Device for automatically establishing connections between a tractor vehicle and a trailer vehicle, and a system and method therefor

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (12) for automatically establishing electric and pneumatic connections (14a, 14b) between a tractor vehicle (16) and a trailer vehicle (36). The device (12) comprises a pneumatic cylinder (18) with a vehicle end (20) for connecting to a part (24) of the tractor vehicle (16), and with a plug-in connector end (22) for connecting to a plug-in connector unit (26). Furthermore, the device (12) comprises a valve arrangement (44) for connecting a first chamber (40) of the pneumatic cylinder (18) to a compressed air supply (46) for transferring from a release state (38) into a coupling state (32) and for connecting a second chamber (42) of the pneumatic cylinder (18) to the compressed air supply (46) for transferring the pneumatic cylinder (18) from the coupling state (32) into the release state (38). Moreover, a control unit (66) for actuating the valve arrangement (44) is provided, wherein the valve arrangement (44) is designed to hold the pneumatic cylinder (18) at least in the coupling state (32) in the case of the failure of the control unit (66). Furthermore, the invention relates to a system (10) with a device (12), to a vehicle with a system (10) or a device (12), and to a method (98) for establishing electric and pneumatic connections.

Description

[0001] Device for automatically establishing connections between a towing vehicle and a trailer vehicle and a system and method therefor

[0002] The invention relates to a device for automatically establishing connections between a towing vehicle and a trailer vehicle, as well as a system and method therefor.

[0003] The invention relates to the field of commercial vehicles, and in particular to towing vehicles designed as commercial vehicles. A towing vehicle designed as a commercial vehicle serves to pull a trailer designed as a commercial vehicle. The towing vehicles referred to here are preferably tractor units, and the trailer vehicles referred to here are preferably semi-trailers.

[0004] According to the state of the art, several connections are predominantly established when coupling or uncoupling a trailer to a towing vehicle. Typically, a mechanical connection, also known as a towing connection, is first established between the towing vehicle and trailer using a coupling. In the case of a towing vehicle designed as a semitrailer tractor, the coupling part of the towing vehicle comprises a fifth wheel plate. Such a fifth wheel plate has an insertion area and a holding area. A kingpin of a trailer designed as a semitrailer can be pushed through the insertion area into the holding area of ​​the fifth wheel plate. The kingpin is then coupled, i.e. locked, in the holding area.

[0005] In addition to this towing connection, further connections, namely pneumatic and electrical connections, must be established between the towing vehicle and trailer to enable various functions of a combination consisting of a towing vehicle and trailer and to prepare the combination for ferry operation. Typically, two pneumatic connections are established, which serve to control the air brakes in the trailer by the towing vehicle. One of the pneumatic connections corresponds to a supply line for transmitting compressed air from the towing vehicle to the trailer. The other pneumatic connection serves as a control line to actuate the brakes of the trailer depending on a control pressure specified by the towing vehicle.

[0006] Electrical connections, usually two standardized plug-in connections, are also usually established between the towing vehicle and the trailer vehicle in order to control the trailer vehicle's electrical systems via the towing vehicle and, especially in modern trailer vehicles, to exchange information between the trailer vehicle and the towing vehicle.

[0007] All of these connections are typically made and released manually by a driver. In the area of ​​fifth wheel couplings, partially automated processes for establishing the towing connections are known. For example, the kingpin can be engaged or released from the fifth wheel coupling's holding area from the driver's cab. However, the other plug-in connections, namely the pneumatic and electrical connections between the towing vehicle and the trailer, still have to be made manually by the driver.

[0008] However, especially in the increasingly relevant field of autonomous driving, it is desirable to also implement the electrical and pneumatic connections between the towing vehicle and trailer automatically, i.e., without manual intervention by the driver. However, such automatic connections are neither known nor trivial to implement, which is why a person is still required to establish the connections.

[0009] The object of the present invention is therefore to address the problems of the prior art. In particular, the creation of electrical and pneumatic connections between a towing vehicle and a trailer vehicle is to be automated. At the very least, an alternative to the prior art is to be found.

[0010] The invention relates to a device for automatically establishing electrical and pneumatic connections between a towing vehicle and a trailer vehicle according to claim 1. The invention relates to a device and a method for automatically establishing electrical and pneumatic connections between a towing vehicle and a trailer vehicle. The device comprises a pneumatic cylinder which has a vehicle end and a connector end. The vehicle end serves to connect to a part of the towing vehicle and the connector end serves to connect to a connector unit. A part of the towing vehicle is, for example, a part which is arranged in the region of the fifth wheel plate of the towing vehicle and is designed as a receptacle for attaching the cylinder. A connector unit here comprises at least one connector, but preferably a plurality of connectors. A connector can be designed as a plug or as a socket.

