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US 8,505,955 B2Granted
Coupling device and method
AssigneeRemark Technologies, Inc.
InventorRodney M. Kramer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A coupling device is provided including a first coupling member or portion and second coupling member or portion where the second coupling member is configured to releasably engage the first coupling member. The second coupling member includes a locking sleeve or locking sleeve assembly slideably mounted on a cup body with the sleeve capable of being shifted toward an opening of the cup body to an unlocked position that permits insertion of the first coupling member into the second coupling member. The sleeve has an inner surface that covers and protects a fastening element positioned within bores of the cup body in both the locked and unlocked positions thereof. In one form, the locking sleeve assembly includes a locking device which restricts the sleeve from inadvertently shifting toward the unlocked position.
Claims34
A trailer hitch coupling device comprising:
- a first hitch coupling portion having a head portion;
- a second hitch coupling portion having a receiving body with a central axis and including a pocket therein through which the axis extends and being sized to receive the head portion of the first hitch coupling portion;
- an opening of the receiving body for providing the head portion access to the pocket;
- a wall of the receiving body extending about the pocket and having at least one radially extending bore therethrough in communication with the pocket;
- a fastening element received in the radially extending bore and configured to translate therein between an unlocked position where the fastening element does not extend into the pocket for permitting the head portion of the first hitch coupling portion to be inserted into the pocket and a locked position where a portion of the fastening element protrudes into the pocket for retaining the head portion of the first hitch coupling portion therein;
- a locking sleeve slideably mounted to the wall of the receiving body;
- and
- a biasing member between the receiving body wall and the locking sleeve for urging the locking sleeve axially away from the opening to a locked position with the fastening element in the locked position, the locking sleeve being axially slideable toward the opening to an unlocked position against the bias of the biasing member to allow the fastening element to translate to the unlocked position thereof.
5 more elements
A coupling device comprising:
- a pin coupling member having a head portion;
- a cup coupling portion having a body with a central axis thereof and including a pocket therein through which the central axis extends and being sized to receive the head portion of the pin coupling member therein;
- an opening of the body for providing the head portion access to the pocket;
- a locking sleeve slideably mounted to the cup body;
- a coil spring having coils that extend about the cup body for biasing the locking sleeve to a locked position so that the head portion of the pin received in the pocket is retained therein, the locking sleeve being slideable against the bias of the coil spring to an unlocked position where the pin coupling member can be inserted in or removed from the pocket;
- and
- stop surfaces of the cup body and locking sleeve that engage each other with the locking sleeve slid to the unlocked position and being arranged so that when engaged the adjacent coils of the coil spring are not fully compressed against each other.
4 more elements
A vehicle coupling system comprising:
- a trailer having a tongue;
- a vehicle for pulling the trailer;
- a coupling member mounted to the tongue of the trailer to extend along a hitching axis and having a ball head portion depending below the trailer tongue;
- a cup body fixedly mounted to the vehicle and including an upwardly opening pocket that is stationary relative to the vehicle;
- and
- a locking mechanism mounted to the cup body so that with the stationary cup body pocket positioned below the ball coupling member and the hitching axis extending through the pocket, the head portion of the coupling member can be lowered in a downward direction along the hitching axis to seat the head portion in the stationary pocket without requiring movement of the stationary pocket to allow the locking mechanism to be operable to lock the head portion therein.
3 more elements
A vehicle coupling system comprising:
- a trailer having a tongue;
- a vehicle for pulling the trailer;
- a coupling member mounted to the tongue of the trailer to extend along a hitching axis and having a ball head portion depending below the trailer tongue;
- a cup body mounted to the vehicle and including an upwardly opening pocket;
- and
- a locking mechanism mounted to the cup body so that with the cup body pocket positioned below the ball coupling member and the hitching axis extending through the pocket, the head portion of the coupling member can be lowered in a downward direction along the hitching axis to seat the head portion in the pocket with the locking mechanism operable to lock the head portion therein;
- wherein the locking mechanism comprises a locking sleeve mounted to the cup body with the sleeve being operable to be slid in an upward direction along the hitching axis from a locked position to an unlocked position opposite to the downward direction in which the head portion is lowered into the pocket to allow the head portion to be received therein or removed therefrom such that the opposite movements of the head portion and the sleeve along the hitching axis bring the coupling member and cup body toward each other for coupling of the trailer to the vehicle.
