BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present disclosure relates to couplers between a towing vehicle and a trailer. The most common coupler involves a ball and socket, which provides a secure connection that still allows freedom of movement between the vehicle and trailer. Ball and socket couplers have been around for many years and have proven to be a reliable and flexible connection, but can be difficult to align, mate, and secure. Others have attempted to design a simple coupler, but these can still require significant hand strength to operate, have dangerous pinch points, or be difficult to release. In addition, preventing vandalism or theft usually involves the user having to add a separate lock, where keys are misplaced or the combination is forgotten. For these reasons, an improved ball coupler is needed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present disclosure describes a quick connect ball coupler that is released either through a lever or an actuator. The coupler has a hemisphere cylinder cavity that receives a hitch ball and a lever that can pivot between a captured and a release position.
The coupler has a fixed ball pocket with a cylindrical inside surface extending to a hemispherical inside surface to form an inside envelope. The fixed ball pocket has a notch that interrupts a portion of the hemispherical and cylindrical surfaces. A lever is located in the notch and can pivot between a captured position and a release position. A portion of the lever extends into said inside envelope and the lever has a locking aperture. When the lever is in the release position, the portion of the lever that extends into the inside envelope is adjacent the hemispherical surface and when the lever is in the captured position, the portion of the lever that extends into the inside envelope is adjacent the cylindrical surface. A locking pin is slidable along a locking axis between a locked and unlocked position. The locked position is defined as the locking pin extending through the locking aperture in the lever and the unlocked position is defined as the locking pin being clear of said lever. The locking pin is biased towards the locked position and is slidable through the locking aperture to the locked position when the lever is in said captured position. The locking pin is moved to the unlocked position by a release handle or electric actuator.
In some embodiments, the coupler can automatically ready itself for the next coupling in the process of being decoupled. This is accomplished using features on the lever and locking pin that cause the locking pin to move to a biased position when the lever moves from a reset position to a release position. In the release position, the hitch ball can clear the coupler for removal, but the movement of the lever from the reset to release position sets the locking pin in an armed position against the side of the lever so that when the lever moves to the locked position (by installation of the hitch ball), the locking pin can slide to lock the lever in the locked position without the need for user intervention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a top isometric view of a coupler in use connecting a trailer and towing vehicle;
FIG. 2 is a top isometric view of the coupler in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a bottom isometric view of the coupler in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is an exploded isometric view of the coupler in FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is an exploded isometric view of the housing alignment to the gooseneck tube and ball pocket;
FIG. 6 is a side section view 6-6 of the coupler in FIG. 2 in the captured position;
FIG. 7 is a side section view 6-6 of the coupler in FIG. 2 in the released position;
FIG. 8 is a top section view 8-8 of the coupler in FIG. 2 in the captured position;
FIG. 9 is a top isometric view showing a bumper-mounted embodiment of the hitch coupler in use connecting a trailer and towing vehicle;
FIG. 10 is a top isometric view of the coupler in FIG. 9;
FIG. 11 is a top isometric view of a manually-operated embodiment of the coupler shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 12 is a bottom isometric view of the coupler shown in FIG. 11;
FIG. 13 is a side section view 13-13 of the coupler in FIG. 11 in the captured position;
FIG. 14 is an exploded isometric view of the coupler in FIG. 11;
FIG. 15 is a top section view 15-15 of the coupler in FIG. 11;
FIG. 16 is a top section view 15-15 of the coupler in FIG. 11 after being moved to the unlocked position;
FIG. 17 is a front isometric view of a self-resetting embodiment of the coupler;
FIG. 18 is an exploded view of the coupler in FIG. 17;
FIG. 19 is a rear view of the coupler in FIG. 18;
FIG. 20 is an exploded view of the locking mechanism of the coupler in FIGS. 17 and 18
FIG. 21A is an isometric view of the locking mechanism components in FIG. 20 in the locked/captured position;
FIG. 21B is a section view 17-17 of the coupler in the locked/captured position;
FIG. 22A is an isometric view of the locking mechanism components in FIG. 20 in the reset position;
FIG. 22B is a section view 17-17 of the coupler in the reset position;
FIG. 23A is an isometric view of the locking mechanism components in FIG. 20 in the release position;
FIG. 23B is a section view 17-17 of the coupler in the release position;
FIG. 24 is an isometric view of an alternate gooseneck embodiment of the self-resetting coupler; and
FIG. 25 is a section view 25-25 of the gooseneck coupler in FIG. 24.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A coupler 10 is designed to mate to a standard hitch ball 12 having a partially spherical surface 14. The hitch ball 12 is typically affixed to a towing vehicle 16, either at the rear of the vehicle as shown in FIG. 9 or above an axle as shown in FIG. 1. When the hitch ball 12 is affixed to the vehicle frame above an axle, it is typically when the vehicle is set up for towing a gooseneck trailer. As is common with hitch balls, the hitch ball 12 contemplated herein has a spherical portion and a stem portion, with the stem portion being smaller than the spherical portion. The couplers discussed herein capture the hitch ball 12 by trapping the spherical portion while still allowing rotation with respect to the coupler.
