US 12,403,882 B2
Method for brake control of a vehicle combination
Ivo Laskawy, Hamburg (DE); Simon Pauka, Hannover (DE); and Lars Volker, Seelze (DE)
Assigned to ZF CV SYSTEMS GLOBAL GMBH, Bern (CH)
Filed by ZF CV Systems Global GmbH, Bern (CH)
Filed on Dec. 15, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/541,619.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2022 213 834.1 (DE), filed on Dec. 19, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0198994 A1, Jun. 20, 2024
Int. Cl. B60T 17/22 (2006.01); B60T 8/17 (2006.01); B60T 13/68 (2006.01)
CPC B60T 17/22 (2013.01) [B60T 8/1708 (2013.01); B60T 13/683 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for controlling the brakes of a vehicle combination, the method comprising:
providing a vehicle combination comprising:
a tractor vehicle having a hydraulic or pneumatic brake system;
at least one trailer vehicle configured to be coupled to the tractor vehicle and having a pressure-controlled pneumatic brake system;
an electronic control unit ; and
an electronically controlled brake control valve arranged in the tractor vehicle and comprising at least two magnetic switching valves that include an inlet valve and an outlet valve, the at least two magnetic switching valves configured to be controlled by the electronic control unit; and
a brake control line that runs from a brake control outlet of the brake control valve to a “Brake” coupling head of the tractor vehicle or to a trailer brake valve of the trailer vehicle and/or a “Brake” coupling head at the rear of the trailer vehicle;
producing, by means of the brake control valve, a brake control pressure in the brake control line;
determining a current trailer status of the tractor vehicle and/or a current line volume of the brake control line, thereby determining whether the tractor vehicle is connected to the at least one trailer vehicle and/or determining a line volume of the brake control line;
specifying a target pressure to be produced in the brake control line;
producing the target pressure in the brake control line by pulse-like opening of the inlet valve and/or by pulse-like opening of the outlet valve;
measuring the brake control pressure in the brake control line by sensor means during pressure build-up;
determining, from a time variation of the brake control pressure and/or a time variation of switching states of the inlet valve and/or the outlet valve until the target pressure has been reached, a characteristic value for the trailer status of the tractor vehicle and/or the line volume of the brake control line;
comparing the characteristic value with at least one reference value determined as a function of the trailer status of the tractor vehicle and/or as a function of the line volume of the brake control line, wherein the at least one reference value is stored in a data memory of the control unit; and
determining the line volume of the brake control line based on a result of comparing the characteristic value with the at least one reference value.