DE102020202167B4 - Trailer with a towing vehicle and a trailer with its own electric drive - Google Patents

Abstract

Trailer (1) with a trailer (3) with its own electric drive (4) and an electrical energy storage (6) and with a towing vehicle (2) that can be coupled to the trailer (3) by means of a coupling device (10), the drive (4) has at least one self-locking-free electric motor (5), which can be controlled by means of a control device (13), with which at least one trailer wheel can be driven directly or indirectly in a controlled manner, and the control device (13) has an activatable control function unit as a driving control unit for an “electric traction drive” function and an has a control function unit that can be activated separately from the driving control unit as a mover control unit for an “electric shunting drive” function, characterized in that the trailer (1) has a coupling detection device which, when a coupling between the trailer (3) and the towing vehicle (2 ) emits a coupling signal to the control device (13) and the driving control unit can only be activated when the coupling signal is present, that the mover control unit can only be activated when the trailer (3) is not coupled and there is no coupling signal and thus a driving control unit that cannot be activated , and that at least one sensor or button (16) or switch is arranged in a coupling mouth (12) as part of a coupling detection device for determining a mechanical coupling, or that a voltage measuring device is part of a coupling detection device for determining an electrical coupling and thus one of Towing vehicle (2) voltage transmitted at the contact plug is measured and evaluated with a trailer plug inserted into a socket of the towing vehicle (2), or that an electronic data transmission between towing vehicle (2) and trailer (3) is part of a coupling detection device and the data transmission of towing vehicle messages is monitored so that the presence of a towing vehicle (2) is detected during trouble-free data transmission.

Description

The invention relates to a team with a towing vehicle and a trailer with its own electric drive according to the preamble of claim 1 and a method for controlling such a team according to claim 6.

A generic team is out DE 10 2019 202 784 A1 known and has a trailer with its own electric drive and an electrical energy storage and a towing vehicle that can be coupled to the trailer using a coupling device.

The travel drive has at least one self-locking-free electric motor, which can be controlled by means of a control device, with which at least one trailer wheel can be driven in a controlled manner, directly or indirectly. Different embodiments are known for the electric motors that are operatively connected to one or more vehicle trailer wheels, for example as wheel hub motors for a direct drive or for an indirect drive with transmission devices between an electric motor and a trailer wheel. For safety reasons, the electric motors used are always designed to be self-locking, so that in the event of a fault, the electric motor-driven wheel can never lock while driving.

Furthermore, a control device is known with an activatable control function unit as a driving control unit for an “electric travel drive” function and with a further control function unit that can be activated separately from the driving control unit as a mover control unit for an “electric shunting drive” function.

The driving control unit usually consists of a control unit part in the towing vehicle and an associated control unit part in the trailer, which can be connected, for example, by a data bus in order to adapt the driving operation of the trailer, in particular when alternating between coasting operation or braking operation or recuperation operation, to the current driving state of the towing vehicle. Alternatively, the control unit can be arranged in a self-sufficient trailer.

It is also known to use the electric drive as a maneuvering drive, for which purpose a portable control unit is used in a known manner, which can be activated for an operative connection with a control unit part in the trailer.

Furthermore, so-called movers are generally known as electric maneuvering aids for caravans without their own powerful electric drive, in which rollers that can be driven electrically independently of one another can be pressed on the right and left wheel tires of the trailer. If the right and left rollers are controlled in different directions of rotation, the trailer can, for example, be rotated in place about its vertical axis. For safety reasons, the maximum speed when driving is limited to around 2 km/h.

In a generic trailer with an electric drive, both the “electric drive” function and the “electric shunting drive” function are carried out with the same electric drive elements, which poses particular challenges for a safety concept for such a trailer. While, for example, the mover with roller drives described above is easy to control due to its speed limitation and relatively low power, an electric trailer travel drive with, for example, twice 80 kW power can accelerate a trailer to high driving speed. In addition, a self-locking electric motor in the mover function can lead to safety-critical situations, for example if the trailer rolls away on a slope due to a lack of self-locking.

From the DE 20 2012 010 042 U1 A shunting drive with a monitoring module is known. The DE 10 2012 016 234 A1 discloses a trailer for a vehicle and a method of control and operation. From the DE 196 47 042 A1 a device for monitoring the coupling of a trailer to a towing vehicle is known. The DE 11 2018 005 137 T5 discloses a system and method for a vehicle towable trailer.

