US 6,280,004 B1Granted

Brake control system for balanced braking of a towed vehicle

OwnerJohn C. Greaves, Jr.inventor

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Abstract

A brake control system has a power source electronically connectable through a brake switch and a microswitch to a towed brake actuation mechanism that actuates a towed brake of the towed vehicle. The brake control system is designed for use in a towed vehicle that is removably connected to a towing vehicle with a tow hitch. It is critical that the brake control system include two switches to control the actuation of the towed brake: (1) the brake switch to ensure that the towed brake is not actuated until the user depresses a brake pedal to actuate the towing brake of the towing vehicle; and (2) the microswitch to ensure that the towed brake is not actuated unless the towed vehicle and the towing vehicle are being pressed together, such as when the towing vehicle is braking and the towed vehicle is coasting into the towing vehicle. The microswitch is mounted on a towed-vehicle fixed point of the towed vehicle or the tow hitch; and a sensor arm extending from a housing of the microswitch to contact a towing-vehicle fixed point of the towing vehicle or the tow hitch.

Claims1

Dependent claims

A microswitch for controlling the braking of a towed vehicle with respect to a towing vehicle, the towed vehicle having a towed-side fixed point and a means for actuating a towed brake, the towed-side fixed point being rigidly fixed with respect to the towed vehicle, the towing vehicle having a power source and a towing-side fixed point, the towing-side fixed point being rigidly fixed with respect to the towing vehicle, the towing-side fixed point being connectable to the towed-side fixed point to interconnect the towing and towed vehicles, the microswitch comprising:

a housing having a power input terminal and a power output terminal, the power input terminal being adapted to be electronically connectable to the power source, and the power output terminal being adapted to be electronically connectable to the means for actuating the towed brake;
a means for mounting the housing on the towed side fixed point adjacent the towing-side fixed point;
a sensor arm extending outwardly from the housing to contact the towing side fixed point such that the towing-side fixed point functions to depress the sensor arm when the housing is mounted on the towed-side fixed point and the towing vehicle decelerates with respect to the towed vehicle;
and,
the sensor arm being shaped to electrically connect the power input terminal and the power output terminal when the sensor arm is depressed.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.