A method includes steps for controlling a pneumatic braking system of a trailer vehicle which is connected to a tow vehicle equipped with a hydraulic or pneumatic braking system. At the start of an actuation of the foot brake valve, an electrical switch is closed or opened, and a switching signal is transmitted to an electronic control unit as a braking start signal for an incipient braking process. A brake value sensor detects a brake value representative of the drivers current deceleration request and transmits the brake value to the electronic control unit as a brake value signal. The brake value sensor is used for determining the incipient braking process, and a backup valve is only deactivated by switching a redundancy valve from an open position to a blocking position if the brake value signal detected by the brake value sensor has reached or exceeded a predefined minimum signal value.

A vehicle braking system comprising a spring brake actuator having a spring brake chamber, a spring brake control assembly and an immobiliser valve which is movable between brake release position in which the spring brake control assembly is operable to cause the flow of pressurised fluid into the spring brake chamber or to vent the spring brake chamber to a low pressure region, and an immobilise position in which the spring brake control assembly is operable to connect the spring brake chamber to a low pressure region but cannot be operated to cause the flow of pressurised fluid into the spring brake chamber.

A parking brake apparatus is provided for a power unit having air brake parking components and to which a towed unit having air brake parking components can be connected. The parking brake apparatus comprises a controller arranged to monitor a pressure signal indicative of a delivery air pressure applied to the air brake parking components of the towed unit when the towed unit is connected to the power unit. The controller is also arranged to provide a status signal indicative of whether or not a towed unit is connected to the power unit based upon the pressure signal. The controller further enables the status signal to be processed to control application or release of any combination of air brake parking components of the power unit and the towed unit to park or unpark the power unit as well as the towed unit, if connected to the power unit.

Techniques for braking an autonomous vehicle include providing a pressurized fluid stream from a plurality of pressurized fluid sources to a plurality of pressure-controlled electronic braking assemblies; providing the pressurized fluid stream from a pressurized fluid control output of a first pressure-controlled electronic braking assembly directly to a pressurized fluid control input of a second pressure-controlled electronic braking assembly; providing the pressurized fluid stream from the second pressure-controlled electronic braking assembly to at least one vehicle brake set; providing sensor output data from one or more vehicle sensors to a plurality of electronic control units; and based at least in part on the sensor output data, controlling at least one of the first or second pressure-controlled electronic braking assemblies to adjust a pressure of the pressurized fluid stream from at least one of the first or second pressure-controlled electronic braking assemblies to the vehicle brake set.

An apparatus for controlling a trailer parking brake status indicator in a tractor is provided that allow an operator to deactivate the indicator when the tractor is operating without a trailer using a pre-existing operator interface. The apparatus includes means for determining whether a trailer is coupled to the tractor and a controller configured to execute, when a determination whether the trailer is coupled to the tractor cannot be made, a process for controlling activation and deactivation of the indicator. The process includes determining whether a speed of the tractor meets a predetermined condition relative to a predetermined speed. The process further includes monitoring, after determining that the speed of the tractor meets the predetermined condition relative to the predetermined speed, for an activation command to activate a parking brake on the trailer. The process further includes deactivating the trailer parking brake status indicator responsive to the activation command.

The present invention relates to an electronic parking brake device for a vehicle, in particular a utility vehicle. As a function of at least one operating state of a towing vehicle parking brake supply line and/or a trailer parking brake supply line, a towing vehicle parking brake control valve is activatable by means of a control unit in such a way that a towing vehicle parking brake supply line can be deaerated or aerated by the towing vehicle parking brake control valve. By manually actuating a trailer parking brake control element, a trailer parking brake control valve is activatable by means of the control unit in such a way that a trailer parking brake supply line can be deaerated or aerated by the trailer parking brake control valve. The present invention also relates to a method for operating the above electronic parking brake device for a vehicle.

An electropneumatic device for a pneumatic braking system, including a compressed air reservoir for providing a reservoir pressure; a brake pressure modulator which receives reservoir pressure and outputs a brake pressure at a brake pressure connection in a manner dependent on electronic braking request signals; a protective valve unit with a protective valve inlet, a first protective outlet and a second protective outlet; the protective valve inlet receiving the brake pressure and which it can provide at the first and second protective outlets; a first and a second pressure line; and, a brake actuator that is connected to the pressure lines. The protective valve unit is configured to throttle the brake pressure output at the first protective outlet in the event of leakage of the first pressure line and to throttle the brake pressure output at the second protective outlet in the event of leakage of the second pressure line.

The invention relates to a driverless transport vehicle for moving a semi-trailer. The driverless transport vehicle comprises a coupling device which is designed to establish a connection with the braking system and/or an electronic system of a semi-trailer. The invention also relates to a method for coupling a driverless transport vehicle to a semi-trailer.

A braking arrangement for a vehicle includes a source of pressurized air, a first wheel with a first pneumatic brake arrangement including a first brake, the first brake being arranged to be engaged when connected to the source of pressurized air and disengaged when disconnected from the source of pressurized air, a second wheel with a second pneumatic brake arrangement including a second brake, the second brake being arranged to be engaged when connected to the source of pressurized air and disengaged when disconnected from the source of pressurized air, and a proportional valve between the source of pressurized air and the first brake, opening of the proportional valve being proportional to pressure in a line between the source of pressurized air and the proportional valve. The first pneumatic brake arrangement and the second pneumatic brake arrangement function differently.

An electropneumatic trailer control module (1) for an electronically controllable pneumatic brake system (520) for a vehicle combination (500) with a tractor vehicle (502) and a trailer vehicle (504), has an electronic control unit (ECU), a pneumatic reservoir input (11), a trailer control valve unit (65) with electropneumatic valves (RV, IV, OV), a trailer brake pressure port (22), and a trailer supply pressure port (21). The electronic control unit (ECU) has a parking brake signal input (200) for receiving an electronic brake representation signal (SB1, SB2, SB3) for an immobilizing brake (6, 532a, 532b) of the tractor vehicle (502) and is configured to, on the basis of the brake representation signal (SB1, SB2, SB3), switch at least one of the one or more electropneumatic valves (RV, IV, OV) of the trailer control valve unit (65) in order to output a brake pressure.