Trailer steering apparatus and method.
Abstract
Apparatus and methods are provided for eliminating the transient sway of a towed vehicle imparted on the towed vehicle during a tow operation by decoupling the towed towed vehicles and rotatably towed together. In one embodiment this is achieved through the use of a doubly hinged tow bar and to steer the towed vehicle based on the relative angular deflections of the two vehicles while the transient rotations of the towing vehicle are subtracted.

Term
8.3 yearsleft in the term
Expires 28 January 2035.
- Priority
- Filed
- Granted
- Today
- Expires
24 claims: 3 independent, 21 dependent
- 1REIVINDICACIONES 1. Un método para dirigir un vehículo remolcado, en donde un vehículo de remolcar tiene un eje central que se extiende por la longitud del vehículo de remolcar y al menos un eje frontal y eje posterior, y el vehículo remolcado tiene un eje central que se extiende por la longitud del vehículo remolcado y al menos un eje frontal con ruedas dirigibles y un eje posterior, un primer punto de gancho se asegura al vehículo de remolcar en una posición en el eje central del vehículo de remolcar y hacia atrás del eje posterior del vehículo de remolcar, y un segundo punto de gancho se asegura al vehículo remolcado en una posición en el eje central del vehículo remolcado y hacia delante del eje frontal del vehículo remolcado, el método caracterizado porque comprende:a. proporcionar una barra de remolcar que tiene un primer extremo y un segundo extremo;b. conectar el primer extremo de la barra de remolcar al primer punto de enganche, en donde el primer extremo de la barra de remolcar pivota de manera horizontal y vertical con respecto al primer punto de enganche;c. conectar el segundo extremo de la barra de remolcar al segundo punto de enganche, en donde el segundo extremo de la barra de remolcar pivota de manera horizontal y vertical con respecto al segundo punto de enganche;d. asociar un codificador con el primer extremo de la barra de remolcar y usar el codificador para medir un primer ángulo entre el eje central del vehículo de remolcar y una línea que interconecta el primer y segundo puntos de enganche;e. asociar un codificador con el segundo extremo de la barra de remolcar y usar el codificador para medir un segundo ángulo entre el eje central del vehículo remolcado y la línea que interconecta el primer y segundo puntos de enganche;y f. ingresar datos a un servomecanismo para dirigir al menos las ruedas dirigibles asociadas con el eje frontal del vehículo remolcado en un tercer ángulo.
- 2El método de conformidad con la reivindicación 1, caracterizado porque el vehículo de remolcar se monta en una carretilla en donde la etapa de ingresar datos para dirigir al menos las ruedas dirigibles asociadas con el eje frontal del vehículo remolcado además . comprende dirigir las ruedas dirigibles asociadas con la carretilla.
- 3El método de conformidad con la reivindicación 1, caracterizado porque la etapa de ingresar datos para dirigir al menos las ruedas dirigibles asociadas con el eje frontal del vehículo remolcado además comprende ingresar datos relacionados con la desviación lateral de la barra de remolcar con respecto al eje central del vehículo de remolcar en el primer punto de pivote e ingresar datos relacionados con la desviación lateral de la barra de remolcar con respecto al eje central del vehículo remolcado en el segundo punto de pivote.
- 4El método de conformidad con la reivindicación 1, caracterizado porque la etapa de ingresar datos al servomecanismo para dirigir al menos las ruedas dirigibles asociadas con el eje frontal del vehículo remolcado en un tercer ángulo además comprende dirigir las ruedas dirigibles asociadas con el eje frontal del vehículo remolcado de manera proporcional al ángulo entre la línea central del vehículo remolcado y un vector de referencia que se origina en el segundo extremo de la barra de remolcar y apunta al centro de rotación del vehículo de remolcar.
- 5El método de conformidad con la reivindicación 4, caracterizado porque el centro de rotación del vehículo de remolcar se ubica en la intersección de la línea central del vehículo de remolcar y el eje posterior del vehículo de remolcar.
- 6El método de conformidad con la reivindicación 1, caracterizado porque el tercer ángulo se extiende desde cero a 90 grados.
- 7El método de conformidad con la reivindicación 1, caracterizado además porque comprende cambiar la longitud de la barra de remolcar.
- 8El método de conformidad con la reivindicación 1, caracterizado porque la etapa de dirigir al menos las ruedas dirigibles asociadas con los ejes frontales del vehículo remolcado en un tercer ángulo comprende dirigir en función de medir las deflexiones angulares laterales de la barra de remolcar tanto en su primera como en su segunda conexiones de extremo a los vehículos de remolcar y remolcado respectivos.
- 9El método de conformidad con la reivindicación 4, caracterizado porque la etapa de ingresar datos además comprende aplicar un primer factor que establece la magnitud angular del vector de referencia.
- 10El método de conformidad con la reivindicación 9, caracterizado porque la etapa de ingresar datos además comprende aplicar un segundo factor que desplaza la trayectoria circular del vehículo remolcado con respecto a aquélla del vehículo de remolcar.
- 11El método de conformidad con la reivindicación 10, caracterizado porque la etapa de ingresar datos además comprende aplicar un tercer factor para permitir que se ubique el segundo punto de pivote de la barra de remolcar una distancia corta hacia delante o hacia atrás del centro del eje efectivo de eje de ruedas frontales dirigidas del vehículo remolcado.
- 12Un método para dirigir un vehículo remolcado, caracterizado porque comprende:a. proporcionar un vehículo de remolcar con un eje central que extiende la longitud del vehículo de remolcar, un eje frontal con al menos una rueda dirigible colocada en cada extremo del eje frontal, un eje posterior con al menos una rueda no dirigible colocada en cada extremo del eje posterior;b. proporcionar un vehículo remolcado con un eje central que extiende la longitud del vehículo remolcado y al menos dos ejes separados hacia delante y hacia atrás a lo largo del eje central del vehículo remolcado con al menos un eje que tiene ruedas separadas de manera lateral y al menos el eje ubicado hacia delante que tiene rueda o ruedas dirigibles;c. proporcionar una barra de remolcar que tiene un primer extremo y un segundo extremo;d. interconectar el primer extremo de la barra de remolcar a un primer punto de enganche asegurado al vehículo de remolcar y en donde el primer extremo de la barra de remolcar pivota de manera horizontal con respecto al eje central del vehículo de remolcar;e. interconectar el segundo extremo de la barra de remolcar a un segundo punto de enganche asegurado al vehículo remolcado y en donde el segundo extremo de la barra de remolcar pivota de manera horizontal con respecto al eje central del vehículo de remolcar;f. medir un primer ángulo entre el eje central del vehículo de remolcar y una línea que interconecta el primer y segundo puntos de enganche;g. medir un segundo ángulo entre el eje central del vehículo remolcado y la línea que interconecta el primer y segundo puntos de enganche;h. ingresar datos a un servomecanismo para dirigir la rueda o ruedas dirigibles en el eje ubicado hacia delante en el vehículo remolcado.
