Brake module for a hydraulically braked towing vehicle coupleable to a pneumatically braked trailer vehicle
In a vehicle combination including a hydraulically braked towing vehicle and a pneumatically braked trailer, a brake module serving as a trailer control valve has an electropneumatic pressure regulating module with an electronic controller that converts pressure signals from a sensor at a hydraulic pressure line from a hydraulically-actuated service brake master cylinder into control pulses for electromagnetic control valves in the regulating module. The control valves are connected via a pneumatic supply pressure inlet to a compressed air reservoir, and via a pneumatic control pressure outlet to a control pressure coupling head. The brake module has a redundancy valve arrangement and is connected via a hydraulic control inlet to the hydraulic pressure line, and via a pneumatic inlet to the reservoir, the hydraulic control pressure determining the magnitude of the pneumatic outlet pressure at an outlet of the redundancy arrangement, which is connected to the coupling head when an electrical/electronic component relevant to brake module operation fails. The pneumatic outlet is disconnected from the coupling head in fault-free operation. The regulating module and redundancy arrangement are connected pneumatically in parallel, and the pneumatic outlet can be connected exclusively to the coupling head.
1. A brake module for a hydraulically braked towing vehicle, the towing vehicle being coupleable to a pneumatically braked trailer vehicle, the towing vehicle including a hydraulically actuated service brake having at least one brake master cylinder actuatable by a brake actuator to generate a hydraulic pressure in at least one wheel brake cylinder of at least one wheel of the towing vehicle, the at least one brake master cylinder having a hydraulic pressure line emanating therefrom and connected to at least one pressure sensor configured to detect the hydraulic pressure, the brake module comprising:
an electropneumatic pressure regulating module having an electronic controller configured to receive pressure signals from the at least one pressure sensor and convert them into control pulses for electromagnetic control valves arranged in the electropneumatic pressure regulating module, the control valves being configured to connect (i) on an inlet side via a pneumatic supply pressure inlet to a compressed air reservoir and (ii) on an outlet side via a pneumatic control pressure outlet to a control pressure coupling head;
a hydraulic connection to the hydraulic pressure line;
a pneumatic connection to the compressed air reservoir; and
a redundancy valve arrangement having a pneumatic outlet, the pneumatic outlet being configured to connect to the control pressure coupling head when an electrical or electronic component failure of at least one component relevant to operation of the brake module exists, the pneumatic outlet being configured to disconnect from the control pressure coupling head when no electrical or electronic component failure of the at least one component relevant to operation of the brake module exists;
wherein the electropneumatic pressure regulating module and the redundancy valve arrangement are connected pneumatically in parallel o one another, the pneumatic outlet of the redundancy valve arrangement being exclusively connectable to the control pressure coupling head.
2. The brake module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the redundancy valve arrangement includes a mechanical pressure reducer relay valve, and a redundancy solenoid valve that is open in a non-energized state, the redundancy solenoid valve being configured to shut off the pneumatic outlet of the redundancy valve arrangement in an energized state and open the pneumatic outlet of the redundancy valve arrangement in the non-energized state.
3. The brake module as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the pressure reducer relay valve includes a hydraulic control inlet and a pneumatic control inlet.
4. The brake module as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the pneumatic control pressure connector is configured to (i) receive compressed air from a 3/2-way valve that is connected to the compressed air reservoir and is open on actuation of the brake actuator, and (ii) pass the compressed air into the pneumatic control inlet of the pressure reducer relay valve.
5. The brake module as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the redundancy solenoid valve is flange-connected directly to a pneumatic pressure outlet of the pressure reducer relay valve.
6. The brake module as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a shuttle valve configured to connect (i) to the pneumatic outlet of the redundancy valve arrangement and to the pneumatic control pressure outlet of the electropneumatic pressure regulating module, and (ii) to the control pressure coupling head.
7. The brake module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the pressure regulating module, the electronic controller, and the redundancy valve arrangement are arranged in a common housing.
8. The brake module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the pressure regulating module, the electronic controller, and the redundancy valve arrangement are flange-connected to one another.