Patent ID: 11945268
Assignee: SAF-HOLLAND GMBH
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 13:
14. A method of connecting a towing vehicle to a semitrailer unit, comprising:
providing a towing vehicle that includes a coupling plate; and
providing a semitrailer unit that includes a rotor which is mounted such that the rotor can rotate about an axis of rotation, and a king pin, wherein the rotor includes a turntable of the semitrailer unit;
providing a first plug unit arranged eccentrically with respect to the axis of rotation and fixed on the rotor;
wherein the coupling plate includes a receiving portion with guide surfaces which taper in a wedge shape, and a second plug unit;
displacing the semitrailer unit transversely to the axis of rotation relative to the coupling plate such that the king pin is inserted into the receiving portion and the rotor is rotated and aligned about the axis of rotation by engagement with the receiving portion, wherein the first plug unit is pivoted into a position opposite the second plug unit;
securing the king pin in the receiving portion of the coupling plate;
coupling the first and the second plug units together by displacing a first coupling portion of the first plug unit and/or a second coupling portion of the second plug unit along a coupling axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation in the direction of the respective opposite plug unit; and
producing an at least partial overlap of the coupling portions with one another along the coupling axis.