US-12623500-B2 - Trailer connector

US12623500B2US 12623500 B2US12623500 B2US 12623500B2US-12623500-B2

Abstract

There is provided a vehicle mounted device ( 1 ) for connecting the electrical circuit of a towing vehicle to the electrical circuit of a towed vehicle. The device includes a body ( 2 ), a towed-side connector, and a towing side connector ( 3 ). The device is configured to receive input signals corresponding to the lights of the towing vehicle and to transmit these signals to the electrical circuits of the towed vehicle. The device includes a protection component to isolate the towing vehicle electrical system. The device may be configured to perform a testing protocol. The testing protocol can include a safety protocol that determines whether a towed vehicle is electrically connected to the device. The testing protocol may also test the functionality of the electrical circuits for the towing and towed vehicles.

Inventors

Richard Arakelian
Shojaeddin Mirfendereski
Hsuan-chi KUO

Assignees

ARK CORPORATION PTY LTD

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20231023
Priority Date: 20190320

Claims (16)

1 . A device for connecting an electrical circuit of a towing vehicle to an electrical circuit of a towed vehicle, the device including: a body; an electrical circuit arrangement located within the body, the electrical circuit arrangement configured to receive power from a power source; a towed-side connector configured to operably connect the electrical circuit arrangement to the electrical circuit of the towed vehicle; a towing-side connector configured to operably connect the electrical circuit arrangement to the electrical circuit of the towing vehicle, wherein the electrical circuit arrangement includes: a processor; a communication module located within the body, the communication module in electrical communication with the processor; and a memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, are configured to perform a testing protocol, wherein the testing protocol includes a safety protocol which continuously monitors whether the towed vehicle is electrically connected to the towing vehicle, and wherein the safety protocol includes the steps of: a) determining if the vehicle is in motion; b) determining whether a towed vehicle is electrically connected; c) sensing an object behind the tow vehicle based on a calibrated profile; and d) communicating a warning if the towed vehicle is not electrically connected.
2 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of steps a) and b) occur continuously and/or in real time.
3 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein step a) includes identifying and filtering out feedback associated with opening doors, closing doors, or people getting into or out of the vehicle.
4 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the communication module is a wireless module or the electrical circuit arrangement is at least partially encased in silicon.
5 . The device according to claim 1 , comprising at least one high current connector for providing power to a high current device.
6 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical circuit arrangement includes a protection component for preventing power flowing back to the power source from the electrical circuit of the towed vehicle.
7 . The device according to claim 6 , wherein the protection component is located between the power source and the towed vehicle.
8 . The device according to claim 6 , wherein the electrical circuit arrangement includes a printed circuit board (PCB) and the protection component is mounted to the PCB.
9 . The device according to claim 1 , comprising a distance sensor for measuring the location of the towed vehicle.
10 . The device according to claim 9 , wherein the distance sensor is hingedly mounted to the body.
11 . A device for connecting an electrical circuit of a towing vehicle to an electrical circuit of a towed vehicle, the device including: a body; an electrical circuit arrangement located within the body, the electrical circuit arrangement configured to receive power from a power source; a towed-side connector configured to operably connect the electrical circuit arrangement to the electrical circuit of the towed vehicle; a towing-side connector configured to operably connect the electrical circuit arrangement to the electrical circuit of the towing vehicle, wherein the electrical circuit arrangement includes: a processor; a communication module located within the body, the communication module in electrical communication with the processor; and a memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, are configured to perform a testing protocol, wherein the testing protocol includes a towed vehicle testing protocol for testing the functionality of the electrical circuit of the towed vehicle, and wherein the towed vehicle testing protocol includes the following steps: a) selecting a light of the towed vehicle; and b) sending a signal to a circuit corresponding to the selected light.
12 . The device according to claim 11 , wherein the towed vehicle testing protocol includes the following steps: c) a user observing whether the selected light illuminates or c) analyzing feedback resulting from step b) to determine whether the light is operational; and d) optionally communicating the result of step c) using the communication module to an external computing device.
13 . A device for connecting an electrical circuit of a towing vehicle to an electrical circuit of a towed vehicle, the device including: a body; an electrical circuit arrangement located within the body, the electrical circuit arrangement configured to receive power from a power source; a towed-side connector configured to operably connect the electrical circuit arrangement to the electrical circuit of the towed vehicle; a towing-side connector configured to operably connect the electrical circuit arrangement to the electrical circuit of the towing vehicle, wherein the electrical circuit arrangement includes: a processor; a communication module located within the body, the communication module in electrical communication with the processor; and a memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, are configured to perform a testing protocol, wherein the testing protocol includes a towing vehicle testing protocol for testing the functionality of the electrical circuit of the towing vehicle with or without the towed vehicle connected, and wherein the towing vehicle testing protocol includes the following steps: a) operating a selected light of the towing vehicle with the vehicle controls; b) detecting if a signal from the towing vehicle corresponding to the operated light is present; and c) optionally communicating the result of step b) via the communication module to an external computing device.
