Electricity: measuring and testing – Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components – In vehicle wiring
Patent
1995-03-10
1997-02-18
Wieder, Kenneth A.
Electricity: measuring and testing
Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components
In vehicle wiring
324133, 324556, 340431, G01R 3102
Patent
active
056044399
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
At the present time, it is usually required to have two people to test the functions of a trailer light configuration, one being required to stand behind the trailer and the other being required to operate the controls within the cabin of a vehicle (for example a truck), including the turning lamps, the tail light and the brake light. Particularly with the brake light, it is not reasonably feasible for a single operator to ascertain whether or not his brake lights are functioning.
However, there is frequently a requirement to test lamps of a number of trailer vehicles which may be in a yard, and otherwise ready to depart. In such cases, the time delays associated with such testing are unacceptable. The alternative used has been for a large battery to be wheeled from trailer to trailer, and the function of each trailer lamp circuit to be separately tested. This alternative is still unacceptably slow, and often very inconvenient.
In most countries however it is a legal requirement that all trailer lights should function, and therefore it is necessary for tests to be undertaken, usually before each time a trailer is used.
Problems with circuits of various types have been recognized, and reference may be made to Australian Patent 488353 (Lansing Bagnail) dealing with monitoring current leakage in electric trucks, Australian application 20575/76 (Deere & Company), dealing with determination of continuity in an electric circuit, and Australian Patent 495113 (General Signal Corporation) dealing with ground fault detection. Other less relevant prior art includes Australian Patents 545161 (Lockheed), 501552 (Westinghouse), 497189 (Secheron), Application 87806/91 (British Aerospace) and 585846 (Glover).
None of these however employs the combination of separate testing of the circuits of a trailer by energising those circuits through a lamp or lamps, in addition to testing a tractor plug to ensure existence of available energy for the circuits.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In this invention, a simple device can be plugged into a socket, or receive the plug of a plug-and-socket tractor/trailer connection, and test all the trailer circuits and their respective signal lamps by energising a test lamp from an energiser carried by the device through the trailer circuits to ground, by rotation of a rotary switch, or alternatively energise a number of test lamps simultaneously or sequentially by a push button operation, a separate test lamp for each trailer circuit. At the same time, the part of the plug-and-socket connection on a tractor vehicle may be tested to ensure that energy is transmitted when the respective switches are closed by a driver.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Two embodiments of the invention are described hereunder in some detail with reference to and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary drawing showing the use of the test device when inserted between a tractor and trailer vehicle;
FIG. 2a is a top view of a seven pin trailer socket assembly;
FIG. 2b is an end view;
FIG. 2c is a side view;
FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a first embodiment utilising a rotary switch;
FIG. 4a is a top view of a device according to a second and preferred embodiment;
FIG. 4b is an end view of the male portion of FIG. 4a;
FIG. 4c is an end view of the female portion of FIG. 4a;
FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram which illustrates the circuit of the preferred second embodiment;
FIG. 6 illustrates a further embodiment utilising a sequencer to control energising the various circuits of a trailer in sequence; and
FIG. 7 illustrates the embodiment of FIG. 6 with the additional feature of an inverter to provide a 12 volt/24 volt option.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to the first embodiment of FIGS. 2a, 2b, 2c and 3, a seven pin trailer socket assembly 10 comprises a plurality of plug pin sockets 11 (within a dome shaped removable cover) adapted to receive the pins of a plug of a trailer vehicle (not shown), the sockets 11 being arranged in a conventional se
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Grist Lindsay R.
Walkington Clifford L.
Do Diep
Wieder Kenneth A.
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