Tow hitch with brake sensor system and method of use

• US 9,550,399 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2015
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intelli-Hitch, LLC
• Original Assignee: Intelli-Hitch, LLC
• Inventors: Jones, Dustin, Masten, Bill
• Primary Examiner(s): Boehler, Anne Marie
• Assistant Examiner(s): ARCE, MARLON ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US14/748,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20150290988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 280/446.1, 180/112.R, 180/112.A, 180/3.R
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/242 for supporting braking actions, e.g. braking means integrated with hitches; Braking sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/245 for facilitating push back or parking of trailers
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/62 involving supply lines, electric circuits, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/20 specially for trailers, e.g. in case of uncoupling of or overrunning by trailer inertia-actuated overrun brakes B60T13/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/14 Tractor-trailers, i.e. combinations of a towing vehicle and one or more towed vehicles, e.g. caravans; Road trains
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/207 Towing force
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2066/005 Force, torque, stress or strain

Abstract

A tow hitch that detects movement between a towing vehicle and a load and adjusts the braking forces of the load brakes proportionately to the movement, is disclosed. Said tow hitch comprising a load tow member selectively engaged with a vehicle tow member, a one or more sensors connected to the load tow member, and at least one of the one or more sensors is disposed between the vehicle tow member and the load tow member when the load tow member is engaged with the vehicle tow member. The at least one of the one or more sensors is in electronic communication with the load brakes, whereby the at least one of the one or more sensors senses movement between a load member and a vehicle member when the load tow member is engaged with the vehicle tow member and adjusts the braking forces of the load brakes.

Claims

1. A tow hitch that detects movement between a towing vehicle and a trailer having trailer brakes and adjusts braking forces of the trailer brakes proportionately to a displacement, the tow hitch comprising:

said tow hitch comprising a trailer tow member, a vehicle tow member, a one or more sensors, and a controller,

said trailer tow member is selectively engaged with said vehicle tow member;

said trailer tow member and said vehicle tow member substantially share an x axis;

said x axis substantially comprises a direction of travel of said tow hitch;

said one or more sensors comprising at least a first sensor;

said first sensor selectively measures a displacement of said trailer tow member relative to said vehicle tow member along said x axis;

said first sensor is configured to measure said displacement between the vehicle tow member and the trailer tow member when the trailer tow member is engaged with the vehicle tow member;

said first sensor is in electronic communication with the controller;

said displacement of said trailer tow member relative to said vehicle tow member is communicated to said controller;

said controller adjusts the braking forces of the trailer brakes proportionately to the displacement;

said vehicle tow member is arranged between a first elastic energy storage device and a second elastic energy storage device; and

said displacement of said vehicle tow member relative to said trailer tow member is defined as being

along said x axis and

between said first elastic energy storage device and said second elastic energy storage device.

2. The tow hitch of claim 1, wherein said first sensor is a pressure sensor.

3. The tow hitch of claim 1, wherein said first sensor is an optical sensor.

4. The tow hitch of claim 1, wherein said first sensor comprises a Hall sensor.

5. The tow hitch of claim 1, wherein said first sensor is a magnetic sensor.

6. The tow hitch of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors comprises a strain gauge.

7. The tow hitch of claim 1, wherein the tow hitch comprises an integrated modular hitch being configured to selectively attach between a variety of tow vehicles and trailers.

8. The tow hitch of claim 1, further comprising draw tube assembly having an outer draw tube and an inner draw tube;

wherein,

said trailer tow member comprises said outer draw tube,

said vehicle tow member comprises said inner draw tube, and

said inner draw tube selectively slides within said outer draw tube.

9. The tow hitch of claim 8 wherein,

said inner draw tube is arranged between the first elastic energy storage device and the second elastic energy storage device;

and

said displacement of said inner draw tube relative to said outer draw tube is defined as being

along said x axis and

between said first elastic energy storage device and said second elastic energy storage device.

10. The tow hitch of claim 8 wherein,

said tow hitch comprises a one or more keyed pins;

a portion of said draw tube assembly is configured to selectively slide into a trailer hitch receiver of said tow vehicle;

said inner draw tube is configured to selectively attach to said trailer hitch receiver by

sliding a one of said one or more keyed pins through a portion of said outer draw tube and a portion of said inner draw tube; and

said one of said one or more keyed pins moves freely relative to said x axis of said outer draw tube but directly moves said inner draw tube relative to said x axis.

