Parking brake setting devices and systems for terminal tractors

A terminal tractor includes a cabin and a parking brake system including a parking brake handle located in the cabin for activating a wheel brake. The parking brake handle has a lowered position where the wheel brake is disengaged and a raised position where the wheel brake is engaged. A parking brake setting device is located in the cabin that is configured to be located beneath a head of the parking brake handle with the parking brake handle in the raised position.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present specification generally relates to parking brake setting systems for vehicles and, more specifically, to parking brake setting devices and systems for terminal tractors.

BACKGROUND

Terminal tractors, sometimes referred to as shunt trucks, are semi-tractors that move semi-trailers from location to location within a facility, such as a vehicle manufacturing facility. The terminal tractors typically include a fifth-wheel coupling with a lifting mechanism to raise and lower the fifth-wheel coupling in order to connect and disconnect from the semi-trailers in an efficient manner. Because the terminal tractors typically move the semi-trailers over relatively short distances compared to regular road trucks, an operator of the terminal tractors may enter and exit the terminal tractors several times during a typical day. The terminal tractors may include parking brakes that are used to keep the terminal tractors motionless when parked. The parking brakes may be manually operated and set by the operator of the terminal tractors before exiting the terminal tractors. While setting of the parking brakes may be routinely desired, such setting of the parking brakes may not occur for various reasons. Accordingly, a need exists for parking brake setting devices and systems for motor truck tractors that require the operator to set the parking brakes before exiting the terminal tractors.

SUMMARY

In accordance with one embodiment, a terminal tractor includes a cabin and a parking brake system including a parking brake handle located in the cabin for activating a wheel brake. The parking brake handle has a lowered position where the wheel brake is disengaged and a raised position where the wheel brake is engaged. A parking brake setting device is located in the cabin that is configured to be located beneath a head of the parking brake handle with the parking brake handle in the raised position.

In another embodiment, a method of controlling usage of a parking brake of a terminal tractor is provided. The method includes placing a parking brake handle in a raised position to engage a wheel brake. The parking brake is located in a cabin of the terminal tractor. A parking brake device is located beneath a head of the parking brake handle. A circuit is closed by connecting an electrical connector of the parking brake device to an electrical connector of a door lock system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Terminal tractors according to the present specification include a passenger cabin and are frequently used to move semi-trailers from an initial location to a different location within a facility, such as a manufacturing facility. The terminal tractors may be configured to efficiently connect and disconnect from the semi-trailers in order to facilitate several moving operations a day. In this regard, the terminal tractors may have a fifth wheel coupling that is used to connect to the semi-trailers that includes a lifting mechanism that can be used to raise and lower the fifth wheel coupling using, for example, hydraulic pressure. The terminal tractors may include a single-person cab for an operator of the terminal tractors to operate the terminal tractors. Because the terminal tractors are often used to move the semi-trailers relatively short distances compared to regular road trucks, the operators may perform several moving operations in a day and be required to frequently enter and exit the terminal tractors. The terminal tractors include parking brakes that are manually operated for holding the terminal tractors motionless when unoccupied. A parking brake setting system includes a parking brake setting device that is used to require the operator to manually set the parking brakes before exiting the terminal tractors. The parking brake setting device is sized and shaped to fit under parking brake pull handles only after the parking brake pull handles have been pulled and set. Once positioned, the parking brake setting device completes a circuit that allows operation of a door lift handle to open an associated door.

As used herein, the term “longitudinal direction” refers to the forward-rearward direction of the terminal tractor (i.e., in the +/− Y direction depicted inFIG. 1). The term “lateral direction” refers to the cross-terminal tractor direction (i.e., in the +/− X direction depicted inFIG. 1), and is transverse to the longitudinal direction. The term “vertical direction” refers to the upward-downward direction of the terminal tractor (i.e., in the +/− Z-direction depicted inFIG. 1). As used herein, “upper” and “above” are defined as the positive Z direction of the coordinate axis shown in the drawings. “Lower” and “below” are defined as the negative Z direction of the coordinate axis shown in the drawings.

Referring toFIG. 1, the terms “outboard” or “outward” as used herein refers to the relative location of a component in a direction with respect to a truck centerline. The term “inboard” or “inward” as used herein refers to the relative location of a component in a direction with respect to the pickup truck centerline. Because the terminal tractor structures may be generally symmetrical about the pickup truck centerline, the direction to which use of terms “inboard,” “inward,” “outboard” and “outward” refer may be mirrored about the pickup truck centerline when evaluating components positioned along opposite sides of the terminal tractor10.

Referring toFIG. 1, the terminal tractor is generally illustrated at10. The terminal tractor10includes a driver cabin12and other components that may be typically found on a terminal tractor, such as commercially available from Kalmar Ottawa in Ottawa, Kans. For example, the terminal tractor10may include a fifth wheel coupling behind the driver cabin12in the longitudinal direction that pivots in the vertical direction between raised and lowered positions in order to connect and disconnect from a semi-trailer. Additional features of terminal tractors are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,971,657, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.

