Patent ID: 8565983

Claim:
A method for regulating a linear position of a fifth wheel of a vehicle combination while the combination is in motion, wherein the vehicle combination comprises: a tractor unit, a fifth wheel at the tractor unit and movable in the tractor unit's longitudinal direction, wherein the fifth wheel is configured to be set in various linear positions relative to the tractor unit by a switching device, and a semi-trailer having a coupler, the semi-trailer is coupled to the tractor unit by engagement between the semi-trailer's coupler and the tractor unit's fifth wheel; the method comprising: regulating the linear position of the tractor unit's fifth wheel automatically on the basis of vehicle speed, the regulating comprising: ordering forward movement of the fifth wheel with respect to the tractor unit in response to an increase in the vehicle speed, and thus reducing a distance between the tractor unit and the semi-trailer, the forward movement performed at a faster rate of movement of the fifth wheel with respect to the tractor unit at times when the tractor unit is performing a gear change operation than at times when the tractor unit is not performing a gear change operation, and ordering braking of the semi-trailer relative to the tractor unit to cause a rearward movement of the fifth wheel with respect to the tractor unit thus increasing the distance between the tractor unit and the semi-trailer in response to a decrease in the vehicle speed.