Active fifth wheel repositioning slider

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10118657-B2
Application number	US-201715425445-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2017
Priority date	Aug 5, 2014
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

A fifth wheel hitch adjustment arrangement for adjusting a position of a fifth wheel hitch plate along a length of a vehicle frame, the fifth wheel hitch adjustment arrangement including a fifth wheel hitch plate, a support arrangement coupled to the fifth wheel hitch plate such that the fifth wheel hitch plate can be moved between a first position along a length of a vehicle frame and a second position along the length of the vehicle frame that is different than the first position, and a drive assembly adapted to couple to a vehicle frame and coupled to the support arrangement, the drive assembly including a rack-and-pinion arrangement, the rack-and-pinion arrangement including a rack member engaging at least one pinion member, the at least one pinion member engaging the rack member of the support arrangement to move the fifth wheel hitch plate between the first and second positions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fifth wheel hitch adjustment arrangement for adjusting a position of a fifth wheel hitch plate along a length of a vehicle frame, the fifth wheel hitch adjustment arrangement comprising:
a fifth wheel hitch plate;
a support arrangement coupled to the fifth wheel hitch plate such that the fifth wheel hitch plate can be moved between a first position along a length of a vehicle frame and a second position along the length of the vehicle frame that is different than the first position; and
a drive assembly adapted to couple to a vehicle frame and coupled to the support arrangement, the drive assembly including a rack-and-pinion arrangement, the rack-and-pinion arrangement including a rack member engaging at least one pinion member, the support arrangement including the rack member; and
the at least one pinion member engaging the rack member of the support arrangement to move the fifth wheel hitch plate between the first and second positions.

2. The fifth wheel hitch adjustment arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the support arrangement includes a slide rail and a support bracket arrangement, wherein the support bracket arrangement is coupled to the fifth wheel hitch plate, and wherein the support bracket arrangement slidably engages the slide rail such that the fifth wheel hitch plate is slidably movable between the first and second positions.

3. The fifth wheel hitch adjustment arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the slide rail is configured to be attached to the vehicle frame.

4. A fifth wheel hitch adjustment arrangement for adjusting a position of a fifth wheel hitch plate along a length of a vehicle frame, the fifth wheel hitch adjustment arrangement comprising:
a fifth wheel hitch plate;
a support arrangement coupled to the fifth wheel hitch plate such that the fifth wheel hitch plate can be moved between a first position along a length of a vehicle frame and a second position along the length of the vehicle frame that is different than the first position; and
a drive assembly adapted to couple to a vehicle frame and coupled to the support arrangement, the drive assembly including a rack-and-pinion arrangement, the rack-and-pinion arrangement including a rack member engaging at least one pinion member, the at least one pinion member engaging the rack member to move the fifth wheel hitch plate between the first and second positions;
wherein the at least one pinion is fixed at a position along the length of the vehicle frame.

5. A fifth wheel hitch adjustment arrangement for adjusting a position of a fifth wheel hitch plate along a length of a vehicle frame, the fifth wheel hitch adjustment arrangement comprising:
a fifth wheel hitch plate;
a support arrangement coupled to the fifth wheel hitch plate such that the fifth wheel hitch plate can be moved between a first position along a length of a vehicle frame and a second position along the length of the vehicle frame that is different than the first position; and
a drive assembly adapted to couple to a vehicle frame and coupled to the support arrangement, the drive assembly including a rack-and-pinion arrangement, the rack-and-pinion arrangement including a rack member engaging at least one pinion member, the at least one pinion member engaging the rack member to move the fifth wheel hitch plate between the first and second positions;
wherein the rack member of the drive assembly includes at least one drive rack, and wherein the drive assembly includes an actuator member that includes the at least one drive rack that engages the at least one pinion.

6. The fifth wheel hitch adjustment arrangement of claim 5 , wherein the at least one pinion includes a first pinion and a second pinion, and wherein the at least one drive rack includes a first drive rack that engages the first pinion and a second drive rack that engages the second pinion.

7. The fifth wheel hitch adjustment arrangement of claim 5 , wherein the at least one pinion includes a first gear portion having a first diameter and a second gear portion having a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter, and wherein a select one of the first gear portion and the second gear portion engages the at least one drive rack of the actuator member and the remaining of the first gear portion and the second gear portion engages the rack member of the rack-and-pinion arrangement.

8. The fifth wheel hitch adjustment arrangement of claim 7 , wherein the at least one drive rack of the actuator member engages the second gear portion.

9. The fifth wheel hitch adjustment arrangement of claim 5 , wherein the actuator member includes a worm gear.

10. The fifth wheel hitch adjustment assembly of claim 9 , wherein the at least one pinion includes a first gear portion and a second gear portion, wherein the first gear portion is engaged by the worm gear and the second gear portion engages the rack member of the drive assembly.

11. A fifth wheel hitch adjustment arrangement for adjusting a position of a fifth wheel hitch plate along a length of a vehicle frame, the fifth wheel hitch adjustment arrangement comprising:
a fifth wheel hitch plate;
a support arrangement coupled to the fifth wheel hitch plate such that the fifth wheel hitch plate can be moved between a first position along a length of a vehicle frame and a second position along the length of the vehicle frame that is different than the first position;
a drive assembly adapted to couple to a vehicle frame and coupled to the support arrangement, the drive assembly including a rack-and-pinion arrangement, the rack-and-pinion arrangement including a rack member engaging at least one pinion member, the at least one pinion member engaging the rack member to move the fifth wheel hitch plate between the first and second positions; and
at least one locking arrangement coupled to the support arrangement and operable between a locked configuration, wherein the at least one locking arrangement engages the vehicle frame and prevents the fifth wheel hitch plate configuration from moving between the first and second positions, and an unlocked position, wherein the fifth wheel hitch plate is free to move between the first and second positions.

12. The fifth wheel hitch adjustment arrangement of claim 11 , wherein the at least one locking arrangement includes a first locking arrangement and a second locking arrangement located on opposite sides of the drive assembly from one another.

13. A fifth wheel hitch adjustment arrangement for adjusting a position of a fifth wheel hitch plate along a length of a vehicle frame, the fifth wheel hitch adjustment arrangement comprising:
at least one sensor configured to sense an operating parameter of vehicle operation and produce a first signal based on a state of the operating parameter;
a controller configured to receive and process the first signal and to produce a second signal based on the first signal;
an actuator arrangement configured to receive the second signal and move an actuator member based on the second signal; and
a fifth wheel hitch arrangement, comprising:
a fifth wheel hitch plate;
a support arrangement coupled to the fifth wheel hitch plate such that the fifth wheel hitch plate can be moved between a first position along a length of a vehicle frame and a second position along the length of the vehicle frame that is different than the first position; and
a drive assembly adapted to couple to the vehicle frame and coupled to the support arrangement, the drive assembly including a rack-and-pinion arrangement and the actuator member, the rack-and-pinion arrangement including a rack member engaging at least one pinion member, wher

Assignees

• Saf Holland Inc

Inventors

• Dupay Steven
• Jembari Ahmad Nizam Mohamad

Classifications

• B62D53/0814 Primary

  with adjustment of the clearance between the tractor or the trailer (devices modifying the load in tractor-trailer combinations B62D53/068) · CPC title

• B62D53/0807 Primary

  adjustable coupling saddles mounted on sub-frames; Mounting plates therefor · CPC title

• F16H19/04

  comprising a rack · CPC title

• F16H1/222

  with non-parallel axes · CPC title

• F16H2019/046

  Facilitating the engagement or stopping of racks · CPC title