Tow hook assembly and vehicle

Abstract

The invention discloses a tow hook assembly and a vehicle, the tow hook assembly comprises a connecting sleeve, a first concave cavity is formed in the connecting sleeve, and a locking groove is formed in the inner wall of the first concave cavity; the tow hook comprises a shaft body and a locking piece, a second concave cavity is formed in the shaft body, a penetrating hole is formed in the inner wall of the second concave cavity, and the locking piece is movably arranged in the penetrating hole in the radial direction of the shaft body; the locking mechanism comprises a rod body, the rod body can be axially and movably arranged in the second concave cavity, the rod body is provided with a first position and a second position, and the rod body can be selectively inserted into the first concave cavity; when the rod body is arranged at the first position, the rod body applies force to the locking piece, and the locking piece is embedded into the locking groove; when the rod body is arranged at the second position, the locking piece is separated from the locking groove, and the locking piece locks the rod body. The connecting sleeve is fixed to a vehicle, locking and unlocking between the tow hook and the connecting sleeve can be completed by moving the rod body between the first position and the second position, rapid mounting and rapid dismounting between the tow hook and the connecting sleeve are achieved, and use is convenient.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vehicle component technology, and in particular to a trailer hitch assembly and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] A tow hook is an accessory installed on a vehicle for vehicle rescue, such as when a vehicle is damaged and cannot be started, it can be towed by the tow hook.

[0003] In related technologies, the structure of the connection between the trailer hitch and the rear bumper is complex, and the operation of disassembling and assembling the trailer hitch is cumbersome. Most of them use threaded connection, which results in poor convenience of the trailer hitch. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this invention proposes a trailer hitch assembly in which the locking and unlocking of the trailer hitch and the connecting sleeve can be completed by moving the rod between a first position and a second position, realizing quick installation and quick disassembly of the trailer hitch and the connecting sleeve, which is convenient to use.

[0005] The present invention further proposes a vehicle.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a trailer hitch assembly includes: a connecting sleeve having a first cavity formed therein, and a locking groove formed on the inner wall of the first cavity; a trailer hitch including a shaft and a locking member, a second cavity having a second cavity formed therein, and a through hole formed on the inner wall of the second cavity, the locking member being movably disposed within the through hole along the radial direction of the shaft; a locking mechanism including a rod having a first position and a second position, the shaft being selectively inserted into the first cavity; when the rod is placed in the first position, the rod applies force to the locking member, and the locking member is engaged in the locking groove; when the rod is placed in the second position, the locking member disengages from the locking groove, and the locking member locks the rod.

[0007] According to the present invention, the trailer hitch assembly fixes the connecting sleeve to the vehicle. By moving the rod between the first position and the second position, the locking and unlocking between the trailer hitch and the connecting sleeve can be completed, realizing quick installation and quick disassembly between the trailer hitch and the connecting sleeve. The operation time is short and it is easy to use.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the locking member is a spherical locking member, at least a portion of which protrudes from the outer and inner surfaces of the shaft; when the rod is placed in the first position, the rod pushes the locking member into the locking groove; when the rod is placed in the second position, the locking member disengages from the locking groove and abuts against one end of the rod.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a first step is formed on the inner wall of the second cavity, and a second step is formed on the outer wall of the rod; the locking mechanism further includes: a first elastic member, the first elastic member being sleeved on the rod, the first elastic member abutting between the first step and the second step to provide an elastic force to push the rod from the second position to the first position.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the locking mechanism further includes: a driving member disposed in the second cavity, the driving member being throttle-connected to the rod body; a rotating member disposed in the shaft body, one end of the rotating member being connected to the driving member; the locking assembly includes a first locking member and a second locking member disposed outside the shaft body, the first locking member being connected to one end of the rotating member to drive the rotating member to rotate and cause the driving member to drive the rod body to move axially; the second locking member and the first locking member selectively cooperate to lock the movement of the first locking member.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, one of the first locking member and the second locking member is a plug-in member, and the other is a connector that is plugged into the plug-in member. One of the first locking member and the second locking member is movable to realize or release the plug-in engagement between the two.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the first cavity includes: a first cavity portion; a second cavity portion, the second cavity portion being disposed at one end of the first cavity portion away from the shaft body, the first cavity portion being flared from one end adjacent to the second cavity portion to the other end, the outer wall of the shaft body being adapted to the inner wall of the first cavity portion, the locking groove being formed on the inner wall of the second cavity portion adjacent to the first cavity portion and / or the locking groove being formed on the inner wall of the first cavity portion.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the locking mechanism further includes: a rolling element and a second elastic element, a mounting hole is formed on the outer surface of the rod, the rolling element is disposed in the mounting hole and at least partially protrudes from the outer surface of the rod, and the second elastic element abuts against the inner wall of the mounting hole and the rolling element.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the rod body includes: a first rod portion and a second rod portion connected to each other, the first rod portion having a tapered structure and its largest outer diameter end connected to the second rod portion, the second rod portion being movablely engaged with the inner wall of the second cavity; when the first rod portion is placed in a first position, the first rod portion pushes the locking member into the locking groove; when the first rod portion is placed in a second position, a gap is created between the first rod portion and the locking member, and the locking member can disengage from the locking groove.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the rod body includes: a first rod portion and a second rod portion connected to each other, wherein the outer diameter of the first rod portion is smaller than the outer diameter of the second rod portion; when the rod body is placed in a first position, the position of the second rod portion corresponds to the position of the locking member, and the second rod portion pushes the locking member to be inserted into the locking groove along the through hole; when the rod body is placed in a second position, the position of the first rod portion corresponds to the position of the locking member, a gap is formed between the first rod portion and the locking member, and the locking member can disengage from the locking groove.

