TRACTOR PROTECTION VALVE AND TRAILER CONTROL MODULE FOR A VEHICLE, AND ASSOCIATED METHOD OF MANUFACTURING

Abstract

A tractor protection valve (100) for a trailer control module (150) of a vehicle (200a), in particular utility vehicle (200b) includes a pressure chamber (110), a delivery port (111), and a control port (112). A first fluid channel (121) fluidly connects the pressure chamber (110) and the delivery port (111), and a second fluid channel (122) fluidly connects the delivery port (111) and the control port (112). The pressure chamber (110), the delivery port (111), and the control port (112) are collinearly arranged, and each of the first fluid channel (121) and the second fluid channel (122) extend along a common axis (A). The first and second fluid channels (121, 122) may be formed in a single drilling step, from the pressure chamber (110), through the delivery port (111), and to the control port (112).

Claims

1. A tractor protection valve (100) for a trailer control module (150) of a vehicle (200a), wherein the tractor protection valve (100) comprises: a pressure chamber (110); a delivery port (111); a control port (112); a first fluid channel (121) fluidly connecting the pressure chamber (110) and the delivery port (111); and a second fluid channel (122) fluidly connecting the delivery port (111) and the control port (112); wherein the pressure chamber (110), the delivery port (111) and the control port (112) are collinearly arranged at a line (L); and each of the first fluid channel (121) and the second fluid channel (122) extend along a common axis (A).

2. The tractor protection valve (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tractor protection valve (100) includes a body (130), and the delivery port (111) and the control port (112) are arranged at an outer section (131) of the body (130).

3. The tractor protection valve (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the delivery port (111) and the control port (112) each have circular contours and are sized and arranged for connection to respective pneumatic pipes.

4. The tractor protection valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the common axis (A) coincides with the line (L).

5. The tractor protection valve as claimed in claim 4, wherein the common axis (A) corresponds to a principal flowing direction of pressurized air within each of the first fluid channel (121) and the second fluid channel (122).

6. The tractor protection valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the delivery port (111) and the control port (112) extend perpendicular to the common axis (A).

7. The tractor protection valve (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the delivery port (111) is arranged on the line (L) between the pressure chamber (110) and the control port (112).

8. A trailer control module (150) for a vehicle (200a) including the tractor protection valve (100) as claimed in claim 1.

9. The trailer control module (150) as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a cover (151) attached to a body (130) of the tractor protection valve (100).

10. The trailer control module (150) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first fluid channel (121) and the second fluid channel (122) are arranged within the body (130) of the tractor protection valve (130) and the cover (151) of the trailer control module (150) separates the first and second fluid channel (121, 122) from an environment (160) of the trailer control module (150).

11. A vehicle (200a) including the tractor protection valve (100) as claimed in claim 1.

12. A method (300) of manufacturing the tractor protection valve (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method (300) comprises the steps of: providing (310) the tractor protection valve (100) with the pressure chamber (110), the delivery port (111) and the control port (112), wherein the pressure chamber (110), the delivery port (111) and the control port (112) are collinearly arranged; and machining (320) the tractor protection valve (100) and defining the first fluid channel (121) and the second fluid channel (122) so that each of the first fluid channel (121) and the second fluid channel (122) extend along a common axis (A).

13. The method (300) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the machining (320) includes drilling (320a).

14. The method (300) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the drilling (320a) is performed in one step and defines both the first channel (121) and the second fluid channel (122) in the one step.

15. The method (300) as claimed in claim 14, wherein the drilling is performed in a direction from the pressure chamber (110), through the delivery port (111), and to the control port (112).

16. The method (300) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the machining (32) includes a milling operation of a body (130) of the trailer protection valve (100), wherein the milling operation connects the delivery port (111) and the control port (112).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] An embodiment according to an aspect of the present disclosure is described with reference to the Figures below.

[0028] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a vehicle, in particular utility vehicle, according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

[0029] FIG. 2 illustrates a tractor protection valve according to the prior art;

[0030] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a tractor protection valve according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

[0031] FIG. 4 is a detailed view of a tractor protection valve according to an embodiment of the disclosure; and

[0032] FIG. 5 shows a schematic chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] In the following embodiments are described with reference to the Figures, wherein the same reference signs are used for the same objects throughout the description of the Figures and wherein the embodiment is just one specific example for implementing the disclosure and does not limit the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

[0034] FIG. 1 shows schematically a vehicle 200a, in particular utility vehicle 200b, according to an embodiment of the disclosure. In the following, the vehicle 200a, in particular utility vehicle 200b, is referred to as vehicle 200a, 200b.

[0035] The vehicle 200a, 200b is a land vehicle. The vehicle 200a, 200b is a tractor vehicle 200c of a tractor-trailer combination.

[0036] The vehicle 200a, 200b, includes a trailer control module 150. The trailer control module 150 is adapted to supply and control a pneumatic braking system of a trailer of the vehicle 200a, 200b.

[0037] The trailer control module 150 and thus the vehicle 200a, 200b includes a tractor protection valve 100. The tractor protection valve 100 includes a pressure chamber 110 (see FIG. 4), a delivery port 111, a control port 112, a second delivery port 113 and an exhaust port 114. Therein, the exhaust port 114 is optional and may be dispensed with.

