Trailer Hitch Storage System for Weight Distribution Bars
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Weight distribution hitches are bulky, heavy, and prone to theft when not in use, as they do not have a compact and secure storage solution, leading to space inefficiency and safety hazards.
Innovation Solution
A storage system comprising a main tray, crossbars, hitch-head enclosure, and attachment plate that secures weight distribution bars and hitch heads to the trailer's A-frame rails, with optional locking mechanisms to deter theft, allowing for organized and secure storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If weight distribution bars and hitch heads are stored in the storage compartment of the trailer, then the components are protected from theft and weather, but the storage compartment space is consumed and owners would rather save that space for other items
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system extracts the weight distribution bars and hitch heads from the trailer's storage compartment and provides a dedicated storage location on the trailer frame instead. This allows the storage compartment to remain available for other items while still protecting the hitch components from theft and weather through the enclosed storage structure with locking mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage system moves the hitch component storage from the interior storage compartment to an exterior location on the trailer frame. This dimensional shift allows simultaneous protection of components and preservation of interior storage space by utilizing the three-dimensional space around the trailer rather than within it.
2Volume of moving object
If weight distribution bars and hitch heads are placed in the bed of the tow vehicle or on the floor of the trailer, then storage compartment space is preserved, but the components become bulky, heavy, and in-the-way creating safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system segments the hitch components (weight distribution bars and hitch heads) into a dedicated storage structure with specific compartments and positioning features. This segmentation allows the components to be stored in an organized manner that prevents them from being bulky and in-the-way, while still preserving storage compartment space by using exterior trailer frame space.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage system acts as an intermediary structure between the hitch components and the trailer/vehicle. It provides a dedicated mounting location that secures the components in a safe, organized manner, eliminating the safety hazards of placing them in the vehicle bed or on the trailer floor while preserving interior storage space.
3Volume of moving object
If weight distribution bars and hitch heads are shoved cross-wise into some space of gap within the hitch itself or laid across the trailer frame, then no additional storage space is used, but the components are unstable, dirty, and exposed to weather
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system merges the storage function with the trailer frame structure itself. By integrating the storage mechanism into the trailer frame, it provides protected weather exposure and stable positioning without requiring additional separate storage space. The system combines multiple functions (storage, protection, stabilization) into a unified structure attached to the trailer frame.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage system changes the physical parameters of the storage environment by providing an enclosed structure with locking mechanisms and protective features. This transforms the storage conditions from exposed and unstable to protected and secure, while utilizing space efficiently on the trailer frame without consuming interior storage compartment volume.
4Reliability
If weight distribution bars and hitch heads are stored together in a secure location, then theft risk is reduced, but the storage system becomes more complex requiring multiple components and assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system is designed with multi-functionality to reduce overall complexity. The same structure provides secure storage, weather protection, and theft deterrence through integrated locking mechanisms. By making the storage system universal and multi-functional, it achieves high security without requiring multiple separate complex components, as one well-designed structure performs multiple protective and storage functions simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments of a storage system for use with weight distribution trailer hitches are disclosed. The storage system would be used by someone with a towing vehicle, a boat or RV, and a trailer hitch to link these two. During the times these items are not in-motion, these weight distribution hitches have large parts and take up a lot of space. Such a customer can put their extra hitch-parts in the storage system, which keeps the weight distribution system nicely stored for example on the trailers beams AKA the trailer's A-frame rails or frame.