[0016] A vehicle according to a second aspect of the present invention includes the aforementioned trailer hitch assembly.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the trailer hook assembly of this invention has the following advantages: placing the rod in the first position allows the locking member to be embedded in the locking groove, thereby locking the trailer hook and the connecting sleeve; placing the rod in the second position allows the locking member to disengage from the locking groove, thereby unlocking the trailer hook and the connecting sleeve. Therefore, by moving the rod between the first and second positions, this invention can complete the locking and unlocking of the trailer hook and the connecting sleeve, achieving quick installation and disassembly of the trailer hook and the connecting sleeve, with short operation time and convenient use.

[0018] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the trailer hitch assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a trailer hitch assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the connecting sleeve according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the connecting sleeve according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the trailer hitch according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of a trailer hitch according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0026] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of a trailer hitch according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 .

[0027] Figure label:

[0028] 100. Trailer hook assembly; 1. Connecting sleeve; 11. First cavity; 1101. First cavity portion; 1102. Second cavity portion; 12. Locking groove; 13. Connecting portion; 14. Connecting hole; 2. Trailer hook; 21. Shaft; 22. Locking element; 23. Second cavity; 24. Through hole; 25. First step; 26. Main body; 3. Locking mechanism; 31. Rod; 3101. First rod portion; 3102. Second rod portion; 3103. Second step; 3104. Rack portion; 3105. Mounting hole; 32. Driving element; 33. Rotating element; 34. Locking assembly; 3401. First locking element; 3402. Second locking element; 35. First elastic element; 36. Rolling element; 37. Second elastic element. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. The embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary. The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below.

[0030] The following is for reference. Figures 1-7 A trailer hitch assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is described.

[0031] The existing technology has a complex structure at the connection between the trailer hitch and the rear bumper beam, and the operation of disassembling and assembling the trailer hitch is cumbersome. Most of them use threaded connection, which results in poor convenience of the trailer hitch.

[0032] Therefore, the present invention proposes a trailer hitch assembly to solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0033] like Figures 1-2 As shown, the trailer hitch assembly 100 includes: a connecting sleeve 1, a trailer hitch 2, and a locking mechanism 3.

[0034] A first cavity 11 is formed within the connecting sleeve 1, and a locking groove 12 is formed on the inner wall of the first cavity 11. The trailer hook 2 includes a shaft 21 and a locking member 22. A second cavity 23 is formed within the shaft 21, and a through hole 24 is formed on the inner wall of the second cavity 23. The locking member 22 is movably disposed within the through hole 24 along the radial direction of the shaft 21. The locking mechanism 3 includes a rod 31, which is axially movable within the second cavity 23. The rod 31 has a first position and a second position, and the shaft 21 can be selectively inserted into the first cavity 11.

[0035] When the rod 31 is in the first position, the rod 31 applies force to the locking member 22, and the locking member 22 is inserted into the locking groove 12; when the rod 31 is in the second position, the locking member 22 disengages from the locking groove 12, and the locking member 22 locks the rod 31.

