Angled Corner Panels for Travel Trailer Turning Radius
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Solution Overview
Problem
The reduced bed length of extended-cab pickup trucks limits the turning radius of fifth wheel trailers due to the conventional right-angled corner edges of their upper decks, which can collide with the rear corner of the tow vehicle, necessitating broader turns or expensive specialty hitches.
Innovation Solution
The design of a travel trailer with a chassis assembly and hitch system featuring angled panels and recessed corners, eliminating right-angle attachments between the side and forward walls, allowing for a greater turning radius by forming angles greater than 90 degrees between the panel and the side or forward walls, and incorporating inwardly oriented recesses to accommodate the tow vehicle's cab during turns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional right-angled corner edges are used on the upper deck of fifth wheel trailers, then structural simplicity and ease of manufacture are maintained, but the turning radius of the towing vehicle is impaired and the corner edges can collide with the rear corner of the cab
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by changing the corner edge configuration from symmetric right-angled edges to asymmetric angled edges that slope inward. This asymmetric design allows the upper deck corners to clear the towing vehicle's cab during turns, improving the turning radius without requiring specialty hitches or broader turns.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements curvature by replacing the sharp right-angled corners with angled edges that create a sloped, curved transition. This curved configuration reduces the horizontal protrusion of the corners, allowing them to pass beneath the towing vehicle's cab during turning maneuvers, thereby enhancing operational ease.
2Ease of operation
If the upper deck extends forward over the rear of the pickup truck to allow hitch attachment, then the hitch can be properly positioned on the centerline, but the reduced bed length of extended-cab trucks causes the upper deck to occupy a greater portion of the bed, impairing the turning radius
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric angled corner edges reduce the effective horizontal length of the upper deck at the corners, allowing it to fit within the reduced bed length of extended-cab trucks while maintaining the forward extension needed for proper hitch positioning on the centerline.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If right-angled corner edges are used, then manufacturing is simpler, but collision with the tow vehicle's cab occurs during turns, requiring broader turns or expensive specialty hitches
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric angled corner edges eliminate collision risk by reducing the horizontal protrusion of corners, allowing them to clear the towing vehicle's cab during turns. While slightly more complex than right-angled edges, they can be fabricated using standard angular cuts and joining methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The curved angled edges reduce collision risk by creating a sloped profile that clears the cab during turns. This curved design can be achieved through standard fabrication techniques such as angular cutting and welding, balancing safety with manufacturability.
Data Source
AI summary
A travel trailer configured to be coupled to and towed by a vehicle is provided. The travel trailer has a compartment that is attached to a chassis which includes a front end and a rear end. A plurality of wheels are attached to the chassis adjacent the rear end, and a hitch assembly is attached to the chassis adjacent the front end. The compartment at the front end of the chassis forms first and second corners. A recess, directed inwardly toward the interior of the compartment, is located at each corner of the compartment. Cavities formed by each recess may receive a portion of the vehicle while the vehicle is engaged in a turn.