IP Library Granted Patent US 9,180,845
Granted Patent B2
US 9,180,845 · App. 13/040,991 · Granted Nov 10, 2015

Passenger car transport

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,180,845
App. No.
13/040,991
Granted
Nov 10, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle for transporting passenger cars has an adjustable loading ramp for loading and unloading passenger cars. The loading ramp can be placed in at least two positions. One position is a travel position and is to be set when the passenger car transport is traveling. The passenger car transport also has an electronic monitoring system that includes at least one monitoring sensor operable to sense whether the loading ramp is in the travel position. The electronic monitoring system employs monitoring electronics configured to evaluate the signals of the monitoring sensor and to transmit to a display device corresponding information indicating whether or not the loading ramp is in the travel position.

Claims (22)

1. A passenger car transport, comprising:

an adjustable loading ramp for loading and unloading passenger cars, the loading ramp being positionable in at least a travel position for when the passenger car transport is traveling;

a display device;

an electronic monitoring system including at least one monitoring sensor operable to sense whether the loading ramp is in the travel position, at least one of the at least one monitoring sensor being an inductive proximity switch sensor disposed on an upper loading level of at least two loading levels of the passenger car transport, the electronic monitoring system further including monitoring electronics operable to evaluate signals transmitted by the at least one monitoring sensor and to transmit to the display device a corresponding information item indicative of whether the loading ramp is in the travel position or not in the travel position, wherein the monitoring system is operable to automatically brake the passenger car transport when the monitoring electronics detect that the loading ramp is not in the travel position; and

at least one wheel speed sensor connected to the electronic monitoring system to sense a velocity of the passenger car transport, wherein the monitoring electronics are adapted to generate a warning when the velocity is indicative of a driving state.

2. The passenger car transport as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the monitoring system is operable to automatically brake a trailer of the passenger car transport.

3. The passenger car transport as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the monitoring electronics are adapted to transmit to the display device the information item indicative of whether the loading ramp is in the travel position or not in the travel position in accordance with SAE J2497 protocol.

4. The passenger car transport as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the monitoring electronics are adapted to generate a warning when the monitoring electronics detect that the loading ramp is not in the travel position.

5. The passenger car transport as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the loading ramp is positionable in a raised and a non-raised position, the non-raised position corresponding to the travel position.

6. The passenger car transport as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the monitoring sensors is operable to sense the position of at least one hydraulic actuator element that adjusts the loading ramp.

7. The passenger car transport as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the monitoring sensors is a monitoring switch.

8. The passenger car transport as claimed in claim 6 , the monitoring sensors comprising a hydraulic sensor operable to sense the position of the at least one hydraulic actuator element.

9. A passenger car transport, comprising:

an adjustable loading ramp for loading and unloading passenger cars, the loading ramp being positionable in at least a travel position for when the passenger car transport is traveling;

a display device; and

an electronic monitoring system including at least one monitoring sensor operable to sense whether the loading ramp is in the travel position, the at least one monitoring sensor comprising a hydraulic sensor operable to sense the position of at least one hydraulic actuator element that adjusts the loading ramp and an inductive proximity switch sensor disposed on an upper loading level of at least two loading levels of the passenger car transport, the electronic monitoring system further including monitoring electronics operable to evaluate signals transmitted by the at least one monitoring sensor and to transmit to the display device a corresponding information item indicative of whether the loading ramp is in the travel position or not in the travel position, wherein the monitoring system is operable to automatically brake the passenger car transport when the monitoring electronics detect that the loading ramp is not in the travel position.

10. The passenger car transport as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the monitoring electronics are adapted to transmit to the display device the information item indicative of whether the loading ramp is in the travel position or not in the travel position in accordance with SAE J2497 protocol.

11. The passenger car transport as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the monitoring electronics are adapted to generate a warning when the monitoring electronics detect that the loading ramp is not in the travel position.

12. The passenger car transport as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the loading ramp is positionable in a raised and a non-raised position, the non-raised position corresponding to the travel position.

13. The passenger car transport as claimed in claim 9 wherein at least one of the monitoring sensors is a monitoring switch.

14. The passenger car transport as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:

at least one wheel speed sensor connected to the electronic monitoring system to sense a velocity of the passenger car transport, wherein the monitoring electronics are adapted to generate a warning when the velocity is indicative of a driving state.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 29, 2022
From: ZF CV SYSTEMS HANNOVER GMBH
To: ZF CV SYSTEMS EUROPE BV
Reel/Frame 059540/0990 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 29, 2022
From: WABCO GMBH
To: ZF CV SYSTEMS HANNOVER GMBH
Reel/Frame 059819/0146 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 21, 2018
From: MERITOR WABCO VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEMS
To: WABCO USA LLC
Reel/Frame 046936/0535 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 13, 2011
From: FAZZALARI, FRANCESCO; RONNENBERG, UDO; WEIHE, ULRICH; LAFALCE, JONATHAN
To: WABCO GMBH; MERITOR WABCO VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEMS
Reel/Frame 026433/0362 →