The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 04, 2001
Filed:
Jan. 28, 2000
Randy L. Schutt, Holland, MI (US);
Steven C. Dupay, Holland, MI (US);
Michael H. Ginocchio, Grand Haven, MI (US);
Holland Hitch Company, Holland, MI (US);
Abstract
An electronic system monitors a trailer hitch assembly that has a hitch plate with a throat for receiving a kingpin of a trailer and a locking mechanism for locking the kingpin in throat. The system determines whether the trailer hitch assembly is properly coupled to the trailer and includes a trailer sensor, a lock sensor, and a control circuit. The trailer sensor senses the position of the trailer relative to the trailer hitch assembly and the lock sensor senses the position of the locking mechanism. The control circuit is coupled to the trailer sensor and the lock sensor. The control circuit determines whether the trailer hitch assembly is properly coupled to the trailer by taking into account the sequence in which the trailer sensor and the lock sensor sense the respective positions of the trailer and the locking mechanism, as well as, the time periods elapsing between the sensing at such positions.