Brake control module

Abstract

Brake control module for a primary trailer of a truck, comprising (a) a towing vehicle interface (12) comprising (i) a towing vehicle CAN interface (14) for connecting to a towing vehicle CAN port of a towing vehicle, (ii) a towing vehicle power supply interface (16) for connecting to a towing vehicle power supply port of the towing vehicle, and (iii) a towing vehicle warning light interface (18) for connecting to a towing vehicle warning light port of the towing vehicle, and (b) a secondary trailer interface (48) for connecting a secondary trailer coupled to the primary trailer, comprising (i) a secondary trailer CAN interface (36) for connecting to a secondary trailer CAN port of the secondary trailer,(ii) a second trailer power supply interface (40) for connecting to a power terminal of the second trailer and (iii) a second trailer warning lamp interface (44) for connecting to a second trailer warning lamp terminal (46) of the second trailer, characterized in that it is configured for controlling the first trailer braking system of a first trailer coupled to the towing vehicle via CAN data bus and for supplying the first trailer braking system with electrical energy and that it is configured for outputting CAN data to the second trailer CAN interface, wherein the CAN data encodes the commands received via the towing vehicle CAN interface.

Description

The invention relates to a brake control module for a first trailer of a truck. Such trucks include a motorized tow vehicle and one or more trailers. If the truck has two or more trailers, this is referred to as a eurocombi or roadtrain, for example.Known trucks with two or more trailers have the problem that, due to the long pneumatic lines, the brake system of the second trailer responds considerably later than the brake system of the first trailer.The object of the invention is to overcome disadvantages in the prior art.DE 103 10 235 A1 discloses a control device for a trailer vehicle which is arranged in a towing vehicle coupled to the trailer vehicle. The control device has a CAN interface as an output interface. An electrical brake pressure specification to the trailer vehicle takes place via the CAN interface. The CAN interface is connected via an electronic data bus to an electrical socket which is designed as an ISO 11992 socket. The control device is provided for coupling a further trailer vehicle in that a pneumatic connection via a trailer brake valve and an electrical connection via a trailer EBS module of the further trailer vehicle.GB 2 284 458 A discloses an electronic control unit in a first trailer in a vehicle train, the vehicle train comprising yet another trailer. The first trailer can transmit a fluidic pressure request signal to the further trailer on the one hand and receive a brake pressure from the further trailer on the other hand.EP 1 902 917 A2 discloses a trailer brake system which is designed to transmit a brake signal from a towing vehicle and an automatically generated brake signal of an electronic control unit of a trailer from the trailer via a valve device to one or more further trailers in a vehicle train, such that a trailer which has no electrical interface via which it could receive the brake signal as an electrical signal can be pneumatically actuated.The invention solves the problem by a brake control module for a first trailer of a truck, the brake control module comprising a towing vehicle interface comprising (i) a towing vehicle CAN interface for connecting to a towing vehicle CAN port of a towing vehicle, (ii) a towing vehicle power supply interface for connecting to a towing vehicle power supply port of a towing vehicle, and (iii) a towing vehicle warning light interface for connecting to a towing vehicle warning light port of the towing vehicle, and a second trailer interface for connecting to a second trailer coupled to the first trailer, the (i) a second trailer CAN interface for connecting to a second trailer CAN port of the second trailer, a second-trailer power supply interface for connecting to a power terminal of the second trailer, and (iii) a second-trailer warning light interface for connecting to a second-trailer warning light terminal of the second trailer. According to further aspects, the invention relates to a trailer having such a brake module and a truck having such a brake module in at least one trailer.The voltage supply interfaces are optional and not absolutely necessary. The warning light interface can also be dispensed with if necessary.The better braking behavior is advantageous with the invention. Because the brake control module has a CAN interface for the second trailer, the second trailer can also be braked via an electrical setpoint value. In previous systems, the secondary trailer is braked purely pneumatically. The electric braking makes the brake operate more quickly in the secondary trailer and the brake deceleration is increased at the beginning of the braking process.A further advantage is the flexibility of the brake control module. The brake control module is specifically preferably designed such that it forwards activation commands of the towing vehicle to all subsequent trailers, which are generally referred to below as secondary trailers. In principle, any number of trailers can be suspended one behind the other, all of which can be braked by electrical signals of the CAN bus.A further advantage is that trailers can be combined as desired. Trailers according to the invention with the brake control module according to the invention can be used both as first trailers and also as second trailers.It is a further advantage of the invention that information about the state of a second trailer also becomes available in the towing vehicle. For example, information about the wear state of the brake lining, the tires and / or the load of the second trailer can be transmitted to the towing vehicle via the first trailer by means of the CAN bus. It is also advantageous to simply link all the interfaces of the trailer and the towing vehicle.In the context of the present description, a towing vehicle is understood to mean, in particular, any vehicle to which the first trailer is coupled. The towing vehicle may, but need not, be a motorized towing vehicle. It is possible that the towing vehicle is also a trailer for its part. The terminology "first trailer" merely denotes a possible and particularly advantageous application