US3566987A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automatic stability control
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1968-10-08
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Granted: 1971-03-02
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Expires: 1988-10-08
Abstract
Abstract An improved stability control system for towed vehicles to overcome the inherent swaying and swerving tendency by the provision of two sensing units responsive to lateral acceleration, one sensing unit (a ) located in the rear of the towed vehicle and the other sensing unit (b ) located in the front of the towed vehicle or in the prime mover which, when activated by lateral acceleration forces in the prescribed way will automatically cause the brakes of the towed vehicle to be energized and immediately apply corrective action, the prescribed operation is such that when the towed vehicle is disturbed and starts to sway or swerve, sensor (a ) will experience lateral acceleration while sensor ( b ) experiences little or none, this condition will automatically cause the brakes of the towed vehicle to apply corrective action, if sensor ( b ) receives approximately the same lateral acceleration such as in a slow 90* turn or a moderate turn at highway speeds, sensor (b ) will cancel the signal from sensor (a ) thus, eliminating unnecessary braking applications, further if catastrophic conditions exist, such as in a ''''jackknife'''' skid which results in extreme lateral acceleration, sensor (b ) will reinstate the signal from sensor (a ) and provide immediate corrective braking action to the towed vehicle.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard M Franzel
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 15:19
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60T; B60T8/00; B60T8/24; B60T8/246; B60T8/248
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
276 words
Automatic stability control means of imparting automatic stability control to ground vehicle combinations consisting of towed and prime mover mover vehicles to minimize or overcome the inherent undesirable effects of lateral acceleration forces due to swaying or swerving movements imparted to such vehicles in motion, said lateral acceleration forces being induced by material or atmospheric factors acting on the running gear and body thereof, said automatic stability control comprising automatic sensing means consisting of two separate sensors, one said sensor located in said towed vehicle and activated by lateral acceleration forces experienced by said towed vehicle in said motion the other said sensor located in said prime mover and activated by lateral acceleration forces experienced by said prime mover in said motion, said sensing means being in the form of accelerometers mounted in said towed vehicle and said prime mover and activated by said lateral acceleration forces of said vehicle combination in said motion, said accelerometers being connected to braking system of said towed vehicle, whereby when said swaying or swerving lateral acceleration forces are substantially applied only to said towed vehicle in said combination in one direction said accelerometer located on said towed vehicle will instantaneously and automatically energize said braking system of said towed vehicle to minimize or overcome undesirable effects of said lateral acceleration forces, when said lateral acceleration forces are applied to said prime mover and said towed vehicle in said combination in one direction simultaneously said accelerometer located in said prime mover will instantaneously cancel the signal from said accelerometer located in said towed vehicle, thus no said braking acting will occur when said prime mover is experiencing said lateral acceleration.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
276 words
Automatic stability control means of imparting automatic stability control to ground vehicle combinations consisting of towed and prime mover mover vehicles to minimize or overcome the inherent undesirable effects of lateral acceleration forces due to swaying or swerving movements imparted to such vehicles in motion, said lateral acceleration forces being induced by material or atmospheric factors acting on the running gear and body thereof, said automatic stability control comprising automatic sensing means consisting of two separate sensors, one said sensor located in said towed vehicle and activated by lateral acceleration forces experienced by said towed vehicle in said motion the other said sensor located in said prime mover and activated by lateral acceleration forces experienced by said prime mover in said motion, said sensing means being in the form of accelerometers mounted in said towed vehicle and said prime mover and activated by said lateral acceleration forces of said vehicle combination in said motion, said accelerometers being connected to braking system of said towed vehicle, whereby when said swaying or swerving lateral acceleration forces are substantially applied only to said towed vehicle in said combination in one direction said accelerometer located on said towed vehicle will instantaneously and automatically energize said braking system of said towed vehicle to minimize or overcome undesirable effects of said lateral acceleration forces, when said lateral acceleration forces are applied to said prime mover and said towed vehicle in said combination in one direction simultaneously said accelerometer located in said prime mover will instantaneously cancel the signal from said accelerometer located in said towed vehicle, thus no said braking acting will occur when said prime mover is experiencing said lateral acceleration.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
105 words
The structure of claim 1 wherein said sensing means consisting of two separate sensors, one located in said towed vehicle and the other located In said prime mover, is so constructed and arranged wherein said sensor located in said prime mover will cancel the action of said sensor located in said towed vehicle when a given predetermined lateral acceleration force is experienced by said sensor located in said prime mover, and further will reinstate said action of said sensor located in said towed vehicle when a greater given predetermined lateral acceleration force is experienced by said sensor located in said prime mover, substantially as described.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
54 words
