VEHICLE WITH LOAD DETECTION DEVICES

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle (100) with a load detection device comprising at least one load sensor (10) which, according to a first embodiment, is connected to at least one axle (20) of the vehicle, wherein: the at least one load sensor (10) is located inside the at least one axle (20); the at least one load sensor (10) is arranged at the end of the at least one axle (20) in a region which supports at least one corresponding wheel (30) of the vehicle; while, according to a second embodiment, it is connected to at least one structural longitudinal member (50) of the vehicle (100); wherein a combination of the two embodiments is also provided.

Description

Field of invention

[0001] The present invention relates to transport vehicles and in particular vehicles containing load detection devices. Basis of the invention

[0002] Measuring the load (or, in other words, the weight) of a vehicle is mainly carried out on large vehicles such as trucks, semi-trailer trucks and trailers to prevent traffic accidents such as rollovers due to overloading and also to avoid damage to the vehicle itself as well as the surfaces, roads and highways on which it travels.

[0003] Therefore, for example, weighing platforms are widespread along the side of highways in Brazil. However, since this conventional method of load measurement requires a lot of space, the associated costs are very high.

[0004] To avoid this inconvenience, the state of the art already provides several solutions in which load measurement is integrated into the vehicles themselves.

[0005] Documents US5681998, CN208751691, US4728922, DE3711175, US5811738, US5410109, and JP9133571, for example, already show, each with its own specific features, various load detection devices installed in vehicles where the sensor unit or sensor element is directly connected to the leaf springs of the vehicle suspension. This type of arrangement has a major disadvantage because the leaf spring assembly exhibits uneven behavior due to design differences (e.g., geometry), even due to the mechanical properties of the individual springs (e.g., different heat treatments), and even due to friction between them.

[0006] In other words, and still in the context of dynamic weighing, when the aforementioned spring assembly is loaded, the springs are in a specific state, and consequently, a load sensor connected to them would provide an initial measurement. When the spring assembly is unloaded, due to the aspects mentioned above, there is a high probability that the spring assembly will not return to its original state, resulting in a residual value at the load sensor that renders the measurements unreliable. In this sense, even accelerating and braking the vehicle can cause such measurement errors.

[0007] On the other hand, other patent documents currently considered more relevant already provide arrangements that separate the load sensors from the flat springs, such as EP0307634, US2005081649, EP3795959, US2021008940 and US6084183. More precisely, the solutions in these documents provide for connecting the aforementioned sensors to the vehicle axles in their own unique ways.

[0008] However, the solution described in documents EP0307634, US2005081649, EP3795959, US2021008940 and US6084183 involves placing the sensor off-axis, which poses some risks regarding the protection of the sensors from mechanical damage and / or weather conditions such as temperature, water, wind, dust, etc.

[0009] Furthermore, apart from US2021008940, none of the documents EP0307634, US2005081649, EP3795959 and US6084183 provide for an arrangement of the sensor that allows retrofitting of previously constructed vehicle axles.

[0010] Although the solutions described above are functional for the purposes for which they were developed, there are still gaps in the state of the art regarding the provision of a load detection device for vehicles that is sufficiently robust, resilient, efficient, easy to install and reliable, and allows for the retrofitting of an axle of an already constructed vehicle.

[0011] The present invention was developed based on this scenario. Objectives of the invention

[0012] Therefore, a fundamental objective of the present invention is to disclose a vehicle with a load detection device.

[0013] More specifically, the aim of the present invention is to describe a sufficiently robust, resistant, easy-to-assemble solution for a load detection device in a vehicle that is protected against mechanical damage and / or weather influences.

[0014] Furthermore, the aim of the present invention is to provide a charge detection device that delivers more reliable and efficient measurements due to the specific arrangement of the sensor. Summary of the invention

[0015] According to a first embodiment, the objectives summarized above are achieved by a vehicle with a load detection device comprising at least one load sensor, wherein the at least one load sensor is located inside the at least one axle; the at least one load sensor is arranged at the end of the at least one axle in an area that supports at least one corresponding wheel of the vehicle.

[0016] Alternatively, according to a second embodiment, the above-mentioned objectives are achieved by a vehicle comprising a load detection device which includes at least one load sensor, wherein the device includes at least one load sensor which is connected to at least one longitudinal member of the vehicle.

[0017] Preferably, the at least one load sensor is housed in a corresponding housing body that is coupled to the at least one axis, so that it is integrated into it.

[0018] Preferably, the housing body can be coupled coaxially to the respective axle at its end, so that it forms an extension of the axle. Preferably, the housing body has a shape substantially corresponding to the shape of the wheel hub area of ​​the respective wheel, so that cooperation between the two is possible.

[0019] It is also advantageous that the arrangement includes at least one load sensor assigned to each of the wheels. Furthermore, the use of a magnetic load sensor is beneficial.

[0020] Optionally, the arrangement according to the first embodiment of the present invention comprises at least one further load sensor which is connected to at least one structural longitudinal member of the vehicle.

[0021] Finally, it should be noted that the present invention is applicable to both motor vehicles and motor-driven vehicles. Brief description of the drawings

[0022] The present invention is explained in detail with reference to the illustrative figures shown below: Fig. Figure 1 shows a perspective rear view of a vehicle type on which the load detection device of the present invention can be applied; Fig. 2 shows a detailed view A of Fig. 1, wherein the respective wheel is omitted for better illustration of the components, according to the first embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 3 shows the same view as Fig. 2, however with a transparent housing body for better visualization of its internal structure; Fig. Figure 4 shows an exploded view of the housing body and the load sensor according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5 shows a view of detail B from Fig. 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention and / or according to the optional version of the first embodiment. Detailed description of the invention

[0023] Thus, with a focus on achieving the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention in a first possible embodiment relates to a vehicle 100 with a load detection device comprising at least one load sensor 10 connected to at least one axle 20 of the vehicle, wherein the at least one load sensor 10 is located inside the at least one axle 20.

[0024] The main reason for this arrangement is to decouple the load measurement from the suspension (flat springs) of vehicle 100 and to perform it on a part of vehicle 100 that allows for a dynamic weighing device, thereby achieving higher accuracy / reliability. Another reason for this arrangement is to protect the load sensor 10 itself from mechanical damage and / or weather influences such as rain, temperature fluctuations, wind, dust, etc.

[0025] It should be emphasized here that the mention of the load sensor 10 refers to the entire sensor assembly, which includes the sensitive element 11, its cover and / or, depending on the case, any wireless module or other elements, with the exception of the electrical wiring 12, which obviously must extend beyond this area for electrical connection reasons.

[0026] Furthermore, at least one load sensor 10 is arranged at the end of at least one axle 20 in an area that interacts with at least one corresponding wheel 30 of the vehicle. In this context, it should be emphasized that it is possible to provide a load sensor 10 for each wheel of the vehicle 30 in order to obtain an individual – and therefore more accurate – measurement for each wheel 30.

[0027] This means that the load sensor 10 is completely surrounded by the vehicle wheel 30. More precisely, the aforementioned area of ​​the axle 20 supports the hub of the respective vehicle wheel 30, i.e., it is equipped with rotatable bearings.

[0028] Preferably, the at least one load sensor 10 is housed in a respective housing body 40, which is adaptable (preferably welded) to the respective end of a main part 21 of the at least one axle 20, so that it is integrated into it. In this case, it is understood that the combination of housing body(s) 40 and main part 21 defines the axle 20 as a whole. According to this embodiment, the housing body 40 rotatably supports / mounts the wheel hub 30. In other words, the housing body 40 is the axle end 20.

