DESC:TECHNICAL FIELD
Present disclosure generally relates to field of automobile engineering. Particularly, but not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to a trailer connected to a vehicle for carrying loads. Further, embodiments of the disclosure disclose a hitch assembly for connecting the trailer with the vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
With the industrial evolution, need for transporting goods [referred to as logistics] from one place to another commonly arises. Generally, vehicles having different capacities are employed to transport goods and loads to desired destinations, and the capacities of such vehicles vary depending on various attributes associated with the goods, such as bulkiness, weight, and the like. The vehicles intended to carry goods can be classified into heavy vehicles, including but not limited to trucks, lorries, and light commercial vehicles such as pick-up trucks and light duty cargo vehicles. The heavy vehicles are often employed to transport heavy cargos such as automobiles, machineries, and the like among other forms of cargos. On the other hand, light vehicles are used for carrying non-bulky goods or materials.

Conventionally, the load carrying (both heavy and light duty) vehicles are provided with extensions in the form of frames, attached to vehicle body on the rear side. The goods which are to be transported are loaded on these extensions or frames, with the prime mover of the vehicle being present in front end for propelling. In one case, the extensions are manufactured integral with the vehicle rear end so that they cannot be detached from vehicle prime mover end. Examples of such vehicles include but not limited to light duty trucks (also known as mini trucks) and heavy duty trucks. The load carrying extensions of these vehicles are provided with wheels for manoeuvrability and handling, and the loads (or goods) that are to be transported are loaded inside or above these extensions. In another case, the extension or the frame is detachable from the front portion of the vehicle where power plant is located. Such a frame of detachable type is commonly referred to as a “trailer”, and is classified into light and heavy duty trailers depending on the type of loading. The trailer is often provided with wheels, suspensions, drive mechanisms and other components like that of a conventional vehicle, except for the power plant i.e. the engine. Hence, a trailer is often coupled with a powered vehicle for movement.

In either case mentioned above i.e. the integral frame and detachable trailers, the base structure or the platform of the frame or the trailer are designed either to carry heavy loads for example more than 10 ton, or to carry lesser loads for example loads less than 3 ton. However, need often arises to carry the medium tonnage loads, for example loads ranging between 5 ton to 8 ton. In such scenarios, neither the heavy vehicle nor the light vehicle may be economical due to various reasons including fuel economy, manoeuvrability, and the like. Another requirement is that the frame or the trailers are to be designed with ample design characteristics, so that they can carry predetermined loads without any difficulty for long distances. However, as the bulkiness of goods that need to be transported increases, the dimensions and other design characteristics of the load carrying extension or the trailer should be increased, which is a challenge for equipment manufacturers. This is because, increase in dimensions and other design characteristics increases overall weight and bulkiness of the vehicle, which makes it difficult for manoeuvring and handling. This consequently arises a need for more power output from the power plant of the vehicle, which results in increased fuel consumption by the power plant. On the other hand, several other problems such as increase in load on the engine arise, which hampers engine performance and output power.

Further, in case of detachable type load carrying frame or the trailer, a fifth wheel mechanism, commonly referred to as “fifth wheel hitch assembly” or simply “hitch assembly” is provided to couple the trailer with the powered vehicle. The hitch assembly comprises a pin affixed to the trailer, and the pin is held by one or more split locks. The pin can be detached from the split lock separating the split locks and removing the pin from them. The forces required to engage and disengage the split lock with the pin are applied through one or more mechanisms, such as a lever connected to the split lock through intermediate members. The lever is applied with force [usually manual] in one direction to engage the split lock with the pin, and in a second direction to disengage the split lock from the pin. A limitation associated with such a fifth wheel mechanism may include ease of accessibility of the lever to the operator, particularly if the trailers are of bigger dimensions. This in turn results in lack of flexibility with respect to detachment of trailer from the vehicle, during non-utility or maintenance. Another limitation may be an operation of lever through application of forces to engage and disengage the split lock with the pin. With the increase in number of intermediate moving members, and with aging of such intermediate moving members, wear of these components is common. Consequently, the operational components increase the effort required to actuate the lever to engage and disengage the split lock to grasp and release the pin respectively. On the other hand, if a compromise is made in respect of number of components which take part in transmitting motion from the lever to the split locks, the safe design characteristics of the hitch assembly may be compromised. Therefore, manufacturing a hitch assembly which not only meets the safe design requirements, but also provides ample flexibility with respect to maneuverability of the trailer without compromising with effort required to engage/disengage the pin has always been a challenge to manufacturers.