[0011] A plug connector is, for example, an electrical plug connector, for example according to ISO 11446, ISO 7638-2, ISO 1724, ISO 3732, ISO 12098, ISO 7638-1, ISO 1185 or ISO 3731. Such plug connectors accordingly preferably comprise seven to fifteen poles and are designed as circular plugs. One or another plug connector can also be provided as a pneumatic plug connector in order to transmit compressed air, in particular from a compressed air brake system, between the towing vehicle and the trailer vehicle when connected. Particularly preferably, a plug connector unit, which can be connected or is in particular connected to the plug connector end, comprises two pneumatic plug connectors and two electrical plug connectors.

[0012] A connector unit is further configured to be connected to a trailer connector unit, i.e., another connector unit of the trailer vehicle. Connecting the connector unit to the trailer connector unit thus enables compressed air to be transmitted from the towing vehicle to the trailer vehicle and electrical signals and / or data to be exchanged between the trailer vehicle and the towing vehicle.

[0013] According to the invention, the pneumatic cylinder has a coupled state and a released state. In the coupled state, a piston of the pneumatic cylinder is extended further from a cylinder of the pneumatic cylinder than in the released state. This means that the pneumatic cylinder comprises a cylinder with a movable piston therein. The piston is movable by compressed air, i.e., can be retracted into the cylinder or extended out of the cylinder. For this purpose, two chambers are provided in the pneumatic cylinder, wherein applying air to one chamber at a pressure greater than the air pressure in the other chamber causes the piston to move in one direction, whereas applying pressure to the second chamber at a pressure higher than the air pressure in the first chamber causes the piston to move in the other, opposite direction.

[0014] According to the invention, a valve arrangement is therefore provided which is configured to connect a first chamber of the pneumatic cylinder to a compressed air supply, in order to transfer the pneumatic cylinder from the released state to the coupled state. Furthermore, the valve arrangement serves to connect a second chamber of the pneumatic cylinder to the compressed air supply, in order to transfer the pneumatic cylinder from the coupled state to the released state. The valve arrangement preferably also ensures that when the first chamber of the pneumatic cylinder is connected to the compressed air supply, the second chamber of the pneumatic cylinder is vented, and that when the second chamber is connected to the compressed air supply, the first chamber is vented.

[0015] The device also comprises a control unit for controlling the valve arrangement. According to the invention, the valve arrangement of the device is designed to maintain the pneumatic cylinder at least in the coupled state in the event of a failure of the control unit, in particular an electrical power supply to the control unit, and / or in the event of a failure of an electrical system associated with the device and serving to supply a component of the device.

[0016] The device accordingly comprises a pneumatic cylinder that can be connected to the towing vehicle and the connector unit in order to extend or retract the connector unit relative to the towing vehicle. In the released state, a connected connector unit is therefore closer to a center of gravity of the towing vehicle than in the coupled state. The pneumatic cylinder therefore generally allows the connector end, for example with the connector unit arranged thereon, to be moved from the towing vehicle to the trailer vehicle after a trailer vehicle has been coupled to a towing vehicle via a fifth wheel coupling. In this way, the movement of the pneumatic cylinder can establish an electrical and pneumatic connection between the towing vehicle and the trailer vehicle. For this purpose, an alignment aid can preferably be provided on the connector unit, the connector end, or a trailer connector unit.Such establishment of electrical and pneumatic connections is possible in an automated manner by the control unit and the valve arrangement, without an operator, in particular a driver, having to manually connect the connectors of the towing vehicle and the trailer vehicle.

