Trailer break-away switch
First Claim
1. A safety switch for attachment to both a towing vehicle and a towed vehicle and operable to change its electrical state in the event that the two vehicles become mechanically decoupled comprising:
- first and second relative movable members, said first member being attachable to said towed vehicle and second member comprising two portions, wherein the first of the two portions is ferromagnetic and is removably confined within said first member, and wherein the second of the two portions is flexibly attachable to said towing vehicle;
an electrical circuit, supported by said first member, that creates an electrical switch with use of a magnetically activated device and power field effect transistor such that when a first wire, attached to said electrical circuit is attached to the positive terminal of a power source, a second wire, attached to said electrical circuit, is attached to the negative terminal of said power source and a third wire, connected to said electrical circuit, that electrically disconnects from said first wire forming an open circuit when said second member is confined within said first member and electrically connects said first wire to said third wire when the said second member is removed from said first member;
a permanent magnet supported by said first member that creates a magnetic field which turns on said electrical switch when said second member is removed from said first member and turns off said electrical switch when said second member is inserted into said first member.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A trailer break-away switch comprises an electromechanical means to energize a towed trailer brake in the event of unintended decoupling of the trailer from the towing vehicle. When in normal operation, the trailer break-away switch operates as a normally open switch between the stored energy source (the battery) on the trailer and the trailer brake system. In the event of unintended decoupling of the trailer from the towing vehicle, a pin is pulled from the trailer break-away switch, which activates the switch. Activating the switch allows electrical power to be connected to the trailer brake system. In some cases, the switch directly connects a trailer battery to the electromagnetic coils of the electric brakes.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A safety switch for attachment to both a towing vehicle and a towed vehicle and operable to change its electrical state in the event that the two vehicles become mechanically decoupled comprising:
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first and second relative movable members, said first member being attachable to said towed vehicle and second member comprising two portions, wherein the first of the two portions is ferromagnetic and is removably confined within said first member, and wherein the second of the two portions is flexibly attachable to said towing vehicle; an electrical circuit, supported by said first member, that creates an electrical switch with use of a magnetically activated device and power field effect transistor such that when a first wire, attached to said electrical circuit is attached to the positive terminal of a power source, a second wire, attached to said electrical circuit, is attached to the negative terminal of said power source and a third wire, connected to said electrical circuit, that electrically disconnects from said first wire forming an open circuit when said second member is confined within said first member and electrically connects said first wire to said third wire when the said second member is removed from said first member; a permanent magnet supported by said first member that creates a magnetic field which turns on said electrical switch when said second member is removed from said first member and turns off said electrical switch when said second member is inserted into said first member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A trailer break-away system comprising:
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a removable ferromagnetic component; an electronic circuit assembly comprising a magnetically activated switch, the electronic circuit assembly electrically coupled to a power supply and electrically actuated brake system; a magnet; a housing configured to house the removable ferromagnetic component, the electronic circuit, and the magnet, the housing additionally configured to be secured to a trailer that is capable of being hitched to a towing vehicle; and wherein the magnet is configured to maintain the removable ferromagnetic component within the housing absent application of an external force, the maintenance of the ferromagnetic component within the housing preventing the conduction of electricity through the electronic circuit assembly; and wherein upon application of an external force sufficient to extract the ferromagnetic component from the housing, the electronic circuit assembly conducts electricity, the electricity activating a braking system of the trailer. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A safety switch comprising:
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a housing including a channel there through; a magnet maintained within the channel; a magnetically activated switch, housed within the housing in proximity to the magnet; and a ferromagnetic component configured to be removably positioned within the channel proximate the magnet, wherein, when the ferromagnetic component is positioned within the channel a first flux density is generated proximate the magnetically activated switch causing the magnetically activated switch to be in a non-conductive state, and wherein, when the ferromagnetic component is outside the channel a second flux density is generated proximate the magnetically activated switch causing the magnetically activated switch to be in a conductive state to energize the braking system of a towed vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A safety switch for attachment to both a towing vehicle and a towed vehicle and operable to change its electrical state in the event that the two vehicles become mechanically decoupled comprising:
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first and second relative movable members, said first member being attachable to said towed vehicle and second member comprising two portions, wherein the first of the two portions is magnetic and is removably confined within said first member, and wherein the second of the two portions is flexibly attachable to said towing vehicle; an electrical circuit, supported by said first member, that creates an electrical switch with use of a magnetically activated device and power field effect transistor such that when a first wire, attached to said electrical circuit is attached to the positive terminal of a power source, a second wire, attached to said electrical circuit, is attached to the negative terminal of said power source and a third wire, connected to said electrical circuit, that electrically disconnects from said first wire forming an open circuit when said second member is confined within said first member and electrically connects said first wire to said third wire when the said second member is removed from said first member; a permanent magnet supported by said second member that creates a magnetic field which turns on said electrical switch when said second member is removed from said first member and turns off said electrical switch when said second member is inserted into said first member. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A trailer break-away system comprising:
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a removable magnetic component; an electronic circuit assembly comprising a magnetically activated switch, the electronic circuit assembly electrically coupled to a power supply and electrically actuated brake system; a housing configured to house the removable magnetic component, the electronic circuit, and a ferromagnetic component, the housing additionally configured to be secured to a trailer that is capable of being hitched to a towing vehicle; and wherein the magnet, along with a ferromagnetic component in the housing, is configured to maintain the removable magnetic component within the housing absent application of an external force, the maintenance of the magnetic component within the housing preventing the conduction of electricity through the electronic circuit assembly; and wherein upon application of an external force sufficient to extract the magnetic component from the housing, the electronic circuit assembly conducts electricity, the electricity activating a braking system of the trailer. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A safety switch comprising:
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a housing including a channel there through; a ferromagnetic component maintained within the channel; a magnetically activated switch, housed within the housing in proximity to the ferromagnetic component; and a magnetic component configured to be removably positioned within the channel proximate the ferromagnetic component, wherein, when the magnetic component is positioned within the channel a first flux density is generated proximate the magnetically activated switch causing the magnetically activated switch to be in a non-conductive state, and wherein, when the magnetic component is outside the channel the flux density is removed proximate the magnetically activated switch causing the magnetically activated switch to be in a conductive state to energize the braking system of a towed vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (37)
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Specification