Vehicle brake safety system apparatus and methods
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A safety system for use with a brake mechanism of a vehicle, the safety system adapted to monitor conditions at a plurality of stations at the vehicle to determine whether vehicle movement should be permitted, the safety system comprising:
- a management mechanism adapted to apply the brake mechanism to inhibit vehicle movement;
a plurality of sensors adapted to be at stations in the vehicle and adapted to sense conditions at the stations;
a solid-state controller operatively connected to the management mechanism and to the plurality of sensors, wherein the controller is adapted to receive signals from the plurality of sensors and, in response to signals from the plurality of sensors indicating a condition that is unsafe for vehicle movement, to actuate the management mechanism to apply the brakes, wherein the management mechanism comprises a vented solenoid valve adapted to block and vent an air line in an air brake, wherein the blocking and venting of said air line applies the brake mechanism.
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Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
A safety-enhancing automatic brake control system automatically applies and maintains the brakes in the applied state, when one or more conditions exist at various stations around/in the vehicle or equipment that make vehicle movement dangerous. A preferred controller electrically, electronically, or otherwise connects to various sensors at the vehicle stations, validates the signal(s), and then actuates a mechanism that manages the air, brake fluid, mechanical brake linkage/cable, electric, or other mechanism that applies the brakes. In an air brake system, a solenoid valve blocks and vents the air line to release a piston that normally counteracts a spring mechanism. In a hydraulic brake system, a piston or spring, for example, powers a secondary piston rod and piston in a master cylinder to apply the brakes. In the case of a spring-actuated system, a release unit such as a piston may be used to counteract the spring for releasing the brakes. If the driver does not manually set the parking brake when appropriate, the invented control system automatically sets a brake as soon as a potentially dangerous condition is sensed and validated by the invented controller. The control system preferably includes a vehicle motion override system that prevents automatic application of the brakes if the vehicle is in motion above a set speed, and a manual brake-releasing override that allows a driver to override the controller temporarily at the driver'"'"'s discretion.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. A safety system for use with a brake mechanism of a vehicle, the safety system adapted to monitor conditions at a plurality of stations at the vehicle to determine whether vehicle movement should be permitted, the safety system comprising:
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a management mechanism adapted to apply the brake mechanism to inhibit vehicle movement;
a plurality of sensors adapted to be at stations in the vehicle and adapted to sense conditions at the stations;
a solid-state controller operatively connected to the management mechanism and to the plurality of sensors, wherein the controller is adapted to receive signals from the plurality of sensors and, in response to signals from the plurality of sensors indicating a condition that is unsafe for vehicle movement, to actuate the management mechanism to apply the brakes, wherein the management mechanism comprises a vented solenoid valve adapted to block and vent an air line in an air brake, wherein the blocking and venting of said air line applies the brake mechanism. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 30, 37)
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4. A safety system for use with a brake mechanism of a vehicle, the safety system adapted to monitor conditions at a plurality of stations at the vehicle to determine whether vehicle movement should be permitted, the safety system comprising:
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a management mechanism adapted to apply the brake mechanism to inhibit vehicle movement;
a plurality of sensors adapted to be at stations in the vehicle and adapted to sense conditions at the stations;
a solid-state controller operatively connected to the management mechanism and to the plurality of sensors, wherein the controller is adapted to receive signals from the plurality of sensors and, in response to signals from the plurality of sensors indicating a condition that is unsafe for vehicle movement, to actuate the management mechanism to apply the brakes, wherein the vehicle comprises a hydraulic master cylinder having a piston for increasing brake fluid pressure in a brake fluid line connected to a hydraulic brake mechanism, and a primary piston rod operated by a foot pedal in a driver'"'"'s cab for powering the piston, wherein the management mechanism comprises a secondary piston rod in the master cylinder adapted to move the piston to increase hydraulic brake fluid in the brake fluid line, and an actuator for powering the secondary piston rod. - View Dependent Claims (5, 18, 31, 38)
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6. A safety system for use with a brake mechanism of a vehicle, the safety system adapted to monitor conditions at a plurality of stations at the vehicle to determine whether vehicle movement should be permitted, the safety system comprising:
