JP7369099B2 - Trailer hitches and towing devices - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a trailer hitch for towing and a towing device that is attached to the rear end of a vehicle.

Conventionally, as this type of device, a bar-shaped member is installed between left and right fixed plates attached to the rear end surfaces of left and right rear side frames, and a ball joint is supported via a hitch arm that extends rearward from the bar-shaped member. A device that does this is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). In the device described in Patent Document 1, a fixing bracket is supported so as to be swingable in the front-rear direction on the upper front surface of the fixing plate so that the trailer hitch swings forward due to the impact load at the time of a rear collision.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-214202

However, in the device described in Patent Document 1, the amount of forward movement of the trailer hitch tends to increase in the event of a rear collision, and there is a risk that excessive damage may be caused to the vehicle.

The traction device, which is one aspect of the present invention, is arranged on both left and right sides with a center line extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle passing through the center in the vehicle width direction, and includes a pair of left and right rear side frames that extend in the front-rear direction, and a left and right rear side frame that extends in the front-rear direction. A rod-shaped member attached to the rear ends of the pair of rear side frames and extending in the vehicle width direction; a support member fixed near the center of the rod-shaped member in the vehicle width direction; and an arm member provided with a ball joint. The arm member is immovably fixed to the support member such that the ball joint is offset from the support member in the vehicle width direction.

A trailer hitch that is another aspect of the present invention includes a rod-shaped member that is attached to the rear end portions of a pair of left and right rear side frames that extend in the front-rear direction, and that extends in the vehicle width direction, and a center portion of the rod-shaped member in the vehicle width direction. It includes a support member fixed nearby , and an arm member supported by the support member and provided with a ball joint at an end .

In such an Orella hitch, the arm member is immovably fixed to the support member such that the ball joint is offset from the support member in the vehicle width direction.

According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress excessive damage to a vehicle in the event of a rear collision.

FIG. 1 is a bottom view schematically showing the structure of the rear part of a vehicle to which a trailer hitch according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached. FIG. 1 is a rear view schematically showing the configuration of the rear part of a vehicle to which a trailer hitch according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached. FIG. 2 is a side view of a reinforcing member that constitutes a rod for a jack according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a reinforcing member that constitutes a rod for a jack according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a trailer hitch according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed diagonally from the rear. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a trailer hitch according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the rear part of the vehicle, showing an example of the operation at the time of a rear-end collision, and is a diagram showing a state before the rear-end collision occurs. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the rear part of the vehicle showing an example of the operation at the time of a rear-end collision, and is a diagram showing a state in the middle of the rear-end collision. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the rear part of the vehicle showing an example of the operation at the time of a rear collision, and a diagram showing the state after the rear collision occurs.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7C. 1 and 2 are a bottom view (view from below) and a rear view (view from rear) schematically showing the configuration of the rear part of a vehicle 1 to which a trailer hitch according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached, respectively. It is. In the following, for convenience, the longitudinal direction, horizontal direction, and vertical direction of the vehicle 1 will be defined as shown in the drawings, and the configuration of each part will be explained according to these definitions. The front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction correspond to the length direction, vehicle width direction, and height direction of the vehicle 1, respectively.

The vehicle 1 is a vehicle (for example, an electric vehicle) that has a travel motor as a travel drive source, and includes a battery that stores electric power to be supplied to the travel motor, and a control unit that controls power supply from the battery to the travel motor. have Note that the vehicle 1 may be a hybrid vehicle having a travel motor and an engine as a travel drive source, or a vehicle having only an engine.

The vehicle 1 has a body frame 1a that constitutes a vehicle body. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, at the bottom of the vehicle body frame 1a, a pair of left and right rear side frames 2 extend in the front and rear direction across a center line CL1 that passes through the center of the vehicle 1 in the left and right direction and extends in the front and back direction. It will be extended. The rear side frame 2 has a hollow, substantially rectangular cross section, and its rear end surface is located at the rear end of the vehicle body frame 1a. Cross members 3 extending in the left-right direction are joined to the bottom surfaces of the left and right rear side frames 2, respectively. The rear side frame 2 and the cross member 3 are each made of a highly rigid material, and constitute the skeleton of the vehicle body frame 1a.

