Pneumatic Brake System Automatic Parking Activation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current pneumatic brake systems in vehicles, especially those involved in platooning or automatic driving, lack the ability to automatically activate the parking brake in emergency situations without driver intervention, posing a safety risk.

Innovation Solution

A pneumatic brake system with a parking brake module and brake control device that automatically activates the parking brake by discharging air from the brake mechanism when an anomaly occurs, using a bypass passage and release valve to manage air supply, and includes redundancy with a secondary control device for backup operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the vehicle performs platooning or automatic driving without driver operation, then productivity is improved, but reliability deteriorates because the driver cannot manually activate the parking brake in emergency situations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplatooning operationVSAvoidemergency brake activation
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The brake control device automatically detects anomalies in the pneumatic brake system and autonomously activates the parking brake without requiring driver input. The system monitors itself and takes corrective action when faults are detected, enabling the vehicle to service itself in emergency situations during platooning or automatic driving operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If the brake control device automatically activates the parking brake upon anomaly detection, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional control mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic parking brake activationVSAvoidbrake control system
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The parking brake activation function is merged with the existing brake control device that already manages service brakes. The control device integrates anomaly detection and automatic parking brake activation capabilities into its existing structure, avoiding the need for separate dedicated systems and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Speed

If the control valve closes the signal passage to activate the parking brake, then the parking brake activation speed is improved, but the response time to release the brake deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparking brake activation speedVSAvoidbrake release time
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The air supply system is segmented into separate pathways: a signal passage for brake activation control and a main air supply passage for brake release. This segmentation allows the control valve to quickly close the signal passage for rapid parking brake activation while the larger main air supply passage remains available for rapid brake release, resolving the time conflict between activation and release operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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 automatic activation of the parking brake in emergencies, improving safety by ensuring the vehicle can be forcibly stopped even without driver operation, and allows for quick release of the brake to resume travel, with reduced power consumption and enhanced response time.

Implementation Method 1

a control valve that closes the signal passage when in an energized state and opens the signal passage when in a de-energized state

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectrical control of valve: Valve

Implementation Method 2

When receiving the pneumatic signal, the relay valve opens the second passage to supply air from the air storage source to the brake mechanism

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPneumatic signal transmission: Pressure Gradient

Implementation Method 3

the bypass passage delivers air from the air storage source to a relay valve as a pneumatic signal, thereby canceling the forcible braking

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPneumatic control: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentEP3569459B1Pneumatic brake system
Publication Date: 2023.07.19 NABTESCO AUTOMOTIVE CORP
  • EP3569459B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3569459B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3569459B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

A pneumatic brake system that is capable of automatically activating a parking brake in an emergency is provided. A pneumatic brake system (11) is mounted on a vehicle. The pneumatic brake system (11) discharges air from a brake chamber (50) provided in a wheel to activate the parking brake. The pneumatic brake system (11) supplies air to the brake chamber (50) to release the parking brake. The pneumatic brake system (11) includes a parking brake module (20) and a brake control device (12). When receiving a stop instruction signal from a platooning drive control device (13), the parking brake module (20) is energized to release the parking brake. When de-energized, the parking brake module (20) activates the parking brake. The brake control device (12) either energizes or de-energizes the parking brake module.