Shared reservoir for service brake circuits
AssigneeBendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC
InventorDavid W. Howell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
When a leak occurs in one service circuit of a multi-circuit braking system, the leak can prevent replenishing the non-leaking service reservoir. To address this problem, a shared backup reservoir can be used to replenish the non-leaking service reservoir. A valve can be used to allow flow from the backup reservoir to whichever service reservoir is under higher pressure, as low pressure would indicate a leak. Additional valve(s) can be used to impede flow from the service reservoirs to the backup reservoir to prevent the service reservoirs from being drained if the backup reservoir is subject to a leak.
Claims20
A braking sub-system comprising:
- a first air reservoir coupled with a first braking circuit of a vehicle;
- a second air reservoir coupled with a second braking circuit of the vehicle;
- an air supply reservoir coupled with the first and second air reservoirs;
- and
- a backup air supply reservoir coupled with the first and second air reservoirs via a valve, wherein the valve is configured to provide air from the backup air supply reservoir to whichever one of the first and second air reservoirs contains air under a higher pressure.
A method comprising:
- performing the following in a braking sub-system comprising a first service brake tank, a second service brake tank, a source of air pressure, and a backup tank:
- detecting a loss of pressure in one of the first and second service brake tanks which renders the source of air pressure incapable of replenishing the other of the first and second service brake tanks;
- and
- allowing the backup tank to provide additional air to the other of the first and second service brake tanks.
A braking sub-system comprising:
- a backup reservoir configured to be shared by primary and secondary reservoirs that are couplable with respective primary and secondary braking circuits of a vehicle;
- and
- means for placing the backup reservoir in fluidic communication with only one of the primary and secondary reservoirs when the other of the primary and secondary reservoirs is subject to a leak.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.