A floor pan 4 is provided between the left and right rear side frames 2 so as to bulge out below the rear side frames 2. A substantially plate-shaped rear panel 5 is arranged behind the floor pan 4. The rear panel 5 extends in the vertical direction, that is, in the vertical and horizontal directions, so as to cover the rear end surfaces of the left and right rear side frames 2.

A substantially box-shaped storage section 6 surrounded by a case (FIG. 7A) is provided inside the floor pan 4. The storage section 6 stores electrical components (travel drive electrical components) such as a battery for driving the travel motor, a cooling fan, and a control unit. The storage section 6 is provided, for example, behind the rear seat and below the trunk room at the rear of the vehicle. The bottom surface of the storage section 6 is located above the cross member 3 (FIG. 7A), the left and right side surfaces are located inside the rear side frame 2 in the left and right direction, and the rear surface is located in front of and beyond the rear end surface of the rear side frame 2. It is located behind the cross member 3.

A reinforcing member 7 configured as a jack rod for a jack to abut along the center line CL1 is provided on the bottom surface of the floor pan 4. 3 and 4 are a side view and a perspective view showing the structure of the reinforcing member 7, respectively. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the reinforcing member 7 is constituted by a band-shaped plate member having a predetermined width in the left-right direction and extending in the front-back direction. The reinforcing member 7 has a plurality of uneven ribs extending in the front-rear direction. The front end portion of the reinforcing member 7 is joined to the center portion of the cross member 3 in the left-right direction by welding or the like, and the rear end portion is bent upward. The reinforcing member 7 has its upper surface and the front surface of its rear end joined to the bottom surface of the floor pan 4 and the rear surface of the rear panel 5 by welding or the like.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the reinforcing member 7 has a bracket 8 at its rear end that extends in the front-rear direction along the center line CL1. The bracket 8 has a bent shape in which a rod-shaped member is bent downward in a convex shape, and the front end of the bracket 8 is joined to the bottom surface of the reinforcing member 7, and the rear end thereof is joined to the lower end of the rear surface of the reinforcing member 7. Ru. The bottom of the bracket 8 constitutes a jacking point when jacking up the vehicle 1.

As shown in FIG. 4, a reinforcing stiffener 9 is provided on the upper surface of the cross member 3 so as to intersect the center line CL1 in the left-right direction. This increases the thickness of the cross member 3 and increases the rigidity of the cross member 3. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, when an impact load F acts forward on the rear end of the reinforcing member 7, the front end of the reinforcing member 7 can be prevented from being displaced forward.

As shown in FIG. 3, a recess 7a is provided on the bottom surface of the reinforcing member 7 at the center in the front-rear direction over the entire length in the left-right direction. The recessed portion 7a functions as a weak portion of the reinforcing member 7. Since the front end of the reinforcing member 7 is restrained by the cross member 3, when an impact load F (compressive load) is applied forward to the rear end of the reinforcing member 7, the reinforcing member 7 will move along the chain double-dashed line in FIG. As shown, while being bent in the recess 7a, it bends upward (in the direction of arrow A) using the front end as a fulcrum, deforming into a substantially dogleg shape.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a trailer hitch 100 is detachably attached to the rear end surfaces of the left and right rear side frames 2. The trailer hitch 100 is a coupling device provided for the vehicle 1 to tow a trailer or the like, and is also referred to as a hitch member. The trailer hitch 100 constitutes a towing device according to this embodiment together with the rear side frame 2 and the like. The configuration of trailer hitch 100 will be described below.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the trailer hitch 100 when viewed diagonally from behind. As shown in FIG. 5, the trailer hitch 100 includes a pair of left and right mounting portions 10 attached to the rear end surface of the rear side frame 2, and a connecting bar 20 whose both ends are connected to the left and right mounting portions 10 and extends in the left-right direction. , a support bracket 30 provided at a position offset slightly to the right (rightward by a predetermined length) from the center portion of the connecting bar 20 in the left-right direction, and a hitch arm 40 supported by the support bracket 30.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the trailer hitch 100 viewed from above. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the mounting portion 10 includes a mounting plate 11 that is substantially rectangular in rear view and extends vertically facing the rear end surface of the rear side frame 2; The mounting plate 12 has a front plate 12 which is generally rectangular in plan view and is joined to the mounting plate 11 and extends in the horizontal direction, and a rear plate 13 which is generally rectangular in side view and is joined to the rear surface of the mounting plate 11 and extends in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the mounting portion 10 is connected to a reinforcing orthogonal plate 14 that is joined perpendicularly to the front surface of the mounting plate 11 and the upper surface of the front plate 12, and to the rear surface of the mounting plate 11 and the left and right outer side surfaces of the rear plate 13. It has a reinforcing orthogonal plate 15 that is joined to the plate. As shown in FIG. 5, the orthogonal plate 15 extends on the same horizontal plane as the front plate 12. As shown in FIG. 6, the orthogonal plate 14 extends on the same vertical plane as the rear plate 13.

