B62D15/023

POWERED RIDE-ON VEHICLE
20210046975 · 2021-02-18 ·

A powered ride-on vehicle having a frame supported by a first drive wheel, a second drive wheel and at least one non-driven support wheel. The vehicle has a first motor connected to the first drive wheel, a second motor connected to the second drive wheel, a steering wheel, a plurality of movement selectors, a dance selector, and one or more controllers operably electrically connected to the motors, the plurality of movement selectors, and the dance selector. The controllers operate to manipulate the motors to cause movements of the vehicle for a set period of time upon depression of one of the plurality of movement selectors independent of an angular location of the steering wheel. The controllers further operate to manipulate the motors to cycle through at least four different dances based on subsequent depression of the dance selector.

Caster Wheel Orientation Sensor Assembly
20210086744 · 2021-03-25 · ·

A system for sensing the angular position of a caster wheel includes a sensor mounted on a bearing which supports a shaft aligned with the rotational axis of the caster. A target on the shaft is detected by the sensor which generates signals indicative of the presence or absence of the target. The position of the target is coordinated with the position of the caster wheel such that the signals are indicative of the angular position of the caster wheel. The target may be a groove extending partially around the shaft and a remaining ungrooved portion of the shaft.

TRAILER ANGLE DETERMINATION SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE
20210019904 · 2021-01-21 · ·

A trailer angle determination system for a vehicle is provided. The trailer angle determination system has a sensing unit for sensing a trailer connected to the vehicle and an evaluation unit. The sensing unit is arranged outside of the center of the vehicle and toward the trailer, and the distance between the sensing unit and the center of the vehicle is known. The trailer has symmetrical feature pairs with respect to a longitudinal axis of symmetry of the trailer. The sensing unit is designed to sense the symmetrical feature pairs of the trailer. The evaluation unit is designed to determine the angle between the trailer and the vehicle based on the sensed symmetrical feature pairs of the trailer and the known distance between the sensing unit and the center of the vehicle.

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING AXLE LOAD
20200393287 · 2020-12-17 ·

Methods and systems for estimating an axle load of a vehicle are described. In one example, a method is disclosed wherein axle load is estimated in response to an angle between two components of an axle. The angle may change as weight is added to or removed from the axle such that axle load may be determined as a function of the angle.

SENSOR DEVICE FOR A TOWING VEHICLE COUPLING
20200331441 · 2020-10-22 ·

A sensor device for a towing vehicle coupling or as a component of a towing vehicle coupling, with which a trailer vehicle, in particular a semi-trailer, can be coupled to a towing vehicle wherein the towing vehicle coupling has a coupling element for detachably coupling a coupling counter element, which are/can be secured to the towing vehicle and the trailer vehicle, and in the coupled state forming a joint, where they can rotate relative to one another about at least one joint rotational axis, wherein the sensor device has a follower, which is mounted on a bearing body where it can rotate relative to the coupling element about a follower rotational axis, which can rotate about the follower rotational axis by rotationally following the coupling counter element in a rotation about the at least one joint rotational axis, and which is for detecting a rotation of the coupling counter element relative to the coupling element about the at least one joint rotational axis, and wherein the sensor device has at least one sensor for detecting a respective rotational position of the follower relative to the bearing body in relation to the follower rotational axis. The follower is mounted such that it moves relative to the coupling element for providing or maintaining a follower coupling to the coupling counter element with at least one degree of freedom of movement that is different to the rotatability about the follower rotational axis.

SENSOR DEVICE FOR A TOWING VEHICLE COUPLING
20200292353 · 2020-09-17 ·

Disclosed is a sensor device for a towing vehicle coupling or as a component of a towing vehicle coupling, in particular a fifth-wheel coupling, with which a trailer vehicle can be coupled to a towing vehicle wherein the towing vehicle coupling has a coupling element for detachably coupling to a coupling counter element, in particular a fifth-wheel king pin, wherein the coupling element is/can be secured to the towing vehicle and the coupling counter element is/can be secured to the trailer vehicle, and in the coupled state forming a joint, they can rotate relative to one another about at least one joint rotational axis, wherein the sensor device has a follower, mounted on a bearing body such that it can rotate about a follower rotational axis, for detecting a rotation of the coupling counter element relative to the coupling element about the at least one joint rotational axis, wherein the follower can rotate about the follower rotational axis by rotationally following the coupling counter element in a rotation about the at least one joint rotational axis, and the sensor device has at least one sensor for detecting a respective rotational position of the follower relative to the bearing body in relation to the follower rotational axis. The follower is arranged outside a bearing region of the joint, in which the coupling element and the coupling counter element are engaged with one another in a bearing manner, and the at least one sensor is arranged inside the follower and/or the follower forms a protective housing for the at least one sensor.

Steering sensor pin assembly
10766531 · 2020-09-08 · ·

An agricultural vehicle including a front axle assembly having an axle beam with a slot, a wheel assembly including a steering knuckle coupled to a wheel flange assembly, and a steering sensor pin assembly is provided. The steering sensor pin assembly includes a steering sensor pin having a first end and a second end opposite the first end having a flat face, and a kingpin connected to the steering knuckle. The kingpin has a top surface, a bottom surface, and a hole from the top surface to the bottom surface. The hole is aligned with the slot in the axle beam, and the steering sensor pin is positioned in the hole for coupling the kingpin to the axle beam via the flat face of the steering sensor pin being coupled to the slot.

YAW ANGLE MEASUREMENT DEVICE
20200239070 · 2020-07-30 ·

A yaw angle measuring device for a separable coupling for fifth wheel couplings includes a sensor element and a measuring arrangement, wherein the sensor element is configured to be arranged on a first coupling partner and the measuring arrangement is configured to be arranged on a second coupling partner, wherein the first coupling partner is configured to be mounted by the coupling arrangement such that the first coupling partner is rotatable about an axis of rotation relative to the second coupling partner, wherein the sensor element generates a measuring signal in the measuring arrangement which serves to determine the yaw angle about the axis of rotation.

System for actively monitoring the steering angle of a vehicle using a kingpin sensor
10654522 · 2020-05-19 · ·

A system for monitoring a steering angle of a wheel of a steering assembly of a vehicle may include a sensor cap configured to be coupled to a steering knuckle of the steering assembly at an open end of a bore defined by the steering knuckle such that the sensor cap is mounted for rotation with the steering knuckle about a kingpin. In addition, the system may include a kingpin sensor configured to be coupled between the sensor cap and the kingpin. The kingpin sensor may be configured to detect relative rotation between the steering knuckle and the kingpin.

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETECTING TRAILER ANGLE
20200143174 · 2020-05-07 ·

Systems and methods for detecting trailer angle are provided. In one aspect, an in-vehicle control system includes an optical sensor configured to be mounted on a tractor so as to face a trailer coupled to the tractor, the optical sensor further configured to generate optical data indicative of an angle formed between the trailer and the tractor. The system further includes a processor and a computer-readable memory in communication with the processor and having stored thereon computer-executable instructions to cause the processor to receive the optical data from the optical sensor, determine at least one candidate plane representative of a surface of the trailer visible in the optical data based on the optical data, and determine an angle between the trailer and the tractor based on the at least one candidate plane.