Lightweight Trailer Hitch Mounting Base Using Segmented Molded Parts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing trailer hitches for motor vehicles are heavy, which increases the overall mass of the vehicle, and there is a need to reduce this mass to improve efficiency and performance.
Innovation Solution
The trailer hitch design incorporates a holding base composed of two interconnected molded parts made of flat material, with a molded assembly area and a stiffening area, arranged on opposite sides of a central plane, providing stability and reducing weight through varying contour profiles and reinforcement features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the holding base is designed as a single solid piece, then the structural strength and stability are improved, but the mass increases
Solution Approach 1:
The holding base is divided into multiple interconnected molded parts made of flat material instead of being a single solid piece. This segmentation allows reduction of material usage and mass while maintaining structural strength through the interconnected design of the molded parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The holding base uses composite construction with multiple molded parts that can be made from different materials or have different structural properties. This allows optimization of each part for its specific function while reducing overall mass compared to a uniform solid structure.
2Weight of moving object
If the holding base mass is reduced, then the vehicle mass decreases, but the stability and rigidity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The molded parts incorporate locally optimized features such as stiffening areas with specific contour profiles in regions requiring high rigidity, while other areas use thinner material. This local quality variation maintains stability where needed while reducing mass in less critical areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The design uses three-dimensional molded parts with varying thickness and contour profiles rather than simple flat plates. This dimensional complexity allows mass reduction through optimized material distribution while maintaining structural stability through strategic reinforcement features.
3Strength
If the mounting body is designed with complex reinforcement features, then the rigidity is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement features and contour profiles are integrated into the molded parts during the molding process itself, rather than requiring subsequent machining or assembly operations. This preliminary action reduces manufacturing complexity by combining multiple operations into a single molding step.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple functions are merged into the molded parts design, including structural support, reinforcement features, and mounting interfaces, all formed in a single molding operation. This merging reduces the number of separate manufacturing steps and assembly operations required.
Data Source
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AI summary
In order to reduce the mass of the mounting base in a trailer coupling for motor vehicles comprising a bearing unit which carries a ball neck which is connected to the bearing unit at a first end and carries a coupling ball at a second end, and a mounting base supporting the bearing unit which can be connected to the vehicle body in particular by means of a cross member which can be mounted on a vehicle body, it is proposed that the mounting base has a mounting body which is composed of at least two interconnected molded parts made of flat material, and that the mounting body forms on the one hand a mounting area molded into the molded parts and on the other hand at least one stiffening area molded into the molded parts and arranged outside the mounting area.