Hitch pin

Abstract

To provide a hitch pin that can reduce machining of the pin body and can eliminate the use of a retaining member.SOLUTION: A hitch pin 10 includes: a pin body 12 including a male thread portion 12a around an axis; and a knob 14 arranged on the base end side of the pin body 12. The knob 14 includes: a fixed portion 16 arranged at the base end of the pin body 12; and a movable portion 18 engaging with the fixed portion 16. A first pivot mechanism is provided between the fixed portion 16 and the movable portion 18, the first pivot mechanism enabling the pin body 12 to be tilted in a direction intersecting the axial direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hitch pin used for engaging a hitch carrier, and more particularly to a hitch pin of the type that engages by threaded engagement. [Background technology]

[0002] A known hitch pin used to engage a hitch carrier is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The hitch pin disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a star-shaped knob (handle) portion at the base end, a pin body with a tapered tip, a male thread portion provided on the base end side of the pin body, and a lock groove provided on the tip side.

[0003] A hitch pin of this configuration is positioned to pass through the hitch receiver provided on the vehicle and the vehicle engagement frame provided on the hitch carrier, and is fixed by screwing it into a nut located inside the vehicle engagement frame, thereby engaging the hitch receiver with the vehicle engagement frame.

[0004] Furthermore, with a hitch pin of this type, vibration or other factors can cause the pin body to rotate, releasing the threaded engagement with the nut and causing the pin to fall out. To prevent this, a lock is provided on the hitch pin. The lock is a retaining member that engages with a lock groove on the tip of the pin body that passes through the hitch receiver. The provision of this lock makes it possible to prevent the hitch pin from falling out unintentionally.

[0005] As shown in FIG. 15, a through hole 3 can be provided at the tip of the pin body 2 constituting the hitch pin 1 instead of a locking groove, and a snap pin 4, split pin, or the like can be disposed as a retaining member.

[0006] A hitch pin with this configuration can reliably prevent it from falling out. However, in either configuration, processing is required to engage the retaining member with the tip of the pin body, and a separate member that acts as the retaining member must be provided in addition to the hitch pin. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 6,609,725 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a hitch pin that requires less machining of the pin body and does not require a retaining member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the hitch pin of the present invention is a hitch pin having a pin body with a male thread portion around its axis and a knob arranged on the base end side of the pin body, wherein the knob has a fixed portion arranged at the base end of the pin body and a movable portion that engages with the fixed portion, and a first pivot mechanism is provided between the fixed portion and the movable portion that allows the pin body to be tilted in a direction intersecting the axial direction.

[0010] In addition, in a hitch pin having the above-described features, a contact portion is provided between the fixed portion and the movable portion to prevent the movable portion from transitioning between the axially aligned state and the tilted state, the contact portion comprising a protrusion and an abutment portion on which the protrusion engages, and the transition is achieved by causing deflection in at least a portion of a member constituting the first pivot mechanism, thereby overcoming the catch caused by the protrusion contacting the abutment portion. With such features, when screwing the hitch pin, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the movable portion of the knob falls over and comes into contact with a surrounding structure, thereby preventing the screwing operation from being impeded.

[0011] In addition, in a hitch pin having the above-described characteristics, it is desirable that a second rotation mechanism be provided between the fixed part and the movable part, which allows the pin body to be twisted in the circumferential direction around the axial direction of the pin body. By having such a characteristic, the tilted movable part tilts downward due to gravity, thereby improving the function of suppressing rotation of the pin body due to vibration, etc.

