Swing-away hitch adapter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10752066-B2
Application number	US-201815994944-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2018
Priority date	Jun 1, 2017
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

System, including apparatus and methods, for transporting cargo using a swing-away hitch adapter that mounts to a hitch of a vehicle and provides a movable hitch receiver for a cargo carrier, such as a rack for carrying bicycles. In some embodiments, the hitch adapter may comprise a fixed beam and a movable beam. The movable beam may be pivotally connected to the fixed beam at a first end and associated with a movable hitch receiver at a second end. A latch mechanism of the adapter may be configured to automatically lock the movable beam in an open position orthogonal to the fixed beam, to provide access to a rear of the vehicle, when the movable beam is pivoted about a pivot axis to the open position from a closed position parallel to the fixed beam.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hitch adapter, comprising:
a supporting member including a tongue configured to be mated with a vehicle hitch;
a fixed beam having a proximal end attached to the supporting member;
a movable beam having a first end pivotally connected to a distal end of the fixed beam;
a hitch receiver associated with a second end of the movable beam; and
a latch mechanism configured to automatically lock the movable beam in an open position orthogonal to the fixed beam when the movable beam is pivoted about a pivot axis to the open position from a closed position parallel to the fixed beam;
wherein the latch mechanism includes a first latch member and a second latch member that engage one another to lock the movable beam in the open position, wherein the first latch member is associated with the distal end of the fixed beam and the second latch member is associated with the first end of the movable beam, and wherein one of the latch members is pivotally biased by a spring.

2. The hitch adapter of claim 1 , wherein the latch mechanism is configured to be manipulated manually to unlock the movable beam for pivoting from the open position.

3. The hitch adapter of claim 1 , wherein the movable beam is configured to be locked automatically in the open position by the latch mechanism in response to torque applied by a user to the movable beam remotely from the latch mechanism at the second end of the movable beam.

4. The hitch adapter of claim 1 , wherein one of the latch members is firmly attached to one of the beams, and wherein the other latch member is movably connected to the other beam.

5. The hitch adapter of claim 1 , wherein the other latch member is configured to urge the one latch member from an obstructing position to a receiving position, against a bias of the spring, to permit alignment of the latch members with one another, and to allow the one latch member to return to the obstructing position for engagement of the latch members with one another when the latch members are aligned with one another.

6. The hitch adapter of claim 1 , wherein one of the latch members includes an arm, and wherein the other latch member includes a keeper that engages the arm to lock the movable beam in the open position.

7. The hitch adapter of claim 6 , wherein the keeper is pivotally biased by a spring.

8. The hitch adapter of claim 7 , wherein the keeper is pivotally connected to the fixed beam for pivotal motion about an axis parallel to a long axis of the fixed beam.

9. The hitch adapter of claim 6 , wherein the keeper forms a ramp, and wherein the arm is configured to urge the keeper from an obstructing position to a receiving position for the arm as the movable beam is being pivoted to the open position.

10. The hitch adapter of claim 9 , wherein the arm has a top side and a bottom side that face away from one another, wherein the keeper has a protrusion forming the ramp, and wherein a tip of the protrusion and one of the top and bottom sides of the arm are configured to slidably contact one another after the keeper has been urged to the receiving position by the arm.

11. The hitch adapter of claim 9 , wherein the keeper forms a receiving space for a portion of the arm, and wherein the keeper is configured to return to the obstructing position when the receiving space and the portion of the arm are vertically aligned with one another.

12. The hitch adapter of claim 6 , wherein the arm extends from a near-end portion to a far-end portion, wherein the far-end portion is farther than the near-end portion from the pivot axis, and wherein the far-end portion is engaged by the keeper when the movable beam is locked in the open position.

13. The hitch adapter of claim 12 , wherein the far-end portion is elongated along an arm axis, wherein the arm axis moves in a plane orthogonal to the pivot axis when the movable beam is pivoted from the closed position to the open position, wherein the arm axis is orthogonal to an axis that is parallel to the fixed beam when the movable beam is in the closed position, and wherein the arm axis is parallel to the fixed beam when the movable beam is locked in the open position.

14. The hitch adapter of claim 6 , wherein a portion of the arm that engages the keeper in the open position is configured to be located forward of a vertical plane containing a central long axis of the fixed beam when the movable beam is locked in the open position.

15. A system comprising the hitch adapter of claim 1 , further comprising a cargo carrier configured to be mounted to the hitch adapter at the hitch receiver, wherein the cargo carrier is a rack configured to hold bicycles.

16. A hitch adapter, comprising:
a supporting member including a tongue configured to be mated with and secured to a vehicle hitch;
a fixed beam having a proximal end firmly attached to the supporting member;
a movable beam having a first end pivotally connected to a distal end of the fixed beam;
a hitch receiver firmly attached to a second end of the movable beam; and
a latch mechanism configured to automatically lock the movable beam in an open position orthogonal to the fixed beam when the movable beam is pivoted about a pivot axis to the open position from a closed position parallel to the fixed beam;
wherein the latch mechanism includes an arm and a keeper that engage one another to lock the movable beam in the open position, and wherein the keeper is pivotally biased by a spring.

17. The hitch adapter of claim 16 , wherein the keeper forms a ramp, and wherein the arm is configured to urge the keeper from an obstructing position to a receiving position for the arm as the movable beam is being pivoted to the open position.

18. A hitch adapter, comprising:
a supporting member including a tongue configured to be mated with a vehicle hitch;
a fixed beam having a proximal end attached to the supporting member;
a movable beam having a first end pivotally connected to a distal end of the fixed beam;
a hitch receiver associated with a second end of the movable beam; and
a latch mechanism configured to automatically lock the movable beam in an open position orthogonal to the fixed beam when the movable beam is pivoted about a pivot axis to the open position from a closed position parallel to the fixed beam;
wherein the latch mechanism includes a first latch member and a second latch member that engage one another to lock the movable beam in the open position, wherein the first latch member is associated with the distal end of the fixed beam and the second latch member is associated with the first end of the movable beam,
wherein one of the latch members includes an arm, wherein the other latch member includes a keeper that engages the arm to lock the movable beam in the open position,
wherein the keeper forms a ramp, and wherein the arm is configured to urge the keeper from an obstructing position to a receiving position for the arm as the movable beam is being pivoted to the open position.

Assignees

• Yakima Products Inc

Inventors

• Rodriguez Marcos Henry

Classifications

• B60R9/06 Primary

  at vehicle front or rear {(rear luggage compartments within vehicle extensible externally of the vehicle body B60R5/041)} · CPC title

• B60D1/1675 Primary

  comprising extendable, retractable or foldable members · CPC title

• B60D1/40

  involving a temporarily extensible or alignable member (B60D1/38 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60D1/04

  Hook or hook-and-hasp couplings · CPC title