The terminal tractor10includes a parking brake system14that includes a pair of parking brake handles16and18that are located outboard of a steering wheel15. The parking brake handles16and18are straight pull handles that are each connected to a pair of wheel brakes, for example, by a cable in order to set and release the wheel brakes by pulling and pushing the parking brake handles16and18. For example, one of the parking brake handles16,18may be connected to wheel brakes of rear wheels and the other parking brake handle16,18may be connected to wheel brakes of front wheels. While straight pull handles are shown, other types of parking brake handles may be used such as a hand-operated lever that can be raised in order to set the wheel brakes and lowered in order to release the wheel brakes.

The terminal tractor10includes a parking brake setting system20that includes a parking brake setting device22. The parking brake setting device22includes a body24that includes a first leg26that is connected to a second leg28by an interconnecting wall30that spans a slot32that is located between the first leg26and the second leg28. Referring toFIG. 2, the slot32has a width that is sized to receive rods34and36of the parking brake handles16and18with the parking brake handles16and18in raised positions. The slot32also has a length to receive both rods34and36of the parking brake handles16and18. The width of the slot32may be less than widths of heads40and42of the parking brake handles16and18such that the parking brake setting device22slides underneath the heads40and42along instrument panel44. The body24has a height such that the heads40and42of the parking brake handles16and18will prevent the parking brake setting device22from sliding into position with the parking brake handles16and18in the lowered positions.

Referring toFIGS. 1 and 2, the parking brake setting device22includes two electrical connectors50and52that are located on end58and60of the body24. For example, the electrical connectors50and52may be 12-volt connectors. The electrical connectors50and52may be electrically connected together (e.g., through or along the body using an electrical wire) to complete a circuit by inserting mating electrical connectors54and56into the electrical connectors50and52. In some embodiments, the electrical connectors54and56may be mounted to the instrument panel44such that sliding the brake setting device22into position automatically connects the electrical connectors50,52,54and56to complete a circuit62.

Referring particularly toFIG. 2, the circuit62is connected to a door lock system64of the terminal tractor10. If the circuit is not completed using the parking brake setting device22, the door lock system64will remain in a locked configuration thereby preventing exit of the operator. Once the circuit62is completed using the parking brake setting device22, as described above, the door lock system64can be placed into an unlocked configuration using a switch and/or controller. In some embodiments, completing the circuit62sends a signal to a controller66that instructs the door lock system64to automatically unlock.

Referring again toFIGS. 1 and 2, the parking brake setting system14further includes one or more output devices, such as a speaker68and a light70. In some embodiments, if the operator attempts to open the door without a complete circuit62, the controller66may activate the light70to provide a visual indication of the door lock system64being in the locked configuration and the speaker68to provide an audible indication of the door lock system64being in the locked configuration. In some embodiments, a position sensor71may be used by the controller66to monitor a door handle and provide a signal to the controller66when the door handle is being moved.

Referring toFIGS. 3 and 4, in some embodiments, the parking brake setting system20may include a motion detector system72that is used to monitor when the operator enters and exits the terminal tractor10. In this example, the motion detector system72may include, for example, a laser sensor74(FIG. 3) and a reflector76(FIG. 4). If the operator interrupts a light beam from the laser sensor74, the controller66may instruct the light70to provide a visual indication and the speaker to provide an audible indication of the circuit62not being completed. In another embodiment, the controller66may monitor the parking brake system14to determine whether the parking brakes have been set when the terminal tractor10is turned off. If the motion detector system72detects the operator leaving the terminal tractor10without setting the parking brakes, the controller66may instruct the light70to provide a visual indication and the speaker to provide an audible indication of the parking brakes not being set.

Referring toFIG. 5, a method100of controlling parking brake usage using a parking brake setting system includes providing a parking brake device at step102. At step104, the parking brake handles are manually placed in their raised configurations to set the parking brakes. At step106, the parking brake device is placed underneath heads of the parking brake handles. At step108, a circuit is completed by connecting electrical connectors of the parking brake device to electrical connectors of a door lock system. At step110, a controller monitors whether the circuit has been completed. If the circuit has been completed, the controller places the door lock system in an unlocked configuration at step112. If the circuit has not been completed, the controller places the door lock system in a locked configuration at step114. The controller also monitors the door handle to determine whether an operator is attempting to open the door with the door lock system in the closed configuration at step116. The controller activates a light and speaker to provide visual and audible alarms at step118if the operator attempts to open the door without completing the circuit.

The above-described speaker systems include parking brake setting systems that control usage of the parking brakes by preventing the operator from leaving the terminal tractors without setting the parking brakes and/or providing an alarm, such as a light or sound if the operator attempts to leave the terminal tractors without setting the parking brakes. The parking brake setting systems include a parking brake setting device that slides underneath heads of the parking brake handles with the parking brake handles in raised configurations. The parking brake devices include electrical connectors that connect to electrical connectors of a door lock system to complete a circuit. Once the circuit is completed, the operator may be able to open the door and leave the terminal tractor. By the parking brake devices' presence, an indication to the operator and others can be provided that the parking brakes are set.

While pickup trucks are described above, the speaker systems may be mounted in a sedan or SUV type of vehicle. The speaker enclosure may be externally mounted underneath the vehicle or rear bumper, depending on package restrictions and mounting location. Size and shape of the speaker enclosure may be selected depending on package restrictions of the vehicle.