- 13El método de conformidad con la reivindicación 12, caracterizado porque el eje ubicado hacia atrás en el vehículo remolcado tiene una rueda o ruedas dirigibles, que además comprende ingresar datos a un servomecanismo para dirigir la rueda o ruedas dirigibles en el eje ubicado hacia atrás del vehículo remolcado.
- 14El método de conformidad con la reivindicación 12, caracterizado porque se usa un primer codificador para medir el primer ángulo y se usa un segundo codificador para medir el segundo ángulo.
- 15El método de conformidad con la reivindicación 12, caracterizado porque la etapa de ingresar datos comprende ingresar datos relacionados con la desviación lateral de la barra de remolcar con respecto al eje central del vehículo de remolcar en el primer punto de pivote.
- 16El método de conformidad con la reivindicación 12, caracterizado porque la etapa de ingresar datos comprende ingresar datos relacionados con la desviación lateral de la barra de remolcar con respecto al eje central del vehículo remolcado en el segundo punto de pivote.
- 17El método de conformidad con la reivindicación 12, caracterizado porque además comprende dirigir la rueda o ruedas dirigibles en el eje ubicado hacia delante en el vehículo remolcado en un tercer ángulo.
- 18El método de conformidad con la reivindicación 17, caracterizado porque el tercer ángulo se encuentra entre cero y 90 grados.
- 19El método de conformidad con la reivindicación 12, caracterizado porque proporcionar el primer punto de enganche en una posición próxima al eje central del vehículo de remolcar y hacia atrás del eje posterior del vehículo de remolcar, y proporcionar el segundo punto de enganche en una posición próxima al eje central del vehículo remolcado y próxima o hacia delante del eje frontal del vehículo remolcado.
- 20Un método para dirigir un vehículo remolcado que se jala por un vehículo de remolcar, en donde el vehículo de remolcar tiene un eje central que se extiende por la longitud del vehículo de remolcar,, un eje frontal con al menos una rueda dirigible ubicada en cada extremo del eje frontal, un eje posterior con al menos una rueda no dirigible ubicada en cada extremo del eje posterior, y en donde el vehículo remolcado tiene un eje central que se extiende por la longitud del vehículo remolcado y al menos dos eje separados hacia delante y hacia atrás a lo largo del eje central del vehículo remolcado desde una base de rueda sustancialmente estable hacia delante y hacia atrás y que tiene al menos un eje con ruedas separadas de manera lateral para proporcionar estabilidad lateral vertical y al menos el eje ubicado hacia delante con una rueda o ruedas dirigibles, el método caracterizado porque comprende:a. proporcionar una barra de remolcar que tiene un primer extremo y un segundo extremo;b. interconectar el primer extremo de la barra de remolcar a un primer punto de enganche asegurado al vehículo remolcado en una posición próxima al eje central del vehículo de remolcar y hacia atrás del eje posterior del vehículo de remolcar, y en donde el primer extremo de la barra de remolcar pivota de manera horizontal con respecto al eje central del vehículo de remolcar;c. interconectar el segundo extremo de la barra de remolcar a un segundo punto de enganche asegurado al vehículo de remolcar en una posición próxima al eje central del vehículo remolcado y próxima o hacia delante del eje frontal del vehículo remolcado, y en donde el segundo extremo de la barra de remolcar pivota de manera horizontal con respecto al eje central del vehículo de remolcar;d. determinar un primer factor asociado con la oscilación en el vehículo de remolcar;e. determinar un segundo factor asociado con desplazar la trayectoria del vehículo remolcado;f. determinar un tercer factor asociado con la ubicación del segundo punto de enganche con respecto a al menos un eje que tiene una rueda o ruedas dirigibles;g. medir un primer ángulo entre el eje central del vehículo de remolcar y una línea que interconecta el primer y segundo puntos de enganche;h. medir un segundo ángulo entre el eje central del vehículo remolcado y la línea que interconecta el primer y segundo puntos de enganche;i. ingresar datos en un servomecanismo para dirigir la rueda o ruedas dirigibles en el eje ubicado hacia delante en el vehículo remolcado para seguir un radio de giro de acuerdo con la siguiente ecuación: el primer factor x el tercer factor x (el segundo ángulo + (el segundo factor x el primer factor)).
- 21El bastidor de conformidad con la reivindicación 20, caracterizado porque la longitud de la barra de remolcar es ajustable.
- 22El método de conformidad con la reivindicación 20, caracterizado porque se usa un primer codificador para medir el primer ángulo y se usa un segundo codificador para medir el segundo ángulo.
- 23El método de conformidad con la reivindicación 20, caracterizado porque el primer factor es el resultado de 1a/(a + c) , en donde a es la distancia entre el eje posterior del vehículo de remolcar y el primer punto de enganche, y c es la distancia entre el eje posterior del vehículo remolcado y el segundo punto de enganche.
- 24El método de conformidad con la reivindicación 20, caracterizado porque el segundo factor es el resultado de a/(a + b) , en donde a es la distancia entre el eje posterior del vehículo de remolcar y el primer punto de enganche, y b es 5 la distancia entre el primer y segundo puntos de enganche.
Independent claims24
93 paragraphs in 2 sections, as filed
(54) Title: TRAILER STEERING APPARATUS AND METHOD.
(54) Title: TRAILER STEERING APPARATUS AND METHOD.
(57) Summary
Apparatus and methods are provided for eliminating the transient sway of a towed vehicle, imparted on the towed vehicle during a towing operation by rotationally uncoupling the towed and towed vehicles from each other. In one embodiment, this is accomplished through the use of a doubly articulated tow bar and to steer the towed vehicle based on the relative angular deflections of the two vehicles while subtracting transient rotations of the tow vehicle.
(57) Abstract
Apparatus and methods are provided to eliminate transient swaying of a towed vehicle imparted upon the towed vehicle during a towing operation by decoupling the towing and towed vehicles rotationally from each other. In one embodiment this is accomplished through the use of a doubly hinged tow bar and to steer the towed vehicle based upon the relative angular deflections of the two vehicles while subtracting out transient rotations of the towing vehicle.
TOWING STEERING APPARATUS AND METHOD DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
This invention provides a means for hitching a trailer, or towed vehicle, to the rear of a typical towing vehicle with stability equal to or greater than a typical fifth wheel type connection. The invention also incorporates a means for moving the path of the towed vehicle to a radius greater than that of a typical fifth wheel trailer, so that the towed vehicle runs more in line with the tow vehicle.
