Trailer connecting device

Abstract

The invention provides a trailer connecting device. The trailer connecting device comprises a fixing piece, a trailer hook, a driven piece, a mandrel, a driving piece and the like. The mandrel is mounted on the fixing piece, is connected with the tow hook and synchronously rotates with the tow hook; the driving piece is directly or indirectly connected with the actuating device, the driven piece is installed on the mandrel, the driving piece is matched with the driven piece and drives the driven piece to rotate, and the tow hook is reliably fixed at the working position and the retracting position. The trailer connecting device is simple in structure, convenient to machine and manufacture and high in working reliability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of vehicle accessories, and particularly to a trailer connection device. Background Art

[0002] A trailer connection device, also known as a tow bar, trailer hitch, etc., and sometimes directly called a trailer hook, tow hook, etc. by its functional components, is a device for connecting a vehicle to other vehicles or equipment, mainly used for a vehicle to tow other vehicles or goods. Currently, the installation of a trailer connection device on a household vehicle is mainly used for towing a trailer such as a motorhome, or installing a frame to fix a riding vehicle such as a bicycle, to meet the needs of people for vacation trips or suburban cycling, etc. The use of the trailer connection device expands the scope of use of household vehicles and greatly enriches people's amateur life. However, in many scenarios other than vacation trips, etc., the trailer connection device is in an idle state. If it is allowed to remain in the extended state during operation, it will have a certain impact on the appearance and safety of the vehicle. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to at least partially overcome the defects of the prior art, and provide a trailer connection device, which can reliably fix the trailer hook in the working position and the retracted position through a simple structure, and can still stably maintain its position unchanged even under the action of external forces, and can smoothly rotate from one fixed position to another position and re-fix.

[0004] To achieve the above purpose or one of the purposes, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows: A trailer connection device, characterized in that: it includes a fixing member, a core shaft, a driven member, a driving member, and a trailer hook; the fixing member is fixedly installed on the vehicle body; the core shaft is installed on the fixing member, connected to the trailer hook and rotates synchronously; the driven member is eccentrically installed on the core shaft, the driving member is directly or indirectly connected to an actuating device, the driving member cooperates with the driven member and drives the driven member to rotate, and the driven member is configured to be able to rotate around its own axis at the working position / retracted position of the trailer hook to lock or unlock the core shaft. When the driving member drives the driven member to revolve, it simultaneously drives the core shaft and the trailer hook to rotate. At the working position / retracted position, the driving member drives the driven member to rotate around its own axis, and the mounting shaft of the driven member rotates from being completely located within the mounting hole of the core shaft to being partially located within the mounting hole of the core shaft and partially located within the mounting hole of the fixing member, locking the core shaft and simultaneously locking and reliably positioning the trailer hook. Or the mounting shaft of the driven member rotates from being partially located within the mounting hole of the fixing member and partially located within the mounting hole of the core shaft to being completely located within the mounting hole of the core shaft, unlocking the core shaft and the trailer hook.

[0005] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fixing member includes a fixing plate and a fixing bushing. The fixing plate is fixedly installed on the vehicle body chassis or the anti-collision beam, and the fixing bushing is fixedly installed on the fixing plate.

[0006] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, on the end face where the fixing member cooperates with the mandrel, one of them includes a limiting groove, and the other includes a limiting boss.

[0007] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it further includes an obstruction assembly. The obstruction assembly is installed on the driving member and / or the driven member, and the obstruction assembly is configured to be able to temporarily prevent the driven member from rotating around its own axis.

[0008] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, when the obstruction assembly prevents the driven member from rotating, the driving member drives the driven member to rotate together, driving the mandrel and the trailer hitch to rotate from the working position to the retracted position, or from the retracted position to the working position.

[0009] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, when the trailer hitch rotates to the working position / retracted position, the driving member continues to rotate, and the obstruction assembly can be bypassed, and the driving member drives the driven member to rotate around its own axis.