[0017] The invention is based on the recognition that secure connections are necessary to ensure safe operation. Furthermore, the invention is based on the recognition that a connection between the compressed air lines for an air brake system, namely a compressed air supply line and a control line, is made using so-called red and yellow coupling heads, which are typically connected to one another in a bayonet-type manner. Automated production of such a connection of bayonet connectors is very complex. The invention recognizes that an automated connection is preferably formed by a single linear movement for establishing and releasing the connection, which is significantly easier to realize in an automated manner than a bayonet-type connection.However, it was also recognized that such connections of connectors, which are established solely with a linear movement, particularly in safety-relevant applications such as an air brake system, require a locking mechanism, which in turn is complex to implement automatically. It was therefore recognized that holding the pneumatic cylinder in the coupled state can counteract these problems, thus allowing a secure connection to be established even without a locking mechanism. Accordingly, a simple-to-implement option for establishing the connection between electrical and pneumatic connections is proposed, which is possible with comparatively little design effort. The design according to the invention nevertheless ensures the security of such a connection.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the valve arrangement is configured to maintain the pneumatic cylinder in the coupled state in the event of a control unit failure by providing a permanent connection between the compressed air supply and the pneumatic cylinder. In the coupled state, the pneumatic cylinder is thus securely held in the coupled state. Accordingly, the connection between the compressed air supply and the first chamber of the pneumatic cylinder is particularly preferably established stably by the valve arrangement in order to maintain this connection even without actuation of the valve arrangement by the control unit, namely if the control unit fails.The permanent connection between the compressed air supply and the first chamber of the pneumatic cylinder also ensures that even in the event of relative movement of the connector end to the end of the vehicle, which can occur, for example, when cornering or driving on ramps, the connector end of the device is always pressed against the trailer connector with the pressure provided by the compressed air supply. A secure connection is thus guaranteed in all driving situations. This accepts that if the compressed air supply fails, the coupling state may no longer be fully maintained by pressure in the first chamber alone, but that the friction of the connectors prevents the connections from becoming loose, at least for a short time. In the event of a long-term failure of the compressed air supply, a situation is to be assumed to be hazardous to the driver and the journey must be terminated.

[0019] According to a further embodiment, the compressed air supply corresponds to a compressed air supply of a compressed air brake system of the towing vehicle. In the event of a failure of the vehicle's compressed air brake system, the towing vehicle is braked anyway for safety reasons, so that even the failure of the compressed air supply for the connection between the towing vehicle and the trailer vehicle only needs to be maintained for a short time by the friction of the connectors. Preferably, however, the compressed air supply is taken from an auxiliary consumer circuit of the compressed air brake system, so that the operation of the compressed air brake system of the towing vehicle can be maintained if a fault occurs in the device according to the invention.

[0020] According to a further embodiment, the valve arrangement comprises a bistable cylinder control valve with two positions for controlling the pneumatic cylinder. The cylinder control valve is preferably a bistable 4 / 2 valve. Accordingly, the cylinder control valve preferably comprises, in a first position, which can also be referred to as the coupling position, a connection of the compressed air supply to the first chamber of the pneumatic cylinder and a connection of the second chamber to a compressed air outlet. Furthermore, in a second position of the cylinder control valve, which can also be referred to as the release position, the second chamber of the pneumatic cylinder is connected to the compressed air supply, whereas the first chamber is connected to a compressed air outlet. The cylinder control valve is stable in both positions, namely the coupling position and the release position, and maintains this position once it has been set, even without control.A reliable implementation of the device is thus possible.

[0021] According to a further embodiment, the cylinder control valve is electronically controllable. The cylinder valve accordingly has components for switching between the positions by electrical control. Particularly preferably, two electromagnets are used for this purpose, wherein one of the electromagnets is arranged to switch the valve from the released position to the coupled position and the other electromagnet is configured to transfer the cylinder control valve from the coupled position to the released position. The control of the cylinder control valve is preferably an electronically pilot-controlled control, so that the electromagnets only open connections between the compressed air supply and chambers of the cylinder control valve, and the cylinder control valve is thus transferred by the pressure of the compressed air supply.

[0022] The cylinder control valve can thus be controlled automatically in a suitable manner via the control unit.

[0023] According to a further embodiment, the valve arrangement comprises a first manual switching valve and a second manual switching valve. The manual switching valves each have two positions, namely a first position and a second position, and are each manually operable. The first manual switching valve is configured to establish a connection between the compressed air supply and a first control input of the cylinder control valve, namely in the first position, which can also be referred to as the open position, and to interrupt this connection, namely in the second position, which can also be referred to as the closed position.The second manual switching valve is designed to establish a connection between the compressed air supply and a second control input of the cylinder control valve, namely in the first position, which can also be referred to as the open position, and to interrupt it, namely in the second position, which can also be referred to as the closed position. The manual switching valves make it possible, in the event of a failure of the control unit, to manually initiate a movement of the pneumatic cylinder from the coupled state to the released state or from the released state to the coupled state. If the control unit fails and the vehicle combination is nevertheless ready for manual, i.e. non-autonomous, ferry operation, namely by a driver, the electrical and pneumatic connection can be controlled by actuating the manual switching valves. The manual switching valves are preferably arranged so that they are easily accessible to an operator.For example, the manual switching valves are arranged or can be arranged laterally outside the driver's cab in the area of ​​a vehicle frame, preferably in the area between a driver's cab and a fifth wheel coupling, on a towing vehicle.

