Abstract:
An apparatus and method are described for a brake actuator hitch. The brake actuator hitch is configured to be connected to a tow vehicle receiver and a towed vehicle and includes mechanical linkage to actuate a brake pedal of the towed vehicle when there is a difference between relative motions of the brake actuator hitch and the tow vehicle receiver.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/832,283 filed Jun. 7, 2013, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    This application relates to a method and system for braking a towed vehicle. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Owners of recreational vehicles such as motor homes often tow a smaller vehicle, such as a car, for use once they have reached their destination. It is highly desirable to actuate the brakes of the towed vehicle when the towing vehicle slows down. If the brakes of the towed vehicle are not actuated there is a significant increase in the stopping distance of the vehicles, the ability to control the towed vehicle is degraded, and there is a potential for damage to the towing vehicle. This invention provides the braking function, is light weight to handle, is simple and low maintenance. 
         [0004]    Prior art systems are complex, prone to failure and more difficult to install. In most cases there is a need to ensure that an electrical, hydraulic, or vacuum connection between the towed vehicle and the towing vehicle is securely maintained, which presents many opportunities for failure and complicates the procedure for attaching and releasing the towed vehicle from the towing vehicle. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    The present disclosure will be understood more fully from the detailed description given below and from the accompanying drawings of various embodiments of the present disclosure, which, however, should not be taken to limit the present disclosure to the specific embodiments, but are for explanation and understanding only. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1A  and  FIG. 1B  are pictorial representations of a brake actuator hitch  100  illustrating an embodiment of the operation of a brake actuator hitch during normal towing and braking 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is an illustration of an embodiment of a brake actuator hitch  200  including the parts of the brake actuator in a standard ball hitch. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is an illustration of an embodiment of a brake actuator hitch  300  including the parts of the brake actuator in a drop down ball hitch. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is an illustration of an embodiment of a brake actuator hitch  400  including the parts of the brake actuator in a standard ball hitch. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is an illustration of an embodiment of a brake actuator hitch  500  including the parts of the brake actuator in a drop down ball hitch. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    The present disclosure will be understood more fully from the detailed description given below and from the accompanying drawings of various embodiments of the present disclosure, which, however, should not be taken to limit the present disclosure to the specific embodiments, but are for explanation and understanding only. 
         [0012]    In various embodiments, the present invention provides a braking function using a mechanical linkage to actuate the brakes of the towed vehicle when the towing vehicle slows down and to release the brakes when accelerating, cruising, or coasting. The braking force, proportional to the relative displacement or motion between the vehicles, is automatically reduced as the towed vehicles deceleration approaches that of the towing vehicle. The brake actuator uses the towed vehicle&#39;s own brake pedal to actuate the towed vehicle brakes. The brake actuator fits into the towing vehicles trailer hitch receiver with no modifications. The towed vehicle may be attached to the tow vehicle by a standard or custom made tow bar and the brake actuator is attached to the towed vehicle brake pedal by a cable. The embodiments described herein illustrate a system that is fundamentally stable and needs no additional active damping, resistance or activation force. 
         [0013]      FIG. 1A  and  FIG. 1B  are pictorial representations of a brake actuator hitch  100  illustrating an embodiment of the operation of a brake actuator hitch during normal towing and braking The towing vehicle  101  has a standard towing vehicle receiver  102 , as commonly known in the art, attached to it. The ball hitch/tow bar  103  (represented here as a single unit) attach the towed vehicle  104  to the towing vehicle receiver  102 . The ball hitch/tow bar  103  has an elongated hole or slot  106  for the hitch pin  105  to allow front to back motion of the towed vehicle  104  with respect to the towing vehicle  101  and towing vehicle receiver  102 . 
         [0014]    Referring to  FIG. 1A , during tow (accelerating, cruising, or coasting) the ball hitch/tow bar  103  is pulling the towed vehicle  104 , the ball hitch/tow bar  103  is back in the slot  106  and the push rod  107 , lever  108 , brake connector  109 , and towed vehicle  104  brake pedal  110  are in the neutral position and the towed vehicle brakes are not engaged, as depicted with solid lines). 
         [0015]    Referring to  FIG. 1B , when the towing vehicle brakes are applied, the inertia of the towed vehicle causes the ball hitch/tow bar  103  to slide forward in slot  106  and the push rod  107 , moves the lever  108 , brake connector  109 , and towed vehicle  104  brake pedal  110  into the braking position as depicted by dotted lines to brake the towed vehicle  104 . As the towed vehicle  104  decelerates, it causes the ball hitch/tow bar  103  to slide back toward the neutral position. As the ball hitch/tow bar  103  slides back to the neutral position it reduces and eliminates the application of the brake pedal  110 . 
         [0016]    Brake connector  109  may be any connection means that would effect the actuation of the brake pedal as described in the embodiments set forth herein. For example, the brake connector may be but not limited to being flexible or rigid, such as a cable, rope, or rod or various materials and configurations. For convenience, hereafter it will be referred to as a cable, however it is not to be construed as limited to such. 
         [0017]    Ball hitch/tow bar  103  is illustrated by way of example as a single member. In the embodiments that follow in  FIGS. 2 through 5  the brake actuator hitch comprises an integrated ball hitch and tongue that couples to a tow vehicle receiver, and may be independent of a tow bar that provides the towing connection between the towed vehicle and the coupled brake actuator hitch. 
