Abstract: A tooth driven over-torque protection mechanism for use in a slack adjuster or as an air disc brake clutch, includes a shaft, toothed gear, a clutch device, a first spring, and a second spring. The toothed gear is disposed on the shaft. The toothed gear has a first pinion teeth set that extends along a first direction and a second teeth set that extends along a second direction. The clutch device that is also disposed on the shaft and includes an upper cam and a lower cam. The first spring biases the toothed gear against the clutch device. The second spring biases the clutch device against the toothed gear. The upper cam has cam teeth that cooperate with the second teeth set of the toothed gear in a torque transmitting manner, such that a torque applied in a clockwise direction to the first pinion teeth is transmitted to the upper cam through the second teeth set, but torque applied in a counterclockwise direction is opposed by the first spring.

Abstract: Vehicle event detection and reporting systems and methods include sensor systems that capture event data from which events involving the vehicle are determined, the sensor systems including a driver facing camera that captures images of a driver's seat area. The driver facing camera also captures images of a barcode presented to the driver facing camera, and the detected events are associated with a driver identification determined from the captured image of the barcode.

Abstract: A fleet management server is configured to receive, via a wireless transceiver, driver and vehicle information from a plurality of vehicles relating to a plurality of drivers. The server computes, based on the received driver and vehicle information, occurrence rates for predetermined vehicle events and predetermined vehicle error codes that are associated with possible vehicle tampering, and then compares, based on the received driver and vehicle information, an occurrence rate for the predetermined vehicle events and predetermined vehicle error codes of a first driver to occurrence rates for the predetermined vehicle events and predetermined vehicle error codes of one or more of the other plurality of drivers.

Abstract: A system for determining vehicle direction includes an active wheel speed sensor (aWSS), an exciter ring for inducing a change in a signal from the aWSS and a controller. The controller receives a first series of signals from the aWSS, compares them to an array of predefined signals and determines the direction of travel based on the first series of signals matching the array. The controller receives a second series of signals and determines the exciter ring has an anomaly in response to at least one signal in the second series of signals having a first variance. The controller updates the array of predefined signals to include a representation of the first variance to create an array of updated signals. The controller determines the direction of travel based on a subsequent series of signals matching one of the array of predefined signals and the array of updated signals.

Abstract: A sealing assembly for installation on a port of a spring brake actuator includes a plug, a one-way valve and a cap. The plug receives the one-way valve for providing one-way air flow through the orifices and maintaining about two psi in the spring brake chamber at zero stroke. An elastomeric piece is affixed to a first set of segments of the plug for sealing against an inner surface of the port. The cap has arms sized to extend around a third set of segments of the plug and snap onto the plug. A fourth set of segments of the plug elastically deform so the sealing assembly can be installed and removed from the port easily.

Abstract: A system and method for integrated electrification of vehicle accessories conventionally driven by an internal combustion engine includes an electric motor coupled to a common accessory drive that drive a plurality of accessories, such as a power steering pump, an air conditioning compressor, an air compressor, a thermodynamic heater and/or a coolant pump. The integrated electrified accessory unit preferably has the electric motor, accessory drive and accessories arranged in a common housing which is configured to be mounted to a chassis frame rail of the vehicle, the common housing including wall penetrations which facilitate rapid connection of the accessories to external lines of the vehicle.

Abstract: A brake controller determines if an amount of regenerative braking needed to achieve a requested deceleration will exceed a driveline capability of a tractor. If it will, the brake controller redistributes some of the requested deceleration to a braking system of a trailer. That way, the requested deceleration can be achieved by the combination of regenerative braking of the tractor and the braking system of the trailer. Other braking mechanism(s) of the tractor can also be used, if needed.

Abstract: System and methods that utilize driver facing cameras to monitor a neck size of a driver and to modify vehicle operations as an increase in neck size is detected are disclosed. In one form, a system includes a memory; an imaging device configured; and at least one processor in communication with the memory and the imaging device. The at least one processor is configured to receive an image of the interior of the vehicle captured by the imaging device; analyze the image and determine a parameter associated with a neck size of a driver of the vehicle that is present in the image; determine that the parameter associated with the neck size of the driver present in the image has increased more than a predetermined value; and modify an operation of the vehicle based on the parameter associated with the neck size of the driver present in the image increasing more than the predetermined value.

Abstract: A brake wear sensing assembly for an air disc brake includes a progressive wear sensor, at least one lining wear sensor, a control device, a wire harness connected to the control device and an adapter for joining the progressive wear sensor and the lining wear sensor to the wire harness. The adapter connects a power line to the progressive wear sensor, a ground line to the progressive wear sensor and an input to the output of the at least one lining wear sensor. An output signal from the progressive wear sensor is connected to the input of the at least one lining wear sensor. The signal from the progressive wear sensor passes through the at least one lining wear sensor to the control device such that the progressive wear sensor and the at least one lining wear sensor are in series with each other.

Abstract: An installation system for an associated housing includes a sensor and a tool. The sensor includes: a barrel portion, a sensing end of the barrel portion, a non-sensing end of the barrel portion, an over-mold portion at the non-sensing end, and a wire extending from the non-sensing end. The tool includes a handle and an applicator secured to the handle. The applicator includes a first applicator portion, a second applicator portion, and a channel. When the over-mold portion of the sensor is proximate to a channel opening and the channel opening is blindly inserted into the associated housing opening, a force applied to the handle along an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the handle frictionally seats the sensor in the associated housing.

