Hitch-Mounted Trough with Adjustable Struts for Secure Equipment Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicles often lack sufficient space to transport equipment externally without the need for additional wheels or trailers, and existing solutions do not securely attach equipment during dynamic vehicle motions or prevent equipment from coming into contact with the plush interior.
Innovation Solution
A support trough system that attaches to a vehicle's receiver hitch, featuring a tang assembly with adjustable struts and a transverse trough for securing equipment, using latch pins and lanyards for secure attachment and adjustable elevation to minimize trailing length and prevent interior contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If equipment is transported outside the vehicle using a trailer, then the equipment can be securely transported, but additional wheels and complexity are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential function of equipment transport from the complex trailer system and implements it directly on the vehicle using a receiver hitch-mounted trough assembly, eliminating the need for separate wheels and trailer structure while maintaining secure transport capability
Solution Approach 2:
The receiver hitch assembly serves multiple functions: it provides structural support for the trough, enables secure attachment to the vehicle, and allows for adjustable positioning, replacing multiple specialized components that would be needed in a traditional trailer system
2Stability of the object's composition
If equipment is placed on a fixed support structure, then the equipment is stable, but the structure cannot accommodate different equipment sizes and weights
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure incorporates adjustable struts with multiple positioning holes and movable latch pins that can be repositioned along the trough walls, allowing the configuration to be dynamically adjusted to match different equipment dimensions and weight distributions while maintaining stability during transport
Solution Approach 2:
The trough assembly is divided into modular components including adjustable struts, individual latch pins, and segmented support walls, allowing each component to be independently positioned and configured to accommodate various equipment sizes and shapes
3Length of moving object
If the trough is positioned low to minimize trailing length, then the equipment trails less, but the equipment may contact the vehicle interior
Solution Approach 1:
The trough elevation is made adjustable through movable struts that can be positioned at different heights along the receiver hitch assembly, allowing the trough to be raised or lowered based on the specific equipment being transported to prevent interior contact while minimizing trailing length
Solution Approach 2:
The vertical position parameter of the trough can be changed by adjusting the strut length or position, enabling optimization of both trailing length and clearance from the vehicle interior based on the transported equipment characteristics
Data Source
AI summary
An equipment hauling apparatus for a vehicle comprises a tang assembly with a longitudinal portion having through-apertures for a typical receiver hitch and a vertical portion for holding a strut assembly. The strut attaches to a transverse trough for holding the equipment. The trough has sidewalls and a floor and cutouts which pass through these features. The ends of the trough have tabs with a lead-in angle for centering the equipment as it is loaded into the trough. The tabs have holes for receiving latch pins to lock the equipment within the trough for transport, and the latch pins are loosely attached to the trough by lanyards to prevent their misplacement. The strut and trough elevation is adjustable at its connection to the tang.