Kingpin Adapter for Flexible Trailer Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional kingpin and fifth wheel hitches are difficult to align on uneven terrain and restrict out-of-plane movement, making them unsuitable for recreational vehicles, which require more flexibility and ease of use.
Innovation Solution
An adapter that can be attached to a kingpin trailer, featuring jack screws for biased pressure, transverse pins for secure locking, and a ball shaft with a spherical surface for alignment with a vehicle-mounted receiver, allowing for flexible coupling and preventing rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional fifth wheel hitch with a jaw locking mechanism is used, then the kingpin is securely locked, but the trailer is restricted to single-plane movement and cannot accommodate out-of-plane movement on uneven terrain
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is segmented into multiple independent locking points (first and second locking pins) that can engage with corresponding features on the kingpin, allowing the system to maintain security while accommodating movement in multiple planes
Solution Approach 2:
The hitch system transitions from a static, rigid jaw locking mechanism to a dynamic system with multiple locking pins that can independently engage and disengage, enabling the trailer to adapt its movement constraints based on terrain conditions while maintaining secure attachment
2Adaptability or versatility
If a pivot pin is added below the fifth wheel plate to enable out-of-plane movement, then the trailer can move on uneven terrain, but the weight and complexity of the hitch increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of a single complex pivot mechanism, the system uses multiple simple locking pins distributed at different locations, each performing a straightforward locking function, thereby achieving the desired adaptability without significant increases in overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than adding a pivot pin below the fifth wheel plate to create rotational movement, the invention inverts the approach by using locking pins that constrain movement in specific directions, allowing natural out-of-plane movement to occur without active mechanical assistance
3Reliability
If a traditional kingpin and fifth wheel hitch system is used, then the connection is secure, but alignment on uneven terrain is nearly impossible without a large, level, and smooth surface
Solution Approach 1:
The locking pins are designed to engage with pre-formed features on the kingpin before final tightening, allowing the operator to roughly align the components and then secure them in place, eliminating the need for precise pre-alignment on level surfaces
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows for adjustment of alignment parameters through the selective engagement of locking pins at different positions, enabling the operator to accommodate misalignment caused by uneven terrain by shifting the engagement point rather than requiring perfect initial alignment
Data Source
AI summary
A kingpin adapter is provided having an upper wall and a lower wall that are affixed to each other through side walls. The upper and lower walls have a kingpin aperture and a hitch ball aperture that is spaced from and parallel to the kingpin aperture. The kingpin aperture receives a kingpin and the adapter is affixed to the kingpin using pins that extend through the side walls and extend through a portion of the undercut in the kingpin. The upper wall has jack screws that extend through to contact a skid plate that is affixed to the kingpin. The jack screws affix optional adjustable fences that rotationally constrain the skid plate by contacting lateral edges of it.