Communications: electrical – Land vehicle alarms or indicators
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-23
2001-11-27
Wu, Daniel J. (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Land vehicle alarms or indicators
C340S438000, C340S644000, C340S654000, C340S439000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06323759
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to snowplow systems and more particularly to a self diagnosing snowplow connecting system for connecting a snowplow or other accessory to a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
One of the most common ways to move and remove fallen snow is with a snowplow attached to a vehicle. Generally, however, most vehicles are not dedicated to this single purpose. That is, during the milder seasons the snowplow is removed and the vehicle will be used for other purposes. To facilitate this, the vehicle will usually have a mounting bracket affixed to its frame. The snowplow can then be attached and removed as desired.
In addition, the snowplow must be connected to the vehicle's electrical system, both to receive power and to provide the proper controls to the operator. As such, a wiring harness consisting of an electrical connector and receptacle, is provided for connection between the vehicle and the snowplow. Once the snowplow is connected to the mounting bracket, the wiring harness is connected between the plow and the vehicle. The operator may then control the plow from within the cab of the vehicle.
Generally, a snowplow will have various electrical and mechanical components which must receive power from the vehicle and must also be controllable from inside the vehicle. For example, most snowplows will have hydraulic actuators which cause the plow to move up, down, right, left, and vary the angle at which the blade contacts the ground. In V blade plows, the angle between the two sections of the blade must also be controllable. Additionally, the snowplow will have its own set of lights. This is necessary because the blade of the plow will often obstruct the vehicle's integrated headlights. Without the additional lighting, the snowplow could not be used at night, which is often the snowplow operator's busiest period. As a result, the snowplow operator relies heavily on this lighting system. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that this lighting system be reliable and functional.
In many cases, the connection of the snowplow reconfigures the vehicles wiring. That is, once the snowplow is connected, the vehicles headlights are prevented from working at all, thus causing total reliance on the plow's lighting system. This is done to prevent the vehicle headlights from shining on and reflecting off of the back of the blade, which would distract the operator. To allow proper operation of the lights, the connection of the plow must alter the vehicle's internal wiring scheme. This is in addition to the power and control connections which are also necessary. Therefore, the wiring harness is more complicated than a simple power coupling.
A typical wire harness is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,062, issued to Miller et al. on Jul. 21, 1981. An auxiliary set of lights are provided and are connected to the vehicle's lighting controls. The harness is installed within the vehicle and provides a plug in for the auxiliary lighting system which may be selectively coupled to it. A switch allows the operator to select between the vehicle lighting system or the auxiliary lighting system. During installation, the vehicle lights are disconnected from the vehicle's wiring system. The connection to the wiring system is essentially split, through a Y connection that is coupled to a switch. The vehicle's headlights are then reconnected to one branch, while the auxiliary lighting system is coupled to the other branch of the wiring system. The switch then allows the operator to toggle between lighting systems.
Due to the complicated functionality that is required, the wiring harness has many potential weaknesses. The harness or any of its connections could fail due to the harsh, wet conditions as well as the sheer force generated during the plowing operation. Furthermore, the harness could simply be improperly coupled to the vehicle, due to operator error or an accumulation of snow or ice in the sockets. If for any reason, the plow is coupled incorrectly, the operator may not realize it, until the desired function becomes critical. Therefore a need exists to provide a snowplow connection system which checks the status of the connection and the plow components used, and indicates their readiness to the plow operator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a system that provides a connection between the plow and its controls/power supply and also includes a self diagnostic feature. A diagnostic circuit is included in the system and is coupled to a diagnostic indicator. The diagnostic indicator alerts the operator if any malfunction has occurred. The diagnostic circuit is coupled to the wire harness, and determines whether all of the connections have been properly made and whether each function is properly working. If a failure occurs, a general warning is generated. That is, the vehicle headlights may be caused to flash, or simply remain on. This alerts the operator of a problem. The diagnostic indicator also has a control panel. The panel will have more specific information relating the problem that was detected. For example, the control panel could have a series of LED's which indicate the status of each subsystem. At this point, the operator can take the appropriate steps to remedy the problem.
For example, if the system detects that the one of the snowplow's hydraulic controllers is inoperable, the vehicle's integrated headlights will be caused to flash. This generally indicates a malfunction at which point the operator will check the diagnostic indicator. The diagnostic indicator will show that the snowplow hydraulic controller is malfunctioning. The complexity of the indicator can vary. That is, a simple indicator might indicate a problem with the snowplow hydraulic subsystem, whereas a more complicated indicator will reference each element of the hydraulic system and specifically indicate which element is malfunctioning. In either case, the operator has been made aware of the problem. The operator may be able to replace the particular element, thus remedying the problem. If a more complex problem occurs, such as a complete failure of one or more of the hydraulic actuators, the operator may have to bring the plow in for servicing.
As mentioned above, the snowplow is electrically coupled to the vehicle with a wiring harness. The diagnostic indicator must be electrically coupled with the harness, however its physical location may vary. The diagnostic indicator could actually be incorporated into the wire harness itself, either on the snowplow or vehicle side. This provides an advantage in that each time the snowplow is connected, the operator can quickly check the status of the connection. Alternatively, the indicator could be mounted within the vehicle itself, either under the hood, in the cab, or in any convenient location. This would serve to protect the indicator from the elements when mounted in the cab. Also, the plow operator would have a convenient view each time the plow is used rather than just when it is being connected.
The snowplow connection system of the present invention must include a certain amount of diagnostic circuitry. For example, a plurality of continuity detectors can be used to monitor the hydraulic and lighting subsystems. Various mechanical sensors may also be utilized such a switches located at connection points, proximity detectors, temperature sensors, or pressure sensors. The circuitry and components for these various sensors and detectors may be located wherever it is most convenient. It is anticipated that this circuitry would be included within the housing of the diagnostic indicator, thus reducing the complexity of the installation. However, it may be advantageous to separate the diagnostic circuitry from the indicator in order to minimize the size of the indicator, especially if the indicator will be mounted within the cab of a the vehicle.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2427076 (1947-09-01), Tabacchi
patent: 2843802 (19
M. P. Menze Research & Development Inc.
Nguyen Tai T.
Wu Daniel J.
LandOfFree
Snowplow diagnostic system does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Snowplow diagnostic system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Snowplow diagnostic system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2607089