Tow Hitch Guide Arms With Sensor Feedback for Trailer Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional trailer hitch systems require inefficient manual alignment attempts due to fixed positions of hitches and tongues, leading to time wastage and difficulty in connecting vehicles with trailers.
Innovation Solution
A retractable arm mechanism with sensors and a guide system that dynamically adjusts the hitch position, providing real-time feedback and automatic alignment assistance using sensors and an electronic control unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the hitch and trailer are not close enough together or not aligned properly, then multiple manual alignment attempts are required, but this wastes time and reduces operational efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses sensors to detect the relative position between the hitch and trailer tongue, provides real-time feedback to the driver through visual or audible signals, and enables automatic adjustment mechanisms to correct misalignment, thereby achieving precise alignment without multiple manual attempts
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical alignment operations with an automated system comprising sensors, electronic control units, and actuators that automatically detect and correct positional deviations between the hitch and trailer tongue
2Ease of operation
If a fixed position hitch system is used, then the structure is simple, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces a guide mechanism with sensors as an intermediary between the hitch and trailer tongue, providing real-time positional information and guidance signals that facilitate easier alignment while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure
Solution Approach 2:
The guide system serves multiple functions including positional detection, alignment guidance, and automatic adjustment, allowing a single system to address multiple alignment challenges without proportionally increasing complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for aligning a vehicle and a trailer. The system includes a guide coupled to a tow hitch of the vehicle, a plurality of sensors disposed along the guide, and an electronic control unit (ECU). The guide includes a first arm extending from a hinge and a second arm extending from the hinge. The first arm and the second arm are configured to provide a space therebetween to receive a tongue of the trailer. The plurality of sensors are configured to detect sensor data indicative of an alignment between the vehicle and the trailer. The ECU is configured to receive the sensor data, determine a position of the tongue relative to the first arm and the second arm, and transmit the determination to the vehicle.