally representative of the magnitude of said control signals, the improvement comprising a first control means coupled to said input of said inertial sensor for adjusting the magnitude of a current applied to said input of said inertial sensor, said first control means accessible to the vehicle operator during normal operation of the vehicle whereby the vehicle operator adjusts said first current control means to adjust the current supplied to said inertial sensor to compensate for different trailer weights, and a second control means coupled to said input of said inertial sensor, said second control means accessible to the vehicle operator during normal operation of the vehicle whereby the vehicle operator adjusts the second control means to adjust the rate at which the current is applied to the towed vehicle brakes.

2. The electronic controller as defined in claim 1, further including a potentiometer for adjusting a gain of said brake actuation controller.

3. The electronic controller as defined in claim 1, further including a third control means connected to the input of said inertial sensor for adjusting the gain f said means for generating an input signal.

4. The electronic controller as defined in claim 1, wherein said first control means includes a variable impedance means.

5. The controller as defined in claim 4, wherein said first control means includes a switch for selectively connecting one of a plurality of impedances to said input device of said inertial sensor.

6. The controller as defined in claim 5, wherein said inertial sensor includes a light emitting diode coupled to said input.

7. The controller as defined in claim 6, further including a transistor connected in series with said light emitting diode.

8. In an electronic controller for electrically actuated vehicle brakes of the type having means for producing control signals proportionally representative of the desired extent of vehicle braking, said means for producing control signals including an inertial sensor having an input and an output, and means coupled to said output of said inertial sensor for producing pulses of current whose effective magnitude is proportional to the magnitude of said control signals for correspondingly energizing said vehicle brakes, the improvement comprising means for selectively disabling said inertial sensor during normal operation of the vehicle, said means for selectively disabling including a switch coupled t said inertial sensor to selectively disable said inertial sensor, and said means for selectively disabling adapted to be connected to the towed vehicle brakes and to a towing vehicle stoplight conductor, whereby said means or disabling is coupled to the towed vehicle brakes and the towing vehicle stoplight conductor and said means or disabling is responsive to towed vehicle brake actuation when the towing vehicle stoplights are not energized to control said switch to disable said inertial sensor.

9. The electronic controller as defined in claim 8, wherein said inertial sensor includes at least one electronic component and said inertial sensor is disabled by preventing said at least one electronic components from outputting a signal.

10. The electronic controller as defined in claim 8, further including a transistor, said inertial sensor coupled to said transistor such that said transistor controls the flow of current through said inertial sensor and wherein said switch is coupled to said transistor, said switch control selectively controlled to control said transistor to be in a nonconductive state to disable said inertial sensor.

11. The electronic controller as defined in claim 8, further including a driver for outputting brake energizing current to the towed vehicle brakes, wherein said disabling means is coupled to said driver and said towing vehicle stoplight conductor.

12. The electronic controller as defined in claim 11, wherein said switch includes a relay having a relay coil and a relay switch, said relay coil coupled to said driver and said stoplight conductor whereby a current flowing through said relay coil closes said relay switch when the drier supplies brake current and said towing vehicle stoplights are not actuated.

13. The electronic controller as defined in claim 8, wherein said switch includes a first terminal coupled to said inertial sensor and a second terminal coupled to ground, whereby said switch is closed to disable said inertial sensor.