[0024] According to a further embodiment, the control unit is configured to receive sensor data and, depending on the sensor data, to control the cylinder control valve, in particular to allow or prevent control of the cylinder control valve. The sensor data preferably indicate a driving state of the towing vehicle or a coupling state of the towing vehicle. Displaying a driving state preferably includes displaying whether the towing vehicle is stationary or moving, i.e., is in motion. Based on the sensor data indicating the driving state, it is thus possible, for example, to prevent control of the valve arrangement as long as the towing vehicle is not at a standstill. Accordingly, control of the valve arrangement is only permitted when the vehicle is at a standstill. If the sensor data indicate a coupling state, this preferably indicates a locked or unlocked coupling state.A locked state includes, for example, the state in which a kingpin is locked in a fifth wheel plate. In the unlocked state, either no kingpin is located in the holding area of ​​the fifth wheel coupling or at least the fifth wheel coupling is not locked. Thus, actuation of the valve arrangement, in particular to transfer the pneumatic cylinder from the released state to the coupled state or vice versa, can be restricted to the coupling state previously indicating a locked state. This ensures, for example, that a trailer is already connected to the towing vehicle via the fifth wheel coupling before the pneumatic connections are connected and is protected, for example, from rolling away. When establishing the pneumatic connection, there is a possibility that venting the brakes of the trailer, if the vehicle is not held in position by other means, could cause the vehicle to roll away.However, this is counteracted because the pneumatic connection is only permitted after a connection has been established by means of a coupling between the trailer vehicle and the towing vehicle.

[0025] Such control of the valve arrangement by the control unit increases safety.

[0026] According to a further embodiment, the sensor data is the sensor data of a pressure sensor. The pressure sensor is arranged or can be arranged in a pressure control line of a compressed air brake system of the vehicle. The pressure control line is a control line of a brake system that serves to control the friction brakes of the towing vehicle and / or the trailer vehicle. Based on the sensor data of the pressure sensor, it can thus be determined whether the friction brakes of the towing vehicle are activated or not, which can be used to determine whether the towing vehicle is stationary or moving. Alternatively or additionally, the sensor data is sensor data of a speed sensor that determines the speed of at least one wheel, i.e., a wheel speed, of the towing vehicle. The driving state can thus also be determined using sensor data designed in this way.Alternatively or additionally, the sensor data is the data from a coupling locking monitoring sensor, in particular the fifth wheel coupling of the towing vehicle. The coupling status can be determined using this sensor data. All of these sensors, namely pressure sensors in a pressure control line, speed sensors on a vehicle wheel, and sensors from a coupling locking monitoring sensor, are usually present in modern towing vehicles. The data from these existing sensors can already be retrieved, for example, via a vehicle bus of the towing vehicle. The sensor data can therefore be used by the control unit by connecting it to the vehicle bus without further effort and without adding additional sensors, in order to enable safe operation of the device according to the invention.

[0027] Furthermore, the invention comprises a system comprising the device according to one of the aforementioned embodiments and a connector unit, wherein the connector unit preferably has at least one electrical connector and two pneumatic connectors. The connector unit is configured to be connected to a trailer connector unit.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the system comprises an autonomous control unit for autonomously controlling the towing vehicle. The autonomous control unit preferably serves as or contains the control unit of the device. The autonomous control unit is configured to autonomously connect a towing vehicle with the system to the trailer vehicle. Furthermore, the system is configured to autonomously disconnect a connection to the trailer vehicle and thus, for example, park the trailer vehicle at a predefined position.

[0029] According to a further embodiment of the system, it comprises a vehicle's air brake system. The air brake system has the compressed air supply for controlling the pneumatic cylinder via the valve arrangement.

[0030] Furthermore, the invention comprises a vehicle, which is preferably a towing vehicle, with a system according to one of the aforementioned embodiments or a device according to one of the aforementioned embodiments.

[0031] The invention also relates to a method for automatically establishing electrical and pneumatic connections between a towing vehicle and a trailer vehicle. The method comprises transferring a pneumatic cylinder of a device according to one of the aforementioned embodiments from a coupling state to a release state or transferring the pneumatic cylinder from the release state to the coupling state.

