Device for detecting and displaying the position of components of vehicle couplings

• US 7,932,816 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2006
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jost-Werke GmbH
• Original Assignee: Jost-Werke GmbH
• Inventors: Strütt, Achim, Schmidt, Dirk, Gallego, José Manuel Algüera, Saupe, Swen
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Phung
• Application Number:
  US11/887,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20080150745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,862 Days
• Field of Search: 340/686.1, 340/431, 340/686.2, 340/686.6, 340/687, 340/691.6, 307/9.1, 280/433
• US Class Current: 340/431
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/28 for preventing unwanted disengagement, e.g. safety appliances
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/58 Auxiliary devices
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 53/08 Fifth wheel traction couplings tractors for handling trailers in terminals B62D49/007
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 53/0814 with adjustment of the clearance between the tractor or the trailer devices modifying the load in tractor-trailer combinations B62D53/068
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 53/10 with means for preventing accidental uncoupling

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for detecting and displaying the position of components of vehicle couplings, in particular semi-trailer couplings. A combined sensor and display unit is located in a common housing. The sensor unit comprises at least one sensor and the display unit at least one display element. The device can be mounted on the exterior of a semi-trailer coupling or of a sliding unit of a semi-trailer coupling, adjacent to a manual actuating element of a closing or locking device.

Claims

1. An arrangement of a device on an exterior of a fifth-wheel coupling or of a displacement device of a fifth-wheel coupling and adjacent to a manual actuation element of a closing or locking device,

wherein the device has a combined sensor and display unit arranged in a common housing, wherein the sensor unit has at least one sensor and the display unit has at least one display element, and wherein a contact element is arranged on the manual actuation element or can be actuated by the manual actuation element, such that it interacts in a closed or locked position with the sensor of the sensor unit.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the manual actuation element is a pull lever or a safety lever of a pull lever.

3. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the contact element is a metal plate or a magnet, which metal plate or magnet is fixed on the manual actuation element.

4. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the manual actuation element is a pivot element, on which the contact element is arranged.

5. An arrangement of a device on the exterior of a bolt coupling adjacent to the coupling bolt, which interacts in the closed position with the sensor of the sensor unit, wherein the device has a combined sensor and display unit arranged in a common housing, wherein the sensor unit has at least one sensor and the display unit has at least one display element and wherein the sensor has a switch element, which can be actuated by the coupling bolt.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the combined sensor and display unit has a separate voltage source.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the voltage source is arranged in the housing.

8. The device according to claim 5, wherein the combined sensor and display unit has an electronic evaluation unit.

9. The device according to claim 5, wherein at least one distance sensor is provided.

10. The device according to claim 5, wherein the sensor operates using a contact-less method.

11. The device according to claim 5, wherein the sensor is an electromagnetic sensor.

12. The device according to claim 5, wherein the sensor has a switch element.

13. The device according to claim 5, wherein the display unit has an optical display element arranged on the housing.

14. The device according to claim 5, wherein the display unit has an acoustic display element.

15. The device according to claim 5, wherein the display unit has a mechanical display element.

16. An arrangement of a device on the exterior of a displacement device, which has a toothed rack and blocking parts on a carriage carrying the fifth-wheel coupling, and adjacent to a blocking part, which interacts in the locked position with the sensor of the sensor unit, wherein the device has a combined sensor and display unit-arranged in a common housing, wherein the sensor unit has at least one sensor and the display unit has at least one display element.

17. A device for detecting and displaying the position of components of vehicle couplings, in particular, of fifth-wheel couplings, wherein a combined sensor and display unit is arranged in a common housing, the sensor unit having at least one sensor and the display unit having at least one display element, and wherein the combined sensor and display unit has its own separate voltage source.