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 driving piece, a locking assembly and the like. The driving piece is directly or indirectly connected with the actuating device, the driven piece is connected with the trailer hook, the driving piece is matched with the driven piece and drives the driven piece to rotate, and a certain gap is formed between the driving piece and the driven piece; the locking assembly is installed on the fixing piece, and locking and unlocking of the tow hook are achieved in the action process of the driving piece. The trailer connecting device is simple in structure, convenient to machine and manufacture and reliable in work.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of vehicle accessories, in particular to a trailer connecting device. Background Art

[0002] A trailer connection, also commonly known as a tow bar, trailer hook, traction bar, tow hook, etc., is a device that connects a vehicle to other vehicles or equipment, and is mainly used for a vehicle to tow other vehicles or cargo. Trailer connections include fixed and non-fixed types. Fixed trailer connections usually have a portion protruding from the vehicle due to usage requirements, which affects the appearance and safety of the vehicle. Summary of the invention

[0003] The object of the present invention is to at least partially overcome the defects of the prior art and to provide a trailer connection device which, through a simple structure, can reliably fix the trailer hook in the working position and the retracted position, can stably maintain the position unchanged even under the action of external forces, and can smoothly rotate from one fixed position to another 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 trailer hook, a follower, a driving member, and a locking assembly; the fixing member is fixedly mounted on the vehicle body, the driving member is directly or indirectly connected to an actuating device, the follower is connected to the trailer hook and is mounted on the fixing member; the driving member cooperates with the follower and drives the follower to rotate; the locking assembly is mounted on the fixing member, includes a locking pin and an elastic element; the locking assembly is configured to be able to lock and unlock the trailer hook during the action of the driving member.

[0005] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, one of the driving member and the driven member is provided with a protruding transmission block, and the other is provided with a recessed transmission groove, the protruding transmission block is inserted into the recessed transmission groove, and when the protruding transmission block contacts one side of the recessed transmission groove, there is a gap on the other side.

[0006] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outer surface of the driving member includes a mating feature, and correspondingly, the locking pin includes a mating feature at one end facing the driving member, and the mating feature is configured to drive the locking pin to move along its own axis when the driving member rotates, thereby achieving locking and unlocking of the trailer hook.

[0007] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the matching feature of the locking pin includes a protrusion, and the matching feature of the driving member includes a recess, and the protrusion matches with the recess.

[0008] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the matching feature of the locking pin includes a recessed portion, and the matching feature of the driving member includes a protruding portion, and the recessed portion matches with the protruding portion.

[0009] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a positioning feature is provided at the installation and cooperation position between the locking pin and the fixing member, and the positioning feature is configured to prevent the locking pin from rotating around its own axis.

[0010] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the matching feature of the locking pin includes an expansion portion, and the expansion portion cooperates with the inside of the groove portion of the driving member to prevent the locking pin from rotating around its own axis.

[0011] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the matching feature of the driving member is a combination of a straight line segment and a curved line segment.

[0012] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the number of the locking assemblies is more than one and they are distributed along the circumference of the follower.

[0013] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the end of the locking pin facing the trailer hook includes a curved feature.

[0014] The trailer connection device of the present invention has the following advantages: The structure is simple. The driving member is driven by the actuating device. When the gap between the driving member and the driven member is eliminated, the driving member drives the locking assembly to move, thereby unlocking the trailer hook. The driven member is then continuously driven to rotate to another position, and the locking assembly is returned during the process, thereby realizing the locking working requirements for the trailer hook. The number of parts is small, the processing difficulty of the parts is also small, and the cost is low.

[0015] The work is reliable. The locking component fixes the trailer hook in a locking pin manner, so that the trailer hook can be reliably positioned in the working position and the retracted position to meet the work requirements.

[0016] It is easy to use. The driving member naturally drives the locking component through the matching characteristics during the process of driving the driven member to rotate. The working state of the locking component is naturally switched without the need for additional action mechanism or driving method. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a first embodiment of a trailer connection device of the present invention; Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of a second embodiment of a trailer connection device of the present invention; Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the transmission relationship between the driving member and the driven member of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar elements. In addition, in the detailed description below, for ease of explanation, many specific details are set forth to provide a comprehensive understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, it is apparent that one or more embodiments may also be implemented without these specific details. In other cases, known structures and devices are embodied in a schematic manner to simplify the accompanying drawings.

