DE9415153U1 - Microcontroller-controlled weight monitoring for truck trailers / trailers and transport vehicles with external data connection - Google Patents

Description

Weight monitoring for truck trailers and sports vehicles

By Reiner Mielke and Detlev Mielke

1. General description:

Overloading, incorrect loading or uncontrolled loading of truck trailers or transport vehicles with transported goods increases the risk of accidents on highways and motorways enormously.

The system presented here, a microcontroller-controlled weight monitoring system for truck trailers and transport vehicles of all kinds, is intended to provide a check for loaders and drivers in order to make optimal use of the vehicle and to determine the exact weight distribution.

If the weight distribution of the semi-trailer/trailer or transport vehicle is optimally utilized, the risk of accidents on highways and motorways would be reduced.

The system also has an external data connection so that when a truck is monitored by control bodies (police), the current weight data, load status or brake pad of the transporter can be checked at any location using an additional handheld device directly via a connection cable to the monitoring system on the transporter.

2. General system description

When loading goods of any kind, be it raw materials, food or liquids, the weight, weight distribution and inclination over the vertical and transverse axes are precisely monitored by pressure sensors, inclination sensors, bending sensors and angle sensors. Furthermore, the current condition of the brake pads is displayed by displacement sensors.

The current values of the sensors are passed on to a microcontroller, processed by a microcontroller program and the current data is made visible on a display on the additional handset or a monitoring device at the loading station.

The values shown indicate:

- Loading weight (+ / - tolerance of the permissible total weight, gross weight)

- Inclination of the semi-trailer/trailer or transport vehicle over the vertical and transverse axis

- Overload

- Weight per axle (individual axle load measurement)

- Condition of the brakes (brake pad measurement per wheel)

These values are shown simultaneously on the display, so that a precise overview of the loading status and brake pads is created.

Weight monitoring for truck trailers and sports vehicles

By Reiner Mielke and Detlev Mielke

System description

By means of the special or precisely positioned sensors, pressure sensors Fig.l(l), inclination sensors Fig.l(2) and angle sensors Fig.l(3) on the semitrailer/trailer or transport vehicle, data information about the weight or loading status before, during and after loading of a transport system is given to a microcontroller Fig. 1(7). Furthermore, the current data of the brake pads is processed by the microcontroller via the distance sensors Fig. 1(4), which measure the wear of the brake pads by the distance covered by the brake shoes (brake shoe - brake drum ratio) .

The data includes payload weight, weight distribution, tilt angle over vertical and transverse axes and total weight including load.

The weight data is determined by installing pressure sensors Fig. 1(2) on each air bellows so that each individual axle load can be measured (air-sprung semi-trailers). The load weight can be determined by attaching bending sensors Fig. 1(5) to the cell (frame).

The microcontroller with its peripherals has either a fixed program with its fixed values for weight, approved weight, inclination, brake pad etc. (requires separate programming of the fixed program for each type of transport vehicle or semi-trailer).

or

an electrically erasable memory so that the permitted weight data or loading data can be programmed at a later time.

When programming this data, a code query would be required so that only certain people can carry out this programming.

Furthermore, when the current data is queried via the additional handset Fig. 1(10), information would appear on the display stating when, who, date, company programmed the device. It would then also be possible to output this data including information on the printer or in a memory (subsequent printing would then be possible).

The system is programmed using an additional programming device Fig. 1(12) via the external data connection.

As possible additional devices, electronic systems Fig. 1(9) that prevent the transport system from driving (valves Fig. 1(11) in the air supply of the brake circuit, locking system of the brake units) can be controlled by the microcontroller via the error detection Fig. 1(8).

This device would only be activated if one of the processed values is exceeded (including the tolerance range) or if an incorrect charge is present.

You are then forced to carry out proper loading using the approval data of the transport system.

Weight monitoring for truck trailers and transport vehicles

By Reiner Mielke and Detlev Mielke

Additional handset

The additional handheld device is also equipped with a microcontroller Fig.2(l), with the corresponding interface software (fixed program of the microcontroller) which is programmed for the direct query of the current weight/inclination data or brake pad data of the semitrailer/trailer or the transport vehicle.

This data is made visible directly on a multi-cell display, allowing a direct overview of the current data.

Functional description

The handset is switched on or off using the ON or OFF button Fig.2(5).

The DATA function Fig.2 (5) enables the current data of the transport system to be checked to be read directly and shown on the display Fig.2(l).

Using the MEMIN button Fig.2(5), the data of the transport system can be saved in a fixed memory Fig.2(3) of the handset.