A plurality of bolts 11a are inserted through the mounting plate 11 toward the front through through holes. The bolts 11a are screwed into screw holes (not shown) provided at the rear end of the rear side frame 2, thereby fixing the mounting plate 11 to the rear side frame 2. A screw hole into which the bolt 11a is screwed can be provided in the rear panel 5 fixed to the rear side frame 2. The mounting plate 11 can also be fixed to the rear side frame 2 via the rear panel 5 by threading a nut onto the bolt 11a passing through the rear panel 5.

With the mounting plate 11 attached to the rear side frame 2, the front plate 12 is inserted into the rear side frame 2 through the opening in the rear end surface of the rear side frame 2. A nut is welded to the upper surface of the front plate 12, and a bolt passing through the bottom wall of the rear side frame 2 is screwed into this nut. As a result, the mounting portion 10 is firmly fixed to the two surfaces of the rear side frame 2, the bottom surface and the rear surface. In addition, in FIG. 5, the plate 12a is arranged facing the bottom wall of the rear side frame 2, and the mounting portion 10 is fixed with the bottom wall of the rear side frame 2 sandwiched between the front plate 12 and the plate 12a. Ru.

The connecting bar 20 includes an inclined part 21 located on the outer side in the left-right direction and extending backward in the left-right direction, and a horizontal part 22 located in the center in the left-right direction and connected to the inclined part 21 and extending in the left-right direction. and has. Flange portions 23 having the same shape as the rear plate 13 are provided at both left and right ends of the connecting bar 20 . A plurality of through holes are opened in each of the rear plate 13 and the flange portion 23, and the rear plate 13 is fastened to the flange portion 23 by screwing bolts 23a inserted through the through holes into nuts 23b.

The support bracket 30 is composed of a pair of left and right plates 31 that extend in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 5, a recess 31a corresponding to the outer peripheral shape of the lower surface of the horizontal part 22 of the connecting bar 20 is formed at the upper end of the plate 31, and the support plate 31 has a recess 31a that fits into the horizontal part 22. In this state, it is joined to the connecting bar 20 by welding. The left and right plates 31 are each bent diagonally inward in the left-right direction via the bending portion 31b, and the interval between the left and right plates 31 becomes narrower as it goes downward.

The surfaces (vertical surfaces) of the plates 31 extending in the vertical direction at the lower end portions of the left and right plates 31 extend parallel to each other and extend at an angle with respect to the center line CL1. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, a center line CL2 passing through the center of the vertical surface at the lower end portions of the left and right plates 31 is at a predetermined angle θ (for example, 5° to 10°) with respect to the center line CL1 in the front-rear direction. degree).

A hitch arm 40 is arranged between the vertical surfaces of the left and right plates 31. The hitch arm 40 is a substantially cylindrical rod-shaped member extending along the center line CL2, and is formed by casting, forging, or the like. More specifically, the hitch arm 40 includes a horizontal portion 41 extending in the horizontal direction, an inclined portion 42 extending obliquely upward from the rear end of the horizontal portion 41, and an inclined portion 42 extending upward from the rear end of the inclined portion 42. It has a vertical portion 43 located therein. A substantially spherical ball joint 44 is provided integrally with the hitch arm 40 at the upper end of the vertical portion 43 .

