Fifth wheel control arrangements for articulated vehicles
AssigneeVolvo Truck Corporation
InventorsRichard Söder, Lars Johansson, Olof Johansson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fifth wheel control arrangement (100) for an articulated vehicle comprising a fifth wheel having a biased hinge joint and an actuator (115) arranged to control a biasing force and/or a damping force of the biased hinge joint. The control arrangement comprises a control unit configured to automatically control the actuator in response to one or more input sensor signals associated with a current state of the articulated vehicle, to obtain a target wheel axle load of the articulated vehicle and/or to stabilize the articulated vehicle.
Claims16
A fifth wheel control arrangement for an articulated vehicle, comprising:
- a fifth wheel having a biased hinge joint and an actuator arranged to control a biasing force and/or a damping force of the biased hinge joint, the control arrangement further comprises a control unit configured to automatically control the actuator in response to one or more input sensor signals associated with a current state of the articulated vehicle, to obtain a target wheel axle load of the articulated vehicle and/or to stabilize the articulated vehicle, and
- an articulation angle sensor and/or a vehicle tilt angle sensor arranged to register a current articulation angle and/or a current tilt angle of the articulated vehicle, wherein the control unit is arranged to control the actuator to adjust the damping force of the biased hinge joint in response to the current articulation angle and/or the current tilt angle of the articulated vehicle.
A control unit for controlling an articulated vehicle fifth wheel having a biased hinge joint controllable by an actuator arranged to be connected to the control unit, the control unit comprising one or more input ports for receiving respective input sensor signals from an articulation angle sensor and/or a vehicle tilt angle sensor associated with a current articulation angle and/or a current tilt angle of the articulated vehicle, and an output port for controlling an actuator of the biased hinge joint, the control unit being configured to automatically control the biased hinge joint via the actuator in response to the one or more input sensor signals to obtain a target wheel axle load of the articulated vehicle and/or to stabilize the articulated vehicle, and
- wherein the control unit is arranged to control the actuator to adjust the damping force of the biased hinge joint in response to the current articulation angle and/or the current tilt angle of the articulated vehicle.
A method for obtaining a target wheel axle load of an articulated vehicle comprising a fifth wheel having a biased hinged joint controllable by an actuator and a control arrangement, the method comprising;
- obtaining one or more input sensor signals from an articulation angle sensor and/or a vehicle tilt angle sensor associated with a current articulation angle and/or a current tilt angle of the articulated vehicle,
- automatically controlling the actuator in response to the one or more input sensor signals to obtain a target wheel axle load of a towing truck by adjusting a damping force of the biased hinge joint in response to the current articulation angle and/or the current tilt angle of the articulated vehicle.
A method for stabilizing an articulated vehicle comprising a fifth wheel having a biased hinged joint controllable by an actuator and a control arrangement, the method comprising;
- obtaining one or more input sensor signals from an articulation angle sensor and/or a vehicle tilt angle sensor associated with a current articulation angle and/or a current tilt angle of the articulated vehicle,
- automatically controlling the actuator in response to the one or more input sensor signals to stabilize the articulated vehicle by adjusting a damping force of the biased hinge joint in response to the current articulation angle and/or the current tilt angle of the articulated vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.