[0032] According to one embodiment of the method, a control unit controls a valve arrangement in order to connect a first chamber of a pneumatic cylinder to a compressed air supply. As a result, a piston of the pneumatic cylinder is transferred from a released state into a coupled state, wherein in the coupled state the cylinder of the pneumatic cylinder is further extended. In this case, a plug-in connector unit, which is connected to a plug-in connector end of the pneumatic cylinder, is moved towards a trailer vehicle relative to a towing vehicle, which is connected to a vehicle end of the pneumatic cylinder. The plug-in connector unit comprises plug-in connectors, which are then connected to a trailer plug-in connector. According to one embodiment of the method, the coupling state with the valve arrangement is maintained if the control unit fails and does not control the valve arrangement.This is preferably done by permanently connecting the compressed air supply to the first chamber through the valve arrangement.

[0033] According to one embodiment, before transferring the pneumatic cylinder from the released state to the coupled state, a sensor checks a driving state or a coupling state of the towing vehicle by receiving sensor data from a pressure sensor, a speed sensor, or a locking monitoring sensor. The pneumatic cylinder is only transferred to the coupled state if the driving state indicates that the towing vehicle is stationary and / or a coupling state indicates that the towing vehicle is locked. Alternatively or additionally, the pneumatic cylinder is controlled to transfer from the released state to the coupled state only if the control unit detects that the vehicle is stationary and / or that the coupling is locked.

[0034] According to a further embodiment, the method comprises transferring a cylinder control valve for controlling the pneumatic cylinder by electrical control, in particular by electronically pilot-controlled control with a control unit, wherein the cylinder control valve is a bistable cylinder control valve.

[0035] Further embodiments are illustrated in the figures, which show:

[0036] Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a device for automatically establishing electrical and pneumatic connections between a towing vehicle and a trailer vehicle and

[0037] Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of a method for automatically establishing electrical and pneumatic connections between a towing vehicle and a trailer vehicle.

[0038] Fig. 1 shows a system 10 with a device 12 for automatically establishing electrical and pneumatic connections 14a, 14b according to one exemplary embodiment. The device 12 is part of a towing vehicle 16. The device 12 comprises a pneumatic cylinder 18 having a vehicle end 20 and a connector end 22. The vehicle end 20 serves to connect the pneumatic cylinder 18 to a part 24 of the towing vehicle 16. The connector end 22 serves to connect the pneumatic cylinder 18 to a connector unit 26.

[0039] Furthermore, the pneumatic cylinder 18 has several states in which a piston 28 of the pneumatic cylinder 18 is extended to different extents from a cylinder 30 of the pneumatic cylinder 18. Fig. 1 shows a coupling state 32 of the pneumatic cylinder 18 in which the connector unit 26 is connected to another connector unit 34 of a trailer vehicle 36.

[0040] The connector unit 26 and the trailer connector unit 34 are shown in Fig. 1 in the plugged-in, i.e., connected, state. Two electrical connections 14a and two pneumatic connections 14b are provided here as examples. The connector unit 26 of the towing vehicle 16 accordingly comprises four connectors, and the trailer connector unit 34 also comprises four connectors.

[0041] In contrast, the pneumatic cylinder 18 can also assume a release state 38, which is represented by the dashed lines of the piston 28 of the pneumatic cylinder 18 in Fig. 1. In the release state 38, the piston 28 of the pneumatic cylinder 18 is retracted further into the cylinder 30 than in the coupling state 32. Accordingly, the plug connector unit 26, which is not shown in this release state 38 and is preferably a component of the system 10 and not of the device 12, is arranged further away from the trailer plug connector unit 34 of the trailer vehicle 36.

[0042] The pneumatic cylinder 18 also has a first chamber 40 and a second chamber 42. The pneumatic cylinder 18 also has two connections 41, 43. The first connection 41 serves to supply compressed air to the first chamber 40 and the second connection 43 serves to supply compressed air to the second chamber 42. The two chambers 40, 42 serve to transfer the pneumatic cylinder 18 from the released state 38 to the coupled state 32 or from the coupled state 32 to the released state 38. For this purpose, depending on the desired transition of the state, one of the two chambers 40, 42 is connected to a compressed air supply, whereas the other chamber 40, 42 is vented.