for the brake control module. The invention also relates in particular to the brake module as such. The first trailer or the second trailer can be, for example, a dolly or trolley.The brake control module is designed to control a first trailer brake system of the first trailer, which is coupled to the towing vehicle, by means of a CAN data bus and to supply the first trailer brake system with electrical energy. In other words, the brake control module is designed to receive signals from the towing vehicle via the towing vehicle CAN interface, which signals code control commands for the brake system. The brake control module is also designed to actuate brakes of the first trailer such that the coded braking maneuver is carried out. The brake control module is preferably also designed to control a warning lamp of the first trailer.The brake control module is configured to issue CAN data to the second fob CAN interface, the CAN data encoding those commands received via the tow vehicle CAN interface. The brake control module thus serves on the one hand for activating the brake system of the first trailer and also as a relay station for the second trailer. Instead of the CAN bus, any other data bus can also be used.A brake control module that is particularly easy to operate is obtained if the towing vehicle interface can be connected to the towing vehicle via a single towing vehicle connection plug.The brake control module is particularly maintenance-free if the towing vehicle connection plug is connected by means of a single towing vehicle connection cable. In addition to the mechanical coupling of the first trailer and the towing vehicle or the second trailer and the first trailer, it is therefore merely necessary to produce a plug connection for actuating the brake system.It has been found to be particularly suitable if the CAN interface is a 24 V-CAN interface. Alternatively or additively, one or two 5 V-CAN interface / s can be provided.In order to save space, it is preferably provided that the first trailer brake system and the brake control module are combined to form one device.The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the attached drawings. This shows FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a brake module according to the invention.FIG. 1 shows an electronic brake control module 10 having a towing vehicle interface 12 that includes a towing vehicle CAN interface 14 and a combined interface that in turn combines a towing vehicle power supply interface 16 and a towing vehicle warning light interface 18. The interfaces mentioned transport electrical voltage or electrical signals on individual cables, not shown, and are combined in a towing vehicle connection cable 20 which ends in a towing vehicle connection plug 22. The towing vehicle connection plug 22 is configured to cooperate with a towing vehicle connection socket 24, which is fastened to a towing vehicle 25 shown schematically.Via the towing vehicle connection cable 20, the brake control module 10 receives electrical energy, a control signal which encodes commands for actuating the warning lamp and electrical signals on a CAN data bus. The tractor vehicle interface is connected via a decoder unit 26 to an electrical controller 28 which is configured to actuate a first trailer braking system 32 of a schematically depicted first trailer 31 via a driver 30.At the same time, the electrical controller 28 is configured to issue, via a coding unit 34, those commands to a second trailer CAN interface 36 that have been received via the towing vehicle CAN interface 14. It can be provided that the electrical controller 28 is designed to check all incoming commands on the CAN data bus as to whether they are intended for a second trailer 37, which is schematically depicted, wherein only these commands are also sent on to the second trailer 37.The voltage present at the towing vehicle voltage supply interface 16 is forwarded directly by a logic unit 38 to a second trailer voltage supply interface 40. The signals received via the second trailer warning light interface 44 are linked to the signals received from the brake system 32 via a brake system warning light interface 33 and are forwarded via the towing vehicle warning light interface 18 to the towing vehicle, which schematically bears the reference numeral 25, for the purpose of activating a warning light 42 located there.The warning light control commands arriving through the tractor-warning-light interface 18, which correspond to those for the tractor, are possibly amplified and then transmitted via a second-trailer warning-light interface 44 to a second-trailer warning-light connection 46. The second fob power supply interface 40, the second fob warning light interface 44, and the second fob CAN interface 36 are combined into a second fob interface 48. It is routed via electrical cables in a secondary trailer connection cable 50 to a secondary trailer connection plug 52. An electrical connection is established between the brake control module 10 and the second trailer via a second-trailer connection socket 54, with the result that the data running on the interfaces or the voltages present there can be transmitted to the second trailer. The CAN interfaces are 24 V-CAN interfaces.The brake system 32 is in electrical contact with an axle load sensor 56, a brake pad wear sensor 58 and a tire pressure control system 60. data sensed by these sensors is provided to the electrical controller 28 via a data line 62 and via the driver 30, which simultaneously acts as a decoder for these data. The electrical controller 28 in turn sends this data to the towing vehicle via the decoding unit, which can also be referred to as driver 26 and at the same time functions as coding unit, via the towing vehicle CAN interface.The secondary trailer comprises a brake control module which is identical in construction to the brake control module shown in FIG. 1. The secondary trailer also includes axle load sensors, brake pad wear sensors, and a tire pressure monitoring system. The data recorded by these sensors are forwarded to the towing vehicle via the electrical control of the brake control module in the second trailer, which control corresponds to the electrical control 28, via the second trailer CAN interface 36, the electrical control 28 and the towing vehicle CAN interface 14. In this way, sensor data of all trailers are always present in the towing vehicle.

