Powered trailer systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12338672-B2
Application number	US-202217853729-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2022
Priority date	Jul 2, 2021
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed generally to powered trailer systems and, more particularly, to powered trailer systems for opening and closing trailer doors at, e.g., a vehicle loading dock, and to vehicle and/or trailer power delivery and charging systems. A powered trailer door operating system can include a guide track having a lower guide track portion and an upper guide track portion; a drive support coupled to the upper guide track portion having a drive shaft positioned within a central cavity; and a carriage slidingly coupled to the drive support and operably coupled to the trailer door. The carriage can be operably engaged with the drive shaft through the slot such that rotation of the drive shaft causes the carriage to translate along the drive support, thereby moving the trailer door between the open and closed positions.

First claim

We claim:

1. A powered trailer door operating system for use with a trailer door of a trailer, comprising:
a guide track having a lower guide track portion configured to position the trailer door at a closed position and an upper guide track portion configured to position the trailer door at an open position;
a drive support coupled to the upper guide track portion, the drive support having a central cavity and a slot extending through the drive support into the central cavity, the slot positioned longitudinally along at least a portion of the drive support;
a drive shaft positioned within the central cavity;
a carriage slidingly coupled to the drive support and operably coupled to the trailer door, wherein the carriage is operably engaged with the drive shaft through the slot;
a motor operably coupled to the drive shaft;
a first trailer contact feature positioned on a first portion of an exterior surface of the trailer and operably connected to the motor; and
a second trailer contact feature positioned on a second portion of the exterior surface of the trailer, wherein the first and second portions are spaced apart from each other and positioned on an aft portion of the trailer, wherein the first trailer contact feature is configured to automatically contact and electrically couple to a first station contact feature as the trailer backs up to a loading dock and the second trailer contact feature is configured to contact a second station contact feature, whereby the first and second trailer contact features collectively receive electrical power to drive the motor from an external power source via contact with the first and second station contact features, and whereby the motor rotates the drive shaft to cause the carriage to translate along the drive support, thereby moving the trailer door between the closed position and the open position.

2. The powered trailer door operating system of claim 1 , wherein the drive shaft comprises helical screw-type threads, and wherein the carriage further comprises an engagement member having teeth configured to operably engage the helical screw-type threads.

3. The powered trailer door operating system of claim 1 , further comprising a door arm pivotably coupled between the carriage and the trailer door.

4. The powered trailer door operating system of claim 1
wherein the drive support includes a semi-circular wall portion at least partially surrounding the central cavity, and wherein the carriage has an engagement portion configured to slidingly contact the semi-circular wall portion of the drive support.

5. The powered trailer door operating system of claim 1 , wherein the motor is an in-line motor.

6. The powered trailer door operating system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller for controlling the motor, wherein the controller is configured to receive a signal from:
an operator via a user interface on a tractor and/or a trailer,
a loading dock control system,
a loading dock operator via a user interface at a loading dock, or
an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV), and
wherein the controller is further configured to execute computer readable instructions that cause the motor to rotate the drive shaft to move the trailer door between the closed and open positions in response to the signal.

7. The powered trailer door operating system of claim 1 , wherein the first trailer contact feature has a positive polarity, wherein the second trailer contact feature has a negative polarity, wherein the first station contact feature has a positive polarity, and wherein the second station contact feature has a negative polarity.

8. The powered trailer door operating system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second station contact features include flexible portions configured to maintain contact with the first and second trailer contact features when the trailer is positioned proximate the loading dock and/or when the trailer is laterally misaligned with the loading dock.

9. The powered trailer door operating system of claim 1 , wherein the trailer further comprises a grounding contact feature configured to contact a grounding member.

10. The powered trailer door operating system of claim 1 , further comprising the trailer, wherein the guide track, the drive support, the drive shaft, the carriage, the trailer contact feature, and the motor are carried by the trailer.

11. The powered trailer door operating system of claim 1 wherein the first station contact feature is positioned at the loading dock.

12. The powered trailer door operating system of claim 1 wherein the first trailer contact feature and the first station contact feature each comprise a patch.

13. The powered trailer door operating system of claim 1 wherein the first trailer contact feature is positioned on a first side wall of the trailer and the second trailer contact feature is positioned on a second side wall of the trailer, opposite the first side wall.

14. The powered trailer door operating system of claim 1 wherein the first and second station contact features are mounted to a portion of the loading dock, and wherein the first and second trailer contact features collectively receive the electrical power from the first and second station contact features when the trailer is parked at the loading dock.

15. The powered trailer door operating system of claim 14 wherein the first and second station contact features are mounted to a face of the loading dock on opposite sides of a loading dock door.

Assignees

• Assa Abloy Entrance Systems Ab

Inventors

• Hoofard Richard K
• Whitley L Blake
• Day Daryl

Classifications

• E05Y2900/532

  Back doors or end doors · CPC title

• E05Y2900/516

  for trucks or trailers · CPC title

• E05C9/043

  with crank pins and connecting rods · CPC title

• E05B83/42

  for large commercial vehicles, e.g. trucks, construction vehicles or vehicles for mass transport · CPC title

• Y02T10/7072

  Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors · CPC title