Fluent material handling – with receiver or receiver coacting mea – Diverse fluid containing pressure filling systems involving... – Tire inflation
Reexamination Certificate
2003-02-13
2004-05-04
Huson, Gregory L. (Department: 3751)
Fluent material handling, with receiver or receiver coacting mea
Diverse fluid containing pressure filling systems involving...
Tire inflation
C141S005000, C141S009000, C141S067000, C141S100000, C267S064280
Reexamination Certificate
active
06729363
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an air spring system of a motor vehicle with the system having a tire-fill connection for filling the tire of a spare wheel.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/240,823, filed Oct. 7, 2002, discloses configuring the spare wheel of a motor vehicle as a folding wheel which is filled only when needed.
The compressor of the level control system can be used for pumping up the folding wheel in a vehicle equipped with air springs. For this purpose, the motor vehicle air spring system is equipped with tire-fill components.
The structure of the self-diagnosis in conventional level control systems having a tire-fill connection provides that, as a direct reaction to a detected fault, all system components which are directly affected by this fault transfer into a safe state. For example, for an electrical fault at the compressor relay, the compressor is transferred into the reliable state “off”.
For the tire-fill connection, this means that a tire filling is no longer permissible when there is an electrical fault at the contacts, that is, the tire-fill connection can no longer be used.
The above means that, when the diagnosis “tire-fill connection fault” is made, a tire filling was not permitted up to now for such air spring systems which are supplemented to include tire-fill components. Accordingly, it can happen for an electrical fault (for example, because of a short circuit or a line interruption), that neither a refilling takes place nor is a warning outputted to the driver. The present invention overcomes this unwanted situation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The method for filling a spare wheel according to the invention is primarily applicable in vehicle systems having an air spring level control system and tire-fill hardware.
The method of the invention is for filling a tire of a spare wheel utilizing an air supply unit of an air spring system of a motor vehicle equipped with a tire filling system including a tire-fill connection unit and a fill unit. The arrangement includes: in a fault-free condition, changing the logic states of the inputs (
32
a
,
32
b
) of a reed switch connected to a control apparatus from low/high to high/low when the tire-fill connection unit is attached; in a fault-free condition, changing the logic states of the inputs (
32
a
,
32
b
) from high/low to low/high when disconnecting the tire-fill connection unit; the control apparatus functioning to detect high/high and, when the high/high is detected, then concluding either the third input (
32
c
) has undergone a short circuit to positive or the second input (
32
b
) has undergone a line interruption (or short circuit to positive) which cannot be diagnosed when the tire-fill connection unit is not attached; and, the control apparatus functioning to detect low/low that, when the low/low is detected, then concluding that either the second input (
32
b
) or the third input (
32
c
) has a short circuit to ground which can be diagnosed when said tire-fill connecting unit is not mechanically attached and the fill operation can be started when only one of the first and second inputs (
32
a
,
32
b
) changes its logic state.
The method of the invention permits filling a spare wheel of a motor vehicle even when there is an electrical fault in the level control system of the air spring system.
With the method and arrangement of the invention, a significantly higher availability of the special function “reserve wheel filling” is provided. This is explained with the aid of two examples below.
EXAMPLE 1
A vehicle travels off road and the driver selects the largest possible ground clearance via the level operator-controlled component. An electrical fault is diagnosed (for example, a short circuit to the positive terminal) without the driver having connected the tire-fill connection. The consequence here is that the control level system operates in a special emergency condition designed for this situation, that is, manual control operations are no longer permitted in order to avoid travel-dynamic critical situations. Only speed control takes place. The tire-fill function now operates pressure orientated, that is, a pressure of 4.5 bar is built up up to the outlet valve. If now the tire-fill connection unit is connected, the tire is filled. If the driver actuates the operator-manipulated component, then the reserve wheel is filled.
EXAMPLE 2
The same start conditions are present as in Example 1. Here, the driver wants to eliminate a flat tire. In this instance, when the driver attaches the tire-fill tube, a sleeping fault is detected (for example, a short circuit to ground is first detected because, with the attachment, only the closing contact changes its state). The consequence here is that the level control system operates in a special emergency mode for this situation, that is, all manual control operations are no longer permitted in order to prevent travel-dynamic critical situations. Only speed conditioned controls take place. The tire-fill function operates pressure orientated, that is, a pressure of 4.5 bar is built up up to the outlet valve. If the tire-fill tube is now attached, then this too will be filled. If the driver actuates the manual operator-controlled unit, then the spare wheel is filled.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5553647 (1996-09-01), Jaksic
patent: 6034597 (2000-03-01), Normann et al.
patent: 6144295 (2000-11-01), Adams et al.
patent: 6336481 (2002-01-01), Tigges
patent: 6561017 (2003-05-01), Claussen et al.
patent: 3247371 (1984-06-01), None
patent: 4217650 (1993-07-01), None
US 2003/0098787 A1; May 29, 2003; Lin.*
US 2002/0079626 A1; Jun. 27, 2002; Grotendorst et al.*
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/240,823, Behmenburg, filed Oct. 7, 2002.
Nettelmann Marc
Stiller Alexander
Continental Aktiengesellschaft
Huson Gregory L.
Huynh Khoa D.
Ottesen Walter
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