Trailer Hitch Load Carrier With Wheel-Assisted Pivot Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Handling of load carriers attached to vehicle trailer hitches is cumbersome, especially when they are heavy, and mounting them with an already attached load is difficult.
Innovation Solution
A load carrier with a clamping arrangement and a ground support arrangement featuring a wheel, allowing it to be moved between a mounting and usage configuration by pivoting about a pivot axis, with the center of gravity positioned further from the pivot axis than the clamping arrangement, facilitating easy mounting and attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the load carrier is made heavy-duty to ensure stability and load capacity, then the strength and stability are improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates as handling becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs the ground support arrangement with wheel as a counterbalancing mechanism. The support arrangement provides upward support force from the ground to counteract the weight of the load carrier and its load, effectively reducing the effort required by the user to handle and position the load carrier during mounting operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The ground support arrangement acts as an intermediary between the load carrier and the ground. Instead of the user directly supporting the entire weight, the support arrangement mediates by transferring part of the load to the ground through the wheel, reducing the direct manual effort required while maintaining control over the load carrier.
2Reliability
If the load carrier is designed with a fixed mounting structure to ensure secure attachment, then the reliability of mounting is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates when mounting with load already attached
Solution Approach 1:
The load carrier features a convertible clamping arrangement that can switch between release configuration (for easy attachment/detachment) and clamping configuration (for secure mounting). This dynamic transformation allows the mounting structure to adapt to different operational phases, enabling easy initial mounting even with load attached, followed by secure fixed attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The ground support arrangement with wheel enables preliminary positioning and support of the load carrier on the ground before final attachment to the vehicle. This preliminary action stabilizes the load carrier and reduces the effort required for the clamping operation, making it easier to mount even when the load is already attached.
Data Source
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AI summary
A load carrier is disclosed, comprising a load-bearing structure, a clamping arrangement for mounting the load-bearing structure to a vehicle trailer coupling, and a ground support arrangement for movably supporting the load carrier on the ground. The ground support arrangement has at least one wheel. The clamping arrangement is convertible between a release configuration, in which the clamping arrangement can be placed onto and removed from a clamping section of the vehicle trailer coupling in an insertion direction, and a clamping configuration, in which the clamping arrangement is firmly clamped to the clamping section when placed on it.The load carrier can be moved between a mounting configuration, in which the clamping arrangement is supported on the vehicle's trailer hitch and at least one wheel can be supported on the ground, and a usage configuration, in which the load carrier is supported only on the vehicle's trailer hitch, by pivoting the load-bearing structure about a pivot axis. The load carrier is designed such that a first distance between a center of gravity of the load-bearing structure and the clamping arrangement is greater in both the mounting and usage configurations than a second distance between the pivot axis and the clamping arrangement.