My Latest Invention

My latest invention;

Device to power the caravans road lighting without a towcar connected. A few years ago I made the original version of this device (prototype) which was universal for caravans with 12n/12s or the 13 pin euro plug as well as being compatible with both prior and post September 1998 wired caravans. Having to make the device universal for caravans of all ages and types makes the device expensive to manufacture as well as larger in size. Now the 12n/12s plug system is becoming repidly outdated, I thought it time to go back to the drawing board with my design.

This device is designed to power the road lighting, including the hazard warning lights etc of a touring caravan without the caravan connected to a towcar. This device is to aid roadside safety during a vehicle breakdown should the towcar be disconnected from the caravan at the roadside etc. The device uses power from the caravans' own leisure battery to power the caravans road lighting circuitry, just simply plug your caravans' 13 pin euro plug into the device and switch on whatever emergency road lighting is required at the time.

I know what the experts amongst you may now be thinking, How can the device exstract leisure battery power from within the caravans' 13 pin euro plug and divert it back down the road lighting pins within the euro plug to the caravans' road lighting, when the leisure battery does not connect to the caravans' euro plug until it is pluged into a towcar with the engine running, this statement is correct, but this is where my device is cunning and has the upper hand.

The device has two PP3 batteries within it (18 volts, slightly reduced by circuitry within the device), via a push button switch, it sends a priming electrical charge down the caravans' fridge line to activate the caravans' habitation relay, this diverting power from the caravans' leisure battery to the 13 pin euro plug, when this happends, power from the caravans' leisure battery then keeps the habitation relay activated so PP3 battery power is no longer required, a red warning light within the device is illuminated to confirm the device is primed and ready for use. There is a small current regulator within the device that prevents the PP3 batteries from being shorted out if the owner fails to switch off the caravans' fridge (ie, the fridges' 12 volt supply) prior to connecting the device, if this were to happen, the device would then bleep, reminding the owner that the device cannot prime until the fridge is switched off, this preventing any damage to the device or caravan. The vehicle flasher unit within the device used to operate the caravans' hazard warning lights is of the transistor type, this is to allow for voltage drop within the caravans' leisure battery during long operations.

No modification whatsoever is required to a caravan in order for this device to function, simply "Plug & Go". The device has also been designed to check all the caravans' road lighting circuits (including, stop, fog & reversing lights etc) without a towcar connected, this aiding seasonal and pre-journey checks.

Kind regards

Colin