Control device and method for operating a parking brake device of a vehicle

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a control device for a parking brake device.

[0002] The invention also relates to parking brake devices for vehicles. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for operating a parking brake device of a vehicle. State of the art

[0003] DE 10 2014 207 997 A1 describes a control unit for a parking lock which is designed to activate a parking lock actuator of the parking lock when a selector lever or a brake pedal is actuated by a driver of the vehicle equipped with the parking lock in such a way that the parking lock actuator brings a parking lock pawl into positive engagement with a parking lock gear of the parking lock by pivoting it.

[0004] US 2017 / 0268672 A1 discloses a parking lock device having a parking gear and a parking pawl that can be engaged with and disengaged from the parking gear, as well as a slide that can be switched between an engaged state in which the parking pawl is engaged with the parking gear and a disengaged state in which the parking pawl is disengaged from the parking gear, and a hydraulic system that controls the slide. Disclosure of the invention

[0005] The present invention provides a control device for a parking brake device having the features of claim 1. Advantages of the invention

[0006] The present invention provides possibilities for reliably locking a vehicle / motor vehicle in its current parking position in the event of an unexpected / sudden failure of a power supply system of the respective vehicle during a process of parking / stopping the vehicle. This ensures safe parking of the vehicle with a minimized (almost zero) risk of rolling away even in such a situation. Even if the already initiated process of parking / stopping the vehicle could not be completed due to the failure of the vehicle's power supply system, there is no need to fear the vehicle rolling away when using the present invention. In particular, there is no need to fear the vehicle rolling away when using the present invention even if a driver present in the vehicle at the time of the power supply system failure forgets to apply the brakes.The present invention thus increases driver comfort and safety standards of the vehicle used for its implementation.

[0007] It should also be noted that the present invention additionally provides options for safely stopping / parking an autonomous vehicle in the event of a power system failure, even though a driver is often not present in this case. The present invention thus also contributes to increasing the safety standards of autonomous vehicles.

[0008] In an advantageous embodiment, the control device comprises an emergency energy storage device, and the electronic device is designed to output energy stored in the emergency energy storage device as the at least one activation signal to the triggering device of the parking brake device. Since the amount of energy sufficient to activate the triggering device can generally be stored using a comparatively inexpensive and space-saving emergency energy storage device, such as a storage capacitor, such a design of the control device hardly leads to an increase in its space requirements or its costs. At the same time, this embodiment of the control device reliably ensures that, despite an unexpected / sudden failure of the power supply system of the respective vehicle, sufficient energy is still available to transfer the parking brake device to its locking mode.

[0009] In an alternative embodiment of the control device, the electronic device can be configured to output at least one switching signal as the at least one activation signal to at least one switch of the triggering device such that the electronics of the triggering device can be supplied with power from an energy storage device of the triggering device via the switch switched by the at least one switching signal. In this case, too, a sufficient power supply to the triggering device for transferring the parking brake device into its locking mode is reliably ensured.

[0010] The previously described advantages of the embodiments of the control device are also ensured in a parking brake device for a vehicle for interaction with such a control device or in a parking brake device for a vehicle with a corresponding control device. In both cases, the parking brake device comprises the triggering device, which can be activated by means of the at least one activation signal output by the control device, wherein the parking brake device is designed such that the parking brake device can be transferred into its locking mode by means of the activated triggering device, so that the vehicle is locked in its current parking position by means of the parking brake device in its locking mode.

[0011] The parking brake device preferably has a pyrotechnic or electromagnetic triggering device and an adjusting element as its triggering device. The adjusting element can be adjusted from an initial position into an active position by means of activation of the pyrotechnic or electromagnetic triggering device such that the parking brake device is in its locking mode when the adjusting element is in its active position. The design of the parking brake device described here with the pyrotechnic or electromagnetic triggering device and the adjusting element ensures that even a comparatively small amount of energy is sufficient to transfer the parking brake device into its locking mode.

[0012] For example, the parking brake device can comprise an adjustable pawl, a ratchet wheel, and at least one spring. The adjustable pawl can be held in a standby position spaced from the ratchet wheel by means of the adjusting element in its initial position, counter to a force of the at least one spring. When the adjusting element is in its operative position, the adjustable pawl can be pressed into a locking position against the ratchet wheel by means of the force of the at least one spring, such that the parking brake device is in its locking mode. The interaction of the adjustable pawl, ratchet wheel, the at least one spring, and the adjusting element described here can be implemented mechanically easily and cost-effectively.

