Patent Application
20070138762
This invention relates to a trailer hitch attached to a motor vehicle and in particular to an improved trailer hitch for attaching and towing various trailers that transport recreational and industrial items. The improved trailer hitch provides a more secure attachment of the trailer to the motor vehicle such that vibrations at the trailer hitch are substantially reduced.
People who live and work in both urban and rural areas often find themselves with the desire to travel. Many times this travel includes taking their recreational toys with them. They drive to secluded areas, where they can just relax. Others, desiring a more mobile lifestyle, have turned a trailer into their home. One challenge is, how to get their recreational toys (boats, campers, trailers, and the like) from their busy lives to their different recreational locations. Much of this equipment is towed on trailers.
Pick-up trucks are often used to tow trailers. This towing process creates a need for a towing hitch, which can be affixed, to the bed of a pick-up truck (other motor vehicle). The towing hitch needs to be able to both accommodate the pulling forces to which the trailer is exposed when traversing uneven terrains, and provide a latching mechanism, which is both easy to operate as well as safe and reliable. Further, the hitch should be removable so that the truck bed can be freed of obstruction.
To address the problem of traveling over uneven terrain with a trailer attached to a towing vehicle, it is recognized that the hitch head should be allowed to tilt fore and aft, as well as side-to-side pivoting. The prior art has numerous examples of mechanisms to allow such tilting, most by a gimble arrangement. Allowing this movement reduces the strain placed on the latching mechanism of the hitch. Such movement however can create its own wear-and-tear on the tilting mechanism itself, creating additional repair and replacement costs. A need is therefore identified for a fifth wheel hitch assembly for coupling a trailer to a towing pick-up truck which allows for two degrees of movement of the head assembly, while at the same time reducing the friction caused by such movement.
In addition to allowing the head assembly to tilt, the hitch assembly must effectively hold the kingpin of the trailer. When the towing vehicle comes to a stop, the trailer will continue to move forward, until it is interfered with by the trailer hitch. When the kingpin moves forward and is not completely surrounded by the latching mechanism, it will create a jolt along with a loud and disturbing sound. Moreover, the kingpin will wear on the unsupported area of the latching mechanism.
Finally, the entire hitch assembly must not only be easily removable from the towing vehicle, but also must be easily adjustable on the truck bed of the towing vehicle. Fifth wheel hitches are typically bolted to the bed of the towing vehicle above its rear axle. However, when the trailer must be maneuvered in tight spaces, it is useful to be able to adjust fore/aft the location of the hitch assembly to a position nearer to the pickup's tailgate.
A typical trailer hitch connection comprises at least two components. One component attaches to the motor vehicle that will perform the towing function. The other piece attaches to the trailer that contains the item to be transported. Trailer hitch connections are usually designed in a male/female arrangement. In this arrangement, one component is inserted into the other component to form the connection.
These male/female connections can also be of various designs. One conventional design is a ball hitch attached to the motor vehicle as the male component. A hitch having a convex opening approximately the same diameter as the ball. In operation, the trailer hitch with the female design comes down over the male trailer hitch that is attached to the motor vehicle. The weight of the cargo trailer forces the trailer pieces together thereby securing the trailer to motor vehicle via the connected trailer hitch.
Other trailer designs require the insertion of one trailer component into the other trailer component. As shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,129,371 a square shaped trailer connection has one component inserted into the other component. The design can be such that the components fit tightly together and are firmly secured. This conventional design can also have a pin that extends to holes in both trailer components to further secure and lock the components together. At the insertion, a pair of holes in the trailer components are aligned thereby creating a path through which to extend the pin.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,701,913 and U.S. Application 20040112369 both to LeDuc et al. describe an apparatus that is selectively attachable to a vehicle, for transporting a cooking device and positioning the cooking device in a desired orientation for cooking that also permits access to the vehicle. The apparatus includes a hitch insertion member for insertion into a trailer hitch, a support arm attached to the hitch insertion member, a swing arm attached to the support arm with a locking hinge assembly, a pedestal attached to the swing arm, and a cooking device, for example a barbeque, that is attached to a column that is inserted into the pedestal and that can rotate in the pedestal. The locking hinge assembly has a plurality of locking holes for selective alignment with an angle-securing hole in the support arm for locking the swing arm at a selected angle in relation to the support arm by placing an angle-locking bar into the aligned holes.
The configurations in LeDuc illustrate a trailer hitch at the motor vehicle that has only a locking bar securing the trailer hitch to the vehicle. This locking bar has some looseness to enable easier insertion and withdrawal of the bar. However, with a load such the one illustrated the stress on the bar along with the natural looseness of the bar will cause the bar to vibrate. Over time, these vibrations can weaken the locking bar and ream out the opening through which the locking bar extends. These occurrences will create greater vibrations and a further reaming of the opening and weakening of the locking bar.
