Trailer Auxiliary Drive Safety Interlock Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing auxiliary travel drives for vehicles, particularly trailers, are not adequately adapted for practical use and do not account for various environmental and operational conditions, leading to safety concerns during maneuvering and potential accidents.
Innovation Solution
A safety device that detects and evaluates the operating situation of the vehicle and auxiliary drive, activating or deactivating the auxiliary drive based on specific conditions, ensuring safe operation by preventing actuation during unsuitable situations, such as trailer movement, and coupling with a towing vehicle, and requiring secure parking positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the auxiliary drive is made easily operable without safety restrictions, then the ease of operation is improved, but the safety and reliability deteriorate due to potential accidental actuation during trailer movement
Solution Approach 1:
A safety device acts as an intermediary between the operator and the auxiliary drive. This safety device monitors operating conditions (trailer movement status, parking brake status) and only permits activation of the auxiliary drive when safe conditions are detected, thereby preventing accidental actuation while maintaining ease of operation when conditions are appropriate
Solution Approach 2:
The safety device continuously monitors the operating situation and provides feedback control. It detects whether the trailer is moving or stationary and whether the parking brake is applied, and based on this feedback, it enables or disables the auxiliary drive activation, ensuring safe operation
2Productivity
If the auxiliary drive is always activated for maneuvering, then the productivity is improved, but the harmful factors increase due to potential braking effects on rotating vehicle wheels
Solution Approach 1:
The safety device performs preliminary detection of operating conditions before allowing auxiliary drive activation. It preemptively prevents activation when the trailer is moving or when drive elements might contact rotating wheels, thereby avoiding harmful braking effects before they can occur
Solution Approach 2:
The safety device serves as a protective intermediary that filters activation requests through safety checks. It only permits auxiliary drive operation when conditions are verified to be safe, preventing harmful interactions with rotating vehicle wheels while allowing productive maneuvering when appropriate
3Device complexity
If the auxiliary drive operates without situation detection, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability deteriorates due to inability to assess suitable operating situations
Solution Approach 1:
The safety device performs multiple functions within a single integrated system: it detects trailer movement status, monitors parking brake status, evaluates operating conditions, and controls auxiliary drive activation. This multi-functionality improves reliability without proportionally increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The safety device combines detection functions and control functions into a single integrated system. By merging the detection of operating conditions with the control of auxiliary drive activation, the patent achieves improved reliability while minimizing the increase in overall system complexity
Data Source
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AI summary
The auxiliary drive (2), particularly supporter, has a motor driven drive component and a motor driven engagement device for engaging the drive component to a vehicle wheel (25). An operating device (8) is provided with a safety device (3).