Fifth Wheel Coupling Camera Layout for Cleaner King Pin Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fifth wheel coupling systems face issues with camera soiling and damage due to its exposed position, leading to impaired optical performance and increased costs from requiring additional cameras for reliable king pin detection.
Innovation Solution
The camera is mounted on one of the insertion flanges of the fifth wheel coupling, protected from mechanical influences and dirt, with a configuration that aligns its optical axis parallel to the insertion opening, allowing for early detection of trailers without obstructing the coupling process and minimizing risk of damage from the king pin.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the camera is mounted on a crossbar between the bars of the towing vehicle in the longitudinal direction between the fifth wheel coupling and the rear of the towing vehicle, then the camera can be aligned in the middle of the vehicle's longitudinal axis to enable the towing vehicle to approach the trailer exactly, but the camera is located behind the wheels of the towing vehicle and is particularly exposed to dirt that is thrown up, which leads to a significant optical impairment of the camera
Solution Approach 1:
The camera is relocated from the longitudinal axis (between fifth wheel coupling and rear) to the transverse dimension, specifically mounted on the left or right insertion flange of the fifth wheel coupling. This dimensional shift moves the camera laterally to a position that is protected from wheel-thrown dirt while maintaining optimal viewing angle for detecting the king pin's entry into the insertion opening.
2Reliability
If the camera is positioned at the rear end of the towing vehicle, then the camera can detect the approach, but the camera can easily be hit and destroyed by the king pin when the air suspension is extended during coupling
Solution Approach 1:
The camera is extracted from the dangerous rear-end position and relocated to the insertion flange of the fifth wheel coupling. This extraction removes the camera from the path of the king pin during coupling operations, eliminating the risk of mechanical damage while preserving the detection function through strategic positioning on the flange.
3Measurement precision
If the camera is arranged under or in the fifth wheel coupling to detect the king pin centrally, then the camera can detect the king pin much more easily due to the central position, but the locking region located in the center of the coupling plate is always supplied with lubricating grease, which constantly gets onto the camera and also causes optical impairments
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of placing the camera in the central locking region where grease is constantly applied, the camera is positioned on the lateral insertion flange. This creates a local quality difference: the central region continues to receive lubrication for proper function, while the lateral flange position provides a grease-free environment for the camera, eliminating optical contamination while maintaining central detection capability through the flange's geometric relationship to the insertion opening.
Data Source
AI summary
A fifth wheel coupling including a coupling plate and a camera, wherein the coupling plate is supported on a towing vehicle by bearing elements, a centrally arranged locking region for receiving a king pin, a support surface at least partially laterally surrounding the locking region for supporting a trailer, as well as an insertion opening running radially from the locking region, which is bordered in a conically widened section on both sides by insertion flanges. The camera is mounted in a position in the region of the fifth wheel coupling with the lowest possible risk of soiling and damage, with the camera being arranged on one of the insertion flanges.