The coupler 10 shown in FIGS. 1-8 is useable with a gooseneck trailer, with a manual coupler 110 shown in FIGS. 11-16, and a bumper version of the coupler 210 shown in FIGS. 9-10 being useable with a bumper-mounted or rear-mounted hitch ball. For the purposes of simplicity, the gooseneck version of the coupler 10 will be described in detail. The bumper version of the coupler 210 will then be described to the extent that it differs from the coupler 10. In the disclosures herein, the couplers 10, 110, 210 use the same operative parts, with some structural differences being related to how the locking pin is released and/or how the coupler mounts to the trailer (not shown). The coupler 10, 110, 210 is mounted to a trailer with a coupling axis 50 perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the ground. Because vehicles and/or trailers can be located on unlevel ground, substantially perpendicular is defined as the ball pocket being sufficiently vertical for the coupler to mate with the hitch ball 12.
The coupler 10 has a fixed ball pocket 20 with a cylindrical inside surface 22 extending to a hemispherical surface 24. The cylindrical inside surface 22 and hemispherical surface 24 cooperate to form a partial capsule-shaped inside envelope 28. In other words, the surfaces 22, 24 combine to form one end of a spherocylindrically shaped cavity. Other names for this shape include a hemisphere cylinder. The fixed ball pocket 20 has a notch 26 that interrupts the cylindrical inside surface 22 and extends into the hemispherical surface 24. A lever 30 is retained in the notch 26 that is used to capture the hitch ball 12. The lever 30 pivots between a captured position (shown in FIG. 6) and a released position (shown in FIG. 7) about a pin 32 that is secured to a housing 40. The pin 32 is shown as being held in with a clip 33, but other methods of securing the pin 32 are contemplated. The housing 40 is fixed with respect to the fixed ball pocket 20, typically through welding. For coupler 10, the fixed ball pocket 20 and housing 40 are secured to a gooseneck tube 21 that is made to be secured to a trailer 18, as shown in FIG. 1. The fixed ball pocket 20 has grooves 23 that may be used to align with features on the housing 40, which can ensure alignment and proper positioning of the lever 30 with respect to the fixed ball pocket 20. The lever 30 is biased towards the released position through gravity, because the aperture for the pin 32 is offset from the center of gravity of the lever. It is contemplated that the lever 30 is biased with a spring or other component. The lever 30 has a locking aperture 34 that aligns with rack apertures 42 in the housing 40 when the lever is in the captured position. In the captured position, the lever 30 also has a manual locking aperture 36 that aligns with manual lock apertures 44 in the housing 40. The manual lock apertures 44 allow for a keyed or other security lock 48 to be installed. The lever 30 has a ball engagement surface 38 that is complementary to the partially spherical surface 14 of the hitch ball 12. The lever 30, and in particular, the ball engagement surface 38 portion extends into the inside envelope 28 irrespective of the lever's position. An upper portion of the engagement surface 38 extends inwardly when the lever 30 is in the release position and a lower portion of the engagement surface extends inwardly in the captured position. This is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. At points between these two extremes, one portion or both portions extend into the inside envelope 28.
As previously disclosed, the lever 30 and housing 40 have apertures that align when the lever is in the captured position. The housing 40 includes a slidable locking pin 60 that moves along a locking axis 62 between a locked and unlocked position. The slidable locking pin 60 has a rack gear 64 and a spring hook 66. The spring hook 66 is attached to a spring 70 that is connected to the housing 40 at a spring eyelet 46. The spring 70 biases the locking pin 60 towards the locked position, which is shown in FIG. 2.
The rack gear 64 mates with a spur gear 80 that is affixed to an actuator or motor 82. The motor 82 can rotate the spur gear 80 to move the locking pin 60 along the locking axis 62. The motor 82 is mounted to a bracket 84 and is electrically connected to a control 90. While the motor 82 and control 90 are shown as separate components, it is contemplated that the control and motor are integrated into a single unit or enclosure. The control 90 houses electronics that are either battery-powered, powered from the trailer, or powered by the towing vehicle. Optionally, a sensor is located in the fixed ball pocket 20 or another location to detect the presence of the hitch ball 12. The sensor can be magnetic, proximity, or any type of sensing technology that detects the presence or movement of the hitch ball, lever, or other components discussed herein. When the hitch ball 12 seats into the fixed ball pocket 20 or is removed from it, the sensor sends a signal to the control 90. It is contemplated that the sensor is located to detect the position of the lever 30. The sensor is in electrical communication with the control 90 and can be used to notify the user of the status of the hitch and/or be used to move the motor 82. The electronics control the motor 82 and can receive signals from a wireless remote, communicate over Bluetooth, NFC, or other protocol. Bluetooth, NFC, or other protocols are used with smartphones, tablets, or other mobile devices that would have a custom program/application. The application would provide the status of the motor, sensor(s), and battery level, along with providing control for the motor to release the coupler.
