Apparatus and method for preventing parking brake-caused vehicle disabling

• Main Authors: SZUDY JAMES E, NOSSE JOHN G, EBERLING CHARLES E
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 02.09.2014
• Subjects: ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OFVEHICLES; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES; VEHICLES IN GENERAL

An apparatus and method for preventing parking brake-caused disabling of a vehicle is provided. In at least one of the vehicle's parking brake release actuators' supply lines there is provided a flow arrangement which allows parking brake release fluid to flow to and from the release actuator when its supply line is undamaged, and restricts flow from the release pressure source when the line between the flow arrangement and the actuator is damaged. The flow arrangement may be a pilot-operated, non-graduated control valve, a combination of a pressure protection valve and a check valve arranged in parallel, a velocity-sensing check valve, or any other device or combination of devices which provide the damaged line shutoff or metering functionality. Such an arrangement prevents automatic application of the parking brake by releasing pressure from all of the vehicle's parking brake actuators, thereby precluding automatic vehicle immobilization following damage at one wheel end.