For convenience, trailers are typically hooked onto the back of a towing vehicle. However, that connection point is subjected to significant and essentially instantaneous changes in the direction and magnitude of the local speed vector as the tow vehicle is directed to a new path radius. The sudden change in direction of the hitch point, whether it is lean or roll or both, is important since it is out of sync with the actual direction changes of the tow vehicle. The result is a transitional phase in which the towed vehicle first changes in the opposite direction from the tow vehicle and then must change its direction at least two more times to merge with the new tow vehicle path. In this way, the towed vehicle goes through a zigzag motion to move out of the way and align itself with a new towing path. Dynamically, the adjustment can take multiple cycles and easily lead to the development of a sharp turn or rocking motion, which, in turn, can lead to loss of control and / or an accident.
Historically, motor vehicle trailers grew out of procedures used for animal-drawn carts which were obviously influenced by the need to reduce or virtually eliminate the discharge on draft animals. In this way, the typical heavily loaded wagon utilized an axle at its front and rear, with the front axle driven by tracking the animal's path.
That arrangement worked well for early versions of motorized vehicles and was in common use during the 1940s and was effective for light motorized vehicles of that time. However, the steering on those trailers was not implemented very well and they typically tended to sway even at slow city speeds and were not used for highway type travel; and they were soon removed. Short trolley hooks for a rear bumper connection were also an attempt as a means of relieving the dump on those early cars. However, they were pretty much a disaster and were immediately discontinued due to the truck's short wheelbase being very sensitive to the zigzag movement of the rear mounted hook. .
The popular equalizer hook moves the trailer discharge forward by applying a spring loaded moment to the tow vehicle. Thus, by releasing the destabilizing load on the front axle of the towing vehicle, it tends to preserve the orientation of the towing vehicle to the extent that an experienced driver can tolerate a properly balanced towed trailer.
Hitch manufacturers have attempted to reduce the effects of the swaying motion of rear-mounted hitched trailers with various energy absorbing devices in connection with the towing vehicle. However, the zigzag path of the rear-mounted hook is not eliminated by a one-point hinged rear connection of the rear axle of the towing vehicle and with a friction energy absorbing device it is difficult to extract sufficient energy without impairing the maneuverability of the vehicles.
United States Patent No. 4,106,794 (the '794 Patent), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, is an attempt to control pitch and roll. In one embodiment, a multi-bar linkage towing system connected to the rear of a towing vehicle after the rear axle is designed to emulate a fifth wheel attachment. The linkage system is designed for use with non-specialized towing vehicles, such as passenger cars, where a traditional fifth wheel system cannot be implemented. The linkage system comprises multiple tow bars positioned vertically and laterally to each other which, due to their orientation, create a virtual pivot point in the center of the rear axle of the tow vehicle.
This linkage shifts the towing loads applied to the rear bumper of the tow vehicle mechanically forward to its rear axle, without the use of spring bars as used in today's popular equalizer hooks, and thus does not rely on preloaded springs or its deviation, only of the applied load. Furthermore, the mechanism of the '794 patent shifts the trailer side loads laterally forward in the same manner and this also significantly stabilizes the combination of the tow and tow vehicle. The '794 patent mechanism simulates fifth wheel towing, moves both vertical and lateral loads forward with its mechanical linkage, and achieves these benefits without the use of adjustable springs. The difficulty with this mechanism is that it essentially simulates a fifth wheel hook that implements the benefits of fifth wheel towing but with some of the undesirable fifth wheel disadvantages such as shortening the road in tight corners. One of the negative characteristics of today's typical fifth wheel hitch towed vehicles is that the towed vehicle turns in a much tighter radius than the tow vehicle due to the typical location of the towed vehicle relative to the rear axle of the vehicle. towing. In this way, the typical fifth wheel towed vehicle significantly shortens hairpin turns typical of city intersections.
A cornering reduction solution now provided by some fifth wheel hitch systems is to move the fifth wheel hitch point back for city driving and then forward again for higher speed freeways. The significance of this is that you swap out the stable fifth wheel connection location for less stability and greater corner clearance where typical speed is much slower. This is quite acceptable considering that safe city turn speeds for these types of tow vehicles are much slower than even normal city traffic. However, here it is important to consider that typical speeds for city driving in many cases are in the range of 48 to 80 kilometers (30 to 50 miles) per hour where lateral stability must be provided. Thus the change of location should essentially be done at each corner or at least move back to its stable position as expected speeds increase.
Another example of efforts to emulate a fifth wheel type trailer connection is described in US Patent Nos. 7,497,457, 7,823,902 and 8,042,825. The towing system described in these patents is designed for use with gooseneck type trailers using fifth wheel type attachments. The system includes an accessory towing apparatus, which connects to the towing vehicle and effectively extends the wheelbase of the towing vehicle for purposes of improving stability and control. The accessory towing apparatus comprises a chassis with two wheels and two linkage arms extending forward from the accessory towing apparatus to be coupled to the towing vehicle. The axle assembly is made up of ground coupling wheels that have either a fixed alignment or a dynamically induced alignment. In this way, these are essentially lead-angle mounted wheels, which can in one case be locked in alignment or in a second case be released to rotate dynamically. The first case is proposed for use at high speeds with the fixed wheels and allows only a slight rotational movement. In this way, the towing vehicle is restricted in its lateral movement and this presumably stabilizes the combination of towing and towed vehicle. At slow speeds, the axle assembly allows the wheels to pivot up to 31 degrees, thereby allowing the vehicle's wheels to steer and be maneuverable. The concept is to lock the caster wheels for stability and unlock them to allow the tow vehicle to steer.
The problem foreseen with such a procedure is that a steerable wheel steers itself dynamically because it has no lateral resistance to rotation and thus runs dynamically in the direction in which it is pushed. In this way, a freely oriented wheel cannot provide any lateral support to improve lateral stability. When these support wheels are unlocked, to rotate even a little, there is no lateral stability for the extended hook position and the tow vehicle becomes very unstable, much more so than if the hook were on the rear bumper. Furthermore, any attempt to maneuver with the rotary connections locked will be compounded by the requirement that literally maneuvering through the locked case of one or more of the three axes in the ground will have to literally slide. The result is that the handling and stability of the vehicles so coupled at any given time will depend on which axles are sliding and to what degree. In this way, both the locking and unlocking cassis will present stability and handling risks.
