Trailer hitch structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9505280-B2
Application number	US-201514685421-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 13, 2015
Priority date	May 8, 2014
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

A trailer hitch connected to rear frames has, on each side, a fixed member fixed to a rear end surface of the corresponding rear side frame. The rear surfaces of the fixed plates are connected to each other by a cross member. A hitch support for supporting a hitch ball is provided at the center of the cross member. A front surface upper portion of each of the fixed members is supported by an arm of a fixed bracket fixedly installed to the corresponding rear frame, so as to swing freely in a longitudinal direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A trailer hitch structure, comprising:
a rear frame disposed on each side of a vehicle body in a widthwise direction and extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body; and
a trailer hitch that is connected to the rear frames and has a pair of fixed members fixed to the rear frames, a cross member connecting the fixed members to each other, and a hitch support fixed to the cross member,
wherein a fixed bracket is provided in a rear portion of each of the rear frames in a fixed manner,
wherein the fixed brackets support the respective fixed members in such a manner that the fixed members swing freely in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body,
wherein each of the fixed brackets has a main body fixed to a bottom of the corresponding rear frame and a hinge arm extending rearward and supporting the corresponding fixed member while being offset upward with respect to the main body, and
wherein a lower portion of each of the hinge arms is set as an impact absorbing region.

2. The trailer hitch structure according to claim 1 , wherein the impact absorbing region is set in each of the rear frame.

3. The trailer hitch structure according to claim 1 , wherein an impact absorbing stay that connects a lower portion of each of the fixed members and the bottom of the corresponding rear frame to each other is set as the impact absorbing region.

4. The trailer hitch structure according to claim 1 , wherein each of the fixed members is connected to the corresponding fixed bracket by a load regulating member that allows the fixed member to swing at a load equal to or greater than a predetermined load.

5. The trailer hitch structure according to claim 2 , wherein each of the fixed members is connected to the corresponding fixed bracket by a load regulating member that allows the fixed member to swing at a load equal to or greater than a predetermined load.

6. The trailer hitch structure according to claim 3 , wherein each of the fixed members is connected to the corresponding fixed bracket by a load regulating member that allows the fixed member to swing at a load equal to or greater than a predetermined load.

7. A trailer hitch structure, comprising:
a rear frame disposed on each side of a vehicle body in a widthwise direction and extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body; and
a trailer hitch that is connected to the rear frames and has a pair of fixed members fixed to the rear frames, a cross member connecting the fixed members to each other, and a hitch support fixed to the cross member, wherein
a fixed bracket is provided in a rear portion of each of the rear frames in a fixed manner, and
the fixed brackets support the respective fixed members in such a manner that the fixed members swing freely in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body,
wherein each of the fixed brackets includes a hinge arm extending rearward and supporting the corresponding fixed member, and
a lower portion of each of the hinge arms is set as an impact absorbing region.

8. The trailer hitch structure according to claim 7 , wherein the impact absorbing region is set in each of the rear frames.

9. The trailer hitch structure according to claim 7 , wherein an impact absorbing stay that connects a lower portion of each of the fixed members and a bottom of the corresponding rear frame to each other is set as the impact absorbing region.

10. The trailer hitch structure according to claim 7 , wherein each of the fixed members is connected to the corresponding fixed bracket by a load regulating member that allows the fixed member to swing at a load equal to or greater than a predetermined load.

11. The trailer hitch structure according to claim 8 , wherein each of the fixed members is connected to the corresponding fixed bracket by a load regulating member that allows the fixed member to swing at a load equal to or greater than a predetermined load.

12. The trailer hitch structure according to claim 9 , wherein each of the fixed members is connected to the corresponding fixed bracket by a load regulating member that allows the fixed member to swing at a load equal to or greater than a predetermined load.

Assignees

• Fuji Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Furukawa Toshiya

Classifications

• B60D1/06 Primary

  Ball-and-socket hitches · CPC title

• B60D1/46

  vertically · CPC title

• B60D1/243

  for protection in case of crash, collision, impact or the like · CPC title

• B60D1/485

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