Tow hitch with brake sensor system and method of use

A tow hitch that detects movement between a towing vehicle and a trailer having trailer brakes and adjusts braking forces of the trailer brakes proportionately to a displacement, the tow hitch comprising:

• said tow hitch comprising a trailer tow member, a vehicle tow member, a one or more sensors, and a controller,
• said trailer tow member is selectively engaged with said vehicle tow member;
• said trailer tow member and said vehicle tow member substantially share an x axis;
• said x axis substantially comprises a direction of travel of said tow hitch;
• said one or more sensors comprising at least a first sensor;
• said first sensor selectively measures a displacement of said trailer tow member relative to said vehicle tow member along said x axis;
• said first sensor is configured to measure said displacement between the vehicle tow member and the trailer tow member when the trailer tow member is engaged with the vehicle tow member;
• said first sensor is in electronic communication with the controller;
• said displacement of said trailer tow member relative to said vehicle tow member is communicated to said controller;
• said controller adjusts the braking forces of the trailer brakes proportionately to the displacement;
• said draw tube assembly having an outer draw tube and an inner draw tube;
• wherein,
• said trailer tow member comprises said outer draw tube,
• said vehicle tow member comprises said inner draw tube, and
• said inner draw tube selectively slides within said outer draw tube;
• said inner draw tube is arranged between a first elastic energy storage device and a second elastic energy storage device;
• and
• said displacement of said inner draw tube relative to said outer draw tube is defined as being
• along said x axis and
• between said first elastic energy storage device and said second elastic energy storage device.

A tow hitch that detects movement between a towing vehicle and a trailer having trailer brakes and adjusts braking forces of the trailer brakes proportionately to a displacement, the tow hitch comprising:

• said tow hitch comprising a trailer tow member, a vehicle tow member, a one or more sensors, and a controller,
• said trailer tow member is selectively engaged with said vehicle tow member;
• said trailer tow member and said vehicle tow member substantially share an x axis;
• said x axis substantially comprises a direction of travel of said tow hitch;
• said one or more sensors comprising at least a first sensor;
• said first sensor selectively measures a displacement of said trailer tow member relative to said vehicle tow member along said x axis;
• said first sensor is configured to measure said displacement between the vehicle tow member and the trailer tow member when the trailer tow member is engaged with the vehicle tow member;
• said first sensor is in electronic communication with the controller;
• said displacement of said trailer tow member relative to said vehicle tow member is communicated to said controller;
• said controller adjusts the braking forces of the trailer brakes proportionately to the displacement;
• said draw tube assembly having an outer draw tube and an inner draw tube;
• and wherein,
• said trailer tow member comprises said outer draw tube,
• said vehicle tow member comprises said inner draw tube, and
• said inner draw tube selectively slides within said outer draw tube;
• said tow hitch comprises a one or more keyed pins;
• a portion of said draw tube assembly is configured to selectively slide into a trailer hitch receiver of said tow vehicle;
• said inner draw tube is configured to selectively attach to said trailer hitch receiver by
• sliding a one of said one or more keyed pins through a portion of said outer draw tube and a portion of said inner draw tube;
• and
• said one of said one or more keyed pins moves freely relative to said x axis of said outer draw tube but directly moves said inner draw tube relative to said x axis.

A tow hitch that detects movement between a towing vehicle and a trailer having trailer brakes and adjusts braking forces of the trailer brakes proportionately to a displacement, the tow hitch comprising:

• said tow hitch comprising a trailer tow member, a vehicle tow member, a one or more sensors, and a controller,
• said trailer tow member is selectively engaged with said vehicle tow member;
• said trailer tow member and said vehicle tow member substantially share an x axis;
• said x axis substantially comprises a direction of travel of said tow hitch;
• said one or more sensors comprising at least a first sensor;
• said first sensor selectively measures a displacement of said trailer tow member relative to said vehicle tow member along said x axis;
• said first sensor is configured to measure said displacement between the vehicle tow member and the trailer tow member when the trailer tow member is engaged with the vehicle tow member;
• said first sensor is in electronic communication with the controller;
• said displacement of said trailer tow member relative to said vehicle tow member is communicated to said controller;
• said controller adjusts the braking forces of the trailer brakes proportionately to the displacement;
• said draw tube assembly having an outer draw tube and an inner draw tube;
• and wherein,
• said trailer tow member comprises said outer draw tube,
• said vehicle tow member comprises said inner draw tube, and
• said inner draw tube selectively slides within said outer draw tube;
• said tow hitch further comprises a magnet;
• said magnet is attached to a portion of said inner draw tube;
• said one or more sensors are attached to a portion of said tow hitch and moves in relative space with said outer draw tube;
• and
• said one or more sensors measure said displacement of said magnet.

A tow hitch that detects movement between a towing vehicle and a trailer having trailer brakes and adjusts braking forces of the trailer brakes proportionately to a displacement, the tow hitch comprising:

• said tow hitch comprising a trailer tow member, a vehicle tow member, a one or more sensors, and a controller,
• said trailer tow member is selectively engaged with said vehicle tow member;
• said trailer tow member and said vehicle tow member substantially share an x axis;
• said x axis substantially comprises a direction of travel of said tow hitch;
• said one or more sensors comprising at least a first sensor;
• said first sensor selectively measures a displacement of said trailer tow member relative to said vehicle tow member along said x axis;
• said first sensor is configured to measure said displacement between the vehicle tow member and the trailer tow member when the trailer tow member is engaged with the vehicle tow member;
• said first sensor is in electronic communication with the controller;
• said displacement of said trailer tow member relative to said vehicle tow member is communicated to said controller;
• said controller adjusts the braking forces of the trailer brakes proportionately to the displacement;
• said controller is in electronic communication with the trailer brakes, said one or more sensors, and a one or more harness plugs;
• said one or more harness plugs comprise
• a first harness plug being configured to selectively attach to said tow vehicle and read a one or more signals from said tow vehicle, and
• a second harness plug being configured to selectively attach to said trailer and read and send a one or more signal to and from said trailer;
• said controller is configured to analyzes said signals including
• said displacement between said trailer tow member and said vehicle tow member, and
• said braking signal on said one or more harness plugs;
• and
• said controller is programmed to selectively engage said braking signal as sent to said trailer brakes on said trailer.