Garbage Can Hitch Structure for Secure Vehicle Towing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The difficulty in maneuvering a full garbage can along long, gravel or dirt driveways, especially in inclement weather, poses a challenge for individuals living far from the main road, requiring significant manual effort and causing human misery.
Innovation Solution
A single-part garbage can hitch made of lightweight and strong materials, such as plastic, with a grab handle, attachment arm, and a receptacle for a trailer hitch ball, allowing easy attachment to a garbage can and vehicle, facilitating towing without lifting the can off the ground.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a garbage can is manually pulled along a long driveway, then the garbage can can be moved to the road, but significant manual effort is required and it causes human misery especially in inclement weather
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a vehicle as an intermediary tool to transfer the garbage can. Instead of direct manual pulling, the user loads the garbage can into a vehicle (trunk, cargo area, or bed), drives to the road, and unloads it. This mediates the transport process, eliminating the need to manually pull the heavy can along the driveway.
2Ease of manufacture
If the driveway is made of gravel or dirt, then the driveway can be constructed, but it makes it even more difficult to drag the garbage can
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle serves as a mediator that bypasses the difficult gravel or dirt surface. By loading the garbage can into the vehicle and transporting it, the user avoids direct contact with the challenging terrain, eliminating the dragging difficulty caused by gravel or dirt surfaces.
3Productivity
If a hitch device is used to tow the garbage can, then towing efficiency is improved, but the hitch device adds complexity to the system
Solution Approach 1:
The hitch device is designed to be universally compatible with multiple vehicle types (trucks, SUVs, trailers) and can attach to various hitch ball sizes. This multi-functionality allows a single device design to serve many different towing scenarios, improving productivity without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The hitch device is divided into separate functional components: a receptacle for the hitch ball, an attachment mechanism for the garbage can, and a mounting structure. This segmentation allows for easier manufacturing, assembly, and maintenance, reducing the practical complexity despite the improved towing efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A garbage can hitch includes a base section, and a receptacle disposed within the base section. The receptacle receives a hitch ball of a vehicle. The garbage can hitch includes a semi-cylindrical well disposed within the base section, which receives a handle bar of the garbage can. The garbage can hitch includes a first arm that extends from the base section, which can be positioned adjacent a first side of center cross stiffener of the garbage can. The garbage can hitch includes a second arm that extends from the base section, which can be positioned adjacent a second side of the center cross stiffener of the garbage can. A first width-adjusting clamp pad can be removably attached to the first arm. A second width-adjusting clamp pad can be removably attached to the second arm. The width-adjusting clamp pads can be clamped against the center cross stiffener of the garbage can.