Magnetic aligning hitch pin assembly

A hitch pin assembly comprising:

• a lock housing, the lock housing having a length extending between a proximal end surface and a distal end surface of the lock housing, the lock housing having an interior bore extending into the lock housing from the proximal end surface of the lock housing;
• a magnet on the proximal end surface of the lock housing, the magnet is positioned on the proximal end surface of the lock housing to engage against an exterior surface of a hitch receiver tube and hold the lock housing to the exterior surface of the hitch receiver tube;
• a rod inside the interior bore of the lock housing, the rod having a length extending between a proximal end of the rod to a distal end of the rod, the rod having a connection feature on the proximal end of the rod and the distal end of the rod being mounted in the interior bore for rotation of the rod in the interior bore;
• a hitch pin, the hitch pin having a length extending between a proximal end of the hitch pin and a distal end of the hitch pin, the hitch pin having a connection feature on the proximal end of the hitch pin, the connection feature on the proximal end of the hitch pin being releasably attachable to the connection feature on the proximal end of the rod in response to the proximal end of the hitch pin being inserted into the interior bore of the lock housing at the proximal end of the lock housing.

A hitch pin assembly that is attachable to a receiver tube, the receiver tube having an interior cavity and a receiver tube opening to the interior cavity of the receiver tube, the interior cavity being sized and shaped to telescopically receive a shank of an accessory device, the receiver tube having a first aperture having a circular configuration and a first interior diameter dimension and the shank having a second aperture having a circular configuration and a second interior diameter dimension, the first and second apertures being configured to align when the receiver tube telescopically receives the shank, the hitch pin assembly comprising:

• a magnet, the magnet being annular and having a center axis, the magnet having an interior surface with an annular configuration and an interior diameter dimension that is larger than the first interior diameter dimension of the first aperture;
• a lock housing, the magnet being positioned on the lock housing, the lock housing having a cylindrical configuration with a center axis that is coaxial with the center axis of the magnet, the lock housing being rotatable on the receiver tube and the lock housing being held on the receiver tube in different rotated positions of the lock housing on the receiver tube by the magnet;
• and
• a plunger in the housing, the plunger being movable axially in the housing and through the interior surface of the magnet.