Lightweight Trailer Hitch Cross Member Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing trailer couplings are heavy due to their construction from welded steel, which requires thick material for stability, resulting in a high mass and weight.
Innovation Solution
The trailer hitch design features a cross member made of high-strength steel with a double-T or U-shaped profile, where the connection between the cross member and side members is achieved through an overlapping area with plug weld connections or adhesive bonding, eliminating the need for welded seams and reducing material thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If welded steel construction is used for cross members and side members, then structural stability is ensured, but weight increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from conventional steel to high-strength steel with minimum yield strength of 600 MPa, allowing thinner wall thickness while maintaining structural stability, thus reducing weight
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite construction by combining high-strength steel material with optimized tubular profile geometry, creating a structure that achieves high stability-to-weight ratio through material and form integration
2Reliability
If thick material thickness is used in welded constructions, then sufficient stability at weld seams is achieved, but mass increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces the wall thickness parameter from conventional thick sections to thin-walled tubular profiles (minimum 1.5 mm) by compensating with high-strength steel material properties, eliminating the need for thick sections to ensure weld seam stability
3Strength
If conventional welded connections are used between cross member and side members, then structural integrity is maintained, but stress fractures and thermal influence increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the welding process from the construction method, replacing it with mechanical connection systems that avoid thermal influence and stress fracture risks associated with welded joints
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the thermal welding process with a mechanical connection system using bolts or rivets, substituting a thermal-chemical joining method with a purely mechanical fastening system that avoids heat-affected zones and weld seam vulnerabilities
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
This design achieves a stable and lightweight trailer hitch with reduced stress fractures and thermal influence, allowing for efficient power transmission while maintaining structural integrity.
Implementation Method 1
at least one flange part of the side members is connected to the upper part and/or the lower part of the cross member by at least one plug weld connection
Implementation Method 2
at least one flange part of the side members is connected to the upper part and/or the lower part of the cross member by at least one plug weld connection
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
The hitch (10) has a one-piece cross beam (14) transverse to a driving direction (12) of a motor vehicle and covered by a rear bumper. Side beams extend from the cross beam in the driving direction for connecting the cross beam with a vehicle body, and a mounting base is arranged the cross beam. The cross beam has upper and lower parts (60, 62) connected by a strutting element (66). Each side beam has a flange part lying on and connected with the upper part and/or lower part in an overlapping region (84), which runs parallel to the longitudinal direction of the cross beam.