Compressed air supply system for vehicle compressed air installation and process for controlling said system

• US 6,089,831 A
• Filed: 10/29/1997
• Issued: 07/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Knorr-Bremse Systeme Fur Nutzfahrzeuge GMBH (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Original Assignee: Knorr-Bremse Systeme Fur Nutzfahrzeuge GMBH (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Inventors: Alt, Matthias, Bruehmann, Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): Freay, Charles G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TYLER, CHERYL JACKSON
• Application Number:
  US08/930,125
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 417/282, 417/302, 417/297, 417/304, 417/307, 417/308, 417/442, 417/313, 417/440, 340/454, 303/15, 303/3
• US Class Current: 417/282
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0523 Regulating distributors or valves for pneumatic springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0526 Distributor units, e.g. for retractable wheels vehicles with retractable wheels per se B62D61/12
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/203 Distributor valve units comprising several elements, e.g. valves, pump or accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/205 Air-compressor operation
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 15/48 for filling reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/004 Draining and drying devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/02 Arrangements of pumps or compressors, or control devices therefor

Abstract

An air compressor, from whose outlet a supply line leads to an air drier for the purpose of supplying the compressed air system. On the outlet side of the air drier, the supply line branches into a plurality of line branches that lead to at least two consumer circuits. The pressure in the consumer circuits can be monitored by pressure sensors. Furthermore, control electronics are provided which are connected to the pressure sensors. The consumer circuits can be disconnected from the compressed air supply by a closing member that is disposed in the respective supply line branch and can be switched by the programmable control electronics. By means of this, the supply of compressed air into the consumer circuits and the withdrawal of compressed air for transfer from one circuit into the others can be controlled by the control electronics. The compressed air supply device can be used in the vehicle compressed air systems of commercial vehicles.

Claims

1. A compressed air supply device (10.1) for vehicle compressed air systems which comprises, an air compressor (11) provided with an outlet, from said outlet a supply line (17) leads to an air drier (18), said air drier includes an inlet and an outlet side for supplying compressed air to a compressed air system,

a safety valve (26) is connected to the supply line (17) to divert air to a pressure relief point (24) upstream of said air dryer and down stream of the air compressor,

on the outlet side of the air drier (18) at least two compressed air consumer circuits, whose pressure is monitored by at least two pressure sensors, are connected to the supply line (17),

control electronics (57) are provided, which are connected to the pressure sensors and at least one solenoid valve for controlling a regeneration of the air drier (18), and which control the compressed air supply of the air compressor (11),

on the outlet side of the air drier (18), the supply line (17) branches into line branches that lead to at least two consumer circuits,

a closing member disconnects the consumer circuits from the compressed air supply, the closing member being disposed in the respective line branch and switched by the programmable control electronics (57), the closing member is an overflow valve that is disposed in the line branch and is switched into the closed position with a pneumatic actuation means (41), and a 3/2-way pilot valve (44.1) is disposed in a control line of the pneumatic actuation means (41).

2. A compressed air supply device according to claim 1, in that the closing member is a stop valve disposed in the line branch.

3. A compressed air supply device according to claim 2, in that the closing member is an actuatable 2/2-way valve with a spring-actuated closed position.

4. A compressed air supply device according to claim 2, in that the closing member is a 2/2-way valve with a spring-actuated open position disposed at an overflow valve in the branch.

5. A compressed air supply device according to claim 1, in that the control lines (46, 47) are connected to both the supply line (17) and to the consumer circuit, wherein a check valve (48, 49) is disposed in each control line (46, 47).

6. A compressed air supply device according to claim 5, in that a line branch (45.5) leads from the control line (46, 47) to a pressure limit safety valve (26), which is equipped with the pneumatic actuation means (28) and is switched into the open position by an electromagnetically actuatable 3/2-way pilot valve disposed in the line branch (45.5).

7. A compressed air supply device according to claim 1, in that the pilot valve (44.1) is electromagnetically switched by the control electronics (57) into a position in which the control line is switched into an open position.

8. A compressed air supply device according to claim 1, in that a 2/2-way safety valve (70) assumes a closed position in a spring-actuated manner and is switched into an open position in an actuated fashion by the control electronics (57), or switched into the open position by the pressure in the supply line (10.3).

9. A compressed air supply device according to claim 1, in that the control electronics (57) are connected to an actuation means (14) for a coupling (12) for disconnecting the air compressor (11) for a drive motor (13).

