Connecting Device for a Towed Vehicle, and Towed Vehicle Having a Connecting Device

• US 20120323443A1
• Filed: 01/20/2011
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Wabco GmbH (Wabco Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Wabco GmbH (Wabco Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Risse, Rainer, Stender, Axel
• Application Number:
  US13/581,827
• Publication Number:
  US 20120323443A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/62 involving supply lines, electric circuits, or the like

Abstract

The invention relates to a connecting device (2) for a towed vehicle (1), wherein the connecting device (2) has at least the following: a first connection device (4) for receiving brake control signals (S3) from a tractive unit, and a second connection device (5) for receiving light control signals (S4) from the tractive unit. According to the invention, it is provided that the connecting device (2) has a control device (3) and a bus connection device (8) for a trailer data bus (12) of the towed vehicle (1), wherein the control device (3) receives the signals (S3, S4) which are received by the first connection device (4) and the second connection device (5), and outputs said signals (S3, S4) or signals (S1, S2) which are determined from said signals via the bus connection device (8) to the trailer data bus (12).

Claims

1. A connecting device (2) for a towed vehicle (1), wherein the connecting device (2) has at least:

a first connection apparatus (4) for receiving brake control signals (S3) from a towing vehicle, and a second connection apparatus (5) for receiving light control signals (S4) from the towing vehicle, characterized in that the connecting device (2) has a control device (3) and a bus connection apparatus (8) for a trailer data bus (12) of the towed vehicle (1), wherein the control device (3) receives the signals (S3, S4) received by the first connection apparatus (4) and the second connection apparatus (5) and outputs these signals (S3, S4) or signals (S1, S2) determined on the basis of these signals to the trailer data bus (12) via the bus connection apparatus (8).

2. The connecting device (2) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it has a housing (2a) for mounting in a front region of the towed vehicle (1), wherein the control device (3) is accommodated in the housing (2a), and the connection apparatuses (4, 5) are accommodated in or on the housing (2a).

3. The connecting device (2) as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first connection apparatus (4) is embodied according to ISO 7638 and the second connection apparatus (5) is embodied according to ISO 12098 and/or ISO 11992, wherein the control device (3) receives brake light signals (S4) received via the second connection apparatus (5), and said control device (3) outputs, as a function thereof, a brake control signal (S1) to the brake control device (18) on the trailer data bus (12).

4. The connecting device (2) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control device (3) is connected via its bus connection apparatus (8) and the trailer data bus (12) to a brake control device (18) of the towed vehicle (1).

5. The connecting device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the control device (3) is only connected to the brake control device (18) via its bus connection apparatus (8) and outputs both the brake control signals (S1) and the light control signals (S2) to the brake control device (18).

6. The connecting device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the control apparatus (3) is also connected to lighting devices (22, 23, 24) of the towed vehicle via the trailer data bus (12), and outputs light control signals (S2) directly to the lighting devices (22, 23, 24) via the trailer data bus (12;

12b).

7. The connecting device (2) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control device (3) simulates the loads by means of the lighting devices (22, 23, 24) of the towed vehicle (1) for the monitoring of lamps in the towing vehicle.

8. A towed vehicle (1) which has:

a connecting device (2) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, a brake system (20) having a brake control device (18), lighting devices (22, 23, 24) and a trailer data bus system (12, 12a) to which the control device (3) of the connecting device (2), the brake control device (18) and the lighting devices (22, 23, 24) are connected for the bidirectional transmission of data, wherein brake control signals (S1) and light control signals (S2) are output to the brake control device (18) and the lighting devices (22, 23, 24) by the control device (3) of the connecting device (2).

9. The towed vehicle (1) as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that a single trailer data bus (12) is provided as the trailer data bus system (12), to which trailer data bus (12) the brake control device (18), the lighting devices (22, 23, 24) and the control device (3) of the connecting device (2) are connected.

10. The towed vehicle (1) as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the trailer data bus system (12) has a trailer data bus (12) and a trailer light data bus (12a), wherein the control device (3) of the connecting device (2) and the brake control device (18) are connected to the trailer data bus (12), and the brake control device (18) and the lighting devices (22, 23, 24) are connected to the trailer light data bus (12a) and the brake control device (18) receives light control signals (S2) from the control device (3) via the trailer data bus (12) and passes them on via the trailer light data bus (12a).

11. The towed vehicle (1) as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the trailer data bus (12) is embodied as a CAN data bus and separate lines (13a, 13b, 13g, 13h) for the voltage supply and ground, respectively, according to both ISO 7638 and ISO 12098,

wherein the brake control signals (S1) and the light control signals (S2) are transmitted via the CAN high data line (13c) and CAN low data line (13d), and

wherein the brake control device (18) connects through the voltage supply and ground for the lighting devices (22, 23, 24) from the trailer data bus (12) to the trailer light data bus (12a).