Modular double pin load sensing hitches including two-piece pin mounts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11787248-B2
Application number	US-202017614988-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2020
Priority date	May 30, 2019
Publication date	Oct 17, 2023
Grant date	Oct 17, 2023

Abstract

Modular double pin load sensing hitches including two-piece pin mounts are disclosed herein. An example apparatus disclosed herein includes a pin mount including a first piece, and a second piece, separate from and to be disposed opposite to the first piece. The apparatus further includes and a receiver tube including a first mounting ear to be coupled to the first piece via a first pin and a second mounting ear to be coupled to the second piece via a second pin.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus to be coupled to a hitch crossbar, the apparatus comprising:
a pin mount including:
a first piece; and
a second piece, separate from and to be disposed opposite to the first piece; and

a receiver tube including:
a first mounting ear to be coupled to the first piece via a first pin;
a second mounting ear to be coupled to the second piece via a second pin;

a first fastener disposed within a first opening of the first piece and a second opening of the second piece; and
a second fastener disposed within a third opening of the first piece and a fourth opening of the second piece, and the apparatus further including a crush sleeve disposed in at least one of the openings.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first pin or the second pin are load-sensing pins.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the crush sleeve is at least one of a shouldered crush sleeve or a crush collar.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first pin, the first piece and the first mounting ear form a first clevis and the second pin, the second piece, and the second mounting ear form a second clevis.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first piece includes a first mounting face and the second piece includes a second mounting face, a distance between the first mounting face and the second mounting face based on a length of at least one of the first fastener or the second fastener.

6. A hitch comprising:
a first pin;
a pin mount defining a saddle, the pin mount including:
a first piece; and
a second piece, separate from and opposite to the first piece;

a crossbar disposed within the saddle; and
a receiver tube coupled to the pin mount via the first pin, wherein the first pin is a load-sensing pin.

7. The hitch of claim 6 , wherein the receiver tube includes a first mounting ear and a second mounting ear and further includes a second pin coupling the second mounting ear to the second piece, the first pin coupling the first mounting ear to the first piece.

8. The hitch of claim 7 , wherein the first pin, the first piece and the first mounting ear form a first clevis and the second pin, the second piece, and the second mounting ear form a second clevis.

9. The hitch of claim 6 , further including:
a first fastener; and
a second fastener, the first fastener and the second fastener coupling the first piece to the second piece.

10. The hitch of claim 9 , wherein the first piece includes a first mounting face and the second piece includes a second mounting face, a distance between the first mounting face and the second mounting face based on a length of at least one of the first fastener or the second fastener.

11. The hitch of claim 9 , further including a crush sleeve disposed within an opening of the first piece, the first fastener extending through the crush sleeve.

12. An apparatus comprising,
a mounting plate to abut a crossbar of a trailer hitch;
a first boss, extending from the mounting plate, the first boss including a first opening; and
a second boss extending from the mounting plate, the second boss including a second opening aligned with the first opening, the first boss and the second boss configured to receive a load-sensing pin of the trailer hitch.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the mounting plate, the first boss, and the second boss form a unitary cast part.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the mounting plate includes:
a mounting face;
a third opening disposed on the mounting face; and
a fourth opening disposed on the mounting face.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the mounting plate is configured to receive a first fastener via the third opening and a second fastener via the fourth opening, the first fastener and the second fastener extending from a piece of a pin mount of the trailer hitch.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein a distance between the mounting face and the piece of the pin mount is based on a length of at least one of the first fastener and the second fastener.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , further including a crush sleeve disposed within the third opening, the first fastener extending through the crush sleeve.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the crush sleeve is at least one of a shouldered crush sleeve or a crush collar.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the mounting plate, the first boss, and the second boss have a first shape and the piece of the pin mount has a second shape, the first shape symmetric to the second shape.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the mounting plate is planar.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc
• Methode Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Giaier Kevin Stanton
• Niedert Andrew
• Pearson Elliott
• Rogness Anton
• Giessibl Johannes
• Reed Chad

Classifications

• B60D1/485 Primary

  mounted by means of transversal members attached to the frame of a vehicle · CPC title

• B60D1/248 Primary

  for measuring, indicating or displaying the weight · CPC title