Brake controller

• US 9,604,613 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2013
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Kyle Group, LLC
• Original Assignee: The Kyle Group, LLC
• Inventors: Cooper, Byron D., Saunders, Carlton A. Jr., Tate, Anthony M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Abby
• Application Number:
  US13/907,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20130325209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/70, 701/75, 701 78- 79, 701/81, 34042613-42619, 340/426.32, 340/431, 340/453, 280/480, 280/504, 254/2.R
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/06 Tractor-trailer swaying
• 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: B60T 8/1708 for lorries or tractor-trailer combinations
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/323 Systems specially adapted for tractor-trailer combinations
• 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

Abstract

A braking control system associated with a towed apparatus is provided. The braking control system includes an intelligent control, an accelerometer electrically coupled to the intelligent control, a global positioning receiver electrically coupled to the intelligent control, and a visual indicator operatively coupled to the intelligent control. The braking control system may also include a wireless RF receiver operatively coupled to the intelligent control.

Claims

1. A trailer brake assembly, comprising:

a brake controller and a braking system of a trailer towed behind a towing vehicle in a longitudinal direction, the vehicle also having a braking system; and

the brake controller, comprising;

a housing mounted on a trailer;

an intelligent controller mounted within the housing and being electrically coupled to the trailer braking system;

an accelerometer electrically coupled to the intelligent controller and configured to sense longitudinal deceleration of the towing vehicle and then send data to the intelligent controller, which is configured to automatically activate and deactivate the trailer braking system;

a battery on the trailer electronically coupled to the intelligent controller so as to provide power to the intelligent controller and;

wherein the brake controller is free from wired and wireless connection to the braking system of the towing vehicle.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the accelerometer is a 3 axis accelerometer to detect trailer sway.

3. The combination of claim 1 further comprising an electrical bus coupled to the intelligent controller.

4. The combination of claim 3 further comprising an input/output port electrically coupled to the bus.

5. The combination of claim 1 further comprising a GPS electrically coupled to the intelligent controller.

6. The combination of claim 1 further comprising a first switch electrically coupled to the intelligent controller to allow an operator to set a desired amount of brake force for the trailer braking system.

7. The combination of claim 6 further comprising a second switch electronically coupled to the intelligent controller to test the brake controller while the trailer is stationary.

8. The combination of claim 7 further comprising a third switch electronically coupled to the intelligent controller to override automatic control of the intelligent controller.

9. The combination of claim 8 further comprising a fourth switch electronically coupled to the intelligent controller to decrease braking force of the trailer braking system.

10. An electronic control system for controlling brakes of a towed vehicle pulled in a longitudinal travel direction by a towing vehicle having a brake system, the control system comprising:

a microprocessor mounted on the towed vehicle and adapted to be electrically coupled to a power source on the towed vehicle and to the brakes,

a sensor configured to sense braking deceleration of the towing vehicle in the longitudinal travel direction and then send a signal to the microprocessor, which is configured to actuate the brakes in response to the signal; and

wherein the microprocessor is electrically independent from the towing vehicle.

11. The electronic control system of claim 10 wherein the sensor is an accelerometer.

12. The electronic control system of claim 10 wherein the sensor is a 3-axis accelerometer configured to sense trailer sway and then send a signal to the microprocessor to actuate the brakes.

13. The electronic control system of claim 10 further comprising a GPS operatively connected to the microprocessor.

14. The electronic control system of claim 10 further comprising a plurality of switches operatively connected to the microprocessor configured to control the brakes.

15. The electronic control system of claim 10 wherein the microprocessor is adapted to be powered by a battery on the towed vehicle.