Methods and apparatus for a single pin load sensor coupled to a hitch receiver

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11548334-B2
Application number	US-201916379463-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2019
Priority date	Jun 19, 2018
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to facilitate a single pin load sensor coupled to a hitch receiver, the sensor to measure one or more loads on the hitch receiver. An example apparatus includes a load sensing pin coupled to a hitch receiver of a vehicle, the load sensing pin disposed in a cavity of a crossbar that is to couple the hitch receiver to the vehicle, wherein the load sensing pin is to measure a load transferred from the hitch receiver to the crossbar.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a load sensing pin coupled to a hitch receiver of a vehicle, the load sensing pin disposed in a cavity of a crossbar that is to couple the hitch receiver to the vehicle, wherein the load sensing pin is to measure a load transferred from the hitch receiver to the crossbar, the crossbar extending laterally at a rear of the vehicle to couple the hitch receiver to the vehicle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the load sensing pin measures the load applied to the hitch receiver in each of three orthogonal directions in relation to the vehicle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the load sensing pin is electronically configured to measure a torque loading on the hitch receiver.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the load sensing pin is coupled to the crossbar by at least one of a spline, a keyway, or a press fit to prevent rotation between the load sensing pin and the crossbar.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the load sensing pin is a magnetoelastic force sensor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the load sensing pin includes at least one of a strain gauge or a load cell.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the load sensing pin further measures a torque on the hitch receiver.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further including a camera to determine a distance between the hitch receiver and a trailer hitch ball, the load measured by the load sensing pin applied at the trailer hitch ball.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , further including a hitch pin load manager to correct the load measured by the load sensing pin based on the distance between the hitch receiver and the trailer hitch ball and the measured torque.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a hitch pin load manager to determine whether the vehicle is stationary or moving.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein, when the hitch pin load manager determines that the vehicle is moving, the hitch pin load manager subtracts a previous horizontal load from a current horizontal load to calculate a dynamic horizontal load exerted on the crossbar.

12. An apparatus, comprising:
a rear facing camera of a vehicle;
a load sensing pin to measure a first load transferred from a hitch receiver to a crossbar of the vehicle; and
a hitch pin load manager to calculate a second measured load based on the first measured load and position data of the hitch receiver determined by the rear facing camera when the first measured load is saturated.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the position data determined by the rear facing camera of the vehicle includes a hitch mount length or a hitch mount drop.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the hitch pin load manager calculates the second measured load based on the hitch mount length or the hitch mount drop and a torque measured at the crossbar by the load sensing pin.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein, when the first measured load is not saturated, the hitch pin load manager is to determine a vertical load and a horizontal load measured at the crossbar.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the hitch pin load manager is further to output the vertical load and the horizontal load to a display for display to a driver.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Niedert Andrew
• Rogness Anton
• Pearson Elliott
• Rajasingh Joshua
• Lazarevski Peter Simeon

Classifications

• G01L1/12

  by measuring variations in the magnetic properties of materials resulting from the application of stress · CPC title

• G01L5/16 Primary

  for measuring several components of force · CPC title

• B60D1/248

  for measuring, indicating or displaying the weight · CPC title

• B60D1/62 Primary

  involving supply lines, electric circuits or the like · CPC title

• B60D1/065

  characterised by the hitch mechanism · CPC title