The left and right side surfaces of the horizontal portion 41 are formed flat, and the flat surfaces are placed in contact with the vertical surfaces of the left and right plates 31. A pair of front and rear through holes are opened in the lower end portions of the left and right plates 31 and the horizontal portions 41 inside thereof, respectively, in a direction orthogonal to the center line CL2. Bolts 45a are inserted into these through holes from the right, and nuts 45b are screwed onto the tips of the bolts 45a, thereby fixing the hitch arm 40 to the support bracket 30. When the trailer hitch 100 is attached to the vehicle 1, as shown in FIG. 6, the center of the ball joint 44 is located on the center line CL1 of the vehicle 1, and the center of the support bracket 30 is located to the right of the center line CL1. located on the opposite side.

The operation of the thus configured trailer hitch 100 when an impact is applied to the rear of the vehicle 1 due to a rear collision will be described. 7A to 7C are cross-sectional views of the rear portion of the vehicle 1, each showing an example of the operation at the time of a rear collision. In particular, FIG. 7A shows a state before a rear collision occurs, FIG. 7B shows a state during a rear collision, and FIG. 7C shows a state after a rear collision occurs.

As shown in FIG. 7A, a case 60 forming a storage section 6 is arranged above the cross member 3. Inside the case 60, electrical components 61 such as a battery, a cooling fan, and a control unit are housed. As shown in FIG. 7B, in the event of a rear collision, a load F acting forward is first applied to the rear end portion of the hitch arm 40 that protrudes rearward from the rear panel 5. Hitch arm 40 is inclined with respect to center line CL1. Therefore, it is possible to avoid directly transmitting the load F to the reinforcing member 7 via the highly rigid hitch arm 40. Furthermore, the load F acts on the hitch arm 40 as a bending load in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1 with the support bracket 30 as a fulcrum. As a result, in the initial state of a rear collision, the hitch arm 40 twists and deforms using the support bracket 30 as a fulcrum, and the impact at the rear collision is absorbed.

When the hitch arm 40 is deformed, a load is applied to the support bracket 30 to push it forward. The larger this forward load is, the more the hitch arm 40 moves forward and the support bracket 30 is pushed forward. Alternatively, when the hitch arm 40 moves, the bolt 45a that fixes the hitch arm 40 to the support bracket 30 is broken, and the load is directly transmitted while absorbing the impact load, and the support bracket 30 is pushed forward. In either case, when the forward load exceeds a predetermined value, the center portion of the connecting bar 20 in the left-right direction is pushed forward, and the connecting bar 20 moves in the left-right direction while both left and right ends are restrained by the rear side frame 2. The central part bends forward and deforms. As a result, a compressive load acts on the reinforcing member 7 whose front end is restrained. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7B, while the floor pan 4 is crushed, the reinforcing member 7 is bent through the recess 7a and deformed into a mountain-fold shape.

The amount of deformation of the reinforcing member 7 gradually increases as the load F increases. In FIG. 7C, the support bracket 30 is pushed forward to the maximum extent, and in this state, the reinforcing member 7 is almost completely bent and comes into contact with the rear end of the case 60 of the storage section 6. At this time, the cross member 3 to which the reinforcing member 7 is fixed is deformed by the load F, but since the front end of the reinforcing member 7 is restrained by the cross member 3, the reinforcing member 7 is simultaneously deformed into a mountain-fold shape. Therefore, the reinforcing member 7 does not enter the case 60 and come into contact with the electrical component 61, and the electrical component 61 is protected. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the electrical component 61 from moving from the inside of the storage section 6 to the outside, and it is possible to reduce damage to the vehicle 1 in the event of a rear collision.

According to this embodiment, the following effects can be achieved.
(1) The traction device according to the present embodiment includes a pair of left and right rear side frames that are arranged on both sides of a center line CL1 that passes through the center in the vehicle width direction and extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 1, and that extend in the front-rear direction. 2, a connecting bar 20 attached to the rear end portions of the pair of left and right rear side frames 2 and extending in the vehicle width direction, a support bracket 30 fixed near the center portion of the connecting bar 20 in the vehicle width direction, and a support bracket. 30, and a hitch arm 40 provided with a ball joint 44 at the rear end (FIGS. 1, 2, 5). The hitch arm 40 is provided so that the ball joint 44 is positioned offset in the vehicle width direction with respect to the support bracket 30 (FIGS. 1 and 6). More specifically, the hitch arm 40 extends obliquely with respect to the center line CL1.

