阅读说明：本技术 用于挂接件的方法和设备 (Method and device for hanging connector ) 是由 布莱斯·赖纳特 凯文·斯坦顿·盖耶 安德鲁·尼德特 卡尔·蒙哥马利 于 2020-08-24 设计创作，主要内容包括：本公开提供了“用于挂接件的方法和设备”。公开了用于包括联接到外侧车架的多个销的挂接件的方法和设备。本文公开的示例性设备包括挂接件,所述挂接件包括第一销、与所述第一销平行的第二销、与所述第一销正交的第三销和与所述第三销平行的第四销,其中所述第一销、所述第二销、所述第三销和所述第四销用于将所述挂接件联接到车辆的车架。所述示例性设备包括载荷管理器,所述载荷管理器用于基于来自所述第一销、所述第二销、所述第三销或所述第四销中的至少一者的传感器数据来确定载荷状况。(The present disclosure provides "methods and apparatus for hitching a splice". Methods and apparatus for a hitch including a plurality of pins coupled to an outboard frame are disclosed. An example apparatus disclosed herein includes a hitch including a first pin, a second pin parallel to the first pin, a third pin orthogonal to the first pin, and a fourth pin parallel to the third pin, wherein the first pin, the second pin, the third pin, and the fourth pin are to couple the hitch to a frame of a vehicle. The example apparatus includes a load manager to determine a load condition based on sensor data from at least one of the first pin, the second pin, the third pin, or the fourth pin.)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a hanging member, the hanging member includes:

a first pin;

a second pin parallel to the first pin;

a third pin orthogonal to the first pin; and

a fourth pin parallel to the third pin, wherein the first pin, the second pin, the third pin, and the fourth pin are used to couple the hitch to a frame of a vehicle; and

a load manager to determine a load condition based on sensor data from at least one of the first pin, the second pin, the third pin, or the fourth pin.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first pin and the third pin are disposed within a first assembly and the second pin and the fourth pin are disposed within a second assembly.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first assembly is to be disposed on a driver side of the vehicle and the second assembly is to be disposed on a passenger side of the vehicle.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a cross-bar extending between the first assembly and the second assembly.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a receiving tube, the load condition based on a trailer coupled to the apparatus via the receiving tube.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first pin and the second pin are parallel to the receiving tube.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first pin, the second pin, the third pin, and the fourth pin comprises at least one force sensor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first pin and the second pin are at a first horizontal position and the third pin and the fourth pin are at a second horizontal position.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first horizontal position is closer to a front of the vehicle than the second horizontal position.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a load block;

a first mounting lug extending from the load block;

a second mounting lug extending from the load block;

a pin adapter for coupling to a vehicle frame;

a first pin coupled to the pin adapter and the first mounting lug; and

a second pin coupled to the pin adapter and the second mounting lug.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first pin is orthogonal to the second pin.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first pin is oriented along a lateral axis and the second pin is oriented along a horizontal axis.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first pin, the first mounting lug, and the pin adapter form a first clevis, and the second pin, the second mounting lug, and the pin adapter form a second clevis.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first pin is disposed closer to a front of the frame than the second pin.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first pin or the second pin comprises a sensor.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to vehicle hitches and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for a hitch comprising a plurality of pins coupled to an outboard frame.

Background

In recent years, consumer vehicles capable of pulling trailers have implemented additional data processing capabilities. Because of these capabilities, the vehicle may process parameters of the vehicle and/or trailer that were not previously processed to provide additional insight to the user of the vehicle. For example, an additional parameter of the vehicle that can be processed is the load conditions experienced at the hitch. The load conditions include various characteristics experienced by the hitch (e.g., weight, load orientation, braking force, yaw force, etc.).

Different vehicle models typically have different configurations, including spare tire placement, fuel tank placement, floor height, frame rail spacing, and the like. Thus, the hanger design can vary greatly between model types. Regardless of the particular model of vehicle, a vehicle hitch typically includes a receiving tube and a crossbar. The receiver tube of the hitch is used to couple a towing element (e.g., hitch ball, tow bar, etc.) to a vehicle and typically has a square cross-section. The crossbar is a tube that connects the driver side and the passenger side of the frame to the receiver tube. The crossbars typically have a simple geometric cross-section, such as circular or square.

Disclosure of Invention

An exemplary apparatus disclosed herein includes: a hitch comprising a first pin, a second pin parallel to the first pin, a third pin orthogonal to the first pin, and a fourth pin parallel to the third pin, wherein the first pin, the second pin, the third pin, and the fourth pin are used to couple the hitch to a frame of a vehicle; and a load manager to determine a load condition based on sensor data from at least one of the first pin, the second pin, the third pin, or the fourth pin.

An exemplary apparatus disclosed herein includes: a load block; a first mounting lug extending from the load block; a second mounting lug extending from the load block; a pin adapter for coupling to a vehicle frame; a first pin coupled to the pin adapter and the first mounting lug; and a second pin coupled to the pin adapter and the second mounting lug.

An exemplary method disclosed herein comprises: determining a load condition of a hitch based on data received from at least one of a first pin, a second pin, a third pin, or a fourth pin of the hitch, the first pin, the second pin, the third pin, and the fourth pin forming a load path between the hitch and a frame of a vehicle, the first pin being parallel to the second pin, the first pin being orthogonal to the third pin; and in response to the load condition satisfying a warning threshold, warning a user of the load condition.

Drawings

FIG. 1A illustrates an example vehicle including a hitch pin load manager and a hitch including a load sensing pin that may be used to implement examples disclosed herein.

FIG. 1B is a block diagram of the example load manager of FIG. 1A.

Fig. 2 shows a top view of the hanger of fig. 1A.

Fig. 3 shows a side view of the load block of fig. 2.

FIG. 4 illustrates an isometric view of a pin housing assembly coupled to a cross-bar and an outboard frame.

Fig. 5-6 illustrate exemplary load conditions associated with a trailer on a hitch ball.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram representing machine readable instructions that may be executed to implement the load manager of FIGS. 1A and 1B.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an exemplary processing platform structured to execute the instructions of FIG. 7 to implement the load manager of FIGS. 1A and 1B.

The figures are not drawn to scale. On the contrary, the thickness of layers or regions in the drawings may be exaggerated. Generally, the same reference numbers will be used throughout one or more of the drawings and the accompanying written description to refer to the same or like parts. As used in this patent, stating that any part (e.g., a layer, film, region, area, or panel) is located on (e.g., positioned on, located on, disposed on, or formed on, etc.) another part in any way indicates: the referenced portion is in contact with another portion; or the referenced portion on top of another portion with one or more intermediate portions therebetween. Stating that any part is in contact with another part means that there is no intermediate part between the two parts.

The descriptors "first", "second", "third", etc. are used herein when identifying a plurality of elements or components that may be referenced individually. Unless otherwise specified or understood based on its context of use, such descriptors are not intended to give any meaning in priority, physical order, or arrangement or chronological order in a list, but merely serve as labels individually referenced to facilitate understanding of the various elements or components of the disclosed examples. In some examples, the descriptor "first" may be used to refer to an element in the detailed description, while a different descriptor, such as "second" or "third," may be used in the claims to refer to the same element. In such cases, it should be understood that such descriptors are used merely for ease of reference to multiple elements or components.

Detailed Description

Various terms are used herein to describe the orientation of features. As used herein, the term "vertical" refers to a direction normal to the ground (e.g., the driving surface of a vehicle, etc.). As used herein, the term "horizontal" refers to a direction parallel to the direction of travel of the vehicle. As used herein, the term "lateral" refers to a direction orthogonal to the vertical and horizontal directions. As used herein, the orientation of features, forces, and moments is described with reference to the vertical, horizontal, and lateral axes of the vehicle associated with those features, forces, and moments.

Many vehicle hitches are designed to be unique to each vehicle model, and thus, the hitches may be required to have unique shapes and portions that are unique to each vehicle model. The design variations of the hitch between vehicle models can be attributed to the shape of the rear bumper housing, the packing requirements of the spare tire, the floor height, the frame rail spacing, etc. These changes in the hanger design increase the difficulty of packaging the force sensing elements (e.g., one or more pins, one or more strain gauges, etc.) into the hanger. For example, each hanger design may require a specially designed force sensing element, which may increase manufacturing costs and reduce the availability of spare parts. Additionally, in some examples, hangers that include force sensing elements require significant packaging area, which may negatively impact vehicle length, vehicle departure angle (clearance angle), and spare tire placement. Thus, for some vehicle configurations, it may not be possible to package the force sensing element proximate to the receiver tube of the hitch (e.g., above the receiver tube, below the receiver tube, within the receiver tube, etc.).

In some examples disclosed herein, the load sensing pin is used to determine a load condition of the trailer on the vehicle. Other load sensing elements, such as pressure sensors, piezoelectric sensors, etc., are specifically tailored to the hitch (e.g., hitch ball diameter, etc.) or the interaction between the vehicle and the trailer (e.g., ride height difference between the vehicle and the trailer, etc.). Because hitch ball diameter and/or drawbar length vary with the coupled trailer, the use of pressure sensors and piezoelectric sensors may be impractical. Accordingly, examples disclosed herein include load sensing pins that may be implemented on any vehicle and trailer configuration.

Examples disclosed herein address the above issues by determining a load condition of a trailer hitch receiver using a plurality of sensor pins that couple a trailer hitch to a frame of a vehicle. In some examples disclosed herein, two symmetrical pin assemblies are coupled to the frame on opposite sides of the vehicle (e.g., passenger side, driver side, etc.). In some examples disclosed herein, each pin assembly includes two pins that act as the sole load path between the hitch and the vehicle frame. In some examples disclosed herein, the pins of each pin assembly are orthogonally oriented with respect to each other. In some examples disclosed herein, the configuration of the sensor pin enables determination of the load condition experienced at the hitch without determining the geometry of a tow element coupled with the hitch and/or the position of the hitch ball. In some examples disclosed herein, the pin assembly replaces a bracket that couples the hitch member to the vehicle frame.

FIG. 1A illustrates an exemplary vehicle 100 including an exemplary hitch 101 and an exemplary load manager 102, which load manager 102 may be used to implement the examples disclosed herein. In the illustrated example of fig. 1A, hitch 101 includes an exemplary receiving tube 104, an exemplary cross bar 106, and an exemplary chain bracket 108. The load manager 102 is communicatively coupled to at least one of an example display 110 and an example camera 112.

In the illustrated example of fig. 1A, a vehicle 100 may tow a trailer coupled to the vehicle 100 via an exemplary hitch 101. For example, the tow ball may be coupled to the hitch 101 via a receiving tube 104. The coupled tow ball enables the trailer to be pivotally coupled to the hitch 101. In the example shown, the vehicle 100 is a consumer automobile. In other examples, the vehicle 100 may be a commercial truck, motorcycle, motorized trolley, all-terrain vehicle, motorized scooter, locomotive, or any other vehicle.

The load manager 102 receives load information (e.g., force, torque, etc.) from the sensor pins of the hitch 101. In some examples, load manager 102 may analyze the received load information to determine a load condition of vehicle 100 and/or hitch 101. For example, load manager 102 may determine vertical load conditions (e.g., load conditions in a direction orthogonal to the ground), horizontal load conditions (e.g., load conditions in a direction parallel to receiver tubes 104, etc.), and/or lateral load conditions (e.g., load conditions in a direction parallel to cross-bars 106, etc.). In some examples, if the load condition satisfies a warning threshold, the load manager 102 may generate a warning to indicate to a user of the vehicle 100 that the vehicle 100 is improperly loaded.