[0013] Alternatively, the parking brake device can also comprise an adjustable pawl and a ratchet wheel, wherein the adjustable pawl is in a standby position spaced from the ratchet wheel when the adjusting element is in its initial position, and wherein the adjustable pawl can be pressed into a locking position against the ratchet wheel by means of the adjusting element in its operative position, such that the parking brake device is in its locking mode. This embodiment of the parking brake device is also comparatively simple and cost-effective to manufacture.

[0014] The parking brake device can, for example, be a parking lock or an electric parking brake. The present invention can thus be used for a variety of advantageously used vehicle components to prevent the respective vehicle equipped therewith from undesired rolling away. However, it should be noted that the examples mentioned here are not to be understood as limiting the parking brake device.

[0015] Furthermore, implementing a corresponding method for operating a parking brake device of a vehicle also provides the advantages already listed above. It is expressly noted that the method for operating a parking brake device of a vehicle can be further developed according to the above-explained embodiments of the control device and the parking brake devices. Short description of the drawings

[0016] Further features and advantages of the present invention are explained below with reference to the figures. They show: Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a first embodiment of the control device, or a first embodiment of a parking brake device cooperating therewith or equipped therewith; Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of a second embodiment of the control device, or a second embodiment of a parking brake device cooperating therewith or equipped therewith; Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of a third embodiment of the control device, or a third embodiment of a parking brake device cooperating therewith or equipped therewith; Fig. 4 shows a schematic representation of a fourth embodiment of the control device, or a fourth embodiment of a parking brake device cooperating therewith or equipped therewith; and Fig. 5 shows a flow chart for explaining an embodiment of the method for operating a parking brake device of a vehicle. Embodiments of the invention

[0017] Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a first embodiment of the control device, or a first embodiment of a parking brake device cooperating with or equipped therewith.

[0018] The Fig. 1 The schematically illustrated control device 10, or the parking brake device cooperating with or equipped with it, can be used in a variety of vehicle types / motor vehicle types. Even if the use of the control device 10 is particularly advantageous for a vehicle / motor vehicle designed for autonomous driving, the control device 10 can nevertheless be advantageously used in any other vehicle type / motor vehicle type.

[0019] The control device 10 has an electronic device 12, by means of which a failure of a power supply system (not shown) of a vehicle equipped with the control device 10 and the parking brake device can be detected during a process of stopping / parking the vehicle. A failure of the power supply system of the respective vehicle can be understood, for example, as a failure of a low-voltage electrical system of the respective vehicle. Since possibilities for detecting such a situation are already known from the prior art, they will not be discussed in detail here. For example, the electronic device 12 can, if necessary, detect, using at least one voltage measuring device, that a provided low-voltage voltage falls below a predetermined threshold value.

[0020] In the event of a power supply system failure during a process of stopping / parking the vehicle, the electronic device 12 is designed to output at least one activation signal 14 to a triggering device 16 of the parking brake device such that the triggering device 16 can be activated / is activated by the at least one activation signal 14. For this purpose, the triggering device 16 is designed such that the triggering device 16 can be activated / is activated by the at least one activation signal 14 output by the control device 10. Furthermore, the parking brake device described in more detail below is designed such that the parking brake device can be transferred / is transferred into a so-called locking mode by means of the activated triggering device 16.As will also be explained in more detail below, the design of the parking brake device ensures that the vehicle is locked / held in its current parking position by means of the parking brake device in its locking mode. Thus, the control device 10 ensures that the vehicle is locked in its current parking position by means of the parking brake device in the event of a failure of its power supply system during a process of parking / stopping the vehicle.

[0021] The control device 10 and the parking brake device cooperating with it or equipped with it thus ensure that the vehicle is locked in the respective parking position, even in the event of an unexpected / sudden failure of its power system during a parking / parking process, so that there is no need to fear an undesired rolling away of the vehicle, even on a parking area with a significant incline. Due to the advantageous design of the control device 10, this advantage is also guaranteed if the power system failure occurs during a parking / parking process of the previously autonomously driving and driverless vehicle.In contrast, even if a low-voltage electrical system used as a power supply system of an already parked vehicle is discharged, there is no need to fear activation of the triggering device 16 and thus no undesired transfer of the parking brake device into its locking mode. Instead, in such a situation, the vehicle can be secured, for example, by means of a conventional parking hold system.