[0036] Specifically, the connecting sleeve 1 is fixed to the vehicle. When the trailer hitch 2 is needed, the shaft 21 is inserted from bottom to top into the first recess 11 of the connecting sleeve 1. Then, the rod 31 moves axially within the second recess 23 of the shaft 21. When the rod 31 moves to the first position, it applies force to the locking member 22 on the inner wall of the shaft 21, which can embed the locking member 22 into the locking groove 12 along the through hole 24, thereby locking the trailer hitch 2 and the connecting sleeve 1. When the rod 31 moves to the second position, it no longer applies force to the locking member 22, allowing the locking member 22 to disengage from the locking groove 12. At the same time, the locking member 22 can lock the rod 31, thereby unlocking the trailer hitch 2 and the connecting sleeve 1.

[0037] Therefore, by moving the rod 31 between the first position and the second position, the present invention can lock and unlock the trailer hook 2 and the connecting sleeve 1, realize the quick installation and quick disassembly of the trailer hook 2 and the connecting sleeve 1, with short operation time, convenient use, effectively reduce the difficulty and cost of disassembly and assembly, save disassembly and assembly time, and facilitate maintenance.

[0038] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the locking member 22 is a spherical locking member 22, at least a portion of which protrudes from the outer and inner surfaces of the shaft 21. When the rod 31 is in the first position, the rod 31 pushes the locking member 22 into the locking groove 12; when the rod 31 is in the second position, the locking member 22 disengages from the locking groove 12 and abuts against one end of the rod 31.

[0039] With this configuration, the locking member 22 is a spherical locking member 22. On the one hand, this facilitates the locking member 22 to be inserted into or removed from the locking groove 12. On the other hand, when the shaft 21 is inserted into the first cavity 11 of the connecting sleeve 1, the spherical locking member 22 slides against the inner wall of the first cavity 11, allowing the shaft 21 to be smoothly inserted into the connecting sleeve 1, reducing wear.

[0040] Furthermore, when the rod 31 is in the first position, the rod 31 pushes the locking member 22 into the locking groove 12; when the rod 31 is in the second position, the locking member 22 can disengage from the locking groove 12 and abut against one end of the rod 31 to lock the rod 31. Specifically, before installation, the rod 31 is located at the lower end of the second cavity 22, that is, the rod 31 is in the second position, and the rod 31 is abutted and locked by the locking member 22. During the process of inserting the shaft 21 upward along the axial direction of the connecting sleeve 1, the locking member 22 is forced to move radially along the through hole 24 by the force of the inner wall of the connecting sleeve 1, so that the rod 31 is unlocked. Then the rod 31 moves upward, and when it moves from the second position to the first position, it can push the locking member 22 into the locking groove 12, thereby realizing the locking between the trailer hook 2 and the connecting sleeve 1.

[0041] Furthermore, see Figure 4 As shown, the inner wall of the lock groove 12 is semi-circular.

[0042] With this configuration, the locking element 22 can cooperate with the annular locking groove 12 to further unload the torsional force during the towing process of the trailer hook 2 and the connecting sleeve 1, thus avoiding damage to the trailer hook 2 and rollover problems.

[0043] Furthermore, a first step 25 is formed on the inner wall of the second cavity 23, and a second step 3103 is formed on the outer wall of the rod 31. The locking mechanism 3 also includes a first elastic member 35, which is sleeved on the rod 31 and abuts between the first step 25 and the second step 3103 to provide an elastic force to push the rod 31 from the second position to the first position.

[0044] See Figure 7 As shown, the first elastic element 35 abuts between the second step 3103 of the rod body 31 and the first step 25 of the second cavity 23. Under the elastic force of the first elastic element 35, the rod body 31 can be pushed from the second position to the first position.

[0045] Specifically, before installation, the rod 31 is located at the lowest end of the second cavity 22, i.e., the rod 31 is in the second position, and the rod 31 is locked by the locking member 22. At this time, the first elastic member 25 is in a compressed state. During the process of inserting the shaft 21 upward along the axial direction of the connecting sleeve 1, the locking member 22 is forced to move radially along the through hole 24 by the force of the inner wall of the connecting sleeve 1, so that the rod 31 is unlocked. Under the action of the first elastic member 25, the rod 31 moves upward to move from the second position to the first position, thereby pushing the locking member 22 into the locking groove 12, thereby realizing the locking between the trailer hook 2 and the connecting sleeve 1.

[0046] Furthermore, see Figures 5-7The locking mechanism 3 further includes a driving member 32, a rotating member 33, and a locking assembly 34. The driving member 32 is disposed in the second cavity 23 and is connected to the rod 31 in a transmission manner. The rotating member 33 is disposed inside the shaft 21, and one end of the rotating member 33 is connected to the driving member 32. The locking assembly 34 includes a first locking member 3401 and a second locking member 3402 disposed outside the shaft 21. The first locking member 3401 is connected to one end of the rotating member 33 to drive the rotating member 33 to rotate and cause the driving member 32 to drive the rod 31 to move axially. The second locking member 3402 and the first locking member 3401 selectively cooperate to lock and unlock the movement of the first locking member 3401.

[0047] Specifically, when the second locking member 3402 releases the first locking member 3401 to allow the first locking member 3401 to move, the first locking member 3401 can move. At this time, the first locking member 3401 can drive the rotating member 33 to rotate, thereby causing the driving member 32 to drive the rod body 31 to move axially, so as to realize the unlocking or locking between the trailer hook 2 and the connecting sleeve 1. When the second locking member 3402 locks the first locking member 3401 to prevent the first locking member 3401 from moving, the rod body 31 cannot move axially.

[0048] With this configuration, when the shaft 21 is inserted into the connecting sleeve 1, the first locking member 3401 drives the rotating member 33 to rotate, causing the driving member 32 to drive the rod 31 to move to the first position. This allows the locking member 22 to be embedded in the locking groove 12, achieving a lock between the trailer hook 2 and the connecting sleeve 1. Then, the second locking member 3402 locks the first locking member 3401 to prevent the user from accidentally touching the first locking member 3401, which would cause the trailer hook 2 and the connecting sleeve 1 to fail to connect properly, while also providing anti-theft protection. When it is necessary to unlock the locked state between the trailer hook 2 and the connecting sleeve 1, the second locking member 3402 unlocks the first locking member 3401, causing the first locking member 3401 to drive the rod 31 to move to the second position, so that the locking member 22 locks the rod 31. This allows the rod to disengage from the locking groove 12, unlocking the trailer hook 2 and the connecting sleeve 1, allowing the shaft 21 to be pulled out smoothly downwards.

[0049] Therefore, during the insertion and removal of the shaft 21, the spherical locking member 22 slides against the inner wall of the connecting sleeve 1, allowing the shaft 21 to be smoothly pushed upwards to the locking groove 12. The first locking member 3401, which can be rotated counterclockwise, is then locked, causing the locking member 22 to expand outwards at the locking groove 12 and press against the inner wall of the locking groove 12. The second locking member 3402 then locks the first locking member 3401. The disassembly process involves first unlocking the first locking member 3401 with the second locking member 3402, then rotating the first locking member 3401 clockwise, causing the spherical locking member 22 to retract inwards at the locking groove 12. By sliding against the inner wall of the connecting sleeve 1, the shaft 21 is smoothly pulled downwards from the Z direction.

[0050] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the driving member 32 is a gear, the rotating member 33 is rotating, and a rack portion 3104 extending axially is formed on the rod portion. Through the gear transmission cooperation between the rack portion 3104 and the gear, not only can the rod body 31 be switched between the first position and the second position, but also when the gear stops rotating, the gear and the rack portion 3104 can be automatically locked to prevent the rod body 31 from moving freely in the second cavity 23.

[0051] According to some embodiments of the present invention, one of the first locking member 3401 and the second locking member 3402 is a plug-in member, and the other is a connector that plugs into the plug-in member. One of the first locking member 3401 and the second locking member 3402 is movable to realize or release the plug-in engagement between the two.

[0052] In other words, the second locking element 3402 functions similarly to the parking brake system. It controls the unlocking and locking of the first locking element 3401. When the trailer hook 2 is fully inserted into the connecting sleeve 1, the trailer hook 2 and the connecting sleeve 1 are locked. However, since the unlocking and locking between the trailer hook 2 and the connecting sleeve 1 is controlled by the first locking element 3401, to prevent the user from accidentally operating the first locking element 3401 after locking the trailer hook 2, causing the trailer hook 2 and the connecting sleeve 1 to fail to connect properly, the first locking element 3401 is locked by the second locking element 3402. Therefore, the first locking element 3401 cannot be manually operated to loosen the trailer hook 2, further ensuring the reliability of the locked state. That is, a two-layer locking system is formed between the trailer hook 2 and the connecting sleeve 1.