The present disclosure is directed to address one or more problems as discussed above.
The information disclosed in the foregoing background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
The shortcomings as described in the background are overcome and additional advantages are provided through the assembly as claimed in the claims of present disclosure. Additional features and advantages are realized through the technicalities of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered to be a part of the claimed disclosure.

In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a hitch assembly for connecting a trailer with a vehicle. The assembly comprising a support plate securable on a frame of the vehicle. The assembly further includes a mechanism configured on the support plate for selectively holding at least one pin in the trailer. The mechanism comprises a pair of jaws pivoted on the support plate. Each of the pair of jaws has a first end, and a second end movable between an open position and a closed position. At least one block is slidably disposed in a housing on the support plate and is configured to selectively engage the first end of each of the pair of jaws. Further, at least one first resilient member is disposed between the at least one block and the housing, and is configured to bias the at least one block towards the first end of each of the pair of jaws. A linkage assembly is connected to the at least one block and is operable for selectively retracting the at least one block away from the first end of each of the pair of jaws.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second end of each of the pair of jaws moves to the closed position when the at least one block engages the first end of each of the pair of jaws.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second end of each of the pair of jaws move to the open position when the at least one block is retracted away from the first end of each of the pair of jaws.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one first resilient member is an axial spring, and is adapted to be compressed to store resilient force when the at least one block is retracted away from the first end of each of the pair of jaws.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first end of each of the pair of jaws are interconnected by a second resilient member.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one second resilient member is configured to apply restoring force on the first end of each of the pair of jaws to move the second end of each of the pair of jaws to the open position, when the at least one block is retracted away from the first end of each of the pair of jaws.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second end of each of the pair of jaws defines at least one provision in the closed condition for holding the at least one pin.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the linkage assembly comprises a lever slidably disposed in the housing. A first link is connected between the at least one block and the lever, and is configured to transmit motion from the lever to the at least one block. The linkage assembly also includes a second link is connected between the first link and the housing.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the lever is disposed transversely to an axis of the at least one block on the housing.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the lever is loaded with a third resilient member.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one locking pin is attached to the support plate.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the locking pin is selectively engageable with at least one locking provision in lever for locking the lever in at least one of retracted position and extended position.

It is to be understood that the aspects and embodiments of the disclosure described above may be used in any combination with each other. Several of the aspects and embodiments may be combined together to form a further embodiment of the disclosure.

The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

The novel features and characteristics of the disclosure are set forth in the appended description. The disclosure itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying figures. One or more embodiments are now described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures wherein like reference numerals represent like elements and in which:

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate the schematic front view and perspective view respectively of a trailer connected to a powered vehicle, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate perspective view and sectional perspective view respectively of a hitch assembly securing a pin in the trailer of FIGS. 1A and 1B, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates perspective view of the hitch assembly of FIGS. 2A and 2B.

FIG. 4A illustrates top view of a mechanism of the hitch assembly of FIG. 3, with pair of jaws in closed condition, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4B illustrates top view of a mechanism of the hitch assembly shown in FIG. 3, with pair of jaws in open condition, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate perspective view and sectional perspective view respectively of the pin with a mounting plate of FIGS. 2A and 2B.

The figures depict embodiments of the disclosure for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The foregoing has broadly outlined the features and technical advantages of the present disclosure in order that the detailed description of the disclosure that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the disclosure will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the disclosure. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present disclosure. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the disclosure, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purposes of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present disclosure.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provides a hitch assembly for connecting a trailer to a vehicle. The hitch assembly comprises a support plate which is securable to a frame or an extension of the vehicle. A trailer, on the other hand, is provided with a mounting plate comprising a pin. The pin of the trailer is selectively held by the components of the hitch assembly for detachably connecting the trailer with the vehicle. The hitch assembly comprises a support plate which supports a mechanism on it. The mechanism includes a pair of jaws, each of which is pivoted to the support plate through pivotal joints, including but not limited to connecting pins or hinge pins. The pair of jaws are configured to be pivotally actuated or swiveled about the connecting pins to facilitate insertion and detachment of the pin into and from the pair of jaws. Further, each of the pair of jaws includes a first end, and a second end which may move between an open position and a closed position about the pivotal joints.