[0043] For this purpose, a valve arrangement 44 and a compressed air supply 46 are provided. The compressed air supply 46 is supplied to the valve arrangement via a valve 48, which is, for example, a multi-circuit protection valve, in particular a four-circuit protection valve, and a pressure relief valve 50 of the valve arrangement 44. The device 10 is connected to the multi-circuit protection valve via an auxiliary consumer circuit 51. In particular, the compressed air supply 46 and the valve 48 are components of a compressed air brake system 52, which is a component of the system 10 according to this exemplary embodiment or a component of the device 12 according to this exemplary embodiment. According to other exemplary embodiments not shown here, the compressed air brake system 52 is not a component of the system 10 and the device 12.

[0044] The valve arrangement 44 includes a bistable cylinder control valve 54. The bistable cylinder control valve 54 has two positions 56a, 56b. In Fig. 1, the bistable cylinder control valve 54 is shown in the first position 56a. In this position 56a of the bistable cylinder control valve 54, the compressed air supply 46 is connected to the first chamber 40 of the pneumatic cylinder 18, and the second chamber 42 of the pneumatic cylinder 18 is connected to a drain 57. The bistable cylinder control valve 54 therefore has four ports 58a, 58b, 58c, 58d.

[0045] By connecting the first chamber 40 to the compressed air supply 46, the first chamber 40 is filled with air and pushes the piston 28 of the pneumatic cylinder 18 out of the cylinder 30 of the pneumatic cylinder 18. In the second position 56b of the bistable cylinder control valve 54 (not shown here), the ports 58a, 58d are connected to each other, and the ports 58b, 58c are also connected to each other. As a result, compressed air is fed from the compressed air supply 46 into the second chamber 42 via the bistable cylinder control valve 54 and pushes the piston 28 of the pneumatic cylinder 18 back into the cylinder 30.

[0046] In the position of the bistable cylinder control valve 54 shown in Fig. 1, a permanent connection 60 is provided between the compressed air supply 46 and the pneumatic cylinder 18, whereby the bistable cylinder control valve 54 remains stable in this position without control. The bistable cylinder control valve 54 can be controlled via a first control input 62 and a second control input 64. The bistable cylinder control valve 54 can be electronically controlled via the control inputs 62, 64 by a control unit 66 to switch between the positions 56a, 56b. The control unit 66 corresponds, for example, to an autonomous control unit 67.

[0047] Furthermore, the control inputs 62, 64 also serve to switch between the positions 56a, 56b using compressed air. Two manual switching valves are provided for this purpose, namely a first manual switching valve 68 and a second manual switching valve 70. The manual switching valves 68, 70 each have two positions 72a, 72b, namely a first position 72a and a second position 72b. In the illustrated second position 72b of the two manual switching valves 68, 70, the control inputs 62, 64 of the bistable cylinder control valve 54 are not controlled. The second position 72b can therefore also be referred to as the closed position, since no connection is established between the compressed air supply 46 and the first control input 62 or the second control passage 64 of the bistable cylinder control valve 54.

[0048] However, if the control unit 66 fails, a connection can be established between the compressed air supply 46 and the first control input 62 of the bistable cylinder control valve 54 by actuating the first manual switching valve 68 and thus transferring the first manual switching valve 68 to the first position 72a. The first position 72a can thus also be referred to as the open position. The bistable cylinder control valve 54 is then transferred to the first position 56a, as shown, and thus the pneumatic cylinder 18, if it was previously in the released state 38, is transferred to the coupled state 32. By actuating the second manual switching valve 70, the pneumatic cylinder 18 can thus be transferred from the coupled state 32 to the released state 38 in a corresponding manner. The first manual switching valve 68 has three connections 69a, 69b, 69c and the second manual switching valve 70 has three connections 70a, 70b, 70c.