The object of the invention is therefore to develop a generic combination with a trailer with its own electric drive in such a way that operational safety is improved.

This task is achieved by a team with the features of claim 1 and a method with the features of claim 6. Preferred developments of the invention are disclosed in the subclaims.

According to claim 1, the combination is equipped with a coupling detection device which, when a coupling between the trailer and the towing vehicle is detected, emits a coupling signal to the control device. The control device is designed in such a way that the driving control unit can only be activated when such a clutch signal is present. On the other hand, only with an uncoupled trailer and This means that the mover control unit can be activated if the coupling signal is not present.

This means that the “electric traction drive” function cannot be activated on a parked, uncoupled trailer with its own electric drive, so that potentially dangerous self-acceleration of a parked trailer is safely prevented. On the other hand, the mover control unit may only be able to be activated for the “electric shunting operation” function when the trailer is parked and not coupled. Equipping with a coupling detection device and the control measures carried out with it can therefore improve the safety of a parked, uncoupled trailer and reduce the risks it may pose. The coupling of the trailer to a towing vehicle must be reliably established, for which different embodiments are proposed.

Even in a combination according to the invention, the driving control unit is arranged in a manner known per se either partly in the towing vehicle and partly in the trailer or exclusively in the trailer and controls the operation of the at least one electric motor depending on the driving mode, in particular in engine mode for a thrust drive and / or in generator mode for one Braking operation or recuperation operation.

The mover control unit, which is intended to be effective regardless of the towing vehicle when the trailer is parked, is assigned to the trailer and has a control unit, preferably as a portable remote control unit, which can be connected to control unit elements in the trailer via cable or radio.

A trailer with its own electric drive is particularly advantageous to use in a trailer if the towing vehicle is an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle with an electric drive and a combustion drive. Advantageously, when towing a trailer, the electrical range of the towing vehicle, which is usually relatively limited anyway, is not, or at least not significantly, restricted by the vehicle's own electric trailer drive.

For reliable detection of a coupling between a towing vehicle and a trailer, at least one sensor and/or button and/or switch is arranged according to the invention as part of a coupling detection device in a coupling mouth. A switch and/or button can then be actuated mechanically during the coupling process of the coupling device. It is also possible to use a sensor. Signals emanating from this can then be evaluated for reliable coupling detection.

Additionally or alternatively, according to the invention, a voltage measuring device is provided as part of a coupling detection device for detecting an electrical coupling, in particular according to ISO 11446 (which is common in Europe). This means that a voltage transmitted from the towing vehicle to the contact plug is measured and evaluated when a trailer plug is inserted into a socket of the towing vehicle. If the plug-in coupling is open, there is no voltage as an indication of a missing coupling.

Alternatively or additionally, according to the invention, during electronic data transmission between the towing vehicle and trailer, the data transmission of towing vehicle messages to the trailer is monitored as a coupling detection device. If data transmission is determined to be trouble-free, this is a reliable indication of the presence of a towing vehicle. For example, for trucks in Europe, such data transmission is standardized in ISO 11992 and is used there in particular to control the trailer brakes. The presence of a towing vehicle can be reliably determined using the known methods of monitoring the towing vehicle messages for timeouts and/or monitoring a counter within the towing vehicle messages.

A control unit of the mover control unit is usually equipped with a control button or control lever for requesting controlled trailer movements by an operator. Such a control button or control lever can be deflected from a neutral position against a return spring force in a desired direction of movement, whereby a trailer movement is triggered by an operator. After releasing the control button/lever, it automatically returns to its neutral position.

Since, as stated above, the electric motor for a trailer's own electric drive is designed to be self-locking for safety reasons, without further measures after a maneuvering operation and after releasing the control button/lever, a trailer without radar locking and therefore unbraked would be standing in front of an operator. With an inclined footprint, there is a risk that the trailer will roll away from the operator after a mover movement.

