Trailer Coupling Comprising a Sensor

• US 20170305215A1
• Filed: 09/22/2015
• Published: 10/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Westfalia-Automotive GmbH (Horizon Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Westfalia-Automotive GmbH (Horizon Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Scheips, Rene, Sielhorst, Bernhard
• Granted Patent: US 10,406,872 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/06 Ball-and-socket hitches , e.g. constructional details, auxiliary devices, their arrangement on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/248 for measuring, indicating or displaying the weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/62 involving supply lines, electric circuits, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/127 by using inductive means G01L1/122, G01L1/125 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/14 by measuring variations in capacitance or inductance of electrical elements, e.g. by measuring variations of frequency of electrical oscillators

Abstract

A trailer coupling for a motor vehicle for attaching a trailer or for supporting a load carrier, including a coupling arm provided for coupling a coupling piece of the trailer or load carrier, and at least one sensor arranged on the coupling arm for detecting a deformation of the coupling arm caused by a load on the coupling arm. For the trailer coupling, at least one recess is provided on an outer circumferential contour of the coupling arm, in which or on which recess the at least one sensor is arranged or held.

Claims

1. A trailer coupling for a motor vehicle for attaching a trailer or supporting a load carrier, with a coupling arm provided with a coupling element for coupling-on the trailer or load carrier, and at least one sensor mounted on the coupling arm, for detecting a deformation of the coupling arm due to a load acting on the coupling arm wherein there is provided on an outer peripheral contour of the coupling arm at least one recess, in or on which the sensor or sensors is or are mounted or held.

2. The trailer coupling according to claim 1, wherein the at least one recess has an internal contour corresponding to the external contour of the sensor for form-fitting location of the sensor, and/or the sensor does not extend beyond the external contour of the coupling arm in the area of the recess, and/or the at least one sensor is protected from environmental influences by a cover or lid at least partly covering the recess.

3. The trailer coupling according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is clamped to the surface of the coupling arm in the area of the recess, or connected or bonded to the surface.

4. The trailer coupling according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor has a first sensor part and a second sensor part, wherein the first and second sensor parts are each connected to the coupling arm at a distance from one another, and making a relative movement towards one another during deformation of the coupling arm, wherein the sensor is not in contact with the coupling arm between the sensor parts.

5. The trailer coupling according to claim 4, wherein the first and second sensor parts are connected to one another by at least one strain gauge or a sensor housing, or the sensor parts are discrete and not connected to one another.

6. The trailer coupling according to claim 5, wherein the first and second sensor parts have electrically capacitive surfaces lying opposite one another and/or interacting.

7. The trailer coupling according to claim 1, wherein at least two recesses are provided on the coupling arm at a distance from one another, wherein the at least one sensor is connected to the coupling arm in or at each of the recesses, by a connecting area or a connecting element, so that the at lease one sensor may be actuated by a relative movement of the two recesses towards one another.

8. The trailer coupling according to claim 7, wherein a location or mounting for a sensor housing of the at least one sensor in the form of a recess, extends between the recesses.

9. The trailer coupling according to claim 1, wherein the recess extends from the outer peripheral contour as far as a central area, up to a centre of a cross-section, of the coupling arm in the area of the recess and the at least one sensor is connected to the coupling arm, in the section of the recess extending into the central area, so that a deformation of the central area leads to actuation of the sensor or sensors.

10. The trailer coupling according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is provided to detect a deformation of the knee-joint bar outside the neutral phase or neutral fibre of the coupling arm and/or the recess reduce the mechanical loadability of the coupling arm in the area of the recess and/or the recess and the sensor are provided on a curved section of the coupling arm.

11. The trailer coupling according to claim 1, wherein edge areas of the recess lying opposite one another are joined together by the at least one sensor and/or by a wall carrying the sensor, permanently joined to or integral with the edge areas, in the manner of a membrane.

12. The trailer coupling according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor has a capacitive sensor element and/or an inductive sensor element and/or a strain gauge and/or a distance sensor and/or a sensor housing, in which at least one a strain gauge or a capacitive measuring surface, is mounted with protection from environmental influences.

13. The trailer coupling according to claim 1, wherein the recess has a longitudinal shape extending along an axial direction of the coupling arm or at an angle to an axial direction of the coupling arm and/or communicate with at least one location for a mounting bolt holding the sensors in the recess and/or a passage for a line leading to the sensor or sensors.

14. The trailer coupling according to claim 1, wherein the recess has a location holding the sensor, away from which at least one bolt location for a mounting bolt for mounting the sensor extends as far as the external contour of the coupling arm, wherein the mounting bolt is connected to the sensors, passing through the bolt location from the external contour.

15. The trailer coupling according to claim 1, wherein the recess includes a through hole passing through the coupling arm and/or a blind hole or a pocket and/or a trough and/or a screw socket for screwing or a latching location for latching the sensor to the coupling arm.

16. A sensor module for a trailer coupling for a motor vehicle, which has a coupling arm for attaching a trailer or for supporting a load carrier, wherein the sensor module has a sensor or sensors provided for mounting on the coupling arm to detect deformation of the coupling arm by a load acting on the coupling arm wherein the sensor module has an outer peripheral contour which is matched to at least one inner peripheral contour of a recess, provided on an outer peripheral contour of the coupling arm, in or on which the sensor or sensors is or are mounted or held.