Method for operating a brake system of a utility vehicle

A method for operating a brake system (1) of a commercial vehicle, wherein the brake system (1) has a service brake system (8), an auxiliary brake system (28), and braking devices (5, 6) for vehicle wheels (2, 3) of the commercial vehicle, the method comprising:

• actuating at least one associated service brake actuator (9, 10) in the service brake system (8);
• actuating at least one brake actuating device (21, 22) in normal operation, thereby actuating respective associated braking devices (5, 6) corresponding to the at least one brake actuating device (21, 22);
• initiating, via at least one control device (25), actuation of at least one of the braking devices (5, 6) in the auxiliary brake system (28) by activating at least one auxiliary brake actuator (29);
• and
• detecting an at least partial failure of the service brake system;
• carrying out an emergency operation in response to detecting the at least partial failure, the emergency operation including:
• accessing, by the at least one control unit (7), the auxiliary brake actuator (29);
• detecting actuation of the at least one brake actuating device (21, 22);
• and
• adjusting, by the at least one control unit (7), actuation of the at least one braking device (5, 6) by means of the auxiliary brake actuator (29), wherein the at least one braking device is actuated to a degree of full actuation of the at least one brake actuating device (21, 22).

A brake control device (7), configured to:

• initiate activation of at least one auxiliary brake actuator (29) in an auxiliary brake system (28) of a brake system (1) of a commercial vehicle in order to actuate at least one braking device (5, 6) of a respective vehicle wheel (2, 3);
• detect an at least partial failure of a service brake system (8) of the brake system (1);
• initiate emergency operation in response to detecting the at least partial failure of the service brake system (8) of the brake system (1);
• detect actuation of at least one brake actuating device (21, 22) of the service brake system;
• and
• access the at least one auxiliary brake actuator (29) in the course of the emergency operation, thereby initiating actuation of the at least one braking device (5, 6) via the auxiliary brake actuator (29) oriented to a degree of actuation of the at least one brake actuating device (21, 22).