This invention relates to a vibration monitoring system for use in a motor vehicle and more particularly to a system for disabling the vehicle in response to a prescribed condition sensed by the system.
The use of large trucks for towing cargo trailers is common for transporting goods along various roadways. The trucks tend to travel long distances and are thus subject to various types of failure due to their repeated use. It has been known for trailer tires to come loose from their hubs and for tires be shredded once a small rupture has occurred. A released wheel or tire carcass on the road is a major road hazard.
Canadian Patents Applications 2,199,649 and 2,226,829 describe a monitoring device for detecting failures associated with the wheels of trucks and trailers. The devices comprise individual axle spindle sensors and an alarm for alerting a driver of the truck when the sensors detect a vibration on the wheels or axles which indicates a possible failure. While the device senses vibrations which may indicate a potential failure, a driver may ignore, fail to notice or even disable the alarm indicator. In general, known devices require complex installation and do not provide adequate indication to the operator of a failure.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a vibration monitor for use in monitoring vibrations on a wheel of a vehicle, the monitor comprising:
an acceleration sensor associated with the wheel and being arranged to produce a vibration signal in response to repeated accelerations acting on the wheel over an elapsed period of time;
a controller arranged to receive the vibration signal from the acceleration sensor and compare the vibration signal to a prescribed vibration condition; and
an indicator arranged to indicate an operator of the vehicle in response to determination by the controller that the vibration signal exceeds the prescribed vibration condition;
the controller including a receiver and the sensor including a transmitter arranged to transmit the vibration signal from the sensor to the controller.
The use of the vibration monitor mounted on a truck for monitoring vibrations in the wheels of the truck reduces the risk of a dangerous accident resulting from a failure to one of the wheels or the axles of the truck. The use of a transmitter and receiver provides for simple installation as minimal wiring is required.
The transmitter is preferably arranged to transmit the signal in the form of a radio frequency signal intermittently at spaced intervals along with an identification signal.
The controller may be arranged to determine that the vibration condition has been exceeded in response to an absence of a vibration signal being received from the sensor.
The indicator preferably includes a disabling mechanism comprising a solenoid actuated valve arranged to be coupled to a main air supply tank of an air brake circuit of the vehicle for venting the supply tank in response to the prescribed vibration condition being exceeded.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a vibration monitor for use in monitoring vibrations on a wheel of a vehicle, the monitor comprising:
a plurality of acceleration sensors associated with the wheel and being arranged to produce a vibration signal in response to repeated accelerations acting on the wheel over an elapsed period of time;
a controller arranged to receive the vibration signal from the acceleration sensor and compare the vibration signal to a prescribed vibration condition;
an indicator arranged to indicate an operator of the vehicle in response to determination by the controller that the vibration signal exceeds the prescribed vibration condition.
a plurality of sensors, each being associated with a respective wheel of the vehicle and each being arranged to transmit a unique identification signal with a respective vibration signal to the controller.
An indicator is preferably associated with each sensor, responsive to a vibration signal having a unique identification signal associated with that sensor.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a vibration monitor for use in monitoring vibrations on a wheel of a vehicle, the monitor comprising:
an acceleration sensor associated with the wheel and being arranged to produce a vibration signal in response to repeated accelerations acting on the wheel over an elapsed period of time;
a controller arranged to receive the vibration signal from the acceleration sensor and compare the vibration signal to a prescribed vibration condition;
an indicator arranged to indicate an operator of the vehicle in response to determination by the controller that the vibration signal exceeds the prescribed vibration condition;
the indicator including a disabling mechanism comprising a solenoid actuated valve arranged to be coupled to a main air supply tank of an air brake circuit of the vehicle for venting the supply tank in response to the prescribed vibration condition being exceeded.
The solenoid actuated valve is preferably arranged to vent pressurised air from the supply tank faster than a compressor of the vehicle is arranged to fill the supply tank with pressurised air.
The disabling mechanism may be arranged to permit continued operation of the compressor when the prescribed vibration condition is exceeded.