11. The tow hitch of claim 10, wherein

said outer draw tube comprises an outer aperture being wider than said one of said one or more keyed pins as measured along said x axis;

said inner draw tube comprises an inner aperture having an internal diameter being substantially equal an external diameter of said one of said one or more keyed pins; and

said one of said one or more keyed pins moves along said x axis relative to said outer draw tube but does not move relative to said inner draw tube.

12. The tow hitch of claim 1, wherein

said first elastic energy storage device and said second elastic energy storage device are configured to compress, decompress and return to a nominal shape as before, during and after said displacement of said vehicle tow member and said trailer tow member.

13. The tow hitch of claim 1, wherein

said tow hitch further comprises a ball foot assembly;

and

said trailer tow member is configured to selectively attach to said trailer with said ball foot assembly.

14. The tow hitch of claim 1, wherein

said controller is in electronic communication with the trailer brakes, said one or more sensors, and one or more harness plugs;

said one or more harness plugs comprise

a first harness plug being configured to selectively attach to said tow vehicle and read a one or more signals from said tow vehicle, and

a second harness plug being configured to selectively attach to said trailer and read and send a one or more signal to and from said trailer;

said controller is configured to analyze said signals including

said displacement between said trailer tow member and said vehicle tow member, and

said braking signal on said one or more harness plugs; and

said controller is programmed to selectively engage said braking signal as sent to said trailer brakes on said trailer.

15. The tow hitch of claim 14, wherein

said tow hitch further comprises a circuit compartment being substantially sealed from environmental damage;

and

said controller is substantially sealed within said circuit compartment.

16. The tow hitch of claim 8, wherein

said tow hitch further comprises a magnet;

said magnet is attached to a portion of said inner draw tube;

said one or more sensors are attached to a portion of said tow hitch and moves in relative space with said outer draw tube; and

said one or more sensors measure said displacement of said magnet.

17. The tow hitch of claim 16, wherein

said outer draw tube comprises a sensor notch configured to allow a portion of said magnet to pass freely past said one or more sensors;

and

said magnet is attached to said inner draw tube so as to ensure said magnet is arranged within said sensor notch while assembled.

18. A tow hitch that detects movement between a towing vehicle and a trailer having trailer brakes and adjusts braking forces of the trailer brakes proportionately to a displacement, the tow hitch comprising:

said tow hitch comprising a trailer tow member, a vehicle tow member, a one or more sensors, and a controller,

said trailer tow member is selectively engaged with said vehicle tow member;

said trailer tow member and said vehicle tow member substantially share an x axis;

said x axis substantially comprises a direction of travel of said tow hitch;

said one or more sensors comprising at least a first sensor;

said first sensor selectively measures a displacement of said trailer tow member relative to said vehicle tow member along said x axis;

said first sensor is configured to measure said displacement between the vehicle tow member and the trailer tow member when the trailer tow member is engaged with the vehicle tow member;

said first sensor is in electronic communication with the controller;

said displacement of said trailer tow member relative to said vehicle tow member is communicated to said controller;

said controller adjusts the braking forces of the trailer brakes proportionately to the displacement;

said draw tube assembly having an outer draw tube and an inner draw tube;

wherein,

said trailer tow member comprises said outer draw tube,

said vehicle tow member comprises said inner draw tube, and

said inner draw tube selectively slides within said outer draw tube;

said inner draw tube is arranged between a first elastic energy storage device and a second elastic energy storage device; and

said displacement of said inner draw tube relative to said outer draw tube is defined as being

along said x axis and

between said first elastic energy storage device and said second elastic energy storage device.

