Patent ID: 8197014

Claim:
A vehicle brake system, comprising a parking brake, an air-flow-boosting valve device operable to admit air into and to vent air from at least one spring-actuated brake cylinder of said parking brake, at least one electrically actuatable control valve operable to control said air-flow-boosting valve device, an electrical control device in electrical communication with said electrically actuatable control valve configured to control said electrically actuatable control valve, at least one compressed-air reservoir tank for supplying said spring-actuated brake cylinder with compressed air, a pressure sensor in communication with said control device, and an electrical actuating device in electrical communication with said control device configured to actuate said parking brake, each of said air-flow-boosting valve device, said control valve, said electrical control device and said electrical actuating device being a stand-alone component spatially separated from one another, said pressure sensor being configured to measure pressure in said at least one compressed-air reservoir tank and compare said measured pressure with each of a lower pressure limit value and an upper pressure limit value, and said control device being configured to prevent actuation of said control valve to prevent air from being admitted into said spring-actuated brake cylinder by means of said air-flow-boosting valve device when said measured pressure does not exceed said upper pressure limit value.