Weight-based stability detection system

A method of determining the stability of an articulated vehicle, the method including the steps of:

• providing a vehicle having a cab portion, a trailer portion, and a coupling member positioned between the cab portion and the trailer portion, the cab portion including a first frame supported by a front wheel assembly, the trailer portion including a second frame supported by first and second rear wheel assemblies, the trailer portion including a bin supported by the second frame and configured to contain a load, the bin being configured to move relative to the second frame between a lowered position and a raised position, the vehicle further including a controller configured to monitor a stability of the vehicle;
• setting a threshold range representative of a range of weight distributions of the vehicle on the first and second rear wheel assemblies, the threshold range having a low threshold percentage and a high threshold percentage;
• receiving a first weight measurement representative of weight supported by the first wheel rear assembly, the first weight measurement being measured by a first weight detector in communication with the controller;
• receiving a second weight measurement representative of weight supported by the second rear wheel assembly, the second weight measurement being measured by a second weight detector in communication with the controller, a combined weight measurement including the first and second weight measurements;
• detecting at least one parameter of the vehicle with at least one vehicle sensor, the at least one vehicle sensor being in communication with the controller and including a steering angle sensor configured to detect a steering angle of the vehicle, a vehicle speed sensor configured to detect a vehicle speed, and a slope sensor configured to detect a slope of the ground traversed by the vehicle;
• determining a weight of the load in the bin based on an unloaded weight of the vehicle and the combined weight measurement;
• calculating a weight distribution of the vehicle on the first and second rear wheel assemblies by calculating a percentage of the combined weight measurement measured by each of the first and second weight detectors;
• monitoring the stability of the vehicle based on a comparison of the weight distribution with the threshold range, wherein the comparison includes comparing the calculated percentages of the combined weight measurement on the first and second rear wheel assemblies with the threshold range, the controller determining the vehicle is instable upon the percentage of the combined weight measurement measured by the first or second weight detector being outside the threshold range;
• and
• dynamically adjusting at least one of the low threshold percentage and the high threshold percentage of the threshold range based on the detected steering angle, the vehicle speed, the slope of the ground, and the weight of the load in the bin, wherein when the steering angle is nonzero the threshold range is reduced in response to an increase in the vehicle speed, when the steering angle is zero the threshold range is maintained in response to an increase in the vehicle speed, and the threshold range is reduced in response to the weight of the load in the bin increasing.