Hitch coupling assembly for coupling an accessory to a vehicle

A method of coupling an accessory to a vehicle, the method comprising:

• coupling the accessory to a hitch coupling assembly, wherein the hitch coupling assembly comprises:
• a receiver tube, wherein the receiver tube is an elongate hollow tube with a rectangular transverse cross-section, and wherein the receiver tube comprises:
• a receiver tube first end having a first end opening into the receiver tube;
• a receiver tube second end having a second end opening into the receiver tube;
• and
• a bulkhead inside the receiver tube positioned between the receiver tube first end and the receiver tube second end, having a bulkhead hole through the bulkhead;
• and
• a receiver wedge element, wherein the receiver wedge element comprises:
• a receiver wedge tube, wherein the receiver wedge tube is a hollow tube with a rectangular transverse cross section;
• a receiver wedge tube first end having a wedge tube first end opening into the receiver wedge tube;
• a receiver wedge tube second end;
• and
• an end cap coupled to the receiver wedge tube second end, wherein the end cap comprises a cavity, and wherein the cavity comprises:
• a cavity end wall at a cavity first end, wherein the cavity end wall is inset into the receiver wedge tube second end;
• an end cap hole through the cavity end wall;
• and
• a cavity opening at a cavity second end, wherein the cavity opening faces away from the receiver wedge tube first end;
• installing a tightening bolt through the end cap hole and through the bulkhead hole;
• threading a nut onto the tightening bolt, wherein the tightening bolt and nut couples the receiver wedge element to the receiver tube;
• and
• extending the receiver tube and the receiver wedge element into a hitch receiver of the vehicle.

An assembly for coupling an accessory to a hitch receiver of a vehicle, the assembly comprising:

• a receiver tube, wherein the receiver tube is an elongate hollow tube with a rounded rectangular shaped transverse cross-section, and wherein the receiver tube comprises:
• a receiver tube first end having a first end opening into the receiver tube;
• a receiver tube second end having a second end opening into the receiver tube;
• and
• a bulkhead inside the receiver tube positioned between the receiver tube first end and the receiver tube second end, having a bulkhead hole through the bulkhead, a bulkhead first surface and a bulkhead second surface;
• a receiver wedge element comprising:
• a wedge block comprising:
• a top outer surface and a bottom outer surface, wherein the top and the bottom outer surface are parallel to each other;
• a first side outer surface and a second side outer surface, wherein the first and the second side outer surfaces are parallel to each other;
• a flat first end surface;
• a flat second end surface opposing the first end surface;
• and
• a wedge block longitudinal axis extending from the first end surface to the second end surface;
• a cavity inset into the second end surface, wherein the cavity comprises:
• four cavity side walls;
• a cavity bottom;
• a cavity opening in the cavity bottom;
• and
• an open cavity top that opens to the second end surface;
• a bolt hole extending through the wedge block along the wedge block longitudinal axis from a bolt hole first opening through the first end surface to the cavity opening in the cavity bottom;
• a tightening bolt that couples the receiver wedge element to the receiver tube, wherein the tightening bolt comprises:
• a threaded shaft that is sized to slide through the bolt hole;
• and
• a bolt head coupled to an end of the threaded shaft, wherein the bolt head fits into the cavity but not through the bolt hole;
• and
• a nut that threads onto the threaded shaft;
• wherein the threaded shaft extends through the bolt hole from the cavity opening to the bolt hole first opening, into the receiver tube second end opening and through the bulkhead hole;
• wherein the bolt head abuts the cavity bottom;
• and
• wherein the nut threads onto the threaded shaft and is adjacent the bulkhead first surface.