The mechanism further comprises a housing configured in the support plate. The housing has at least one block which is slidably disposed inside a recess configured in it. The at least one block may reciprocate to project out of the housing to selectively engage with the first ends of the pair of jaws. When the at least one block engages with the first ends of the pair of jaws, the first ends are displaced apart from each other, thereby resulting in the second ends moving to closed position about the pivotal joints. The closed position of the second ends forms a provision, which may secure the pin of the trailer. The at least one block is also loaded with a first resilient member against the housing. The first resilient member biases the at least one block towards the first ends of the pair of jaws, and urges the at least one block to engage with the first ends in the free state. On the other hand, when the at least one block is retracted away from the first ends of the pair of jaws, the first resilient member is compressed by the at least one block against the housing. This results in the first resilient member storing resilient energy when compressed, and reversibly, releases the energy to urge the at least one block towards the first ends of the pair of jaws, when the at least one block is not acted upon by forces. The first ends of the pair of jaws are further interconnected by at least one second resilient member. The second resilient member undergoes extension when first ends are displaced away from each other, when the at least one block engages with the first ends. On the other hand, when the block is retracted and first ends are displaced towards each other under restoring action of the second resilient member. This causes the second ends move to open position about the pivotal joints, to allow the pin of the trailer to be detached from the hitch assembly.

The hitch assembly also comprises a linkage assembly which takes part in actuating the at least one block and the pair of jaws. The linkage assembly includes a lever which may linearly move in the housing at right angles to the traversing direction of the at least one block. The lever is connected to the at least one block through a first link, and the first link is in turn connected to the housing through a second link. The first link is configured to reciprocate with the lever inside the housing, while it may also reciprocate with the at least one block during engaging and disengaging of the block with the pair of jaws. The second link guides the movement of the first link with the lever, as well as with the at least one block. The lever connected to the first link is loaded with a third resilient member which assists in linear movement of the lever inside the housing between extended and retracted positions. The lever also comprises a locking provision to accommodate at least one locking pin to lock or restrain the lever at extended and retracted positions respectively.

The present disclosure further discloses a trailer which may be referred as micro-trailer designed to carry loads and whose load bearing capacity varies between the load bearing capacities of a low capacity trailer and a high capacity trailer. The trailer is suspended on the ground by at least one wheel-axle assembly and is not self-propelled (i.e. it is powered), rather detachably connected to a self-propelled vehicle like a motor vehicle for propulsion. This is achieved by towing or connecting the trailer with the vehicle through the hitch assembly described in above paragraphs. The vehicle, being self-propelled, comprises a frame or an extension which carries the hitch assembly. The mechanism provided in the hitch assembly is configured to secure a pin of the trailer to establish the connection. The mechanism secures the pin such that load acting on the trailer is effectively distributed between the trailer and the vehicle, and at the same time, the mechanism allows the trailer to be effectively maneuvered during vehicle movement, especially when the vehicle takes a turn.

Use of terms such as “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof in the description are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a setup, system, device, apparatus, assembly or method that comprises a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or device or system or method. In other words, one or more elements in a system or a device proceeded by phrase “comprising… a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system.

Reference will now be made to a hitch assembly to connect a trailer to a vehicle, and is explained with the help of figures. The figures are for the purposes of illustration only and should not be construed as limitations to the shape and configuration of the apparatus. Wherever possible, referral numerals will be used to refer to the same or like parts. In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration of specific embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.

FIGS. 1A and 1B are exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure illustrating schematic front view and perspective view of a trailer (11), alternatively referred as micro-trailer connected to a vehicle (12). A trailer (11) is an unpowered vehicle which allows piling or stacking of loads on it. The trailer (11) is connectable to a powered vehicle (12) such as a motor vehicle for transporting loads to desired locations. The trailer (11) comprises a base frame or a platform (11a) for stacking loads, and the orientation of the members (11c) constituting the trailer base frame (11a) [best illustrated in FIG. 1B] are designed for sustaining and distributing loads and stresses. The loads acting on the base frame (11a) induce various types of stresses in the members (11c), and the members (11c) of the base frame (11a) are designed and fabricated to withstand these stresses. In addition, the base frame (11a) may be designed with mechanical characteristics so that loads of different magnitudes varying between a predetermined range can be applied on it. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the members (11c) of the base frame (11a) include a plurality of beams, a plurality of plates, a plurality of rods and a plurality of hollow members, among other forms of mechanical members. The members (11c) are interconnected to each other through permanent joining techniques including but not limited to welding, or through temporary joining techniques like fastening.

