A magneto-elastically-based active force sensor, used with a tow coupling between a towed and a towing vehicle or a coupling between a vehicle body and a suspension of the vehicle, which outputs a signal useful for determining forces acting on the coupling. The outputted force information may be provided by processor-enabled embedded software algorithms that take inputs from the force sensor and other sensors, may be used by one or more vehicle systems during operating of the vehicle, such as engine, braking, stability, safety, and informational systems. The force sensor includes directionally-sensitive magnetic field sensing elements inside the sensor, and shielding may be used around the sensors to reduce the influence of external magnetic fields on the sensing elements. The force sensor may be used with different tow and vehicle weight sensing coupling devices installed on different types of automobile cars and trucks.

A kingpin for connecting a trailer to a tractor, the kingpin comprising: an integrated sensor arranged to measure a force applied to the kingpin, and a data connection arranged to transmit data of a force measured by the integrated sensor.

Methods and apparatus for a hitch including multiple pins coupled to an outboard frame are disclosed. An apparatus comprising a hitch including a first pin oriented in a first direction and a second pin oriented in a second direction different than the first direction, the first pin and the second pin 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 or the second pin.

A height adjustable hitch receiver is disclosed and described.

A ball mount for measuring tongue weight of a trailer is disclosed. The ball mount can include a ball portion having a hitch ball configured to couple with a tongue of a trailer. The ball mount can also include a hitch portion for interfacing with a hitch receiver associated with a vehicle. In addition, the ball mount can include a load measurement device associated with the ball portion to determine a magnitude of a downward force on the hitch ball. The load measurement device can include a reservoir having a fluid and a piston disposed therein, and a pressure sensor in fluid communication with the reservoir. The hitch ball can be configured to exert a force on the piston, thereby affecting a pressure of the fluid in response to the downward force on the hitch ball.

A trailer hitch system may include a scale ball mount for supporting a hitch ball as part of a trailer hitch system, and for measuring the tongue weight of a trailer. The scale ball mount may comprise a trailer hitch ball mount. In an embodiment, the scale ball mount may include a biasing component disposed below a hitch ball and a gauge for displaying downward force applied at the hitch ball. The biasing component may be a urethane spring. An indicator may be disposed between the biasing component and the hitch ball, and the indicator may be viewable through an opening in the gauge.

A weight distribution hitch system comprising an attachment member with a forward end configured to rigidly attach to a vehicle and a rearward end extending rearwardly toward a trailer, the rearward end comprising an upper portion with a ball mount configured to pivotably attach to a trailer coupler; a lower portion with a barrel coupling allowing pivoting about a vertical access, but not allowing pivoting about a horizontal access; and a moment bar comprising a moment bar forward end fixedly attached to the barrel coupling and a moment bar rearward end wherein the moment bar imparts a forward moment on the vehicle when an upward force is applied to the moment bar rearward end is disclosed.

In various embodiments, methods, systems, and vehicle apparatuses are provided. A method for adaptive control of electronic power steering (EPS) including sending, a torque control to an EPS that is based on input control signals from a vehicle trajectory control unit and a steering assistive control unit when the vehicle is coupled to a trailer engaging in a trailering action; configuring the steering assistive control unit, to generate a control signal based on an algorithm using an adaptive factor that models steering dynamics impacted by the trailer while engaging in the trailering action and modeling by the steering assistive control unit, an adaptive damping factor modeled on a tongue weight of a trailer coupled to a hitch of the vehicle wherein the hitch reduces a force applied to a vehicle front axle.

A weight distribution system used with a hitch on a vehicle and a trailer, the weight distribution system comprising a jack with a foot attached to and configured to raise and lower a front portion of the trailer; a moment bar with a forward end attached to the hitch so as to pivot about a generally vertical axis, and a rearward portion, the moment bar configured to exert a forward moment on the vehicle in response to an upward force on the rearward portion; an engagement member positioned between the jack and the rearward portion, whereby the jack can exert the upward force on the rearward portion; wherein the engagement member comprises at least one arced surface whereby the engagement member maintains the upward force on the rearward portion despite vertical or horizontal pivoting between the vehicle and the trailer is disclosed.

In order to improve a device for pulling a trailer and/or retaining a load carrying unit that is mountable at the rear end of a motor vehicle body and which comprises a supporting arm that is connected by a first end region to the motor vehicle body and is provided at a second end region with an element for attaching the trailer and/or for fixing the load carrying unit and furthermore which comprises sensors for capturing reversible deformations of the supporting arm caused by loads on the supporting arm in such a manner as to provided a device with which an allocation of captured elongations to individual applications of force is possible in as simple a way as possible, it is proposed that strain sensors which are affected by reversible deformations thereof be assigned to a supporting arm section of the supporting arm, and that, for capturing at least one selected bending strain, at least one strain sensor be arranged on one side and at least one strain sensor on an opposite side of a surface region of a neutral reference surface assigned to the selected bending load and that each of the strain sensors be arranged at a distance from this surface region.