The cross-bar 106 is a structural element that transfers the load applied at the receiver tube 104 to the vehicle 100. In the example shown, the cross-bar 106 has a quadrilateral cross-section. In other examples, the example crossbar 106 may have any other suitable cross-section (e.g., polygonal, circular, oval, etc.). In the example shown, the example crossbar 106 is a single continuous tube. In other examples, cross-bar 106 may be two tubes bisected by receiving tube 104 and/or an assembly coupled to receiving tube 104.

Chain bracket 108 serves as a redundant attachment point between hitch 101 and the coupled trailer. For example, one or more chains or similar mechanical elements may be coupled to the hitch 101 and the chain bracket 108. In operation, if the primary coupling between the trailer and the hitch 101 (e.g., coupling via the receiver tube 104, etc.) fails, the one or more chains prevent the trailer from disengaging from the hitch 101.

The load manager 102 may be communicatively coupled to an exemplary display 110. In some examples, the display 110 may be internal to the vehicle 100 (e.g., dashboard display, overhead display, etc.). Additionally or alternatively, the display 110 may be included in a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone, tablet, smart watch, etc.) of an operator or passenger of the vehicle 100. In some examples, the display 110 may present (e.g., display, etc.) the load condition determined by the load manager 102. In some examples, when the load condition satisfies the warning threshold, the display 110 may present (e.g., display, etc.) a warning to a user of the vehicle 100. Additionally or alternatively, the alert may be presented via a speaker associated with the display 110.

In the illustrated example of fig. 1A, the load manager 102 is additionally coupled to a camera 112. In some examples, the camera 112 is mounted on an exterior surface of the vehicle 100 (e.g., the camera 112 is a reverse-assist camera, etc.). In other examples, camera 112 may be coupled to (disposed within) hitch 101 and/or any other suitable location of vehicle 100. In some examples, the output of the camera 112 may be used to determine the orientation of a trailer coupled to the hitch 101.

FIG. 1B is a block diagram of the example load manager of FIG. 1A. In the illustrated example of fig. 1B, the load manager 102 includes an example sensor interface 114, an example load determiner 116, and an example vehicle interface 118.

The example sensor interface 114 receives data from the pins of the hitch 101, the camera 112, and/or any other component of the vehicle 100 and/or the hitch 101. In some examples, the sensor interface 114 may convert data received from the component into a numerical form (e.g., a human-readable form, etc.). For example, if the load sensing pin outputs an analog signal (e.g., an analog voltage, an analog current, etc.), the sensor interface 114 may convert the received data to a value corresponding to the load detected by the hitch 101.

The example load determiner 116 analyzes one or more received load signals received by the sensor interface 114 to determine a vertical load condition of the vehicle 100, a horizontal load condition of the vehicle 100, and/or a lateral load condition of the vehicle 100. For example, the load determiner 116 may determine the load condition of the vehicle 100 using static balance analysis (e.g., force balance, moment balance, etc.). In some examples, the load determiner 116 may determine whether at least one of the load conditions satisfies a warning threshold. In some examples, the warning threshold corresponds to an incorrect (e.g., mis-loaded, out-of-balance, etc.) load condition.

The example vehicle interface 118 generates a notification to be presented to a user of the vehicle 100. For example, if the load determiner 116 determines that a warning threshold is met, the vehicle interface 118 may generate a warning. In some examples, the vehicle interface 118 may generate a visual alert to be presented to the user via the display 110. Additionally or alternatively, the vehicle interface 118 may generate an audible alert to be presented to the user (e.g., the alert may be presented through a speaker of the vehicle 100, a mobile device of the user, etc.). In some examples, the vehicle interface 118 may generate instructions that indicate to a user how to correct the load condition. In some examples, the vehicle interface 118 may enable the load manager to receive data from the vehicle. For example, the vehicle interface 118 may receive tow bar dimensions from the vehicle 100 (e.g., input by a user into an interface of the vehicle 100, etc.). In some examples, the vehicle interface 118 may receive data from sensors (e.g., accelerometers, ride height sensors, etc.) associated with the vehicle 100. In such examples, the load determiner 116 may also base the load condition on data from other sensors of the vehicle 100 and/or the position and geometry of the coupled tow bar/trailer ball.

Although an example manner of implementing the load manager 102 of fig. 1A is shown in fig. 1B, one or more of the elements, processes, and/or devices shown in fig. 1B may be combined, divided, rearranged, omitted, eliminated, and/or implemented in any other way. Further, the example sensor interface 114, the example load determiner 116, and the example vehicle interface 118 and/or, more generally, the example load manager 102 of FIG. 1B may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, and/or any combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware. Thus, for example, any of the example sensor interface 114, the example load determiner 116, and the example vehicle interface 118, and/or more generally the example load manager 102, may be implemented by one or more analog or digital circuits, logic circuits, programmable processors, programmable controllers, one or more Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), one or more Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), one or more Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs), and/or one or more Field Programmable Logic Devices (FPLDs). At least one of the example sensor interface 114, the example load determiner 116, and the example vehicle interface 118 are hereby expressly defined to include a non-transitory computer-readable storage device or storage disk, such as a memory, a Digital Versatile Disk (DVD), a Compact Disk (CD), a blu-ray disk, etc. (including software and/or firmware), when reading any of the device or system claims herein covering purely software and/or firmware implementations. Still further, the example load manager 102 of fig. 1A and 1B may also include one or more elements, processes, and/or devices in addition to or in place of those shown in fig. 1B, and/or may include more than one of any or all of the illustrated elements, processes, and devices. As used herein, the phrase "communicate" (including variations thereof) encompasses direct communication and/or indirect communication via one or more intermediate components, and does not require direct physical (e.g., wired) communication and/or continuous communication, but additionally includes selective communication occurring at periodic intervals, scheduled intervals, aperiodic intervals, and/or one-time events.

Fig. 2 illustrates a top view of the hanger 101 of fig. 1 in which examples disclosed herein may be implemented. In the example shown, the clevis 101 includes an example receiving tube 104, an example crossbar 106, an example first load block 204A, an example second load block 204B, an example first pin 206, an example second pin 208, an example third pin 210, and an example fourth pin 212.

The load blocks 204A, 204B transfer loads from the crossbars (e.g., from a coupled trailer, etc.) to the frame via pins 206, 208, 210, 212. In the example shown, the load blocks 204A, 204B are coupled to the cross-bar 106 via welding. In other examples, the load blocks 204A, 204B may be coupled to the crossbar via any other suitable means (e.g., fasteners, press fit, etc.). In the example shown, the load blocks 204A, 204B are constructed of cast iron. In other examples, the load blocks 204A, 204B may be any other suitable material or combination thereof (e.g., aluminum, steel, plastic, ceramic, etc.). In some examples, the load blocks 204A, 204B are manufactured via stamping. In other examples, the load blocks 204A, 204B may be manufactured via any suitable manufacturing method or combination thereof (e.g., welding, casting, extrusion, etc.). Although one exemplary embodiment of a load block is shown in fig. 2, the load blocks 204A, 204B may have any other suitable shape and/or size, etc.

In the illustrated example of fig. 2, the first and second pins 206, 208 are oriented parallel to the crossbar (e.g., lateral direction, etc.), and the third and fourth pins 210, 212 are oriented parallel to the direction of travel of the vehicle (e.g., horizontal direction, etc.). In the illustrated example of fig. 2, the pins 206, 208, 210, 212 are load sensing pins. In some examples, the pins 206, 208, 210, 212 act as cylindrical gimbals (e.g., constrain two translational and two rotational degrees of freedom, etc.) and are unable to detect loads applied in the same direction as their orientation. In this way, the first and second pins 206, 208 do not measure forces applied in the lateral direction, and the third and fourth pins 210, 212 do not measure forces applied in the horizontal direction. In some examples, some or all of the pins 206, 208, 210, 212 do not include sensor elements. For example, one of the horizontal pins (e.g., pins 210, 212, etc.) may not include a sensor element and/or one of the lateral pins may not include a sensor element. In such examples, load manager 102 may use additional parameters to calculate the load condition of hitch 101 (e.g., the position of a hitch ball, etc.). In other examples, load manager 102 may be calibrated during manufacturing to determine a load condition of hitch 101 using a pin including a sensor element. In some examples, load manager 102 may calculate the load condition based on an assumption that the load is evenly distributed between first load block 204A and second load block 204B.

Pins 206, 208, 210, 212 are disposed within hanger 101. In the illustrated example of fig. 2, the pins 206, 208, 210, 212 have a circular cross-section. In other examples, the pins 206, 208, 210, 212 may have any other suitable cross-sectional shape (e.g., a square cross-section, an oblong cross-section, etc.). In some examples, first pin 206, second pin 208, third pin 210, and/or fourth pin 212 may have a hollow cross-section. In other examples, any or all of the pins 206, 208, 210, 212 may have any other suitable cross-section (e.g., solid, etc.). In some examples, the diameter of pins 206, 208, 210, 212 may vary depending on the load rating of clevis 101. For example, if the hitch 101 is designed to tow a relatively heavy load, the pins 206, 208, 210, 212 may have a suitably large diameter. In some examples, to achieve modularity of clevis 101, the diameter and/or length of pins 206, 208, 210, 212 may be incremented and selected based on the towing capacity of clevis 101 (e.g., a clevis with greater towing capacity may use pins with larger diameters, etc.).

In the example shown, first pin 206, second pin 208, third pin 210, and/or fourth pin 212 have the same shape and diameter. In some examples, each of the pins 206, 208, 210, 212 is composed of a ferrous material (e.g., high strength steel, etc.). In other examples, any or all of the pins 206, 208, 210, 212 may be constructed of any other suitable material. In some examples, first pin 206, second pin 208, third pin 210, and/or fourth pin 212 may have different diameters, lengths, cross-sections, and/or load ratings. In some examples, some or all of first pin 206, second pin 208, third pin 210, and/or fourth pin 212 may have additional sensors (e.g., accelerometers, temperature sensors, magnetic traction sensors, etc.).

Fig. 3 shows a side view of the load block 204A of fig. 1-2. In the illustrated example of fig. 3, first pin 206 is inserted into load block 204A via an example first opening 302 in an example first mounting lug 304. In the illustrated example of fig. 3, third pin 210 is inserted into load block 204A via an example second opening 306 in an example second mounting lug 308.

In the illustrated example of fig. 3, mounting lugs 306, 308 extend from the base of load block 204A. In some examples, the mounting lugs 306, 308 and the load block 204A are integral parts. In other examples, the mounting lugs 306, 308 are separate parts that are coupled to the load block 204A (e.g., via welding, via press-fit, etc.). In the illustrated example of fig. 3, the pins 206, 210 are in substantially the same vertical position. In the illustrated example of fig. 3, the opening 206 is oriented along a lateral axis and the opening 210 is oriented along a horizontal axis.

Fig. 4 illustrates an isometric view of a pin housing assembly 401 coupled to the cross-bar 106 and the example frame 402 of fig. 1 and 2. Exemplary pin housing assembly 401 includes first load block 204A, first pin 206, third pin 210, and exemplary pin support 404. Exemplary pin housing assembly 401 is coupled to crossbar 106 via exemplary first connection 406. Exemplary pin housing assembly 401 is also coupled to frame 402 via an exemplary third connection 408. Exemplary pin support 404 includes an exemplary first opening 410 and an exemplary second opening 412.

