Collision avoidance braking system and method

An automatic braking system for a vehicle having pneumatic brakes, a vehicle brake pedal, a left turn signal, a left turn signal activator, a right turn signal and a right turn signal activator, the system comprising:

• a) an actuation apparatus comprising at least one solenoid operated pneumatic valve, wherein each of the at least one solenoid operated pneumatic valve comprises a solenoid, wherein said valve opens and remains open when the solenoid is energized, and closes and/or remains closed when the solenoid is not energized;
• b) one or more collision warning devices, each collision warning device being directly or indirectly electrically connected to each of said at least one solenoid operated pneumatic valve, and each collision warning device comprising one or more sensors that continuously monitor for the presence of obstacles in proximity of at least one side and/or end of the vehicle, wherein each collision warning device causes the solenoid of said solenoid operated pneumatic valve to be energized when an obstacle is detected in proximity of at least one side and/or end of the vehicle and causes the solenoid to remain energized until said obstacle is no longer detected or until either the left turn signal is activated by the left turn signal activator or the right turn signal is activated by the right turn signal activator;
• c) a first air pressure reservoir pneumatically connected to said solenoid operated pneumatic valve;
• d) front pneumatic brakes pneumatically connected to said at least one solenoid operated pneumatic valve, said front pneumatic brakes comprising a left front brake assembly and a right front brake assembly;
• and
• e) rear pneumatic brakes pneumatically connected to said at least one solenoid operated pneumatic valve, said rear pneumatic brakes comprising a left rear pneumatic brake unit and a right rear pneumatic brake unit, wherein each pneumatic brake unit comprises at least one pneumatic brake assembly;
• wherein opening said at least one solenoid operated pneumatic valve activates automatic braking, wherein when said at least one solenoid operated pneumatic valve is open, air flows from the first air pressure reservoir through said at least one solenoid operated pneumatic valve and then concurrently flows to each of the rear pneumatic brake assemblies and optionally to each of the front pneumatic brake assemblies, thereby engaging the pneumatic brake assemblies of the rear pneumatic brake units and optionally engaging the front pneumatic brake assemblies concurrently with the rear pneumatic brake assemblies, and optionally wherein activating either the left turn signal or the right turn signal causes the solenoid of each open solenoid operated pneumatic valve to de-energize, thereby causing all of said open solenoid operated pneumatic valves to close, and thereby deactivating automatic braking.

A method of automatic braking of a moving vehicle that has pneumatic brakes, a vehicle brake pedal, a left turn signal, a left turn signal activator, a right turn signal and a right turn signal activator, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) monitoring for the presence of obstacles that are either:
• (i) in proximity of at least one side and/or end of the vehicle;
• or
• (ii) within a pre-set time to collision value in front of the vehicle;
• b) activating automatic braking when an object is either:
• (i) detected in proximity of at least one side and/or end of the vehicle;
• or
• (ii) detected within said pre-set time to collision value in front of the vehicle;
• wherein automatic braking is activated by energizing at least one solenoid operated pneumatic valve which opens each of said energized solenoid operated pneumatic valves and initiates flow of air from an air pressure reservoir through each of said open solenoid operated pneumatic valves, wherein said air then flows concurrently to each of a front left pneumatic brake assembly, a front right pneumatic brake assembly, to rear left brake assemblies that form a rear left pneumatic brake unit and to rear right brake assemblies that form a pneumatic brake unit, thereby causing the concurrent engaging of all of said brakes assemblies;
• and optionally wherein activating either the left turn signal with the left turn signal activator or the right turn signal with the right turn signal activator causes the solenoid of each of said open solenoid operated pneumatic valves to de-energize, thereby causing all of said open solenoid operated pneumatic valves to close, and thereby deactivating automatic braking.

An automatic braking system for a vehicle having pneumatic brakes, which vehicle has a vehicle brake pedal, a left turn signal, a left turn signal activator, a right turn signal, a right turn signal activator and a plurality of wheels, each of said wheels being connected to a brake assembly and each of said wheels having a wheel sensor connected to the brake assembly of said wheel, the system comprising:

• a) an actuation apparatus comprising a plurality of solenoid operated pneumatic valves, wherein each of said solenoid operated pneumatic valves comprises a solenoid and wherein each of said solenoid operated pneumatic valves open and remain open when its solenoid is energized and closes and/or remains closed when its solenoid is not energized, wherein each solenoid operated pneumatic valve is pneumatically paired with an anti-lock braking system control module;
• b) a collision warning device electrically connected said solenoid operated pneumatic valves of the actuation apparatus, wherein the collision warning device continuously monitors the presence of obstacles in front of the vehicle and continuously calculates a closure time of the vehicle with a detected obstacle, wherein said collision warning device causes the concurrent energizing of the solenoid of each solenoid operated pneumatic valve when said closure time is at or below a pre-set time to collision value, and causes each solenoid to remain independently energized unless any of the following conditions i) or ii) or iii) occurs:
• i) said closure time increases to a value above said pre-set time to collision value, thereby de-energizing all of the solenoids of all of said at least one solenoid operated pneumatic valves, thereby causing all of said at least one solenoid operated pneumatic valves to concurrently close, thereby deactivating all automatic braking;
• or
• ii) at least one of said wheel sensors detects that the brake assembly it is connected to has locked, thereby de-energizing the solenoid of said at least one solenoid operated pneumatic valve that is connected to the locked brake assembly independently of the other wheels, thereby closing said at least one solenoid operated pneumatic valve connected to the locked brake assembly, thereby deactivating automatic braking for the locked brake assembly;
• or
• iii) either the left turn signal is activated by the left turn signal activator or the right turn signal is activated by the right turn signal activator;
• c) a first air pressure reservoir pneumatically connected to each solenoid operated pneumatic valve;
• and
• wherein opening each of said at least one solenoid operated pneumatic valves activates automatic braking, wherein when any of said at least one solenoid operated pneumatic valves is open, air flows from the first air pressure reservoir concurrently through each solenoid operated pneumatic valve and then concurrently flows toward all brake assemblies, thereby causing the concurrent engaging of all of said brake assemblies, wherein activating either the left turn signal or the right turn signal causes the solenoid of each open solenoid operated pneumatic valve to concurrently de-energize, thereby causing each of said open solenoid operated pneumatic valves to concurrently close, and thereby deactivating all automatic braking.