[0053] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first locking element 3401 can be a switch knob, and the second locking element 3402 can be a key. The first locking element 3401 may contain a self-rotating lock cylinder, which is compatible with the key. With this configuration, the lock cylinder operates on the same principle as a door lock, and can be unlocked by turning the lock cylinder with the key, thereby enabling or disengaging the lock. When the key is unavailable, the lock cylinder remains locked and cannot rotate, preventing accidental contact during use of the trailer hook 2 and thus improving the reliability of the trailer hook assembly 100.

[0054] Further, the first cavity 11 includes: a first cavity portion 1101 and a second cavity portion 1102. The second cavity portion 1102 is disposed at one end of the first cavity portion 1101 away from the shaft body 21. The first cavity portion 1101 is flared from one end adjacent to the second cavity portion 1102 to the other end. The outer wall of the shaft body 21 is adapted to the inner wall of the first cavity portion 1101. The locking groove 12 is formed at one end of the second cavity portion 1102 adjacent to the first cavity portion 1101 and / or formed on the inner wall of the first cavity portion 1101.

[0055] With this setting, see Figure 4 As shown, the first recessed cavity 1101 and the second recessed cavity 1102 are arranged from bottom to top. The first recessed cavity 1101 is flared, and correspondingly, the outer wall of the shaft 21 is adapted to the inner wall of the first recessed cavity 1101, which facilitates the insertion and removal of the shaft 21. Furthermore, see... Figure 4 As shown, a locking groove 12 is formed on the inner wall of the second cavity 1102 adjacent to one end of the first cavity 1101, and a locking groove 12 is formed on the inner wall of the first cavity 1101. In this way, the reliability of the connection between the shaft 21 and the connecting sleeve 1 can be guaranteed.

[0056] Furthermore, see Figure 3 As shown, the outer wall of the connecting sleeve 1 is provided with a connecting part 13, and a connecting hole 14 is formed on the connecting part 13. The connector passes through the connecting hole 14 for fixed connection with the vehicle body.

[0057] Furthermore, see Figure 2 As shown, the trailer hook 2 also includes a main body 26, with a shaft 21 connected to the main body 26. The main body 26 is used for towing. The shaft 21 and the main body 26 are integrally formed, giving the trailer hook 2 sufficient strength and rigidity.

[0058] Furthermore, the locking mechanism 3 also includes: a rolling element 36 and a second elastic element 37, a mounting hole 3105 is formed on the outer surface of the rod body 31, the rolling element 36 is disposed in the mounting hole 3105 and at least partially protrudes from the outer surface of the rod body 31, and the second elastic element 37 is connected between the inner wall of the mounting hole 3105 and the rolling element 36.

[0059] With this setting, see Figure 7 As shown, a mounting hole 3105 is formed on the outer wall of the rod 31 to house the rolling element 36 through the second elastic element 37 in the mounting hole 3105, and at least partially protrudes from the outer surface of the rod 31 to slide with the inner wall of the second cavity 23, thereby reducing the sliding friction noise between the rod 31 and the second cavity 23.

[0060] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the rod body 31 includes a first rod portion 3101 and a second rod portion 3102 connected to each other. The first rod portion 3101 has a tapered structure, and its outermost end is connected to the second rod portion 3102. The second rod portion 3102 is in movable engagement with the inner wall of the second cavity 23. When the first rod portion 3101 is placed in a first position, the first rod portion 3101 pushes the locking member 22 into the locking groove 12; when the first rod portion 3101 is placed in a second position, a gap is created between the first rod portion 3101 and the locking member 22, and the locking member 22 can disengage from the locking groove 12.

[0061] Specifically, when the rod 31 moves axially within the second cavity 23, the second rod portion 3102 moves along the inner wall of the second cavity 23. When the first rod portion 3101 gradually moves to the first position, the first rod portion 3101 can gradually push the locking member 22 into the locking groove 12 along the through hole 24. When the first rod portion 3101 gradually moves to the second position, the first rod portion 3101 can gradually separate from the locking member 22 so that the locking member 22 is no longer subjected to the pushing force of the first rod portion 3101, and thus the locking member 22 can disengage from the locking groove 12.