[0010] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mounting hole of the driven member is jointly composed of the mounting hole on the mandrel and the mounting hole on the fixing member. The mounting shaft of the driven member can be completely located within the mounting hole of the mandrel, or partially located within the mounting hole of the mandrel and partially located within the mounting hole of the fixing member.

[0011] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mounting shaft of the driven member includes a non-circular cross-section part, and the non-circular cross-section is not larger than the cross-section of the mounting hole on the mandrel.

[0012] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rotation center of the driven member is located within the non-circular cross-section.

[0013] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outer surface of the non-circular cross-section part includes a cylindrical surface with the center of the rotation center of the driven member as the center, and / or a cylindrical surface with the center of the mandrel as the center.

[0014] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the obstruction assembly includes an elastic member and / or an obstruction member.

[0015] Preferably, the obstruction assembly is a rubber plug or other compressible elastic member.

[0016] The trailer connection device of the present invention has the following advantages: It has a simple structure. The driving member is driven by the actuating device, and the driven member is driven by the driving member to drive the trailer hitch to rotate, and it can be reliably fixed at the working position and the retracted position.

[0017] It works reliably. The trailer hitch is installed on the fixing member and is driven to rotate by the mandrel. The positioning of the trailer hitch is realized by positioning the mandrel. The forces on the trailer hitch, etc. are jointly borne by the fixing member and the mandrel, and it has a high working strength.

[0018] The control is simplified. The driving member rotates unidirectionally. After the driven member rotates and unlocks itself, it drives the driven member and the mandrel / trailer hitch to rotate together through the blocking assembly, and the trailer hitch is re-fixed by passing over the blocking assembly at the working position / retracted position, without changing the rotation direction of the motor. Description of the Drawings

[0019] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the trailer connection device of the present invention; Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the second embodiment of the trailer connection device of the present invention; Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the blocking assembly in the second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the non-circular cross-section fit of the present invention. Detailed Embodiments

[0020] The exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings, where the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar elements. Additionally, in the following detailed description, for the purpose of explanation, many specific details are set forth to provide a comprehensive understanding of the embodiments disclosed herein. However, it is obvious that one or more embodiments can be implemented without these specific details. In other cases, well-known structures and devices are shown in a schematic manner to simplify the drawings.

[0021] Figure 1FIG. 0 is a schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the trailer connection device applying the present invention. As shown in the figure, the trailer connection device includes a fixing member 200 fixedly connected to the vehicle frame, a mandrel 300 installed in the fixing member 200, a driven member 500 eccentrically installed in the mandrel 300, a driving member 400 cooperating with the driven member 500, and a trailer hitch 100 connected to the mandrel 300 and rotating synchronously. The driving member 400 is connected to an actuating device (motor, not shown in the figure) and rotates actively. The mandrel 300 is axially positioned by mating its stepped surface with the end surface of the fixing member 200. In this embodiment, a limiting groove is provided on the mating end surface of the mandrel 300, and a corresponding limiting boss 201 is provided on the mating end surface of the fixing member 200. When one side of the limiting boss 201 abuts against one side of the limiting groove, the trailer hitch 100 is in the working position / retracted position; when the other side of the limiting boss 201 abuts against the other side of the limiting groove, the trailer hitch 100 is in the retracted position / working position. Correspondingly, the limiting boss can also be provided on the mandrel 300, and the limiting groove can be provided on the fixing member 200.