[0022] In the embodiment of the Fig. 1 The electronic device 12 of the control device 10 is designed to output at least one switching signal 14 as the at least one activation signal 14 to at least one switch 18 of the triggering device 16, which means that an electronic device 20 of the triggering device 16 can be supplied with power from a (separate) energy store 22 of the triggering device 16 via the switch 18 switched by means of the at least one switching signal 14. This ensures that even in the event of a failure of the power supply system, a sufficient power supply is still available to activate the triggering device 16 and to transfer the parking brake device into its locking mode. For example, at least one storage capacitor 22 can be used as the energy store 22 of the triggering device 16. Such an energy store 22 is comparatively cost-effective and requires relatively little installation space.Each time the vehicle starts driving, the at least one storage capacitor 22 can be charged by its power supply network with sufficient triggering energy to trigger the triggering device 16. The low-voltage vehicle electrical system is also well suited for this purpose. However, it should be noted that the voltage in . Fig. 1 The storage capacitor 22 shown is to be interpreted only as an example of the energy storage device 22 of the triggering device 16. Other energy storage types can also be used for the triggering device 16.

[0023] As an alternative to the design of the triggering device 16 with its own energy storage device 22, the control device 10 can also include an emergency energy storage device (not shown). In this case, the electronic device 12 is preferably designed to output energy stored in the emergency energy storage device as the at least one activation signal 14 to the triggering device 16 of the parking brake device. This also ensures that, especially in the event of a failure of the vehicle's power supply system during a process of parking the vehicle, a sufficient energy supply to the triggering device 16 is still ensured to activate the triggering device 16 and to transfer the parking brake device into its locking mode.

[0024] In the embodiment of the Fig. 1 the triggering device 16 is an electromagnetic triggering device 16 with a magnetic coil 20 as at least part of its electronics 20. By energizing the magnetic coil 20, a magnetic field can be / is caused. In addition, the Fig. 1 schematically shown parking brake device has an adjusting element 24, wherein the adjusting element 24 is arranged on the triggering device 16 in such a way that the adjusting element 24 can be actuated by means of an activation of the triggering device 16 from a (in Fig. 1 shown) initial position into an active position. In the illustrated embodiment of the Fig. 1 The adjusting element 24 can, for example, be pulled from its initial position into its active position by means of the magnetic field generated by energizing the magnetic coil 20. In particular, the adjusting element 24 can, in its active position, protrude at least partially into an internal volume surrounded by the magnetic coil 20. If desired, at least a portion 24a of the adjusting element 24 can be magnetized. Furthermore, the parking brake device is designed such that, when the adjusting element 24 is in its active position, the parking brake device is in its locking mode.

[0025] In the example of Fig. 1 The parking brake device also includes an adjustable pawl 26, a ratchet wheel 28, and at least one spring 30. The at least one spring 30 can be at least one compression spring 30 and / or at least one tension spring. In particular, at least one preloaded spring 30 can be used as the at least one spring 30. The adjustable pawl 26 is held in a waiting position spaced from the ratchet wheel 28 by means of the adjusting element 24 in its initial position, counter to a force of the at least one spring 30. The adjusting element 24 thus functions as a so-called "holding element." However, when the adjusting element 24 is in its operative position, the adjustable pawl 26 can be pressed into a locking position against the ratchet wheel 28 by the force of the at least one spring 30, such that the parking brake device is in its locking mode.The at least one spring 30 can thus also be used as a "power accumulator" to ensure that the adjustable pawl 26 is positively locked in its locking position on the locking wheel 28 in the event of a failure of the vehicle's power supply system.

[0026] After transferring the parking brake device of the Fig. 1 Once the parking brake device is in its locking mode by engaging the adjustable pawl 26 with the ratchet wheel 28, the vehicle equipped with the parking brake device is no longer drivable. There is no need to fear that the vehicle will roll away before the adjustable pawl 26 is released from the ratchet wheel 28. Reactivation of the parking brake device by releasing the adjustable pawl 26 from the ratchet wheel 28 can be carried out by a workshop. Since the parking brake device is transferred to its locking mode with a relatively low frequency, the assistance of a workshop to release the adjustable pawl 26 from the ratchet wheel 28 is only required comparatively rarely.

