Monitoring of anti-sway bar chains of trailer hitch systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10406877-B2
Application number	US-201715834844-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2017
Priority date	Dec 7, 2017
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for monitoring of anti-sway bar chains of trailer hitch systems. An example disclosed trailer hitch system includes a hitch including a hitch ball to receive a trailer, an anti-sway bar extending from the hitch, anti-sway chains to couple the anti-sway bar to the trailer, sensors, and a controller. The controller is to emit an alert responsive to detecting, via the sensors, that at least one of the anti-sway chains is decoupled from at least one of the anti-sway bar and the trailer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A trailer hitch system, comprising:
a hitch of a vehicle including a hitch ball to receive a trailer;
an anti-sway bar extending from the hitch;
anti-sway chains to couple the anti-sway bar to the trailer;
sensors, wherein a portion of the sensors are located on the trailer and configured to
monitor the anti-sway chains only when the portion of the sensors located on the trailer is electrically coupled to a power source of the vehicle, wherein the portion of the sensors located on the trailer is electrically coupled to the power source via wires when the trailer is coupled to the hitch; and
not monitor the anti-sway chains when the trailer is decoupled from the vehicle; and
a controller to emit an alert responsive to detecting, via the sensors, that at least one of the anti-sway chains is decoupled from at least one of the anti-sway bar and the trailer.

2. The trailer hitch system of claim 1 , wherein the anti-sway bar is configured to connect to the trailer via the anti-sway chains to deter the trailer from swaying as the vehicle tows the trailer.

3. The trailer hitch system of claim 1 , wherein the anti-sway bar is V-shaped.

4. The trailer hitch system of claim 1 , further including an exterior lamp that is positioned near the anti-sway bar, the controller is to present the alert via the exterior lamp.

5. The trailer hitch system of claim 1 , wherein the sensors include at least one of a Hall-effect sensor, a tactile sensor, a near-field communication sensor, and a radio frequency sensor.

6. The trailer hitch system of claim 1 , further including:
safety chains that further couple the trailer to the vehicle; and
second sensors that monitor a connection of the safety chains to the trailer and the vehicle.

7. The trailer hitch system of claim 6 , wherein, when the trailer is coupled to the hitch, the controller is to emit a second alert upon detecting, via the second sensors, that the safety chains are not coupled to the trailer and the vehicle in a crisscrossing manner.

8. The trailer hitch system of claim 1 , wherein the controller receives an ignition signal when an ignition of the vehicle is active.

9. The trailer hitch system of claim 8 , wherein, when the ignition of the vehicle is active, the controller sends a signal to emit the alert via at least one of an infotainment head unit and a mobile device in response to detecting that at least one of the anti-sway chains is decoupled from at least one of the anti-sway bar and the trailer.

10. The trailer hitch system of claim 1 , further including brackets that are configured to:
couple to the trailer; and
receive the anti-sway chains to couple the anti-sway chains to the trailer.

11. The trailer hitch system of claim 1 , wherein the anti-sway chains include a first chain and a second chain.

12. The trailer hitch system of claim 11 , wherein the anti-sway bar includes a first prong and a second prong, the first chain is to couple to the first prong and the second chain is to couple to the second prong.

13. The trailer hitch system of claim 1 , wherein the controller further is to emit the alert responsive to detecting, via the sensors, that the anti-sway chains are coupled between the anti-sway bar and the trailer in a crisscrossing manner.

14. A trailer hitch system, comprising:
a hitch including a hitch ball to receive a trailer;
an anti-sway bar extending from the hitch;
anti-sway chains including a first chain and a second chain to couple the anti-sway bar to the trailer;
sensors including a first sensor to detect whether the first chain is coupled to the anti-sway bar, a second sensor to detect whether the second chain is coupled to the anti-sway bar, a third sensor to detect whether the first chain is coupled to the trailer, and a fourth sensor to detect whether the second chain is coupled to the trailer; and
a controller to emit an alert responsive to detecting, via the sensors, that at least one of the anti-sway chains is decoupled from at least one of the anti-sway bar and the trailer.

15. The trailer hitch system of claim 14 , wherein a portion of the sensors are configured to:
monitor the anti-sway chains when the trailer is coupled to a vehicle; and
not monitor the anti-sway chains when the trailer is decoupled from the vehicle.

16. The trailer hitch system of claim 14 , further including a first electrical circuit that is closed when the first chain is coupled to the anti-sway bar and the trailer and a second electrical circuit that is closed when the second chain is coupled to the anti-sway bar and the trailer.

17. The trailer hitch system of claim 16 , further including a first resistor corresponding with the first sensor and a second resistor corresponding with the second sensor, the first resistor having a first resistance that is different than a second resistance of the second sensor to enable the controller to detect, via the first electrical circuit and the second electrical circuit, whether the anti-sway chains are coupled in a crisscrossing manner.

18. A system, comprising:
a hitch for a trailer;
an anti-sway bar extending from the hitch;
anti-sway chains to couple the anti-sway bar to the trailer;
a hitch sensor configured to detect when the trailer is coupled to the hitch;
anti-sway sensors configured to:
monitor the anti-sway chains in response to the hitch sensor detecting that when the trailer is coupled to the hitch; and
not monitor the anti-sway chains in response to the hitch sensor detecting that when the trailer is decoupled from the hitch; and
a controller to emit an alert responsive to detecting, via the anti-sway sensors, that at least one of the anti-sway chains is decoupled.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Ghannam Mahmoud Yousef
• Tippy David James
• Dudar Aed M

Classifications

• B60D1/06

  Ball-and-socket hitches · CPC title

• B60D1/34

  involving springs · CPC title

• B60D1/167

  consisting of articulated or rigidly assembled bars or tubes forming a V-, Y- or U-shaped draw gear · CPC title

• B60D1/18

  Tow ropes, chains or the like · CPC title

• B60Q9/00

  Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 {, e.g. haptic signalling} · CPC title