Floating hitching system

The apparatuses and methods disclosed herein may be easier and quicker than prior art systems. Furthermore, the apparatuses and method disclosed herein may be more effective over rough terrain. The apparatuses and methods disclosed herein include a tongue attached to the conveyance, a floating hitch attached to the motor vehicle, and a compression-hitching pin. A conveyance can be hitched to a motor vehicle simply by inserting the hitching pin through the tongue of the conveyance and the floating hitch of the motor vehicle and then pushing down on the handle of the hitching pin and turning the handle to lock the hitching pin in place.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to a floating hitching system.

BACKGROUND

Referring toFIG. 1, the standard hitching system100for attaching, for example, a trailer110to a motor vehicle120comprises a tongue130attached to the trailer, a tow bar140attached to the motor vehicle, a hitching pin150, and a locking pin160. The trailer tongue130includes a top portion132a, a bottom portion132b, and an opening135between the top portion132aand the bottom portion132b. The opening135typical has a height of 2 inches.

Hitching a trailer to a motor vehicle using the standard hitching system110can be difficult and time consuming. For example, to hitch the trailer110to the motor vehicle120using the standard hitching system100requires an operator to first align the trailer tongue130and the tow bar140by positioning the tow bar140between the top portion132aand a bottom portion132bof the trailer tongue130(i.e., by positioning the tow bar140in the opening135of the trailer tongue130) and aligning the holes137of the trailer tongue130(the bottom hole is not shown) and hole145of the tow bar140. Then, the operator must bend down to the trailer tongue130, which is very close to the ground level, to insert the hitching pin150through the holes137and145.

Once the hitching pin150is inserted, the operator must then bend down even further to insert the locking pin160into a small hole155of the hitching pin150. Since the operator cannot see the hole155, to insert the locking pin160into the small hole155, the operator must feel for the hole and then turn the hitching pin150so that the hole is positioned to insert the locking pin160into the hole140, again by feel.

Physically bending down to insert the hitching pin150and the locking pin160can be difficult and problematic for people with physical impairments (e.g., arthritis in the knees). The tasks involved in hitching a trailer to a motor vehicle using the standard hitching system require good coordination, flexibility, and eyesight.

However, one of the main design deficiencies of the standard hitching system can be the limited vertical motion that the standard hitching system provides for the front-end of a towed cart-like vehicle. For example, the vertical motion of the front-end of the trailer is limited to the vertical length of the opening135. This limited vertical motion can be problematic when a towed cart-like vehicle with one or two front wheels encounters an elevation such as a low stump or curb. Typically, the front wheels will be either damaged or torn off the vehicle when the vehicle attempts to traverse the elevation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various implementations of this disclosure provide apparatuses and methods for attaching a conveyance to a motor vehicle. The apparatuses and methods disclosed herein may be easier and quicker to operate than prior art systems. Furthermore, the apparatuses and method disclosed herein may be more effective over rough terrain, especially for a front-wheeled conveyance. The apparatuses and methods disclosed herein include a tongue attached to the conveyance, a floating hitch attached to the motor vehicle, and a compression-hitching pin. A conveyance can be hitched to a motor vehicle simply by inserting the hitching pin through the tongue of the conveyance and the floating hitch of the motor vehicle and then pushing down on the handle of the hitching pin and turning the handle to lock it in place. In some implementations, the tongue can be attached to the motor vehicle and the floating hitch can be attached to the conveyance.

FIG. 2illustrates an example floating hitching system200according to the principles of the present disclosure for attaching a conveyance (e.g., conveyance210) to a motor vehicle (e.g., motor vehicle220). The conveyance can be any existing or future developed means of transportation including powered or unpowered vehicles. The motor vehicle220can be any motorized vehicle such as a lawn motor or any other motorized vehicle.

The hitching system200comprises a tongue230attached to a conveyance (e.g., conveyance210), a floating hitch240attached to a motor vehicle (e.g., motor vehicle220), and a compression-hitching pin250.

The tongue230includes a protrusion232having a hole235.

Referring toFIG. 3, the floating hitch240includes a top portion242ahaving a hole243a, a bottom portion242bhaving a hole243b, and an opening245between the top portion242aand the bottom portion242b. In some implementations, the opening245can have a height of up to twelve inches. In some implementations, the opening245can have a height greater than twelve inches. In some implementations, the height of the opening245can be less than 8 inches. In some implementations, the height of the opening can be based on the size of a wheel of the conveyance.

