Horizon Global Americas Inc.

Other

Tekonsha Engineering Company

Dennis Michael Morse

Marvin Hoot

Larry Eccleston

Marcia S Albright

Nicholas Albert Cekola

Yilong Chen

Srikanth Kadudula

Chandrakumar Kulkarni

Bruce Edward Smith

Mark William Austin

Jason Reichard

Steve Zavodny

Pat Burgess

Jerald Prater

Kirk Englert

Doug Marsden

Leon Bogdanov

Marcia Albright

George Moore

John B Harner

A towed vehicle controller combines a trailer brake controller and lighting driver. The towed vehicle controller can include a trailer battery charging circuit. The towed vehicle controller operates towed vehicle braking, towed vehicle lighting and towed vehicle battery charge functions.

Combination of trailer braking and lighting functions

A brake control unit includes a processor, a first high side driver and a second high side driver. The processor sends signals to the first high side driver and the second high side driver. The first and second high side drivers process the signals independent of each other. The processor diagnoses faults and locations of faults based on feedback from the high side drivers. The first high side driver controls the braking of a first trailer brake. The second high side driver controls the braking of a second trailer brake.

Driver and diagnostic system for a brake controller

Towed vehicles can be extremely heavy. Accordingly, it is too much of a burden to the braking system of a towing vehicle to not have brakes on the towed vehicle. Controlling the brakes of the towed vehicle must be accurately applied otherwise undesirable conditions can be created. There is a need for a method for controlling braking of a towed vehicle. This method comprises receiving a first signal via a communication bus of a towing vehicle, the first signal relating to at least one operating condition of at least one the towing vehicle and a towed vehicle, sending a second signal to brakes of the towed vehicle, the second signal based on said first signal.

Brake control unit

An apparatus and system for automated operation of the brakes on a towed vehicle, in particular the conventional hydraulic brakes on an automotive vehicle, by controlled actuation of its own brake pedal or other such conventional operating component which is normally manipulated by the operator of the vehicle. The preferred embodiment of the system utilizes a power-actuated tension member such as a cable which is attachable to the towed vehicle brake pedal to pull it downward and thus apply the vehicle brakes in controlled response to commands from a controller mountable at a remote location such as on the towing vehicle, and the controller preferably includes, and operates in response to, an inertia sensor and related system which monitors deceleration of the towing vehicle caused by application of its brakes etc., as well as a manual control for selective optional braking of the towed vehicle by the tow vehicle driver at any desired time. The apparatus and system further includes a power unit typically mounted on the towed vehicle (e.g., under the hood) has a drive motor that operates through a controllable slip clutch, preferably a magnetically engageable and controllable clutch device, for generating the pulling force applied to the towed vehicle brake pedal by the cable/tension member. Also, the power unit preferably includes a vacuum pump or other power assist unit coupled to the towed vehicle power brake system unit, to enable use of that system when the brake pedal is pulled down by the cable during the remotely controlled braking process.

Brake actuation system for towed vehicles

A brake control unit provides a properly oriented brake control display irrespective of whether the brake control unit is installed in a normal or inverted mode. The brake control unit determines whether a brake control signal is asserted when the brake control unit is connected to a vehicle power supply. If so, the brake control display is inverted. Alternatively, the brake control unit determines orientation by monitoring a position sensitive device. The brake control unit is also capable of determining and displaying the status of a brake load on the brake control display. In addition, the brake control unit is capable of determining and displaying an output voltage of the brake control unit on the brake control display.

Electronic brake controller and display

An electrical charging circuit for applying a controlled charge to a receiving device, such as a battery, and particularly such as a battery carried on a towed vehicle such as a trailer for actuating the trailer brakes during emergency situations such as unexpected disconnection from the towing vehicle, i.e., break-away. In a basic sense, the charging circuit includes a voltage potential-responsive element or component for sensing the charged level of the receiving device coupled to the circuit and enabling or disabling the circuit charging operation, together with a variable-conductance circuit component for producing a generally constant charging voltage output to the receiving device over a wide range of applied voltages but also operable to provide a first amount of current flow to the receiving device at a given applied voltage and temperature but a second a limited amount of current flow when the voltage across the charging circuit is sufficiently large. In its most preferred embodiment, the voltage responsive component may be a diode switch, and the variable-conductance circuit component may be a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) thermistor.

Battery charger for towed vehicles and the like

Growing community of inventors

Plymouth, MI, United States of America

Dennis Michael Morse