19. A tow hitch that detects movement between a towing vehicle and a trailer having trailer brakes and adjusts braking forces of the trailer brakes proportionately to a displacement, the tow hitch comprising:

said tow hitch comprising a trailer tow member, a vehicle tow member, a one or more sensors, and a controller,

said trailer tow member is selectively engaged with said vehicle tow member;

said trailer tow member and said vehicle tow member substantially share an x axis;

said x axis substantially comprises a direction of travel of said tow hitch;

said one or more sensors comprising at least a first sensor;

said first sensor selectively measures a displacement of said trailer tow member relative to said vehicle tow member along said x axis;

said first sensor is configured to measure said displacement between the vehicle tow member and the trailer tow member when the trailer tow member is engaged with the vehicle tow member;

said first sensor is in electronic communication with the controller;

said displacement of said trailer tow member relative to said vehicle tow member is communicated to said controller;

said controller adjusts the braking forces of the trailer brakes proportionately to the displacement;

said draw tube assembly having an outer draw tube and an inner draw tube; and

wherein,

said trailer tow member comprises said outer draw tube,

said vehicle tow member comprises said inner draw tube, and

said inner draw tube selectively slides within said outer draw tube;

said tow hitch comprises a one or more keyed pins;

a portion of said draw tube assembly is configured to selectively slide into a trailer hitch receiver of said tow vehicle;

said inner draw tube is configured to selectively attach to said trailer hitch receiver by

sliding a one of said one or more keyed pins through a portion of said outer draw tube and a portion of said inner draw tube; and

said one of said one or more keyed pins moves freely relative to said x axis of said outer draw tube but directly moves said inner draw tube relative to said x axis.

20. A tow hitch that detects movement between a towing vehicle and a trailer having trailer brakes and adjusts braking forces of the trailer brakes proportionately to a displacement, the tow hitch comprising:

said tow hitch comprising a trailer tow member, a vehicle tow member, a one or more sensors, and a controller,

said trailer tow member is selectively engaged with said vehicle tow member;

said trailer tow member and said vehicle tow member substantially share an x axis;

said x axis substantially comprises a direction of travel of said tow hitch;

said one or more sensors comprising at least a first sensor;

said first sensor selectively measures a displacement of said trailer tow member relative to said vehicle tow member along said x axis;

said first sensor is configured to measure said displacement between the vehicle tow member and the trailer tow member when the trailer tow member is engaged with the vehicle tow member;

said first sensor is in electronic communication with the controller;

said displacement of said trailer tow member relative to said vehicle tow member is communicated to said controller;

said controller adjusts the braking forces of the trailer brakes proportionately to the displacement;

said draw tube assembly having an outer draw tube and an inner draw tube; and

wherein,

said trailer tow member comprises said outer draw tube,

said vehicle tow member comprises said inner draw tube, and

said inner draw tube selectively slides within said outer draw tube;

said tow hitch further comprises a magnet;

said magnet is attached to a portion of said inner draw tube;

said one or more sensors are attached to a portion of said tow hitch and moves in relative space with said outer draw tube; and

said one or more sensors measure said displacement of said magnet.

21. A tow hitch that detects movement between a towing vehicle and a trailer having trailer brakes and adjusts braking forces of the trailer brakes proportionately to a displacement, the tow hitch comprising:

said tow hitch comprising a trailer tow member, a vehicle tow member, a one or more sensors, and a controller,

said trailer tow member is selectively engaged with said vehicle tow member;

said trailer tow member and said vehicle tow member substantially share an x axis;

said x axis substantially comprises a direction of travel of said tow hitch;

said one or more sensors comprising at least a first sensor;

said first sensor selectively measures a displacement of said trailer tow member relative to said vehicle tow member along said x axis;

said first sensor is configured to measure said displacement between the vehicle tow member and the trailer tow member when the trailer tow member is engaged with the vehicle tow member;

said first sensor is in electronic communication with the controller;

said displacement of said trailer tow member relative to said vehicle tow member is communicated to said controller;

said controller adjusts the braking forces of the trailer brakes proportionately to the displacement;

said controller is in electronic communication with the trailer brakes, said one or more sensors, and a one or more harness plugs;

said one or more harness plugs comprise

a first harness plug being configured to selectively attach to said tow vehicle and read a one or more signals from said tow vehicle, and

a second harness plug being configured to selectively attach to said trailer and read and send a one or more signal to and from said trailer;

said controller is configured to analyzes said signals including

said displacement between said trailer tow member and said vehicle tow member, and

said braking signal on said one or more harness plugs; and

said controller is programmed to selectively engage said braking signal as sent to said trailer brakes on said trailer.