The pin support 404 is coupled to the load block 204A via the first pin 206 and the third pin 210. In the illustrated example of fig. 4, the pin support 404 serves as a load path between the load block 204A and the frame 402. For example, a load applied to crossbar 106 (e.g., via a trailer coupled to hitch 101, etc.) is transferred to frame 402 via a load path that includes crossbar 106, load block 204A, pins 206, 210, and pin support 404 in sequence. In such examples, all loads transferred to frame 402 may be measured by the pins (e.g., pins 206, 208, 210, 212, etc.) of hitch 101. In the illustrated example of fig. 4, the first pin 206 is coupled to the pin support 404 via a first opening 410. In this manner, when first pin 206 is inserted into load block 204A and pin support 404 via first opening 410, opening 410 enables first pin 206, load block 204A, and pin support 404 to act as a clevis. In the illustrated example of fig. 4, third pin 210 is coupled to pin support 404 via second opening 412. In this manner, second opening 412 enables third pin 210, load block 204A, and pin support 404 to act as a clevis when first pin 206 is inserted into load block 204A and pin support 404 via second opening 412.

In the illustrated example of fig. 4, the pin support 404 is constructed of cast iron. In other examples, the pin support 404 may be constructed of any other suitable material or combination thereof (e.g., aluminum, steel, plastic, ceramic, etc.). In some examples, pin support 404 is manufactured via stamping. In other examples, the pin support 404 may be manufactured via any suitable manufacturing method or combination thereof (e.g., welding, casting, extrusion, etc.). Although one exemplary embodiment of pin support 404 is shown in fig. 2, pin support 404 may have any other suitable shape, configuration, size, etc.

Fig. 5 is a top view of hitch 101, illustrating an exemplary load condition 500 associated with a trailer on hitch 101 and corresponding reaction forces on pins 206, 208, 210, 212. In the illustrated example of fig. 5, the load condition 500 is based on a load applied to an exemplary hitch ball 502, where the load is transferred to the vehicle frame via 206, 208, 210, 212. In the illustrated example, load condition 500 is based in part on exemplary lateral load 504 and exemplary horizontal load 506 applied at hitch ball 502, exemplary first horizontal reaction load 508 applied at first pin 206, exemplary second horizontal reaction load 510 applied at second pin 208, exemplary first lateral reaction load 512 applied at third pin 210, and exemplary second lateral reaction load 514 applied at fourth pin 212.

In the example shown, the first pin 206 reacts (e.g., bears, etc.) the example first horizontal reaction load 508. In the example shown, the second pin 208 reacts (e.g., carries, etc.) the example second horizontal reaction load 510. In the example shown, the third pin 210 reacts (e.g., carries, etc.) the example first lateral reaction load 512. In the example shown, the fourth pin 212 reacts (e.g., carries, etc.) the example second lateral reaction load 514. In the example shown, the first and second pins 206, 208 do not react (e.g., carry, etc.) lateral reaction loads because the pins 206, 208 are oriented in a lateral direction (e.g., the central axes of the first and second pins 206, 208 are oriented in a lateral direction, etc.). In some examples, the third and fourth pins 210, 212 do not react (e.g., carry, etc.) horizontal reaction loads because the pins 210, 212 are oriented in a horizontal direction (e.g., the central axes of the third and fourth pins 210, 212 are oriented in a horizontal direction, etc.).

The load manager 102 may use a static balance analysis (e.g., torque balance, force balance, etc.) to determine the magnitude of the applied loads 504, 506. For example, the applied lateral load 504 may be calculated using equation (1):

∑F_y＝R_y1+R_y2-F_ty＝0 (1)

where Σ F_yIs the sum of forces in the transverse direction, F_tyIs an applied transverse load 504, R_y1Is the first lateral reaction load 512, and R_y2Is the second lateral reaction load 514. In this example, the applied lateral load 504 is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the sum of the lateral reaction loads 512, 514. Similarly, the applied horizontal load 506 may be determined using static analysis using equation (2):

∑F_x＝R_x1+R_x2-F_tx＝0 (2)

where Σ F_xIs the sum of the forces in the horizontal direction, F_txIs an applied horizontal load 506, R_x1Is the first level reaction load 508, and R_x2Is a second horizontal reaction load 510. In this example, the applied horizontal load 506 is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the horizontal reaction loads 508, 510.

Fig. 6 is an exemplary side view of hitch 101, further illustrating an exemplary load condition 500 associated with a trailer on hitch ball 502. In the illustrated example of fig. 6, the load condition 500 is based on a load applied to the example hitch ball 502, where the load is transferred to the vehicle frame via the pins 206, 208, 210, 212. In the example shown, load condition 500 is based on an example applied vertical load 604 applied at hitch ball 502, an example first vertical reaction load 606 applied at first pin 206, and an example second vertical reaction load 608 at third pin 210. In the illustrated example of fig. 6, the second and fourth pins 208, 212 (e.g., pins coupled to the second load block 204B, etc.) are not shown, but they still react (e.g., carry, etc.) a portion (e.g., equal portion, etc.) of the applied vertical load 604.

The load manager 102 may use a static balance analysis (e.g., torque balance, force balance, etc.) to determine the magnitude of the applied vertical load 604. For example, the applied vertical load 604 may be calculated using equation (3):

∑F_z＝2(R_z4-R_z1)-F_ty＝0 (3)

where Σ F_zIs the sum of the forces in the vertical direction, F_tzIs the vertical load 604, R applied_z1Is the first level reaction load 508, and R_z2Is the second vertical reaction load 608. In this example, because clevis 101 is symmetrical about receiving tube 104, it may be assumed that first vertical reaction load 606 acting on first pin 206 is equal to the vertical reaction load acting on second pin 208. Similarly, it may be assumed that the second vertical reaction load 608 acting on the fourth pin 212 is equal to the vertical reaction load acting on the third pin 210. In this regard, the load manager 102 may determine that the applied vertical load 604 is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to twice the difference between the vertical reaction loads 606, 608. In other examples, the load manager 102 may determine the applied vertical load 604 by summing the vertical loads of each of the pins 206, 208, 210, 212. In other examples, the load manager 102 may determine the applied vertical load 604 based on a calibration factor determined during assembly (e.g., to account for manufacturing variances, etc.). In such examples, the load manager 102 may determine the vertical load 604 using a force averaging algorithm.

In some examples, some of the pins 206, 208, 210, 212 may not include sensor elements. In such examples, the load manager 102 may also determine the load condition based on the position of the hitch ball 502 relative to the pins 206, 208, 210, 212. Additionally or alternatively, the load manager 102 may incorporate rear view camera data to help determine the applied loads 504, 506. In such examples, the location of the applied load (e.g., the hitch ball 502) may be determined via the rear-view camera data. In some examples, coupling some of the pins 206, 208, 210, 212 to the load blocks 204A, 204B may prevent the pins 206, 208, 210, 212 from carrying forces in a particular direction (e.g., a lateral direction, a horizontal direction, a vertical direction, etc.). For example, the interfaces between some of the pins 206, 208, 210, 212 and the load blocks 204A, 204B may be oval (e.g., elliptical, etc.) to prevent contact between a portion of the pins 206, 208, 210, 212 and the load blocks 204A, 204B, and thus prevent the pins 206, 208, 210, 212 from carrying a load in a corresponding direction. Additionally or alternatively, the load manager 102 may determine the load condition based on sensor data from one of the pins 206, 208 and one of the pins 210, 212. In such examples, load manager 102 may base this determination on the assumption that the load associated with hitch ball 502 is evenly distributed between the driver side and the passenger side of hitch 101. In some such examples, the load manager 102 may further base the load condition on determining a calibration factor to account for manufacturing tolerances during manufacturing.

A flowchart representative of an exemplary method, hardware-implemented state machine, and/or any combination thereof for implementing the load manager 102 of fig. 1A and 1B is shown in fig. 7. The method may be an executable program or a portion of an executable program for execution by a computer processor, such as the processor 812 shown in the exemplary processor platform 800 discussed below in connection with fig. 8. The program may be embodied in software stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium such as a CD-ROM, a floppy disk, a hard drive, a DVD, a blu-ray disk, or a memory associated with the processor 812, but the entire program and/or parts thereof could alternatively be executed by a device other than the processor 812 and/or embodied in firmware or dedicated hardware. Further, although the example program is described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 7, many other methods of implementing the example load manager 102 may alternatively be used. For example, the order of execution of the blocks may be changed, and/or some of the blocks described may be changed, eliminated, or combined. Additionally or alternatively, any or all of the blocks may be implemented by one or more hardware circuits (e.g., discrete and/or integrated analog and/or digital circuits, Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), comparators, operational amplifiers (op-amps), logic circuits, etc.) structured to perform corresponding operations without the execution of software or firmware.

As mentioned above, the example method 700 of fig. 7 may be implemented using executable instructions (e.g., computer and/or machine readable instructions) stored on a non-transitory computer and/or machine readable medium such as a hard disk drive, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a compact disk, a digital versatile disk, a cache, a random-access memory, and/or any other storage device or storage disk in which information is stored for any duration (e.g., for extended periods of time, permanently, for brief instances, for temporarily buffering, and/or for caching of the information). As used herein, the term non-transitory computer readable medium is expressly defined to include any type of computer readable storage and/or storage disk and to exclude propagating signals and to exclude transmission media.

The terms "comprising" and "including" (and all forms and tenses thereof) are used herein as open-ended terms. Thus, whenever the claims use any form of "including" or "comprising" (e.g., including, comprising, encompassing, containing, having, etc.) as a preface or in any kind of claim recitation, it should be understood that additional elements, items, etc. may be present without departing from the scope of the corresponding claims or recitation. As used herein, the phrase "at least" when used as a transitional term in the preamble of a claim is an open-ended term in the same way that the terms "comprising" and "including" are open-ended terms. The term "and/or," when used, for example, in a form such as A, B and/or C, refers to any combination or subset of A, B, C, such as (1) a only, (2) B only, (3) C only, (4) a and B, (5) a and C, (6) B and C, and (7) a and B and a and C. As used herein in the context of describing structures, components, articles, objects, and/or things, the phrase "at least one of a and B" is intended to refer to embodiments that include (1) at least one a, (2) at least one B, and (3) any of at least one a and at least one B. Similarly, as used herein in the context of describing structures, components, articles, objects, and/or things, the phrase "at least one of a or B" is intended to refer to embodiments that include (1) at least one a, (2) at least one B, and (3) any of at least one a and at least one B. As used herein in the context of describing the performance or execution of processes, instructions, actions, activities, and/or steps, the phrase "at least one of a and B" is intended to refer to embodiments that include (1) at least one a, (2) at least one B, and (3) any of at least one a and at least one B. Similarly, as used herein in the context of describing the performance or execution of processes, instructions, actions, activities, and/or steps, the phrase "at least one of a or B" is intended to refer to embodiments that include (1) at least one a, (2) at least one B, and (3) any of at least one a and at least one B.

The method 700 of fig. 7 begins at block 702. At block 702, the sensor interface 114 receives load data from the first pin 206, the second pin 208, the third pin 210, and/or the fourth pin 212. For example, the sensor interface 114 may receive data in an analog format (e.g., voltage, etc.) from the first pin 206, the second pin 208, the third pin 210, and/or the fourth pin 212. In this example, the sensor interface 114 converts the analog format to a digital value (e.g., force, pressure, etc.).

