UNIVERSAL TRAILER MOUNTED PROPORTIONAL BRAKE CONTROLLER

• US 20160023642A1
• Filed: 10/05/2015
• Published: 01/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Horizon Global Americas Inc. (Horizon Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cequent Performance Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Smith, Bruce Edward, Austin, Mark William, Hilsbos, Richard Lyons, Kulkarni, Chandrakumar
• Granted Patent: US 10,723,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/085 by electrical means, e.g. travel, force sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/20 specially for trailers, e.g. in case of uncoupling of or overrunning by trailer inertia-actuated overrun brakes B60T13/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1708 for lorries or tractor-trailer combinations

Abstract

A trailer mounted proportional brake controller for a towed vehicle and a method of controlling the brakes of a towed vehicle is described. The brake control unit may control the brakes of a towed vehicle. The brake control unit may include a power control unit and a hand control unit. The power control unit may be connected to the brakes of the towed vehicle and the power control unit may be capable of selectively controlling the brakes of the towed vehicle based on a set of braking parameters. The hand control unit may be configured to remotely communicate with the power control unit. The hand control unit may be capable of transmitting information to the power control unit to adjust at least one of the braking parameters and receiving information from the power control unit.

Claims

1. A brake controller comprising:

a power control unit connected to brakes of a towed vehicle, said power control unit capable of controlling said brakes;

a hand control unit remotely connected to said power control unit;

wherein said hand control unit is capable of receiving information regarding status of said brakes from said power control unit; and

wherein said hand control unit includes a display that is capable of displaying said information from said power control unit.

2. The brake control unit of claim 1, wherein said information includes the status of said brakes including diagnostics and fault conditions related to said power control unit.

3. The brake control unit of claim 1, wherein said power control unit includes a cover and is capable of being mounted in any direction on said towed vehicle whereby said cover is in an upwards direction.

4. The brake control unit of claim 1, wherein said hand control unit is configured to receive power from a vehicle'"'"'s auxiliary power port.

5. The brake control unit of claim 1, wherein said hand control unit is capable of transmitting information to said power control unit.

6. A brake controller comprising:

a power control unit operatively coupled with brakes of a towed vehicle, said power control unit controlling said brakes, said power control unit having an accelerometer locating on said towed vehicle;

a hand control unit remotely connected to said power control unit;

wherein said hand control unit receives information regarding status of said brakes from said power control unit; and

wherein said hand control unit includes a display displaying said information from said power control unit.

7. The brake control unit of claim 6, wherein said status of said brakes includes diagnostics and fault conditions related to said power control unit.

8. The brake control unit of claim 6, wherein said power control unit includes a cover and is mounted in any direction on said towed vehicle whereby said cover is in a generally upwards direction.

9. The brake control unit of claim 6, wherein said hand control unit receives power from a vehicle'"'"'s auxiliary power port.

10. The brake control unit of claim 6, wherein said hand control unit transmits information to said power control unit.

11. The brake control unit of claim 10, wherein said hand control unit transmits information to said power control unit to adjust at least one of said braking parameters, and wherein said information transmitted from said hand control unit to said power control unit includes a brake control parameter signal.

12. The brake controller of claim 11, wherein said power control unit selectively applies a voltage to said brakes.

13. The brake controller of claim 12, wherein said hand control unit adjusts said voltage applied to said brakes.

14. The brake controller of claim 11, wherein said braking parameters include gain to control maximum braking force.

15. The brake controller of claim 14, wherein said gain is adjustable by said hand controller.

16. The brake controller of claim 6, wherein said hand control unit communicates with said power control unit by way of Radio Frequency (RF) communication.