US 11,772,616 B2
Wireless towed vehicle breakaway cable alert system
Daniel L. Decker, Jr., Castle Rock, CO (US); and Jerad M. Burkhart, Castle Rock, CO (US)
Assigned to Danko Manufacturing LLC, Castle Rock, CO (US)
Filed by Danko Manufacturing LLC, Castle Rock, CO (US)
Filed on Apr. 30, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/246,474.
Application 17/246,474 is a continuation of application No. 16/203,959, filed on Nov. 29, 2018, granted, now 10,994,711.
Prior Publication US 2021/0253071 A1, Aug. 19, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B60T 7/20 (2006.01); G07C 5/00 (2006.01); B60Q 1/30 (2006.01); B60D 1/36 (2006.01)
CPC B60T 7/20 (2013.01) [B60D 1/36 (2013.01); B60Q 1/305 (2013.01); G07C 5/008 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A breakaway alert system comprising:
a towed vehicle portable brake activation system configured to be mounted in an interior driver's area of a towed vehicle and configured to be attached to a brake pedal of the interior driver's area of the towed vehicle, the portable brake activation system having an actuator to press against the towed vehicle brake pedal to activate a towed vehicle braking system when the towed vehicle is being towed by a tow vehicle;
a wired breakaway detector having a breakaway cable socket and configured to be attached to a surface of the towed vehicle outside of the interior driver's area, the breakaway detector having a detector to detect when a breakaway cable is in the breakaway cable socket and to generate an electric breakaway detection signal when the breakaway cable is not in the breakaway cable socket and having an electrical cable to indicate the electric breakaway detection signal, wherein the breakaway cable is configured to be attached to the tow vehicle at an end opposite the breakaway cable socket; and
a wireless interface configured to be attached to the towed vehicle outside of the interior driver's area, configured to be coupled to the electrical cable to receive the electric breakaway detection signal from the breakaway detector and having a wireless transceiver to transmit a wireless breakaway alert signal through the towed vehicle in response to receiving the electric breakaway detection signal,
the portable brake activation system having a wireless transceiver configured to receive the wireless breakaway alert signal through the towed vehicle from the wireless interface and to activate the towed vehicle braking system through the attached brake pedal in response to the wireless breakaway alert signal.