Abstract:
A trailer and hitch assembly are arranged so that the trailer may be towed closely behind a motor vehicle without articulation. A pair of frame members extends forward from the trailer for engagement into a corresponding pair of receivers that are included in a hitch extension assembly. Locking mechanisms are arranged to secure the frame members to a hitch cross member that may be included in a standard trailer hitch connected to the motor vehicle.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates generally to a trailer suitable for being towed by a sports/utility vehicle (SUV). In particular, this invention relates to a motor home trailer that is attached to a sports/utility vehicle by a non-articulated connection so that the trailer may be connected closely behind the towing vehicle.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention is directed to a trailer suitable for being towed by an SUV. The invention includes a hitch mechanism that is unarticulated so that the trailer may be towed while positioned very closely behind the SUV. A shroud extends between the outer shell of the trailer and the rear of the SUV to provide reduced wind resistance while the trailer is being towed. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0003]    [0003]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a trailer according to the invention connected to an SUV;  
         [0004]    [0004]FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the front and left side of the trailer of FIG. 1;  
         [0005]    [0005]FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the rear and right side of the trailer according to the invention;  
         [0006]    [0006]FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a hitch assembly that may be used to connect the trailer according to the invention to the SUV;  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the front wall of the trailer and the hitch assembly of FIG. 4;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 6 is a side elevation view and partial cross sectional view of the hitch assembly of FIGS. 5 and 6;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 7 is an elevation view showing a lift and lock device that may be used to fasten the trailer to the hitch assembly;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 8 illustrates a swing gate that may be included in the hitch assembly;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 9 is an elevation view showing a hitch extension and a pair of receivers and a cross bar that may be included in the hitch extension;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 10 is an elevation view showing a second embodiment of a hitch extension that may be included in the hitch assembly;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 11 is a side view showing a portion of the trailer frame extending into a receiver that may be included in the hitch extension;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 12 is and end view showing the hitch extension, the receiver of FIG. 11 and a cross bar that may be included in the hitch extension; and  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 13 is a front elevation view showing a swing gate assembly that may be included in the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]    As shown in FIG. 1, a trailer  10  according to the invention is designed to be towed while connected closely behind an SWV  12 . As shown in FIGS.  1 - 3 , the trailer  10  includes an outer shell  14  and a shroud  16  that extends between a front wall  18  of the outer shell  14  to a region near the rear end  20  of the SUV when the trailer  10  and SUV  12  are connected together. The shroud  16  and the small distance between the front wall  18  and the rear  20  of the SUV provide reduced wind resistance on the trailer  10  when it is being towed by the SUV  12 .  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 shows a support device  11  that may be mounted to the rear end  13  of the trailer  10 . The support device  11  preferably includes a wheel  15  and a jacking device  17  that is operated by a jack handle  19 . The support device  11  may be used to position the trailer  10  for attachment to the SUV. The support device  11  may be connected to a receiver  9  mounted to the rear of the trailer  10 . The support device  11  is detached from the trailer  10  so that it may be safely towed. A second trailer (not shown) may be connected to the receiver  9  for towing behind the trailer  10 .  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 4 is a top plan view showing portions of a hitch assembly  21  that may be included in the invention to tow the trailer  10  in an unarticulated manner. The hitch assembly  21  may be used to attach the trailer  10  rigidly to the SUV  12  to form a unitary structure. 3  The hitch assembly  21  includes a standard trailer hitch  23  that includes a hitch cross tube  40  and a standard receiver  39  where a hitch ball assembly (not shown) may be mounted. The present invention uses the hitch cross tube  40  but does not use the standard receiver  39 . A pair of hitch extension members  42  and  44  extend perpendicularly from the hitch cross tube  40 . The hitch extension members  42  and  44  may be formed as bars or elongate plates. A second cross tube  50  extends between the hitch extension members  42  and  44 . The cross tubes  40  and  50  are preferably generally parallel and spaced apart by substantially the length of the hitch extension members  42  and  44 . The hitch assembly  21  also preferably includes a pair of guides  43  and  45  connected to the bottom side of the cross tube  40 . The guides  43  and  45  are useful in attaching the trailer  10  to the SUV  12  as explained below.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a structure for the hitch assembly  21 . As shown in FIGS.  1 - 3  and  5 , the trailer  10  has a pair of wheels  22  and  24  mounted on an axle  26 . A pair of frame horns  28  and  30  extends from bottom portions  32  and  34  of the trailer  10 . The frame horns  28  and  30  may be connected to the trailer  10  in a manner suitable for towing the trailer  10  and supporting its weight. The frame horns  28  and  30  preferably are formed as rods or beams having tapered, conical or frustoconical front portions  36  and  38  as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and  12 .  
