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EP-4496715-B1 - AN ANTI-AQUAPLANING SYSTEM FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE AND RELATED METHOD

EP4496715B1EP 4496715 B1EP4496715 B1EP 4496715B1EP-4496715-B1

Inventors

  • BLANDINA, Giovanni
  • PIERALLINI, MAURO

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230317

Claims (12)

  1. An anti-aquaplaning system (1) for a motor vehicle, comprising: - a storage unit (2) for operating liquids - a supply unit (6) - a dispensing unit (8), wherein: - said dispensing unit (8) comprises at least a first injector and a second injector (10, 12) configured for injecting liquid towards the ground at a position in front of, respectively, a right tread (RT) and a left tread (LT) of a right wheel (R) and a left wheel (L) of an axle of the motor vehicle, and characterized by at least one fluid accumulator (14) configured for storing liquid under pressure and in fluid communication with said first injector (10) and second injector (12), - wherein said supply unit (6; 106) is configured for drawing an operating liquid mixture from said storage unit (2) and delivering said operating liquid mixture to said at least one fluid accumulator (14), and wherein the dispensing unit (8) comprises at least one flow control element (V10, V12) configured to enable a flow of operational liquid mixture in the fluid communication between said at least one fluid accumulator (14) and said first injector (10) and second injector (12) in the event of an intervention of the anti-aquaplaning system (1) comprising injection of liquid by means of said first injector (10) and second injector (12), and for disabling a flow of operating liquid mixture in the fluid communication between said at least one fluid accumulator (14) and said first injector (10) and second injector (12) for charging said fluid accumulator (14) with the operating liquid mixture.
  2. The anti-aquaplaning system (1) according to claim 1, wherein said supply unit (6) comprises a pump including an inlet port (24) and a delivery port (26), said inlet port (24) being hydraulically connected to an inlet manifold (IM), said storage unit being hydraulically connected to said inlet manifold (IM), said delivery port (26) being hydraulically connected to a delivery manifold (DM), said dispensing unit being hydraulically connected to said delivery manifold (DM).
  3. The anti-aquaplaning system (1) according to claim 2, comprising, in alternative: - a single fluid accumulator (14) in fluid communication with said first injector (10) and second injector (12), said single fluid accumulator (14) being connected to said delivery manifold (DM) at a first junction (J14), said first injector (10) and second injector (12) being connected to said delivery manifold (DM) at a second junction (J8) downstream of said first junction (J14), a first flow control element (V10) hydraulically arranged between said second junction (J8) and said first injector (10), and a second flow control element (V12) hydraulically arranged between said second junction (J8) and said second injector (12), - a single fluid accumulator (14) in fluid communication with said first injector (10) and said second injector (12), said single fluid accumulator (14) being connected to said delivery manifold (DM) at a first junction (J14), said first injector (10) and second injector (12) being connected to said delivery manifold (DM) at a second junction (J8) downstream of said first junction (J14), a single flow control element hydraulically arranged between said first junction (J14) and said second junction (J8), - a first fluid accumulator (14) in fluid communication with said first injector (10) and a second fluid accumulator (14) in fluid communication with said second injector (12), a first flow control element (V10) hydraulically arranged between said first fluid accumulator (14) and said first injector (10), and a second flow control element (V12) hydraulically arranged between said second fluid accumulator (14) and said second injector (12), said first fluid accumulator (14) and said second fluid accumulator (14) being connected to said delivery manifold at a single junction (J8).
  4. The anti-aquaplaning system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said storage unit (2) comprises at least one main reservoir (14) configured to store a main operating liquid and an auxiliary reservoir (16, 17) configured to store a corresponding auxiliary operating liquid, each of said main reservoir (16) and at least one auxiliary reservoir (16, 17) having a hydraulic connection to said supply unit (6), and wherein said system (1) further comprises a mixing unit (104) configured to mix a predetermined amount of said main operating liquid with a predetermined amount of said auxiliary operating liquid, defining the operating liquid mixture of said system.
  5. The anti-aquaplaning system (1) according to claim 4, wherein said inlet manifold (IM) is hydraulically connected to said main reservoir (16) and said auxiliary reservoir (17), and wherein said mixing unit (4) comprises an electrically operated valve (V17) for said auxiliary reservoir (17) configured to selectively enable a liquid flow in the hydraulic connection between said auxiliary reservoir (17) and said intake manifold (IM), so as to enable mixing between said main operating liquid and said corresponding auxiliary operating liquid to define the operating liquid mixture of the system.
  6. The anti-aquaplaning system (1) according to claim 2, further comprising a washing manifold (28) in fluid communication with said delivery manifold (DM), and a further flow control element (V28) configured to selectively enable a flow of operating liquid mixture from said discharge manifold (DM) to said washing manifold (28), the washing manifold (28) comprising a plurality of hydraulic washing lines (32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42) connecting said washing manifold (28) to corresponding washing devices configured to dispense the operating liquid mixture towards corresponding sensors or equipment of a vehicle for cleaning said sensors or equipment, wherein each hydraulic washing line comprises a valve configured to selectively enable flow of said operating liquid mixture to the corresponding washing device.
  7. The anti-aquaplaning system (1) according to claim 2, further comprising a pressure sensor (PS14) configured to detect a pressure of the operating liquid mixture in said delivery manifold (DM).
  8. A method for dispensing an operating liquid mixture to a delivery unit (8; 108) of an anti-aquaplaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising: - activating said supply unit (6) to draw said operating liquid mixture from said storage unit (2) and to send said operating liquid mixture to said at least one liquid accumulator (14) until a charging pressure of said at least one liquid accumulator (14) is reached, - stopping the activation of said supply unit (6) when said charging pressure is reached, - enabling a flow of operating liquid mixture in the fluid communication between said at least one fluid accumulator (14) and said first injector (10) and said second injector (12) in the event of an intervention of the anti-aquaplaning system (1) comprising liquid injection by means of said first injector (10) and said second injector (12), - disabling the flow of operating liquid mixture in the fluid communication between said at least one fluid accumulator (14) and said first injector (10) and said second injector (12) at the end of said anti-aquaplaning system intervention, - reactivating said supply unit (6) to charge said fluid accumulator (14) with said operating liquid mixture until charging pressure is reached, said reactivating said supply unit (6) being performed after said disabling the flow of operating liquid mixture.
  9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising enabling a flow of operating liquid mixture from said delivery manifold (DM) to said washing manifold (28) and from said washing manifold to one or more hydraulic washing lines (32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42) of said washing manifold to deliver the operating liquid mixture towards corresponding sensors or equipment of a vehicle for cleaning said sensors or equipment, wherein said enabling a flow of operating liquid mixture from said delivery manifold (DM) to said washing manifold (28) comprises reducing the pressure of the operating liquid mixture coming from said delivery manifold (DM).
  10. The method according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein said activating said supply unit (6) to draw said operating liquid mixture from said storage unit (2) comprises disabling the flow of operating liquid mixture in the fluid communication between said at least one fluid accumulator (14) and said first injector (10) and said second injector (12).
  11. The method according to claim 9, wherein said enabling a flow of operating liquid mixture from said delivery manifold (DM) to said washing manifold (28) can be done both with said supply unit (6) active, and with said supply unit inactive, the transit of operating liquid mixture in the fluid communication between said at least one fluid accumulator (14) and said first injector (10) and second injector (12) being disabled.
  12. A motor vehicle comprising an anti-aquaplaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