A primary objective of the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a hook connection that isolates transient steering caused by rotational oscillations of the tow vehicle from imposing and causing a rocking motion of the towed vehicle. And where possible, improve the corner clearance typical of city intersections and parking maneuverability. The embodiments of the present invention considerably reduce, if not eliminate, the imposition of transient zigzag motion, for example, side roll, on a towed vehicle by rotationally uncoupling the tow and tow vehicles from each other and by directing the front axle wheels of the towed vehicle as a function of the lateral deflections at both of these pivot points.
The embodiments of the present invention, described herein, utilize a method to simulate fifth-wheel-type stability with the addition that the trajectory of the towed vehicle is shifted to more precisely and correctly align with the line of the towed vehicle. so the towed vehicle will not shorten the corner to the same extent as typical fifth wheel hook systems, which is an improvement over the modalities described in the '794 patent. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention are similar to a fifth wheel in that the towed vehicle can also swerve laterally up to 90 degrees for maneuvering around tight corners and parking lots. Thus, the embodiments of the present invention have a significant improvement over the '794 patent in that they have similar stability but substantially improved maneuverability.
A preferred method is to provide a second lateral pivot point on the towed vehicle, which is in addition to the present lateral pivot at the typical hitch point for a typical fifth wheel trailer or trailer hitched to the rear of the towing vehicle. . That is, to use a tow bar pivoted both at the end of the tow vehicle and at the end of the towed vehicle so that each vehicle can rotate laterally independently of such a tow bar. In this way, the lateral oscillations of each vehicle will be essentially isolated from each other.
The modalities of the present invention are based on the understanding of stabilizing a towed vehicle connected to the back of a tow vehicle, the towed vehicle must be disconnected or isolated from the transient lateral angular movements that a tow vehicle uses to change the Your path radius particularly when the towing vehicle makes typical lane changes at highway speeds.
The stability requirement is preferably achieved without extending the effective wheelbase of the towed vehicle. Thus, the preferred embodiment provides a simple way of translating the stable fifth wheel path to a new position created at the pivot connection point of the rear tow bar to the towed vehicle. In this way, the towed vehicle effectively runs like a fifth wheel trailer with its corresponding original wheelbase hooked at this new stable point at the rear of the tow bar.
Another improvement provided by the embodiments of the present invention is that the front of the towed trailer is supported by wheels and that these are directed directly by a mechanism by equations 1 to 4. In this way, the stability of the towed trailer is always equal to that. of a similar fifth wheel trailer connected in the normal way. And, there are no periods of towing instability and the tow vehicle is always fully maneuverable.
In one embodiment, the steering process is changed so that the wheels of the towed vehicle are steered not only by the angle that the tow bar makes with the towed vehicle, but also the angular deviation of the tow vehicle from the tow bar. Towing is determined to subtract transient rotations or instability of the towing vehicle. More specifically, in a preferred embodiment, the arrangement is: i) to use a towing bar that is literally free to pivot both in its forward connection with the towing vehicle and in its rearward connection with the towed vehicle; and ii) steer the wheels of the towed vehicle proportionally to the sum of (oi) the lateral angular deviation at the rear connection of the tow bar (for example, the angle phi φ in Figure 1) and (b) the product of a factor (Kb) by the forward lateral angular deviation of the tow bar (angle theta Θ in Figure 1). See Eq. 1 for Kb.
Furthermore, this arrangement includes a factor, Ka (see Eq. 2), to shift the path of the towed vehicle to a greater radius to place it more in line with the path of the towing vehicle and a third factor, Kc (see Eq. 3 ), to correct in the case when it is desirable to locate the towing bar rear pivot a distance forward of the steered axle of the towed vehicle.
Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the direction of the towed vehicle takes the form of the following Equations 1 to 4 and Stages 1 to 3. Its physical arrangement is shown in Figure 1.
• Eq. 1 Kb = a / (a + b); This addresses the oscillation of the tow vehicle.
• Eq. 2 Ka = 1-a / (a + c); This compensates for the path of the towed vehicle.
· Eq. 3 Kc = (c - c) / c; this compensates for a forward location of the towed hook point.
• Eq. 4 Alpha = -Ka * Kc * x- (phi + (Kb * theta)); this provides a steering angle for the steered wheels of the towed vehicle.
Stage 1. Setup: Determine the Ka, Kb, and Kc factors based on the actual geometry of the specific vehicles and tow accessories. As should be appreciated, the values of the K factors can vary depending on the implementation of particular accessories of a steering system. However, the basic functions of the K factors are: to define the location of the towing vehicle's local center of rotation (Kb); transpose that stability to a convenient location behind the tow vehicle (Ka); and have the effective wheelbase of the towed vehicle (Kc).
Stage 2. Operational: Constantly measure the angles theta Θ) and phi (φ); that is, the angles of the tow bar relative to the tow vehicle, and the angle of the tow bar relative to the towed vehicle, respectively.
Stage 3. Operational: Determine and establish the instantaneous steering angle alpha (a) of the towed vehicle by Eq. 4.
The following definitions apply with respect to the equations and stages listed above, and are illustrated in Figure 2.
• Distances or Dimensions of Length (D):
Da = distance of the rear overhang of the tow vehicle from the RMin-Point to the tow bar pivot. This is shown in Figure 1 as D<sub>to</sub>.
Db = virtual length of the tow bar between the front and rear pivots. This is shown in Figures 1 and 5 as Db.
From = distance from rear tow bar pivot to rear axle of towed vehicle. This is shown in Figure 1 as D<sub>c</sub>.
Dc '= Pullback of the towed steered axle from the tow bar to the towed vehicle connection. This is shown in Figure 1 as D<sub>C</sub>'.
• Points (Pt):
A = Local center of rotation of the tow vehicle. This is shown in Figure 1 as Pt<sub>TO</sub>.
B = Forward attachment point of the tie rod
<td>tow.</td><td>This</td><td>it shows</td><td>in Figure 1 as</td><td>Pt<sub>B</sub>.</td><td></td>
<td></td><td>C =</td><td>Point of</td><td>rear hitch</td><td>of the</td><td>Bar of</td>
<td>Tow.</td><td>This</td><td>it shows</td><td>in Figure 1 as</td><td>Pt<sub>c</sub>.</td><td></td>
C '= Center of Towed Steered Axle. This is shown in Figure 1 as Pt<sub>c</sub>-. Although it is represented backwards from Pt<sub>c</sub>, Pt<sub>C</sub>'can be positioned forward of Pt<sub>c</sub>.
D = Center of rear axle Trailed. This is shown in Figure 1 as Pt<sub>D</sub>.
• Drawbar Angles
Teta (Θ) = Instantaneous angular deviation of the tow bar with respect to the tow vehicle.
Phi (φ) = Instantaneous angular deviation of the tow bar with respect to the towed vehicle. Alpha (a) = Towed vehicle steering angle.
The process described above consists of first: providing a means for connecting a towed vehicle to a towing vehicle in such a way that each can essentially independently rotate laterally about its own local center of rotation in such a way that the Rotation of one does not force a rotation response of the other. And second: to provide towed vehicle steering based on the constantly measured lateral angular deflections of the tow bar at both of its front and rear end connections to the respective tow and tow vehicles.
In addition, the circular path of the towed vehicle is established by steering its wheels from the front axle, or alternatively a front axle that supports the wheels of the truck, in proportion to the angle between the center line of the towed vehicle and a reference vector pointing to the center of rotation of the tow vehicle.
In a preferred embodiment, three specific factors are used. The factor Kb provides the angular magnitude of a direction reference vector. The Ka factor compensates the circular path of the towed vehicle with respect to that of the tow vehicle. And, the factor Kc provides a correction to allow the rear pivot point of the tow bar to move either a short distance forward or backward from the center of the effective axis of the axle of the front steered wheels of the towed vehicle. The three factors Ka, Kb, and Kc are used with the two measured tow bar deflection angles and, with the designed proportional relationship from Eq. 4 to determine the specific steer angle of the towed vehicle steer wheels as the vehicles travel.
Additionally, to help alleviate the typical negative aspect of fifth wheel towed vehicles to greatly shorten tight city-style corners, the Kb factor accurately simulates the fifth wheel hook location for tow bar side deflections up to approximately plus or minus 10 degrees from the front; and subsequently as the lateral deflection of the tow bar increases the virtual hook point gradually moves further rearward. This provides excellent fifth wheel stability at highway type speeds where lateral deflections are typically less than + / degrees and good stability at city speeds of 40 to 48 km / h (25 to 30 mph) while providing simulation point. fifth wheel rearward for the concerned much slower city speeds.
A considerable benefit of the embodiments that are implemented - of the present invention is that the simulated fifth wheel stability for the higher speed range is somewhat traded for improved corner turns at corresponding much slower closed corner speeds. In addition, the values of the Ka and Kc factors can be adapted to further improve maneuverability in tight corners at low speed by adjusting the dimensions of the geometry of a specific physical implementation.
Additionally, it is noted that implementing the procedures described herein, in many cases, may utilize an implicit tow bar as shown in some of the examples shown in Figures 5-7. That is, an arrangement can be used to virtually simulate a drawbar implementation, and hence an involved drawbar design, the above procedure uses the virtual drawbar length involved.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate the embodiments of the description and together with the general description of the disclosure given in the foregoing and the detailed description of the drawings given in the following, serve to explain the principles of the descriptions. Various other advantages and features of novelty will become apparent as the description proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a simplified top plan view of an embodiment of a tow vehicle and towed vehicle incorporating a trailer steering apparatus of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a trailer steering apparatus of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a simplified version of a towing vehicle and towed vehicle incorporating a trailer steering apparatus of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a top plan view of a simplified version of a tow vehicle and towed vehicle incorporating a further embodiment of the trailer steering apparatus of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a top plan view of a simplified version of a tow vehicle and towed vehicle incorporating a further embodiment of the trailer steering apparatus of the present invention.
Figure 6A is a top plan view of a simplified version of a tow vehicle and towed vehicle incorporating a further embodiment of the trailer steering apparatus of the present invention.
Figure 6B is a top plan view of an alternate embodiment of Figure 6A.
Figure 7 is a top plan view of a further embodiment of the trailer steering apparatus of the present invention, showing an emergency hydraulic brake locking the cylinders.
It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale. In certain cases, details that are not necessary for an understanding of the invention or that make other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted from these drawings. It should of course be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments illustrated in the drawings.
The following description will typically be with reference to specific structural modalities and methods. It will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to the specifically described embodiments and methods, but that the invention may be practiced using other features, elements, methods. and modalities. The preferred embodiments are described to illustrate the present invention, not to limit its scope which is defined by the claims. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize a variety of equivalent variations in. the following description. The 5 like elements are commonly referred to in various embodiments with like reference numerals.
Several preferred methods have been designed to mechanically implement the following steering process.
Figure 1 illustrates an example of a scenario in which a tow vehicle 10 pulls a towed vehicle 12.
The towing vehicle frame is represented by a longitudinal axis 14 which extends the length of the towing vehicle and terminates at its rear end with a mounting shaft 16.
The towing vehicle further includes a front axle 18 with 15 steerable wheels 20 located at the lateral end, and a rear axle with fixed wheels 24 located at the lateral ends. The similarly towed vehicle 12 comprises a frame represented by a longitudinal axis 26 terminating at its front end in a mounting shaft 28. In this embodiment, the towed vehicle 12 further comprises a rear axle 30 ending at its lateral ends with fixed wheels 32, and a front axle 34 ending at its lateral end with steerable wheels 36. The towed vehicle may only have a single axle or it may have multiple axles. A steerable truck may also be connected to the towed vehicle and used to steer the towed vehicle. Examples of tow trucks are the EZE-TOW truck from Acmé Trailer of Kemersville, NC and the Kar Kaddy models from Demeo Manufacturing Co. of Boyden, IA. Other examples include
US Patents 4171825, 5477937, 6152475, 7134829, 8132999, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. In these various scenarios, the active axle of the towed vehicle is the steerable axle of the truck. Figure 1 further identifies and defines the points, distances, and angles used in the equations and method steps described herein. As shown in Figure 1, the towing vehicle makes a turn in the first arc or radius Ri, which extends along the intersection of the longitudinal axis and the rear axis of the towing vehicle and very close to the center of the towing vehicle. rear axle of the towed vehicle. A second arc or radius R2 defined represents the resulting corner margin for the tow vehicle and the towed vehicle. In this way, the towed vehicle will clear a corner obstruction if the tow vehicle clears the corner obstruction. As also represented in Figure 1, the angle phi (φ) is the instantaneous angular deviation of the tow bar with respect to the longitudinal axis 26 of the towed vehicle. The angle theta (Θ) is the instantaneous angular deviation of the tow bar with respect to the longitudinal axis 14 of the tow vehicle. The angle alpha (a) is the directed angle of the towed vehicle.