Now, referring to FIG. 1B, the base frame (11a) is fabricated by joining a number of members (11c) interlinked serially, parallelly, in an intersecting manner, inclined manner and a combination of serial and parallel (i.e. in crossed manner) arrangements. These members are joined or interconnected by permanent joining techniques including but not limited to welding, or through temporary joining techniques like fastening. The orientation or arrangement of the members (11c) as depicted in FIG. 1B is for the purposes of illustration only, and should not be construed as the only possible configuration or a limited configuration of the base frame (11b) discussed in embodiments of the present disclosure. The end of the base frame (11a) proximal to the vehicle (12) is provided with at least one landing leg arrangement (11d) at its bottom to rest front end of the trailer assembly (11) on ground when the trailer (11) is not connected to the vehicle (12). The landing leg arrangement (11d) has an adjustable mechanism [not shown] to vary the height so that front end of the trailer (11) can rest at a predetermined height above the ground surface. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the landing leg arrangement (11d) is hingedly attached to bottom of the base frame (11a), so that the landing leg can be hingedly lowered or released towards the ground to support the front end of the trailer (11), when the trailer (11) is not connected to the vehicle (12). The landing leg arrangement (11d) also facilitates unloading of the goods from the base frame (11a). This is achieved through the height adjusting mechanism of landing leg, whereby, the mechanism may be adjusted in such a way that the front end of the trailer (11) is raised or elevated as compared to rear end of the trailer (11).

In an embodiment of the present disclosure as illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the trailer (11) may be propelled by the vehicle (12) for transporting loads. The vehicles (12) include light duty and heavy duty vehicles, and propels the trailer (11) along with it when it moves. The vehicle (12) comprises a prime mover (or a power plant) [not shown], which provides necessary thrust to move in forward and reverse directions. The prime mover includes but not limited to an Internal Combustion engine which delivers power to drive wheels (12b) of the vehicle (12) via transmission system [not shown]. The rear end of the vehicle (12) comprises an extended portion (12a) supported by wheels (12c) which allows connection or towing of trailer (11) to it. The connection between extended portion (12a) of the vehicle (12) and trailer (11) results in load being distributed between the base frame (11a) of the trailer (11) and extended portion (12a) of the vehicle (12).

Further, the rear end of the trailer (11) is suspended on the ground by at least one wheel assembly (11b). However, the wheel axle assembly (11b) of the trailer (11) is only intended to support the trailer (11) during trailer-vehicle movement, and is not imparted with power (or torque) as in case of drive wheels (12b) of the vehicle (12). The wheel assembly (12b) also assists in maneuverability of the trailer (11) in terms of traction when the vehicle (12) takes turns. The trailer (11) also comprises at least one suspension assembly [not shown] which is intended to absorb or dampen shock and vibrations induced in the trailer (11) during movement. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the suspension assembly includes but not limited leaf spring arrangement. In an embodiment of the disclosure, the trailer (11) is configured to carry medium load range of goods, for example weight of the goods ranging from 3 tonnes to 8 tonnes. One should note that the range mentioned in the specification is an exemplary range and the same should not be considered as limitation to the disclosure.

Now referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B which are exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure illustrating schematic perspective view and sectional perspective view respectively of the hitch assembly (25) which connects the trailer (11) to the vehicle (12). The hitch assembly (25) serves as a connecting member to connect and detach the trailer (11) from the extended portion (12a) of the vehicle (12). As it can be seen in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the pin (21) is held inside a mounting plate (22), and the mounting plate (22) can be affixed to the base frame (11a) of the trailer (11) proximal to the vehicle (12). The mounting plate (22) may be secured to base frame (11a) through permanent or temporary joining techniques. In an embodiment of the present disclosure as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the mounting plate (22) includes fastening means (23) which can be fastened to base frame (11a) of the trailer (11) to establish connection. The pin (21) may be manufactured integral with the mounting plate (22), or may be externally assembled to the mounting plate (22). Further, the pin (21) resides in a casing (21a), such that it can have translatory and rotary movements inside the casing (21a). The translatory motion allows height of the pin (21) to be adjusted and fixed at desired heights, to have flexibility with respect to connection between the trailer (11) and the vehicle (12) having different heights. In addition, rotation of pin (21) inside the casing (21a) allows the trailer (11) to have angular displacement when the vehicle (12) movement is not linear but traverses a curve. This allows the trailer (11) to be easily manoeuvred when the vehicle (12) trajectory follows a non-linear path. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the pin (21) is a king pin and the casing (21a) is a bearing member which accommodates and allows the translatory and rotary movement of the king pin inside it.

