Movable trailer hitch for avoiding pendulous movements in vehicle-trailer arrangements
First Claim
1. An apparatus for stabilizing a vehicle-trailer arrangement, to whose vehicle a trailer is hitched via a trailer drawbar (12), the apparatus comprising:
- a trailer hitch (7), which is seated to move by way of a guide (9) on the towing vehicle;
one or a plurality of control members (8), which is or are mechanically connected to the trailer hitch (7);
an angle sensor (10), which detects pendulous movements of the trailer drawbar (12);
one or a plurality of position sensors, which detects the current position of the trailer hitch (7) in the guide (9); and
a control device (2, 2a), which is connected via data lines (3) to the angle sensor (10), at least one position sensor (11) and at least one control member (8);
wherein the control device (2, 2a) stores at least one control program for actuating the control member(s) (8), and the trailer hitch (7) can travel in its guide (9) with the control member(s) (8) with a movement component that is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the towing vehicle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for stabilizing a vehicle-trailer arrangement having a movable trailer hitch, which is secured to the towing vehicle by a guide, and can be moved in the guide with a horizontal component, transversely to the longitudinal axis of the towing vehicle, by control members. A control device controls the movement of the trailer hitch corresponding to a control program that is implemented in the control device. The trailer hitch moves in the direction of the pendulous movement of the trailer drawbar, so the movement of the trailer hitch reduces the angle between the towing vehicle and the trailer drawbar when a pendulous movement occurs. This measure counteracts the pendulous movement of the trailer, and prevents the pendulous movement from building up within the physical limits of the system.
77 Citations
24 Claims
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1. An apparatus for stabilizing a vehicle-trailer arrangement, to whose vehicle a trailer is hitched via a trailer drawbar (12), the apparatus comprising:
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a trailer hitch (7), which is seated to move by way of a guide (9) on the towing vehicle;
one or a plurality of control members (8), which is or are mechanically connected to the trailer hitch (7);
an angle sensor (10), which detects pendulous movements of the trailer drawbar (12);
one or a plurality of position sensors, which detects the current position of the trailer hitch (7) in the guide (9); and
a control device (2, 2a), which is connected via data lines (3) to the angle sensor (10), at least one position sensor (11) and at least one control member (8);
wherein the control device (2, 2a) stores at least one control program for actuating the control member(s) (8), and the trailer hitch (7) can travel in its guide (9) with the control member(s) (8) with a movement component that is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the towing vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A vehicle-movement dynamics control system for vehicle-trailer arrangements comprising a towing vehicle and a trailer, which is provided with an ESP system comprising:
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a control device (2), which is connected via data lines (3) to measurement devices (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) for the wheel rpm, and has a steering-wheel-angle sensor (5) with a yaw moment sensor (6), and control members for actuating the wheel brakes of the towing vehicle;
one or more control programs for actuating the connected control members, wherein the control device stores the control program(s), which uses or use a control deviation between the intended vehicle behavior (driver'"'"'s intention) and the actual vehicle behavior (handling) to calculate the control commands for the connected control members, corresponding to a dynamic model that is characteristic of the vehicle, characterized in that at least one control member (8) for actuating a movable trailer hitch (7) is integrated into the control system of the vehicle-movement dynamics control system, at least one measuring device (10) for detecting pendulous movements of the trailer drawbar and at least one measuring device (11) for detecting the position of the trailer hitch (7) are connected to the control device (2), and the trailer hitch (7) moves with a component that is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the towing vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification