Automatically locking hitch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10953712-B2
Application number	US-201916410392-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2019
Priority date	May 13, 2019
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

A hitch assembly for coupling a trailer to a tow vehicle comprises a king ball including a base and a king pin extending vertically from a top surface of the base, the king pin including a ball positioned on a distal end opposite the base, the ball adapted to be pivotally received into a hitch of the trailer. A hitch block includes a draw bar and a housing, the drawbar adapted to be horizontally inserted into a receiver mounted onto the tow vehicle, the housing including a throat adapted to receive the base of the king ball. A locking mechanism is adapted to automatically engage the king pin when the base of the king ball is inserted into the throat of the housing to secure the base of the king ball within the throat of the housing and locking the king ball and the hitch block together.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hitch assembly for coupling a trailer to a tow vehicle comprising:
a king ball including a base and a king pin extending vertically from a top surface of the base, the king pin including a ball positioned on a distal end opposite the base, the ball adapted to be pivotally received into a hitch of the trailer;
a hitch block including a draw bar and a housing, the drawbar adapted to be horizontally inserted into a receiver mounted onto the tow vehicle, the housing including a throat adapted to receive the base of the king ball; and
a locking mechanism adapted to automatically engage the king pin when the base of the king ball is inserted into the throat of the housing to secure the base of the king ball within the throat of the housing and locking the king ball and the hitch block together, wherein the locking mechanism includes a jaw adapted to automatically engage the king pin when the base of the king ball is inserted into the throat of the housing to secure the base of the king ball within the throat of the housing and lock the king ball and the hitch block together, and a wedge adapted to automatically engage the jaw after the jaw engages the king pin to lock the jaw in engagement with the king pin.

2. The hitch assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the jaw is pivotally mounted in the housing and pivotable between a first jaw position, wherein the base of the king ball can be inserted into the throat of the housing assembly, and a second jaw position, wherein the jaw engages the king pin to prevent the base of the king ball from being removed from the throat of the housing assembly;
the wedge is pivotally mounted in the housing and pivotable between a first wedge position, wherein the jaw is freely pivotable between the first and second jaw positions, and a second wedge position, wherein the wedge engages the jaw to lock the jaw in the second jaw position and in engagement with the king pin;
further wherein, the jaw is biased toward the first jaw position and the wedge is biased toward the second wedge position, the jaw including a finger extending therefrom adapted to hold the wedge in the first wedge position when the jaw is in the first jaw position; and
when the base of the king ball is inserted into the throat of the housing assembly, the king pin contacts the jaw, overcomes the bias of the jaw, and pivots the jaw from the first jaw position to the second jaw position, moving the finger away from the wedge and allowing the wedge to automatically be biased from the first wedge position to the second wedge position.

3. The hitch assembly of claim 2 , further including a lever pivotally mounted within the housing and adapted to selectively pivot the wedge from the second wedge position to the first wedge position.

4. The hitch assembly of claim 3 , further including an indicator extending from the lever into a slot formed within the housing assembly, wherein, when the wedge is positioned in the first wedge position the indicator is positioned at a first end of the slot formed within the housing assembly, and when the wedge is positioned in the second wedge position the indicator is positioned at a second end of the slot formed within the housing assembly, opposite the first end.

5. The hitch assembly of claim 4 , wherein the slot is formed within a top surface of the housing and the indicator is visible in a rear-view camera of the tow vehicle.

6. The hitch assembly of claim 5 , wherein the hitch block further includes a release handle connected to the lever to move the lever and selectively pivot the wedge from the second wedge position to the first wedge position to unlock the king ball from the hitch block.

7. The hitch assembly of claim 5 , wherein the hitch block further includes a release cable connected to the lever and extending a distance from the hitch block, the cable adapted to allow the lever to be selectively and remotely actuated to pivot the wedge from the second wedge position to the first wedge position to unlock the king ball from the hitch block.

8. The hitch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a plurality of spring loaded doors adapted to keep debris from entering the throat of the housing when the king ball is not engaged with the hitch block and to pivot away to allow base of the king ball to be inserted within the throat of the housing assembly.

9. The hitch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a flexible cover with a slot formed therein, wherein the flexible cover is adapted to keep debris from entering the throat of the housing when the king ball is not engaged with the hitch block, and to flex to accommodate the king pin and allow the base of the king ball to be inserted within the throat of the housing assembly.

10. The hitch assembly of claim 1 , wherein an inner surface of the throat of the housing has a profile that substantially matches a profile of the outer surface of the base of the king ball, wherein when the king ball is inserted and locked within the throat of the housing assembly; there is substantially no relative movement between the housing and the king ball.

11. The hitch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the king ball includes attachment points adapted to allow safety chains from the trailer to be attached to the king ball; and the hitch block includes attachment points adapted to allow safety chains from the tow vehicle to be attached to the hitch block.

12. The hitch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the hitch block includes a dip adapted to connect to an emergency brake cable of the trailer, wherein the emergency brake cable of the trailer is mounted to one of the trailer hitch or the king ball such that when the king ball is inserted into the throat of the housing assembly, the emergency brake cable automatically engages the dip to secure the emergency brake cable to the hitch block.

13. The hitch assembly of claim 12 , wherein the clip includes a clip cable adapted to connect the clip to the tow vehicle and the clip is mounted onto the hitch block with a breakable attachment; wherein the dip is adapted to break free from the hitch block if the emergency brake cable pulls on the clip, further wherein if the king ball breaks free of the hitch block while the tow vehicle and the trailer are moving, the dip and the clip cable adapted to pull the emergency brake cable of the trailer.

14. The hitch assembly of claim 13 , wherein the hitch block further includes a release handle to selectively unlock the locking mechanism to release the king ball from the hitch block, and a cable interconnecting the release handle to the clip, wherein actuation of the release handle to unlock the king ball from the hitch block releases the emergency brake cable from the clip.

15. The hitch assembly of claim 14 , wherein the hitch block further includes a release cable connected to the release handle and extending a distance from the hitch block, the release cable adapted to allow the release handle to be selectively and remotely actuated to unlock the king ball from the hitch block.

16. A hitch assembly for coupling a trailer to a tow vehicle comprising:
a king ball including a base and a king pin extending vertically from a top surface of the base, the king pin including a ball positioned on a distal end opposite the base, the ball adapted to be pivotally received into a hitch of the trailer;
a hitch block including a draw bar and a housing, the drawbar adapted to be horizontally inserted into a receiver mounted onto the tow vehicle, the housing including a throat adapted to receive the base of the king ball; and
a locking mechanism adap

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Weigert Norman J
• Schlottke Ralph D
• Escalada Nash
• Weber Kenneth Jordan

Classifications

• B60D1/075

  Hitch adaptors · CPC title

• B60D1/38

  involving auxiliary cables for drawing the trailer to the tractor before coupling · CPC title

• B60D1/06 Primary

  Ball-and-socket hitches · CPC title

• B60D1/065

  characterised by the hitch mechanism · CPC title

• B60D1/167

  consisting of articulated or rigidly assembled bars or tubes forming a V-, Y- or U-shaped draw gear · CPC title