Trailer Coupling Fixing Drive Inside Bearing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing trailer hitch designs face challenges in achieving a compact yet secure locking mechanism for the coupling arm, with existing solutions either being bulky or inefficient in terms of locking and releasing the coupling arm in use or non-use positions.
Innovation Solution
The trailer hitch incorporates a fixing drive located partially within the bearing, which drives a fixing element outside the bearing to securely lock or release the coupling arm, utilizing a force transmission mechanism between the bearing base body and the bearing element to facilitate bidirectional operation of the fixing element between fixing and release positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the fixing drive is arranged completely inside the bearing, then the device is compact, but the fixing element cannot be driven effectively from the interior
Solution Approach 1:
A force transmission element acts as an intermediary between the fixing drive inside the bearing and the fixing element outside the bearing. This mediator transmits the driving force from the interior fixing drive to the exterior fixing element, enabling effective actuation while maintaining the compact interior arrangement.
2Device complexity
If the fixing element is driven from the outside into the bearing, then the fixing mechanism is simple, but the device becomes bulky
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of driving the fixing element from the outside into the bearing, the invention inverts the arrangement by placing the fixing drive inside the bearing and having it drive the fixing element from the interior outward. This inversion achieves a compact design while maintaining functional effectiveness.
3Reliability
If multiple fixing elements are provided, then the locking is more secure, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A single fixing drive inside the bearing is designed to drive multiple fixing elements simultaneously or sequentially. This multi-functional arrangement provides secure locking through multiple fixing elements while avoiding the complexity increase that would result from having separate drives for each element.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a trailer coupling for a motor vehicle (K), with a coupling arm (11), wherein the coupling arm (11) is mounted on a vehicle bracket (20; 420; 220) by means of a bearing between a use position (G) and a non-use position (N), wherein a vehicle bracket part (21; 421; 221) of the vehicle bracket (20; 420;220) a bearing base body (33) of the bearing is fixedly arranged, on which a bearing element, which carries the coupling arm (11), is movably mounted, wherein the trailer coupling has a fixing device for fixing the coupling arm (11), wherein the fixing device has a fixing element (60) movable between a fixing position (F) and a release position (L) and a fixing drive (80) for driving the fixing element (60), characterized in that the fixing drive (80) is at least partially arranged in an interior of the bearing and the at least one fixing element (60) is arranged outside the bearing and can be driven by the fixing drive (80) from the interior of the bearing element.;