The structure of claim 1 wherein said sensor located in said towed vehicle is connected in parallel with a ''''pushbutton'''' type switch located in said prime mover within reach of driver of same and when depressed actuates said corrective braking action thereby permitting evaluation and testing of said automatic stabilization system, substantially as described.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
The structure of claim 1 wherein said accelerometers of the mercury switch type are connected in series with the electric braking system of said towed vehicle via an electric circuit energized by the storage battery of said prime mover or said towed vehicle, substantially as described.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
293 words
Automatic stability control means of imparting automatic stability control to ground vehicle combinations consisting of towed and prime mover vehicles to minimize or overcome the inherent undesirable effects of lateral acceleration forces due to swaying or swerving movement imparted to such vehicles in motion, said lateral acceleration forces being induced by material or atmospheric factors acting on the running gear and body thereof, said automatic stability control comprising automatic sensing means consisting of two separate sensors, one said sensor located in the rear end of said towed vehicle, the other said sensor located in the front end of said towed vehicle, both said sensors activated by said lateral acceleration forces experienced at said locations, said sensing means being in the form of accelerometers mounted in said locations and activated by said lateral acceleration forces of said vehicle combination in said motion, said accelerometers being connected to braking system of said towed vehicle, whereby when said swaying or swerving lateral acceleration forces are substantially applied only to said rear end of said towed vehicle in said combination in one direction, said accelerometer will instantaneously and automatically energize said braking system of said towed vehicle to minimize or overcome undesirable effects of said lateral acceleration forces, when said lateral acceleration forces are applied to said rear end of said towed vehicle and said front end of said towed vehicle in said combination in one direction simultaneously said accelerometer located in said front end of said towed vehicle will instantaneously cancel the signal from said accelerometer located in said rear end of said towed vehicle thus, no said braking action will occur when said rear end of said towed vehicle and said front end of said towed vehicle are experiencing said lateral acceleration in said direction.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
293 words
Automatic stability control means of imparting automatic stability control to ground vehicle combinations consisting of towed and prime mover vehicles to minimize or overcome the inherent undesirable effects of lateral acceleration forces due to swaying or swerving movement imparted to such vehicles in motion, said lateral acceleration forces being induced by material or atmospheric factors acting on the running gear and body thereof, said automatic stability control comprising automatic sensing means consisting of two separate sensors, one said sensor located in the rear end of said towed vehicle, the other said sensor located in the front end of said towed vehicle, both said sensors activated by said lateral acceleration forces experienced at said locations, said sensing means being in the form of accelerometers mounted in said locations and activated by said lateral acceleration forces of said vehicle combination in said motion, said accelerometers being connected to braking system of said towed vehicle, whereby when said swaying or swerving lateral acceleration forces are substantially applied only to said rear end of said towed vehicle in said combination in one direction, said accelerometer will instantaneously and automatically energize said braking system of said towed vehicle to minimize or overcome undesirable effects of said lateral acceleration forces, when said lateral acceleration forces are applied to said rear end of said towed vehicle and said front end of said towed vehicle in said combination in one direction simultaneously said accelerometer located in said front end of said towed vehicle will instantaneously cancel the signal from said accelerometer located in said rear end of said towed vehicle thus, no said braking action will occur when said rear end of said towed vehicle and said front end of said towed vehicle are experiencing said lateral acceleration in said direction.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
133 words
The structure of claim 5, wherein said sensing means consisting of two separate sensors, one located in the rear end of said towed vehicle and the other located in the front end of said towed vehicle, is so constructed and arranged wherein said sensor located in the front end of said towed vehicle will cancel the action of said sensor located in the rear end of said towed vehicle when a given predetermined lateral acceleration force is experienced by said sensor located in the front end of said towed vehicle, and further will reinstate said action of said sensor located in said rear end of said towed vehicle when a greater given predetermined lateral acceleration force is experienced by said sensor located in the front end of said towed vehicle, substantially as described.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
58 words
The structure of claim 5 wherein said sensor located in the rear end of said towed vehicle is connected in parallel with a ''''pushbutton'''' type switch located in said prime mover within reach of driver of same and when depressed actuates said corrective braking action thereby permitting evaluation and testing of said automatic stabilization system, substantially as described.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
46 words
The structure of claim 5 wherein said accelerometers of the mercury switch type are connected in series with the electric braking system of said towed vehicle via an electric circuit energized by the storage battery of said prime mover or said towed vehicle, substantially as described.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-03-01 | 1974-08-31 | 1975-03-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-03-01 | 1978-08-31 | 1979-03-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-03-01 | 1982-08-31 | 1983-03-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |