CN211892745U - Towing hook and towing assembly for towing vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model relates to a draw hook for vehicle is towed, it includes: a transversely extending cross member; a latch having opposite ends along a vertical axis of rotation; the pin boss comprises a beam connecting part and two branches extending from the beam connecting part, the beam connecting part is connected to the beam, and the branches are respectively connected to two ends of the lock pin; and at least two towing hook revolute pairs with coaxial transverse pivot axes arranged distally of the pin bosses, each towing hook revolute pair being formed by a pivot boss and a pivot piece pivotable relative to the pivot boss about the pivot axis, the pivot pieces being connected by a cross beam. A tow assembly for vehicle towing is also disclosed.

Description

Towing hook and towing assembly for towing vehicle

Technical Field

The present application relates to a tow hook and tow assembly for towing a vehicle.

Background

In vehicle transportation and logistics scheduling, in order to improve the transportation efficiency, a tractor is often used to pull one or more trailers/platforms for transportation. The trailers themselves are unpowered, connected to each other by a towing attachment and connected to a towing vehicle. The tractor provides the driving force and transmits the power to the trailer via the towing attachment. The design of the traction device influences the way the power is transmitted. In turn, the transmission mode of the power correspondingly influences the structural stress and the service life of the traction device.

In the prior art, there are generally two concepts of traction device design, namely either a "hard" connection or a "soft" connection. The hard connection traction can effectively ensure the distance between a front vehicle (hereinafter referred to as a front vehicle) and a rear vehicle (hereinafter referred to as a rear vehicle), and prevent the rear vehicle from rear-end collision when the front vehicle is suddenly stopped. However, when the front vehicle is suddenly stopped, the impact force of the front and rear vehicles due to the inertial collision adversely affects the mechanical performance of the traction device, and the rear vehicle swings left and right to hit a nearby object without braking the rear vehicle. The flexible connection traction enables the distance between the front vehicle and the rear vehicle to be variable. Common flexible-link towing implements, such as tow ropes for trailers, can only withstand tension but not compression. The front vehicle must always be able to achieve traction in the forward direction (one-way traction). In addition, when turning, a large turning radius is required and the tractor needs to run slowly, otherwise the trailer in the rear belt may be thrown out. Some soft-link tractions coordinate the acceleration changes of the front and rear vehicles by providing spring mechanisms, hydraulic systems, etc. and allow for bi-directional traction. However, these devices are often complicated, difficult to maintain, or require frequent repair and replacement, resulting in increased costs.

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a traction device that addresses at least one of the above issues.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

It is an object of the present application to provide an improved towing hook for vehicle towing, which has a simple structure and is easy to install and maintain.

To this end, the present application provides, in one of its aspects, a towing hook for vehicle towing, characterized by comprising: a transversely extending cross member; a latch having opposite ends along a vertical axis of rotation; the pin boss comprises a beam connecting part and two branches extending from the beam connecting part, the beam connecting part is connected to the beam, and the branches are respectively connected to two ends of the lock pin; and at least two towing hook revolute pairs with coaxial transverse pivot axes arranged distally of the pin bosses, each towing hook revolute pair being formed by a pivot boss and a pivot piece pivotable relative to the pivot boss about the pivot axis, the pivot pieces being connected by a cross beam.

Optionally, the at least two tow hook turning pairs comprise two tow hook turning pairs arranged symmetrically about the vertical rotational axis of the lock pin, e.g. to save parts and costs and to achieve a better transfer of forces.

Optionally, the pivot mount and the pivot member of at least one tow hook revolute pair are pivotally connected by a pivot pin extending along the transverse pivot axis, for example to enable the pivot mount and the pivot member of the tow hook revolute pair to better pivot about the transverse pivot axis.

Optionally, the pivot mount of the at least one hitch revolute pair includes a mounting portion for mounting to a vehicle and two wing portions extending from the mounting portion, a portion of the pivot member being located between the two wing portions, and a pivot pin passing through the portion of the pivot member and the two wing portions, for example to support the pivot pin.

Optionally, the pivot mount of the at least one tow hook revolute pair further comprises a stop connected to the two flanks to define a pivot range of the pivot member.

Optionally, the pivot pin is detachably attached to both side wings, e.g. to facilitate use of the pivot pin.

Optionally, the pivot pin is fixed to or integral with one of the pivot mount and pivot piece, for example to prevent the pivot pin from falling and to save parts count.

Optionally, the locking pin has a structure selectively linearly movable in the pin housing along the vertical axis of rotation to disengage at least one of the branches, for example to facilitate connection of the locking pin to other associated traction devices.

The present application provides in another of its aspects a tow assembly for vehicle towing, the tow assembly comprising a tow bracket for mounting to a first vehicle and a tow hook for mounting to a second vehicle, characterised in that the tow hook is a tow hook as described in any of the above, the tow bracket being detachably connectable with a lock pin of the tow hook.

Optionally, the tow frame is connected to the first vehicle by means of at least two tow frame revolute pairs having coaxial transverse revolute axes, the transverse revolute axes of the tow frame revolute pairs being parallel to the transverse pivot axis of the tow hook revolute pair, e.g. to enhance the flexibility of the tow assembly.

The traction hook and the traction assembly have adaptive adjusting mechanisms, the adjusting mechanisms can eliminate impact force caused by collision and achieve good traction force transmission, and meanwhile, vehicles are allowed to move in a two-way and coordinated mode. And, compared with the prior art, according to the hook and the subassembly of pulling of this application simple structure, equipment are simple and easy, maintain convenient, low cost.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a tow hook for vehicle towing according to the present application;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the towing hook of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the towing hook of FIG. 1 from another perspective;

FIG. 4 is a perspective schematic view of an embodiment of a traction assembly for vehicle traction according to the present application.

Detailed Description

Possible embodiments of the present application are described below with reference to the drawings.

The present application relates generally to a tow hook and tow assembly for towing a vehicle. The tow hook is part of a tow assembly such that the tow assembly is connected, in use, between two vehicles to effect transfer of towing forces between the two vehicles. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the vehicle referred to in this application may or may not be powered.

The longitudinal direction as referred to herein means the front-rear direction of the vehicle, the lateral direction means the left-right direction of the vehicle, the far side means one side close to the vehicle on which the tow hook is mounted in the longitudinal direction, and the near side means the other side opposite to the one side in the longitudinal direction.

Referring to fig. 1-2, a towing hook 1 according to one embodiment of the present application is shown. The towing hook 1 essentially comprises a latch 2, a pin receptacle 3 and a towing hook revolute pair 4, 5, wherein the latch 2 is intended to be connected to other associated towing means on the near side, such as a towing carriage 11 described below, and the towing hook revolute pair 4, 5 is intended to be connected to a vehicle on the far side, such as a trailer. The locking pin 2 extends along a vertical axis 2 'and has opposite ends along the axis 2'. The pin boss 3 has a beam connection portion 3 a' connected to the beam 6 and two branches 3a ″ extending from the beam connection portion. Two branches 3a "are connected to the two ends of the latch 2, respectively. The tow hook revolute pairs 4, 5 are arranged distally of the pin holder 3 and are separated on laterally opposite sides of the lock pin 2. The two towing hook revolute pairs 4, 5 are connected to each other and to the pin boss 3 by a transversely extending cross beam 6. The tow hook revolute pairs 4, 5 have coaxial transverse pivot axes 45 (shown in fig. 2).

As illustrated in fig. 3, the pin holder 3 is provided with a base 3b located below the lower of the two branches 3a ". Two lateral sides of the base 3b are respectively provided with a pedal 3 c. The pedal 3c is connected to a linkage mechanism provided in the base so that the latch 2 can be selectively moved up and down along the axis 2' in the pin holder 3 to be disengaged from at least one of the two branches 3a ″ according to the action of the pedal. The linkage may be arranged in any manner known to those skilled in the art.

It is noted that other types of connections for the locking pin and the pin holder are possible. In one example, the locking pin is removably coupled to the pin holder, such as via a snap-fit connection, a latch connection, a threaded connection, or the like. In another example, the keyway may be a clamp, and optionally, the locking pin may be detached from the keyway at one end while the other end remains attached to the keyway. Still alternatively, the locking pin may be secured to the pin holder.

With continued reference to fig. 3, the draw hook revolute pair 4 and the draw hook revolute pair 5 are positioned distally of the pin boss 3 and are preferably symmetrically arranged about the vertical axis 2' of the lock pin 2.

The towing hook revolute pair 4 comprises a pivot pin 4b and a pivot piece 4a and a pivot seat 4c pivotally connected with the pivot pin 4 b. The pivot base 4c includes a substantially flat mounting portion 4 c' and two side planar portions (also referred to as "side wing portions") 4c "disposed perpendicular to the mounting portion. The mounting portion 4 c' extends in a lateral direction for mounting to a vehicle to be fixed relative to the vehicle. The side plane portions 4c "extend in the longitudinal direction for supporting the pivot pin 4b attached thereto. The pivot pin 4b extends through the side planar portions 4c "along the lateral pivot axis 45 and is pinned to the pivot piece 4a between the two side planar portions 4 c". The distal end of the pivot element 4a is defined between the two lateral planar portions and is pivotally connected to the pivot pin 4b by a pivot eye (not shown). The pivot eye has a diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the pivot pin so that the pivot member pivots with less friction.

