Appeal No. 2005-0682 Page 6
Application No. 10/064,682
supplied through the second line 28 to the controller 11 when the brake light switch 22
is closed.
The brake controller 11 is normally operated in an automatic mode wherein the
towed vehicle brakes 13 and 14 are automatically actuated by the controller 11 when
the towing vehicle brakes are actuated. The automatic mode is activated upon closure
of the brake light switch 22. When operating in the automatic mode, the controller 11
senses braking force applied to the towing vehicle and supplies an electric current
through line 12 to actuate the towed vehicle brakes. The electric current is directly
proportional to the braking force applied to the towing vehicle.
The controller 11 further includes a gain control push-button 32 mounted on a
front surface thereof. The gain control push-button 32 allows the vehicle driver to vary
the overall gain of the brake control system 10 to compensate for different loads carried
in the towed vehicle. For example, if the load in the towed vehicle is increased, it is
necessary to increase the braking force applied to the towed vehicle relative to the
braking force applied to the towing vehicle. Conversely, if the load in the towed vehicle
is decreased, it is necessary to decrease the braking force applied to the towed vehicle
relative to the braking force applied to the towing vehicle. By adjusting the gain control,
the electric current supplied by the electronic controller 11 to the brake electromagnets
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Last modified: November 3, 2007