Valve arrangement for controlling a brake system of a trailer vehicle

#The present invention is based on a valve arrangement for controlling a brake system, comprising at least one spring brake cylinder and at least one service brake cylinder, of a trailer vehicle for a traction vehicle-trailer combination.

#In modern trailer vehicles of traction vehicle-trailer combinations, what are referred to as combination cylinders are usually used as brake cylinders, which combination cylinders comprise, on the one hand, a service brake cylinder as an active service brake, which is ventilated in order to apply the brake and vented in order to release the brake, and, on the other hand, a spring brake cylinder as a passive parking brake, which is vented in order to apply the brake and ventilated in order to release the brake.

#FIG. 1 shows a park/shunt valve arrangement 1 from the prior art, which park/shunt valve arrangement 1 serves on the one hand, in a trailer vehicle of a traction vehicle-trailer combination, when parking with the trailer still coupled at the coupling head, to vent the spring brake cylinders so that the spring brake is applied (“parking function”). On the other hand, legislators require that the spring brake is applied automatically in the event of tearing off the compressed air supply of the trailer vehicle (“tear-off function”). This function is also integrated into the known park/shunt valve arrangement 1. Last but not least, the tear-off function must also be capable of being deactivated if the trailer is to be maneuvered in the uncoupled state by a vehicle without a compressed air supply. This shunting function is also carried out by the park/shunt valve arrangement 1 in the prior art.

#FIG. 1 shows a park/shunt valve arrangement 1 from the prior art.

#FIG. 2 shows a detail of a circuit diagram of a known pressure regulating module 50 which is assigned to the trailer and which interacts with the park/shunt valve arrangement 1 in FIG. 1.

#FIG. 3 shows a schematic circuit diagram of a valve arrangement according to an embodiment of the present invention in a first switched position.

#In the exemplary embodiment which is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 for a valve arrangement 80 according to the present invention for controlling a brake system, comprising at least one spring brake cylinder 82 and at least one service brake cylinder 84, of a trailer vehicle of a traction vehicle-trailer combination, a combination cylinder 86 is used as a brake cylinder which comprises, on the one hand, the service brake cylinder 84 as an active service brake, which is ventilated in order to apply the brake and vented in order to release the brake, and, on the other hand, the spring brake cylinder 82 with a storage spring as a passive parking brake, which is vented in order to apply the brake and ventilated in order to release the brake. In this context, the service brake cylinder 84 and the spring brake cylinder 82 are arranged in series. The design of such a combination cylinder 86 is adequately known, for example from DE 29 23 359 C2. For this reason, more details will not be given on this. For the sake of simplification, the combination cylinder 86 in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 is representative of a plurality of combination cylinders of the trailer vehicle.

#The valve arrangement 80 comprises a first valve device as a shunting valve 88, for example in the form of a 3/2 way valve, which, when activated by a first external signal, for example by a mechanical switch 90, transmits the supply pressure of a trailer-vehicle-side compressed air supply 92 to a control inlet 94 of a second valve device 96 and otherwise connects this control inlet 94 to a “supply” coupling head 98 of the trailer vehicle. On the control side, the shunting valve 88 is manually activated, for example, on the one hand by the switch 90 and on the other hand by the supply pressure which is conducted from the traction vehicle and is fed via a control line 102 which is branched off from a supply pressure line 100 which is connected to a “supply” coupling head 98.

#The valve arrangement 80 also comprises a third valve device 104 as a parking valve, for example in the form of a 3/2 way valve, which, when activated by a third external signal, for example likewise by a mechanical switch 106, connects the control inlet 94 of the second valve device 96 to a venting arrangement 108 and otherwise connects this control inlet 94 to the “supply” coupling head 98 of the trailer vehicle.