A first mode involves a computer-actuated servo to steer the towed vehicle. An implementation of the above steering process uses a tow bar 40 as shown in Figures 2-4 to provide the two lateral pivots defined above and the instantaneous values of the angles theta (Θ) and phi (φ). The tow bar 40 comprises a mount 42 that connects to a mounting shaft 16 on the tow vehicle 10. A first joint 44 connects to mount 42 and allows lateral or pivotal movement in a generally horizontal plane to accommodate rotation, as well as pivotal movement in a generally vertical plane to accommodate inclination. A similar assembly 46 and joint 48 are located at the opposite end of the tow bar 40 and connect to the towed vehicle. A pair of telescoping concentrically oriented tubes 50 and 52 interconnects joints 44 and 48. Tube 50 is placed within outer tube 52. The relative position of the two tubes can be adjusted to vary the length of the tow bar 40 during the hitching process of the two vehicles and can subsequently be locked to fix its design length and can further be locked or released in rotation depending on the design. Furthermore, an on-board computer, for example, in the form of first and second angle encoders 54 are used to constantly calculate the required steering angle theta (Θ) and phi (φ). Encoders 54 are mounted within seals 44 and 48 and communicate with a servo to steer the wheels of the towed vehicle by equations 1 through 4.
Figure 4 illustrates an embodiment of a lever system for implementing the towing system of the present invention. As illustrated, a first lever 60 is interconnected to the tow bar 40 in connection with the tow vehicle. Lever 60 is in a fixed position perpendicular to the center line of the towing vehicle. A second lever 62 connects to the rear pivot 48 of the tow bar 40 and pivots freely with respect to the tow bar. The distal ends of lever 60 and lever 62 are interconnected by a tie rod 64. The first lever 60 operates the position of the second lever 62 and the mechanical advantage between the lever 60 and the lever 62 is set to the value of the factor Kb. A third lever 66 is positioned at the intersection of the center line 12 of the towed vehicle and the front axle 34 and pivots freely. The relationship between the lengths of lever 62 and lever 66 is established as the product of the factors Ka x Kc. A tie rod 68 interconnects the distal end of lever 66 with a point Pi on lever 62 so that the mechanical advantage is Ka x Kc. The tow bar 40 and tie bar 64 are fixed in length while towing, but can be extended during hitching to facilitate alignment. The location of Pt<sub>AND</sub> it is a function of both the towed vehicle and the tow vehicle and could be made adjustable to accommodate interchangeable tow vehicles for a given towed vehicle hook. The position of Pt<sub>AND</sub> then it would depend on the distance Da of various potential towing vehicles. The ratio of the levers 62 and 66, together with the lateral angular deviation of the towed vehicle relative to the tow bar 40, provides the equivalent of Ka x Kc for driving the deviation of the lever 66 to the steering angle alpha.
A four bar symmetrical system, as shown in Figure 5, provides another version of the embodiment shown in Figure 4 for implementing the towing system of the present invention. The four bar linkage includes a first side bar 70, a second side bar 72, a first tow bar 74 and a second tow bar 76. The side bar 70 is fixed relative to the tow vehicle to represent the position of the tow vehicle. Sidebar 72 connects with pivot 78 at its center (Pt<sub>c</sub>) to the front end of frame 12 of the towed vehicle. The lengths of the side bars 70 and 72 are selected with the ratio of their relative lengths equal to Kb so that the angular deviation of the side bar 72 represents the factor Kb. The tow bars 74 and 76 are at a fixed length equivalent while towing, but can be extended during hitching for ease of alignment. One embodiment of the tow bar 74 and 76 is illustrated in Figure 2. The fixed length is determined by the length selected for the virtual tow bar 90 which should be adequate for the tightest expected turning radius. Inter-vehicle torsion relief is not necessary since the front and rear sections of bars 74 and 76 can rotate relative to each other and the bars are typically long enough to absorb torsional deflections between vehicles. The length of the virtual tow bar for the purpose of calculating Kb is measured from the center point Pt<sub>B</sub> from side bar 70 to center point Pt<sub>c</sub> of the side bar 72. However 15 the virtual tow bar defined by these two bars now defines an elliptical path for Pt<sub>c</sub> against the deviation of the theta angle rather than the circular path for a rod of fixed length at 90. This results in Kb being converted to a theta function with a very slow first magnitude reduction 20 to maintain the desired stability at speeds of highway and then progressively larger so that the deviation theta approaches the ends of its elliptical travel for sharp corners at slow speed. This effect can be adjusted as desired to exchange lateral stability for corner turning at the larger theta angles by changing the lengths of bars 70 and 72 while maintaining their established Kb ratios. A tie rod 82 interconnects the far end point Pt<sub>F</sub> at lever 86 to lever 88 associated with front axle 34 of the towed vehicle. Lever 86 connects to pivot located in the center 78 of sidebar 72 and pivots freely relative to sidebar 72. The lever 88 is positioned at the intersection of the towed vehicle center line 12 and the front axle 34 and pivots freely. The mechanical advantage between levers 86 and 88 is established by selecting the ratio of the spokes to the point Pt<sub>F </sub>with the length of the lever 88 equal to Ka x Kc. Then the combined deflections of the lever 86 and the towed vehicle center line 12 relative to the virtual tow bar center line 90 will deflect the lever 88 to steer the front wheels of the towed vehicle toward the angle alpha (oi) of direction. The location of Pt<sub>F</sub> it is a function of both the towed vehicle and the towing vehicle and could be made adjustable to accommodate interchangeable towing vehicles for a given towed vehicle hook. The position of Pt<sub>F</sub> it may then depend on the distance Da of various potential tow vehicles.
The four-bar mechanical linkage of Figure 5 can be hydraulically emulated with tow bars 74 and 7 6 replaced by hydraulic cylinders 92 and 94 as shown in Figure 6A. Here the side bar 70 represents the towing frame at the center point Pt<sub>B</sub> and the side bar 7 2 represents the towed frame at the center point Pt<sub>c</sub>. The two cylinders 92 and 94 have equal diameters and their plumb line is such that the sum of their lengths is a constant. Then their relative deflections will provide volume of hydraulic fluid flow between the cylinders representing the Kb * teta portion of the fifth wheel vector input based on the ratio of the lengths of the side bars 70 and 72; and the effective rotational deflections of the bar 72 that is connected to the frame of the towed vehicle adds the value of phi in a similar way as for the fixed bar of the mode of Figure 4. A tie rod 96 interconnects the steered wheels 36 of the towed vehicle to which the steering end of the steering cylinder 98 connects at point 100. Hydraulic fluid is applied to cylinders 92, 94 and 98 by hydraulic lines using methods and structures known to those of skill in the art. Dimension D<sub>b</sub> of the virtual tow bar used to calculate Kb is defined in Figure 5 as the distance between the center points of the side bars Pt<sub>c</sub> and Pt<sub>B</sub> and also follows an elliptical path as described for Figure 5. The flow between the two cylinders 92 and 94 is connected to a third or steering cylinder 98 to drive the steered wheels 36. The three cylinders and their piston rod diameters are selected to provide a mechanical advantage equal to Ka x Kc which together with the volume of fluid movement between cylinders 92 and 94, as defined above, to actuate cylinder 98 to provide the desired steering angle alpha. This can be accomplished by establishing the ratio of the cross-sectional wet areas of the cylinders 92 and 94, on the rod end side, each to the cross-sectional wet area of the actuating cylinder 98 with the value of Ka x Kc, in where cylinder 98 is symmetrical and has the same wetted area on each side of its piston.
In this way, the drawbar hydraulic system shown in Figure 6A can be used to implement essentially the same analogous implementation of design factors Ka, Kb, and Kc as the mechanical fixed-length lever system shown in FIGURE 5. The hydraulic version provides the advantage of eliminating the need for physical linkage connections on the towed vehicle between the pivot point or center point Pt<sub>c</sub> front drawbar back to its steered axle by hydraulically transferring the lever offset data.
Additionally, the hydraulic system has the advantage that by using remote multi-valve control the system can be altered while in operation to provide numerous safeguards and control functions.
As a safety feature in the event of maximum emergency braking, the flow between the two front and rear actuator cylinders 92 and 94 is blocked with a valve 102. Efficiently locking these two cylinders blocks the transfer of fifth wheel stability from the Pt<sub>TO</sub> in the tow vehicle to the Pt<sub>c</sub>for example if the emergency occurred when the vehicles were close to proceeding forward at highway speeds the towed vehicle would essentially head to the desirable normal fifth wheel hitch point and when the cylinders are locked it can be towed as if it were actually hitched on that point but with your wheelbase effectively increased by the distance gives more Db. In this way, the towed vehicle, for the emergency blocked case, would be considerably more stable with less scissoring effect on the tow vehicle as if it were connected with a tow bar extended from Pt<sub>TO</sub> up to Pt<sub>B</sub>. And furthermore in this emergency configuration the towed vehicle can still drift laterally like a hook around the original fifth wheel pivot point Pt<sub>TO</sub> so that the tow vehicle is not restricted from maneuvering for the small angles that would be used at highway speeds while emergency insurance is in effect. In this way, during the emergency locking state the towed vehicle is considerably more. stable than in its original physical state and will have less degradation effect on the tow vehicle during the emergency. This will prevent the virtual tow bar linkage from scissoring and will tend to keep the vehicles on their relative line when the emergency is activated while still allowing a considerable degree of unimpeded maneuvering of the tow vehicle. Conversely, opening this valve will free them from maneuvering when emergency braking is released.
As an additional option, as shown in Figure 6B, the control features can be implemented in the embodiment of Figure 6A by adding a hydraulic pump 104 to transfer hydraulic fluid from either the left or right side line on the steering cylinder 98 to the respective opposite side to adjust the lateral alignment of the vehicle. towed relative to the towing vehicle / or as a compensation for normal linkage actuated steering while the vehicles are in operation. This is also useful as an auxiliary when maneuvering around a difficult corner or when backing up or parking.
Additional emergency stability beyond that of shutoff valve 102 can be provided by adding two cylinders 106 and 108, each from each end of sidebar 72 (representing the towed frame) to center Pt<sub>B</sub> of the side bar 70 (representing the towing frame). An example of such an embodiment is illustrated in Figure 7. These cylinders 106 and 108 are connected so that they are normally free to drift but in the event of a critical emergency they are secured by closing their valve 110 together with valve 102. This would completely lock the tow vehicle, the tow bar and the towed vehicle all in their relative position at the time of emergency so that the whole group would not suffer the scissor effect and would tend to slide with less violent rotation.
The lock valves 102 and 108 may be quick acting motor actuated so that they could be locked and released when commanded to provide periods for maneuvering between maximum braking.
With respect to the city-type corner turn, the Ka factor is designed to shift the towed vehicle's circular path out to a greater radius to find itself more directly behind the tow vehicle than it would be by simply directing it to target the location. normal fifth wheel hook. This factor is based on the towed vehicle wheel From and depends on the suspended tow vehicle Da and moves the rear axle path for a towed vehicle to essentially match when De equals or is less than Da and in a way the values of Over lengths for towed vehicles are narrower than for the tow vehicle. This factor effectively maintains the towed vehicle wheelbase at its original length as it connects to the normal towed rear axle location. This way, your wheelbase remains unchanged and your turning radius is equivalent to or slightly greater (better). This alone eliminates the corner cut for such towed vehicles since the towed vehicle will clear whatever the tow vehicle clears. However, this improvement decreases exponentially as the turning radius of the tow vehicle approaches the wheelbase of the towed vehicle. Where the angle of rotation of the towed vehicle relative to the tow vehicle is 90 degrees, the towed rear wheels simply pivot about one point. This is the tightest turning radius limit for a fifth wheel trailer. In this way, the corner clearance for relatively short towed vehicles is excellent for the proposed hook, however, with an increasing towed vehicle wheelbase, it becomes similar to that of a traditional fifth wheel trailer hooked on PtA to the vehicle. towing. The cornering advantage of the proposed system can be increased through the use of dimension c 'to retract the front steered wheel axle of the towed vehicle. However, this is limited because shortening the wheelbase of the towed vehicle decreases its stability.
The factor Kb is used to provide a reference for the direction in which the towed vehicle is heading to mimic the path of the local center of rotation of the tow vehicle; which is the only point on the towing vehicle that does not reflect the transient steering rotations of the towing vehicle. In this specific manner, the towed vehicle is thereby isolated from rotational turns to the detriment of a towing vehicle whenever the driver changes the radius of his path. The expression Kb was derived to provide essentially perfect virtual simulation for towbar lateral angular deflections up to 10 degrees and then start to decrease to indicate more subsequent virtual hitch points. In this way, the obligatory speed decrease for tight corners makes it acceptable to interchange fifth wheel stability for corner turn improvement as a function of the draw bar deflection value, angle theta. Furthermore, this theta ratio also lags it for high speed as the theta value subsequently decreases. In this way, the fifth wheel swap location for enhanced cornering is a smooth transition that preserves the stability of the towed vehicle at corner turn speeds built into the definition of Kb and becomes automatic based on the present angle theta. instant spin. 33
The Kc factor also provides another virtual hitch point option in that it can be used to effectively lower the towed vehicle wheelbase which can allow the towed vehicle to turn more sharply; and can be used to improve towed vehicle corner clearance.
The Kb factor is used to provide a reference angular direction to the ideal fifth wheel hook position, which for a front-driven tow vehicle is the center of its rear axle. With the two towbar angular values, teta and phi, and the geometric dimensions Da, Db, De and De ', the virtual path of the towed vehicle is as if it were actually connected to the local center of rotation of the tow vehicle and it is determined and effectively translated to the rear of the tow bar, Pt C, to steer the towed vehicle from that point. This is done with the instantaneously calculated theta and phi angles, along with the Ka and Kc factors. The factor Ka provides the translation path and Kc allows the steered axis to move somewhat forward or backward from Pt C. It is important to note that the Ka factor not only provides an extension of a fifth wheel trailer from the normal fifth wheel hitch point, but essentially relocates the towed vehicle with that trajectory from the tow vehicle rear axle normal point to the new similarly stable virtual hitch point at Pt C at the end of the tow bar.
The result is that the trajectory of the original hitch point on the tow vehicle's rear axle is essentially replicated at Pt C to provide the new virtual center around which the towed vehicle's rear wheels follow. The effective wheelbase of the towed vehicle not only extends to free the vehicle from towing; Rather, the normal fifth wheel stable hook point is recreated at Pt C at approximately its original radius at Pt<sub>TO</sub>. And the towed vehicle essentially follows the path it would have if it were hitched to the tow vehicle's rear axle normal point. In addition, true fifth wheel stability is maintained from straight down travel to tight city-style turning radii without abrupt changes in handling characteristics.
In this way, the proposed modalities and methods described herein provide means to stabilize a towed vehicle hooked at the rear by releasing the lateral rotation connection between both vehicles by using either a real or implicit pivoting tow bar. in the connections to both vehicles; and use the magnitude of the angular lateral deviation of both vehicles with respect to the tow bar to steer the released towed vehicle laterally with the use of three specific factors: a) virtually simulate the stable trajectory of a fifth wheel hitched vehicle ; b) shifting the stabilized circular path of the towed vehicle to a larger and more favorable radius behind the tow vehicle; and, c) providing true fifth wheel simulation at speeds that are needed while somehow swapping fifth wheel stability for enhanced maneuvering at the very slow speeds associated with tight corners and parking lots. This process essentially provides the advantages of both types of hook, both rear mounted and fifth wheel, while eliminating or considerably minimizing their disadvantages.
In this way, the proposed embodiments achieve both the objective of providing fifth wheel stability without physically joining in the present typical fifth wheel hook location together with the advantage of reducing in many cases the effective wheelbase of the towed vehicle. And, with the functionality of using many different steering mechanisms and control features with the simplicity of a reliable, safe and simple tow bar or at most a virtual tow bar.
Therefore, it will be understood that although different modalities are established and described herein, the above and other modifications and changes can be made in the construction and arrangement of the elements as well as the intended use of the apparatus without departing from the spirit and scope of the same. Indeed, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art upon reviewing the present disclosure that the methods and embodiments of the present invention can be implemented with a wide variety of apparatus.
In this way, the proposed process provides a practical and relatively simple process for transposing the typical stable trajectory of a fifth wheel towed vehicle to a towed vehicle attached to the rear of a tow vehicle with a variety of steering system accessories. . The proposed procedure can be implemented with computer-powered steering with levers, gear, belts and pulleys, hydraulic cylinders, etc. But it all depends on independently steering the towed vehicle; the ability to detect the change in the path radius of the tow vehicle; and to allow and direct the towed vehicle to asymptotically merge its radial path to the center of changes in the towing vehicle's radial path as such changes are incurred. And, the proposed modalities and methods do this with a combination of a tow bar hooked at both ends, real or implicit; the use of a steerable axle or wheelbarrow; and measure two angles; with three factors dependent on geometric simple accessories.
Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described herein,. the above description is merely illustrative. The preferred embodiments described will not limit the scope of the present invention. Another modification of the invention described herein will occur to those skilled in the respective arts and all such modifications are considered within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, although the description of the invention has included the description of one or more embodiments and certain variations and modifications, other than variations, combinations, and modifications are within the scope of the invention, for example, as may be within from the experience and knowledge of those in the art, after understanding the present disclosure. It is intended to obtain rights that include alternative modalities to the extent allowed, including alternative structures, functions, margins or stages, interchangeable and / or equivalent to those claimed, whether or not such alternative structures, functions, margins or stages, interchangeable and / or equivalents are described herein, and without publicly claiming any patentable subject matter.
The present invention, in various embodiments, includes components, methods, processes, systems, and / or apparatus substantially as represented and described herein, including various embodiments, sub-combinations, and subsets thereof. Those skilled in the art will understand how to make and use the present invention after understanding the present disclosure. The present invention, in various embodiments, includes providing devices and processes in the absence of items not depicted and / or described herein or in various embodiments thereof, including in the absence of such items as may have been used in previous devices or processes, for example, to improve performance, facilitate and / or reduce the cost of implementation.
Contents2
8 sheets
Sheet 1 Sheet 2 Sheet 3 Sheet 4 Sheet 5 Sheet 6 Sheet 7 Sheet 8
29 members in 6 offices
Members29
| Document | Office | Kind | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US2014090512A1 | United States of America | A1 | |
| WO2014055500A1 | World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) | A1 | |
| US2015128755A1 | United States of America | A1 | |
| CN104685441A | China | A | |
| DE112013004845T5 | Germany | T5 | |
| US2015210131A1 | United States of America | A1 | |
| WO2015116630A1 | World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) | A1 | |
| WO2015116683A2 | World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) | A2 | |
| WO2015116683A3 | World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) | A3 | |
| US9360882B2 | United States of America | B2 | |
| US9370977B2 | United States of America | B2 | |
| WO2015116630A8 | World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) | A8 | |
| WO2015116630A8 | World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) | A8 | |
| CN105992708A | China | A | |
| DE112015000290T5 | Germany | T5 | |
| US2016357214A1 | United States of America | A1 | |
| US2017008357A1 | United States of America | A1 | |
| JP2017505490A | Japan | A | |
| MX2016009792AThis record | Mexico | A | |
| MX2016009792AThis record | Mexico | A | |
| US9632525B2 | United States of America | B2 | |
| CN104685441B | China | B | |
| CN106882045A | China | A | |
| US9785183B2 | United States of America | B2 | |
| CN105992708B | China | B | |
| CN106882045B | China | B | |
| JP6542241B2 | Japan | B2 | |
| US10427479B2 | United States of America | B2 | |
| DE112015000290B4 | Germany | B4 |
Numbers
- Publication
- 2016009792
- Application
- 9792
Titles2
- Spanish
- APARATO Y METODO DE DIRECCION DE REMOLQUE.
- English
- TOWING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF STEERING.
Classification
- CPC, 6
- B62D13/025
- B60D1/155
- B60D1/167
- B60D1/24
- B60D1/30
- B62D6/001
- IPC, 3
- B62D13 02
- B60D1 155
- B60D1 173