IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,723,329
Granted Patent B2
US 10,723,329 · App. 14/874,918 · Granted Jul 28, 2020

Universal trailer mounted proportional brake controller

Inventors: Bruce Edward Smith (Leo, IN); Mark William Austin (Coldwater, MI); Richard Lyons Hilsbos (Plainville, MI); Chandrakumar Kulkarni (Battle Creek, MI)
Assignee: HORIZON GLOBAL AMERICAS INC.
B60T7/085B60T7/20B60T8/1708
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,723,329
App. No.
14/874,918
Granted
Jul 28, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A trailer mounted proportional brake controller for a towed vehicle and a method of controlling the brakes of a towed vehicle is described. The brake control unit may control the brakes of a towed vehicle. The brake control unit may include a power control unit and a hand control unit. The power control unit may be connected to the brakes of the towed vehicle and the power control unit may be capable of selectively controlling the brakes of the towed vehicle based on a set of braking parameters. The hand control unit may be configured to remotely communicate with the power control unit. The hand control unit may be capable of transmitting information to the power control unit to adjust at least one of the braking parameters and receiving information from the power control unit.

Claims (24)

1. A brake controller comprising:

a power control unit capable of controlling brakes of a towed vehicle, wherein said power control unit comprises an acceletometer;

a wireless hand control unit remotely connected to said power control unit;

wherein said hand control unit is: i) powered by one of a towing vehicle's auxiliary power, a battery, and solar power; ii) capable of receiving information regarding status of said brakes from said power control unit; and iii) includes a display screen that displays said information from said power control unit; and

wherein said power control unit is powered by the towing vehicle via a rear receptacle on the towing vehicle.

2. The brake control unit of claim 1 , wherein said information includes the status of said brakes including diagnostics and fault conditions related to said power control unit.

3. The brake control unit of claim 1 , wherein said power control unit includes a cover and is capable of being mounted in any direction on said towed vehicle whereby said cover is in an upwards direction.

4. The brake control unit of claim 1 , wherein said hand control unit is configured to receive power from a vehicle's auxiliary power port.

5. The brake control unit of claim 1 , wherein said hand control unit is capable of wireless communicated with said power control unit.

6. A brake controller comprising:

a power control unit operatively coupled with brakes of a towed vehicle, said power control unit controlling said brakes, said power control unit having an accelerometer located on said towed vehicle;

a hand control unit remotely connected to said power control unit;

wherein said hand control unit receives information regarding status of said brakes from said power control unit; and

wherein said hand control unit includes a display displaying said information from said power control unit.

7. The brake control unit of claim 6 , wherein said status of said brakes includes diagnostics and fault conditions related to said power control unit.

8. The brake control unit of claim 6 , wherein said power control unit includes a cover and is mounted in any direction on said towed vehicle whereby said cover is in a generally upwards direction.

9. The brake control unit of claim 6 , wherein said hand control unit receives power from a vehicle's auxiliary power port.

10. The brake control unit of claim 6 , wherein said hand control unit transmits information to said power control unit.

11. The brake control unit of claim 10 , wherein said hand control unit transmits information to said power control unit to adjust at least one of said braking parameters, and wherein said information transmitted from said hand control unit to said power control unit includes a brake control parameter signal.

12. The brake controller of claim 11 , wherein said power control unit selectively applies a voltage to said brakes.

13. The brake controller of claim 12 , wherein said hand control unit adjusts said voltage applied to said brakes.

14. The brake controller of claim 11 , wherein said braking parameters include gain to control maximum braking force.

15. The brake controller of claim 14 , wherein said gain is adjustable by said hand controller.

16. The brake controller of claim 6 , wherein said hand control unit communicates with said power control unit by way of Radio Frequency (RF) communication.