10. A compressed air supply device according to claim 1, in that the control electronics (57) are connected to an actuation means for controlling the air compressor (11) in an idle position.

11. A compressed air supply device according to claim 1, in that the control electronics (57) are connected to the engine control of the vehicle via a data bus (59).

12. A compressed air supply device according to claim 1, in that the closing member is an overflow valve that is disposed in the line branch and can be switched into the closed position with an electromagnetic actuation means.

13. A process for controlling a compressed air supply device (10.1) for vehicle compressed air systems which comprises controlling a control electronics (57) for controlling the compressed air supply of the compressed air supply system as a function of pressure in at least two compressed air consumer circuits,

monitoring the pressure by the control electronics (57) in at least two consumer circuits, operating the control electronics (57) to disconnect the consumer circuits from the compressed air supply as a function of a pre-programmed limit pressure that depends on the circuit,

operating the control electronics (57) to connect at least two respective consumer circuits to the compressed air supply when the pressure falls below a limit pressure by a pre-programmed pressure difference, which comprises operating the control electronics (57) to select a consumer circuit for filling said consumer circuit with compressed air while at least one other consumer circuit is disconnected from the filling, and operating the control electronics (57) to connect the consumer circuit to the compressed air supply of the air supply system in a pre-programmed order.

14. A process according to claim 13, which comprises operating the control electronics to a select a consumer circuit which is filled to a higher pressure than the at least one other consumer circuit (I).

15. A process according to claim 14, which comprises filling the at least one other consumer circuit from the consumer circuit that has a higher pressure.

16. A process according to claim 13, which comprises operating the control electronics (57) to disconnect the affected consumer circuit from the compressed air supply when the pressure falls below a predetermined pressure threshold.

17. A process according to claim 16, which comprises controlling a status indicator, which is disposed in a driving compartment of the vehicle and is part of the compressed air system by operating the control electronics (57).

18. A process according to claim 13, which comprises operating the control electronics (57) to switch the safety valve (26) of the compressed air system into the position that disconnects the compressed air and switching the closing members of the consumer circuits into the closed position.

19. A process according to claim 13, which comprises connecting the air compressor (11) to a drive motor (13) by means of a coupling (12) that is switched by operating the control electronics (57).

20. A process according to claim 13, which comprises switching the air compressor (11) into a no-load operation by operating the control electronics (57).

21. A process according to claim 13, which comprises taking the air required for the regeneration of the air drier (18) disposed in the compressed air supply device (10.1) from the consumer circuit which is at the highest pressure level, while the closing member (40.1) associated with the at least one other consumer circuit is held in the closed position.

22. A process according to claim 21, which comprises controlling the regeneration duration by the control electronics (57) as a function of air quantity, pressure, time, or moisture.

23. A process according to claim 21, which comprises controlling the regeneration of the air drier (18) by operating the control electronics (57) after the vehicle is switched off, by presenting the safety valve (26), switching the safety valve into its open position and in the event that regeneration air is taken from a consumer circuit, switching the closing member of the at least one other consumer circuit into the closed position, and at the end of the regeneration, switching the safety valve (26) and the closing member.

24. A process according to claim 13, which comprises taking a regeneration air for an air drier (18) from the consumer circuit that was filled with compressed air first after the preceding regeneration.

25. A process according to claim 13, which comprises taking the regeneration air from a regeneration air reservoir (20) connected to the air drier (18).

26. A process for controlling a compressed air supply device (10.1) for vehicle compressed air systems which comprises controlling a control electronics (57) for controlling the compressed air supply of the compressed air supply system as a function of pressure in at least two compressed air consumer circuits,

monitoring the pressure by the control electronics (57) in at least two consumer circuits, operating the control electronics (57) to disconnect the consumer circuits from the compressed air supply as a function of a pre-programmed limit pressure that depends on the circuit,

operating the control electronics (57) to connect at least two respective consumer circuits to the compressed air supply when the pressure falls below a limit pressure by a pre-programmed pressure difference, and operating the control electronics (57) to control the filling of the consumer circuits as a function of the pressure in the circuits as well as an output level of a drive motor of the vehicle.

27. A process according to claim 26, which comprises filling the consumer circuits when a drive motor (13) of the vehicle is driven by a weight of the vehicle during a downward run.