Visual indicator adaptor and assembly for a tractor trailer

• US 8,653,957 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2011
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wabash National LP (Wabash National Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Wabash National LP (Wabash National Corporation)
• Inventors: Ehrlich, Rodney, Pickup, David
• Primary Examiner(s): CROSLAND, DONNIE L
• Application Number:
  US13/023,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20110237090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 340/431, 439/35, 439/36, 307/10.8
• US Class Current: 340/431
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0088 Details of electrical connections B60Q1/305 takes precedence; electrical connection of the light source itself F21S41/192, F21S43/195
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/305 Indicating devices for towed vehicles

Abstract

A visual indicator assembly and adaptor for a trailer includes an control circuit, an input lamp plug electrically coupled to the control circuit, an output lamp plug electrically coupled to the control circuit, and an identification lamp plug electrically coupled to the control circuit. The input lamp plug is connectable to a trailer lamp plug of a lamp wiring harness of the trailer. The output lamp plug is connectable to a stop lamp of the trailer. The identification lamp plug is connectable to a corresponding identification lamp plug of the lamp wiring harness. The control circuit is configured to supply a first voltage signal to a plurality of lamps of the trailer in response to a power signal and supply a second voltage signal to the plurality of lamps in response to a brake signal. The second voltage signal is greater than the first voltage signal.

Claims

1. An adaptor configured to be coupled in-line with a lamp wiring harness of a trailer, the adaptor comprising:

a housing;

an identification lamp control circuit positioned in the housing;

an input lamp plug electrically coupled to the control circuit and connectable to a trailer lamp plug of the lamp wiring harness;

an output lamp plug electrically coupled to the control circuit and connectable to a stop lamp of the trailer; and

an identification lamp plug electrically coupled to the control circuit and connectable to a corresponding identification lamp plug of the lamp wiring harness,

wherein the control circuit is configured to supply a first voltage signal to the identification lamp plug in response to a power signal received by the input lamp plug and supply a second voltage signal to the identification lamp plug in response to a brake signal received by the input lamp plug, the second voltage signal being greater than the first voltage signal.

2. The adaptor of claim 1, wherein each of the input lamp plug and the output lamp plug includes three terminals.

3. The adaptor of claim 1, further comprising an input lamp wiring harness, the input lamp wiring harness being electrically coupled to the control circuit at one end and terminating in the input lamp plug at an opposite end.

4. The adaptor of claim 3, wherein the input lamp wiring harness includes a ground wire, a power wire, and brake signal wire.

5. The adaptor of claim 3, further comprising an output lamp wiring harness, the output lamp wiring harness being electrically coupled to the control circuit at one end and terminating in the output lamp plug at an opposite end.

6. The adaptor of claim 5, wherein the output lamp wiring harness includes a ground wire, a power wire, and brake signal wire.

7. The adaptor of claim 5, further comprising an identification lamp wiring harness, the identification lamp wiring harness being electrically coupled to the control circuit at one end and terminating in the identification lamp plug at an opposite end.

8. The adaptor of claim 1, wherein the first voltage signal is about 6 volts and the second voltage signal is about 12 volts.

9. The adaptor of claim 1, wherein the brake signal is indicative of the application of at least one brake.

10. The adaptor of claim 1, wherein the input lamp plug is a male connector and the output lamp plug is a female connector.

11. The adaptor of claim 1, wherein the identification lamp control circuit comprises a first current blocking device, a second current block device, and a voltage reduction device.

12. An adaptor configured to be coupled in-line with an identification lamp wiring harness of a trailer, the adaptor comprising:

a housing;

an input lamp wiring harness extending from the housing and including an input lamp plug that is connectable to a trailer lamp plug of the identification lamp wiring harness;

an output lamp wiring harness extending from the housing and including an output lamp plug that is connectable to a stop lamp of the trailer;

an identification lamp wiring harness extending from the housing and including an identification lamp plug that is connectable to a corresponding identification lamp plug of the identification lamp wiring harness; and

an identification lamp control circuit defined on a circuit board located in the housing, the identification lamp control circuit comprising (i) a first current blocking device electrically coupled between a brake signal input of the input lamp wiring harness and an output of the identification lamp wiring harness, (ii) a second current blocking device electrically coupled to a power input of the input lamp wiring harness, and (iii) a voltage reduction device electrically coupled between the second voltage blocking device and the output of the identification lamp wiring harness.

13. The adaptor of claim 12, wherein the first and second current blocking devices are diodes and the voltage reduction device is a resistor.

14. The adaptor of claim 12, wherein the resistor is sized to step-down the voltage of the power input by about 0.5.

15. The adaptor of claim 12, wherein the first and second current blocking devices are diodes and the voltage reduction device is a DC-to-DC converter.

16. The adaptor of claim 12, wherein the first current blocking device is a diode having an anode coupled to the brake signal input and a cathode coupled to the output.

17. The adaptor of claim 16, wherein the second current blocking device is a diode having an anode coupled to the power input and a cathode coupled to the voltage reduction device.

18. The adaptor of claim 12, wherein the identification lamp control circuit is over-molded with the housing.

19. A method for coupling a visual indicator adaptor in-line with a lamp wiring harness of a trailer, the method comprising:

disconnecting a trailer lamp plug of the lamp wiring harness from a stop lamp of the trailer;

disconnecting an identification lamp plug of the lamp wiring harness from a corresponding identification lamp plug that is electrically coupled to a plurality of identification lamps of the trailer;

connecting an input lamp plug of the visual indicator adaptor to the trailer lamp plug;

connecting an output lamp plug of the visual indicator adaptor to the stop lamp; and

connecting an identification lamp plug of the visual indicator adaptor to the corresponding identification lamp plug of the trailer.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising fluidly sealing the identification lamp plug of the lamp wiring harness.