Trailer Socket Tester Using Voltage-Dependent Resistor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing trailer socket test devices are cumbersome, expensive, and prone to overheating due to multiple load resistors, and they fail to accurately simulate the power consumption of trailer lighting, leading to incorrect failure notifications in modern motor vehicles with CAN bus systems.
Innovation Solution
A device with a voltage-dependent resistor, controlled by a microprocessor, simulates different loads across the trailer socket, reducing the number of resistors needed and incorporating a heat sink for efficient cooling, while also providing a communication signal for CAN bus compatibility and a display unit for immediate feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple load resistors are used to simulate different light bulbs, then the testing device can simulate different power consumptions, but the device generates considerable heat and requires expensive cooling measures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple load resistor functions into a single voltage-dependent resistor that can dynamically adjust its resistance value to simulate different power consumptions. This consolidation eliminates the need for multiple separate resistors and their associated cooling requirements, directly resolving the heat generation problem while maintaining the ability to simulate various light bulb power ratings.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs a voltage-dependent resistor whose resistance value can dynamically change based on the voltage applied across it. This dynamic characteristic allows a single resistor to replace multiple fixed resistors, enabling the simulation of different power consumptions without the thermal issues associated with multiple high-power resistors operating simultaneously.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple load resistors are used to simulate different light bulbs, then the testing device can simulate different power consumptions, but the cost of the device increases due to expensive cooling measures
Solution Approach 1:
By combining multiple load resistor functions into a single voltage-dependent resistor, the invention eliminates the need for expensive cooling infrastructure. This merger significantly reduces manufacturing costs while preserving the capability to simulate various power consumptions, directly addressing the cost issue raised in the contradiction.
Solution Approach 2:
The voltage-dependent resistor creates an electrical copy or simulation of multiple different load conditions through its dynamic resistance adjustment. Instead of physically implementing multiple high-power resistors and their cooling systems, the invention uses a single component that electrically replicates the behavior of various power consumptions, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity and cost.
3Use of energy by moving object
If LED lamps with low power consumption are used on trailers, then energy consumption is reduced, but false failure signals are generated in motor vehicles with CAN bus systems
Solution Approach 1:
The voltage-dependent resistor acts as an intermediary between the CAN bus system and the actual trailer loads. By dynamically adjusting its resistance to match the expected power consumption characteristics of real trailers, it provides the CAN bus system with accurate electrical signatures that prevent false failure signals, even when actual trailer LED consumptions vary.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the electrical parameters (resistance value) of the testing device based on the detected voltage conditions. This parameter adjustment allows the system to accurately simulate different power consumption scenarios, enabling reliable distinction between actual failures and normal low-power LED operations, thereby resolving the false signal issue.
4Device complexity
If a single voltage-dependent resistor is used instead of multiple load resistors, then the number of components is reduced and cooling requirements are minimized, but the device must handle higher voltage-dependent power
Solution Approach 1:
The voltage-dependent resistor leverages its dynamic resistance characteristic to handle varying power levels efficiently. As voltage increases, the resistance adjusts accordingly, allowing the single component to manage the full range of power requirements that would otherwise require multiple resistors. This dynamic adaptation enables the component to handle higher peak powers while maintaining simplicity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively simulates trailer loads, reduces overheating, and provides accurate feedback on trailer socket connectivity and lighting functionality, enhancing safety and reducing costs by using fewer and less expensive components.
Implementation Method 1
zwischen den beiden festen Polen des Steckers einen spannungsabhängigen Widerstand, der in Abhängigkeit von der Spannung an einem oder mehreren der weiteren Pole des Steckers gesteuert wird
Implementation Method 2
incorporating a heat sink for efficient cooling
Implementation Method 3
which each of you has to dissipate at great expense in order to avoid damage or even destruction of the testing device
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The device (1) has multi-pin connector (4) and an electrical circuit (6), which simulates a load i.e. luminous illuminant, during applying a voltage to a pin of the connector, where the load is operated with the voltage at the pin. The electrical circuit has a voltage-dependent resistor (27) e.g. FET and MOSFET, between two fixed pins (7, 10) of the connector, which is controlled depending upon voltage at different pins (8, 9, 11, 12, 13) of the connector. The resistor is thermally connected with a heat sink i.e. cooling plate.