The mounting plate (22), described above, is seated on an enclosure (26B) of the hitch assembly (25), so that the pin (21) projects into the hitch assembly (25) as depicted in FIGS. 2A and 2B. The enclosure (26B) is pivoted at points (29c. 29d), and can be opened about the pivot points (29c, 29d) for the purposes of maintenance or replacement of components of the hitch assembly (25). In addition, the casing (21a) in the mounting plate (22) which accommodates the pin (21) is provided with a plurality of stiffeners (24) for reinforcement purposes. The hitch assembly (25) is also provided with a bottom frame (26A) which can be secured to the extended portion (12a) of the vehicle (12). The bottom frame (26A) may be temporarily or permanently secured to the extended portion (12a) through temporary or permanent joining techniques known in the art.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure which illustrates perspective view of the hitch assembly (25). The hitch assembly (25) is a counterpart of the pin (21) and the mounting plate arrangement depicted in FIGS. 2A and 2B. Precisely, if the pin (21) and the mounting plate arrangement (22) are secured to the base frame (11a) of the trailer (11), the hitch assembly (25) is secured to the extended portion (12a) of the vehicle (12). The attachment between the hitch assembly (25) and the extended portion (12a) of the vehicle (12) is achieved through the bottom frame (26A) of the hitch assembly (25), shown in FIG. 3. The bottom plate (26A) supports the entire hitch assembly (25) when the trailer (11) is connected to the vehicle (12) through the pin (21). Further, as depicted in FIG. 3, a locking pin (28a) is attached to the enclosure (26B) and is configured to lock or restrain a lever (28) of the hitch assembly (25) at various positions, which will be explained in detail in forthcoming paragraphs.

Now referring to FIG. 4A which is an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure which illustrates top view of a mechanism (25A) of the hitch assembly (25) with pair of jaws (30a, 30b) in closed condition. As shown in FIG. 4A, a pair of jaws (30a, 30b) are pivoted to a support plate (26) [best shown in FIG. 2B] at pivot points (29a, 29b) respectively. The pivot points (29a, 29b) allow angular motion or swivelling of the pair of jaws (30a, 30b) to selectively displace the jaws (30a, 30b) in angular directions. Each of the jaws (30a, 30b) comprise a first end (30c, 30d) and a second end (30e, 30f). The pivoted connection of the jaws (30a, 30b) with the support plate (26) is such that the second ends (30e, 30f) may move between an open position [away from each other] and a closed position [towards each other]. This is achieved through actuation of the first ends (30c, 30d) about the pivot points (29a, 29b). This can be explained as follows: When the first ends (30c, 30d) of the jaws (30a, 30b) are moved apart from each other, the second ends (30e, 30f) swivel about the points (29a, 29b) respectively and come closer to each other to a closed position. On the other hand, when the first ends (30c, 30d) are actuated towards one another, the second ends (30e, 30f) move away from each other until they reach the opened position. The pair of jaws (30a, 30b) depicted in FIG. 4A illustrates closed position of the second ends (30e, 30f) of the jaws (30a, 30b), which apparently shows the second ends (30e, 30f) being close to each other and first ends (30c, 30d) being spaced apart from each other. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the closed position of the second ends (30e, 30f) of the pair of jaws (30a, 30b) defines a provision (31). The provision (31) includes, but not limited to a hole or a bore or a slot which can hold a member or an element. In an embodiment of the present disclosure as illustrated in FIG. 4A, the provision is a circular bore or a circular slot which can hold a cylindrical member.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4A the first ends (30c, 30d) of the jaws (30a, 30b) may be selectively engaged by at least one block (60) to move the first ends (30c, 30d) away from each other. When the block (60) engages the first ends (30c, 30d), it forces them to be pushed apart from each other, and thereafter, the block (60) resides in between the first ends (30c, 30d) to keep each of the first ends (30c, 30d) spaced apart from the other. This consequently results in second ends (30e, 30f) moving to closed position to form the provision (31) to grip or hold or secure a member. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second ends (30e, 30f) in closed positon and defining the provision (31) holds or grips the pin (21) at the time of attachment or connection between the trailer (11) and the extended portion (12a) of the vehicle (12). Further, the at least one block (60) which engages with the first ends (30c, 30d) of the jaws (30a, 30b) is loaded with a first resilient member (40), like an axial spring, among other forms of mechanical resilient members. The first resilient member (40) is accommodated in a recess (45b) of a housing (45) defined on the support plate (26), with one of its ends loaded with the block (60) and other end connected to the housing (45), as depicted in FIG. 4A. The block (60) is loaded onto the first resilient member (40) such that the block (60) can reciprocate inside the recess (45b) against or along the first resilient member (40), i.e. the block (60) can be actuated to compress the first resilient member (40), or can be biased by the first resilient member (40) towards the first ends (30c, 30d) of the pair of jaws (30a, 30b). When the hitch assembly (25) is free from forces i.e. when no force is applied on any of the members constituting the hitch assembly (25), the block (60) is urged or biased to engage the first ends (30c, 30d) to keep the first ends (30c, 30d) displaced away from each other. In alternate terms, the free state [not subjected to any forces] of the first resilient member (40) keeps the block (60) engaged with the first ends (30c, 30d) of the pair of jaws (30a, 30b), such that the second ends (30e, 30f) remains in closed position to form the provision (31). In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first resilient member (40) is a compression spring which may store resilient energy when compressed, and reversibly, can release the stored energy to bias the block (60) for engaging the block (60) with the first ends (30c, 30d) of the pair of jaws (30a, 30b). This indicates that considerable magnitude of forces is required to fully compress the first resilient member (40), and reversibly, the first resilient member (40) releases the same magnitude of energy to bias the block (60) towards the first ends (30c, 30d) of the pair of jaws (30a, 30b). In an embodiment of the disclosure, the at least one block (60) comprises a substantially “V” shape end which engages with the first end (30c, 30d) of each of the pair of jaws (30a, 30b). This facilitates easy insertion and retraction of the at least one block with pair of jaws (30a, 30b).

