SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GAUGING SAFE TOWING PARAMETERS
First Claim
1. A drawbar transducer for determining a tongue weight of a towed vehicle, the drawbar transducer comprising:
- a coupling section being adapted for connection to a hitch ball for coupling with a trailer tongue;
a mounting section being adapted for connection to a hitch of a towing vehicle; and
a transducer section located between the coupling section and the mounting section, the transducer section including;
a measurement wall having a first thickness;
at least one sensor area formed in the measurement wall having a second thickness that is less than the first thickness; and
at least one strain sensor located in the senor area for sensing a load applied to the coupling section.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for determining the tongue weight of a towed vehicle and other parameters includes a drawbar transducer in one embodiment and a receiver hitch transducer in another embodiment. Strain gauges are strategically located on the transducer and information regarding the towed vehicle are sent to a display. In one embodiment, a portable display unit has a radio frequency transceiver for receiving transmitted data from the transducer reflective of the towed vehicle tongue weight so that a user can view the tongue weight in practically real time. In this manner, the user can adjust the contents of the towed vehicle to achieve proper tongue weight without the necessity of going back and forth between the trailer and the transducer. A method is also disclosed for determining a safe towing condition based on the trailer tongue weight, trailer pulling force, acceleration during towing, and calculated trailer weight.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A drawbar transducer for determining a tongue weight of a towed vehicle, the drawbar transducer comprising:
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a coupling section being adapted for connection to a hitch ball for coupling with a trailer tongue; a mounting section being adapted for connection to a hitch of a towing vehicle; and a transducer section located between the coupling section and the mounting section, the transducer section including; a measurement wall having a first thickness; at least one sensor area formed in the measurement wall having a second thickness that is less than the first thickness; and at least one strain sensor located in the senor area for sensing a load applied to the coupling section. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20)
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17. A system for determining the tongue weight of a towed vehicle, the system comprising:
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A) a transducer body having; i) a coupling section adapted for connection to a hitch ball for coupling with a trailer tongue; ii) a mounting section being adapted for receipt into a receiver hitch of a towing vehicle; and iii) a transducer section located between the coupling section and the mounting section, the transducer section including; a) first and second compartments formed in opposite sides of the transducer body to form a measurement wall with a first thickness; b) first and second sensor areas formed in opposite sides of the measurement wall in the first and second compartments, respectively, the measurement wall having a second thickness at the sensor areas that is less than the first thickness; and c) at least one strain sensor located in at least one of the first and second senor areas for sensing a load applied to the coupling section; and B) a display for displaying information related to the tongue weight of a towed vehicle based on the transmitted data. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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21. A receiver hitch system comprising:
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a crossbar; a mounting bracket connected at opposite ends of the crossbar for connecting the receiver hitch to a tow vehicle; a receiver tube extending rearwardly from the crossbar, the receiver tube being adapted for connection to a drawbar to thereby couple a trailer to the tow vehicle; a first strain sensor operably associated with the receiver hitch for measuring at least one of a trailer tongue weight and trailer pull force; and a processor operably connected to the first strain sensor for calculating the at least one trailer tongue weight and trailer pull force. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 32)
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27. A modular strain sensor assembly comprising:
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a sensor mounting plate have a first face and a second face located on an opposite side of the sensor mounting plate; a first recessed sensor area formed in the first face; a second recessed sensor area formed in the second face opposite the first recessed sensor area to thereby create a center web therebetween; a first strain gauge fixedly secured to the center web in the first recessed sensor area; a second strain gauge fixedly secured to the center web in the second recessed sensor area; wherein a first thickness between the first and second faces is greater than a second thickness of the center web such that shear stresses on the center web is greater than shear stresses on the first and second faces when a load is applied to the modular strain sensor assembly. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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31. A method for determining a safe towing condition of a trailer with respect to a predetermined tow rating of a tow vehicle, the method comprising:
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determining a tongue weight of the trailer; pulling the trailer with the tow vehicle; measuring acceleration and pull forces of the trailer during pulling; determining the weight of the trailer by dividing the pull force by the acceleration multiplying the quotient by a gravitational acceleration. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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Specification