[0022] The center position of the eccentrically installed driven member 500 is located on the main body of the mandrel 300, and the complete circumferential surface extends beyond the side surface range of the main body of the mandrel 300. That is, the circular hole for installing the driven member 500 includes a combined section, and the circular hole part of the combined section is located on the mandrel 300 and part is located on the fixing member 200, and the center of the circular hole is located on the mandrel 300. The part of the driven member 500 that cooperates with the combined circular hole has a non-circular cross-section, and the cross-sectional shape does not exceed the cross-sectional shape of the combined circular hole on the mandrel 300. Therefore, when the part of the installation shaft of the driven member 500 that cooperates with the combined circular hole is completely located within the circular hole of the mandrel 300, the trailer hitch 100 and the mandrel 300 are not locked and are in the unlocked state, and the driven member 500 can revolve around the axis of the driving member 400 under the drive of the driving member 400, driving the mandrel 300 and the trailer hitch 100 to rotate. When the non-circular cross-section segment of the installation shaft of the driven member 500 is partially located within the circular hole of the mandrel 300 and partially located within the circular hole of the fixing member 200, the mandrel 300 is locked and cannot rotate, that is, the trailer hitch 100 is locked and reliably positioned.

[0023] The blocking assembly 600 includes an elastic member 602 and a blocking member 601. Preferably, other compressible parts can also be used as the blocking assembly to perform the functions of the elastic member and the blocking member, such as a rubber plug. In this embodiment, the blocking assembly 600 is provided in the additional features of the transmission element. An additional feature cylindrical surface is added to the driving member 400, and an additional feature cylindrical surface is added to the driven member 500. When the driving member 400 drives the driven member 500 to rotate, the additional cylindrical surface rotates synchronously. When the blocking assembly rotates between the cylindrical surfaces of the additional features, it can temporarily prevent the driven member 500 from rotating on its own. When the driving member 400 continues to rotate and drives the trailer hitch 100 to rotate to the working position / retracted position, the blocking assembly 600 is bypassed, and the driven member 500 continues to rotate on its own to lock the trailer hitch. Since the blocking assembly 600 is provided on the additional features, the influence on the strength of the transmission element due to the setting of the blocking assembly is avoided. Here, the blocking assembly 600 is provided on the additional features of the driven member 500. Preferably, the blocking assembly 600 can also be provided on the additional features of the driving member 400.

[0024] Figures 2-3 For another embodiment of the present invention, the difference from the first embodiment is as follows: 1. The fixing parts are different, and the corresponding structural features and connections are slightly different: In the first embodiment, the fixing part 200 only has a fixing plate; while in the second embodiment, the fixing part 200 includes a fixing plate 220 fixedly connected to the vehicle body frame or the anti-collision beam, and a fixing bushing 210 fixedly installed on the fixing plate 220. Among the mating end faces of the mandrel 300 and the fixing part 200, the limiting groove and the limiting boss are arranged between the mandrel 300 and the fixing bushing 210. Here, the limiting groove is arranged on the fixing bushing 210, and the limiting boss is arranged on the mandrel 300. Of course, the limiting groove can also be arranged on the mandrel 300, the limiting boss can be arranged on the fixing bushing 210, or the end face of the mandrel 300 can be mated with the fixing plate 220 and the limiting boss and the limiting groove can be respectively arranged. The trailer hitch 100 is sleeved on the fixing bushing 210 and is connected to the mandrel 300 and rotates synchronously.

[0025] 2. In the first embodiment, the blocking assembly 600 is provided in the additional features of the transmission element, while Figure 3 The following shows the setting situation of the blocking assembly 600 in the second embodiment. The blocking assembly 600 is provided in the transmission features of the driven member 500. When the blocking assembly 600 rotates between the driving member 400 and the driven member 500, it can temporarily prevent the driven member 500 from rotating on its own. When the driving member 400 continues to rotate and drives the trailer hitch 100 to rotate to the working position / retracted position, it is bypassed to realize the positioning of the trailer hitch. Here, the blocking assembly 600 is provided on the transmission features of the driven member 500. Preferably, the blocking assembly 600 can also be provided on the transmission features of the driving member 400.