[0012] Furthermore, in the hitch pin having the above-mentioned characteristics, it is preferable that the first pivot mechanism has a range of motion of ±90 degrees with respect to the axial direction, and the second pivot mechanism has a range of motion of 90 degrees. With such characteristics, it is possible to bring the tilted movable part into a substantially drooping state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] A hitch pin with the above features eliminates the need to provide a locking groove or the like in the pin body, reducing the amount of processing required for the pin body. It also eliminates the need for a retaining member. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the configuration of a hitch pin according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a right side view of the hitch pin shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a view showing a cross section BB of the hitch pin shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the hitch pin shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining a tilting operation of a movable part of a knob constituting the hitch pin according to the embodiment, performed by a first rotation mechanism. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the hitch pin according to the embodiment, showing a state in which the movable part is hanging down. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a hitch pin according to an embodiment, illustrating a state in which a movable part is rotated (twisted) 45 degrees counterclockwise from a hanging state. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a hitch pin according to an embodiment, illustrating a state in which a movable part is rotated (twisted) 45 degrees clockwise from a hanging state. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a hitch receiver and a vehicle engagement frame in a pre-engagement state. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an engagement state between the hitch receiver and the vehicle engagement frame. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a hitch carrier on which a cycle carrier is mounted. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the tire holder and adjuster that constitute the cycle carrier. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which a bicycle is supported by a cycle carrier in which an adjuster that supports the upper half of the tire is attached to a tire hold. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which a bicycle is supported by a cycle carrier in which adjusters that support the side surfaces of the tire are attached to the tire holds. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a conventional hitch pin. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The hitch pin according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are preferred embodiments for carrying out the present invention, and even if some of the configurations are modified, they can be considered as part of the present invention as long as the effects of the modifications are maintained.

[0016] [Configuration: Hitch Carrier] First, the configuration of a hitch carrier 100 to which the hitch pin 10 according to this embodiment is applied will be described with reference to Figures 9 to 14. The hitch carrier 100 according to this embodiment is a cargo bed that can be engaged with a hitch receiver 50 provided on a vehicle (not shown), and is mainly composed of a vehicle engagement frame 102, an angle adjustment mechanism 104, and a main frame 106. In the example shown in Figure 11, a cycle carrier 110 is engaged with the main frame 106, allowing bicycles 60 to be carried as cargo.

[0017] In the hitch carrier 100 configured as described above, the hitch pin 10 is used to engage and secure the vehicle engagement frame 102 to the hitch receiver 50. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 , the vehicle engagement frame 102 is engaged with the inside of the hitch receiver 50. Furthermore, a pair of through-holes 102a formed on the side of the vehicle engagement frame 102 are provided with female threads, which are positioned to overlap with the pair of through-holes 50a formed on the side of the hitch receiver 50 when engaged. After engaging the vehicle engagement frame 102 with the hitch receiver 50, the hitch pin 10 is threaded into the through-holes 102a, thereby engaging and securing the hitch carrier 100 to the hitch receiver 50. The female threads formed on the through-holes 102a of the vehicle engagement frame 102 are threaded based on each side surface. This configuration allows the same hitch pin 10 to be threaded from either side.

[0018] The cycle carrier 110 is basically composed of a base rail 112 and a tire hold 114. The base rail 112 is engaged with the main frame 106 of the hitch carrier 100 so that its longitudinal axis is aligned perpendicular to the extension direction of the main frame 106, and is a rail that supports the bicycle 60 from below. The tire hold 114 is located in front of and behind the base rail 112 and serves to hold the tire 62 of the bicycle 60. Specifically, it is mainly composed of a pair of side frames 114a and an arc-shaped bridge frame 114b that connects the pair of side frames 114a. Each tire hold 114 is equipped with an adjuster 116 (116a, 116b), which allows the holding position to be changed depending on the diameter and thickness of the tire 62.

[0019] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 12, the cycle carrier 110 of the configuration shown in Fig. 11 has a detachable adjuster 116, and by changing the specifications of the adjuster 116, it is possible to change the holding direction of the tire 62. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 12, the adjuster 116 of this embodiment is composed of a pair of engagement portions 118 that engage with the side frames 114a of the tire hold 114, and a contact portion 120 that spans between the pair of engagement portions 118. By changing the shape of this contact portion 120, it is possible to change the holding position and direction of the tire 62. For example, if the contact portion 120 has an arc-shaped planar shape, as in the case of adjuster 116a, it will hold the upper half of the tire 62 from above (diagonally above), as shown in Fig. 13. On the other hand, in the case of adjuster 116b, when the abutment portion 120 has a linear shape in plan view and is configured to draw an arc toward the rear side in the mounting direction, the tire 62 is held from the radial lateral side, as shown by tire hold 114 of the rear wheel tire 62 in Figure 14.

