The invention relates to an electropneumatic spring
brake device (1) of a motor vehicle, including means for generating electric
brake actuation signals that represents at least the "
brake application" state and the "brake release" state; an
electronic controller (8) which receives the brake actuation signals; an electropneumatic valve device (10) which is controlled by the
electronic controller (8) dependent on the actuation signals; and at least one pneumatically actuated spring brake cylinder. The electropneumatic valve device (10) aerates the at least one spring brake cylinder by connecting to a
compressed air supply (12) or de-aerates the spring brake cylinder by connecting to a pressure sink (3). A maximally aerated state, which can be brought about by the
electronic controller (8), of the electropneumatic valve device (10) is produced in that the electropneumatic valve device (10) releases a maximum flow cross-section between the
compressed air supply (12) and the at least one spring brake cylinder. According to the invention, the electronic controller (8) is designed to keep the electropneumatic valve device (10) in the maximally aerated state when switching from the "brake application" state to the "brake release" state while the vehicle is traveling until the pressure in the at least one spring brake cylinder is abruptly increased from a starting pressure value
lying below a first gradient to a relatively higher first pressure value which still lies below a brake release pressure that fully releases the spring brake cylinder, and after the first pressure value has been reached, the electropneumatic valve device is switched to a state in which the pressure in the at least one spring
brake pressure cylinder is increased from the first pressure value
lying below a second gradient that is smaller than the first gradient to a second pressure value that is higher than the first pressure value in order to assume a partial release position or a full release position.