         [0018]      FIG. 2  shows an embodiment of a brake actuator hitch  200  for a standard hitch configuration that operates in a fashion similar to that illustrated in  FIG. 1 . In one embodiment, the push rod  205  is coupled to the hitch pin  204 , which couples the ball hitch  203  to the towing receiver  201 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . For example, when the towing vehicle brakes, the inertia of the towed vehicle causes the ball hitch  203  to slide forward in the slot  202  to activate the push rod  205  located inside the ball hitch  203 . The push rod  205  is fixed to the towing receiver  201  by the hitch pin  204  and provides force to the lever  206 . In one embodiment, the lever  206  pivots on a pin  208  inside the ball hitch and and at least partially protrudes through the top of the ball hitch  203 , pulls the attached brake pedal cable  207  to brake the towed vehicle. As the towed vehicle slows, the ball hitch  203  slides backward in the slot  202  to reduce and eliminate the towed vehicle braking. 
         [0019]      FIG. 3  shows an embodiment of a brake actuator hitch  300  for a drop down hitch configuration that operates in a fashion similar to that illustrated in  FIG. 1 . While towing, the ball hitch  303  is restrained by the hitch pin  304  fixed to the towing vehicle receiver  301 . When the towing vehicle decelerates, the inertia of the towed vehicle causes the ball hitch  303  to slide forward in the slot  302  and activate the push rod  305 , which in one embodiment is located inside the ball hitch  303  as shown. The push rod  305  is fixed to the towing vehicle receiver  301  by the hitch pin  304  and, protruding through the ball hitch, provides force to the lever  306 . The lever  306  is coupled to and pivots on clevis  308  attached to the ball hitch  303  which in turn pulls the attached brake pedal cable  307  to brake the towed vehicle. As the towed vehicle slows, the ball hitch  303  slides backward in the slot  302  to reduce and eliminate the towed vehicle braking 
         [0020]      FIG. 4  shows another embodiment of a brake actuator hitch  400  for a standard hitch configuration that operates in a fashion similar to that illustrated in  FIG. 1 . While towing, the ball hitch  403  is restrained by the hitch pin  404  fixed to the towing vehicle receiver  401 . When the towing vehicle (not shown) decelerates, the inertia of the towed vehicle causes the ball hitch  403  to slide forward in its slot  402 , activating the push rod  405  protruding through guide  409  attached to the ball hitch  403  and abutted against the towing vehicle receiver  401 , providing force to the lever  406 . The lever  406  protrudes through the ball hitch  403  pivoting on pin  408  inside the ball hitch  403  and pulling the attached brake pedal cable  407 , braking the towed vehicle. As the towed vehicle slows, the ball hitch  403  corrects back in the slot  402  to reduce and eliminate the towed vehicle braking. 
         [0021]      FIG. 5  shows another embodiment of a brake actuator hitch  500  for a drop down hitch configuration. While towing, the ball hitch  503  is restrained by the hitch pin  504  fixed to the towing vehicle receiver  501 . In one embodiment, when the towing vehicle decelerates, the inertia of the towed vehicle causes the ball hitch  503  to slide forward in its slot  502 , activating the push rod  505 , protruding through guide  509  attached to the ball hitch  503  and abutted against the towing vehicle receiver  501  providing force to the lever  506 . The lever  506  pivots on clevis  508  attached to the ball hitch  503  pulling the attached brake pedal cable  507 , braking the towed vehicle. As the towed vehicle slows, the ball hitch  503  corrects back in the slot  502  to reduce and eliminate the towed vehicle braking. 
         [0022]    In various embodiments, there may be a multitude of combinations for the slot (e.g.,  105 ,  202 , etc.) width and the various elements of the mechanical linkage coupled between the ball hitch and towed vehicle, such as the push rod (e.g.,  107 ,  205 , etc.), lever (e.g.,  108 ,  206 , etc.), and cable (e.g.,  207 ,  307 , etc.), including the attachment of the cable to the brake pedal (e.g.,  110 ) to brake the towed vehicle (e.g.,  104 ) as set forth in the embodiments described above. For example, in  FIG. 1  the lever  108  length may be adjustable to provide a greater or lesser movement of the cable (e.g., to position  111 ) to accommodate various connecting points or variations of the brake pedal  110 . In another example the push rod  205  may be coupled to the towing receiver  201  in various ways, for example, attached to the hitch pin  204  or directly abutted to the towing vehicle receiver  20   l  so long as it is configured to maintain position relative to the towing vehicle receiver  201  as the ball hitch  203  slides in conjunction with the relative motion of the towing and towed vehicles during deceleration and acceleration of the tow vehicle as described with respect to  FIG. 1 . 
         [0023]    Further, the exact shape of the parts may not be critical to some or all embodiments contemplated herein. With respect to the embodiments of the above description, the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts may include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use. A person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that these combinations and variations of part dimensions and arrangements may also apply to any of the embodiments described herein. 
         [0024]    The above description sets forth numerous specific details such as examples of specific systems, components, methods and so forth, in order to provide a good understanding of several embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, however, that at least some embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well known components or methods are not described in detail or are presented in simple block diagram format in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure. Thus, the specific details set forth above are merely examples. Particular implementations may vary from these example details and still be contemplated to be within the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the present examples are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive.