Vehicle hitch assembly having floating hitch receiver and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11034201-B2
Application number	US-201916254802-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2019
Priority date	Jan 23, 2019
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle hitch assembly is provided that includes an angled trailer tow bar configured to be supported at the rear of a vehicle, a hitch receiver movably coupled to the tow bar such that the receiver may move on the tow bar, and a locking mechanism for locking the receiver in a fixed position on the tow bar.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle hitch assembly comprising:
an angled trailer tow bar configured to be supported at the rear of a vehicle;
a hitch receiver movably coupled to the tow bar such that the receiver may move on the tow bar, wherein the receiver has upper and lower arms and a first pin at a front side extending between the upper and lower arms; and
a locking mechanism for locking the receiver in a fixed position on the tow bar, wherein the locking mechanism Comprises a pair of articulating jaws that engage the first pin when positioned within a slot.

2. The vehicle hitch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the angled trailer tow bar has an angled portion at an angle greater than 3 degrees.

3. The vehicle hitch assembly of claim 2 , wherein the angle is in the range of 3 to 25 degrees.

4. The vehicle hitch assembly of claim 3 , wherein the angle is in the range of 5 to 10 degrees.

5. The vehicle hitch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tow bar has the slot, wherein the first pin engages the slot when the hitch receiver is in the fixed position to provide the locking mechanism.

6. The vehicle hitch assembly of claim 5 , wherein the receiver further has a second pin rearward of the first pin such that the first and second pins are on opposite front and rear sides of the tow bar, and wherein the second pin fixedly connects the hitch receiver to the tow bar in the fixed position to further provide the locking mechanism.

7. The vehicle hitch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the articulating jaws are spring biased by one or more springs.

8. A vehicle hitch assembly comprising:
a trailer tow bar having rearward angled members configured to be supported at the rear of a vehicle;
a floating hitch receiver movably coupled to the tow bar such that the receiver is movable to different positions on the tow bar, wherein the receiver has upper and lower arms and a first pin at a front side extending between the upper and lower arms; and
a locking mechanism for locking the receiver in a fixed position on the tow bar, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a pair of articulating jaws that engage the first pin when positioned within a slot.

9. The vehicle hitch assembly of claim 8 , wherein the angled trailer tow bar has an angled portion at an angle greater than 3 degrees.

10. The vehicle hitch assembly of claim 9 , wherein the angled portion has an angle in the range of 3 to 25 degrees.

11. The vehicle hitch assembly of claim 8 , wherein the tow bar has the slot, wherein the first pin engages the slot when the floating hitch receiver is in the fixed position to provide the locking mechanism.

12. The vehicle hitch assembly of claim 11 , wherein the receiver further has a second pin at a rearward of the first pin such that the first and second pins are on opposite front and rear sides of the tow bar, and wherein the second pin fixedly connects the receiver to the tow bar in the fixed position to further provide the locking mechanism.

13. The vehicle hitch assembly of claim 8 , wherein the articulating jaws are spring biased by one or more springs.

14. A method of connecting a trailer to a tow vehicle, comprising:
aligning a trailer coupler in position near an angled trailer tow bar on a vehicle;
moving a floating hitch receiver on the tow bar to align the receiver with the trailer coupler, wherein the receiver has upper and lower arms and a first pin at a first side extending between the upper and lower arms;
connecting the trailer coupler to the floating hitch receiver;
sliding the floating hitch receiver on the tow bar to a rearward fixed position; and
locking the receiver in the fixed position with a locking mechanism, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a pair of articulating jaws that engage the first pin when positioned within a slot on the tow bar.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of moving the receiver to the fixed position comprises driving the vehicle forward.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of locking the rearward end of the receiver by engaging a locking mechanism to fixedly connect the receiver to the tow bar.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Stojkovic Dragan B
• Marchlewski Jack
• Hemphill Joshua Robert
• Reiners Robert

Classifications

• B60D1/44 Primary

  horizontally · CPC title

• B60D1/40 Primary

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

• B60D1/665

  comprising supporting wheels, e.g. dollies · CPC title

• B60D1/06 Primary

  Ball-and-socket hitches · CPC title

• B60D1/167

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