There remains a need for a trailer hitch apparatus that can reduce the amount of vibration that occurs in a trailer hitch connection.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide an apparatus and system to reduce vibrations in a trailer hitch connection.
It is a second objective of the present invention to provide a locking bar and stabilizer bolt combination to stabilize a trailer hitch connection.
It is a third objective of the present invention to provide a locking bar and stabilizer bolt combination on a hitch connection to stabilize the hitch connection when the motor vehicle is moving.
The system of the present invention comprises a first trailer hitch component that is secured to a motor vehicle. This first trailer hitch component has a hollow center that can receive a complementary second trailer hitch component that is secured to some load. This second trailer hitch is inserted into the hollow center of the first trailer hitch. This insertion creates an outer (first) trailer component and an inner (second) trailer component. Each trailer hitch component openings that can be aligned such that a locking bar can be inserted through the series of aligned openings to secure the trailer hitch components to each other and thereby secure the load to the motor vehicle. The first component further comprises a bolt that is inserted into an additional opening in the outer trailer hitch component. The additional opening being positioned at location on the trailer hitch component that is offset from the initial component opening. The insertion of the bolt extends through the opening and contacts the inner trailer hitch in order to further stabilizer the trailer hitch connection.
a is a view of a locking bar for insertion into the trailer hitch to secure the trailer and load.
b is a view of a pin for insertion into the locking bar to secure the locking bar through the trailer hitch component.
a is a view of the trailer hitch component of the present invention containing stabilizing bolts.
b is a view of the stabilizing bolt used to stabilize a trailer hitch connection.
a and 5b are embodiments of trailer hitch extension components capable of engaging a load and having stabilizing bolts and openings to accommodate the insertion of a locking bar.
The present invention provides a trailer hitch apparatus and system that reduces the amount of vibration that occurs at the engagement of the trailer hitch of a motor vehicle with trailer hitch of a load. The reduction of vibration at this junction will improve the ability to control the movement of the load during towing operations. This vibration reduction will also reduce the amount of stress on the locking bar. The stress on the locking bar could cause the bar to vibrate and thereby ream out the opening in the trailer hitch through which the locking bar extends. This reaming action can enlarge the openings and increase the amount of vibration as a result of the reamed out opening.
a shows a typical locking bar 22 that is inserted into the opening 20 of the trailer hitch. The bar can be solid with a two a direction configuration. The longer section of the bar 24 can be inserted into the trailer hitch. The shorter section 26 extends in a direction different from the longer section 24 in order to keep the locking bar from slipping completely through trailer hitch.
Although the arrangement illustrated in
a is a view of the trailer hitch component 40 of the present invention containing stabilizing bolts. This trailer hitch is similar to the one described in
a and 5b are embodiments of trailer hitch extension components capable of engaging a load and having stabilizing bolts and openings to accommodate the insertion of a locking bar. These extensions are similar to trailer hitch 32. As shown, the trailer hitch can be inserted into a trailer hitch 10. This extension can also receive other trailer extensions. The two side holes provide length and alignment flexibility.
Referring to
The concept of a locking bar and stabilizing bolt combination to stabilize the trailer hitch and reduce trailer hitch vibration during towing operations can extend to trailer hitch extensions.
In a conventional configuration, only locking bars are used. Because there needs to be some looseness with the locking bar of provide for insertion and withdrawal of the locking bars. This looseness of the locking bar is a source of the vibration during the towing process. The stabilizer bolts can be tightened to overcome the looseness that accompanies the locking bar. Both U.S. Pat. No. 6,701,913 and U.S. Application 20040112369 illustrate a series of stabilizing bolts used in combination to secure a trailer hitch. Although the concept of a stabilizing bolt is not new, the use of the stabilizer bolt alone would not be an acceptable approach with regard to the trailer hitch 80. Since the bolts contact the inner trailer hitch but do not extend through the inner hitch, this combination would not lock the trailer hitches together. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,701,913 and U.S. Application 20040112369, these stabilizer bolt combinations were not used in a locking configuration, just a stabilizing configuration. Further, to extend the stabilizing bar through both trailer hitches would not be acceptable. During a towing operation, the threads of the bolts would be ruined.
The locking bar and stabilizing bolt combination of the present invention provides a trailer locking combination that reduces the vibration of the trailer hitch during a towing operation. The trailer hitch and system of the present invention provide significant advantages over the current art. The invention has been described in connection with its preferred embodiments. However, it is not limited thereto. Changes, variations and modifications to the basic design may be made without departing from the inventive concepts in this invention. In addition, these changes, variations and modifications would be obvious to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the foregoing teachings. All such changes, variations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of this invention.