Assignments (12)
FIRST LIEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 18, 2025
From: AIRTEX INDUSTRIES, LLC; AIRTEX PRODUCTS, LP; APC INTERMEDIATE HOLDINGS, LLC; APC PARENT, LLC; ASC INDUSTRIES, INC.; AUTOLITE OPERATIONS LLC; AVM EXPORT, INC.; BPI ACQUISITION COMPANY, LLC; BPI EC, LLC; BPI HOLDINGS INTERNATIONAL, LLC; BRAKE PARTS INC CHINA LLC; BRAKE PARTS INC INDIA LLC; BRAKE PARTS INC LLC; CARDONE INDUSTRIES, INC.; CARRAND COMPANIES, INC.; CARTER CARBURETOR HOLDINGS, LLC; CARTER CARBURETOR, LLC; CARTER FUEL EXPORT, INC.; CARTER FUEL SYSTEMS, LLC; CHAMPION LABORATORIES, INC.; CWD HOLDING, LLC; CWD INTERMEDIATE HOLDINGS I, LLC; CWD INTERMEDIATE HOLDINGS II, LLC; CWD, LLC; DALTON CORPORATION; DALTON CORPORATION, KENDALLVILLE; MANUFACTURING FACILITY DALTON CORPORATION, ASHLAND; MANUFACTURING FACILITY DALTON CORPORATION, STRYKER MACHINING FACILITY CO.; DALTON CORPORATION, WARSAW MANUFACTURING FACILITY; EAGLE CASTING, LLC; EAGLE MACHINING, LLC; FIRST BRANDS GROUP INTERMEDIATE, LLC; FIRST BRANDS GROUP, LLC; FRAM GROUP IP LLC; FRAM GROUP OPERATIONS LLC; FRAMAUTO HOLDINGS, LLC; FUEL FILTER TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; GLOBAL REMAN VENTURES, LLC; HEATHERTON HOLDINGS, LLC; HOPKINS ACQUISITION, INC.; HOPKINS MANUFACTURING CORPORATION; HORIZON EURO FINANCE LLC; HORIZON GLOBAL AMERICAS INC.; HORIZON GLOBAL COMPANY LLC; HORIZON GLOBAL CORPORATION; HORIZON INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LLC; IBI INTERNATIONAL HOLDING COMPANY, INC.; INTERNATIONAL BRAKE INDUSTRIES, INC.; JASPER ACQUISITION CORP.; JASPER RUBBER PRODUCTS, INC.; KTRI HOLDINGS, INC.; KTRI OFFSHORE HOLDINGS, LLC; LONGMAN ENTERPRISES, INC.; PHNX ACQUISITION CORP.; PREMIER MARKETING GROUP, LLC; PYLON MANUFACTURING CORP.; PYLON SOUTH BEND, INC.; QUALIS AUTOMOTIVE, L.L.C.; QUALIS ENTERPRISES, LLC; QUALITOR ACQUISITION INC.; QUALITOR AUTOMOTIVE, LLC; QUALITOR SUBSIDIARY H, INC.; QUALITOR SUBSIDIARY S, INC.; QUALITOR, INC.; REMAN MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL LLC; SDC TX, LLC; SMART CHOICE, LLC; SPECIALTY PUMPS GROUP, INC.; STRONGARM, LLC; TAE BRAKES, LLC; TAE CHINA HOLDINGS, INC.; TMD INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LLC; TMD MEXICO LLC; TOLEDO MOLDING & DIE, LLC; TRANSPORTATION AFTERMARKET ENTERPRISE, LLC; TRICO HOLDING CORPORATION; TRICO PRODUCTS CORPORATION; TRICO TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; TRIDONEX USA LLC; UCI ACQUISITION HOLDINGS (NO. 4) LLC; UCI INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS PARENT, INC.; UCI INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC.; UCI INTERNATIONAL, LLC; UCI PENNSYLVANIA, INC.; UCI-AIRTEX HOLDINGS, INC.; UNITED COMPONENTS, LLC; UNIVERSAL AUTO FILTER LLC; VIPER ACQUISITION I, INC.; VIPER ACQUISITION, INC.; WALBRO LLC; WALBRO MIDCO LLC; WEM US CO.
To: GLAS USA LLC
Reel/Frame 071674/0688 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 9, 2021
From: CORTLAND CAPITAL MARKET SERVICES LLC, SOLELY IN ITS CAPACITY AS COLLATERAL AGENT (AS SUCCESSOR TO JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.)
To: HORIZON GLOBAL CORPORATION; WESTFALIA-AUTOMOTIVE GMBH; HORIZON GLOBAL AMERICAS INC.; CEQUENT CONSUMER PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 055262/0842 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 9, 2021
From: HORIZON GLOBAL AMERICAS INC.; C.P. WITTER LIMITED; WESTFALIA-AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
To: ATLANTIC PARK STRATEGIC CAPITAL FUND, L.P., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055262/0949 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 11, 2020
From: CORTLAND CAPITAL MARKET SERVICES LLC
To: HORIZON GLOBAL CORPORATION; HORIZON GLOBAL AMERICAS INC.
Reel/Frame 053453/0229 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 21, 2020
From: HORIZON GLOBAL AMERICAS INC.; HORIZON GLOBAL CORPORATION
To: ENCINA BUSINESS CREDIT, LLC
Reel/Frame 052721/0614 →
ASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Apr 22, 2020
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: CORTLAND CAPITAL MARKET SERVICES LLC
Reel/Frame 052463/0091 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 25, 2020
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
To: CEQUENT PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS, INC.; CEQUENT CONSUMER PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 052223/0849 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 20, 2019
From: HORIZON GLOBAL AMERICAS INC.; HORIZON GLOBAL CORPORATION
To: CORTLAND CAPITAL MARKET SERVICES LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 048648/0006 →
MERGER Recorded May 10, 2017
From: CEQUENT CONSUMER PRODUCTS, INC.; CEQUENT PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS, INC.
To: HORIZON GLOBAL AMERICAS INC.
Reel/Frame 042435/0260 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 1, 2017
From: SMITH, BRUCE EDWARD; AUSTIN, MARK WILLIAM; KULKARNI, CHANDRAKUMAR
To: HORIZON GLOBAL AMERICAS INC.
Reel/Frame 042195/0493 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 28, 2015
From: CEQUENT PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 037364/0291 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 22, 2015
From: CEQUENT PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS, INC.; CEQUENT CONSUMER PRODUCTS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 037353/0127 →
Cited By (1)
US 12,384,336