[0027] Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of a second embodiment of the control device, or a second embodiment of a parking brake device cooperating with or equipped therewith.

[0028] The Fig. 2 The partially schematically shown parking brake device differs from the previously described embodiment in that the parking brake device of the Fig. 2 a pyrotechnic triggering device 32. The pyrotechnic triggering device 32 has an ignition coil 34 as at least part of its electronics 34, wherein sparks / ignition sparks can be generated by energizing the ignition coil 34. By means of the sparks generated in this way, an ignition substance 36, which is present in a reaction volume 38 of the triggering device 32, can be caused to explode. The reaction volume 38 is delimited by an adjustable piston 39, wherein a pressure increase caused by the explosion of the ignition substance 36 is sufficient to adjust the adjustable piston 39.

[0029] The parking brake device of the Fig. 2 The adjusting element 24 described above is connected to the adjustable piston 39 in such a way that the adjusting element 24 can be adjusted from its initial position to its effective position by means of the adjusting movement of the adjustable piston 39 triggered by the explosion of the ignition material 36. This also allows the Fig. 2 The adjusting element 24 shown interacts as a so-called "holding element" with the components 26 to 30 (not shown) of its parking brake device in such a way that, by energizing the ignition coil 34, a chain reaction can be triggered to transfer the parking brake device into its locking mode. The force of the at least one spring 30 then reliably holds the adjustable pawl 26 in its locking position or reliably engages the adjustable pawl 26 in a locking wheel opening of the locking wheel 28.

[0030] Regarding other components of the parking brake device of the Fig. 2 reference is made to the previously described embodiment.

[0031] Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of a third embodiment of the control device, or a third embodiment of a parking brake device cooperating or equipped therewith.

[0032] Also the Fig. 3 The schematically illustrated parking brake device has an adjustable pawl 40 and a ratchet wheel 42. When the adjusting element 44, designed as a "wedge element," is in its initial position, the adjustable pawl 40 is in a so-called standby position spaced from the ratchet wheel 42. For example, as long as the adjusting element 44 is in its initial position, the adjustable pawl 40 can be held away from the ratchet wheel 42 by means of at least one spring 46, such as in particular at least one torsion spring 46. Preferably, the adjusting element 44 in its initial position does not contact the adjustable pawl.

[0033] The parking brake device of the Fig. 3 The adjusting element 44 is adjustable from its initial position to its operative position by means of an explosion of the ignition material 36 filled into the reaction volume 38, caused by the sparks generated by the ignition coil 34. Only by means of the adjusting element 44 in its operative position can the adjustable pawl 40 be pressed into a locking position against the ratchet wheel 42 such that the parking brake device is in its locking mode. For example, the adjusting element 44, when adjusted to its operative position, can act as a "wedge element" to contact the adjustable pawl 40 such that the adjustable pawl 40 is pressed against the ratchet wheel 42 against a force of the at least one spring 46. As soon as the adjustable pawl 40 is positioned over a ratchet wheel opening formed in the ratchet wheel 42, the adjustable pawl 40 is pushed into the ratchet wheel opening by the pressure exerted thereon by means of the adjusting element 40 and is locked onto the ratchet wheel 42.

[0034] Regarding other components of the parking brake device of the Fig. 3 reference is made to the previously described embodiments.

[0035] Fig. 4 shows a schematic representation of a fourth embodiment of the control device, or a fourth embodiment of a parking brake device cooperating or equipped therewith.

[0036] In the design of the Fig. 4 The adjusting element 44, designed as a "wedge element," can be pulled from its initial position into its active position by means of the magnetic field generated by energizing the magnetic coil 20. In particular, the adjusting element 24, in its active position, can extend at least partially into an internal volume surrounded by the magnetic coil 20. Specifically, a portion 44a of the adjusting element 44 can be magnetized.

[0037] By means of the adjusting element 44 in its operative position, the (not shown) adjustable pawl 40 can be pressed into a locking position against the (not sketched) ratchet wheel 42 in such a way that the adjustable pawl 40 is pushed into the ratchet wheel opening by the pressure exerted thereon by the adjusting element 40 and is locked onto the ratchet wheel 42. In this way, the parking brake device of the Fig. 4 the advantages of the previously described embodiments.