Using the MEMOUT button Fig.2 (5), the saved data from the permanent memory Fig.2(3) is transferred to the external data connection Fig.2(4). It would be possible to read it into a PC or print it out on a printer.

The printout would then be a protocol with the current inspection or loading data, which includes:

- Time of the controlled transport system (fixed clock generator Fig. 1(6) in the system)

- Date of the controlled transport system (fixed clock generator Fig. 1(6) in the system)

- official registration number of the transport system

- exceeded loading data of the transport system

- Loading date / loading time

- current data or wear of the brake pads (state of operational safety)

(Facilitation for external truck inspections)

Weight monitoring for truck trailers and transport vehicles

By Reiner Mielke and Detlev Mielke

A fixed station can be used to monitor the loading data at the loading station Fig. 3.

This device is used for constant monitoring by the responsible persons.

The current weight and loading data can be transferred directly to a PC or to a permanently installed or existing IT network system via the external connection Fig. 3(1).

Instead of the display, a monitor or a PC can be used as the display device Fig.3(3). Furthermore, if a PC Fig.3(l) is used, the current data can be printed out using a printer Fig.3(2) (if the computer system is networked, the data can be integrated into the database of the main program).

Protocol for the loading stations

The connection is also made via the external data connection of the weight monitoring system of the semi-trailer/trailer or transport vehicle.

Claims (5)

Weight monitoring for truck trailers and sports vehicles By Reiner Mielke and Detlev Mielke Protection claims 1.) Microcontroller controlled weight monitoring for truck trailers and transport vehicles with external data connection is characterized by that by attaching various sensors, pressure sensors Fig. 1(1), inclination sensors Fig. 1(2) angle sensors Fig. 1(3), path measuring sensors Fig. 1(4) and bending sensors Fig. 1(5) to a trailer/trailer or transport vehicle, measurement data is obtained that gives an exact status of the respective transport vehicle, which would be: -Loading weight (+/- tolerance of the permissible total weight, gross weight) -Inclination of the semi-trailer or transport vehicle over the vertical and transverse axis -Overload -Axle load measurements (weight per axle) -Brake pad measurement (condition of the brakes) The measurement data are processed by a microcontroller Fig. 1 (7) and sent to an external data connection. 2.) Weight monitoring according to protection claim 1
is characterized by By connecting an additional handset Fig. 1(10) to the external connection Fig. 2(4), the measurement data can be made visible on a multi-digit display Fig.2(l) via the keypad Fig.2(5) using the DATA key. The display would record date, time, license plate number, loading date/time, Tilt over vertical and transverse axis, weight/per axle, overload, gross weight, condition of the brakes. Using a microcontroller including a fixed program Fig.2(2), the data could be loaded into a permanent memory Fig.2(3) using the keypad Fig.2(5) with the MEMIN key and then transferred back to the external connection Fig.2(4) at a later time using the keypad Fig.2(5) with the MEMOUT key. This connection could be used by a PC/interface, a printer, etc. The timer Fig2(6) would always show the current date and time in the additional handset. 3.) Weight monitoring according to the protection claim is characterized by that in addition to the additional handset Fig.2, a programming device Fig.1(12) can be connected to the external connection Fig.l(7). This programming device Fig. 1(12) consists of a multi-digit display, an alphanumeric keyboard and a connection for the weight monitoring system. Using this programming device Fig. 1(12), the data in the electrically erasable memory EEPROM of the microcontroller can be erased and reprogrammed. This data was included, the registration values of the transport vehicle or trailer/ Trailer with all weights, date/time of programming, company, name of responsible representative. The tolerance values of the position measuring sensors Fig. 1(4) (brake wear) are contained in a fixed program of the microcontroller. 4.) Weight monitoring according to claim 1 to is characterized in that that the microcontroller controls a control electronics Fig. 1(9) via the error detection Fig. 1(8), which activates valves Fig. 1(11) installed in the braking system and air circuit system. This control electronics would only be activated when the permissible weight data or inability to drive (brake wear) of the semitrailer/trailer or transport vehicle is given. 5.) Weight monitoring according to claim 1 to is characterized in that that the loading process is continuously monitored during loading at the loading station via the external connection Fig. 1(7) of the weight monitoring system. The data is displayed on the monitor or data display device Fig.3(4) by an independent computer system Fig.3(2) at the loading station. They can also be saved or printed out using a protocol printer. Another possibility would be to transfer this weight data into an existing computer network.