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US 12,612,123 B2Granted
Fifth wheel hitch engagement system
AssigneeHorizon Global Americas Inc.
InventorsMark Scruggs, Curt Nowack, Tom Stalder, Gregoire Mercier
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fifth wheel hitch assembly is shown and described. The fifth wheel hitch system may comprise a jaw fixed about a pivot pin and a biasing member biasing the jaw to a closed position. The fifth wheel hitch assembly may also include a kingpin guide positioned opposite the jaw, where the kingpin guide is adapted to engage and retain a kingpin against the jaw.
Claims20
A fifth wheel hitch system comprising:
- a head defining a throat portion, wherein the throat portion is configured to receive a kingpin;
- a jaw pivotally mounted about a pivot pin to securer a kingpin, thereby being rotatable between a closed position and an open position,
- a jaw biasing member operatively coupled to the jaw and configured to apply a bias to the jaw towards the closed position,
- wherein the jaw biasing member is configured to bias the jaw to the closed position, thereby locking the kingpin subsequent to the kingpin being received by the throat portion;
- a kingpin detector member comprising an engagement portion configured to contact the kingpin, thereby rotating the kingpin detector member such that the engagement portion is displaced from the throat portion as the kingpin is received by the throat portion;
- a handle lockout member operatively engaged with the kingpin detector member via a biasing member;
- and
- an engagement handle defining a guide slot, wherein, upon displacement of the engagement portion of the kingpin detector member, the handle lockout member is configured to disengage the engagement handle, thereby freeing the engagement handle to move along a path defined by the guide slot.
5 more elements
A fifth wheel hitch system comprising:
- a head defining a throat portion, wherein the throat portion is configured to receive a kingpin;
- a jaw pivotally mounted about a pivot pin to secure the kingpin, thereby being rotatable between a closed position and an open position,
- a kingpin detector member comprising an engagement portion configured to contact the kingpin, thereby rotating the kingpin detector member such that the engagement portion is displaced from the throat portion as the kingpin is received by the throat portion;
- a handle lockout member operatively engaged with the kingpin detector member via a biasing member;
- and
- an engagement handle defining a guide slot, wherein, upon displacement of the engagement portion of the kingpin detector member, the handle lockout member is configured to disengage the engagement handle, thereby freeing the engagement handle to move along a path defined by the guide slot.
3 more elements
A fifth wheel hitch system comprising:
- a head defining a throat portion, wherein the throat portion is configured to receive a kingpin;
- a jaw pivotally mounted about a pivot pin to secure the kingpin, thereby being rotatable between a closed position and an open position;
- a jaw biasing member operatively coupled to the jaw and configured to apply a bias to the jaw towards the closed position;
- wherein the jaw is configured to, upon being contacted by the kingpin, rotate to the open position against the bias of the jaw biasing member to receive the kingpin, and
- wherein the jaw biasing member is configured to bias the jaw to the closed position, thereby locking the kingpin subsequent to the kingpin being received by the throat portion;
- a kingpin detector member comprising an engagement portion configured to contact the kingpin, thereby rotating the kingpin detector member such that the engagement portion is displaced from the throat portion as the kingpin is received by the throat portion;
- a handle lockout member operatively engaged with the kingpin detector member via a biasing member;
- an engagement handle defining a guide slot, wherein, upon displacement of the engagement portion of the kingpin detector member, the handle lockout member is configured to disengage the engagement handle, thereby freeing the engagement handle to move along a path defined by the guide slot.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.