• Eine erste und/oder zweite Maßnahme kann das automatische Spannen einer Betriebsbremse des Anhängers zum Halten einer aktuellen Radposition und/oder das Anziehen einer Feststellbremse des Anhängers ein. Zudem besteht auch die Möglichkeit, eine Regeleinrichtung vorzusehen und diese anzusteuern, mit der die Ströme zum einen oder mehreren Elektromotoren so geregelt werden, dass eine aktuelle Radposition mit einem aktuellen Raddrehwinkel als Sollwert beibehalten wird. Im Ergebnis wird somit beim Loslassen eines Bedienknopfs/Bedienhebels ein Verhalten des Anhängers erreicht wie mit einem Elektromotor mit selbsthemmendem Zwischengetriebe.

To prevent this, it is suggested that after pressing the control button/be operating lever and releasing the control button/operating lever, a control impulse is generated in the control unit, which triggers the maintenance of a current wheel rotation angle. Three measures are proposed that can be carried out independently, alternatively or in conjunction:

• A first and/or second measure can involve automatically applying a service brake of the trailer to maintain a current wheel position and/or applying a parking brake of the trailer. It is also possible to provide and control a control device with which the currents to one or more electric motors are regulated in such a way that a current wheel position with a current wheel rotation angle is maintained as a setpoint. As a result, when you release a control button/lever, the trailer behaves like an electric motor with a self-locking intermediate gear.

In a further embodiment, the mover control unit can be designed such that in the mover function, trailer movement is limited to only a maximum, relatively low speed. In addition, a timer can be provided which is activated when the control button/operating lever is released, whereby the activation of the mover control unit is automatically switched off after a predetermined period of time has elapsed as a further safety feature.

Embodiments according to the invention are explained using a drawing as an example.

• 1 eine stark schematisierte Darstellung eines Gespanns;
• 2 eine schematische Darstellung einer Anhängekupplung mit einem Taster;
• 3 eine schematisierte elektrische Verbindung nach ISO 11446 zwischen einem Zugfahrzeug und einem Anhänger; und
• 4 eine schematische Datenbusverbindung nach ISO 11992 zwischen einem Zugfahrzeug und einem Anhänger.

Show it:

• 1 a highly schematic representation of a team;
• 2 a schematic representation of a trailer coupling with a button;
• 3 a schematic electrical connection according to ISO 11446 between a towing vehicle and a trailer; and
• 4 a schematic data bus connection according to ISO 11992 between a towing vehicle and a trailer.

In 1 a team 1 consisting of a towing vehicle 2 and a coupled trailer 3 is shown. The trailer 3 has its own electric drive 4 with at least one electric motor 5, for example as a wheel hub motor and with an electrical energy storage 6, here as a lithium-ion battery.

The towing vehicle 2 here is also, for example, an electric vehicle with an electric drive 7, which here also has, for example, an electric motor 8 as a wheel hub motor and an electrical energy storage 9 as a lithium-ion battery.

The towing vehicle 2 and the trailer 3 are coupled by means of a coupling device 10, which (in the case of European vehicles) has a vehicle-side coupling ball 11 and a trailer-side coupling mouth 12. In other countries (e.g. USA, Canada) other coupling devices are known, but they do not affect the function of this invention.

The trailer-side electric drive 4 can be controlled via a control device 13 (shown schematically as a block), the control device 13 having a drive control unit for the “electric drive” function and a mover control unit for an “electric maneuvering drive” function. The driving control unit of the control device 13 can be connected to a vehicle-side control unit 14 via cable or wirelessly. Alternatively, the driving control unit of the control device 13 can be designed to be self-sufficient only with signals available in the trailer. In both cases, the trailer-side electric drive 4 is adapted to the driving operation of the towing vehicle 2. The mover control unit also includes an operating unit 15 designed as a portable radio remote control with a button 16 designed as a control button.

In order to ensure that the driving control unit can only be activated when coupled between towing vehicle 2 and trailer 3, the 2 until 4 different versions are shown for reliable detection of such a condition. In 2 (right side) the coupling mouth 12 is shown (without coupling ball 11), in which a button 16 with an electrical switching function (not shown) is integrated. The button 16 is shown in its open position in the right part of the picture, with a spring-loaded stylus protruding into the interior of the coupling jaw 12. In the left part of the picture, the coupling jaw 12 is plugged onto the coupling ball 11 in the coupled state, whereby the stylus of the button 16 is mechanically pushed radially outwards against the force of a return spring and closes an electrical contact (not shown), with a corresponding contact signal being sent to the control device 13 is forwarded. Alternatively, two electrical contact pins can be installed in the coupling mouth 12, with which a circuit is closed via the metallic coupling ball 11. This makes it possible to effectively differentiate between a rubber ball as theft protection and the coupling ball 11 of a trailer hitch.

