Pivotal trailer hitch

#The present invention concerns hitch assemblies for trailers and, more particularly, concerns a pivotal hitch assembly that allows the hitch of a trailer to pivot or fold back laterally to a position adjacent the trailer draw bar to shorten the overall length of the trailer when the trailer is not in use.

#Many trailers, especially boat trailers, are long and have draw bars with hitches at the front of the trailer frame that extend forwardly of the trailer frame, far from the rear end of the trailer or the rear end of the boat carried by the trailer. This has the potential of making the storing of a boat and its trailer difficult and/or expensive when the storage is in a garage that is too short. To store a boat and its trailer in a short garage, the owner of the trailer might be forced to choose between expanding the size of the garage where the trailer is to be stored, or buying a smaller trailer. The size of the trailer is important, especially for boat trailers, where the length of the trailer determines the maximum length of the boat that can be safely towed on the trailer.

#One solution to over length trailers is a pivotal towing draw bar. Prior art hitch assemblies having foldable draw bars are taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,742 (Sanders), U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,423 (Roberts et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,617 (Rowland et al.).

#Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

#FIG. 1 is a top view of a towing vehicle towing a trailer having the pivotal hitch assembly disclosed herein.

#FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the pivotal hitch assembly.

#Having summarized various aspects of the present invention, reference will now be made in detail to the description of the invention as illustrated in the drawings. While the invention will be described in connection with these drawings, there is no intent to limit it to the embodiment or embodiments disclosed therein. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

#FIG. 1 shows a towing vehicle 10 that tows a trailer 12 having a pivotal hitch assembly 14. The pivotal hitch assembly 14 includes a hitch housing 22 coupled to the draw bar 18 of trailer 12. The towing vehicle 10 includes a hitchball 16 that couples the trailer 12 to towing vehicle 10 via a ball receiving socket 17. Securing the trailer 12 to the towing vehicle 10 is well known in the art and will not be discussed in further detail.

#The pivotal hitch assembly 14 may be configured so that the hitch housing 22 is slidably mounted to a self-actuating brake assembly (not shown in the drawings), as discussed in the Applicant's previously issued U.S. Pat. No. 6,595,540, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Further details of a self-actuating brake assembly can be found in Applicant's previously issued U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,211, which is also hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.