Claims

A brake control module for a first trailer of a truck, comprising (a) a towing vehicle interface (12) comprising (i) a towing vehicle CAN interface (14) for connecting to a towing vehicle CAN port of a towing vehicle, (ii) a towing vehicle power supply interface (16) for connecting to a towing vehicle power supply port of the towing vehicle, and (iii) a towing vehicle warning light interface (18) for connecting to a towing vehicle warning light port of the towing vehicle, and (b) a second trailer interface (48) for connecting a second trailer coupled to the first trailer, the (i) a second trailer CAN interface (36) for connecting to a second trailer CAN port of the second trailer, (ii) a second trailer power supply interface (40) for connecting to a power terminal of the second trailer and (iii) a second trailer warning light interface (44) for connecting to a second trailer warning light terminal (46) of the second trailer, characterized in that it is configured to control the first trailer braking system of a first trailer coupled to the towing vehicle by means of a CAN data bus and to supply electrical power to the first trailer braking system and in that it is configured to provide CAN data to the second trailer CAN interface, the CAN data encoding those commands received via the towing vehicle CAN interface.Brake control module according to Claim 1, characterized in that the towing vehicle interface (12) can be connected to the towing vehicle via a single towing vehicle connection plug (22), and in that the towing vehicle connection plug (22) is connected by means of a single towing vehicle connection cable (20).Brake control module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the secondary trailer interface can be connected to the secondary trailer via a single secondary trailer connection plug (52), and in that the secondary trailer connection plug (52) is connected by means of a single secondary trailer connection cable (50).Brake control module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the CAN interfaces are 24V-CAN interfaces.Brake control module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the voltage supply to the second trailer and to the first trailer brake system (32) is protected against electrical overloading.The brake control module according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first trailer brake system is integrated into the brake control module.Trailer for a truck, characterized bya brake control module (10) according to one of the preceding claims.A truck comprising - a towing vehicle, - a first trailer coupled to the towing vehicle, and - a second trailer coupled to the first trailer, characterized in that the first trailer and / or the second trailer correspond to the trailer according to claim 7.

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