Device and method for stabilizing a combination of a tractor vehicle and at least one semitrailer or trailer

• US 6,498,977 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2001
• Issued: 12/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Faye, Ian, Wetzel, Gabriel, Leimbach, Klaus-Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US09/753,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20010018630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 701/70, 280/432, 280/408, 280/423, 280/446, 303/100, 303/93, 303/7, 303/105
• US Class Current: 701/70
• 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 8/1755 Brake regulation specially adapted to control the stability of the vehicle, e.g. taking into account yaw rate or transverse acceleration in a curve road vehicle drive control systems for control of driving stability otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/02
• 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: B62D 37/00 Stabilising vehicle bodies without controlling suspension arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 53/0871 with stabilising means, e.g. to prevent jack-knifing, pitching, rolling, buck jumping stabilising in general B62D37/00; tractors B62D49/08

Abstract

A device and a method for stabilizing a combination of a tractor vehicle and at least one semitrailer or trailer is described, where the trailer or semitrailer is automatically braked if the semitrailer or trailer buckles with respect to the tractor vehicle at a buckling rate which is greater than a predetermined limit buckling rate.

Claims

1. A method of stabilizing a combination of a tractor vehicle and one of at least one semitrailer and a trailer, the method comprising the step of:

braking the one of the-at least one semitrailer and the trailer if the one of the at least one semitrailer and the trailer buckles with respect to the tractor vehicle at a buckling rate that is greater than a predetermined limit buckling rate, wherein the step of braking is performed if one of;

a transverse force acts on the one of the at least one semitrailer and the trailer in a direction of an increase in a buckling angle, and

an angle of inclination and the buckling angle have the same operational sign.

2. A method of stabilizing a combination of a tractor vehicle and one of at least one semitrailer and a trailer, the method comprising the steps of:

braking the one of the at least one semitrailer and the trailer if the one of the at least one semitrailer and the trailer buckles with respect to the tractor vehicle at a buckling rate that is greater than a predetermined limit buckling rate; and

terminating the braking after a change occurs in an operational sign of the buckling rate.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of terminating is performed immediately after a change occurs in the operational sign of the buckling rate.