i-ARS – Integrated Anti-Roll-Away System
Integrated Anti-Roll-Away System has been designed to maximise safety and eliminate the potential dangers associated with vehicle roll away.
Equipment management Australia P/L has taken to the drawing board, using basic concepts to fine-tune a simple, cost-effective, reliable logic input system, for all pneumatic brake type vehicles.
The i-ARS can be configured to your vehicle/fleets requirements, the system allows various input parameters from weight in seats switch to PTO engagement. Anti-theft and GPS tracking are all optioned with a simple update.
Requirements to Operate
The Integrated Anti-Roll-Away System is a means to apply the pneumatic park brake system when there is no occupant behind the steering wheel. The system can be used to ensure the park brake cannot be released with the PTO engaged or the stabilises legs extended.
i-ARS is always active at speeds up to 5km/h. If the park brake has been released and the radar is monitoring a ground speed of 5km/h or less, i-ARS is active - the required ‘inputs’ listed are;
- Driver’s Seat Switch
- Driver’s Door Switch
- Radar
If all of these inputs are not seen to be ‘safe’ (eg. there is no one in the driver’s seat) the park brake will apply and cannot be released until the ‘unsafe’ condition is rectified.
To cancel the input, the park brake is re applied and then released. This procedure resets i ARS and the park brake will release. Once the Skm/h threshold is logged, the i ARS is dormant.
Custom Inputs
i-ARS can be customised to your fleets requirements;
- Stability Legs Retracted
- PIO
- Tipping Body Down
- Walkway Stowed
- Ignition
- Tilt Tray Lowered
- Tail Gate Loader/Platform
The speed of the vehicle is monitored via a ‘Distance Radar’ that measures the ground speed below the vehicle forward or reverse.
Other concepts have employed simple proximity switches to monitor the rotation speed of the tail shaft. This is not ideal as this is a high speed shaft. We have experienced impact damage to the proximity switches in this location in the past.
Anti-Theft function
i-ARS already provides the ‘core’ of what is required for an ‘anti-theft’ device, however, using the GPS and radar functionality the vehicle can be tracked by authorities and when deemed to be in a comparatively ‘safe area’ the park brake can be triggered and that brake application proportionally applied over a 30 second period, gradually bringing the vehicle to stop. This option has already been bench tested, with SUCC 0SS/UI FOSU lts.
Safety Features
i-ARS has a dual redundancy as a safety feature to ensure that an unwanted application of the park brake is impossible
- Once the vehicle has attained a speed of 5 km/h the electronic control is isolated.
- The pneumatic manifold is also blocked, mechanical position maintained by an air spring to prevent any spool movement due to road vibration or even harmonics from the engine in the vehicle.
Re-filling Air Reservoirs
The air supply to the i-ARS is via a pressure protection valve set at 4 bar. If the vehicle has an air leak and has been sitting for suMcient time to drain the air reservoirs, the driver can enter the cabin, start the motor to begin the process of re-filling reservoirs.
If the driver then exits the cabin and the park brake has been inadvertently released at the handpiece, i-ARS will activate at 4 bar, the pressure setting on the charging valve.
The driver then must re-enter the cabin, satisfy the interlock parameters, apply the park brake, wait for 5 seconds and then release the park brake again. This procedure will reset i-ARS and the spring brakes will release.
Requirements
| Parameter | How It Is Monitored |
|---|---|
| Driver’s Seat Switch | Parallel connection to seat switch. Active when seat is occupied. |
| Driver’s Door Switch | Parallel connection to existing door open switch. Active when door is open. |
| PTO | Parallel connection to existing PTO output. Active when PTO on (Optional Requirement). |
| Stability Legs Retracted | Parallel connection to existing stability legs output. Active when legs extended (Optional Requirement). |
| Ignition | Parallel connection to existing ignition output. Active when ignition is on. |
| Ground Speed | Speed and Distance Radar This device uses Doppler radar to determine the relative velocity and range of an object. The intent is to measure ground speed by angling it to the ground under the vehicle. |
| Bypass | An input generated on the remote display that inhibits device operation. |