4 more elements
A vehicle coupling system comprising:
- a trailer having a tongue;
- a vehicle for pulling the trailer;
- a coupling member mounted to the tongue of the trailer to extend along a hitching axis and having a ball head portion depending below the trailer tongue;
- a cup body mounted to the vehicle and including an upwardly opening pocket;
- and
- a locking mechanism mounted to the cup body so that with the cup body pocket positioned below the ball coupling member and the hitching axis extending through the pocket, the head portion of the coupling member can be lowered in a downward direction along the hitching axis to seat the head portion in the pocket with the locking mechanism operable to lock the head portion therein;
- wherein the coupling member includes an integral shank depending from the ball head portion formed in one-piece therewith so that the coupling member can be fabricated through a cold heading process to increase the durability thereof, and
- a removable collar configured to be slideably mounted on the shank for positioning the ball head portion spaced from the trailer tongue.
5 more elements
A vehicle coupling system comprising:
- a trailer having a tongue;
- a vehicle for pulling the trailer;
- a coupling member mounted to the tongue of the trailer to extend along a hitching axis and having a ball head portion depending below the trailer tongue;
- a cup body mounted to the vehicle and including an upwardly opening pocket;
- and
- a locking mechanism mounted to the cup body so that with the cup body pocket positioned below the ball coupling member and the hitching axis extending through the pocket, the head portion of the coupling member can be lowered in a downward direction along the hitching axis to seat the head portion in the pocket with the locking mechanism operable to lock the head portion therein;
- wherein the cup body includes a throughbore having an axis extending along the hitching axis for draining fluids from the upwardly opening pocket.
4 more elements
A method of hitching a trailer to a vehicle, the method comprising:
- arranging a depending coupling member of the trailer over an upwardly opening cup member of the vehicle;
- pulling a downwardly biased locking sleeve upwardly along the cup member against its bias to allow locking elements to shift to unlocked positions thereof;
- seating the coupling member in the cup member by either using the upward pulling force applied to the locking sleeve to pull the cup member upwardly toward the coupling member thereover, lowering the coupling member toward the cup member and the upwardly pulled locking sleeve, or both;
- and
- releasing the locking sleeve to permit the locking sleeve to shift downwardly and shift the locking elements to locked positions thereof for locking the coupling member in the cup member.
2 more elements
A coupling device comprising:
- a pin coupling member having a head portion;
- a cup coupling portion having a body with a central axis thereof and including a pocket therein through which the central axis extends and being sized to receive the head portion of the pin coupling member therein;
- a locking sleeve slideably mounted to the cup body and configured for being shifted along the central axis from an unlocked position where the head portion can be inserted or removed from the pocket to a locked position for retaining the head portion in the pocket;
- and
- a locking member mounted to the locking sleeve to be shifted relative to the locking sleeve between an interference position where a blocking portion of the locking member is positioned to block sliding of the locking sleeve along the cup body and a clearance position where the blocking portion is positioned to allow sliding of the locking sleeve between its locked and unlocked positions.
2 more elements
A trailer hitch coupling device comprising:
- a pin coupling member having a head portion;
- a cup body having a central axis and including a pocket therein through which the axis extends, the pocket being sized to receive the head portion of the pin coupling member, the cup body including a wall extending about the pocket;
- a locking sleeve slideably mounted to the wall of the cup body;
- a biasing member between the locking sleeve and the cup body wall for urging the locking sleeve to a locked position for retaining the head portion of the pin coupling member in the pocket, the locking sleeve being axially slideable to an unlocked position against the bias of the biasing member to allow the head portion of the pin coupling member to be inserted and removed from the pocket;
- and
- a rocker button mounted to the locking sleeve having a radially inward blocking portion and a radially outward push button, the rocker button configured to pivot relative to the locking sleeve so that in a first pivot position the radially inward blocking portion is positioned to block movement of the locking sleeve and in a second, opposite pivot position the radially inward blocking portion is positioned to allow sliding of the locking sleeve.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.