# US 10,871,410 B2 · Force or torque measuring device for a motorized vehicle with an attachment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,871,410 B2 - Document ID: US10871410B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/361,502 - Filed: 2019-03-22 - Published: 2019-09-26 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2018-03-22 - Assignees: WABCO GmbH - Applicants: WABCO GmbH - Inventors: Mirko Brütt; Johannes Bührke; Ludger Frerichs; Steffen Hanke; Sebastian Kemper; Lars Thielke; Frank Zielke - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871410B2 ## CPC - G01L 5/136: {Force sensors associated with a vehicle traction coupling (vehicle connections B60D; control of vehicle brakes B60T)} - A01B 59/00: Devices specially adapted for connection between animals or tractors and agricultural machines or implements - A01B 63/00: Lifting or adjusting devices or arrangements for agricultural machines or implements (lifting mechanisms for the cutter-bar of a mower A01D34/24; adjusting devices for the cutter-bar of a mower A01D34/28) - A01B 76/00: Parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, not provided for in groups A01B51/00 - A01B75/00 - B60D 1/00: Traction couplings; Hitches; Draw-gear; Towing devices (fifth-wheel traction couplings B62D53/08) - B60D 1/02: Bolt or shackle-type couplings - B60D 1/248: {for measuring, indicating or displaying the weight} - B60D 1/62: involving supply lines, electric circuits or the like - B60T 1/00: Arrangements of braking elements, i.e. of those parts where braking effect occurs {specially for vehicles} - G01L 1/165: {with acoustic surface waves} - G01L 1/2206: {Special supports with preselected places to mount the resistance strain gauges; Mounting of supports} - G01L 5/16: for measuring several components of force - G01L 5/1627: of strain gauges (using piezoresistors G01L5/162) - A01B 63/112: to control draught load, i.e. tractive force - B60T 7/20: specially for trailers, e.g. in case of uncoupling of {or overrunning by} trailer (inertia-actuated overrun brakes B60T13/08) - B60T 8/00: Arrangements for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or ground-surface conditions, e.g. limiting or varying distribution of braking force (by changing number of effective brake cylinders in power brake systems B60T17/10) - B60T 8/17: Using electrical or electronic regulation means to control braking {(detecting or indicating faulty operation B60T8/885)} - B60T 8/1708: {for lorries or tractor-trailer combinations} - B60T 8/171: Detecting parameters used in the regulation; Measuring values used in the regulation - B60T 13/08: Overrun brakes - B60T 13/662: {characterised by specified functions of the control system components} - G01L 1/162: {using piezoelectric resonators} - G01L 1/2231: {the supports being disc- or ring-shaped, adapted for measuring a force along a single direction} - G01L: MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE (weighing G01G) - A01B: SOIL WORKING IN AGRICULTURE OR FORESTRY; PARTS, DETAILS, OR ACCESSORIES OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINES OR IMPLEMENTS, IN GENERAL (making or covering furrows or holes for sowing, planting or manuring A01C5/00; mowers convertible to soil working apparatus or capable of soil working A01D42/04; mowers combined with soil working implements A01D43/12; soil working for engineering purposes E01, E02, E21) - B60D: VEHICLE CONNECTIONS - B60T: VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL (electrodynamic brake systems for vehicle, in general B60L; brakes per se, i.e. devices where braking effect occurs, including ultimate brake actuators, F16D); ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES ## Abstract The present disclosure relates to a measuring device (42, 43) for measuring forces and/or torques between a motorized vehicle (1) and a trailer or attachment which is towed or pushed thereby, wherein the measuring device (42, 43) has at least three sensor elements (22, 34) which are arranged on a carrier (20, 31), transversely with respect to a virtual longitudinal axis of the motorized vehicle (1) and spaced apart from one another, wherein the measuring device (42, 43) is arranged in a coupling region between the motorized vehicle (1) and the pulled or pushed trailer or attachment, and wherein, in order to transmit their measured values, the sensor elements (22, 34) are connected to an evaluation device (40), which is configured to convert these measured values into signals for force displays and/or torque displays according to magnitude and direction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A measuring device (42, 43, 44) for measuring forces or torques between a motorized vehicle (1) and an attachment towed or pushed thereby, the measuring device (42, 43, 44) comprising: a carrier (20, 31, 45); an evaluation device (40); and at least three sensor elements (22, 34, 47) arranged on the carrier (20, 31, 45), transversely with respect to a virtual longitudinal axis of the motorized vehicle (1) and spaced apart from one another, wherein the measuring device (42, 43, 44) is arranged in a coupling region between the motorized vehicle (1) and the attachment, and wherein the sensor elements (22, 34, 47) are connected to the evaluation device (40) and configured to transmit measured values, the evaluation device (40) being configured to convert the measured values into signals for displaying at least one quantity representing a force or a torque according to magnitude and direction, wherein the measuring device (42, 43, 44) in configured to be mounted on the motorized vehicle (1) as a module package on a standard suspension frame (8) and is screwed to a standard attachment device (17, 27, 29) via a coupling carrier (26) arranged on the standard suspension frame (8). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The measuring device (42, 43, 44) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the evaluation device (40) has a data connection to a driving state management system, which is configured to detect unstable driving situations from the measured values of the sensor elements (22, 34, 47) and to initiate counter-steering measures. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The measuring device (42, 43, 44) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the driving state management system is configured to generate, from the measured values from the sensor elements (22, 34, 47), control signals for actuators for bringing about an adjustment matching of the braking effect of the motorized vehicle (1) and of the trailer or of the attachment to one another. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The measuring device (42, 43, 44) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measuring device (42, 43, 44) is mounted on the motorized vehicle (1) as a module package between a standard suspension frame (8) and a screw-on receptacle (6) for the standard suspension frame (8), and a standard attachment device (17, 27, 29) is fastened directly to the standard suspension frame (8). ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The measuring device (42, 43, 44) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the standard attachment device (17, 27, 29) is a standard open-end coupling (17, 27) or a standard ball head coupling (29). ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The measuring device (42, 43, 44) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the standard attachment device (17, 27, 29) is fastened to the standard suspension frame (8) in a detachable and vertically adjustable fashion. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The measuring device (42, 43, 44) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the standard attachment device (17, 27, 29) is a standard open-end coupling (17, 27) or a standard ball head coupling (29). ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The measuring device (42, 43, 44) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coupling carrier (26, 61) is fastened to the standard suspension frame (8) in a detachable and vertically adjustable fashion. ### Claim 9 A measuring device (42, 43, 44) for measuring forces or torques between a motorized vehicle (1) and an attachment towed or pushed thereby, the measuring device (42, 43, 44) comprising: a carrier (20, 31, 45); an evaluation device (40); and at least three sensor elements (22, 34, 47) arranged on the carrier (20, 31, 45), transversely with respect to a virtual longitudinal axis of the motorized vehicle (1) and spaced apart from one another, wherein the measuring device (42, 43, 44) is arranged in a coupling region between the motorized vehicle (1) and the attachment, and wherein the sensor elements (22, 34, 47) are connected to the evaluation device (40) and configured to transmit measured values, the evaluation device (40) being configured to convert the measured values into signals for displaying at least one quantity representing a force or a torque according to magnitude and direction, wherein the carrier (20) is a measuring plate, wherein the at least three sensor elements are four sensor elements (22) in the form of load cells, strain gauges or SAW elements as force sensors and are arranged on the carrier (20) spaced apart in a square or in a rectangle, wherein the four sensor elements (22) are fastened to a screw-on receptacle (6) of the motorized vehicle (1) via the carrier (20) and are operatively connected to a standard suspension frame (8) to generate signals for the evaluation device (40), the signals being representative of stress on the standard suspension frame (8) or of a load on the trailer or of the attachment. ### Claim 10 A measuring device (42, 43, 44) for measuring forces or torques between a motorized vehicle (1) and an attachment towed or pushed thereby, the measuring device (42, 43, 44) comprising: a carrier (20, 31, 45); an evaluation device (40); and at least three sensor elements (22, 34, 47) arranged on the carrier (20, 31, 45), transversely with respect to a virtual longitudinal axis of the motorized vehicle (1) and spaced apart from one another, wherein the measuring device (42, 43, 44) is arranged in a coupling region between the motorized vehicle (1) and the attachment, and wherein the sensor elements (22, 34, 47) are connected to the evaluation device (40) and configured to transmit measured values, the evaluation device (40) being configured to convert the measured values into signals for displaying at least one quantity representing a force or a torque according to magnitude and direction, wherein the at least three sensor elements are four sensor elements (34) in the form of load cells, strain gauges or SAW elements as force sensors are arranged on four spokes (32) which are offset by approximately 90° with respect to one another and extend radially from a central cylindrical hub (33), in that the spokes (32) are coupled to a carrier (31) in the form of a measuring plate in a frictionally locking, positively locking or materially joined fashion, wherein the carrier (31) is clamped in, together with an adapter plate (35) to which the central cylindrical hub (33) is coupled in a positively locking fashion or materially joined fashion, between a screw-on plate (28, 30) of a standard hitch (27, 29) and a standard coupling carrier (26). ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The measuring device (43) as claimed in claim 10, wherein a pre-stress is applied to the spokes (32) via an axially projecting region (33a) of the cylindrical hub (33) by expansion screws (36) arranged between the screw-on plate (28, 30) of a standard hitch (27, 29) and the standard coupling carrier (26). ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The measuring device (43) as claimed in claim 10, wherein carrier (31) is a measuring plate, wherein a recess (33b) facing the standard coupling carrier (26) is disposed in the carrier (31) and releases the spokes (32) and permits the deformation thereof when the pre-stress is applied by the expansion screws (36). ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The measuring device (43) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the measuring device (43) is a module package composed of the screw-on plate (28, 30) of the standard hitch device (27, 29), the adapter plate (35), the carrier (31) and the standard coupling carrier (26), which are braced with respect to one another by the expansion screws (36), in such a way that module package is configured to be attached in a vertically adjustable fashion to a standard suspension frame (8) which is fastened to the motorized vehicle (1).