Sensing device for automatic brake system including inertia switch with magnetic holding means

• US 3,886,339 A
• Filed: 12/26/1973
• Issued: 05/27/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Administratrix Jubenville, Deceased Jubenville
• Original Assignee: Administratrix Jubenville, Deceased Jubenville
• Inventors: Jubenville, deceased, Jubenville, administratrix
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, James R.
• Application Number:
  US05/427,501
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 200/61.45R,61.53 340/262 180/103,104
• US Class Current: 200/61.45M
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/248 Trailer sway, e.g. for preventing jackknifing
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 35/14 Switches operated by change of acceleration, e.g. by shock or vibration, inertia switch wherein the liquid constitutes a contact of the switch H01H29/002

Abstract

The invention describes an acceleration sensing device for use with an automatic brake system in vehicles having a towed portion and a towing portion. The sensing device includes a steel ball which in response to lateral acceleration of the towed vehicle can roll from a resting position onto either of two levers extending from the rest position. The levers have a first section which includes an upwardly inclined concave curved shape interconnected to a double pole switch. As the ball moves onto the curved section in response to a limited acceleration the lever end moves downward closing the switch onto a first position producing a warning signal. As the ball moves further along the curved section in response to an excessive acceleration the lever end moves upward closing the switch onto a second position producing a brake signal. The platform retaining the ball in a rest position can be adjusted to bias the ball. Adjustable magnetic apparatus holding the ball in its rest position provides additional biasing. Dampers are included to bias the ball as it rolls along the levers.

Claims

1. An acceleration sensing device comprising an acceleration sensing body, holding means, housing means enclosing said holding means, all means supported thereon and said sensing body in operative relationship, platform means supported on said holding means and forming a rest position normally supporting said acceleration sensing body, first and second switch means supported by said holding means on opposite sides of said platform means, each switch means including two contact means and moveable pole means having a bi-directionally deflectable end portion for closing onto said contact means, lever means formIng a predetermined path having two continuous branches each branch extending on opposite sides of said platform means, each branch commencing with a first section adjacent to said platform means having an upwardly inclined concave curved shape followed by a substantially horizontal second section and concluding in a linearally upwardly inclined third section terminating adjacent to the edge of said holding means, the commencing end of each branch being connected to said deflectable end portion of said switch means, said body being moveable along said lever means in response to an acceleration having a component extending along the direction of said path, means biasing said body to normally remain on said rest position so that a predetermined force resulting from the last mentioned acceleration component is required to displace said body, whereby as said body traverses along the lever means said moveable pole means is deflected in one direction to close onto a first one of said contact means as said body engages a first part of said first section and said moveable pole means is deflected in the other direction to close onto the other of said contact means as said body engages the rest of said lever means, and damping means providing a restraining force as said body traverses said lever means.

2. A device as in claim 1 and further including ramp means extending on opposite sides of said platform means spaced beneath said lever means and securably fastened onto said holding means, said first and second switch means being fastened onto said ramp means.

3. A device as in claim 2 and further comprising yoke means upwardly extending from the outer ends of said ramp means for providing a lower limit of movement for the terminating ends of the lever means when said lever means is engaged by said body.

4. A device as in claim 1 and wherein said platform means has approximately square sides with a front and back face and a recessed portion on at least one of its sides, said device further comprising means for rotating said platform means to have a different one of its sides serve as the rest position supporting said accelerating body.

5. A device as in claim 4 and wherein said platform means includes at least three progressively deeper recessed portions each respectively on a different one of its sides.

6. A device as in claim 4 and wherein said platform means includes shaft means axially extending from one face thereof and wherein said rotating means includes knob means located on the outside of said housing means and fastening means interconnecting said knob means with said shaft means such that rotating said knob means correspondingly rotates said platform means.

7. A device as in claim 6 and wherein said platform means further includes cylinder means axially extending from the other face thereof, said cylinder means having an axial bore therethrough, and further including orthogonally arranged grooves on the outer surface thereof, said rotating means further including additional cylinder means securably connected on said holding means adjacent the commencing ends of said lever means, said additional cylinder means having orthogonally arranged ribs extending from the outer surface thereof, and concentric axle means extending therefrom, said axle means arranged to fit within the axial bore of the cylinder means and said orthogonal ribs arranged to fit within said orthogonal grooves.

8. A device as in claim 7 and further comprising compression spring means located about said cylinder shaft means for spacing said platform means from the inside of said housing means.

9. A device as in claim 1 and wherein said biasing means includes adjustment means to vary the amount of biasing on said body.