[0038] Other components of the parking brake device of the Fig. 4 have already been described with reference to the previously described embodiments.

[0039] In all embodiments of the parking brake device described above, the control device 10 can be integrated into the respective parking brake device. However, the control device 10 can also be a component formed separately from the respective parking brake device shown, which interacts with the respective parking brake device.

[0040] In the embodiments of the parking brake device explained above, the parking brake device is in each case a parking lock. In particular, in the respective parking lock, the locking wheel 28 or 42 can be installed on a transmission of an internal combustion engine and / or an electric drive motor of the respective vehicle or on at least one wheel of the respective vehicle. In both cases, the vehicle can be reliably held by locking the adjustable pawl (26 or 40) on the associated locking wheel 28 or 42, even on a standing surface with a significant incline. Alternatively, however, each of the parking brake devices described above can also be an electric parking brake.

[0041] Fig. 5 shows a flowchart for explaining an embodiment of the method for operating a parking brake device of a vehicle.

[0042] Method step S1 determines whether a power supply system of the vehicle fails during a vehicle parking process. For example, method step S1 can be performed repeatedly during a vehicle parking process by continuously measuring a voltage that can be provided by the power supply system, such as a low voltage, using at least one voltage measuring device and comparing it with a predetermined threshold value.

[0043] If it is determined in method step S1 that the vehicle's power supply system has failed during a process for parking the vehicle, for example, because the measured voltage falls below the predetermined threshold, method step S2 is executed. In method step S2, a triggering device of the parking brake device is activated such that the activated triggering device transfers the parking brake device to a locking mode, so that the stationary vehicle is locked by the parking brake device in its locking mode.

[0044] All of the parking brake devices explained above can be used to carry out the method described here. However, the feasibility of the method is not limited to the use of one of these parking brake devices.

Claims

1. Parking brake device for a vehicle, having: a control device (10), wherein the control apparatus (10) has an electronic apparatus (12), by means of which, in the event of a failure of a power supply system of a vehicle equipped with the control device (10) and the parking brake device during an operation for shutting down the vehicle, at least one activation signal (14) may be output to a triggering apparatus (16, 32) of the parking brake device in such a way that the triggering apparatus (16, 32) may be activated by means of the at least one activation signal (14) and the parking brake device can be changed to a locking mode by means of the activated triggering apparatus (16, 32), the triggering apparatus (16, 32) which can be activated by means of the at least one activation signal (14) output by the control device (10), wherein the parking brake device is designed in such a way that the parking brake device can be changed to its locking mode by means of the activated triggering apparatus (16, 32), so that the vehicle is locked in its current parking position by means of the parking brake device which is in its locking mode, wherein the parking brake device has an adjustment element (24, 44), and wherein the adjustment element (24, 44) is arranged on the triggering apparatus (16, 32) in such a way that the adjustment element (24, 44) can be displaced from a starting position to an active position by activation of the triggering apparatus (16, 32) such that the parking brake device is in its locking mode when the adjustment element (24, 44) is in its active position, wherein the parking brake device comprises a movable pawl (26), a locking wheel (28) and at least one spring (30), characterized in that the parking brake device has a pyrotechnic triggering apparatus (16, 32) as its triggering apparatus (16, 32), and in that the movable pawl (26) can be held in a waiting position spaced apart from the locking wheel (28) by means of the adjustment element (24) in its starting position against a force of the at least one spring (30), and wherein the movable pawl (26) can be forced by the force of the at least one spring (30) into a locking position against the locking wheel (28) with the adjustment element (24) in its active position, so that the parking brake device is in its locking mode.

2. Parking brake device according to Claim 1, wherein the control device (10) comprises an emergency energy storage device, and the electronic apparatus (12) is designed to output energy stored in the emergency energy storage device as the at least one activation signal to the triggering apparatus (16, 32) of the parking brake device.

3. Parking brake device according to Claim 1, wherein the electronic apparatus (12) is designed to output at least one switching signal (14) as the at least one activation signal (14) to at least one switch (18) of the triggering apparatus (16, 32) in such a way that the electronics (20, 34) of the triggering apparatus (16, 32) can be supplied with power from an energy storage device (22) of the triggering apparatus (16, 32) via the switch (18) switched by the at least one switching signal (14).

4. Parking brake device according to one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the parking brake device is a parking lock or an electric parking brake.