TRAILER COUPLING
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A trailer coupling with a ball support and a coupling ball arranged at a free end of the ball support. A coupling ball holder is fitted onto and can rotate on the coupling ball. A locking element is provided on the coupling ball holder by which the coupling ball holder is secured against being inadvertently removed from the coupling ball. An angle measuring device, provided on the coupling ball, comprises sensors which can detect rotation of the coupling ball holder relative to the coupling ball about a rotation axis. The position of the locking element, relative to the coupling ball, can be determined using the sensors.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1-10. -10. (canceled)
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11. A trailer coupling with a ball support (4), and a coupling ball (3) being arranged at a free end of the ball support (4),
a coupling ball holder (2) being fitted onto and being rotatable on the coupling ball (3), a locking element (7) provided on the coupling ball holder (2) by which the coupling ball holder (2) is secured against being removed from the coupling ball (3), and an angle measuring device provided on the coupling ball (3) that comprises sensors (15) by which rotation of the coupling ball holder (2), relative to the coupling ball (3) about a rotation axis (11), is detectable, and a position of the locking element (7), relative to the coupling ball (3), being determinable by the sensors (15).
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21. A trailer coupling comprises:
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a ball support and a coupling ball, the coupling ball being fixed to a free end of the ball support and defining a vertical rotation axis extending through a center of the coupling ball ; a coupling ball holder coupling the coupling ball and defining a horizontal plane that extends through the center of the coupling ball, and the coupling ball holder being pivotable about the rotation axis with respect to the coupling ball; a locking element being supported on the coupling ball holder and engaging the coupling ball to prevent vertical displacement of the coupling ball holder along the rotation axis with respect to the coupling ball; an angle measuring device being fixed to the coupling ball and comprising a plurality of sensors, the sensors being fixedly located around a circumference of the coupling ball, the circumference of the coupling ball being located in the horizontal plane of the coupling ball holder, and the sensors being spaced from one another by articulation angles having vertices at the center of the coupling ball; and the sensors detecting rotation of the coupling ball holder for determining rotation of the coupling ball holder relative to the coupling ball.
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Specification