Parking brake control
AssigneeWestinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
InventorsEdward W. Gaughan, William John Potter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A parking brake control module using pneumatic logic to control a parking brake on a vehicle. The control module includes a brake pipe passageway, a reservoir passageway, a reservoir release valve; and an actuation cylinder vent valve. The control module applies or releases the parking brake based on pressures of the brake pipe and reservoir. A method uses pneumatic logic to control a parking brake on a vehicle. The parking brake is applied when the brake pipe pressure falls below a lower brake pipe pressure threshold and is released when the brake pipe pressure exceeds an upper brake pipe pressure threshold and the reservoir pressure exceeds a reservoir pressure threshold. A hold valve can allow an operator to manually prevent the release of the parking brake.
Claims25
A parking brake control module comprising:
- a brake pipe passageway for flow of a brake pipe pressure;
- a reservoir passageway for flow of a reservoir pressure;
- a reservoir release valve in fluid communication with the brake pipe passageway;
- an actuation cylinder vent valve in fluid communication with the reservoir release valve;
- an exhaust in fluid communication with a parking brake cylinder of a parking brake to allow a parking brake pressure to escape to the atmosphere to apply the parking brake;
- and
- a timing volume located between the parking brake and the exhaust to delay the pressure decrease at the parking brake when the parking brake pressure is released through the exhaust,
- wherein the parking brake is applied when the brake pipe pressure falls to or below a lower brake pipe pressure threshold, and wherein the parking brake is released when the brake pipe pressure is above an upper brake pipe pressure threshold and the reservoir pressure is above a reservoir pressure threshold.
A method to control a parking brake comprising:
- flowing a brake pipe pressure into a parking brake control module via a brake pipe passageway;
- flowing a reservoir pressure into a parking brake control module via a reservoir passageway;
- applying the parking brake when the brake pipe pressure falls to or below a lower brake pipe pressure threshold;
- allowing a parking brake pressure to escape to the atmosphere to apply the parking brake;
- delaying the parking brake pressure decrease via a timing volume located between the parking brake and an exhaust, that is in fluid communication with a parking brake cylinder of the parking brake when the parking brake pressure is released through the exhaust;
- and
- releasing the parking brake when the brake pipe pressure is above an upper brake pipe pressure threshold and a reservoir pressure is above a reservoir pressure threshold.
A system for controlling a parking brake comprising:
- a brake pipe passageway through which brake pipe pressure flows;
- a parking brake;
- an exhaust in fluid communication with a parking brake cylinder of the parking brake to allow a parking brake pressure to escape to the atmosphere to apply the parking brake;
- a timing volume located between the parking brake and the exhaust to delay the pressure decrease at the parking brake when the parking brake pressure is released through the exhaust;
- and
- a hold valve comprising a first position and a second position,
- wherein in the first position, the hold valve directs brake pipe pressure to the parking brake, and in the second position, the hold valve prevents brake pipe pressure from flowing to the parking brake.
A system for controlling a parking brake comprising:
- a pipe bracket comprising a brake pipe port and a reservoir port;
- a parking brake control module configured to use pneumatic logic to control the parking brake;
- a brake pipe passageway running from the brake pipe port to the parking brake control module;
- a reservoir passageway running from the reservoir port to the parking brake control module;
- a parking brake in fluid communication with the parking brake control module;
- an exhaust in fluid communication with a parking brake cylinder of the parking brake to allow a parking brake pressure to escape to the atmosphere to apply the parking brake;
- and
- a timing volume located between the parking brake and the exhaust to delay the pressure decrease at the parking brake when the parking brake pressure is released through the exhaust.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.