Motor vehicles – Compensating devices
Patent
1987-05-28
1989-07-18
Pekar, John A.
Motor vehicles
Compensating devices
280419, 340438, 340937, B62D 1302
Patent
active
048484997
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a servo-control device for steering an articulated vehicle including a tractor and at least one trailer with wheels with fixed or articulated axles, and control means to give this device a steering set-point, this device including a first detector for detecting the position of the guiding wheels of the tractor vehicle, at least a second detector for detecting the position of the trailer relative to the axis of the tractor vehicle and an electronic circuit for providing the servo-control device with a control signal for steering the front wheels of the tractor as a function of information provided by the first and the second detectors and the steering set-point given by the control means.
A device of this type which is already known is described in the international patent application published under number WO 85/03263.
In this patent application, there are essentially described the different servo-controls acting on the steering control to principally facilitate maneuvers in reverse motion of articulated vehicles of the half-trailer type or of the truck type towing a trailer.
It is proposed in the present invention to define a number of improvements of this device to ensure its sure and efficient operation under all circumstances. One of the objectives sought when maneuvering this type of vehicle is precise positioning of the trailer with respect to a fixed obstacle such as for example the corner of a road, the door of a shed, or the edge of a loading ramp.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
As opposed to what has been done by the known systems, where the objective set was precise positioning of the road train, incluidng both the trailer and the tractor, over a path considered as ideal, the invention provides for a system which enables the trailer to be positioned, over a maneuvering distance which is as short as possible, whatever the final position of the tractor may be, while however respecting the boundary conditions, that is, by interdicting the angular positions especially of the drawbar, which could cause defects either of the drawbar or of the body of the tractor or the trailer.
To this end, the device according to the invention is characterized in that the electronic circuit includes a digital calculator for processing the information delivered by the detectors.
In the case where the detectors are analog sensors, the electronic circuit advantageously includes a multiplexer each of whose inputs is connected to a detector and an analog to digital converter coupled between the multiplexer and the digital calculator.
In the case where the detectors are digital sensors, the electronic circuit advantageously includes a multiplexer each of whose inputs is connected to a detector and whose output is directly coupled with the digital calculator.
According to an advantageous embodiment, the device includes alarm means mounted in the driver's cab, said means being linked to the detectors to indicate to the driver that the vehicle reaches its limiting angles of lock.
To control the guiding wheels of the tractor vehicle, the device may also include motor means with a high starting torque.
To facilitate maneuvers, the device may include means for visualizing the trailer and/or the tractor vehicle, mounted on the dashboard of the tractor vehicle.
According to another embodiment, the device may include two series of signal lights mounted repectively on the right edge or on the left edge of at least one rearvision mirror of the tractor vehicle, these signal lights being adapted to provide the driver with an indication of the direction in which he has to turn the steering wheel of the tractor vehicle to correctly execute the maneuver, as well as the amplitude of the rotation of said steering wheel.
For reasons of safety, the device may include mechanical safety stops associated with contactors adapted to provide the calculator with information relating to the maximum angles of lock.
It may also include electronic means adapted to provide the calculator with inf
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patent: 4688818 (1987-08-01), Grassmuck
Martinet, WO 85/03263, PCT, 8/85.
Kunze Christian
Martinet Simon
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