As shown in FIG. 4A, the first ends (30c, 30d) of the jaws (30a, 30b) are interconnected by a second resilient member (35), including but not limited to an axial spring. In an embodiment, the second resilient member (35) is a tensile spring which undergoes tensile deformation [elastic] when the first ends (30c, 30d) are displaced apart from each other due to engaging of the block (60). Conversely, when the block (60) is retracted away from the first ends (30c, 30d), the second resilient member (35) restores to its original condition to bring the first ends (30c, 30d) close to one another. Thus, the second resilient member (35) assists in displacement of the first ends (30c, 30d) towards each other to urge the second ends (30e, 30f) to open condition. The retraction of block (60) away from the first ends (30c, 30d) to bring the first ends (30c, 30d) close to each other is achieved through a linkage assembly (55). The linkage assembly (55) together with the pair of jaws (30a, 30b), first resilient member (40), second resilient member (35) and the block (60) constitutes the mechanism (25A) of the hitch assembly (25).

The linkage assembly (55) comprises a first link (50a) and a second link (50b), as shown in FIG. 4A. One end of the first link (50a) is connected to the block (60), and the other end is connected to a lever (28). The nature of connection between the first link (50a), the block (60) and the lever (28) is pivotal, such that both first link (50a) – block (60) and the first link (50a) – lever (28) pairs constitute turning pairs. Precisely, when the block (60) is reciprocated inside the recess (45b) of the housing (45), the end of the first link (50a) connected to the block (60) can rotate about the pivoted joint with the block (60). Similarly, the end of the first link (50a) connected to the lever (28) can rotate about the pivoted joint. In addition, the end of the first link (50a) connected to the lever (28) can reciprocate inside a channel (45a) defined transversely to the recess (45b) of the housing (45). In precise terms, the lever (28) can be actuated linearly inside the channel (45a) in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the block (60) inside the recess (45b). The second link (50b) assists the movement of the first link (50a) with the lever (28) and the block (60), and particularly with the constrained movement of the first link (50a) when the lever (28) and the block (60) reciprocate inside the housing (45). The second link (50b) has an end connected to the housing (45) to impart constrained motion to the first link (50b) with the lever (28) and the block (60) during reciprocating movements. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the lever (28) is loaded with a third resilient member (42) to facilitate reciprocation of the lever (28) inside the channel (45a) of the housing (45). The third resilient member (42) includes but not limited to an axial spring which undergoes axial deformation [elastic] when the lever (28) is pulled away from the housing (45). Conversely, when the lever (28) is released, the third resilient member (42) is restored to original condition to urge the lever (28) towards the housing (45). The first and second links (50a, 50b) with the lever (28) constitutes the linkage assembly (55) of the mechanism (25A).

FIG. 4B is an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure which illustrates top view of the hitch assembly (25) with pair of jaws (30a, 30b) in open condition. When the pin (21) held by the provision (31) is to be detached from the pair of jaws (30a, 30b), the lever (28) is applied with forces as to pull the lever (28) away from the housing (45). Such an applied force causes the lever (28) to be moved to an extended position (EP). The movement of lever (28) to extended position (EP) and away from the housing (45) pulls the first link (50a) away from the housing (45), thereby resulting in retraction of the block (60) away from the first ends (30c, 30d) of the pair of jaws (30a, 30b). Upon retraction of the block (60) away from the first ends (30c, 30d), the second resilient member (35) urges the first ends (30c, 30d) to come closer to each other, consequently resulting in second ends (30e, 30f) moving to open position, as shown in FIG. 4B. This allows the pin (21) to be removed from the jaws (30a, 30b). The second link (50b) guides the linear movement of the first link (50a) in the channel (45a) with the lever (28), as well as the linear movement inside the recess (45b) with the block (60).