In 3 An electrical connection 17 between a towing vehicle 2 and a trailer 3 according to ISO 11446 is shown in a highly schematic manner, with the electrical coupling being used here to determine a coupling. For this purpose, a voltage transmitted from the towing vehicle to a contact plug is measured and evaluated, for example, in accordance with the standard, a voltage is only present at one or more plug contacts when KL15 is switched on.

In 4 A data bus connection between a trailer-side control device 13 and a towing vehicle-side control unit 14 is shown schematically, here for example as a data bus connection according to ISO 11992, which is used in particular in a truck combination. Data transmission can be monitored here using a coupling detection device. With trouble-free data transmission, the safe presence of a towing vehicle can be determined.

Reference symbol list

1

team

2

towing vehicle

3

Trailer

4

electric drive

5

Electric motor

6

electrical energy storage

7

electric drive

8th

Electric motor

9

electrical energy storage

10

Coupling device

11

Coupling ball

12

Coupling mouth

13

Control device

14

Control unit

15

Control unit

16

Button

17

electrical connection

Claims (6)

Trailer (1) with a trailer (3) with its own electric drive (4) and an electrical energy storage (6) and with a towing vehicle (2) that can be coupled to the trailer (3) by means of a coupling device (10), the drive (4 ) has at least one self-locking electric motor (5), which can be controlled by means of a control device (13), with which at least one trailer wheel can be driven directly or indirectly in a controlled manner, and the control device (13) has an activatable control function unit as a driving control unit for an “electric traction drive” function. and a control function unit that can be activated separately from the driving control unit as a mover control unit for an “electric shunting drive” function, characterized in that the trailer (1) has a coupling detection device which, when a coupling between the trailer (3) and the towing vehicle is detected (2) emits a coupling signal to the control device (13) and the driving control unit can only be activated when the coupling signal is present, that the mover control unit can only be activated when the trailer (3) is not coupled and there is no coupling signal and thus a driving control unit that cannot be activated can be activated, and that at least one sensor or button (16) or switch is arranged in a coupling mouth (12) as part of a coupling detection device for determining a mechanical coupling, or that a voltage measuring device is part of a coupling detection device for determining an electrical coupling and so that a voltage transmitted by the towing vehicle (2) at the contact plug is measured and evaluated when a trailer plug is inserted into a socket of the towing vehicle (2), or that an electronic data transmission between the towing vehicle (2) and trailer (3) is part of a coupling detection device and the data transmission of towing vehicle messages is monitored, such that the presence of a towing vehicle (2) is determined during trouble-free data transmission. team Claim 1 , characterized in that the driving control unit is arranged in the trailer (3) and partly in the towing vehicle (2) and, depending on the driving mode, controls the operation of the at least one electric motor (5) in motor operation for a thrust drive or in generator operation for braking operation or recuperation operation, and that the mover control unit has a portable remote control unit which can be connected to control unit elements in the trailer (3) via cable or radio. team Claim 1 or Claim 2 , characterized in that the towing vehicle (2) is an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle with an electric drive and a combustion drive. Team according to one of the Claims 1 until 3 , characterized in that an operating unit (15) of the mover control unit has a button (16) or operating lever for requesting controlled trailer movements by an operator, and that after pressing the button (16) or operating lever and releasing the button (16 ) or operating lever, a control pulse is generated which triggers the maintenance of a current wheel rotation angle, in which a service brake of the trailer (3) is activated to hold a current wheel position and/or a parking brake of the trailer (3) is activated to hold the current wheel position and/or a control device is controlled, with which the currents to at least one electric motor (5) are controlled so that the current wheel position is maintained with a current wheel rotation angle. Team according to one of the Claims 1 until 3 , characterized in that an operating unit (15) of the mover control unit has a button (16) or operating lever for requesting controlled trailer movements by an operator, and that after pressing the button (16) or operating lever and releasing the button (16 ) or operating lever, a control pulse is generated which activates a timer and automatically switches off the activation of the mover control unit after a predetermined period of time. Method for controlling a team with the characteristics of Claims 1 until 5 .

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