[0029] In this case, it would be advantageous if the housing body 40 could be coupled coaxially with the corresponding axis 20 as an extension of the same and, in particular, as an extension of the main part 21.

[0030] In other words, the axis 20 can be a single piece and accommodate the load sensor 10 inside it in at least one of its distal sections, or alternatively, the axis 20 can be two-piece (or three-piece, for example), wherein the axis 20 consists of the main part 21 and one or more housing bodies 40 which are connected to the distal part(s) of the main part 21, the respective load sensors 10 in this case being housed inside the respective housing bodies 40, as mentioned above.

[0031] The housing body 40 defines a cavity 42 that can receive and accommodate the charge sensor 10, preferably in an adjacent arrangement, as shown in Fig.Figure 2 illustrates this. In other words, it is advantageous that the part relating to the sensitive element 11 of the load sensor 10 fits precisely into at least part of the cavity 42 to facilitate the transmission of mechanical forces from one body to another and thus enable accurate load measurement. The load sensor 10 can also be screwed onto the cavity 42 of the housing body 40.

[0032] Furthermore, according to this first embodiment, the housing body 40 comprises a form that interacts with the wheel hub 30 of the vehicle and an insertion means 41 to ensure a suitable connection with the wheel hub 30.

[0033] This shape could essentially be truncated cone-shaped or like two cylinders connected by a truncated cone, as shown, for example, in the figures. In summary, the shape of the housing body 40 must essentially correspond to that of the wheel hub 30 to allow interaction between the two.

[0034] This preferred arrangement proves to be particularly advantageous because it would make it possible to attach the housing body 40 to a previously provided axis 20 (or a fixed part 21), thus making it possible to retrofit the same.

[0035] According to this first embodiment as well, the present invention enables precise monitoring, including for force control, of the axis 20 (as a whole, i.e., housing body 40 and main part 21). The loss of the electrical connection / signal between the sensor element 11 and the (not shown) (processing / control) module to which it is connected can be interpreted as an interruption of the electrical wiring 12 and thus as a separation / breakage of the housing body 40 from the main part 21 of the shaft 20. That is, the load sensor 10 can also be used as an integrity sensor for the axis 20 and / or the housing body 40.

[0036] Optionally, the load detection device can include at least one additional load sensor 10 connected to at least one structural longitudinal member 50 of the vehicle 100. The advantage of this optional configuration is that more measurement data can be acquired and the data from the different load sensors 10 can be compared. Furthermore, it facilitates the installation of load sensors 10 on the corresponding structural longitudinal members 50 in previously constructed vehicles 100 without requiring major modifications to the layout of the vehicle 100, thus enabling retrofitting, for example.

[0037] In a second embodiment of the invention, the load detection device can comprise at least one load sensor 10 connected to at least one structural longitudinal member 50 of the vehicle 100, regardless of the provision of load sensors 10 on the wheels 30 of the vehicle 100.

[0038] The main reason for this second embodiment, as with the first embodiment, is to decouple the load measurement from the suspension (flat springs) of the vehicle 100 and to perform it on a part of the vehicle 100 that has higher accuracy / enforceability. On the other hand, unlike the first embodiment, this second embodiment would not offer as many advantages with regard to protecting the load sensor 10 from mechanical damage and / or weather influences such as rain, temperature fluctuations, wind, dust, etc.

[0039] For this purpose, the load sensor 10 is housed in a casing 40, which in turn is attached to and fastened to the structural longitudinal member(s) of the vehicle 100. It should be noted that this second embodiment would also allow for retrofitting.

[0040] As in the first embodiment, the housing body 40 in this second embodiment also defines a cavity 42 which can preferably accommodate and house the load sensor 10 side by side. In other words, it is advantageous that the part relating to the sensitive element 11 of the load sensor 10 fits precisely into at least one part of the cavity 42 to facilitate the transmission of mechanical forces from one body to the other and thus enable accurate load measurement.

[0041] The load sensor 10 can also be screwed onto the cavity 42 of the housing body 40.

