Utility Cart With Height-Adjustable Hitch Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for moving and storing trailers and trailer accessories are either cumbersome, expensive, or lack the flexibility for manual transport and storage, particularly in tight spaces, and do not provide adequate support for heavy accessories.
Innovation Solution
A utility cart with a base frame, caster wheels, a height-adjustable hitch assembly, and handles, featuring a telescoping frame with a hand crank for height adjustment and vertical alignment posts for stability, allowing for easy manual transport and storage of trailers and accessories.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If accessories are stored separately without a cart, then storage space is saved, but manual handling becomes cumbersome and inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the storage function and transport function into a single integrated cart system. The cart frame serves both as the structural support for storing accessories and as the transport vehicle, eliminating the need for separate storage containers and handling equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The cart is designed with multi-functionality to serve as both a storage unit and a transport device. The same cart structure that holds accessories can also be maneuvered to move them, and the hitch receiver allows it to be towed when needed, providing multiple functions in one device.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed-height hitch assembly is used, then structural simplicity is maintained, but adaptability to different trailer sizes is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The hitch assembly incorporates a telescoping mechanism with adjustable length, allowing the user to dynamically change the hitch length to match different trailer tongue lengths. This dynamic adjustment capability provides versatility without requiring multiple fixed-height hitch assemblies.
Solution Approach 2:
The hitch assembly allows changes in its physical parameters (length and height) through telescoping sections and adjustable components. This parameter variability enables the same hitch to work with different trailer sizes and configurations.
3Ease of operation
If a non-adjustable hitch assembly is used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but usability in various configurations is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The hitch assembly is divided into multiple telescoping sections that can independently adjust in length. This segmentation allows for flexible adjustment while using standardized components that can be manufactured using conventional processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The telescoping hitch components are nested within each other, with smaller sections fitting inside larger ones. This nested design allows for compact storage when not in use and provides multiple length configurations without requiring separate components for each size.
4Ease of operation
If accessories are attached directly to the vehicle hitch, then immediate availability is achieved, but mobility when detached becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The cart serves as an intermediary between the vehicle hitch and the accessories. When attached to the vehicle, it provides secure mounting for accessories; when detached, it becomes a self-contained transport unit that can be easily maneuvered without requiring vehicle attachment.
Data Source
AI summary
A utility cart for maneuvering trailers and trailer accessories includes a base frame member, caster wheels mounted on an underside of the base frame member, a height adjustable hitch assembly, and a pair of handles extending upwardly from the base frame member. The hitch assembly is mounted to the central support members, and includes a vertical post extending upwardly from the support members and a telescoping frame member with a vertical sleeve that mates telescopically with the vertical post. The telescoping frame member includes a height adjustment mechanism that is operated by a hand crank, so that a user can turn the hand crank to raise or lower the height of the telescoping frame member. The utility cart may attach to trailers, trailer hitch accessories, or may be used as a docking station for the recreational vehicle loading and carrying apparatus set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 9,670,013.