Optionally, stops 4 c' "are also provided below the two side plane portions 4 c". As shown, the stop 4 c' "is connected to the flank 4 c". The space formed by the inner surface of the side plane portion 4c "and the top surface of the stop portion 4 c'" at least partially defines the range of movement of the pivot member 4a, wherein the latter defines the limit of downward pivoting of the pivot member 4 a. The orientation of the top surface of the stop can be set as desired.

Similarly, the tow hook revolute pair 5 has a pivot block 5c and a pivot piece 5a pivotable relative to the pivot block 5c about a transverse pivot axis 45. The above description of the parts of the tow hook revolute pair 4 is equally applicable to the parts of the tow hook revolute pair 5. Thus, a detailed description thereof is omitted.

The cross beam 6 is connected at its lateral ends to the pivot members 4a, 5a and at a position between said ends to the pin holder 3. In the manufacturing process, at least two of the pivotal members 4a, 5a, the cross member 6 and the pin boss 3 may be formed in an integrated manner in order to reduce the number of parts. Alternatively, other means of attachment such as welding, riveting, threading, etc. may be used.

Although only two tow hook revolute pairs are shown in the figures, it will be appreciated that one or more additional tow hook revolute pairs may also be provided along the transverse pivot axis 45 of the tow hook revolute pairs 4, 5 to enhance the strength of the structure. The additional tow hook revolute pair has a transverse pivot axis which is coaxial with the tow hook revolute pairs 4 and 5 and is similarly connected to the cross beam 6. Also, the additional tow hook turning pair may be configured similarly to the tow hook turning pair 4. In the case of an additional draw hook revolute pair, the additional draw hook revolute pair may be arranged between the draw hook revolute pairs 4, 5, preferably in the middle of the draw hook revolute pairs 4, 5. In the case of an even number of additional tow hook revolute pairs, the additional tow hook revolute pairs may be distributed substantially symmetrically on laterally opposite sides of the lock pin. In the case of an odd number of additional rotating pairs of the towing hook, the arrangement can be made in combination of the above two cases. The positioning and number of additional tow hook revolute pairs may depend on the application/installed object structure, desired arrangement, structural strength, cost factors etc., preferably evenly distributed along the beam.

FIG. 4 illustrates a tow assembly 10 according to one embodiment of the present application. The tow assembly 10 comprises a tow hook 1 as shown in fig. 1 and a tow frame 11 rotatably connected to the lock pin of the tow hook 1. Preferably, the traction frame 11 is made of a hard material. In the illustrated embodiment, the traction frame 11 is in the form of a triangular structure. One corner 12a of the triangular structure is formed as a circular ring through which the locking pin passes. And, to the other two corners 12b, 12c of the triangular structure are attached respective traction frame revolute pairs 13, 14. The fifth wheel revolute pairs 13, 14 at the two corners 12b, 12c have coaxial transverse revolute axes 134 and comprise a revolute pin and a revolute base and a revolute member 13a, 14a pivoted thereto, respectively. The hitch revolute pair 13, 14 may be configured in a similar manner to the hitch revolute pair 4. However, unlike the tow hook revolute pair, the distal ends of the swivel members 13a, 14a are directly attached to the corners 12b, 12c of the triangular structure without being connected by additional cross beams. Furthermore, the swivel axis 134 of the fifth wheel revolute pair is parallel to the pivot axis 45 of the fifth wheel revolute pair.

Optionally, the traction frame structure may further comprise reinforcing bars 15 arranged in the lateral direction within the triangular structure for enhancing the structural strength.

As shown in fig. 4, a tow assembly 10, which is composed of a tow hook 1 and a tow rack 11, is connected between a first vehicle 100 and a second vehicle 200, wherein the tow rack 11 is mounted to the first vehicle 100 by tow rack revolute pairs 13, 14, the tow hook 1 is mounted to the second vehicle 200 by pivot stands 4c, 5c, and the tow rack 11 and the tow hook 1 are rotatably connected by means of the interaction of a ring and a locking pin. By virtue of the arrangement of the traction assembly 10, the first vehicle 100 can either lead the second vehicle 200 forward (i.e., to the right of the page) or can trail or actuate the second vehicle 200, thereby allowing the first vehicle 100 and the second vehicle 200 to move in tandem. This can greatly assist in the space allocation of space-limited logistics transportation deployment facilities, such as warehouses, because the tractor can be connected to the first and last vehicles of the train as needed, thereby eliminating the need to leave too much space for the train to turn around.