Description

Field of the Invention The present invention relates to anti-aquaplaning systems for motor vehicles. Specifically, the invention has been developed with reference to anti-aquaplaning systems based on the injection of liquid towards the front of the tread. Prior Art As it is generally known, aquaplaning is an event which may take place when a moving motor vehicle meets an extended water layer on the road surface, which is so abundant as to no longer enable a proper adhesion of the vehicle wheels on the road surface. Thus, in such conditions, wheels rise and/or slip on the wet road surface, with a consequent loss of adhesion of the tyres. In order to reduce the risks deriving from such an event, the Applicant has already developed various technical solution including, for example, the solution described in the Italian Patent Applications for Industrial Invention n. 102014902296915 and n. 102021000011117, both in the name of the same Applicant. An example of an anti-aquaplaning system is also disclosed in EP3000615A1. The solution described in the former document involves the use of injection devices, associated with at least one vehicle wheel and adapted to generate a jet of high-pressure fluid onto the wet road surface in front of the tread of the vehicle wheel, while the solution described in the latter document envisages a hydraulic supply unit pressurizing the supply circuit of the injectors to high pressure levels, so as to generate a fluid jet having a high injection pressure while ensuring particularly rapid intervention times. These properties of the known systems are also responsible for the major technical problems thereof. Pressurizing the supply circuit of the injectors up to high pressure values, in order to ensure a markedly rapid intervention of the system, necessarily involves the use of a hydraulic supply unit, specifically of a hydraulic pump, which requires a high power consumption for operation and therefore the connection to a high performance electric motor, and which therefore is very bulky, heavy and expensive. Such features ultimately make the installation thereof on a vehicle extremely difficult. Object of the Invention The present invention aims at solving the technical problems outlined in the foregoing. Specifically, the present invention aims at providing an anti-aquaplaning system for motor vehicles which is adapted to guarantee performances equal or superior to the known systems as regards injection pressure and rapidity of intervention, but which does not pose the aforementioned problems as regards weight, cost and bulkiness. Further, the invention aims at increasing the versatility of the anti-aquaplaning system, by widening the range of its uses on board a vehicle. Summary of the Invention The object of the invention is achieved by a system and a method having the features set forth in the Claims that follow, which are an integral part of the technical teaching provided herein in relation to the invention. Brief Description of the Figures The invention will now be described with reference to the annexed Figures, which are provided by way of non-limiting example only, wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic representation of an anti-aquaplaning system according to the invention,Figure 2 is a functional representation of the anti-aquaplaning system according to the invention,Figure 3 schematically shows the layout of the anti-aquaplaning system according to the invention on board a vehicle, andFigure 4 shows a state diagram of the system according to the invention. Detailed Description Reference 1 in Figure 1 generally denotes an anti-aquaplaning system for a motor vehicle according to first embodiments of the invention. In the present and in other embodiments, the system 1 comprises: a storage unit 2 for operating liquids,a mixing unit 4,a supply unit 6a dispensing unit 8, the latter comprising at least a first and a second injector 10, 12 and at least one (pressurized) fluid accumulator 14, which is in fluid communication with the injectors 10, 12. Such injectors are configured for injecting liquid towards the ground at a position in front of, respectively, a right tread RT and a left tread LT of a right wheel R and a left wheel R of an axle of the motor vehicle. The fluid communication between accumulator 14 and injectors 10, 12 is regulated by means of flow control elements comprising a first valve V10 and a second valve V12, which are arranged upstream of injector 10 and of injector 12, respectively. In other embodiments, the presence may be envisaged of an accumulator which is associated to each injector 10, 12 and which is installed immediately upstream of the corresponding valve V10, V12. Generally speaking, the dispensing unit 8 may be installed at any axle of the motor vehicle (either at the front axle, or at the rear axle, or at both); therefore, the installation is also possible at a rear axle, i.e. the first and the second injector 10, 12 may be configured for injecting