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a management mechanism adapted to apply the brake mechanism to inhibit vehicle movement;
a plurality of sensors adapted to be at stations in the vehicle and adapted to sense conditions at the stations;
a solid-state controller operatively connected to the management mechanism and to the plurality of sensors, wherein the controller is adapted to receive signals from the plurality of sensors and, in response to signals from the plurality of sensors indicating a condition that is unsafe for vehicle movement, to actuate the management mechanism to apply the brakes, wherein the vehicle comprises a hydraulic master cylinder having a piston for increasing brake fluid pressure in a brake fluid line connected to a hydraulic brake mechanism, and a primary piston rod operated by a foot pedal in a driver'"'"'s cab for powering the piston, the management mechanism comprising;
a secondary piston rod in the master cylinder adapted to move the piston to increase hydraulic brake fluid in the brake fluid line, and a spring biasing the secondary piston rod to apply the brake mechanism; and
a release unit counteracting the spring to release the brake, the release unit being controlled by the controller. - View Dependent Claims (19, 32, 39)
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7. A safety system for use with a brake mechanism of a vehicle, the safety system adapted to monitor conditions at a plurality of stations at the vehicle to determine whether vehicle movement should be permitted, the safety system comprising:
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a management mechanism adapted to apply the brake mechanism to inhibit vehicle movement;
a plurality of sensors adapted to be at stations in the vehicle and adapted to sense conditions at the stations;
a solid-state controller operatively connected to the management mechanism and to the plurality of sensors, wherein the controller is adapted to receive signals from the plurality of sensors and, in response to signals from the plurality of sensors indicating a condition that is unsafe for vehicle movement, to actuate the management mechanism to apply the brakes, wherein one of said plurality of sensors is a vehicle motion sensor, and wherein the controller does not actuate the management mechanism to apply the brake mechanism if the vehicle motion sensor signals the controller that the vehicle is moving above a certain speed. - View Dependent Claims (20, 26, 33, 40)
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8. A safety system for use with a brake mechanism of a vehicle, the safety system adapted to monitor conditions at a plurality of stations at the vehicle to determine whether vehicle movement should be permitted, the safety system comprising:
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a management mechanism adapted to apply the brake mechanism to inhibit vehicle movement;
a plurality of sensors adapted to be at stations in the vehicle and adapted to sense conditions at the stations;
a solid-state controller operatively connected to the management mechanism and to the plurality of sensors, wherein the controller is adapted to receive signals from the plurality of sensors and, in response to signals from the plurality of sensors indicating a condition that is unsafe for vehicle movement, to actuate the management mechanism to apply the brakes, wherein the controller comprises a signal validation circuit that validates signals from the sensors for acceptance by the controller only if the signals arrive at the controller, uninterrupted, for a predetermined minimum duration of time. - View Dependent Claims (21, 24, 25, 27, 34, 41)
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9. A safety system for use with a brake mechanism of a vehicle, the safety system comprising:
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a management mechanism adapted to apply a brake mechanism to inhibit vehicle movement;
a plurality of sensors adapted to be located at a plurality of stations in the vehicle and adapted to sense conditions at the stations;
a controller operatively connected to the management mechanism and to the plurality of sensors, wherein the controller is adapted to receive signals from the plurality of sensors and, in response to signals from the plurality of sensors indicating a condition that is unsafe for vehicle movement, to actuate the management mechanism to apply the brakes;
the safety system further comprising a vehicle motion override system comprising one of said plurality of sensors being a vehicle motion sensor, wherein the controller does not actuate the management mechanism to apply the brake mechanism if the vehicle motion sensor signals that controller that the vehicle is moving above a certain speed. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 22, 28, 35, 42)
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13. A method of controlling brakes in a vehicle comprising:
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providing a plurality of sensors at locations on the vehicle, the sensors adapted to sense conditions the make vehicle movement unsafe;
providing a controller that responds, to signals from the plurality of sensors indicating an unsafe condition, by actuating a management mechanism that applies vehicle brakes;
wherein the controller validates the signals from the plurality of sensors after the signals are uninterrupted for a certain amount of time and wherein the controller only actuates the management mechanism in response to validated signals. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 23, 29, 36, 43)
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Specification