Dual Purpose Hitch Sensor

• US 20160236526A1
• Filed: 02/16/2016
• Published: 08/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daniel Robert Shepard
• Original Assignee: Daniel Robert Shepard
• Inventors: Shepard, Daniel Robert
• Granted Patent: US 10,046,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/06 Ball-and-socket hitches , e.g. constructional details, auxiliary devices, their arrangement on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/36 for facilitating connection, e.g. hitch catchers , visual guide means, signalling aids B60D1/465 takes precedence; vehicle signalling in general B60Q; optical arrangements specially adapted for viewing trailer-hitches B60R1/003
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/62 involving supply lines, electric circuits, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 13/00 Steering specially adapted for trailers combined traction and steering hitches B60D
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/021 Determination of steering angle

Abstract

The present invention relates to sensors for guiding a trailer while backing that can easily be installed or removed, and in particular to trailering system sensors that can be utilized for both measuring the angle formed by the vehicle and a coupled trailer (i.e., the angle formed by the centerline of the vehicle intersecting the centerline of the trailer) and the direction and/or distance to back up the vehicle during coupling. The present invention is a means and a method for sensing both the hitch angle during towing maneuvers and the direction and/or distance to the trailer to assist a driver to couple a vehicle and trailer together.

Claims

1. A trailer hitch angle measuring device comprising a measurement device (i) for determining an angle formed by the intersection of a centerline of a vehicle and a centerline of a trailer coupled to the vehicle, where the vertex of the angle is at a point on the centerline of the vehicle that coincides with a point on the centerline of the trailer coupled to the vehicle and (ii) for determining an angle formed by the intersection of the centerline of the vehicle and a centerline of a line drawn from the point on the centerline of the vehicle to the point on the centerline of the trailer when the trailer is not coupled to the vehicle, where the vertex of the angle is at the point on the centerline of the vehicle.

2. The trailer hitch angle measuring device of claim 1 further comprising means to measure a distance from the point on the centerline of the vehicle to the point on the centerline of the trailer.

3. The trailer hitch angle measuring device of claim 1 further comprising a connection device to which a cord can be attached.

4. The trailer hitch angle measuring device of claim 3 whereby the connection device is removably associated with the measurement device.

5. The trailer hitch angle measuring device of claim 1 whereby the line is one or more of a string or a cord or a wire or a filament.

6. The trailer hitch angle measuring device of claim 1 whereby the sensor is bolted between a hitch ball and a hitch ball mount. The trailer hitch angle measuring device of claim 1 whereby the sensor comprises one or more electric components.

15. The trailer hitch angle measuring device of claim 2 whereby means to measure distance comprises ultrasonic ranging.

16. The trailer hitch angle measuring device of claim 2 whereby means to measure distance comprises optical ranging.

17. The trailer hitch angle measuring device of claim 1 whereby the string or cord or line is manually adjusted.

18. The trailer hitch angle measuring device of claim 1 whereby the tension of the string or cord or line is automatically adjusted.

19. The means to measure a distance of claim 2 further comprising one or more of an ultrasonic distance measuring device, an optical distance measuring device, and an infrared distance measuring device.

8. The trailer hitch angle measuring device of claim 7 whereby the one or more electric components receive power from the vehicle.

9. The trailer hitch angle measuring device of claim 8 whereby receiving power comprises making a connection to a wiring harness from the vehicle for electrically joining the vehicle and the trailer.

10. The trailer hitch angle measuring device of claim 7 whereby output from the sensor is provided by means of a wired connection.

11. The trailer hitch angle measuring device of claim 10 whereby the wired connection is comprised by a wiring harness for electrically joining the vehicle and the trailer.

12. The trailer hitch angle measuring device of claim 7 whereby output from the sensor is provided by means of a wireless connection.

13. The trailer hitch angle measuring device of claim 12 whereby the wireless connection comprises one of a Bluetooth communications link, a WiFi communications link, a ZigBee communications link.

14. The trailer hitch angle measuring device of claim 7 whereby the one or more electric components receive power from a battery.

20. A device for measuring the direction and distance from a hitch ball to a trailer coupler comprising an ultrasonic transmitter placed proximate to the trailer coupler and one or more ultrasonic receivers placed proximate to the hitch ball.