Electropneumatic Braking Redundancy Module Inverse Piston Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing pneumatic brake systems for commercial vehicles require multiple electronic control units and additional channels for redundancy, increasing costs and complexity, while lacking redundancy between axles.

Innovation Solution

A redundancy module with a piston arrangement and electropneumatic redundancy valve that uses a single pneumatic connection to provide redundant braking by modulating spring-actuated pressures inversely, allowing purely pneumatic control of spring-loaded brakes without electrical redundancy, using a single-channel brake transmitter.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If two-channel control with separate compressed air circuits is used for redundancy, then braking reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebraking reliabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the service brake and parking brake circuits into a single integrated pneumatic system. The spring-loaded brakes serve dual purposes: normal braking and emergency redundancy, eliminating the need for separate redundant compressed air circuits while maintaining braking reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The spring-loaded brakes are designed with multi-functionality, serving both as parking brakes and as emergency service brakes. The single-channel brake value transmitter provides both normal control and emergency redundancy signals, reducing system complexity while maintaining reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If two electronic control units are provided for functional redundancy, then braking reliability is improved, but cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebraking reliabilityVSAvoidsystem cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The single electronic control unit performs self-diagnosis and automatically switches to emergency braking mode when faults are detected. The system monitors its own operational status and activates redundant braking functions without requiring a separate control unit, reducing cost while maintaining reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the control unit continuously monitors brake system status, detects faults, and automatically activates emergency braking functions. This closed-loop control enables a single control unit to provide the functionality previously requiring two units

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Device complexity

If a single pneumatic connection is used for brake control, then device complexity is reduced, but braking reliability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepneumatic system complexityVSAvoidbraking reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system inverts the traditional approach by using spring-loaded brakes that are normally applied and released upon receiving pneumatic pressure, rather than being normally released and applied upon pressure. This inversion allows the single pneumatic connection to provide both normal braking control and emergency redundancy by simply maintaining or releasing pressure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables cost-effective, single-channel redundant braking without additional electronic control units or channels, ensuring reliable emergency braking by inversely controlling spring-loaded brakes using a single pneumatic connection.

Implementation Method 1

a piston arrangement (10) with an inverse piston (12), which has a parking brake pressure control surface (14), a spring-actuated control surface (16) and a redundancy pressure control surface (18), with a parking brake pressure acting on the parking brake pressure control surface causing a spring-actuated pressure to be modulated in the same direction, and a redundancy pressure acting on the redundancy-pressure control surface causing the spring-actuated pressure to be modulated inversely

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPneumatic pressure: Pressure Increase

Data Source

PatentEP3870485B1Electropneumatic braking system architecture without direct pneumatic service brake redundancy at the rear axle (1P1E)

Publication Date: 2022.05.04 ZF CV SYST EURO BV

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AI summary

The invention relates to a redundancy module (1) for a pneumatic braking system (204) of a utility vehicle (202), comprising spring-loaded brakes (208a, 208b) on at least one axle (VA, HA). The redundancy module (1) has a parking brake pressure connection point (2) for receiving a parking brake pressure (pB), a spring accumulator connection point (4) for providing a spring accumulator pressure (pF), and a redundancy pressure connection point (6) for receiving a redundancy pressure (pR). Furthermore, a piston assembly (10) is provided, which has an inverse piston (12). Said inverse piston comprises a parking brake pressure control surface (14), a spring accumulator control surface (16) and a redundancy pressure control surface (18). A parking brake pressure (pB) acting on the parking brake pressure control surface (14) brings about control of a spring accumulator pressure (pF), which spring accumulator pressure is in the same direction, and a redundancy pressure (pR) acting on the redundancy pressure control surface (18) brings about inverse control of the spring accumulator pressure (pF). The invention further relates to a braking system (204) and to a vehicle (200).