The lever (28) further comprises at least one locking provision (28b), such as a hole or a bore to accommodate a locking pin (28a) attached to the enclosure (26B). In an embodiment, the lever (28) comprises of two locking provisions (28b) for anchoring the locking pin (28a), such that the lever (28) can be anchored or locked at extended and retracted positions respectively. In extended position of the lever (28), the second ends (30e, 30f) of the jaws (30a, 30b) are in fully open position, thereby facilitating removal or insertion of the pin (21) for the purposes of gripping by the jaws (30a, 30b). In addition, in the extended position of the lever (28), the block (60) is retracted away from the first ends (30c, 30d) of the jaws (30a, 30b) inside the recess (45b) to compress the first resilient member (40). Also, the extended position of the lever (28) results in second resilient member (35) to return to free state to bring the first ends (30c, 30d) close to one another. The extended position of the lever (28) and relative positions of the first and second links (50a, 50b), the block (60), the first resilient member (40), the second resilient member (35), the first ends (30c, 30d) and the second ends (30e, 30f) are evident from FIG. 4B.

When the pin (21) is to be again held by the provision (31) of the pair of jaws (30a, 30b), the locking pin (28a) may be removed from the locking provision (28b), and the lever (28) is released. The restoring forces of the first resilient member (40) biases the block (60) to engage with the first ends (30c, 30d), and thereby, actuate the second ends (30e, 30f) to closed position to form the provision (31). The pin (31) is thereafter secured by the provision (31) of the seconds ends (30e, 30f), as explained in the previous paragraphs. The position of the lever (28) corresponding to closed position of the second ends (30e, 30f) of the jaws (30a, 30b) is referred to as “retracted position” (RP) of the lever (28). The retracted position (RP) of the lever (28), and relative positions of the first and second links (50a, 50b), the block (60), the first resilient member (40), the second resilient member (35), the first ends (30c, 30d) and the second ends (30e, 30f) of the jaws (30a, 30b) are evident from FIG. 4A.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure which illustrate perspective view and sectional perspective view respectively of the mounting plate (22) and the pin (21). The mounting plate (22) is seated on the enclosure (26B) of the hitch assembly (25), so that the pin (21) projects into the hitch assembly (25), as depicted in FIGS. 2A and 2B. On the other end, the mounting plate (22) is secured to the base frame (11a) of the trailer (11) through temporary or permanent joining techniques. In an embodiment, the mounting plate (22) is secured to the base frame (11a) of the trailer (11) through fastening means (23). Further, the mounting plate (22) encloses the casing (21a), and the casing (21a) may be provided with plurality of stiffeners (24) disposed around its circumference for supporting purposes. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the stiffeners (24) may take part in distribution of load acting on the pin (21) movably accommodated in the casing (21a).

It is to be understood that a person of ordinary skill in the art would develop a hitch assembly of any configuration without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. Further, various modifications and variations may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure covers such modifications and variations provided they come within the ambit of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Advantage(s):
The present disclosure provides a trailer for a vehicle which has a base frame designed such that it can be connected even to a light duty vehicle for transporting light and medium range loads. This reduces the overall fuel consumption and at the same time, allows medium range loads to be transported without the need of a heavy-duty vehicle.

The present disclosure provides a trailer for a vehicle which can be used as alternatives for high capacity trailers when load values are significantly smaller than load bearing capacities of existing high capacity trailers. This helps in saving significant quantity of fuel and makes the trailer construction simple, compact and cost effective, in comparison with high capacity trailer counterparts.

The present disclosure provides a trailer assembly for a vehicle which uses a simple mechanism and a hitch assembly to readily connect the trailer with the vehicle when required, and detach the trailer from the vehicle whenever it is not in use.

The present disclosure provides a trailer for a vehicle which uses a hitch assembly to connect the trailer with the powered vehicle. The hitch assembly may be operated with minimum manual effort.

Equivalents:
With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.

It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as "open" terms (e.g., the term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to," the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least," the term "includes" should be interpreted as "includes but is not limited to," etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles "a" or "an" limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" and/or "an" should typically be interpreted to mean "at least one" or "one or more"); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of "two recitations," without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, or C, etc." is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, or C" would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" will be understood to include the possibilities of "A" or "B" or "A and B."