[0019] Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram of a trailer connection device to which the present invention is applied. As shown in the figure, the trailer connection device includes a fixing member 100 fixedly connected to the vehicle frame, a follower 400 installed in the fixing member 100 and a locking assembly 500. The trailer hook 300 is installed on the follower 400 and rotates integrally with the follower 400. The driving member 200 cooperates with the follower 400 and is connected to an actuating device (not shown in the figure). The driving member 200 can also be manually operated as needed. Here, the fixed connection part between the fixing member 100 and the vehicle frame or bumper is not shown. The locking assembly 500 includes a locking pin 510 and an elastic element 520, and the elastic element 520 moves the locking pin 510 to one side of the trailer hook 300. The trailer hook 300 has a hole corresponding to the locking pin 510. In the working position and the retracted position, the locking pin 510 is inserted into the hole of the trailer hook 300 under the action of the elastic element 520 to fix the position of the trailer hook 300. The driving member 200 has a matching feature that matches the locking pin 510. Specifically, there is a protrusion at one end of the locking pin 510 facing the driving member 200, and there is a recessed portion on the outer surface of the driving member 200. The protrusion matches the recessed portion. When the driving member 200 rotates, the protrusion, that is, the locking pin 510, is driven to move up and down by the curve combination feature of the recessed portion. Preferably, the protrusion can also be set on the outer surface of the driving member 200, and the recessed portion can also be set at one end of the locking pin 510. The matching feature of the driving member 200 includes a straight line segment and an oblique line segment, and the straight line segment and the oblique line segment are transitioned by a curve. When the protrusion of the locking pin 510 gradually enters the straight line segment from the oblique line segment, the locking pin 510 overcomes the elastic force of the elastic element 520 and gradually moves out of the hole of the trailer hook 300. When the protruding portion of the locking pin 510 is located in the straight section, the other end of the locking pin 510 is disengaged from the hole of the trailer hook 300 , and the trailer hook 300 and the follower 400 are allowed to rotate relative to the fixing member 100 .

[0020] Figure 2 Another embodiment of the present invention is Figure 1 The difference is that the end fitting features of the locking pin 510 are different. Figure 1 The end matching feature of the middle lock pin 510 is a disc (protrusion) or an annular groove (recess), and whether the lock pin 510 can rotate around its own axis is not restricted, that is, the rotation of the lock pin 510 itself does not affect the matching of the matching features of the lock pin 510 and the drive member 200. Figure 2 The end mating feature of the middle lock pin 510 is a pin-shaped or finger-shaped one. At this time, corresponding measures need to be taken to prevent the separation of the mating features of the lock pin 510 and the driver 200 due to the self-rotation of the lock pin 510. Specifically, positioning features such as pins, splines, flat keys, non-circular cross-sections, etc. are provided at the mating point between the lock pin 510 and the fixing member 100, which can prevent the lock pin 510 from rotating around its own axis. Alternatively, an expansion portion is provided at the finger-shaped protruding end of the pin 510, and the expansion portion extends into the inner side of the groove of the driver 200. The expansion portion is positioned by the inner side of the groove and cannot be disengaged, thereby preventing the lock pin 510 from rotating around its own axis.

[0021] Figure 3 FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the transmission relationship between the driving member 200 and the driven member 400 in the present invention, wherein the protruding transmission block and the recessed transmission groove match each other. Figure 1 and attached Figure 3 , the driven member 400 is provided with a protruding transmission block at one end facing the driving member 200, and the driving member 200 is provided with a concave transmission groove at one end facing the driven member 400. The circumferential dimension of the concave transmission groove is greater than the circumferential dimension of the protruding transmission block, and when the upper side surface 210 of the concave transmission groove contacts the upper side surface 410 of the protruding transmission block, the lower side surface 220 of the concave transmission groove is separated from the lower side surface 420 of the protruding transmission block. In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the protruding transmission block is provided on the driving member 200, and the concave transmission groove is provided on the driven member 400.