The manual version of the coupler 110 is shown in FIGS. 11-16, where the motor, controller, and optional sensor are not present. Coupler 110, like coupler 10, uses the fixed ball pocket 20 and lever 30. The differences between coupler 10 and coupler 110 are related to how the locking pin 160 is moved to the unlocked position. A first housing side 140 and a second housing side 141 cooperate with a guide bracket 184 to form a housing. The first and second housing sides 140, 141 have apertures 142 for the locking pin 160. The locking pin 160 slides along a locking axis 162, shown in FIG. 14. As shown in FIGS. 15-16, the locking pin 160 is attached to a release lever 182 and biased towards the locked position by a spring 170. The spring 170 is held between a guide bracket 184 and a step 166 located on the locking pin. The step 166 could be integrated into the locking pin 160 or be a clip (such as a c-clip or e-clip) attached thereto. The second housing side 141 has a pocket 143 to receive the step 166 in the locked position. The locking pin 160 has a guide flat 164 that cooperates with an aperture 183 in the guide bracket 184 to prevent the locking pin 160 from rotating and maintain alignment and orientation of the pin and release lever. The release lever 182 is tied to the locking pin 160 by a lever pivot 186 which allows the release lever 182 to pivot with respect to the locking pin 160. The release lever 182 has a rounded surface 188 that slides along the guide bracket 184 and an end surface 190 that can hold the locking pin 160 in the unlocked position.
The bumper version of the coupler 210 is shown in FIGS. 9-10 and may either be manual, like coupler 110 or electrically-actuated like coupler 10.
As previously described, the coupler 10, 110, 210 releases and captures the hitch ball 12 through the movement of the lever 30. When the hitch ball 12 absent from the inside envelope 28 and the locking pin 60, 160 is in the unlocked position, the lever 30 is free to move between the release and capture positions but will naturally rotate to the release position through gravity. This puts the coupler 10, 110, 210 into a condition to receive the hitch ball 12. The upper portion of the engagement surface 38 extends into the inside envelope 28 in this position. At the same time, the locking pin 60, 160 is biased towards the locked position but cannot reach it because the locking aperture 34 is not aligned. Instead, the locking pin is biased against the side of the lever 30. When the hitch ball 12 is moved into the inside envelope 28, it meets the upper portion of the engagement surface 38, where it begins to rotate the lever 30 towards the captured position. As the hitch ball 12 reaches a fully seated position against the hemispherical surface 24, the lever 30 reaches the captured position, which aligns the locking aperture 34 with the locking pin 60, 160. The bias pressure on the locking pin (from the spring 70, 170) causes it to extend through the locking aperture 34 completely and through apertures 42, 142. The hitch ball 12 is held in place by the lower portion of the engagement surface 38 while the lever 30 is locked from rotating by the locking pin. To release the hitch ball 12, the user pulls the locking pin 60, 160 out of the locking aperture 34. For the manual versions, this is done by actuating the handle 182, while in the electrically-actuated version it is moved by the motor 82. Removing the locking pin from the locking aperture allows the lever 30 to swing to the released position, thereby allowing the hitch ball 12 to withdraw.
Coupler 310 is shown in FIGS. 17-19 and shares many of the same features as couplers 10, 110, 210 with a fixed ball pocket 322 having a hemispherical surface 324 on a housing 340. The fixed ball pocket 322 has an opening 326. As with the other couplers, coupler 310 includes a lever 330 that pivots between a captured position (shown in FIG. 21B) and a released position (shown in FIG. 23B) about a pin 32. Located between the captured and release position is a reset position, shown in FIG. 22B. A release handle 382 is attached to the locking pin 360, which allows it to rotate around and slide along a locking axis 362.