[0026] Figure 2 The middle driving member 400 is an internal gear ring. In addition, Figure 2 The mounting holes 301 on the mandrel 300 and the mounting holes 202 on the fixing member 200 (here located on the fixing bushing 210) are also shown. The mounting holes 202 and the mounting holes 301 combine to form a complete mounting hole for the follower 500. The center of the mounting hole is located in the mounting hole 301 on the mandrel 300 ( Figure 1 Similar in structure, the combined round hole includes a part on the mandrel 300 and a part on the fixing member 200, and the center is located on the mandrel 300). The corresponding part of the follower 500 to this combined mounting hole has a non-circular cross-section, and the cross-sectional shape does not exceed the cross-sectional shape of 301. The outer peripheral surface includes a cylindrical surface centered on the axis of the follower 500 and a cylindrical surface centered on the axis of the mandrel 300.

[0027] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the follower 500 mating with the combined circular hole with a non-circular cross-section segment 501. In the working position / retracted position of the trailer hitch 100, the limiting boss and the limiting groove are in side contact. The mounting hole 301 on the mandrel and the mounting hole 202 on the fixing member combine to form a complete circular hole. The outer peripheral surface of the non-circular cross-section segment 501 of the follower 500 includes a cylindrical surface centered on the axis of the follower 500 and a cylindrical surface centered on the axis of the mandrel 300. When the follower 500 rotates self, and the non-circular cross-section segment 501 is completely located within the mounting hole 301, the mandrel 300 is allowed to rotate, and the trailer hitch 100 is unlocked; when the follower 500 rotates self and the non-circular cross-section segment 501 is partially located within the mounting hole 301 and partially located within the mounting hole 202, the mandrel 300 and the trailer hitch 100 are locked and fixed.

[0028] The following describes the working process of the trailer connection device of the present invention with the Figures 1-3 embodiment shown in the attached drawings: The fixing member 200 is fixedly connected to the vehicle body frame or the bumper beam. The mandrel 300 is installed in the fixing member 200. One end of the follower 500 has a gear, and the other end is processed to form a non-circular cross-section composed of its own cylindrical surface and the cylindrical surface of the mandrel 300. It is eccentrically installed in the mandrel 300. Multiple followers are evenly distributed along the circumference of the mandrel 300 and are connected by a planet carrier. The trailer hitch 100 is sleeved on the fixing bushing 210 or the mandrel 300, connected to the mandrel 300 and rotates synchronously. The driving member 400 is connected to an actuating device (motor, not shown in the figure), rotates actively, and cooperates with the follower 500. The blocking assembly 600 is installed between the driving member 400 and the follower 500 through an elastic member 602 and a blocking member 601, and can be installed on the gear or on the mating cylindrical surface. The mandrel 300 and the fixing member 200 are positioned by a stepped surface, and there are limiting bosses and limiting grooves on the mating end surface.

[0029] When the trailer hitch 100 is in the working position / retracted position, one side of the limit boss is in mating contact with one side of the limit groove, the mounting hole 301 on the mandrel 300 and the mounting hole 202 on the fixing member 200 combine to form a complete circle, and the mounting shaft of the follower 500 matches the mounting hole of this combined circle with a non-circular cross-section segment. When the trailer hitch 100 is locked in the working position / retracted position, part of the non-circular cross-section segment is located in the mounting hole 301 of the mandrel 300 and part is located in the mounting hole 202 of the fixing member 200. Preferably, the cylindrical surface of the non-circular cross-section segment centered on the axis of the follower 500 coincides or is close to coinciding with the symmetry center of the mounting hole 202 of the fixing member 200. Since the center of the circle is located in the mounting hole 301, the arc length of the non-circular cross-section segment exceeds the arc length of the mounting hole 202, and the remaining arc coincides with the mounting hole 301. Therefore, the trailer hitch 100 and the mandrel 300 are fixed. When the trailer hitch 100 needs to be rotated, the driving member 400 rotates. At this time, since the trailer hitch 100 and the mandrel 300 are fixed, the follower 500 can only rotate around its own axis, and the fit between the non-circular cross-section segment and the mounting hole 202 gradually decreases until it disappears. When the non-circular cross-section segment is completely located in the mounting hole 301 of the mandrel 300, the mandrel 300 and the trailer hitch 100 are unlocked and allowed to rotate. The blocking assembly 600 temporarily blocks the self-rotation of the follower 500 and gets stuck between the follower 500 and the driving member 400. The driving member 400 drives the follower 500 to revolve together, that is, drives the mandrel 300 and the trailer hitch 100 to rotate together, from the working position / retracted position to the retracted position / working position, and the other side of the limit boss is in mating contact with the other side of the limit groove. The driving member 400 continues to rotate, compresses and passes over the blocking assembly 600, and continues to drive the follower 500 to rotate self. The non-circular cross-section segment 501 gradually turns out from the mounting hole 301 of the mandrel 300 and gradually mates with the mounting hole 202, and the symmetry center of the arc tends to coincide. Finally, part of the non-circular cross-section segment 501 is located in the mounting hole 301 and part is located in the mounting hole 202, realizing reliable fixation of the mandrel 300 and the trailer hitch 100.

