Trailer coupler
OwnerDominic S. Bonfantiinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ball hitch coupler for use with a towing vehicle having a ball hitch. The ball hitch coupler provides an improved and simplified structure designed to make assembly and coupling to the ball hitch easy, while not compromising coupler strength or security. The ball hitch coupler comprises a coupler housing having a ball hitch cavity, a locking passageway also located in the coupler housing, and a locking rod having a keyed section. The locking rod operates as a restraining mechanism to hold the ball hitch within the ball hitch cavity, thereby resulting in a secure coupling of the ball hitch with the ball hitch coupler. In addition, the locking rod, in conjunction with the locking passageway, also serves as a theft protection feature by operating as an inherent lock-key mechanism.
Claims16
A ball hitch coupler for use with a towing vehicle having a ball hitch comprising a ball section mounted on a shaft section, the ball hitch coupler comprising:
- a.) a locking rod;
- b.) a coupler housing comprising a ball hitch cavity structured and positioned to receive the ball hitch;
- c.) the coupler housing further comprising a locking passageway sized and configured to releasably receive the locking rod, wherein the locking rod has a first end opposite a second end and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween, wherein the locking passageway is positioned in the coupler housing to allow insertion of the ball hitch into the ball hitch cavity when the locking rod is removed from the locking passageway, and wherein the locking passageway is positioned to prevent the removal of the ball hitch from the ball hitch cavity when the locking rod is fully inserted into the locking passageway, the locking passageway having a section provided with an impediment, wherein the locking rod comprises a keyed section permitting the locking rod to be insertable past the impediment, wherein the keyed section has a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the locking rod.
A ball hitch coupler for use with a towing vehicle having a ball hitch comprising a ball section mounted on a shaft section, the ball hitch coupler comprising:
- a.) a first locking rod;
- b.) a second locking rod;
- c.) a coupler housing comprising a ball hitch cavity structured and positioned to receive the ball hitch;
- d.) the coupler housing further comprising a first locking passageway and a second locking passageway, wherein the first locking passageway and the second locking passageway are sized and configured to receive the first locking rod and the second locking rod respectively, wherein at least one locking passageway and corresponding locking rod are configured to be releasably secured, wherein the first locking passageway and the second locking passageway are positioned in the coupler housing to allow insertion of the ball hitch into the ball hitch cavity when at least one rod is removed from its corresponding locking passageway, and wherein the first locking passageway and the second locking passageway are positioned to prevent the removal of the ball hitch from the ball hitch cavity when the first locking rod and the second locking rod are fully inserted into the first locking passageway and the second locking passageway respectively, the first locking passageway having a section provided with a first impediment, and the second locking passageway having a section provided with a second impediment, wherein the first locking rod has a first end opposite a second end and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween and wherein the second locking rod has a first end opposite a second end and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween, wherein the first locking rod comprises a first keyed section permitting the first locking rod to be insertable past the first impediment in the first passageway, and wherein the second locking rod comprises a second keyed section permitting the second locking rod to be insertable past the second impediment in the second passageway, wherein the first keyed section has a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the first locking rod and wherein the second keyed section has a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the second locking rod.
A ball hitch coupler having one or more walls forming a ball hitch cavity to receive a ball hitch and forming a passageway extending from an exterior surface of the coupler and into the ball hitch cavity, the improvement to which comprises:
- a.) the passageway having a section provided with an impediment;
- and
- b.) a locking rod shaped to be insertable into the locking passageway a distance sufficient to prevent the ball hitch from being removed from the ball hitch cavity and having a keyed section permitting the locking rod to be insertable past the impediment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.