Integrated Brake Valve Block for Lower Assembly Cost
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electropneumatic brake control devices for vehicles face challenges in reducing installation effort and manufacturing costs, particularly in integrating valve units with separate housings for air-volume-boosting and control valves, and accommodating different vehicle configurations and market regulations.
Innovation Solution
A unified valve block is used for both air-volume-boosting and control valves, manufactured from a single metal or plastic block with integrated recesses, and includes multiple installation locations for pressure sensors and solenoid coils, allowing for universal application across various vehicle configurations and markets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If separate housing components are used for the valve device and control valves, then each component can be optimized independently, but the assembly effort and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the housing components for the valve device and control valves into a single integrated housing structure. This merging eliminates the need for separate housing components, reducing the number of parts to be manufactured and assembled, thereby lowering manufacturing costs and assembly effort while maintaining functional optimization through internal design features.
2Ease of operation
If a unified valve block is used for both valve devices, then assembly effort is minimized, but adaptability to different vehicle configurations is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The unified valve block is designed with universal features that allow it to accommodate different vehicle configurations and market regulations. The housing includes standardized mounting interfaces and internal configurations that can adapt to various parking brake systems, enabling the same basic structure to serve multiple applications without requiring complete redesign for each vehicle type.
3Reliability
If multiple pressure sensors are installed in the valve unit, then comprehensive pressure monitoring is achieved, but the device complexity and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure monitoring function is segmented into multiple independent sensor locations within the valve unit. Each pressure sensor monitors a specific pressure point, and the housing includes dedicated mounting locations for these sensors. This segmentation allows comprehensive pressure monitoring while maintaining modularity, where sensors can be selectively installed based on specific application requirements rather than forcing all sensors into every configuration.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a valve unit (14) for an electro-pneumatic brake control device (10) for controlling a parking brake of a vehicle, wherein the valve unit (14) has at least one air-quantity-boosting valve device (64) for aerating and deaerating at least one spring brake cylinder (12) of the parking brake and at least one electrically actuable control valve (86) for controlling the air-quantity-boosting valve device (64). In order to simplify the construction of the brake control device, the air-quantity-boosting valve device (64) and the control valve (86) are integrated in a common integral valve block (112).