Furthermore, when the instantaneous acceleration between the first vehicle 100 and the second vehicle 200 is significantly different, such as when the front vehicle of the two is suddenly stopped, the pivot pieces 4a and 5a of the towing hook turning pair of the towing hook 1 will lift the pin holder 3 and the lock pin 2 upward under the action of the instantaneous impulse of the front vehicle and the rear vehicle, so as to eliminate the impact force of the collision impact on the towing assembly 10. The pin holder and the lock pin can then fall back to the initial equilibrium position under the influence of gravity. When the front vehicle in both the first vehicle 100 and the second vehicle 200 starts, the pivot will remain in a substantially horizontal position under the influence of traction forces and optionally the limiting action of the pivot seat stops, better transmitting horizontal traction forces. In other words, the arrangement of the towing hook 1 advantageously both avoids impact damage in a scram and achieves a good transmission of power. Furthermore, it is noted that, thanks to the presence of the traction frame 11, in either case a certain distance is maintained between the first vehicle 100 and the second vehicle 200, advantageously avoiding rear-end collisions between the two vehicles and increasing the safety of the transport. Moreover, the tow assembly according to the present application allows towing more vehicles in one trip than prior art tow arrangements.

As used herein, the terms "generally," "generally," and "slightly" are intended to indicate that the described value and/or position is within a reasonable expected range of the stated value and/or position. The reasonable expected range includes allowable tolerance ranges known in the art.

Although the present application has been described herein with reference to particular embodiments, the scope of the present application is not limited to the details described and illustrated. Various modifications may be made to these details without departing from the underlying principles of the application.

Claims (10)

1. A towing hook (1) for vehicle towing, characterized by comprising:

a transversely extending cross-beam (6);

a lock pin (2), said lock pin (2) having opposite ends along a vertical axis of rotation (2');

the pin base (3) comprises a cross beam connecting part (3a ') and two branches (3a ') extending from the cross beam connecting part (3a '), wherein the cross beam connecting part (3a ') is connected to a cross beam (6), and the branches (3a ') are respectively connected to two ends of the lock pin (2); and

at least two towing hook revolute pairs (4, 5) having coaxial transverse pivot axes (45) arranged distally to the pin receptacle (3), each towing hook revolute pair (4, 5) being formed by a pivotal block (4c, 5c) and a pivotal piece (4a, 5a) pivotable about the pivot axis (45) relative to the pivotal block (4c, 5c), the pivotal pieces (4a, 5a) being connected by a cross beam (6).

2. A towing hook according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least two towing hook revolute pairs (4, 5) comprise two towing hook revolute pairs arranged symmetrically about the vertical rotation axis (2') of the lock pin (2).

3. A towing hook according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the pivot mount (4c) and the pivot piece (4a) of at least one towing hook revolute pair (4) are pivotally connected by a pivot pin (4b) extending along the transverse pivot axis (45).

4. A towing hook according to claim 3, characterized in that the pivot mount (4c) of the at least one towing hook revolute pair (4) comprises a mounting portion (4c ') for mounting to a vehicle and two flanks (4c ") extending from the mounting portion (4 c'), a part of the pivot piece (4a) being located between the two flanks (4 c"), the pivot pin (4b) passing through the part of the pivot piece and the two flanks (4c ").

5. A towing hook according to claim 4, characterized in that the pivot mount (4c) of the at least one towing hook revolute pair (4) further comprises a stop (4c "') connected to the two flank parts (4 c") to define the pivoting range of the pivot (4 a).

6. Towing hook according to claim 4, characterized in that the pivot pin (4b) is detachably attached to both flanks (4c ").

7. A towing hook according to claim 3, characterized in that the pivot pin (4b) is fixed to one of the pivot mount (4c) and pivot piece (4a), or the pivot pin (4b) is integrated with one of the pivot mount (4c) and pivot piece (4 a).

8. Towing hook according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the locking pin (2) has a structure that can be selectively moved linearly in the pin receptacle (3) along the vertical axis of rotation (2') to disengage at least one branch (3a ").

9. A tow assembly (10) for vehicle towing, comprising a tow hook (1) for mounting to a first vehicle (100) and for mounting to a second vehicle (200), characterized in that the tow hook (1) is a tow hook according to any of claims 1-8, the tow hook (11) being detachably connectable with a lock pin (2) of the tow hook (1).

10. A towing assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that the tow frame (11) is connected to the first vehicle (100) by means of at least two tow frame revolute pairs (13, 14) having coaxial transverse revolute axes (134), the transverse revolute axes (134) of the tow frame revolute pairs (13, 14) being parallel to the transverse pivot axis (45) of the tow hook revolute pairs (4, 5).

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