Hydraulic trailer brake system

• US 8,240,778 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2007
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Domsalla, Eberhard, Gastauer, Heiko, Greiff, Uwe, Hartmann, Ralf, Heise, Andreas, Hinz, Axel, Wolf, Hans-Peter, Hoffmann, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): TORRES WILLIAMS, MELANIE
• Application Number:
  US12/301,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20090295221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,911 Days
• Field of Search: 188/112.A, 188/3.R, 188/20, 188/123, 188/7, 188/3, 188/10, 188/11, 188/22.1, 188/22.2, 188 15- 17
• US Class Current: 303/22.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/242 for supporting braking actions, e.g. braking means integrated with hitches; Braking sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/32 involving damping devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/58 Auxiliary devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/08 Overrun brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/142 Systems with master cylinder
• 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 8/248 Trailer sway, e.g. for preventing jackknifing
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/344 Hydraulic systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/4872 pump-back systems

Abstract

A trailer device for driving stabilization of vehicle combinations is provided. In order to design a device for driving stabilization of passenger vehicle trailers in a cost-effective and simple manner, a brake system for braking the trailer by an overrun brake and for stability regulation is designed so as to have separating valves, switching valves, inlet and outlet valves and a pressure build-up pump. A stabilizing coupling is also connected by means of a second pressure medium pump to actuators which can vary the clamping force of the stabilizing coupling between the trailer and tractor vehicle if the second pressure medium pump conveys pressure medium from the storage tank into or out of the actuators.

Claims

1. A hydraulic trailer brake system comprising

a device for braking wheels of a trailer;

a controllable pressure generator for wheel-individual or axle-individual activation of wheel brakes;

a hydraulic brake force transmission device assigned to the device and connected to the wheel brakes via brake lines, the brake force transmission device including a reservoir for a pressure medium and a brake master cylinder;

an electronic control unit or a regulation unit which receives energy via a supply unit,

wherein at least two wheel brakes are connected to the brake master cylinder via a first isolating valve arranged in the brake lines and via a first changeover valve, in that the wheel brakes are assigned at least one first inlet and one first outlet valve,

a first electrically activatable pressure medium pump provided in a bypass line, downstream of the first changeover valve and the first isolating valve,

the suction side of the electrically activatable pressure medium pump connected to the first changeover valve, to at least one first outlet valve and to a first low-pressure accumulator, and

the delivery side of the first electrically activatable pressure medium pump connected to the first isolating valve and to at least one first inlet valve, and

a stabilizing coupling connected via a second pressure medium pump to actuators which can vary a tension force of the stabilizing coupling between the trailer and a traction vehicle when the pressure medium pump conveys pressure medium out of the reservoir and into or out of the actuators.

2. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the master cylinder is connected to a brake line which is connected downstream of the first isolating valve via a brake pressure subline having a first inlet valve to a first wheel brake and via a brake pressure subline having the first inlet valve to a second wheel brake of a first trailer axle, and wherein the brake line is connected downstream of the isolating valve via a brake pressure subline having a first inlet valve to wheel brakes of a second trailer axle.

3. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the wheel brakes are connected to return lines, wherein a first outlet valve is arranged in each of the return lines, the return lines being connected to the first low-pressure accumulator and, via a line, to the suction side of the first pump and to the first changeover valve which is connected to the brake line.

4. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reservoir is connected to a second pressure line in which a second isolating valve is connected via a pressure subline having a second inlet valve to actuators of the stabilizing coupling, and the actuators are connected to a return line in which a second outlet valve is arranged, the return line being connected to a second low-pressure accumulator and, via a line, to the suction side of the second pump and to a second changeover valve which is connected to the line.

5. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supply unit contains accumulators which are connected to a battery of the vehicle via a connecting element between the vehicle and trailer, the accumulators being connected to the electronic control unit or the regulation unit.

6. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the master cylinder is connected to a brake line which is connected downstream of the first isolating valve via a brake pressure subline having a first inlet valve to a first wheel brake and via a brake pressure subline having the first inlet valve to a second wheel brake of a first trailer axle, and in that the brake line is connected upstream of the isolating valve via a brake pressure subline having a first inlet valve to the wheel brakes of a second trailer axle.

7. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the master cylinder is connected to a brake line which is connected downstream of the first isolating valve via a brake pressure subline having a first inlet valve to first wheel brakes of a first trailer axle and via a brake pressure subline having the first inlet valve to the second wheel brakes of a second trailer axle.

8. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the wheel brakes are connected to return lines in each of which a first outlet valve is arranged, the return lines being connected to the first low-pressure accumulator and, via a line, to the suction side of the first pump and to the first changeover valve which is connected to the brake line.

9. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the brake line is connected downstream of the first isolating valve via a brake pressure subline having a first outlet valve to a high-pressure accumulator.

10. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in claim 9, wherein a filter is arranged between the isolating valve and the outlet valve in the brake pressure subline.

11. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the reservoir is connected to a second pressure line in which a second isolating valve is connected via a pressure subline and a pressure line having second inlet valves to the actuators of the stabilizing coupling, and the actuators are connected to return lines in which a second outlet valve is arranged, the return lines being connected to the second low-pressure accumulator and, via a line, to a suction side of the second pump and to a second changeover valve which is connected to the line.

12. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the reservoir is connected to a second pressure line in which a second isolating valve is connected via a pressure subline having a second inlet valve to the actuators of the stabilizing coupling and a pressure line having a second inlet valve connected to a high-pressure accumulator, and the actuators are connected to a return line and the high-pressure accumulator is connected to a return line, in which return lines second outlet valves are arranged, the return lines being connected to the second low-pressure accumulator and, via a line, to a suction side of the second pump and to a second changeover valve which is connected to the line.

17. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the brake master cylinder is connected to a second pressure line in which a second isolating valve is connected in a pressure subline having a second inlet valve to the actuators of the stabilizing coupling and via a pressure subline and a second inlet valve to the wheel brakes of a second trailer axle, and the actuators and the wheel brakes are connected in each case to a return line in each of which a second outlet valve is arranged, the return lines being connected to a second low-pressure accumulator and, via lines, to a suction side of a second pump and to a second changeover valve which is connected to a second pressure line.

18. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in claim 1, wherein two wheels brakes are connected to the brake master cylinder via a first isolating valve arranged in the brake line and via a first changeover valve, in that the wheel brakes are assigned a first inlet and a first outlet valve, and in that there is provided in a bypass line, downstream of the first changeover valve and of the first isolating valve, the first electrically activatable pressure medium pump, the suction side of which is connected to the first changeover valve, to the first outlet valve and to the first low-pressure accumulator and the delivery side of which is connected to the first isolating valve and to the first inlet valve.

19. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wheel brakes are connected to the first low-pressure accumulator via the return line having the outlet valve.

20. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the return lines with the first outlet valve and with the second outlet valve are connected to the first low-pressure accumulator and to a second low-pressure accumulator via a connecting line.

21. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the delivery sides of the first pressure medium pump and of a second pressure medium pump are connected to one another via a connecting line.

22. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the connecting line is connected to the brake line between the first isolating valve and the bypass line having the first pressure medium pump and to the pressure subline between the second isolating valve and the bypass line having the second pressure medium pump.

23. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the brake master cylinder is connected to the suction side of a second pressure medium pump by means of a second pressure line via a second changeover valve, in that the delivery side of the pump is connected via the pressure subline having the inlet valve to the actuators of the stabilizing coupling and via a pressure subline and the inlet valve to the wheel brakes of a second trailer axle, and the actuators and the wheel brakes are connected in each case to a return line in each of which a second outlet valve is arranged, the return lines being connected via the connecting line to the first and a second low-pressure accumulator and, via a line, to the suction side of the second pump and to the second changeover valve which is connected to the line.

24. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in claim 23, wherein two wheel brakes are connected to the brake master cylinder via a first isolating valve arranged in the brake line and via a first changeover valve, in that the wheel brakes are assigned a first inlet and a first outlet valve, in that there is provided in a bypass line, downstream of the first changeover valve and of the first isolating valve, the first electrically activatable pressure medium pump, the suction side of which is connected to the first changeover valve, to the first outlet valve and to the first low-pressure accumulator and the delivery side of which is connected to the first isolating valve and to the first inlet valve, and in that the delivery sides of the first pressure medium pump and of the second pressure medium pump are connected to one another via a connecting line.

25. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in claim 1, wherein two wheel brakes are connected to the brake master cylinder via an isolating valve arranged in the brake line and via a changeover valve, in that the wheel brakes are assigned a first inlet and a first outlet valve, in that there is provided in a bypass line, downstream of the changeover valve and of the isolating valve, the first electrically activatable pressure medium pump, the suction side of which is connected to the changeover valve, to the first outlet valve and to the first low-pressure accumulator and the delivery side of which is connected to the first isolating valve and to the first inlet valve, and the first changeover valve is connected via a connecting line to the suction side of the second pressure medium pump, to a second low-pressure accumulator and to a second outlet valve, the second low-pressure accumulator being connected to the first low-pressure accumulator via the connecting line, and a delivery side of the second pressure medium pump being connected via the connecting line to the delivery side of the first pressure medium pump and being connected via the pressure subline and the inlet valve to the actuators of the stabilizing coupling and via a pressure subline having the inlet valve to the wheel brakes of a second trailer axle, the wheel brakes being connected to the connecting line via the return line and the outlet valve.

26. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the master cylinder is connected to a brake line which is connected downstream of the first isolating valve via a brake pressure subline having a first inlet valve to first wheel brakes of a first trailer axle and via a brake pressure subline having the first inlet valve to the second wheel brakes of a second trailer axle, and in that the wheel brakes are connected to return lines in each of which a first outlet valve is arranged, the return lines being connected to the first low-pressure accumulator and, via a line, to the suction side of the first pump and to the first changeover valve which is connected to the brake line.

27. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in claim 26, wherein the brake master cylinder is connected to a second pressure line in which a second isolating valve is connected via a pressure subline having a second inlet valve to the actuators of the stabilizing coupling, and the actuators are connected to a return line in which a second outlet valve is arranged, the return line being connected to a second low-pressure accumulator and, via a line, to a suction side of the second pump and to a second changeover valve which is connected to the line, and the return lines having the first outlet valves being connected via a connecting line to the first low-pressure accumulator and to the second low-pressure accumulator, and the delivery sides of the first pressure medium pump and of the second pressure medium pump being connected to one another via a connecting line.

28. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in claim 26, wherein a nonreturn valve opening to the stabilizing coupling is arranged between the inlet valve and a connection point of the return line having the outlet valve to the pressure subline.

29. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stabilizing coupling is ball-shaped.

13. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in 1, wherein the reservoir is connected to a second pressure line in which a second isolating valve is connected via a pressure subline to the actuators of the stabilizing coupling, the pressure line being connected via a line to a suction side of the second pump.

14. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in claim 13, wherein an outlet valve is arranged in the pressure subline.

15. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the brake master cylinder has two pressure chambers with two outlets, the brake line being connected to the outlet and the pressure line to the outlet, and the brake line being connected downstream of the first isolating valve via a brake pressure subline having a first inlet valve to the wheel brakes of a first trailer axle, and wherein the wheel brakes are connected to a return line in which a first outlet valve is arranged, the return line being connected to the first low-pressure accumulator and, via a line, to the suction side of the first pump and to the first changeover valve which is connected to the brake line.

16. The hydraulic trailer brake system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the pressure line is connected via a second isolating valve in a pressure subline having a second inlet valve to the actuators of the stabilizing coupling and via a pressure subline and a second inlet valve to the wheel brakes of a second trailer axle, and the actuators and the wheel brakes are connected in each case to a return line in each of which a second outlet valve is arranged, the return lines being connected in each case to a second low-pressure accumulator and, via a line, to a suction side of the second pump and to a second changeover valve which is connected to the line.