Apparatus and method for controlling power to interior trailer functions of a heavy duty vehicle
First Claim
1. A combination trailer and apparatus for controlling power to interior functions of the trailer of a heavy duty vehicle, the combination comprising:
- a vehicle trailer adapted to be connected to a heavy duty vehicle and having an interior cargo storage chamber and at least one trailer door for providing access to the interior cargo storage chamber;
a power supply connected to the trailer;
at least one light source connected to said power supply and mounted within the interior cargo storage chamber of said trailer; and
a light controller mounted to the trailer, connected to said power supply and said at least one light source, and responsive to open and closed positions of the at least one door for controlling the power to said at least one light source during predetermined periods of time when said at least one trailer door is in a fully open position and a closed position so that when said at least one trailer door is in the open position said at least one light source is in an on position having power supplied thereto and when the at least one trailer door is in a closed position power is prevented from being supplied to said at least one light source and thereby cause said at least one light source to be in an off position said light controller includes a switching sensor and is mounted to a wall of said trailer, and wherein said at least one light source is in the on position when a portion of the at least one trailer door is positioned adjacent to said switching sensor and in the fully open position and wherein said at least one light source is in the off position when the portion of the at least one trailer door is positioned away from said switching sensor and in a closed position.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and methods are provided for controlling power to interior functions of a trailer of a heavy duty vehicle. The apparatus preferably includes a vehicle trailer adapted to be connected to a heavy duty vehicle and having an interior cargo storage chamber and at least one door for providing access to the interior cargo storage chamber, a power supply connected to the trailer, at least one light source connected to the power supply and mounted within the interior cargo storage chamber of the trailer, and a light controller mounted to the trailer, connected to the power supply and the light source, and responsive to open and closed positions of the at least one door for controlling the power to the at least one light during predetermined periods of time when the at least one door of the trailer is in an open position and a closed position so that when the at least one door is in the open position the at least one light is in an on position having power supplied thereto and when the door is in a closed position the power is prevented from being supplied to the at least one light and thereby cause the at least one light to be in an off position.
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Citations
60 Claims
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1. A combination trailer and apparatus for controlling power to interior functions of the trailer of a heavy duty vehicle, the combination comprising:
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a vehicle trailer adapted to be connected to a heavy duty vehicle and having an interior cargo storage chamber and at least one trailer door for providing access to the interior cargo storage chamber; a power supply connected to the trailer; at least one light source connected to said power supply and mounted within the interior cargo storage chamber of said trailer; and a light controller mounted to the trailer, connected to said power supply and said at least one light source, and responsive to open and closed positions of the at least one door for controlling the power to said at least one light source during predetermined periods of time when said at least one trailer door is in a fully open position and a closed position so that when said at least one trailer door is in the open position said at least one light source is in an on position having power supplied thereto and when the at least one trailer door is in a closed position power is prevented from being supplied to said at least one light source and thereby cause said at least one light source to be in an off position said light controller includes a switching sensor and is mounted to a wall of said trailer, and wherein said at least one light source is in the on position when a portion of the at least one trailer door is positioned adjacent to said switching sensor and in the fully open position and wherein said at least one light source is in the off position when the portion of the at least one trailer door is positioned away from said switching sensor and in a closed position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A combination trailer and apparatus for controlling power to interior functions of the trailer of a heavy duty vehicle, the combination comprising:
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a vehicle trailer adapted to be connected to a heavy duty vehicle and having at least one trailer door for providing access to an interior chamber of said trailer; power supplying means connected to the trailer for supplying power to trailer functions; light illuminating means connected to said power supplying means for providing light illumination; and light power controlling means mounted to the trailer, connected to said power supplying means and said light illuminating means, and responsive to open and closed positions of said at least one trailer door for controlling the power to said light illuminating means during predetermined periods of time when said at least one trailer door is in a fully open position and a closed position so that when said at least one trailer door is in the fully open position said light illuminating means is in an on position having power supplied thereto and when the at least one trailer door is in a closed position power is prevented from being supplied to said light illuminating means and thereby cause said light illuminating means to be in an off position said light power controlling means includes a switching sensor and is mounted to a wall of said trailer, and wherein said light illuminating means is in the on position when a portion of the at least one trailer door is positioned adjacent to said switching sensor and in the fully open position and wherein said light illuminating means is in the off position when the portion of the at least one trailer door is positioned away from said switching sensor and in a closed position. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. An apparatus for controlling power to interior functions of a trailer of a heavy duty vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
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at least one light source connected to a power supply of a trailer; and a light controller positioned to be mounted to a trailer, connected to the power supply of the trailer and the at least one light source, and responsive to open and closed positions of at least one door of the trailer for controlling the power to the at least one light source during predetermined periods of time when the at least one trailer door is in a fully open position and a closed position so that when the at least one trailer door is in the open position the at least one light source is in an on position having power supplied thereto and when the at least one trailer door is in a closed position power is prevented from being supplied to said at least one light source and thereby cause the at least one light source to be in an off position said light controller includes a switching sensor, and wherein said at least one light source is in the on position when a portion of the at least one trailer door is positioned adjacent to said switching sensor and in the fully open position and wherein said at least one light source is in the off position when the portion of the at least one trailer door is positioned away from said switching sensor and in a closed position. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A method for controlling power to a light source associated with a trailer of a heavy duty vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a vehicle trailer connected to a tractor and having at least one trailer door for providing access to an interior chamber of the trailer; supplying power to a power line of the trailer; providing at least one light source connected to the power line of the trailer; and controlling the illumination of the at least one light source responsive to open and closed positions of the at least one trailer door during predetermined periods of time when the at least one trailer door is in an open position and a closed position so that when the at least one trailer door is in the fully open position the at least one light source is in an on position having power supplied thereto and when the at least one trailer door is in a closed position power is prevented from being supplied to the at least one light source and thereby cause the light source to be in an off position illuminating the at least one light source to the on position when a portion of the at least one trailer door is positioned adjacent to said switching sensor mounted to the trailer and in the fully open position and preventing power form being supplied to the at least one light source for the off position when the portion of the at least one trailer door is positioned away from said switching sensor and in a closed position. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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Specification