[0049] The valve arrangement 44 accordingly comprises the bistable cylinder control valve 54, the first manual switching valve 68, and the second manual switching valve 70. For safety reasons, the pneumatic cylinder 18 is preferably controlled by the control unit 66 via the valve arrangement 44 only when the towing vehicle 16 and the trailer vehicle 36 are in a safe state. In order to detect such a safe state, the control unit 66 comprises a connection to at least one sensor. According to this specific exemplary embodiment, Fig. 1 shows three sensors to which the control unit 66 is connected in order to detect a safe state. The sensors comprise a pressure sensor 74, a speed sensor 76, and a locking monitoring sensor 78. The pressure sensor 74 determines a pressure 80 of a pressure control line 82 of the compressed air brake system 52 of the towing vehicle 16 and transmits it as sensor data 84 to the control unit 66.The speed sensor 76 determines a wheel speed 86 of a wheel of the towing vehicle 16 and transmits it as sensor data 84 to the control unit 66. Based on this sensor data 84, a driving state, namely a standstill or a driving movement of the towing vehicle 16, can be detected. The locking monitoring sensor 78, which is connected to a coupling 88, for example the fifth wheel coupling, of the towing vehicle 16, can detect a coupling state 90, which indicates whether the coupling 88 is locked or unlocked and whether a trailer vehicle 36 is thus connected to the towing vehicle 16 via the coupling 88. The coupling state 90 is also transmitted to the control unit 66 as sensor data 84.The control unit 66 then controls the bistable cylinder control valve 54, for example, only in the case when the coupling state 90 indicates that a trailer vehicle 36 is securely connected to the towing vehicle 16 and at the same time it is ensured that a driving state 92 determined by the control unit 66, which is detected from the sensor data of the pressure sensor 74 and the speed sensor 76, indicates that the towing vehicle 16 is stationary.

[0050] Fig. 2 shows a method 98 for automatically establishing electrical and pneumatic connections 14a, 14b between a towing vehicle 16 and a trailer vehicle 36 according to an embodiment.

[0051] In step 100, the towing vehicle 16 and the trailer vehicle 36 are not connected to one another. In step 102, a connection between the trailer vehicle 36, in particular a kingpin of the trailer vehicle 36, and the towing vehicle 16, in particular a fifth wheel plate of the towing vehicle 16, is established by means of a coupling 88. In step 104, a locking monitoring sensor 78 reports a coupling state 90 to a control unit 66, which indicates that the towing vehicle 16 and the trailer vehicle 36 are connected to one another via the coupling 88. Furthermore, in step 106, the control unit 66 checks whether the driving state 92 of the towing vehicle 16 indicates that the towing vehicle 16 is at a standstill. If this criterion is not met, step 106 is repeated until the towing vehicle 16 comes to a standstill.

[0052] Subsequently, in step 108, a bistable cylinder control valve 54 of a valve arrangement 44 is moved from a position 56b to a position 56a by controlling the valve arrangement 44 with the control unit 66. In this first position 56a of the bistable cylinder control valve 54, a first chamber 40 of a pneumatic cylinder 18 is filled with compressed air, so that in step 110 the pneumatic cylinder 18 is moved from a release state 38 to a coupling state 32. In step 112, the coupling state 32 is reached, and the pneumatic cylinder 18 presses a plug connector unit 26 against a trailer plug connector unit 34, so that individual plug connectors establish a connection in step 114. All connections between a towing vehicle 16 and a trailer vehicle 36 are then interconnected for operation.

[0053] Reference symbol (part of the description):

[0054] 10 systems

[0055] 12 Device

[0056] 14a electrical connections

[0057] 14b pneumatic connections

[0058] 16 towing vehicle

[0059] 18 pneumatic cylinders

[0060] 20 vehicle end

[0061] 22 Connector end

[0062] 24 Part of the towing vehicle

[0063] 26 Connector unit

[0064] 28 pistons

[0065] 30 cylinders

[0066] 32 coupling state

[0067] 34 Trailer connector unit

[0068] 36 trailer vehicle

[0069] 38 Solution state

[0070] 40 first chamber

[0071] 41 first connection

[0072] 42 second chamber

[0073] 43 second connection

[0074] 44 Valve arrangement

[0075] 46 Compressed air supply

[0076] 48 Valve

[0077] 50 pressure relief valve

[0078] 51 Secondary consumer group

[0079] 52 Air brake system

[0080] 54 bistable cylinder control valve

[0081] 56a first position

[0082] 56b second position

[0083] 57 Indulgence

[0084] 58a first connection b second connection c third connection d fourth connection permanent connection first control input second control input control unit autonomous control unit first manual switching valve a first connection b second connection c third connection second manual switching valve a first connection b second connection c third connection a first position b second position pressure sensor speed sensor locking monitoring sensor pressure pressure control line sensor data wheel speed clutch clutch state driving state Procedure 0 - 114 steps of the procedure

Claims

Patent claims:

