Removable Safety Chain Tie-Down for Unobstructed Gooseneck Beds
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing safety chain attachment devices for gooseneck hitches obstruct the load bed of towing vehicles when not in use and often require additional holes, limiting their functionality and load capacity due to single-point attachment.
Innovation Solution
A removable safety chain tie down apparatus with two-point attachment using body members and handles that engage with under bed hitch mounting system receiving members, allowing secure attachment without additional holes and handling loads up to 35,000 pounds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a safety chain attachment device is permanently installed in the load bed, then the safety chain can be securely attached, but the load bed is obstructed when the hitch is not in use
Solution Approach 1:
The safety chain attachment device is made removable and portable, allowing it to be dynamically positioned to the receiving member only when needed for hitching, and removed or stored elsewhere when not in use, thus eliminating permanent obstruction of the load bed while maintaining secure attachment capability
2Reliability
If additional holes are drilled in the load bed to secure the safety chain attachment device, then the attachment device can be firmly secured, but the vehicle structure is modified and load bed integrity is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment device is extracted from the load bed structure entirely, using a portable design that attaches to a receiving member on the underbed hitch mounting system rather than being drilled into the load bed, thus avoiding structural modification while maintaining secure attachment
Solution Approach 2:
The receiving member on the underbed hitch mounting system serves as an intermediary attachment point, allowing the safety chain attachment device to be securely mounted without drilling into the load bed, thus preserving vehicle structure integrity
3Device complexity
If a single-point attachment is used for the safety chain, then the attachment device is simpler, but the load capacity is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system is segmented into multiple components: the underbed hitch mounting system with receiving members, the portable attachment device with body members, and the safety chain, allowing force distribution across multiple attachment points while maintaining manageable device complexity
4Ease of operation
If the safety chain attachment device is removable, then the load bed is not obstructed when not in use, but the attachment may be less secure
Solution Approach 1:
The portable attachment device is designed as a temporary, removable component that can be quickly attached and removed as needed, accepting that it is not permanently fixed while providing sufficient security during its brief period of use
Data Source
AI summary
A tie down apparatus for securing an item is shown and described herein. The tie down apparatus may include first and second body members, where the first body member is configured to be located and rotated about a first axis within a first receiving member and the second body member is configured to be located and rotated about a second axis within a second receiving member. The tie down apparatus may also include first and second locking members each extending through the first and second body members, respectively, where rotating the first and second body members about the respective first and second axes engages the first and second locking members and generally prevents removal of the first and second body members from the first and second receiving member, and a safety chain holding member selectively engaged with either of the first and second body members.