10. A device as in claim 9 and wherein said biasing means includes magnetic means.

11. A device as in claim 10 and wherein said adjustment means includes means for changing the position of said magnetic means relative to said body and slide means located on the Outside of said housing means and connected to said means for changing the position of said magnetic means, such that operating the slide means changes the position of said magnetic means.

12. A device as in claim 11 and wherein said adjustment means further includes slide index plate means located on the outside of said housing means and having a plurality of position indicating ribs, and wherein said slide means includes notched lip means for fitting onto said rib means.

13. A device as in claim 11 and wherein said means for changing position includes first retaining means fastened onto said holding means and having a first passageway therein permitting said magnetic means to move therein in a first direction, and second retaining means having a second passageway angularly related to said first passageway and slidably coupled to said first retaining means such that it can slide in a direction perpendicular to said first direction, said slide means being connected to said second retaining means and said magnetic means being moveably retained within both said first and second passageways.

14. A device as in claim 13 and further comprising bar means fixedly connected to said first retaining means and tension spring means interconnecting said second retaining means to said bar means.

15. A device as in claim 1 and wherein said holding means contains on one side thereof a plurality of contact areas, one of said two contact means being interconnected to a first contact area, the other of said contact means being interconnected to a second contact area, and said moveable pole means being interconnected to a third contact area.

16. A device as in claim 15 and further comprising diode means interconnected between said second contact area and a fourth contact area.

17. A device as in claim 16 and wherein said first contact area is electrically connected to a first terminal pin interconnected to a warning device, said second contact area is electrically interconnected to a second terminal pin connected to a brake solenoid device, said third contact area is electrically interconnected to a third terminal pin connected to a voltage source and said fourth contact area is electrically connected to a fourth terminal pin connected to a ground terminal.

18. A device as in claim 17 and wherein said first and third terminal pins and said second and fourth terminal pins are respectively related to form two twopronged male plugs.

19. A device as in claim 18 and wherein each of said male plugs are externally available on the outside of said housing means.

20. A device as in claim 1 and further comprising ball lock means for retaining said body means on its rest position.

21. A device as in claim 20 and wherein said housing means includes two spaced apart holes located adjacent to and above said body means and wherein said ball lock means includes means having prongs insertable into said holes.

22. A device as in claim 1 and wherein said damping means includes first and second arms in pivoted arrangement with said holding means at the outer ends thereof, and being inclined upwardly to approach each other such that their inner ends are terminated in spaced apart relationship above said body means when said body means is in a resting position.

23. A device as in claim 22 and where said dampening means further includes adjustably sliding weight means on each of said first and second arms.

24. A device as in claim 23 wherein said first and second arms have at least a portion far from the pivoted ends thereof bifurcated to permit said lever means to pass therethrough.

25. A device as in claim 1 and further comprising a second acceleration sensing body means wherein both of said body means are located adjacent to each other and share said platform means.

26. A device as in claim 25 and further comprising separating means connected to said holding means and separating said two bodies.

27. A device as in claim 26 and wherein said biasing means is a magnet having a first polarity adjacent to one of said body means and a second polarity adjacent to the other of said body means.

28. A device as in claim 1 and wherein said acceleration sensing body is a steel ball.

29. A device as in claim 1 and wherein said holding means is a printed circuit board.

30. In an automatic brake system for a vehicle having a trailer portion and including a control circuit for providing a warning signal in response to a warning output and a brake signal in response to a brake output, an acceleration sensing device for producing said warning output and said brake output comprising an accelerating sensing body, housing means enclosing holding means, all means supported thereon and said sensing body in operative relationship, board means, platform means supported by said board means and forming a rest position normally supporting said acceleration sensing body, first and second switch means supported by said board means on opposite sides of said platform means, each including two contacts as moveable pole means having a bi-directionally deflectable end portion for closing said contacts, lever means forming a predetermined path having two continuous branches each branch extending on opposite sides of said platform means, each branch commencing with a first section adjacent to said platform means having an upwardly inclined concave curved shape followed by a substantially horizontal second section and concluding in a linearally upwardly inclined third section terminating adjacent to the edge of said board means, the commencing end of each branch being connected to said deflectable end portion of said switch means, said body being moveable along said lever means in response to an acceleration having a component extending along the direction of said path, means biasing said body to normally remain on said rest position so that a predetermined force resulting from the last mentioned acceleration component is required to displace said body, whereby as said body traverses along the lever means said moveable pole means is deflected in one direction to close a first one of said contacts as said body engages a first part of said first section in rsponse to limited oscillation of said trailer portion thereby providing a warning output, and said moveable pole means is deflected in the other direction to close the other of said contacts as said body engages the rest of said lever means in response to excessive oscillations of said trailer portion thereby providing a brake output, and damping means providing a restraining force as said body traverses said lever means.