[0062] This design, by making the first rod portion 3101 a tapered structure, allows the first rod portion 3101 to slowly push the locking member 22 into the locking groove 12, with the applied force gradually increasing. This ensures that the locking member 22 can be reliably embedded in the locking groove 12, while also improving the service life of the locking member 22 and the locking groove 12. As the first rod portion 3101 gradually moves to the second position, the force applied to the locking member 22 gradually decreases until the locking member 22 separates from the first rod portion 3101, preventing the shaft 21 from suddenly disengaging from the connecting sleeve 1.

[0063] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the rod 31 includes a first rod portion 3101 and a second rod portion 3102 connected to each other. The outer diameter of the first rod portion 3101 is smaller than the outer diameter of the second rod portion 3102. The second rod portion 3102 is movablely engaged with the inner wall of the second cavity 23. When the rod 31 is placed in the first position, the position of the second rod portion 3102 corresponds to the position of the locking member 22, and the second rod portion 3102 pushes the locking member 22 to be embedded into the locking groove 12 along the through hole 24. When the rod 31 is placed in the second position, the position of the first rod portion 3101 corresponds to the position of the locking member 22, and a gap is formed between the first rod portion 3101 and the locking member 22, allowing the locking member 22 to disengage from the locking groove 12.

[0064] With this configuration, when the rod 31 moves axially within the second cavity 23, the second rod portion 3102 moves along the inner wall of the second cavity 23. When the rod 31 moves to the first position, the position of the second rod portion 3102 corresponds to the position of the locking member 22, and the second rod portion 3102 can push the locking member 22 into the locking groove 12 along the through hole 24. When the rod 31 moves to the second position, the position of the first rod portion 3101 corresponds to the position of the locking member 22, and the first rod portion 3101 separates from the locking member 22, thus allowing the locking member 22 to disengage from the locking groove 12. The connection between the first rod portion 3101 and the second rod portion 3102 is a beveled structure. This allows the locking member 22 to smoothly engage with the second rod portion 3102.

[0065] It should be noted that when the locking member 22 is no longer subjected to thrust, the locking member 22 can actively disengage from the locking groove 12, or it can disengage from the locking groove 12 under the downward action of the shaft 21 when the shaft 21 disengages from the connecting sleeve 1 and moves axially downward.

[0066] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a vehicle includes a trailer hitch assembly 100. A connecting sleeve 1 is fixed to the rear bumper beam of the vehicle.

[0067] Therefore, the trailer hitch assembly 100 according to the present invention has the following effects:

[0068] First, by moving the rod 31 axially between the first and second positions, the locking and unlocking between the trailer hook 2 and the connecting sleeve 1 can be completed, realizing the quick installation and quick disassembly between the trailer hook 2 and the connecting sleeve 1. The operation time is short, the use is convenient, and the difficulty and cost of disassembly and assembly are effectively reduced, saving disassembly and assembly time. At the same time, maintenance is convenient.

[0069] Secondly, by matching the shaft diameter of the shaft body 21 with the bore diameter of the connecting sleeve 1, the assembly fit is high. Furthermore, this design eliminates the need for bolted connections, eliminating the need for fastening standard parts during assembly and disassembly. Compared to a mounting plate, this design reduces the size and weight of the trailer hitch assembly 100 while maintaining durable towing performance, thus lowering the overall vehicle weight and development costs. Additionally, the reduced size of the trailer hitch assembly 100 increases interior space.

[0070] Third, the insertion and removal process is smoothly achieved by the lubrication of the locking part 22 and the rolling part 36, which greatly reduces the wear on the parts and extends the service life. At the same time, the operator does not need other personnel to assist in disassembly and assembly or to lift the vehicle for assembly work. He only needs to insert it into the connecting sleeve 1.

[0071] Fourth, the second locking element 3402 controls the unlocking and locking of the first locking element 3401. When the trailer hook 2 is inserted into the connecting sleeve 1, the trailer hook 2 and the connecting sleeve 1 are locked. However, since the unlocking and locking between the trailer hook 2 and the connecting sleeve 1 is controlled by the first locking element 3401, in order to prevent the user from accidentally operating the first locking element 3401 after locking, which would cause the trailer hook 2 and the connecting sleeve 1 to fail to connect properly, the first locking element 3401 is locked by the second locking element 3402. Therefore, the first locking element 3401 cannot be manually operated. That is, the first locking element 3401 is the first layer of locking, and the second locking element 3402 is the second layer of locking, which provides two-level locking relationship protection, provides reliability assurance for the locking state, and improves the assembly connection reliability and accuracy of the trailer hook assembly 100.