[0042] According to this second embodiment, the external shape of the housing body 40 would not be so relevant, but just to mention one possibility, this shape could be parallelepiped.

[0043] In each of the arrangements provided above, it is preferable for the load sensor 10 to be of a magnetic type. This allows the load sensor 10 to be mounted in any orientation on the axis 20 and / or the structural longitudinal beam(s) 50 – or on the housing body 40 – which enables the arrangement proposed here and also facilitates the manufacture of the assembly.

[0044] Furthermore, in both illustrated embodiments, it is advantageous that the housing body 40 is designed and dimensioned in such a way that it is only elastically (and not plastically) deformable under mechanical stress, so that it does not retain any residual stress in the unloaded state that could be transferred to the load sensor 10 and lead to measurement errors.

[0045] Due to the measures outlined and the fact that the load sensor 10 is of the magnetic type, a more accurate measurement of the vehicle's load 100 is achieved. This is because the magnetic sensor detects the displacement of the load in all directions, unlike, for example, a load cell, which only detects the load in one direction.

[0046] It should be noted that the aforementioned load detection devices can be used in any of the above-mentioned embodiments in a motor vehicle or a mobile vehicle, such as a truck or a trailer.

[0047] It is important to emphasize that the above description serves only to illustrate the specific embodiment of the present invention by way of example. Therefore, it is clear that constructive modifications, variations, and combinations of the elements that essentially perform the same function to achieve the same results remain within the scope of protection limited by the appended claims. QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] US 5681998

[0005] CN 208751691

[0005] US 4728922

[0005] DE 3711175

[0005] US 5811738

[0005] US 5410109

[0005] JP 9133571

[0005] EP 0307634 [0007, 0008, 0009] US 2005081649 [0007, 0008, 0009] EP 3795959 [0007, 0008, 0009] US 2021008940 [0007, 0008, 0009] US 6084183 [0007, 0008, 0009]

Claims

[1] Vehicle with a load detection device comprising at least one load sensor (10), wherein said device MARKED BY THIS is that which at least one load sensor (10) is located in at least one axis (20); the aforementioned at least one load sensor (10) is arranged at the end of the aforementioned at least one axle (20) in an area which carries at least one corresponding wheel (30) of the vehicle. [2] Vehicle with a load detection device comprising at least one load sensor (10), wherein said device MARKED BY THIS is that it includes at least one load sensor (10) which is connected to at least one structural longitudinal member (50) of the vehicle (100). [3] Vehicle with a load detection device according to claim 1, MARKED BY THIS, that the aforementioned at least one load sensor (10) is housed in a respective housing body (40) which can be coupled to the aforementioned at least one axis (20) in order to be integrated into it. [4] Vehicle with a load detection device according to claim 3, MARKED BY THIS , that the said housing body (40) can be coupled coaxially with the respective axis (20) at its end, so that it forms an extension of the same. [5] Vehicle with a load detection device according to claim 3, MARKED BY THIS , that the said housing body (40) has a shape substantially corresponding to the cube shape of the respective wheel (30) in order to enable interaction between the two. [6] Vehicle with a load detection device according to claim 1, MARKED BY THIS , that it includes at least one charge sensor (10) assigned to each of the wheels (30). [7] Vehicle with a load detection device according to claim 1, MARKED BY THIS , that the said device comprises at least one further load sensor (10) which is assigned to at least one structural longitudinal member (50) of the vehicle (100). [8] Vehicle with a load detection device according to claim 1 or 2, MARKED BY THIS , that the aforementioned load sensor (10) is magnetic. [9] Vehicle with a load detection device according to claim 1 or 2, MARKED BY THIS , that the aforementioned vehicle is a motor vehicle. [10] Vehicle with a load detection device according to claim 1 or 2, MARKED BY THIS , that the aforementioned vehicle is a movable vehicle.

Images