Abstract: A sensor device for measuring the compression travel and/or the compression rate of wheels and/or axles of vehicles, in particular of commercial vehicles, may include at least one sensor measuring in a contactless manner. The sensor device may include a radar and/or high-frequency sensor generating a beam, which is emitted and received after reflection at a reference and reflection surface.

Abstract: A method for increasing the driving stability of a vehicle, particularly of a commercial vehicle, which counteracts a vehicle instability by a control intervention in a control system operating the drive and/or the brakes of the vehicle, in which the control intervention occurs as a function of the ratio between the height of the center of gravity of the vehicle and a spring constant of the vehicle suspension.

Abstract: An air-suspension device for vehicles, e.g., commercial vehicles, includes a valve block that is assigned to a rear axle and contains a central valve for aerating and venting air-spring bellows of the rear axle, and a valve block assigned to a front axle for aerating and venting air-spring bellows of the front axle. The central valve of the valve block assigned to the rear axle selectively connects: a) a compressed-air supply to the air-spring bellows of the rear axle and to a supply-pressure connection of the valve block assigned to the front axle; or b) the supply-pressure connection of the valve block assigned to the front axle and the air-spring bellows of the rear axle to an air vent. The valve block assigned to the front axle has a pneumatic pilot-operation connection for pneumatic-electric pilot operation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising a compressed-air braking system. Said vehicle has two braking cylinders, which can be impinged by compressed-air from a compressed-air reserve by means of a manually actuated brake valve. The braking cylinders have ABS pressure-control valves, which can be selectively impinged by compressed air from the compressed-air reserve, using a slip control valve. A stability sensor detects a motor vehicle position and a control device selectively supplies the slip control valve and the ABS pressure-control valves with compressed air, in accordance with the signals of the stability sensor.

Abstract: A steering device for vehicles having a pair of wheels which can be steered freely as a function of the current driving state of the vehicle or whose steered position can be locked by an electronically actuable locking device, having an electronic control device and having sensors which are connected to the electronic control device and have the purpose of monitoring current driving state values, with the electronic control device actuating the locking device when a minimum velocity of the vehicle is exceeded, in such a way that the steered position of the pair of wheels is locked, characterized in that driving state values which characterize critical driving situations are additionally stored in the electronic control device, in which the steered position of the pair of wheels is locked in critical driving situations, and in which, after a critical driving situation, the locking device does not release the pair of wheels again until predefined critical driving state values are undershot at least for a predef

Abstract: A method and a device for the computer-assisted calculation of the axle load of a vehicle, in particular a commercial vehicle, in which the axle loads are calculated on the basis of a function f(?), which describes the dependence of the ratio of the longitudinal force Fx to the vertical force Fz. in a wheel on the longitudinal slip ?.

Abstract: According to the invention, the driving stability of a utility vehicle combination, which is comprised of a towing vehicle and of a towed vehicle, is monitored (3-5) when the towed vehicle is braked. In the event of an unstable driving state, the vehicle combination is stabilized by effecting a cyclic or clocked reduction of the towed vehicle brake pressure (6).

Abstract: An air-suspension system for vehicles, in particular for commercial vehicles, including at least one air-bellows valve assigned to an air-spring bellows or a group of air-spring bellows of the front axle for individually aerating and venting this air-spring bellows or this group of air-spring bellows; at least one air-bellows valve assigned to an air-spring bellows or a group of air-spring bellows of the rear axle for individually aerating and venting this air-spring bellows or this group of air-spring bellows; as well as at least one central aeration valve for supplying the air-bellows valves assigned to the air-spring bellows of the front axle and the rear axle with compressed air from a compressed-air supply; and at least one central venting valve for exhausting compressed air from the air-bellows valves assigned to the air-spring bellows of the front axle and the rear axle, to an air vent.

Abstract: A method is for effecting a computer-aided estimation of the mass of a vehicle, e.g., of a goods-carrying vehicle, based on the equilibrium ratio between the driving force and the sum of the inertial force and drive resistances, in which the mass and a gradient angle of the roadway are contained as quantities. The method may include: a) computer-aided differentiation of the equilibrium ratio according to the time with the assumption that the gradient angle is constant; and b) calculating the mass of the vehicle and/or the reciprocal value of the mass from the equilibrium ratio differentiated according the time.

Abstract: An air-suspension device for vehicles, e.g., commercial vehicles, includes a valve block that is assigned to a rear axle and contains a central valve for aerating and venting air-spring bellows of the rear axle, and a valve block assigned to a front axle for aerating and venting air-spring bellows of the front axle. The central valve of the valve block assigned to the rear axle selectively connects: a) a compressed-air supply to the air-spring bellows of the rear axle and to a supply-pressure connection of the valve block assigned to the front axle; or b) the supply-pressure connection of the valve block assigned to the front axle and the air-spring bellows of the rear axle to an air vent. The valve block assigned to the front axle has a pneumatic pilot-operation connection for pneumatic-electric pilot operation.

Abstract: According to the invention, the driving stability of a utility vehicle combination, which is comprised of a towing vehicle and of a towed vehicle, is monitored (3-5) when the towed vehicle is braked. In the event of an unstable driving state, the vehicle combination is stabilized by effecting a cyclic or clocked reduction of the towed vehicle brake pressure (6).

Abstract: A brake regulating system (1, 1′) particularly suitable for stabilizing the motion of a commercial vehicle is described, in which a control unit (12) outputs, as a function of a number of input variables, a predefined manipulated variable for the brake pressure of each wheel (2, 4, 6, 8) of a commercial vehicle (10) and/or a predefined manipulated variable for an output variable of the drive engine. For detecting the input variables, the input of the control unit (12) is connected to a steering angle sensor (70) for detecting a steering angle predetermined by the driver, to a sensor system for determining the yaw rate of the commercial vehicle (10), and to a first acceleration sensor (76) for detecting the transverse acceleration of the commercial vehicle (10).

Abstract: The invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising a compressed-air braking system. Said vehicle has two braking cylinders, which can be impinged by compressed-air from a compressed-air reserve by means of a manually actuated brake valve. The braking cylinders have ABS pressure-control valves, which can be selectively impinged by compressed air from the compressed-air reserve, using a slip control valve. A stability sensor detects a motor vehicle position and a control device selectively supplies the slip control valve and the ABS pressure-control valves with compressed air, in accordance with the signals of the stability sensor.

Abstract: A method for recognizing a trailer or semitrailer of a motor vehicle which includes activating at least one brake light of the trailer or semitrailer, independently of the driver, measuring a current flowing in a line assigned to the brake light of the trailer or semitrailer and ascertaining the presence or the absence of a trailer or semitrailer on the basis of the measured current.

Abstract: A device for stabilizing a vehicle is described. For this purpose, the device includes first determination device with which at least two vehicle motion quantities describing the vehicle motion, in particular in the direction transverse to the vehicle, are determined. Furthermore, the device includes second determination device with which a characteristic quantity is determined for each of the vehicle motion quantities. The second determination includes an adjustment device with the help of which the variation over time of the characteristic quantities is adjusted to the vehicle's behavior. In addition, the device device includes a control device with which intervention quantities are determined at least as a function of the vehicle motion quantities and the characteristic quantities, which are supplied to an actuator system for performing at least brake interventions and/or engine interventions with which the vehicle is stabilized.

Abstract: A method for estimating a transverse acceleration at an axle of a trailer/semitrailer of a vehicle combination including the step of measuring or estimating the yaw velocity &ohgr;Z of the towing vehicle, measuring or estimating the forward velocity vxZ of the towing vehicle, measuring or estimating an articulation angle &Dgr;&PSgr; between the towing vehicle and the trailer/semitrailer, particularly between a longitudinal axis xZ of the towing vehicle and a longitudinal axis zA of the trailer/semitrailer, and computationally correlating (or performing a relational operation on) the values &ohgr;Z, vxZ and &Dgr;&PSgr; to obtain an estimated value of the transverse acceleration ayAA at the axle of the semitrailer/trailer.

Abstract: A device and method for stabilizing a combination of a tractor vehicle and least one semitrailer or trailer, the brakes of at least one semitrailer or trailer being set automatically as a function of the yaw rate of the tractor vehicle and the setpoint yaw rate of the tractor vehicle, or as a function of the yaw rate of the tractor vehicle, the speed of the combination and the steering angle.

Abstract: A method for estimating a transverse acceleration at an axle of a trailer/semitrailer of a vehicle combination including the step of measuring or estimating the yaw velocity &ohgr;Z of the towing vehicle, measuring or estimating the forward velocity vxZ of the towing vehicle, measuring or estimating an articulation angle &Dgr;&PSgr; between the towing vehicle and the trailer/semitrailer, particularly between a longitudinal axis xZ of the towing vehicle and a longitudinal axis zA of the trailer/semitrailer, and computationally correlating (or performing a relational operation on) the values &ohgr;Z, vxZ and &Dgr;&PSgr; to obtain an estimated value of the transverse acceleration ayAA at the axle of the semitrailer/trailer.

Abstract: A method for stabilizing a vehicle in particular to prevent overturning, in which a strategy is selected from at least two different strategies as a function of a quantity describing or corresponding to whether an overturn tendency about a vehicle axis oriented in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle exists, and which may be determined at least as a function of a quantity describing or corresponding to the wheel behavior of at least one wheel, and which may also be determined a function of a comparison which is carried out as a function of a quantity describing or corresponding to the lateral dynamics of the vehicle and of a characteristic value that is determined as a function of a quantity describing or corresponding to the instantaneous friction conditions.

Abstract: A device for detecting measured quantities of a drive vehicle, in particular of a tractor, and/or measured quantities of a trailer or semitrailer operatively connected to the drive vehicle. In addition to a coupling device for transmission of force between the drive vehicle and the trailer or semitrailer, at least one connecting device is present. At least one first detection arrangement for detecting a measured quantity of the drive vehicle and/or at least one second detection arrangement for detecting a measured quantity of the trailer or semitrailer is inserted in the connecting device.