         [0020]    As shown in FIG. 5, the SUV  12  has a standard trailer hitch receiver  39  that is mounted to a hitch cross tube  40 . The hitch cross tube  40  is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the SUV  12  and is secured to the SUV in a standard manner well known in the art of vehicle construction. The hitch extension members  42  and  44  are connected to opposite ends  46  and  48 , respectively, of the hitch cross tube  40 . The hitch extension members  46  and  48  may be formed as rods, beams, tubes or the like and extend generally perpendicularly from the hitch cross tube  40  toward the front of the SUV  12 . A cross tube  50  preferably extends between the front ends  52  and  54  of the hitch extension members  46  and  48 , respectively. Referring to FIG. 9, the hitch extension member  42  may be bolted to a frame member  47  of the SUV  12 . Referring to FIG. 6, the hitch extension member  44  may be bolted to a frame member  49  of the SUV  12 . Other fastening means well-known in the art may be used to connect the hitch extension members  42  and  44  to the SUV  10 .  
         [0021]    As shown in FIG. 9- 12 , the hitch extension member  42  preferably has a downward extending portion  56  at the front end  58 . As shown in FIG. 6, the hitch extension member  44  has a similar downward extending portion  57  at its front end  59 . The downward extending portion  56  includes a receiver  60  that faces toward the rear of the SUV  12 , and the downward extending portion  57  includes a similar receiver  62 . The receivers  60  and  62  are arranged to receive the ends  36  and  38 , respectively, of the frame horns  28  and  30  when the front of the trailer  10  and the rear of the SUV  12  are sufficiently close together.  
         [0022]    Referring to FIGS.  5 - 8 , the hitch assembly  21  includes a first lift and lock mechanism  64  and a second lift and lock mechanism  66  that are arranged to fasten the frame horns  28  and  30 , respectively, to the hitch cross tube  40 . The lift and lock mechanisms  64  and  66  are preferably substantially identical. Therefore, only the lift and lock mechanism  64  is described in detail. The first lift and lock mechanism  64  includes a bracket  68  that connects an end  70  of a lever  72  to the hitch cross tube  40 . The lift and lock mechanism  64  may be connected to the hitch extension member  42  by a bracket  73  as shown in FIG. 13 in which case the lift and lock mechanism  64  may be at any convenient location along the length of the hitch extension member  42 . The second lift and lock mechanism  66  is mounted across from the first lift and lock mechanism  64 . The frame horns  28  and  30  may include brackets  74  and  76 , respectively. When the end  36  of the frame horn  28  is seated in the receiver  60 , the bracket  74  is vertically aligned with the first lift and lock mechanism  64 . The lever  72  may then be raised to a generally horizontal position in which the first lift and lock mechanism  64  is locked into engagement with the bracket  74  to securely fasten the frame horn  28  to the hitch assembly  21 .  
         [0023]    The second lift and lock mechanism  66  is similarly locked into engagement with the bracket  76  to securely fasten the frame horn  30  in the receiver  62 . The brackets  74  and  76  function as stops to prevent rearward movement of the trailer  10  relative to the SUV  12 .  
         [0024]    As shown in FIG. 7, the lever  72  may have a handle  80 , a cylindrical portion  82  connected to the handle  80  and an elongated rectangular tubing portion  84  extending from the cylindrical portion  82 . The lift and lock mechanism  66  includes a lever  91  that has a handle  92 , a cylindrical portion  94  and a rectangular tubular portion  96 . Connecting the trailer  10  to the SUV  12  involves inserting the frame horns  28  and  30  under the hitch cross tube  40  so that the ends  36  and  38  of the frame horns  28  and  30 , respectively extend into their respective receivers  60  and  62 . The lift and lock mechanism  66  may be used to raise the frame horn  30  so that it is adjacent the lower edge of the hitch cross tube  40 . The guide  45  has an angled projection  98  that guides the frame horn  30  into the proper position as shown in FIG. 7.  
         [0025]    The lift and lock mechanism  64  is then used to lift the frame horn  28  to a location where it is adjacent the hitch cross tube  40  with the end of the frame horn  28  inserted in the receiver  60 . The guide  43  has an angled projection  90  that guides the frame horn  28  into the desired position adjacent the cross member  40 .  
         [0026]    As shown in FIG. 13, the lift and lock mechanism  64  is mounted to the bracket  73 , which is pivotally mounted to the hitch extension member  42  by pin  85 . The lift and lock mechanism  66  may be similarly mounted to the hitch extension member  44 .  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 8 illustrates a swing gate mechanism  100  that may be included in the lift and lock mechanism  64 . Two swing members  102  and pivotally connected to the frame extension member  42  so that they may rotate about a rod  71 . The swing members  102  and  104  include facing recesses  106  and  108 , respectively. The handle  80  is used to lift the cylindrical portion  82  of the lever  72  into vertical alignment with the recesses  106  and  108  while the swing members  102  and  104  are held apart. The swing members are then allowed to swing downward until the cylindrical portion  82  of the lever  72  is secured inside the recesses  106  and  108 . The lift and lock mechanism  66  includes a swing gate  102  that is substantially identical to the swing gate  100 .