Returning toFIG. 2, the hitching pin250includes a handle252, a shaft254, a first pin256a(e.g. a dowel pin), a second pin256b(e.g. a dowel pin), and a compression spring258. The shaft254includes a first hole and a second hole positioned at a first and second position to receive the first pin256aand second pin256b, respectively. The first pin256aand the second pin256bare of a sufficient length such that the ends of the pins extend from the shaft254. The compression spring258is inserted around the hitching pin250between the first pin256aand second pin256b.

To hitch a conveyance to a motor vehicle using the floating hitching system200, the tongue230is positioned between the top portion242aand the bottom portion242bof the floating hitch240(i.e., the tongue230is positioned in the opening245of the floating hitch240) and the holes235and243bare aligned. Because the opening245of the floating hitch240can be much larger than the opening135of the trailer tongue130, positioning the tongue230in the opening245of the floating hitch240can be easier than positioning the tow bar140in the opening135of the trailer tongue130of the existing hitching system100.

Once the tongue230and the floating hitch240are aligned, the hitching pin250is inserted through the floating hitch240and the tongue230and locked in place by pushing down on the handle252of the hitching pin250and then turning the handle252.

More specifically, and referring toFIGS. 2 and 3as applicable, the lower portion of the shaft254and the second pin256bof the hitching pin250are inserted through the hole243aof the top portion242aof the floating hitch240. The hole243ais configured to receive the lower portion of the shaft254and the second pin256bwhen the second pin256bis in a first direction lengthwise. The compression spring258is of a sufficient diameter such that the compression spring258is blocked by the top portion242aof the floating hitch240. When the bottom of the compression spring258rests on the top portion242aof the floating hitch240, the lower portion of the shaft254is of a sufficient length such that the end of the shaft254can be received by the holes235and243b.

As the handle252of the hitching pin250is pushed down, the compression spring258is compressed, and then the handle252of the hitching pin250is rotated to position the second pin256bin a second direction lengthwise to align the second pin256bwith a slot247to receive both ends of the second pin256b. In some implementations, the handle252is rotated 90 degrees from the first direction (that is, the first direction and the second direction are at right angles).

Once the second pin256bis aligned with the slot247, the handle252is released so that both ends of the second pin256bcan be received by the slot247thereby both hitching the conveyance to the motor vehicle and securing the hitching pin in place, as shown inFIG. 4.

To un-hitch a conveyance from a motor vehicle, the handle252of the hitching pin250is pushed down and rotated to position the second pin256bback in the first direction lengthwise so that the second pin256bmay be passed back through the hole243a. Thereafter, the hitching pin250can be removed from the tongue230and the floating hitch240.

By using the floating hitching system200, an operator can hitch (and un-hitch) a conveyance to a motor vehicle with relative ease and speed. The operator is not required to bend down as far to insert and lock the hitching pin250as the operator would have to bend to insert the hitching pin150and the locking pin160of the standard hitching system100. Furthermore, since the operator can press down on the handle252from a standing position, the operator's weight can help compress the spring during the hitching and un-hitching operations. Thus, the floating hitching system200may be used more easily by operators with physical impairments than the standard hitching system100.

Furthermore, the tasks involved in hitching a conveyance to a motor vehicle using the floating hitching system200require less coordination, flexibility, and eyesight than coordination, flexibility, and eyesight required to perform the tasks involved in hitching a trailer to a motor vehicle using the standard hitching system100.

Still further, the floating hitching system200provides more vertical motion for the front-end of a conveyance than the vertical motion provided for the front-end of a trailer by the standard hitching system100. That is, as shown inFIGS. 5A and 5B, the tongue230can move (or float) along the shaft254of the hitching pin250when the conveyance encounters an elevation such as rough terrain. The floating hitching system200may prevent a front wheel510of the conveyance from being damaged as the conveyance attempts to travel over an elevation520. With a standard hitching system100, the front wheel510may be damaged since the standard hitching system has limited vertical motion.

Reference throughout this specification to “an embodiment” or “implementation” or words of similar import means that a particular described feature, structure, or characteristic is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the phrase “in an embodiment” or a phrase of similar import in various places throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings.