Electricity: measuring and testing – Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components – In vehicle wiring
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-02
2001-07-24
Brown, Glenn W. (Department: 2858)
Electricity: measuring and testing
Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components
In vehicle wiring
C324S503000, C340S870030, C340S539230
Reexamination Certificate
active
06265878
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates generally to the testing of systems such as lighting and brakes on a trailer.
With tractor-trailer combinations, a tractor or trailer may be attached to several other units during the day. Due to those constraints, the units must be serviced when time allows and personnel are available. It is therefore often desirable to test the lighting on trailers when tractors are not hooked up to them and therefore not supplying power to the lighting from the tractor's electrical system. For this purpose, a separate self-contained power source is required, and it is necessary that the testing device be connected into the trailer's electrical wiring. Since the lighting must be viewed by a person from different positions around the trailer, it is considered desirable that the testing device be remotely controlled so that the testing may be conveniently and quickly conducted by one person.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,370 to Massender, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a tester for testing electric and pneumatic systems of vehicular trailers without use of an associated truck or tractor. The tester provides a small portable hand held transmitter which has at least 4 normally open switches which are closable to communicate control signals to a radio receiver. The receiver in turn communicates through an electro mechanical switching mechanism to selectively operate an electric system and a pneumatic system both of which may be interconnected to the respective systems of a vehicular trailer. Other art which may be of interest includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,428,888; 4,866,390; 4,884,032; 5,086,277; 5,416,421; 5,602,482; 5,142,278; 5,748,669; 5,650,774; 5,025,253; 5,095,276; and 5,640,139.
The transmission of signals in the Massender tester is sensitive to the effects of interference signals, which may disrupt the operation thereof. Furthermore, signals which the Massender tester provides are not usable with multiplex-wired systems.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a remote trailer tester which is reliable.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a remote trailer tester which provides signals which may be directly inputted to multiplex-wired systems.
In order to provide a reliable remote trailer tester which has multiplex signaling capability, in accordance with the present invention, the tester transmitter, which has a first electrical power source, encodes and wirelessly transmits a digital signal which is different for each device to be tested. The receiver, which has a second electrical power source, decodes the wirelessly transmitted signal and, in response thereto, connects the second power source to the corresponding device to be tested without the necessity of the tractor being connected to the trailer.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein the same reference numerals denote the same or similar parts throughout the several views.
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Betts Industries, Inc.
Brown Glenn W.
Simmons James C.
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