Self-Adjusting Fifth Wheel Hitch with Ratchet Locking Wedge
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Fifth wheel hitches experience wear over time, leading to a loose connection between the kingpin and the hitch, which can result in a failure to securely couple or decouple trailers of varying kingpin sizes without manual adjustment.
Innovation Solution
A self-adjusting fifth wheel hitch design featuring pivotally mounted jaws with a locking wedge mechanism that automatically adjusts to maintain a secure connection, utilizing a ratchet mechanism and torsion springs to ensure proper engagement and disengagement with kingpins of different sizes without user intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional fifth wheel hitch is used, then the structure is simple, but the connection becomes loose over time due to wear and requires manual adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The hitch mechanism incorporates movable jaws that can dynamically adjust their position and the locking wedge that can shift between locked and unlocked positions. This dynamic capability allows the system to adapt to wear and maintain secure connection, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity by introducing controlled movement rather than fixed rigid structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-loaded locking mechanism automatically engages and disengages the locking wedge based on the position of the jaws, without requiring manual intervention. The system self-adjusts to maintain secure connection during wear, eliminating the need for manual adjustment while maintaining reliability, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a secure connection is maintained during wear, then the hitch can accommodate varying kingpin sizes, but the mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The locking wedge serves multiple functions: it locks the jaws in place, accommodates wear by allowing positional adjustment, and enables secure connection for varying kingpin sizes. This multi-functionality allows the system to adapt to different kingpin sizes without adding separate adjustment mechanisms, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The jaws and locking wedge are designed to move and adjust dynamically, allowing the hitch to adapt to different kingpin sizes and wear conditions. This dynamic adjustment capability provides versatility for various kingpin sizes while using a unified mechanism rather than multiple fixed-size components, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and complexity.
3Ease of operation
If manual adjustment is eliminated, then the operation is easier and faster, but the mechanism requires more complex automatic adjustment features
Solution Approach 1:
The spring-loaded locking mechanism automatically engages when the jaws close around the kingpin and can be disengaged by simple manual actuation. This self-service capability eliminates the need for complex manual adjustment procedures while maintaining ease of operation, as the system performs the adjustment function automatically without requiring the user to understand or manipulate complex mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking wedge acts as an intermediary element that automatically translates the closing motion of the jaws into a locked position, and can be easily actuated to release. This intermediary mechanism simplifies the user interaction to a simple release action while handling the complexity of secure engagement automatically, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and mechanism complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The self-adjusting mechanism ensures a secure and automatic coupling and decoupling process, maintaining a tight connection with kingpins of varying sizes, eliminating the need for manual adjustments and preventing inadvertent disconnects.
Implementation Method 1
a spring biased locking wedge in an engaged position between the locking lobes
Implementation Method 2
utilizing a ratchet mechanism and torsion springs to ensure proper engagement and disengagement
Implementation Method 3
utilizing a ratchet mechanism and torsion springs to ensure proper engagement and disengagement
Data Source
AI summary
A fifth wheel hitch includes a locking member that engages surfaces of a pair of jaws to retain the jaws in a closed position. A release handle is operably connected to the locking member whereby movement of the release handle shifts the locking member out of engagement with the jaws to permit movement of the jaws to an open position. A ratchet type mechanism retains the locking member in an engaged position relative to the jaws and compensates for wear of the components and/or differences in size between kingpins.