Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – Specific condition
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-14
2001-04-17
Swann, Glen (Department: 2736)
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
Specific condition
Reexamination Certificate
active
06218952
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to systems for monitoring the safety lighting circuits on a trailer. More particularly it relates to a system and apparatus for monitoring the safety lighting circuits on a trailer while the trailer is being towed.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Trailers pulled by vehicles such as cars, trucks, sports utility or similar vehicles are extremely common. The trailers vary from open trailers for hauling loads to boat trailers and campers. One important requirement, for safety and legal reasons, is that the trailer have appropriate safety lights such as turn signals, brake lights, and running and parking lights. These lights naturally have to be controlled from the vehicle pulling the trailer so the driver can signal those behind the trailer of turns or braking actions before they occur or simply warn vehicles approaching the trailer from behind at night of the presence of the trailer being towed on the road. The trailer safety light circuits usually connect directly into the electrical system of the towing vehicle by standard connectors and wiring methods. The trailer safety light circuits generally work in tandem with the safety light circuits on the towing vehicle. However, the safety lighting circuitry of trailers have a notorious reputation for unreliability and failure. The inability of the vehicle operator to easily check to determine if the circuitry is operating properly only compounds this problem.
Failure of the safety lighting circuits on a trailer can create extremely hazardous situations and the fact that the trailer being towed by the vehicle partially obstructs the ‘view’ of the operator further compounds the problem. In order to verify the proper functioning of all of the safety lighting circuits the vehicle operator needs the assistance of a second party to stand behind the trailer to observe the operation of the safety lighting circuitry while the vehicle operator tests them. In addition to being an awkward method of verifying proper operation of the safety lighting circuitry it does not provide any suitable means to verify the proper functioning of the safety lighting circuitry during actual operation of the vehicle while towing the trailer. Additionally, the vehicle operator can not easily or conveniently test the safety lighting circuitry if he has no one present to assist in the process.
Boat trailers present their own unique problems as a result of their being periodically submerged during the launching and retrieving of the boat which the trailer carries. The safety lighting circuits as a result of the periodic dunking have a tendency to corrode much more easily. Also, the circuit bulbs burn out much more frequently from being immersed in water, during the time they are ‘on’ or activated, due to the vehicle operators inability to easily turn the circuits off.
To further compound the problem, trailers tend to have a low maintenance priority and are often left outside exposed to the elements between use which in many instances can be infrequent
SUMMARY
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and system to allow a vehicle operator to quickly, test without the need for assistance from another, the safety lighting circuitry of a trailer when that trailer is connected to the vehicle with which the trailer will be towed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus, system and method for the operator of a vehicle pulling a trailer to be able to periodically monitor the function of the trailer's safety light signal circuits and be able to determine when a failure occurs in those circuits.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a system and apparatus which is easy and economical to manufacture and can be used in combination with most if not all trailer and vehicle electrical systems without any modification of those systems.
The present invention accomplishes this and other objectives by providing a trailer light monitoring apparatus for monitoring the function of safety signal lights on a trailer during use of the trailer with a vehicle. The system has one or more monitoring circuits which can instantaneously detect variations beyond predefined parameters in one or more safety signal light circuits of a trailer during combined operation of the trailer with a vehicle. The system also has connectors to connect each of the monitoring circuits to one of the safety signal light circuits of the trailer and the vehicle electrical system. Each of the monitoring circuits also have a separate indicator attached to them. The indicators are positioned for observation by the vehicle operator during combined vehicle and trailer operation. The system functions such that when the monitoring circuit detects a malfunction of the safety light signal circuit which it monitors, the monitoring circuit signals the operator through the indicator to which it is attached.
In a specific aspect the system of the present invention has three separate safety signal light circuits one for parking and running lights, one for a left turn/brake signal light and one for a right turn/brake signal light. Each of the safety signal light circuits have one monitoring circuit to monitor it. Each of the monitoring circuits has an indicator, a light emitting diode, attached to it which the monitoring circuit uses to signal variations beyond the predefined parameters.
In a preferred embodiment actual monitoring only occurs when the vehicle operator activates the safety signal light circuits. Thus, if upon activation a safety signal light circuit is functioning properly the indicator sends a positive signal to the vehicle operator. On the other hand, if the monitoring circuit detects that the safety signal light circuit has malfunctioned it sends a negative signal to the vehicle operator. In its simplest form the indicator is an LED which turns on upon activation of the safety signal light circuit, if the safety signal light circuit is functioning properly. If the safety signal light circuit is not functioning properly, the LED does not turn on upon activation of the safety signal light circuit. The safety signal light circuits generally include turn signal circuits, a parking and running light circuit and a brake light circuit which usually consists of the left and right turn signal circuits operating together. In the case of the turn signal lights when functioning properly, the LED blinks in unison with the turn signal lights at the rear of the trailer. If the brake light circuit is functioning properly the LED's turn on every time the brake pedal is depressed and remain on for so long as the brake pedal is depressed indicating the brake lights on the rear of the trailer are turning on each time the brake pedal is depressed. Likewise when the parking and running lights are turned on and they are functioning properly the LED goes on and stays on for so long as the parking and running lights are functioning properly. On the other hand, if on activation of any of the safety signal light circuits they are not functioning properly, the monitoring circuit will so indicate by not turning on the appropriate LED at the time it should turn on.
In another aspect of the present invention the monitoring circuit checks the current in the safety signal light circuit to determine if it has varied beyond predefined parameters.
In yet another aspect of the present invention a meter can function as the indicator.
The invention also provides a method for monitoring the safety signal light circuits of a trailer during operation of the trailer with a vehicle. The steps of the method include monitoring the electrical activity levels of one or more safety signal light circuits of a trailer during operation of the trailer with a towing vehicle; determining if during activation of the one or more safety signal light circuits whether or not the electrical activity levels meet predefined parameters; and indicating if the electrical activity levels meet the predefined parameters.
In a further aspect of th
Borland Leslie R.
Haller Theodore Richard
Levin & Hawes LLP
Reed Randall L.
Swann Glen
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