US 11,926,301 B2Granted

Axle weight sensing device

AssigneeDexter Axle Company

InventorSamuel N. Lievore

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A vehicle weight sensing system particularly useful for trailers. An axle tube is mounted to the vehicle or trailer through its suspension members that may be leaf springs. A mounting block is affixed to the axle tube for mounting a strain gauge. The mounting block is fixed to the axle tube between the suspension members connected to the axle tube. The mounting block has a mounting surface opposite to the mating surface and a notch extends from the mating surface toward the mounting surface. The notch terminates between the mating surface and the mounting surface. The notch separates rigidified sections of the mounting block and the rigidified sections straddle the notch. The stain gauge measures strain in the axle and thereby generates a signal proportional to the weight on the trailer. The signal can be used to properly proportion a brake system on the trailer.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A system for controlling a braking force applied to a trailer, said system comprising:

said trailer having trailer brakes located on an axle, said axle having a hollow axle tube supporting said trailer and connected thereto through mounting portions, said trailer towable by a vehicle having a controller with a proportional braking signal, said proportional braking signal moveable between a signal representing no braking force from said vehicle and a signal representing full braking force from said vehicle;
a unitary mounting block with a mounting surface affixed on top of said axle tube between said mounting portions, said unitary mounting block having a notch facing said axle tube and interrupting said mounting surface and said notch located opposite a continuous mating surface, said continuous mating surface facing away from said axle tube;
a strain gauge assembly affixed to said continuous mating surface of said unitary mounting block and straddling said notch;
a computer in electrical communication with said proportional braking signal from said vehicle and a weight signal from said strain gauge assembly, said computer having a gain determined by said weight signal from said strain gauge assembly, said computer configured to:
receive said proportional braking signal;
calculate a weight of said trailer with said weight signal when said trailer is unloaded;
establish said gain with said unloaded weight and control said trailer brakes with said gain when said vehicle provides said proportional braking signal;
and
increase said gain when said weight signal indicates said weight of said trailer has increased;
and
control said trailer brakes with said increased gain when said vehicle provides said proportional brake signal.

8 more elements

A device for controlling a braking force applied to a trailer, said device comprising:

said trailer towable by a vehicle and said vehicle having a controller having a proportional braking signal, said proportional braking signal moveable between a signal representing no braking force from said vehicle and a signal representing full braking force from said vehicle;
trailer brakes located on said trailer;
an axle having a hollow axle tube supporting said trailer and connected thereto through mounting portions,
a unitary mounting block affixed on top of said axle tube between said mounting portions, said unitary mounting block having a notch facing said axle tube and located opposite a continuous mating surface;
a strain gauge assembly affixed to said continuous mating surface of said unitary mounting block, said strain gauge assembly straddling said notch;
a computer in electrical communication with said proportional braking signal from said vehicle and a weight signal from said strain gauge assembly, said computer having a gain defined by a proportion of said proportional braking signal from said vehicle applied to said trailer brakes, said computer configured to:
receive said proportional braking signal from said vehicle;
calculate a weight of said trailer with said weight signal when said trailer is unloaded;
establish said gain with said unloaded weight and control said trailer brakes with said gain when said vehicle provides said proportional braking signal;
and
increase said gain when weight signal indicates said weight of said trailer has increased and control said trailer brakes with said increased gain when said vehicle provides said proportional braking signal.

8 more elements

A device for controlling a braking force applied to a trailer, said device comprising:

said trailer towable by a vehicle and said vehicle having a controller having a proportional braking signal, said proportional braking signal moveable between a signal representing no braking force from said vehicle and a signal representing full braking force from said vehicle;
trailer brakes located on said trailer;
an axle having a hollow axle tube supporting said trailer and connected thereto through mounting portions,
a unitary mounting block affixed to said axle tube between said mounting portions and spaced from a neutral axis of said axle tube, said unitary mounting block having a notch facing said axle tube and located opposite a continuous mating surface;
a strain gauge assembly affixed to said continuous mating surface of said unitary mounting block, said strain gauge assembly straddling said notch;
a computer in electrical communication with said proportional braking signal from said vehicle and a weight signal from said strain gauge assembly, said computer having a gain defined by a proportion of said proportional braking signal from said vehicle applied to said trailer brakes, said computer configured to:
receive said proportional braking signal from said vehicle;
calculate a weight of said trailer with said weight signal when said trailer is unloaded;
establish said gain with said unloaded weight and control said trailer brakes with said gain when said vehicle provides said proportional braking signal;
and
increase said gain when weight signal indicates said weight of said trailer has increased and control said trailer brakes with said increased gain when said vehicle provides said proportional braking signal.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/448,377Filed 22 Sep 2021 · continuation
Priority: 14 Mar 2019
Published: US 2022/0017050 A120 Jan 2022
Granted: 12 Mar 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification24 codes

B60T 8/1837
Responsive to vehicle weight or load, e.g. load distribution: characterised by the load-detecting arrangements
B60B 35/04
Dead axles, i.e. not transmitting torque: straight
B60G 9/003
Resilient suspensions of a rigid axle or axle housing for two or more wheels: the axle being rigidly connected to a trailing guiding device
B60G 11/04
Having leaf springs only: arranged substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle

Family

Application16/353,341Parent of this continuation · filed 14 Mar 2019
US 2022/0017050 A1Pre-grant publication · published 20 Jan 2022
US 11,130,479 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2020/0290579 A1Published application
US 11,926,301 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.