[0030] The trailer connection device of the present invention has the following advantages: Reliable in work, ensuring the switching between the revolution and self-rotation of the follower through the blocking assembly, and avoiding operation mistakes caused by the influence of the gravity of the trailer hitch, etc. in the working position / retracted position.

[0031] Higher strength, the force received by the trailer hitch and the like directly acts on the fixed bushing, and the torque and the like act on the locked mandrel. The stress states of each component are good and the structural strength is high.

[0032] Convenient for processing and low in cost. The structural features of each component are common gear structures, regularly shaped holes / grooves and other geometric features in the engineering field, which are extremely convenient for processing, with small difficulty and low cost.

[0033] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes may be made therein without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A trailer connection device, characterized in that: It includes a fixing member, a mandrel, a follower, a driving member, and a trailer hitch; the fixing member is fixedly installed on the vehicle body; the mandrel is installed on the fixing member, connected to the trailer hitch and rotates synchronously therewith; the follower is eccentrically installed on the mandrel, the driving member is directly or indirectly connected to an actuating device, the driving member cooperates with the follower and drives the follower to rotate, and the follower is configured to be able to rotate around its own axis at the working position / retracted position of the trailer hitch to lock or unlock the mandrel.

2. The trailer connection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: On the end face where the fixing member cooperates with the mandrel, one of them includes a limit groove and the other includes a limit boss.

3. The trailer connection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It further includes an obstruction assembly, the obstruction assembly is installed on the driving member and / or the follower, and the obstruction assembly is configured to be able to temporarily prevent the follower from rotating around its own axis.

4. The trailer connection device according to claim 3, wherein: When the obstruction assembly prevents the self-rotation of the follower, the driving member drives the follower to rotate together, driving the mandrel and the trailer hitch to rotate, from the working position to the retracted position, or from the retracted position to the working position.

5. The trailer connection device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The obstruction assembly is configured such that when the trailer hitch rotates to the working position / retracted position, the driving member continues to rotate, and the obstruction assembly can be overridden.

6. The trailer connection device according to claim 3, wherein: The obstruction assembly includes an elastic member and / or an obstruction member.

7. The trailer connection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting hole of the follower is jointly formed by the mounting hole on the mandrel and the mounting hole on the fixing member.

8. The trailer connection device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The mounting shaft of the follower includes a non-circular cross-section part, and the non-circular cross-section is not larger than the cross-section of the mounting hole on the mandrel.

9. The trailer connection device according to claim 8, wherein: The rotation center of the follower is located within the non-circular cross-section.

10. The trailer connection device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The outer surface of the non-circular cross-section part includes a cylindrical surface with the center of the circle being the rotation center of the follower, and / or a cylindrical surface with the center of the circle being the center of the mandrel.

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