14 . The device according to claim 13 , wherein prior to step a), the towing vehicle testing protocol includes a step of determining an initial condition of each of the towing vehicle light signals.
15 . The device according to claim 14 , wherein step b) includes monitoring the condition of each of the towing vehicle light signals and detecting if a change of condition occurs, and step b) is preferably performed substantially simultaneously with step a).
16 . The device according to claim 15 wherein step c) includes presenting a visual representation of the towing vehicle on an application installed on a smart phone or computer, including optionally providing a visual indicator of any changes of condition that are detected in step b).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS The present application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/586,289, filed on Sep. 27, 2019, that claims priority to Australian Patent Application No. 2019900940, filed Mar. 20, 2019, and Australian Patent Application No. 2019901186, filed Apr. 5, 2019. The disclosures of all the aforementioned patent applications are incorporated herein by reference in their respective entireties, for all purposes. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to devices for electrically connecting to a towed vehicle. The invention has been developed primarily as a towing vehicle mounted connector for a towed vehicle and will be described hereinafter with reference to this application. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this particular field of use. BACKGROUND The following discussion of the prior art is intended to place the invention in an appropriate technical context and enable the associated advantages to be fully understood. However, any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should not be considered as an admission that such art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in the field. When towing a vehicle, the towing-vehicle driver is responsible to ensure that the lights of the trailer are illuminating simultaneously with the corresponding lights of the towing vehicle. These lights would usually include left and right turn indicators, brake lights, tail lights, and reverse lights. The trailer lights are powered and controlled by the towing vehicle through an electrical connector. There exist trailer connectors or adaptors including LED lights that provide an indication of whether the cable connection between a tow vehicle and trailer is functional. Such devices necessarily require two people to use: a driver to operate the vehicle controls, such as the turn indicators and brakes; with an observer to check the status of the lights on the adaptor. In addition, these devices are unable to test the functionality of the trailer wiring or lights and cannot provide an indication of the location of any fault that occurs. Another existing device utilises a battery-powered switch box which is connected via a cable to a stationary trailer. Each trailer light is switched on via the switch box and its operation checked manually. One such device is represented in Australian Patent number 2010224443 which describes a hand-held light test device for testing trailer lights. In use, the battery-powered device is connected to the electric circuit of the trailer lights and the lights to be tested are selected by, for example, rotating a knob on the test device which activates the relevant light circuit. The selected lights are illuminated using current provided by the battery of the device if both the selected lights and the corresponding electric circuit are functional. This device also includes a selectable setting for testing the circuits of the lights of a towing vehicle in a similar manner. Advantageously, the operation of the lights can be visually inspected by a single person while holding and operating the test device. This device does not require the trailer to be connected to a vehicle for testing. However, such devices are relatively expensive, and require the batteries to be replaced at frequent intervals. Also, the device must be disconnected from the trailer when the trailer is being towed. Accordingly, if there is a possibility that the lights of a trailer will be tested at an alternative location, the device must necessarily be transported to that location in the tow vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 9,501,877 describes an intelligent towing plug system for performing trailer electrical system testing, diagnostic, and monitoring routines, and towing vehicle wiring testing. The system utilises wireless technology housed inside a towing adaptor plug or an attached towing plug compartment housing to interface with a smart phone or computer system on-board the towing vehicle. The intelligent towing plug applies power to the circuit of each trailer light and measures the current flowing through the circuit to detect a fault automatically. The user is not able to select when testing occurs, rather testing is always on. The plug is not isolated from the tow vehicle electrical system, resulting in a risk of damage to the vehicle. This is a relatively high cost system. It is an object of the present invention in at least a preferred embodiment to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a device for testing an electrical circuit of a towed vehicle; the device including: a body;an electrical circuit arrangement located within the body, the electrical circuit arrangement configured to receive power from a power source; anda towed-side connector config