1. Device (12) for automatically establishing electrical and pneumatic connections (14a, 14b) between a towing vehicle (16) and a trailer vehicle (36), comprising: a pneumatic cylinder (18) with a vehicle end (20) for connecting to a part (24) of the towing vehicle (16) and a connector end (22) for connecting to a connector unit (26), wherein the pneumatic cylinder (18) has a coupling state (32) and a release state (38), and a piston (28) of the pneumatic cylinder (18) is extended further from a cylinder (30) of the pneumatic cylinder (18) in the coupling state (32) than in the release state (38),a valve arrangement (44) for connecting a first chamber (40) of the pneumatic cylinder (18) to a compressed air supply (46) for transferring from the release state (38) to the coupling state (32) and for connecting a second chamber (42) of the pneumatic cylinder (18) to the compressed air supply (46) for transferring the pneumatic cylinder (18) from the coupling state (32) to the release state (38), and a control unit (66) for controlling the valve arrangement (44), wherein the valve arrangement (44) is designed to hold the pneumatic cylinder (18) at least in the coupling state (32) in the event of a failure of the control unit (66).

2. Device (12) according to claim 1, wherein the valve arrangement (44) for holding the pneumatic cylinder (18) in the coupling state (32) in the event of failure of the control unit (66) is arranged to provide a permanent connection (60) between the compressed air supply (46) and the pneumatic cylinder (18) in order to hold the pneumatic cylinder (18) in the coupling state (32).

3. Device (12) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the compressed air supply (46) corresponds to a compressed air supply (46) of the compressed air brake system (52), which in particular via an auxiliary consumer circuit (51) of the compressed air brake system (52).

4. Device (12) according to claim 1 to 3, wherein the valve arrangement (44) has a bistable cylinder control valve (54) with two positions (56a, 56b) for controlling the pneumatic cylinder (18), wherein the cylinder control valve (54) is preferably a 4 / 2 valve.

5. Device (12) according to claim 4, wherein the bistable cylinder control valve (54) is electronically controllable, in particular electronically pilot-controlled.

6. Device (12) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the valve arrangement (44) has a first manual switching valve (68) and a second manual switching valve (70), wherein the manual switching valves (68, 70) each have a first position (72a) and a second position (72b) and are manually operable, and wherein the first manual switching valve (68) is configured to connect and disconnect the compressed air supply (46) to a first control inlet (62) of the cylinder control valve (54) and the second manual switching valve (70) is configured to connect or disconnect the compressed air supply (46) to a second control inlet (64) of the cylinder control valve (54).

7. Device (12) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit (66) is configured to receive sensor data (84) and to control the cylinder control valve (54) as a function of the sensor data (84), wherein the sensor data (84) indicate a driving state (92) of the towing vehicle (16) and / or the sensor data (84) indicate a coupling state (90) of a coupling (88) of the towing vehicle (16).

8. Device according to claim 7, wherein the sensor data (84) are the sensor data (84) of a pressure sensor (74) which is connected to a pressure control line (82) of the compressed air brake system (52) or the sensor data (84) are the sensor data (84) of a speed sensor (76) which measures a wheel speed (86) of the towing vehicle (16) and / or the sensor data (84) are the sensor data (84) of a locking monitoring sensor (78) of a coupling (88) of the towing vehicle (16).

9. System (10) with a device (12) according to one of claims 1 to 8 and a connector unit (26).

10. System (10) according to claim 9, further comprising an air brake system (52).

11. System (10) according to one of claims 9 or 10, further comprising an autonomous control unit (67), which in particular corresponds to the control unit (66), wherein the control unit (66) is particularly preferably integrated into the autonomous control unit (67).

12. Vehicle with a system (10) according to one of claims 9 to 11 or a device (12) according to one of claims 1 to 8.

13. A method (98) for establishing electrical and pneumatic connections (14a, 14b) between a towing vehicle (16) and a trailer vehicle (36) with a device (12) according to one of claims 1 to 8 or a system (10) according to one of claims 9 to 11, comprising: Transferring a pneumatic cylinder (18) from a release state (38) to a coupling state (32) for connecting a plug connector unit (26) to a trailer plug connector unit (34).

14. The method (98) of claim 13, wherein the method comprises: Controlling a valve arrangement (44) with a control unit (66) for connecting a first chamber (40) of the pneumatic cylinder (18) to a compressed air supply (46) for transferring from the release state (38) to the coupling state (32) and Maintaining the coupling state (32) even in the event of failure of the control unit (66), in particular by providing a permanent connection (60) between the compressed air supply (46) and the pneumatic cylinder (18) with the valve arrangement (44).

15. The method (98) according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the control unit receives sensor data (84) of a pressure sensor (74), a speed sensor (76) and / or a locking monitoring sensor (78) and controls the valve arrangement (44) in dependence on the sensor data (84).

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