[0038] The tractor protection valve 100 is further described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. Prior art is described with reference to FIG. 2.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a prior art tractor protection valve 100 according to the prior art. Therein, FIG. 2 (A) shows a sectional view of the prior art tractor protection valve 100 and FIG. 2 (B) shows a detail of the tractor protection valve 100.

[0040] The prior art tractor protection valve 100 of FIG. 2 may also be used for a trailer control module 150 of a vehicle 200a, 200b as explained with reference to FIG. 1.

[0041] The prior art tractor protection valve 100 also comprises: a pressure chamber 110, a delivery port 111 and a control port 112. The pressure chamber 110, the delivery port 111 and the control port 112 are arranged, in the view of FIG. 2 (A) on a triangle T. The triangle T is arranged in the drawing plane of FIG. 2 (A).

[0042] The prior art tractor protection valve 100 comprises further a first fluid channel 121 fluidly connecting the pressure chamber 110 and the delivery port 111. Therein, the first fluid channel 121 may be manufactured by a first drilling step along a first drilling axis A1, see FIG. 2 (B).

[0043] The prior art tractor protection valve 100 comprises further a second fluid channel 122 fluidly connecting the delivery port 111 and the control port 112. Therein, the second fluid channel 122 may be manufactured by a second drilling step along a second drilling axis A2 and a third drilling step along a third drilling axis A3, see FIG. 2 (B). The second drilling step and the third drilling step are typically challenging. The first drilling axis A1, the second drilling axis A2, and the third drilling axis A3 are pairwise different from each other.

[0044] FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of a tractor protection valve 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The tractor protection valve 100 of FIG. 3 is a tractor protection valve 100 for a trailer control module 150 of a vehicle 200a, 200b as explained with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is described under reference to FIG. 1.

[0045] The tractor protection valve 100 comprises a pressure chamber 110, a delivery port 111, and a control port 112. The pressure chamber 110, the delivery port 111, and the control port 112 are collinearly arranged. The pressure chamber 110, the delivery port 111 and the control port 112 are arranged at the same line L. The delivery port 111 is arranged between the pressure chamber 110 and the control port 112.

[0046] The tractor protection valve 100 comprises a first fluid channel 121 fluidly connecting the pressure chamber 110 and the delivery port 111 and a second fluid channel 122 fluidly connecting the delivery port 111 and the control port 112. Each of the first fluid channel 121 and the second fluid channel 122 extend along a common axis A. The common axis A coincides with the line L at which the pressure chamber 110 and the delivery port 111 and a second fluid channel 122 are arranged. The axis A may correspond to a principal flowing direction of pressurized air within each of the first fluid channel 121 and the second fluid channel 122.

[0047] The trailer control module 150 (not indicated in FIG. 3) includes a cover 151. The first fluid channel 121 and the second fluid channel 122 are arranged so that a body 130 of the tractor protection valve 130 and the cover 151 of the trailer control module 150 separates the fluid channels 121, 122 from an environment 160 of the trailer control module 150.

[0048] FIG. 4 shows a detail of a tractor protection valve 100 according to an embodiment of the disclosure. The tractor protection valve 100 of FIG. 4 is the tractor protection valve 100 of FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is described under reference to FIG. 3.

[0049] The tractor protection valve 100 includes a body 130. The body 130 is made of cast aluminum alloy. The delivery port 111 and the control port 112 are arranged at an outer section 131 of the body 130. The outer section 131 of the body 130 is a surface section of the tractor protection valve 100. The outer section 131 may be accessed from the outside, e.g., for manufacturing and/or maintenance. The delivery port 111 and the control port 112 each have a circular contour with a specific radius to enable coupling of a pneumatic pipe to each of the ports 111, 112.

[0050] FIG. 5 shows a schematic chart of a method according to an embodiment of the disclosure. The method 300 of FIG. 5 is a method 300 of manufacturing the tractor protection valve 100 as described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 5 is described under reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0051] The method 300 according to FIG. 5 comprises the step of: providing 310 the tractor protection valve 100 with the pressure chamber 110, the delivery port 111 and the control port 112, wherein the pressure chamber 110, the delivery port 111 and the control port 112 are collinearly arranged.

[0052] The method 300 further comprises the step of: machining 320 the tractor protection valve 100 so that each of the first fluid channel 121 and the second fluid channel 122 extend along a common axis A.

[0053] The machining 320 comprises drilling 320a. Drilling 320a is performed in one step from the pressure chamber 110 via the delivery port 111 to the control port 112.

REFERENCE SIGNS (PART OF THE DESCRIPTION)

[0054] 100 tractor protection valve [0055] 110 pressure chamber [0056] 111 delivery port [0057] 112 control port [0058] 113 second delivery port [0059] 114 exhaust port [0060] 121 first fluid channel [0061] 122 second fluid channel [0062] 130 body [0063] 131 outer section [0064] 100 prior art tractor protection valve [0065] 110 prior art pressure chamber [0066] 111 prior art delivery port [0067] 112 prior art control port [0068] 121 prior art first fluid channel [0069] 122 prior art second fluid channel [0070] 130 prior art body [0071] 150 trailer control module [0072] 151 cover [0073] 160 environment [0074] 200a vehicle [0075] 200b utility vehicle [0076] 200c tractor vehicle [0077] 300 method [0078] 310 providing [0079] 320 machining [0080] 320a drilling [0081] A axis [0082] A1, A2, A3 prior art drill axes [0083] L line [0084] T prior art triangle