Land vehicles – Wheeled – Articulated vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-31
2001-01-30
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Articulated vehicle
C280S407000, C280S420000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179319
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a tractor-trailer with two component vehicles, specifically a tractor and a trailer, with a trailer coupling to create an articulated push/pull connection between the two component vehicles and with a supply coupling between the two component vehicles, wherein the supply coupling comprises a tractor-side coupling half (hereinafter sometimes called “tractor coupling half”) and a trailer-side coupling half (hereinafter sometimes called “trailer coupling half”), which can be coupled together by bringing them together along a predefined coupling axis, wherein one of the coupling halves is connected to the supply unit of the associated first component vehicle through a flexible supply line, and when coupled to the other coupling half is movable relative to the first component vehicle in such a way that relative motions of the two component vehicles are essentially unhindered.
A supply coupling here is understood to mean a coupling between two sections of a line that is intended and suitable for supplying the trailer, from a supply unit in the tractor, with electric current and/or control commands and/or compressed air and/or hydraulic fluid for a wide variety of functions such as lighting, braking, dump body actuation and the like. It is certainly possible in this context to provide a plurality of supply lines and a corresponding number of supply couplings for the various feeds. However, for reasons of simplified handling, it is preferred to combine as many supply lines as possible in one cable harness or hose harness in order to make all necessary supply lines functional by connecting a single or a few supply couplings.
In conventional tractor-trailer rigs, the supply couplings are connected by hand. To do so, it is necessary for the operator to move from the driver's seat to the region of the front wall of the trailer and connect the two coupling halves there.
EP 0 539 675 A1 discloses a tractor-trailer in which the supply coupling is designed and arranged such that the two coupling halves are forced to engage with one another when the tractor approaches the trailer in order to establish the push/pull connection between the two component vehicles. To this end, the tractor coupling half on the tractor is held in a mount in a capture-ready position. Attached to the trailer is a toothed rack which engages with the tractor coupling half when the tractor approaches the trailer, i.e., catches the coupling half and extracts it from the mount. The tractor coupling half is subsequently moved along the toothed rack to the trailer coupling half and coupled thereto by means of a motor.
In the tractor-trailer known from EP 0 539 675 A1, the tractor must approach the trailer with a predetermined relative orientation thereto that is within quite tight limits in order to ensure proper capture of the tractor coupling half by the toothed rack. In particular, the tractor and trailer must have zero or only a very small relative tilt about the lateral axis, such as can occur when the trailer stands on a level stretch but the tractor is located on a rising or descending ramp. With the known tractor-trailer, it can occur in this case that the tractor coupling half is not properly captured by the toothed rack and falls down.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to specify a tractor-trailer of the type described at the outset wherein reliable joining of the tractor and trailer coupling halves is ensured while at the same time allowing great freedom in terms of permissible relative orientations of tractor and trailer.
The foregoing object is attained in accordance with the invention by a tractor-trailer of the type described at the outset in which an actuator is arranged on one component vehicle that moves one coupling half toward the other coupling half and joins the one to the other by along the predefined coupling axis and in which the one coupling half is arranged on the actuator such that it can be oriented in all directions at least within predetermined limits.
In accordance with the invention, the actuator arranged on one component vehicle carries the one coupling half at least until the coupled state is established between the two coupling halves. Thus it is not necessary to transfer one coupling half from a device arranged on one component vehicle to a device arranged on the other component vehicle, or to have the coupling half captured thereby, prior to the engagement of one coupling half with the other coupling half. Since such a transfer of one coupling half is avoided in the tractor-trailer according to the invention, there is no risk of one coupling half being dropped. Moreover, as already mentioned above, the actuator does not release the coupling half until the coupled state is established between the two coupling halves, so a reliable joining of the two coupling halves is assured.
Furthermore, due to the use of the actuator, joining of the two coupling halves does not place high demands on the relative orientation of the two component vehicles. As a result, when the two coupling halves are to be connected together, the tractor and the trailer can have any orientation relative to one another within generous limits. Since the actuator must move one coupling half to the coupling axis defined by the position of the other coupling half and position it there, then orient the first coupling half in the direction of this coupling axis, and finally advance this coupling half along the coupling axis to the second coupling half, the practical limits for the permissible relative orientation of the two component vehicles can be viewed as nothing more than a compromise between the relative orientations of the two component vehicles that occur in actual practice on the one hand, and on the other hand the economically feasible cost of constructing the actuator.
Since the precise relative orientation of the two component vehicles is not known at the start of the coupling process, and it is furthermore not known where and in which orientation the second coupling half is mounted on the other component vehicle, in order to facilitate positioning of the first coupling half on the coupling axis and also to facilitate orientation of the first coupling half toward the second coupling half, it is proposed that positioning and orientation aids be affixed to the other component vehicle. These positioning and orientation aids can be composed of markings on the other component vehicle, for instance, which can be detected by sensor units arranged on the first component vehicle, preferably on the actuator.
According to the invention, it is proposed, however, that the positioning and orientation aids comprise two stop faces running at right angles to the predefined coupling axis and preferably also to one another, and that mating stops which work together with the stop faces be provided on the first coupling half or on a part which can be attached thereto. This design for the positioning and orientation aids permits considerable simplification in the construction of the actuator.
It is of course possible to equip all five of the actuator's axes of motion, which constitute the minimum necessary for positioning the first coupling half on the coupling axis defined by the second coupling half and for orienting the first coupling half toward this coupling axis and advancing the first coupling half toward the second coupling half along this axis, with actuating drives, for example electric, hydraulic, pneumatic, hydropneumatic, or other suitably constructed actuating drives. Of course, the actuator can also have more than five axes of motion.
However, when the positioning and orientation aids are provided and are equipped with two stop faces at right angles to the predefined coupling axis and preferably to one another as well, it is sufficient for example to have three such actuating drives which permit translational motion of the first coupling half in three dimensions, hence to position the first coupling half on the coupling axis and ad
Knopf Alois
Malisch Roman
Ogris Gottfried
Szczepanek Udo
Baker & Botts L.L.P.
Johnson Brian L.
Rockinger Spezialfabrik f{umlaut over (u)}r Anhangerkupplungen G
Winner Tony
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