Redundant braking system
AssigneeLockheed Martin Corporation
InventorsWilliam C. Craig, Patrick J. Fitzgibbons
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a redundant braking system for a vehicle. A controller may monitor a status of a hydraulic braking system, and during vehicle travel, automatically switch to a modulated electric braking system which is separate from the hydraulic braking system when the hydraulic braking system fails. The modulated electric braking system may utilize a brake acting on a drive shaft of the vehicle, and an operator-actuated switch may set a mode of the modulated electric braking system to a non-modulated parking brake mode.
Claims20
A braking system for a truck comprising:
- a hydraulic braking system on the truck, the hydraulic braking system configured to apply brake force to the truck through a first brake apparatus;
- a modulated electric braking system on the truck, the modulated electric braking system being separate from the hydraulic braking system and configured to apply brake force to the truck through a second brake apparatus completely separate from the first brake apparatus;
- and
- a control system for monitoring a status of said hydraulic braking system and automatically switching to the modulated electric braking system from the hydraulic braking system during truck travel when the hydraulic braking system fails,
- wherein the first brake apparatus is not actuable by the modulated electric braking system and the second brake apparatus is not actuable by the hydraulic braking system.
A braking system for a land vehicle under control of an operator comprising:
- a hydraulic braking system configured to apply brake force through a first brake apparatus;
- an electric braking system separate from the hydraulic braking system and configured to apply modulated brake force through a second brake apparatus completely separate from the first brake apparatus;
- an operator actuated switch for switching the vehicle to a silent mode of operation;
- and
- a controller for switching from the hydraulic braking system to the modulated electric braking system responsive to actuation of the switch during vehicle travel.
A method of operating a braking system of a vehicle, comprising:
- sensing a failure of air pressure in an air-over-hydraulic braking system on the vehicle during vehicle travel;
- and
- automatically actuating an electric braking system responsive to said sensing to provide modulated electric braking during continued vehicle travel, the electric braking system being completely separate from the air-over-hydraulic braking system,
- wherein the air-over-hydraulic braking system applies modulated force through a first brake apparatus, the electric braking system applies modulated force through a second brake apparatus, and the first brake apparatus is completely independent of the second brake apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.