Method and device for detecting and stabilizing a fishtailing trailer using wheel forces

• US 7,226,068 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2005
• Issued: 06/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Ahner, Peter, Zegelaar, Peter, Schadow, Joachim
• Primary Examiner(s): Morris; Lesley D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Scharich; Marc A.
• Application Number:
  US11/029,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20050161901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 280/455.1, 280/474, 280/492, 280/490, 280/432, 701/80
• US Class Current: 280/432
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/06 Tractor-trailer swaying
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1708 for lorries or tractor-trailer combinations
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/246 Change of direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/248 Trailer sway, e.g. for preventing jackknifing

Abstract

A method and device for detecting and stabilizing a fishtailing trailer using wheel forces. In particular, a method for stabilizing a vehicle combination made up of a towing vehicle and a trailer in which lateral forces acting on at least one wheel or at least one tire are ascertained with the aid of a sensory system that detects wheel forces or tire forces, the existence of a fishtailing movement of the trailer is detected from the ascertained lateral forces and, in the event of a detected fishtailing movement of the trailer, a braking intervention and/or steering intervention is performed.

Claims

1. A method for stabilizing a vehicle combination having a towing vehicle and a trailer, the method comprising:

ascertaining lateral forces acting on at least one wheel or at least one tire with a sensory system that detects wheel forces or tire forces;

detecting a fishtailing movement of the trailer from the ascertained lateral forces; and

performing, in the event of a detected fishtailing movement of the trailer, at least one of a braking intervention and a steering intervention.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein periodic components of the ascertained lateral forces are ascertained, frequencies and phase angles of the periodic components are ascertained, and a fishtailing movement of the trailer is detected by evaluating the frequencies and the phase angles.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the wheel forces or tire forces are ascertained for at least two wheels of an axle, and the fishtailing movement of the trailer is detected when the frequencies and the phase angles of the two periodic components respectively agree.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the wheel forces or tire forces of all wheels of the towing vehicle are ascertained and amplitudes of the periodic components are detected, and

the fishtailing movement of the trailer is detected when the frequencies of all periodic components agree, the amplitudes and the phase angles of the periodic components of front axle wheels agree, the amplitudes and the phase angles of the periodic components of rear axle wheels agree, the amplitudes of the periodic components of the rear axle wheels are greater than the amplitudes of the periodic components of the front axle wheels, and the phase angles of the periodic components of the rear axle wheels are in phase opposition to the phase angles of the periodic components of the front axle wheels.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein amplitudes of the periodic components are ascertained and, if the fishtailing movement exists and at least one amplitude exceeds a specified boundary value, a right wheel and a left wheel of the axle are alternately braked.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the frequency with which the alternation between a braking of the left wheel and of the right wheel occurs agrees with the frequency of the periodic components.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein setpoint values of the lateral forces are ascertained using a single-track model, and the periodic components are ascertained from a difference between the setpoint values of the lateral forces and the lateral forces ascertained by the sensory system detecting wheel forces or tire forces.

8. A device for stabilizing a vehicle combination having a towing vehicle and a trailer, the device comprising:

a sensor arrangement to ascertain lateral forces acting on at least one wheel or at least one tire;

a fishtailing detection arrangement to detect a fishtailing movement of the trailer from output signals of the sensor arrangement; and

at least one actuator for performing at least one of a braking intervention and a steering intervention if the fishtailing movement of the trailer is detected.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the sensor arrangement includes expansion-sensitive sensors on a bearing shell of a roller bearing of the at least one wheel.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the sensors include tire force sensors.