System for detecting trailer instability
AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation
InventorsHeather M. Lindell, Paul A. Grougan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle steering mechanism to compensate for instabilities including a vehicle frame, a front axle coupled to the vehicle frame, the front axle further coupled to two front wheels, a rear axle coupled to the vehicle frame, the rear axle further coupled to two rear wheels, an actuator for changing the direction and angle of the two rear wheels, a trailer hitch coupled to the frame, at least one sensor for measuring instability in the trailer hitch, a controller processing the measured instability, and where the controller controls the actuator and the direction and angle of the two rear wheels to compensate for the measured instability.
Claims15
A vehicle steering mechanism to compensate for instabilities comprising:
- a vehicle frame;
- a front axle coupled to said vehicle frame, said front axle further coupled to two front wheels;
- a rear axle coupled to said vehicle frame, said rear axle further coupled to two rear wheels;
- an actuator for changing a direction and angle of said two rear wheels;
- a trailer hitch coupled to said frame;
- at least one sensor for measuring instability in said trailer hitch;
- a controller processing said measured instability;
- and
- wherein said controller controls said actuator and the direction and angle of said two rear wheels to compensate for said measured instability.
A method of compensating for trailer instability for a vehicle and trailer tow configuration comprising
- determining if an instability in the vehicle and trailer tow configuration is present;
- and
- actuating a four-wheel steering system to compensate for a determined instability.
A trailer hitch for a vehicle comprising:
- a first member coupled;
- second members coupled to said first member in a substantially perpendicular configuration;
- and
- sensors coupled to said second members and in contact with the frame of the vehicle to sense vehicle loads.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.