[0072] Fifth, by applying an appropriate amount of lubricant to the inner wall of the connecting sleeve 1, it is convenient to maintain and service the trailer hook 2 and the connecting sleeve 1.

[0073] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0074] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example.

[0075] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A trailer hitch assembly, characterized in that... include: A connecting sleeve, wherein a first cavity is formed inside the connecting sleeve, and a locking groove is formed on the inner wall of the first cavity; A trailer hitch includes a shaft and a locking member. A second cavity is formed in the shaft, and a through hole is formed on the inner wall of the second cavity. The locking member is movably disposed in the through hole along the radial direction of the shaft. A locking mechanism, the locking mechanism including a rod body, the rod body being axially movable within a second recess, the rod body having a first position and a second position, the rod body being selectively inserted into the first recess; When the rod is in the first position, the rod applies force to the locking member, and the locking member is inserted into the locking groove; When the rod is in the second position, the locking member disengages from the locking groove and locks the rod.

2. The trailer hitch assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The locking element is a spherical locking element, and at least a portion of the spherical locking element protrudes from the outer and inner surfaces of the shaft body; When the rod is in the first position, the rod pushes the locking member to engage with the locking groove; When the rod is in the second position, the locking member disengages from the locking groove and abuts against one end of the rod.

3. The trailer hitch assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, A first step is formed on the inner wall of the second cavity, and a second step is formed on the outer wall of the rod. The locking mechanism further includes a first elastic element, which is sleeved on the rod and abuts between the first step and the second step to provide an elastic force to push the rod from the second position to the first position.

4. The trailer hitch assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The locking mechanism also includes: A driving component is disposed in the second cavity, and the driving component is connected to the rod body in a transmission manner. A rotating component is disposed within the shaft body, and one end of the rotating component is connected to the driving component; The locking assembly includes a first locking member and a second locking member disposed outside the shaft body. The first locking member is connected to one end of the rotating member to drive the rotating member to rotate and cause the driving member to drive the rod body to move axially. The second locking member and the first locking member selectively cooperate to lock and unlock the movement of the first locking member.

5. The trailer hitch assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that, One of the first locking member and the second locking member is a plug-in member, and the other is a connector that plugs into the plug-in member. One of the first locking member and the second locking member is movable to realize or release the plug-in engagement between the two.

6. The trailer hitch assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first cavity includes: First concave portion; The second recess is located at the end of the first recess away from the shaft. The first recess is flared from one end adjacent to the second recess to the other end. The outer wall of the shaft is adapted to the inner wall of the first recess. The locking groove is formed on the inner wall of the second recess adjacent to the first recess and / or the locking groove is formed on the inner wall of the first recess.

7. The trailer hitch assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The locking mechanism further includes a rolling element and a second elastic element, wherein a mounting hole is formed on the outer surface of the rod, the rolling element is disposed in the mounting hole and at least partially protrudes from the outer surface of the rod, and the second elastic element abuts against the inner wall of the mounting hole and the rolling element.

8. The trailer hitch assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rod body includes: a first rod portion and a second rod portion connected to each other, wherein the first rod portion has a tapered structure and its outer diameter maximum end is connected to the second rod portion, and the second rod portion is movablely engaged with the inner wall of the second cavity; When the first rod is in the first position, the first rod pushes the locking member to be inserted into the locking groove; When the first rod is placed in the second position, a gap is created between the first rod and the locking member, and the locking member can disengage from the locking groove.

9. The trailer hitch assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rod body includes: a first rod portion and a second rod portion connected to each other, wherein the outer diameter of the first rod portion is smaller than the outer diameter of the second rod portion, and the second rod portion moves in conjunction with the inner wall of the second cavity; When the rod is in the first position, the position of the second rod corresponds to the position of the locking member, and the second rod pushes the locking member to be inserted into the locking groove along the through hole; When the rod is in the second position, the position of the first rod corresponds to the position of the locking member, and a gap is formed between the first rod and the locking member, allowing the locking member to disengage from the locking groove.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that... Includes the trailer hitch assembly as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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