While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.

TABLE OF REFERRAL NUMERALS

Referral Numerals Description
11 Trailer
11a Base frame of the trailer
11b Wheel assembly of the trailer
11c Members of base frame
11d Landing leg of the trailer
12 Vehicle
12a Extended portion of the vehicle
12b Drive wheels of the vehicle
12c Wheels of the extended portion
21 Pin
21a Casing of the pin
22 Mounting plate
23 Fastening means
24 Stiffeners
25 Hitch assembly
25A Mechanism in the hitch assembly
26 Support plate
26A Bottom frame of support plate
26B Enclosure
28 Lever
28a Locking pin
28b Locking provision
29a, 29b Pivot points of jaws
29c, 29d Pivot points of enclosure
30a, 30b Pair of jaws
30c, 30d First ends of pair of jaws
30e, 30f Second ends of pair of jaws
31 Provision in jaws
35 Second resilient member
40 First resilient member
42 Third resilient member
45 Housing
45a Channel in the housing
45b Recess in the housing
50a, 50b First and second links
55 Linkage assembly
60 Block
EP Extended position of the lever
RP Retracted position of the lever
,CLAIMS:We claim:
1. A hitch assembly (25) for connecting a trailer (11) with a vehicle (12), the assembly (25) comprising:
a support plate (26) securable on a frame (12a) of the vehicle (12);
a mechanism (25A) configured on the support plate (26) for selectively holding at least one pin (21) in the trailer (11), the mechanism (25A) comprising:
a pair of jaws (30a, 30b) pivoted on the support plate (26), wherein, each of the pair of jaws (30a, 30b) has a first end (30c, 30d), and a second end (30e, 30f) movable between an open position and a closed position;
at least one block (60) slidably disposed in a housing (45) on the support plate (26), the at least one block (60) is configured to selectively engage the first end (30c, 30d) of each of the pair of jaws (30a, 30b);
at least one first resilient member (40) disposed between the at least one block (60) and the housing (45), the at least one first resilient member (40) is configured to bias the at least one block (60) towards the first end (30c, 30d) of each of the pair of jaws (30a, 30b); and
a linkage assembly (55) connected to the at least one block (60), wherein the linkage assembly (55) is operable for selectively retracting the at least one block (60) away from the first end (30c, 30d) of each of the pair of jaws (30a, 30b).

2. The hitch assembly (25) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second end (30e, 30f) of each of the pair of jaws (30a, 30b) move to the closed position when the at least one block (60) engages the first end (30c, 30d) of each of the pair of jaws (30a, 30b).

3. The hitch assembly (25) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second end (30e, 30f) of each of the pair of jaws (30a, 30b) move to the open position when the at least one block (60) is retracted away from the first end (30c, 30d) of each of the pair of jaws (30a, 30b).

4. The hitch assembly (25) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one first resilient member (40) is an axial spring, and is adapted to be compressed to store resilient force when the at least one block (60) is retracted away from the first end (30c, 30d) of each of the pair of jaws (30a, 30b).

5. The hitch assembly (25) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first end (30c, 30d) of each of the pair of jaws (30a, 30b) are interconnected by a second resilient member (35).

6. The hitch assembly (25) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the at least one second resilient member (35) is configured to apply restoring force on the first end (30c, 30d) of each of the pair of jaws (30a, 30b) to move the second end (30e, 30f) of each of the pair of jaws (30a, 30b) to the open position, when the at least one block (60) is retracted away from the first end (30c, 30d) of each of the pair of jaws (30a, 30b).

7. The hitch assembly (25) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second end (30e, 30f) of each of the pair of jaws (30a, 30b) defines at least one provision (31) in the closed condition for holding the at least one pin (21).

8. The hitch assembly (25) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the linkage assembly (55) comprises:
a lever (28) slidably disposed in the housing (45);
a first link (50a) connected between the at least one block (60) and the lever (28), wherein, the first link (50a) is configured to transmit motion from the lever (28) to the at least one block (60); and
a second link (50b) connected between the first link (50a) and the housing (45).

9. The hitch assembly (25) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the lever (28) is disposed transversely to an axis of the at least one block (60) on the housing (45).

10. The hitch assembly (25) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the lever (28) is loaded with a third resilient member (42).

11. The hitch assembly (25) as claimed in claim 1 comprises at least one locking pin (28a) attached to the support plate (26).

12. The hitch assembly (25) as claimed in claim 11, wherein the locking pin (28a) is selectively engageable with at least one locking provision (28b) in lever (28) for locking the lever (28) in at least one of retracted position and extended position.