Abstract: A system on a tractor for controlling trailer service brakes comprises a manually operated trailer brake switch, a first electropneumatic valve in communication with a pressure source and a controller. The controller has an input communicating with the trailer brake switch, an output communicating with the electropneumatic valve and control logic. The control logic receives an input from the trailer brake switch indicating a driver's request to apply the trailer service brakes of the combination vehicle, determines if a predetermined condition exists and transmits a signal to the output to the electropneumatic valve. The electropneumatic valve transmits pressure to a trailer service control line to actuate the trailer service brakes in response to the trailer brake switch and existence of the predetermined condition.

Abstract: A lane detection system for a vehicle includes at least one sensor for sensing lane markers and objects in the vicinity of a host vehicle, a driver interface in the host vehicle, and a controller having control logic. The control logic receives signals from the at least one sensor, determines a present lane of travel based on the sensor signals received, determines that a time that the host vehicle has been in the present lane of travel meets or exceeds a predetermined time, and transmits an alert signal to the driver interface in response to the time meeting or exceeding the predetermined time.

Abstract: An effluent processing apparatus comprises a housing having an inlet port and a chamber. A coalescing element is located in the chamber and arranged coaxially with the inlet port. The coalescing element has pleats in a predefined pattern of paths arranged to separate oil and water from an effluent mixture containing air, oil, and water. The effluent mixture flows into the inlet port along an axis of the coalescing element. The effluent mixture is deflected by a portion of the housing to flow perpendicular to the axis along major surfaces of the pleats to separate oil and water from the effluent mixture.

Abstract: An interface between an adapter push rod and a parking brake diaphragm seal includes an axial projection at one end of the push rod, a thread extending axially between a free end of the projection and a remainder of the push rod, and a washer having an approximately conical wall extending radially inwardly from an outer circumference of the washer towards a central mounting connection having a radial flange. A nut is threaded over the free end of the projection, and an opening in a hardened element is aligned axially with the projection to receive the projection. A circumferential groove defined in a side of the radial flange forms a boundary between the approximately conical wall and a remainder of the washer, and a portion of the diaphragm seal is pressed by the nut and the hardened element into the circumferential groove to produce a sealing bead.

Abstract: A brake shoe for a drum brake includes a unitary body defining a brake table and one or more webs supporting the brake table. Each web has first and second ends. The first end is configured for pivotally coupling to an associated brake spider of the drum brake and the second end is configured to respond to a force applied by an actuator that causes the brake shoe to move between positions of engagement and disengagement with an associated braking surface. The unitary body further defines one or more supports extending between the two webs and/or between one of the webs and the brake table. In some embodiments, the supports comprise vibration dampers configured to deflect from an unloaded position to a loaded position in the presence of a load and to return to the unloaded position in the absence of the load.

Abstract: A trailer control valve for a tractor includes a body defining a supply port and first and second delivery ports. The supply port is configured for fluid communication with a fluid source on the tractor. The first and second delivery ports are configured for fluid communication with glad-hand connectors through which fluid is supplied from the tractor to a trailer. A pressure sensing solenoid receives fluid signal from each of the first and second deliver ports and selectively passes fluid signal therefrom to a pressure sensor as a function of a brake control signal received by a controller that controls the pressure sensing solenoid.

Abstract: A system controlling an electronic parking brake of a vehicle includes an input device receiving an input pattern from an operator and a parking brake controller receiving the input pattern from the input device. The parking brake controller determines if the input pattern is a respective predetermined pattern for setting the electronic parking brake to one of a primary mode and a secondary mode. If the parking brake controller determines the input pattern is the predetermined pattern for setting the electronic parking brake to the secondary mode, the parking brake controller transmits an electronic control signal for releasing the electronic parking brake until a subsequent input pattern received by the input device is the predetermined pattern for setting the electronic parking brake to the primary mode.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provide for highway vehicle platoon maintenance management. Commercial highway vehicle platoon maintenance management is provided where it is desirable to determine traffic conditions around vehicles of the platoon, to share the determined traffic conditions with the other vehicles of the platoon, and to determine and share adaptive cruise control (ACC) parameters between the platooning vehicles for adjusting platoon inter-vehicle following distances based on the determined traffic conditions.

Abstract: Systems and methods monitor driver behavior for vehicular fleet management in a fleet of vehicles using driver-facing imaging device. The systems and methods herein relate generally to vehicular fleet management for enhancing safety of the fleet and improving the performance of the fleet drivers, and further relate to monitoring the operation of fleet vehicles using one or more driver-facing imaging devices disposed in the fleet vehicles for recording activities of the fleet drivers and their passengers, storing information relating to the monitored activities, selectively generating warnings related to the monitored activities, and reporting the monitored activities to a central fleet management system for use in enhancing the safety of the vehicles of the fleet and for helping to improve the performance of the fleet drivers.

Abstract: A system for recording vehicle occupants and their immediate environment includes a driver-facing camera for capturing video data, an input that receives data from one or more sensors configured to detect vehicle related data and a processor. The processor is configured to embed, based on the sensor data, at least one indicator in a portion of the video data. The indicator designates that the portion of the video data is to be obscured during playback of the video data.