[0022] Please refer to the attached Figure 1-3 Describe the working process of the trailer connection device of the present invention: The fixing member 100 is fixedly connected to the vehicle frame, the trailer hook 300 is fixedly connected to the follower 400, and the locking assembly 500 is installed on the fixing member 100. Under the action of the spring element 520, one end is inserted into the hole of the trailer hook 300 to fix the position of the trailer hook 300. The driving member 200 is connected to the actuating device, and cooperates with the follower 400 through the concave transmission groove, and cooperates with the disc at one end of the lock pin 510 through the concave part on the outer surface. Figure 1In the embodiment, the trailer hook is in the working position, at which time the disc of the locking pin 510 is located at the bottom end of the oblique line segment of the recessed portion on the outer surface of the driving member 200, and the other end of the locking pin 510 is inserted into the hole of the trailer hook 300, and the lower side surface 220 of the recessed transmission groove contacts the lower side surface 420 of the protruding transmission block. When the trailer hook is to be rotated from the working position to the retracted position, the actuator drives the driving member 200 to rotate clockwise, the lower side surface 220 of the recessed transmission groove separates from the lower side surface 420 of the protruding transmission block, and the upper side surface 210 of the recessed transmission groove and the upper side surface 410 of the protruding transmission block gradually approach the final contact and combination. At the same time, the driving member 200 rotates, and the disc of the locking pin 510 moves up from the bottom end of the oblique line segment along the oblique line segment to the straight line segment in the recessed portion. When the upper side surface 210 of the recessed transmission groove contacts the upper side surface 410 of the protruding transmission block, the disc of the locking pin 510 moves to the straight line segment, and the other end is disengaged from the hole of the trailer hook 300. The driving member 200 can drive the driven member 400 and the trailer hook 300 to rotate through the protruding transmission block and the recessed transmission groove until the trailer hook 300 is retracted. When the trailer hook 300 reaches the retracted position, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown, the lock pin 510 moves under the action of the spring element 520, one end of which is inserted into the hole of the trailer hook 300, and the other end is located at the bottom end of the oblique line segment of the driving member 200. At this time, the upper side surface 210 of the concave transmission groove contacts the upper side surface 410 of the protruding transmission block, and the lower side surface 220 of the concave transmission groove is separated from the lower side surface 420 of the protruding transmission block. When the trailer hook 300 needs to rotate from the retracted position to the working position, the actuator drives the driving member 200 to rotate counterclockwise. In the process of eliminating the gap between the protruding transmission block and the concave transmission groove, the lock pin 510 is disengaged from the hole of the trailer hook 300 through the matching feature of the driving member 200 and the locking assembly 500, and the matching feature enters the straight line segment. The driving member 200 drives the driven member 400 and the trailer hook 300 to rotate into the working position, and in the working position, the lock pin 510 is inserted into the hole of the trailer hook 300 for positioning through the action of the spring element 520. The specific working process is similar to the previous working process and will not be described in detail here. One end of the locking pin 510 inserted into the trailer hook 300 may be made into a spherical or arc-shaped feature to reduce friction loss.

[0023] The trailer connection device of the present invention has the following advantages: The structure is simple and the number of parts is small. The lock is first released through the gap between the driving member and the driven member, and then the trailer hook is driven to rotate, and it is automatically locked again after reaching the position.

[0024] The processing is convenient and the cost is low. The transmission characteristics and matching characteristics can be realized by a variety of structural methods. The selection of structural characteristics is diverse, the processing difficulty is small, and the cost is low.

[0025] The process is smooth and the operation is reliable. The trailer hook is fixed by a locking pin fixed on the fixing part in a pin-hole matching manner, and the positioning method is stable and reliable.

[0026] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention. The scope of application of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A trailer connection device, characterized in that: It includes a fixing part, a trailer hook, a follower, a driving part, and a locking assembly; the fixing part is fixedly mounted on the vehicle body, the driving part is directly or indirectly connected to the actuating device, the follower is connected to the trailer hook and mounted on the fixing part; the driving part cooperates with the follower and drives the follower to rotate; the locking assembly includes a locking pin and an elastic element, and the locking assembly is configured to be able to lock and unlock the trailer hook during the action of the driving part.

2. The trailer connection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: One of the driving member and the driven member is provided with a protruding transmission block, and the other is provided with a recessed transmission groove. The protruding transmission block is inserted into the recessed transmission groove. When the protruding transmission block contacts one side of the recessed transmission groove, there is a gap on the other side.

3. The trailer connection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer surface of the driving member includes a mating feature, and correspondingly, the locking pin includes a mating feature at one end facing the driving member. The mating feature is configured to drive the locking pin to move along its own axis when the driving member rotates, thereby achieving locking and unlocking of the trailer hook.

4. The trailer connection device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The mating feature of the locking pin includes a protrusion, and the mating feature of the driving member includes a recessed portion, and the protrusion cooperates with the recessed portion; or the mating feature of the locking pin includes a recessed portion, and the mating feature of the driving member includes a protrusion, and the recessed portion cooperates with the protrusion.

5. The trailer connection device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The matching feature of the driving member is a combination of straight line segments and curved line segments.

6. The trailer connection device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The number of the locking components is more than one and they are distributed along the circumference of the follower.

7. The trailer connection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The locking pin includes a curved feature at one end thereof facing the trailer hook.

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