[0020] In the tire hold 114 according to this embodiment, the fixing portion 114a1 of the adjuster 116 is disposed on the outside of the side frame 114a. This configuration makes it possible to increase the width of the inside of the tire hold 114. This makes it possible to mount a bicycle equipped with a wide tire 62, such as a so-called fat tire.

[0021] [Configuration: Hitch pin] As shown in Figures 1 to 8, the hitch pin 10 according to this embodiment is basically composed of a pin body 12 and a knob 14. The pin body 12 is a bolt having a male thread portion 12a around its axis. The pin body 12 according to this embodiment has the male thread portion 12a only on the bolt head side, i.e., the base end side. With this configuration, regardless of which side of the vehicle engagement frame 102 the hitch pin 10 is inserted from, the male thread portion 12a can be threaded into the female thread provided in the through hole 102a.

[0022] The knob 14 is an element that engages with the bolt head that constitutes the pin body 12 and is composed of a fixed portion 16 and a movable portion 18. The fixed portion 16 is an element that is arranged to encompass the base end of the pin body 12, i.e., the bolt head. The fixed portion 16 is composed of a bolt base 16a and a rotation mechanism base 16b. The bolt base 16a is not particularly limited in shape as long as it does not interfere with the threading of the hitch pin 10, but in this embodiment, it is configured to have a substantially cylindrical body. The rotation mechanism base 16b is an element that allows the movable portion 18, described in detail below, to have a range of motion of ±90 degrees (see FIG. 5) in directions intersecting the axial direction and 90 degrees in the circumferential direction from the axial direction (axis) as the base point (see FIGS. 6 to 8).

[0023] The rotation mechanism base 16b according to this embodiment has two pairs of parallel sides, each slightly narrower than the diameter of the cylindrical bolt base 16a, tilted at 90 degrees, with one pair of diagonal corners formed into an arc-shaped end face (in plan view). The side of the rotation mechanism base 16b thus formed has a through-hole 16b1 formed along the arc-shaped surface. The through-hole 16b1 is an elongated hole, and the rotation shaft 18c inserted into the through-hole 16b1 can move along the arc-shaped surface.

[0024] The movable part 18 can be tilted in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the pin body 12 with the fixed part 16 as a reference (first rotation mechanism), and can be twisted in the circumferential direction (second rotation mechanism). The movable part 18 according to this embodiment is made up of a knob 18a and a support 18b. The knob 18a is an element that serves as a handle when screwing the hitch pin 10 and as a weight to prevent the hitch pin 10 from loosening.

[0025] In the assembled state, support 18b is a tongue piece that protrudes from knob 18a in the direction of arrangement of fixed portion 16, and is an element that is arranged along the side surface of rotation mechanism base 16b. Support 18b has a protrusion that forms rotation shaft 18c on its inner side. The protrusion that forms rotation shaft 18c fits into through-hole 16b1, so that it serves as the rotation shaft of the first rotation mechanism and as a sliding guide for the second rotation mechanism.

[0026] In this embodiment, the tip of the tongue constituting the support 18b is formed rectangular, with the corners formed with arcs. The arc-shaped corners contact the step between the rotation mechanism base 16b and the bolt base 16a when the movable part transitions between a state aligned with the axial direction of the pin body and a tilted state, thereby serving as convex portions that impede the transition. When the first rotation mechanism experiences a catch between the convex portion (the corner of the support 18b) and the abutment portion (the step between the rotation mechanism base 16b and the bolt base 16a) during the transition, applying a force to the transition causes the rotation shaft 18c and the support 18b constituting the first rotation mechanism to bend, allowing the convex portion (the corner of the support 18b) to overcome the catch and complete the transition. This configuration allows the knob 18a to be maintained in an axially aligned state. This makes it less likely that the knob 18a, which has fallen in a direction intersecting the axial direction, will interfere with the rotation (screw-engagement) during the screw-engagement operation.

[0027] [Actions and Effects] Next, we will explain how to use the above-described hitch pin 10. With the hitch pin 10 configured as described above, the hitch receiver 50 and the vehicle engagement frame 102 are engaged by inserting the vehicle engagement frame 102 into the hitch receiver 50, inserting the pin body 12 into the through-holes 50a and 102a provided on the side, and screwing the male thread portion 12a of the pin body 12 into the female thread provided in the through-hole 102a.

[0028] When screwing the hitch pin 10, it is advisable to position the movable portion 18 constituting the knob 14 in a direction along the axial direction of the pin body 12. By maintaining the movable portion 18 in this state, there is no risk that the knob 18a and other parts will interfere with the components (not shown) around the through-hole 50a and other parts, which may interfere with the screwing operation, due to the movable portion 18 leaning over.

[0029] Next, the hitch pin 10 that has been engaged by threading can be bent so that the knob 18a of the movable part 18 is tilted in a direction that intersects with the axial direction. The tilting direction of the knob 18a should be such that the knob 18a is positioned downward relative to the axial position of the pin body 12 in the threaded state.

[0030] Because the through-hole 16b1 in the rotation mechanism base 16a is an elongated hole, tilting the movable part 18 as described above causes the knob 18a to act as a weight, causing the movable part 18 to hang down from the rotation axis 18c in a direction that causes the knob 18a to hang down or approach the hanging position, with gravity acting as a force to maintain this position. This prevents the pin body 12 of the hitch pin 10 from continuing to rotate in the direction that would release the screw engagement, even if vibration is applied to the engagement portion between the vehicle or hitch receiver 50 and the vehicle engagement frame 102. Therefore, the hitch pin 10 can be prevented from coming loose without machining the tip of the pin body 12 or providing a retainer. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 10... Hitch pin, 12... Pin body, 12a... Male thread portion, 14... Knob, 16... Fixed portion, 16a... Bolt base, 16b... Rotation mechanism base, 16b1... Through hole, 18... Movable portion, 18a... Knob, 18b... Support, 18c... Rotation shaft, 50... Hitch receiver, 50a... Through hole, 60... Bicycle, 62... Tire, 100... Hitch carrier , 102...Vehicle engagement frame, 102a...Through hole, 104...Angle adjustment mechanism, 106...Main frame, 110...Cycle carrier, 112...Base rail, 114...Tire hold, 114a...Side frame, 114a1...Fixing part, 114b...Bridge frame, 116(116a, 116b)...Adjuster, 118...Engagement part, 120...Abutment part.

Claims

1. A hitch pin having a pin body having a male thread portion around an axis and a knob disposed on a base end side of the pin body, the knob has a fixed portion disposed at a base end of the pin body and a movable portion engaged with the fixed portion, A hitch pin characterized in that a first pivot mechanism is provided between the fixed portion and the movable portion, which enables tilting in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the pin body.

2. a contact portion is provided between the fixed portion and the movable portion to prevent the transition of the movable portion between a state along the axial direction and a tilted state, the contact portion includes a protrusion and an abutment portion on which the protrusion is caught, The hitch pin described in claim 1, characterized in that the transition is achieved by causing bending in at least a portion of the member constituting the first pivot mechanism, thereby overcoming the catch caused by the convex portion coming into contact with the abutment portion.

3. The hitch pin according to claim 2, characterized in that a second rotation mechanism is provided between the fixed portion and the movable portion, which enables twisting in a circumferential direction around the axial direction of the pin body.

4. the first rotation mechanism has a range of motion of ±90 degrees with respect to the axial direction, 4. The hitch pin according to claim 3, wherein the second pivot mechanism has a range of motion of 90 degrees.

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