Hitch Ball Coupler Arm-Shoulder Stress Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hitch ball couplers experience excessive wear and tear and potential failure when used in the open position during towing due to inadequate stress management, leading to reduced service life.
Innovation Solution
A hitch ball coupler design featuring a body and cap pivotally connected with a hinge, where an arm engages a shoulder to limit expansion and distribute stress, allowing the coupler to accommodate a hitch ball while minimizing wear and tear by transferring load to the body and other components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the coupler is allowed to expand fully to accommodate the hitch ball, then the coupler can engage the hitch ball, but the coupler experiences excessive stress and wear during towing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the structural parameters of the coupler by adding a collar with an arm that can engage with a shoulder on the tongue. This modification alters the mechanical behavior of the coupler, allowing it to expand for engagement but then lock in a position that limits excessive movement and distributes stress during towing, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The collar acts as an intermediary component between the coupler body and the tongue. It mediates the stress distribution by transferring loads from the coupler to the tongue through the arm-shoulder engagement mechanism, reducing the harmful stress concentration on the coupler while maintaining proper engagement functionality
2Adaptability or versatility
If the coupler expands to the open position for towing, then the hitch ball can be accommodated, but excessive wear and tear occurs on the coupler components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the coupler's operational parameters by introducing a collar that can engage with the tongue's shoulder. This change allows the coupler to adapt to the hitch ball while in the open position, but simultaneously limits the range of motion and distributes mechanical stresses, preventing excessive wear and extending the service life of the coupler components
Solution Approach 2:
The collar-shoulder engagement mechanism serves as a pre-established protective feature that cushions and distributes stresses before they can cause damage to the coupler. By having this structural element in place beforehand, the patent prevents wear and tear during towing operations while maintaining the necessary adaptability for hitch ball accommodation
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design effectively reduces stress on the coupler components, extending its service life by distributing the load and preventing excessive wear and tear during towing operations.
Implementation Method 1
The cap and body are hinge connected at a rearward portion of the coupler
Implementation Method 2
an arm engages a shoulder to limit expansion and distribute stress
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus, methods, and other examples associated with a hitch ball coupler are described herein. In one example, a coupler includes a body and a cap. The body and cap are pivotally connected on a first end. The body includes a first recess and a shoulder. The cap is selectively moveable between a closed position and an open position. The cap includes a second recess that selectively forms a socket with the first recess, and an arm extending from a second end that engages the shoulder when the cap is in the open position.