Systems and methods for magnetoelastic hitch receiver force detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10899183-B2
Application number	US-202016790597-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2020
Priority date	Nov 16, 2017
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

Systems and methods for magnetoelastic hitch receiver force detection are disclosed. An example vehicle includes a chassis, a trailer hitch receiver configured to receive a trailer hitch arm along an axis, a first pin having a first magnetic field, the first pin disposed above and perpendicular to the axis, a second pin, the first pin and the second pin coupling the trailer hitch receiver to the chassis and a first sensor configured to detect changes in the first magnetic field.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a chassis;
a trailer hitch receiver configured to receive a trailer hitch arm along an axis;
a first pin having a first magnetic field, the first pin disposed above and perpendicular to the axis;
a second pin, the first pin and the second pin coupling the trailer hitch receiver to the chassis; and
a first sensor configured to detect changes in the first magnetic field.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , further including a processor configured to determine a magnitude and a direction of a force acting on the trailer hitch receiver based an output of the first sensor.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the force is at least one of a vertical force, a lateral force, a longitudinal force, or a rotational force acting on the trailer hitch receiver.

4. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the first pin and the second pin are configured to flex based on the magnitude and the direction of the force acting on the trailer hitch receiver.

5. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to estimate a mass of a trailer coupled to the trailer hitch receiver based on the magnitude of the force.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the second pin has a second magnetic field and further including a second sensor to detect changes in the second magnetic field.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first pin and the second pin are centered about the axis.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first pin is disposed within a circular opening and the second pin is disposed within an oblong opening.

9. An apparatus comprising:
a receiver configured to receive a trailer hitch arm along an axis;
a first pin having a first magnetic field, the first pin disposed above and perpendicular to the axis;
a second pin, the first pin and the second pin coupling the receiver to a vehicle; and

a first sensor configured to detect changes in the first magnetic field.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , further including:
a first opening, the first pin coupled within the first opening; and
a second opening, the second pin coupled with the second opening.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first opening has a circular cross-section and the second opening has an ovoid cross-section.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the second opening is longer along the axis than the first opening.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the second opening is shaped to enable the second pin to slide along the axis.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the second pin has a second magnetic field and further including a second sensor configured to detect changes in the second magnetic field.

15. An apparatus comprising:
a receiver configured to receive a trailer hitch arm along an axis;
a first pin having a first magnetic field;
a second pin, the first pin and the second pin coupling the receiver to a vehicle, the first pin and the second pin disposed above and perpendicular to the axis; and

a first sensor configured to detect changes in the first magnetic field.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , further including:
a first opening, the first pin coupled within the first opening; and
a second opening, the second pin coupled with the second opening.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first opening has a circular cross-section and the second opening has an ovoid cross-section.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the second opening is longer along the axis than the first opening.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the second opening is shaped to enable the second pin to slide along the axis.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the second pin has a second magnetic field and further including a second sensor configured to detect changes in the second magnetic field.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc
• Methode Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Niedert Andrew
• Patel Rinku
• Rogness Anton
• Pearson Elliott
• Reed Chad
• Giessibl Johannes

Classifications

• B60D1/248 Primary

  for measuring, indicating or displaying the weight · CPC title

• G01L5/136

  Force sensors associated with a vehicle traction coupling (vehicle connections B60D; control of vehicle brakes B60T) · CPC title

• G01L1/125

  by using magnetostrictive means (magnetostrictive sensors H10N35/101) · CPC title

• B60D1/06

  Ball-and-socket hitches · CPC title

• B60D1/485

  mounted by means of transversal members attached to the frame of a vehicle · CPC title