US 11,766,906 B2Granted

Locking trailer ball assembly

OwnerRichard Huff, Kristy Moore +1inventors

InventorsRichard Huff, Kristy Moore, Wynell Welch

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Abstract

A trailer coupler locking device that includes: a trailer ball body, wherein the trailer ball body is shaped as a coupling ball; a plurality of locking rods, where the plurality of locking rods define elongated members which extend from the trailer ball body; and a locking mechanism. The elongated members may be placed in either a locked position or an unlocked position. When in the unlocked position, the ball body moves freely in and out of a ball mount coupler, and when in a locked position, the ball body is locked into a ball mount coupler. The locking rods selectively extend and retract by manual operation of the locking mechanism, where the locking mechanism includes a cylinder lock that is operably connected to a rotational member and a mechanical rod actuator. The mechanical rod actuator operable connects the rotational member with each locking rod and enables each locking rod to move linearly in response to the rotary motion of the rotational member.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A locking trailer ball assembly that secures to a trailer coupler to prevent the trailer coupler from being attached to a vehicle hitch trailer ball until the locking trailer ball assembly is removed from the trailer coupler, the locking trailer ball assembly comprising:

(a) a ball;
the ball comprising:
(i) one or more pin cavities;
(b) a locking pin, and a push rod for each of the corresponding pin cavities;
(i) the locking pin comprising:
a proximal end;
(ii) the push rod comprising:
a rotating disc end and an opposing end;
(iii) where the opposing end of each push rod is attached to the corresponding locking pin;
(c) a control rod;
the control rod comprising:
(i) a rotating disc end;
and
(ii) a distal end;
(d) a rotating disc;
the rotating disc comprising:
(i) a perimeter;
(ii) a push rod opening for each push rod, where the rotating disc end of each push rod attaches to the corresponding push rod opening of the rotating disc;
(iii) a control rod opening for the control rod, where the rotating disc end of the control rod attaches to the corresponding control rod opening of the rotating disc;
and
(iv) where each push rod opening and the control rod opening are provided along the perimeter of the rotating disc;
(e) a locking cylinder;
the locking cylinder comprising:
(i) a keyhole;
(ii) where the distal end of the control rod is attached to the locking cylinder;
(f) where each locking pin lies within the corresponding pin cavity,
(g) where the turn of the locking cylinder moves the control rod,
(h) where the rotating disc rotates based on the movement of the control rod,
(i) where the rotation of the rotating disc moves each push rod, which in turn extends and retracts each locking pin from the corresponding pin cavities, and
(j) where the rotating disc, the control rod, and each push rod are disposed within the ball.

27 more elements

(a) a ball;
the ball comprising:
(i) one or more pin cavities;
(b) one or more of a group consisting of a locking pin and a push rod;
(i) the locking pin comprising:
a proximal end;
(ii) the push rod comprising:
a rotating disc end and an opposing end;
(iii) where the opposing end of each push rod is attached to the locking pin;
(c) a control rod;
the control rod comprising:
(i) a rotating disc end;
and
(ii) a distal end;
(d) a rotating disc;
the rotating disc comprising:
(i) a perimeter;
(ii) a push rod opening for each push rod, where the rotating disc end of each push rod attaches to the corresponding push rod opening of the rotating disc;
(iii) a control rod opening for the control rod, where the rotating disc end of the control rod attaches to the corresponding control rod opening of the rotating disc;
and
(iv) where each push rod opening and the control rod opening are provided along the perimeter of the rotating disc;
(e) a locking cylinder;
the locking cylinder comprising:
(i) a keyhole;
(ii) where the distal end of the control rod is attached to the locking cylinder;
(f) where each locking pin lies within the corresponding pin cavity,
(g) where the turn of the locking cylinder moves the control rod,
(h) where the rotating disc rotates based on the movement of the control rod, and
(i) where the rotation of the rotating disc moves each push rod, which in turn extends and retracts each locking pin from the corresponding pin cavities, and
(j) where the rotating disc, the control rod, and each push rod are located within the ball.

27 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/962,490Filed 8 Oct 2022 · continuation
Priority: 25 Apr 2019
Published: US 2023/0030021 A12 Feb 2023
Granted: 26 Sep 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

B60D 1/60
Auxiliary devices: covers, caps or guards , e.g. comprising anti-theft devices
B60D 1/62
Auxiliary devices: involving supply lines, electric circuits or the like
B60D
Vehicle connections

Family

Application16/395,214Parent of this continuation · filed 25 Apr 2019
US 2023/0030021 A1Pre-grant publication · published 2 Feb 2023
US 11,498,376 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2020/0338940 A1Published application
US 11,766,906 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.