The locking pin 360 contains additional features, such as a pair of modified helical grooves 364. As shown in FIG. 20, the grooves 364 are located on a minor diameter 366 of the locking pin. The grooves 364 begin on an open end 361 of the locking pin and are diametrically opposed from each other. The grooves 364 spiral around and terminate at an end 368. Adjacent the end 368 is a knee 372 where the groove changes direction and turn back towards the end of the locking pin. In other words, the knee 372 is a slope change or tipping point along the length of the pin. As will be described later, the knee 372 represents a point where the locking pin 360 moves to either a locked position or an unlocked position. The locking pin 360 has a minor diameter 373, a major diameter 374, and a shoulder 375 therebetween. A trip cam 376 is located on a terminal end of the major diameter. The trip cam 376 is shown in FIG. 21 where a biasing surface 378 and a trip surface 380 are located. As will be described later, the trip cam 376 mates with surfaces and features that form a trip notch 336 on the lever 330.
Affixed to the housing 340 is a guide collar 390 with a central aperture 392. Protruding into the central aperture are guide posts 394. The guide posts 394 are diametrically opposed and are sized to accommodate the grooves 364. The central aperture is sized to allow the minor diameter 366 to slide through while the guide posts 394 cooperate with the grooves 364 to rotate the locking pin 360 on its locking axis 362.
A spring 370, shown in FIG. 18, is located over the minor diameter 366, which provides the biasing force to move the pin to the locked, armed, and release positions. For clarity, the spring 370 is not shown in all figures.
The lever 330 includes the trip notch 336 that cooperates with the trip cam 376. The trip notch 336 has a resetting surface 350 and a biased surface 352. The lever 330 rotates between a captured position (FIG. 21), a released position (FIG. 22), and a reset position (FIG. 23). In the captured position, the locking pin 360 overlays a locking surface 334, which prevents the lever 330 from moving away from the captured position. In the reset position, the locking pin 360 is clear of the lever 330, which allows it to rotate about the pin 32. However, the lever 330 in the reset position does not rotate enough to fully clear the hitch ball 12 to allow it to be inserted or removed. In the release position, the hitch ball 12 can be inserted or removed. The lever 330 includes an engagement surface 338 which contacts the hitch ball 12. The engagement surface 338 has an upper portion 342 and a lower portion 344. The upper and lower portions 342, 344 engage with the hitch ball 12 in different ways and at different times, based on the position of the lever 330 and engagement position of the hitch ball 12. For example, in the locked position shown in FIG. 21B, the engagement surface 338 is aligned with the outside surface of the spherical portion of the hitch ball and the lower portion 344 extends partially across the opening 326 to capture the spherical portion of the hitch ball 12. In other words, the distance across the opening in the locked position is smaller than the spherical portion of the hitch ball, as shown in FIG. 21B. In the release and reset positions, the upper portion 342 extends into the hemispherical surface 324 of the fixed ball pocket 322, shown in FIGS. 22B and 23B.
In cooperation with the lever, the locking pin 360 is moveable between a locked position (FIG. 21A), an armed position (FIG. 22A), and a released position (FIG. 23A). In all of these positions, the guide posts 394 are located in different areas of the grooves 364. This is shown in FIGS. 21-23. In the released position, the guide posts 394 are located in the end 368. In the locked position, the guide posts are at the terminal end of the grooves 364 adjacent the release handle 382. In the armed position, the guide posts 394 are located adjacent the knee 372 and on the opposite side of the knee from the end 368. In other words, in the armed position, the guide posts 394 are located between the knee 372 and the open end 361.
To move the coupler 310 to receive or release a hitch ball, the user first moves the locking pin 360 to the released position by pulling and rotating the release handle 382 until it is in the released position. When the locking pin is in the released position, the guide posts 394 are located in the ends 368. As the hitch ball 12 is installed or removed, the lever 330 rotates towards the reset position, which causes the resetting surface 350 to contact the trip surface 380. As the hitch ball 12 continues to rotate the lever 330, the resetting surface 350 continues to contact the trip surface 380, which causes the locking pin 360 to rotate and move the guide posts 394 from the ends 368 and over the knee 372 to the armed position. At this point, the locking pin 360 is biased against the lever 330 with the biasing surface 378 in biased contact with the biased surface 352. As the hitch ball moves into the housing and the lever 330 rotates to the captured position, the locking surface 334 clears the locking pin 360, allowing the pin to freely slide to the locked position.
Coupler 410 is shown in FIGS. 24-25 and contains many of the same features and components as coupler 310. For example, coupler 410, has a fixed ball pocket 422, housing 440, lever 430, and release handle 482. Aside from minor visual differences, the main difference between coupler 410 and coupler 310 is that coupler 410 is configured to attach to a gooseneck trailer.
It is understood that while certain aspects of the disclosed subject matter have been shown and described, the disclosed subject matter is not limited thereto and encompasses various other embodiments and aspects. No specific limitation with respect to the specific embodiments disclosed herein is intended or should be inferred. Modifications may be made to the disclosed subject matter as set forth in the following claims.
Patent Application
20240059112
