BALL ASSEMBLY FOR MEASURING TONGUE WEIGHT OF A TRAILER
A ball assembly for attachment to a ball mount is described. The ball assembly can include a ball post that is securable to a ball mount. A hitch ball is slidably coupled to the ball post at a ball end of the ball post. A load gauge is disposed at the gauge end of the ball post. A load transfer element is operably associated with both the hitch ball and the load gauge so as to cause a load measurement to display on the load gauge based upon a load applied to the hitch ball.
1 . A ball assembly, comprising:
a ball post having a ball end, an exterior surface, and an interior surface opposite the exterior surface, the interior surface defining an interior cavity, the ball post being securable to a ball mount operable to couple with a hitch receiver of a vehicle;
a hitch ball disposed about at least a portion of the exterior surface of the ball post and slidably coupled to the ball post at the ball end;
a load measurement device; and
a load transfer element operably associated with both the hitch ball and the load measurement device and configured to transfer a downward force exerted on the hitch ball to the load measurement device.
2 . The ball assembly of claim 1 , wherein the hitch ball is rotatable about the ball post.
3 . The ball assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a gap between the ball end of the ball post and the hitch ball.
4 . The ball assembly of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the exterior surface of the ball post forms a securing feature to engage the ball mount and facilitate attachment of the ball assembly to the ball mount.
5 . The ball assembly of claim 4 , wherein the securing feature is selected from the group consisting of a ridge, a lip, a protrusion, and combinations thereof.
6 . The ball assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a display in communication with the load measurement device.
7 . The ball assembly of claim 6 , wherein the display is coupled to the ball post.
8 . The ball assembly of claim 7 , wherein the display comprises a load gauge.
9 . The ball assembly of claim 8 , further comprising a fluid reservoir in fluid communication with the load gauge.
10 . The ball assembly of claim 9 , wherein the fluid reservoir comprises at least one of a hydraulic fluid and a pneumatic fluid.
11 . The ball assembly of claim 6 , wherein the display is remote from the ball post.
12 . The ball assembly of claim 11 , wherein the display comprises a digital display.
13 . The ball assembly of claim 11 , further comprising a wireless transmitter to wirelessly transmit load measurements to a remote display.
14 . The ball assembly of claim 13 , wherein the remote display is a display associated with a towing vehicle.
15 . The ball assembly of claim 13 , wherein the remote display comprises a mobile device.
16 . The ball assembly of claim 1 , wherein the load transfer element is selected from the group consisting of a spring, a pin, a plunger, a hydraulic piston, a pneumatic piston, an electric sensor, and combinations thereof.
17 . The ball assembly of claim 1 , wherein the exterior surface of the ball post forms a retainer to facilitate retention of the hitch ball to the ball post.
18 . The ball assembly of claim 17 , wherein the retainer is selected from the group consisting of a groove, a hole, a lip, a protrusion, and combinations thereof.
19 . The ball assembly of claim 18 , wherein the hitch ball is removably coupled to the ball post via at least one of threads, clips, clamps, cam-locks, locking detents, pins, screws, hinges, and combinations thereof.
20 . The ball assembly of claim 1 , wherein the load measurement device comprises a load cell.
21 . The ball assembly of claim 20 , wherein the load cell a load cell includes one or more of a strain gauge load cell, a mechanical load cell, a hydraulic load cell, or a pneumatic load cell.
22 . The ball assembly of claim 21 , wherein the load cell is a hydrualic load cell.
23 . A method of measuring tongue weight of a trailer, comprising:
engaging a tongue of a trailer with the ball mount assembly of claim 1 .
24 . A tongue weight measuring system, comprising:
a ball assembly including
a ball post having a ball end, an exterior surface, and an interior surface opposite the exterior surface, the interior surface defining an interior cavity, the ball post being securable to a ball mount, operable to couple with a hitch receiver of a vehicle;
a hitch ball slidably coupled to the ball post at the ball end;
a load measurement device;
a load transfer element operably associated with both the hitch ball and the load measurement device and configured to transfer a downward force exerted on the hitch ball to the load measurement device; and
a display in communication with the load measurement device.