Patent ID: 11926301
Assignee: DEXTER AXLE COMPANY LLC
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  G | IPC B  G

Claim 5:
6. A device for controlling a braking force applied to a trailer, said device comprising:
said trailer towable by a vehicle and said vehicle having a controller having a proportional braking signal, said proportional braking signal moveable between a signal representing no braking force from said vehicle and a signal representing full braking force from said vehicle;
trailer brakes located on said trailer;
an axle having a hollow axle tube supporting said trailer and connected thereto through mounting portions,
a unitary mounting block affixed on top of said axle tube between said mounting portions, said unitary mounting block having a notch facing said axle tube and located opposite a continuous mating surface;
a strain gauge assembly affixed to said continuous mating surface of said unitary mounting block, said strain gauge assembly straddling said notch;
a computer in electrical communication with said proportional braking signal from said vehicle and a weight signal from said strain gauge assembly, said computer having a gain defined by a proportion of said proportional braking signal from said vehicle applied to said trailer brakes, said computer configured to:
receive said proportional braking signal from said vehicle;
calculate a weight of said trailer with said weight signal when said trailer is unloaded;
establish said gain with said unloaded weight and control said trailer brakes with said gain when said vehicle provides said proportional braking signal; and
increase said gain when weight signal indicates said weight of said trailer has increased and control said trailer brakes with said increased gain when said vehicle provides said proportional braking signal.