Systems and methods for magnetoelastic hitch receiver force detection

US10899183B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• Ford Global Technologies, LLC · US
• Methode Electronics, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Andrew Niedert · Farmington Hills, US
• Rinku Patel · Kalamazoo, US
• Anton Rogness · Dearborn, US
• Elliott Pearson · Shelby Charter Township, US
• Chad Reed · Ypsilanti, US
• Johannes Gießibl · Obersur, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 13, 2020
• Grant date: Jan 26, 2021
• Expiry date: Feb 13, 2040

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01L5/136
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

Systems and methods for magnetoelastic hitch receiver force detection are disclosed. An example vehicle includes a chassis, a trailer hitch receiver configured to receive a trailer hitch arm along an axis, a first pin having a first magnetic field, the first pin disposed above and perpendicular to the axis, a second pin, the first pin and the second pin coupling the trailer hitch receiver to the chassis and a first sensor configured to detect changes in the first magnetic field.