Abstract: An electrically controlled braking system, in which the operation of the brake actuation is split into three bands depending upon the brake demand level, such that at low demand in a first band the braking pressures are set to generate equal wear at the vehicle axles, and at higher demands in a third band braking pressures are set to apportion braking between axles dependent upon the axle loads being carried, while in a second band, located intermediate the first and second bands, the braking is gradually changed from being equal to being fully apportioned, the extent of this change-over depending upon the actual level of demand within this second band.

Abstract: An electronic braking system in a motor vehicle capable of towing a standard trailer not having its own EBS system has a separate pressure control channel for the generation of a trailer service brake pressure signal in the event that a driver's braking demand is sensed at any axle of the towing vehicle. The pressure signal level is set in the towing vehicle so as to be a function of the driver's electrical demand signal modified in dependence upon the load exerted by the trailer on the towing vehicle as measured at a towing link therebetween.

Abstract: An electronic braking system (EBS) for a towing vehicle which provides for trailer service brake pressure supply via an additional EBS sub-system, and wherein, in order to speed up the application of trailer braking, the electrical signal representing the driver's braking demand is processed to generate an additional pressure pre-pulse of predetermined amplitude to pressurise the trailer braking circuit in advance of the proportional pressure setting determined by the driver. The pre-pulse is made up of two parts, a preset fixed duration pulse followed without break by a variable duration continuation pulse. The variable duration of the variable duration pulse is determined primarily by the rate of increase of the driver's demand signal.

Abstract: A vehicle braking system wherein, for avoiding serious brake unbalance under fault conditions which would cause either loss of braking or excessive braking at one wheel, a small bore link pipe is arranged to connect the pressure control elements, for example solenoid actuated relay valves, of respective brake circuits associated with the two wheels at opposite ends of an axle whereby the pressure control elements in each electronically controlled pressure adjustment channel are influenced in such a manner that a correctly functioning channel attempts to influence a faulty channel in such a direction as to reduce the pressure unbalance.

Abstract: A vehicle dual wheel braking system of the type in which a respective electronically controlled pressure adjustment channel is provided for each of the wheels at the opposite ends of an axle of the vehicle for setting the braking pressures individually for each wheel in dependence upon a common electrical signal representative of the braking demand level set by a driver of the vehicle, each channel comprising a pressure control loop containing a pressure controller, a pressure control valve which adjusts the supply of fluid from a reservoir to the brake actuators for applying and releasing the brakes by solenoid control of the inlet and exhaust functions of the pressure control valve, and a feedback transducer which supplies a signal representative of the pressure in the pressure control valve.

Abstract: An electronic braking system for a towing vehicle for towing a standard semi-trailer without such a braking system has a separate pressure control channel for the generation of trailer brake pressure whenever the towing vehicle is braked or if the parking brake of the towing vehicle is applied. The pressure signal level set in the towing vehicle is a function of the driver's electrical demand signal, compensated for trailer load and operating gradient. The compensation for trailer load is evaluated by assessing the total trailer mass from measurements of towing load during acceleration and substracting from this value the portion of the trailer load being supported by the towing vehicle as sensed by vertical force protection means on the towing means.

Abstract: A vehicle braking system of the type having an electronic control computer for determining the extent of application of the vehicle brakes in accordance with given driver braking demands, includes a plurality of analogue transducers which provide analogue input signals to the electronic control computer representative of a corresponding plurality of variable operating parameters, such as driver braking demand, axle load, applied braking pressure, and vehicle decelerations. In order to enable recalibration of said transducers new zero/tare figures from each transducer are entered into the control computer and provided they pass a process of checking, are arranged to override the existing zero/tare data, whereupon they are used by the system until the next zero/tare recalibration service operation is selected.

Abstract: A vehicle braking system of the electronically compensated type in which driver demand signals to inner closed loop pressure systems for the front and rear brakes are adjusted in accordance with load signals obtained from load sensors associated with front and rear axles of the vehicle respectively, these load signals themselves being modified to take account of the weight transfer effect from the rear axle to the front axle during braking. Weight transfer is calculated from the expression: ##EQU1## the deceleration, gross vehicle weight, height of the center of gravity of the vehicle and the vehicle wheel base being calculated and stored and manipulated electronically to provide dynamic load apportioning between the various inner closed loop pressure systems controlling the front and rear brakes, respectively.

Abstract: An electronically controlled braking system for a vehicle in which vehicle load measurements, made dynamically, as used to modify the braking demand, individually for each axle of the vehicle and in which, under predetermined conditions of vehicle speed, braking level and operating gradient, the deceleration error formed between braking demand by the driver and measured actual vehicle deceleration is used gradually, over a number of vehicle stops, to form an adaptive factor for correcting the braking demand in order to restore expected braking performance. No correction to the adaptive factor based on the deceleration error is made during a given stopping operation of the vehicle, but a summation of previous errors is arranged to cause a small increment in correction to be made after each stop until, over a number of vehicle stops, the error formed under the predetermined conditions falls to zero.