At block 704, load determiner 116 determines a load condition of hitch 101 based on data from first pin 206, second pin 208, third pin 210, and/or fourth pin 212. For example, load determiner 116 may use static balance analysis to determine a load condition on hitch 101. For example, the load determiner 116 may determine the load condition using equations (1) through (3). In some examples, the load determiner 116 may determine at least one of a vertical load condition, a horizontal load condition, and/or a lateral load condition. In such examples, the load determiner 116 may determine the load condition using any other suitable manner.

At block 706, the load determiner 116 determines whether the load condition satisfies a warning threshold. In some examples, the warning threshold may correspond to an incorrect (e.g., mis-loaded, unbalanced, etc.) loading condition. If the load determiner 116 determines that the load condition satisfies the warning threshold, the method 700 proceeds to block 710. If the load determiner 116 determines that the load condition does not meet the warning threshold, the method 700 proceeds to block 712.

At block 708, the load determiner 116 generates an alert. For example, the load determiner 116 may generate an audio alert, a visual alert, or the like. In some examples, the load determiner 116 may generate an alert that includes a description of the load condition that triggered the alert. In some examples, the load determiner 116 may generate instructions indicating how to correct the load condition.

At block 710, the example vehicle interface 118 presents a load condition and/or warning. For example, the vehicle interface 118 may cause the vehicle 100 to present a load condition and/or warning. For example, the vehicle interface 118 may cause the example display 110 to present the generated warning to a user of the vehicle 100.

Fig. 8 is a block diagram of an example processor platform 800 structured to perform method 600 of fig. 6 to implement load manager 102 of fig. 1B. The processor platform 800 may be, for example, a server, a personal computer, a workstation, a self-learning machine (e.g., a neural network), a mobile device (e.g., a cell phone, a smart phone, such as an iPad), a mobile device, a^TM) A tablet computer), a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), an internet appliance, a DVD player, a CD player, a digital video recorder, a blu-ray player, a headset or other wearable device, or any other type of computing device.

The processor platform 800 of the illustrated example includes a processor 812. The processor 812 of the illustrated example is hardware. For example, the processor 812 may be implemented by one or more integrated circuits, logic circuits, microprocessors, GPUs, DSPs, or controllers from any desired family or manufacturer. The hardware processor may be a semiconductor-based (e.g., silicon-based) device. In this example, the processor implements the example load determiner 116.

The processor 812 of the illustrated example includes local memory 813 (e.g., cache memory)Stored). The processor 812 of the illustrated example communicates with a main memory including a volatile memory 814 and a non-volatile memory 816 via a bus 818. The volatile memory 814 may be comprised of Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM), Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM),Dynamic random access memoryAnd/or any other type of random access memory device. The non-volatile memory 816 may be implemented by flash memory and/or any other desired type of memory device. Access to the main memory 814, 816 is controlled by a memory controller.

The processor platform 800 of the illustrated example also includes an interface circuit 820. The interface circuit 820 may be implemented by any type of interface standard, such as an Ethernet interface, Universal Serial Bus (USB), or a USB interface,An interface, a Near Field Communication (NFC) interface, and/or a PCI express interface.

In the example shown, one or more input devices 822 are connected to the interface circuit 820. One or more input devices 822 permit a user to enter data and/or commands into the processor 812. The one or more input devices may be implemented by, for example, an audio sensor, a microphone, a camera (still or video), a keyboard, buttons, a mouse, a touch screen, a track pad, a trackball, an isocenter, and/or a voice recognition system.

One or more output devices 824 are also connected to the interface circuit 820 of the illustrated example. The output devices 824 may be implemented, for example, by display devices (e.g., Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs), Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs), cathode ray tube displays (CRTs), in-plane switching (IPS) displays, touch screens, etc.), tactile output devices, printers, and/or speakers. Thus, the interface circuit 820 of the illustrated example generally includes a graphics driver card, a graphics driver chip, and/or a graphics driver processor.

The interface circuit 820 of the illustrated example also includes a communication device, such as a transmitter, receiver, transceiver, modem, resident gateway, wireless access point, and/or network interface to facilitate exchange of data with external machines (e.g., any type of computing device) via a network 826. The communication may be via, for example, an ethernet connection, a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connection, a telephone line connection, a coaxial cable system, a satellite system, a line-to-line wireless system, a cellular telephone system, or the like. In this example, the interface circuit 820 implements the example sensor interface 114 and the example vehicle interface 118.

The processor platform 800 of the illustrated example also includes one or more mass storage devices 828 for storing software and/or data. Examples of such mass storage devices 828 include floppy disk drives, hard disk drives, optical disk drives, blu-ray disk drives, Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) systems, and Digital Versatile Disk (DVD) drives.

The machine-executable instructions 832 of fig. 8 may be stored in mass storage 828, in volatile memory 814, in non-volatile memory 816, and/or on a removable non-transitory computer-readable storage medium such as a CD or DVD.

Example methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture for a hitch including a plurality of pins coupled to an outboard frame are disclosed herein. Other examples and combinations thereof include the following:

example 1 includes an apparatus, comprising: a hitch comprising a first pin, a second pin parallel to the first pin, a third pin orthogonal to the first pin, and a fourth pin parallel to the third pin, wherein the first pin, the second pin, the third pin, and the fourth pin are used to couple the hitch to a frame of a vehicle; and a load manager to determine a load condition based on sensor data from at least one of the first pin, the second pin, the third pin, or the fourth pin.

Example 2 includes the apparatus of example 1, wherein the first pin and the third pin are disposed within a first assembly, and the second pin and the fourth pin are disposed within a second assembly.

