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

Claim 0:
1. A system for controlling a braking force applied to a trailer, said system comprising:
said trailer having trailer brakes located on an axle, said axle having a hollow axle tube supporting said trailer and connected thereto through mounting portions, said trailer towable by a vehicle having a controller with 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;
a unitary mounting block with a mounting surface affixed on top of said axle tube between said mounting portions, said unitary mounting block having a notch facing said axle tube and interrupting said mounting surface and said notch located opposite a continuous mating surface, said continuous mating surface facing away from said axle tube;
a strain gauge assembly affixed to said continuous mating surface of said unitary mounting block and 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 determined by said weight signal from said strain gauge assembly, said computer configured to:
receive said proportional braking signal;
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 said 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 brake signal.