As a result, in the initial state of a rear collision, the hitch arm 40 deforms to twist forward with the support bracket 30 as a fulcrum due to the bending load acting on the rear end of the hitch arm 40. This deformation of the hitch arm 40 can absorb the impact at the time of a rear collision, and can suppress damage to the rear part of the vehicle 1 due to forward displacement of the support bracket 30. As a result, the electrical components 61 placed in the storage section 6 at the rear of the vehicle can be well protected, and damage to the rear of the vehicle can be reduced.

(2) The hitch arm 40 is provided so that the ball joint 44 is located on the center line CL1 (FIG. 6). Thereby, the vehicle 1 can stably tow an object such as a trailer via the trailer hitch 100.

(3) The traction device further includes a jack reinforcing member 7 that extends in the front-rear direction along the center line CL1, is attached to the bottom surface of the rear end of the vehicle 1, and forms a jack-up point (Fig. 1). The reinforcing member 7 has a weak portion in the center in the front-rear direction so as to be bent in a mountain-fold shape due to a compressive load acting in the front-rear direction (FIG. 3). More specifically, the fragile portion is constituted by a recess 7a extending in the vehicle width direction on the bottom surface of the reinforcing member 7 (FIG. 3). As a result, when the impact load at the time of a rear collision acts on the reinforcing member 7 via the support bracket 30, the reinforcing member 7 deforms into a mountain-fold shape. Therefore, damage to the electrical components 61 in the storage section 6 due to deformation of the reinforcing member 7 can be suppressed.

(4) The traction device further includes a cross member 3 that is installed between the pair of left and right rear side frames 2 and to which the front end of the reinforcing member 7 is coupled (FIG. 1). As a result, the position of the front end of the reinforcing member 7 is restrained, so that the reinforcing member 7 can be prevented from moving forward in the event of a rear collision, and excessive damage to the vehicle 1 can be prevented.

(5) The cross member 3 has a stiffener 9 that is attached along the upper surface of the cross member 3 and extends in the left-right direction (FIG. 4). This increases the rigidity of the cross member 3, and can effectively suppress movement of the front end of the reinforcing member 7 in the event of a rear collision.

(6) The vehicle 1 has a running motor, and an electrical component 61 for driving the running motor is arranged above the cross member 3 (FIG. 7A). In an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, an expensive electrical component 61 may be disposed above the cross member 3 as in this embodiment, but in such a case, damage to the electrical component 61 can be effectively suppressed.

(7) The trailer hitch 100 is attached to the rear end portions of a pair of left and right rear side frames 2 extending in the front-rear direction, and is attached to a connecting bar 20 extending in the vehicle width direction and a central portion of the connecting bar 20 in the vehicle width direction. It includes a fixed support bracket 30 and a hitch arm 40 supported by the support bracket 30 and provided with a ball joint 44 at its end (FIGS. 1, 2, and 5). The hitch arm 40 is provided so that the ball joint 44 is offset from the support bracket 30 in the vehicle width direction (FIG. 6). Thereby, when the trailer hitch 100 is removably attached to the rear end of the vehicle 1, damage to the vehicle 1 due to deformation of the trailer hitch 100 during a rear collision can be suppressed.

This embodiment can be modified into various forms. Some modified examples will be described below. In the above embodiment, the trailer hitch 100 is detachably attached to the rear end surface of the rear side frame 2 via the attachment part 10, but the trailer hitch 100 may also be fixedly provided on the rear end surface of the rear side frame 2. good. In this case, the connecting bar 20 as a rod-shaped member may be fixed to the rear end surface of the rear side frame 2 without using the attachment portion 10. In the above embodiment, the connecting bar 20 is provided with the inclined part 21 and the horizontal part 22, but if it extends in the vehicle width direction and is attached to the rear end of the rear side frame 2, the configuration of the rod-like member can be anything.

In the embodiment described above, the support bracket 30 is configured by a pair of left and right plates 31 fixed to the center portion of the connection bar 20 in the left and right direction, but the configuration of the support member is not limited to this. In the embodiment described above, the hitch arm 40 is arranged to extend at an angle with respect to the center line CL1. In other words, although the hitch arm 40 is provided so that its center line CL2 is linear in a plan view, the hitch arm 40 as an arm member is provided in a non-linear form (for example, bent) in a plan view. Good too. That is, the configuration of the arm member is not limited to that described above, as long as the ball joint 44 is positioned offset in the vehicle width direction with respect to the support bracket 30 (support member).

In the embodiment described above, the reinforcing member 7 is provided on the bottom surface of the floor pan 4 in the front-rear direction along the center line CL1, and the recessed portion 7a is provided on the bottom surface of the reinforcing member 7 that extends along the vehicle width direction. However, the configuration of the jack reinforcing member is not limited to that described above. That is, the structure of the reinforcing member for a jack may be any structure as long as a weakened portion is provided in the central portion of the reinforcing member in the longitudinal direction so as to be bent in a mountain-fold shape due to a compressive load acting in the longitudinal direction. Instead of the recess, the fragile portion may be formed by a cutout, an opening, or the like.

In the above embodiment, the hitch arm 40 is configured as a fixed type, but it may be other than the fixed type. For example, it may be configured as a detachable hitch arm that can be detachably attached using a lock pin or the like. When the trailer hitch is not used, the hitch arm may be configured as a foldable hitch arm that is stored in the front vehicle body side using a hinge or the like.

In the embodiment described above, the reinforcing stiffener 9 is provided along the left-right direction on the upper surface of the cross member 3, but the structure of the cross member reinforcing member is not limited to the above-mentioned structure. In the embodiment described above, an electrical component 61 for driving the traveling motor, that is, a battery for supplying power to the traveling motor, is provided above the cross member 3 to which the front end of the reinforcing member 7 is connected via the storage portion 6. Although a power supply unit such as a control unit is arranged, other electrical components or non-electrical components may be arranged.

The above description is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications as long as the characteristics of the present invention are not impaired. It is also possible to arbitrarily combine the above embodiment and one or more of the modifications, and it is also possible to combine the modifications.

1 vehicle, 2 rear side frame, 3 cross member, 7 reinforcing member, 7a recess, 9 stiffener, 20 connection bar, 30 support bracket, 40 hitch arm, 44 ball joint, 61 electrical equipment, 100 trailer hitch

Claims (9)

a pair of left and right rear side frames that are arranged on both sides of the vehicle across a center line that passes through the center in the vehicle width direction and extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle;
a rod-shaped member attached to the rear end portions of the pair of left and right rear side frames and extending in the vehicle width direction;
a support member fixed near the center portion of the rod-shaped member in the vehicle width direction;
an arm member supported by the support member and provided with a ball joint at an end;
The traction device is characterized in that the arm member is immovably fixed to the support member such that the ball joint is offset in the vehicle width direction with respect to the support member . The traction device according to claim 1,
The traction device is characterized in that the arm member extends obliquely with respect to the center line. The traction device according to claim 1 or 2,
The traction device, wherein the arm member is provided such that the ball joint is located on the center line. The traction device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
further comprising a jack reinforcing member extending in the front-rear direction along the center line and attached to the bottom surface of the rear end of the vehicle, and forming a jack-up point;
The traction device is characterized in that the jack reinforcing member has a weak portion in the center in the front-rear direction so as to be bent in a mountain-fold shape due to a compressive load acting in the front-rear direction. The traction device according to claim 4,
The traction device is characterized in that the weakened portion is constituted by a recessed portion extending in the vehicle width direction on the bottom surface of the jack reinforcing member. The traction device according to claim 4 or 5,
A traction device further comprising a cross member installed in the vehicle width direction and to which a front end portion of the jack reinforcing member is coupled. The traction device according to claim 6,
The traction device is characterized in that the cross member has a cross member reinforcing member that is attached along the upper surface of the cross member and extends in the vehicle width direction. The traction device according to claim 6 or 7,
The vehicle has a travel motor,
A traction device characterized in that a power supply unit for driving the travel motor is disposed above the cross member. A rod-shaped member that is attached to the rear ends of a pair of left and right rear side frames that extend in the front-rear direction and extends in the vehicle width direction;
a support member fixed near the center portion of the rod-shaped member in the vehicle width direction;
an arm member supported by the support member and provided with a ball joint at an end;
The trailer hitch is characterized in that the arm member is immovably fixed to the support member such that the ball joint is positioned offset in the vehicle width direction with respect to the support member.

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