Tractor Protection System and Method
AssigneeBendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC
InventorsDeepak K. Komandur, James Montagna, James Michael Cooper, Jeswanth Samayamantula, Nirav K. Parikh, Subashish Sasmal
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A braking controller causes a tractor protection control module in a tractor to prevent air flow from an air reservoir to a gladhand when the braking controller determines that the trailer is not pneumatically coupled with the gladhand. This prevents air from being vented out the gladhand when the tractor's service brakes are applied. The braking controller can detect pneumatic discontinuity, for example, by receiving a notification from a parking brake controller or from a pressure sensor in the tractor protection control module.
Claims20
A tractor protection system comprising:
- a tractor protection controller comprising:
- an output port configured to be coupled with a braking system of a trailer;
- an input port configured to be coupled with a reservoir of a tractor;
- a relay comprising a control port, a source port coupled with the input port, and a drain port coupled with the output port, wherein the relay is configured to selectively allow air to flow between the source port and the drain port in response to a pneumatic signal received at the control port;
- and
- a solenoid valve configured to selectively close to prevent a pneumatic signal from being applied to the control port;
- and
- a braking controller configured to cause the solenoid valve to close in response to determining that the output port is not in pneumatic communication with the braking system of the trailer.
A method comprising:
- performing in one or more processors of a tractor:
- determining whether the tractor is pneumatically coupled with a trailer;
- and
- in response to determining that the tractor is not pneumatically coupled with the trailer, causing a component in the tractor to prevent control air from being supplied to the trailer.
A system comprising:
- an electronic tractor protection module configured to selectively prevent air flow to a trailer gladhand;
- and
- means for causing the electronic tractor protection module to prevent air flow to the trailer gladhand in response to determining that the trailer is pneumatically disconnected from the trailer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.