Example 3 includes the apparatus of example 2, wherein the first assembly is to be disposed on a driver side of the vehicle and the second assembly is to be disposed on a passenger side of the vehicle.

Example 4 includes the apparatus of example 2, further comprising a cross-bar extending between the first assembly and the second assembly.

Example 5 includes the apparatus of example 1, further comprising a receiving tube, the load condition based on a trailer coupled to the apparatus via the receiving tube.

Example 6 includes the apparatus of example 5, wherein the first pin and the second pin are parallel to the receiving tube.

Example 7 includes the apparatus of example 1, wherein at least one of the first pin, the second pin, the third pin, and the fourth pin includes at least one force sensor.

Example 8 includes the apparatus of example 1, wherein the first pin and the second pin are at a first horizontal position and the third pin and the fourth pin are at a second horizontal position.

Example 9 includes the apparatus of example 8, wherein the first horizontal position is closer to a front of the vehicle than the second horizontal position.

Example 10 includes an apparatus, comprising: a load block; a first mounting lug extending from the load block; a second mounting lug extending from the load block; a pin adapter for coupling to a vehicle frame; a first pin coupled to the pin adapter and the first mounting lug; and a second pin coupled to the pin adapter and the second mounting lug.

Example 11 includes the apparatus of example 10, wherein the first pin is orthogonal to the second pin.

Example 12 includes the apparatus of example 11, wherein the first pin is oriented along a lateral axis and the second pin is oriented along a horizontal axis.

Example 13 includes the apparatus of example 11, wherein the first pin, the first mounting lug, and the pin adapter form a first clevis, and the second pin, the second mounting lug, and the pin adapter form a second clevis.

Example 14 includes the apparatus of example 10, wherein the first pin is disposed closer to a front of the frame than the second pin.

Example 15 includes the apparatus of example 10, wherein at least one of the first pin or the second pin includes a sensor.

Example 16 includes the apparatus of example 10, wherein the load block includes an opening to receive an end of the crossbar.

Example 17 includes a method, comprising: determining a load condition of a hitch based on data received from at least one of a first pin, a second pin, a third pin, or a fourth pin of the hitch, the first pin, the second pin, the third pin, and the fourth pin forming a load path between the hitch and a frame of a vehicle, the first pin being parallel to the second pin, the first pin being orthogonal to the third pin; and in response to the load condition satisfying a warning threshold, warning a user of the load condition.

Example 18 includes the method of example 17, wherein the first pin and the second pin are disposed on a driver side of the frame, and the third pin and the fourth pin are disposed on a passenger side of the frame.

Example 19 includes the method of example 17, wherein the load condition is based on a trailer coupled to a receiving pipe of the hitch.

Example 20 includes the method of example 17, wherein the first and second pins are at a first horizontal position and the third and fourth pins are at a second horizontal position, the first horizontal position being closer to a front of the vehicle than the second horizontal position.

Although certain example methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture have been disclosed herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scope of the appended claims of this patent.

According to the present invention, there is provided an apparatus having: a hanging member, the hanging member includes: a first pin; a second pin parallel to the first pin; a third pin orthogonal to the first pin; and a fourth pin parallel to the third pin, wherein the first pin, the second pin, the third pin, and the fourth pin are used to couple the hitch to a frame of a vehicle; and a load manager to determine a load condition based on sensor data from at least one of the first pin, the second pin, the third pin, or the fourth pin.

According to one embodiment, the first and third pins are disposed within a first assembly and the second and fourth pins are disposed within a second assembly.

According to one embodiment, the first assembly is to be arranged on a driver side of the vehicle and the second assembly is to be arranged on a passenger side of the vehicle.

According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized by a cross-bar extending between the first assembly and the second assembly.

According to one embodiment, the above invention is further characterized by a receiving pipe, the load condition being based on a trailer coupled to the equipment via the receiving pipe.

According to one embodiment, the first pin and the second pin are parallel to the receiving tube.

According to one embodiment, at least one of the first pin, the second pin, the third pin and the fourth pin comprises at least one force sensor.

According to one embodiment, the first and second pins are at a first horizontal position and the third and fourth pins are at a second horizontal position.

According to one embodiment, the first level is closer to the front of the vehicle than the second level.

According to the present invention, there is provided an apparatus having: a load block; a first mounting lug extending from the load block; a second mounting lug extending from the load block; a pin adapter for coupling to a vehicle frame; a first pin coupled to the pin adapter and the first mounting lug; and a second pin coupled to the pin adapter and the second mounting lug.

According to one embodiment, the first pin is orthogonal to the second pin.

According to one embodiment, the first pin is oriented along a lateral axis and the second pin is oriented along a horizontal axis.

According to one embodiment, the first pin, the first mounting lug, and the pin adapter form a first clevis, and the second pin, the second mounting lug, and the pin adapter form a second clevis.

According to one embodiment, the first pin is closer to the front of the frame than the second pin.

According to one embodiment, at least one of the first pin or the second pin comprises a sensor.

According to one embodiment, the load block includes an opening to receive an end of the crossbar.

According to the invention, a method comprises: determining a load condition of a hitch based on data received from at least one of a first pin, a second pin, a third pin, or a fourth pin of the hitch, the first pin, the second pin, the third pin, and the fourth pin forming a load path between the hitch and a frame of a vehicle, the first pin being parallel to the second pin, the first pin being orthogonal to the third pin; and in response to the load condition satisfying a warning threshold, warning a user of the load condition.

According to one embodiment, the first and second pins are disposed on a driver side of the frame and the third and fourth pins are disposed on a passenger side of the frame.

According to one embodiment, the load condition is based on a trailer coupled to a receiving pipe of the hitching member.

According to one embodiment, the first and second pins are at a first horizontal position and the third and fourth pins are at a second horizontal position, the first horizontal position being closer to the front of the vehicle than the second horizontal position.