Air treatment system and method for securely releasing a parking brake system

• US 7,513,576 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2006
• Issued: 04/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• 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: Hilberer, Eduard
• Primary Examiner(s): Siconolfi; Robert A
• Assistant Examiner(s): SY, MARIANO ONG
• Application Number:
  US11/372,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20060244305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 303/89, 303/3, 303/7, 303/8, 303/15, 303/6.01, 303/6.1, 303/68, 303/69, 303/19, 303/67, 303/118.1, 180/272, 180/273
• US Class Current: 303/6.01
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/38 Brakes applied by springs or weights and released by compressed air B60T13/261 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/385 Control arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/683 in pneumatic systems or parts thereof in vacuum systems B60T13/72
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/22 Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices

Abstract

An air treatment system and method are provided for supplying a brake system of a utility vehicle with compressed air. The air treatment system includes a compressed air outlet that is used for feeding a parking brake system, more specifically for ventilating at least one spring-loaded cylinder of a parking brake and thus for releasing the parking brake. An electrically actuated valve, by which the compressed air outlet can be prevented from being supplied with compressed air, is provided, along with an indicator that can be electrically evaluated to determine if a person is present for driving the vehicle. The electrically actuated valve prevents the compressed air outlet from being supplied with compressed air when the indicator is not provided.

Claims

1. An air treatment system for supplying a commercial vehicle brake system with compressed air, having a compressed air outlet operatively configured to supply compressed air to a parking brake system and to ventilate at least one spring-loaded cylinder of a parking brake of the parking brake system in order to release the parking brake, the system comprising:

an overflow valve through which the compressed air is supplied to the compressed air outlet;

an electrically actuable solenoid valve operatively configured to shut-off the overflow valve in at least one switching state;

an electrically evaluatable indicator signal, which signal is indicative of a presence of a driver of the commercial vehicle; and

wherein, when the electrically evaluatable indicator signal is absent, the electrically actuable solenoid valve is in the at least one switching state that shuts-off the overflow valve in order to prevent the compressed air from being supplied to the compressed air outlet.

2. The air treatment system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solenoid valve is a 3/2-way valve which, in a first switching state, ventilates a control inlet of the overflow valve and, in a second switching state, acts with pressure upon the control inlet of the overflow valve, whereby the overflow valve is shut off.

3. The air treatment system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second switching state of the 3/2-way solenoid valve is brought about by application of a current to the 3/2-way solenoid valve.

4. The air treatment system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solenoid valve is supplied centrally with compressed air.

5. The air treatment system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solenoid valve is supplied with compressed air by at least one service brake circuit.

6. The air treatment system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compressed air outlet is connected to the at least one spring-loaded cylinder via a handbrake valve.

7. The air treatment system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrically evaluatable indicator signal is made available as a result of actuation of a pedal in a driver'"'"'s cab of the commercial vehicle.

8. The air treatment system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrically evaluatable indicator signal is made available as a result of the fastening of a safety belt in a driver'"'"'s cab of the commercial vehicle.

9. The air treatment system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrically evaluatable indicator signal is supplyable directly or indirectly to an electrical control via a data bus;

and

further wherein the electrically actuable valve is actuable by the electrical control.

10. The air treatment system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a signal device provided in a driver'"'"'s cab of the commercial vehicle, said signal device indicating that a minimum pressure for operating a service brake system of the commercial vehicle brake system is overshot; and

wherein the compressed air outlet is supplied with compressed air when the minimum pressure for operating the service brake system is overshot and the indicator signal present.

11. The air treatment system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the signal device is a light utilized to indicate that the vehicle is being detained due to the parking brake system;

and

further wherein the light flashes when the minimum pressure is overshot and the parking brake is locked; and

still further wherein the light is extinguished when a pressure threshold in the spring-loaded cylinder of the parking brake is overshot.

22. A commercial vehicle having an air treatment system as claimed in claim 1.

12. A method for controlling at least one spring-loaded cylinder of a parking brake of a commercial vehicle brake system, which commercial vehicle brake system is supplied with compressed air by an air treatment system, the air treatment system having a compressed air outlet supplied with compressed air via an overflow valve and coupled to the spring-loaded cylinder of the parking brake, the commercial vehicle brake system having an electrically actuable solenoid valve operatively coupled with the overflow valve, the method comprising the acts of:

monitoring for an electrically evaluatable indicator signal that is indicative of a driver being within the commercial vehicle;

shutting-off the overflow valve in at least one switching state of the electrically actuable solenoid valve when the electrically evaluatable indicator signal is absent in order to prevent ventilation of the spring-loaded cylinder due to a supply of compressed air to the compressed air outlet.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the solenoid valve is a 3/2-way valve which, in a first switching state, ventilates a control inlet of the overflow valve and, in a second switching state, acts with pressure upon the control inlet of the overflow valve, whereby the overflow valve is shut off.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the second switching state of the 3/2-way solenoid valve is brought about by application of a current to the 3/2-way solenoid valve.

15. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the solenoid valve is supplied centrally with compressed air.

16. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the solenoid valve is supplied with compressed air by at least one service brake circuit.

17. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the electrically evaluatable indicator signal is made available as a result of actuation of a pedal in a driver'"'"'s cab of the commercial vehicle.

18. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the electrically evaluatable indicator signal is made available as a result of fastening of a safety belt in a driver'"'"'s cab of the commercial vehicle.

19. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein:

the electrically evaluatable indicator signal is supplied directly or indirectly to an electrical control via a data bus; and

the electrically actuable solenoid valve is actuated by the electrical control.

20. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein:

a signal device is provided in the driver'"'"'s cab of the commercial vehicle, said signal device indicating that a minimum pressure for operating a service brake of the commercial vehicle brake system is overshot; and

the compressed air outlet is supplied with compressed air when the minimum pressure for operating the service brake is overshot and the indicator signal is present.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein:

the signal device is a light utilized to indicate that the vehicle is being detained due to the parking brake system;

the light flashes when the minimum pressure is overshot and the parking brake is locked; and

the light is extinguished when a pressure threshold in the spring-loaded cylinder of the parking brake is overshot.