Donald J Kahl

US Patent:

7641214, Jan 5, 2010

Filed:

May 11, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/432749

Inventors:

Donald Kahl - Ypsilanti MI, US

Assignee:

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. - Erlanger KY

International Classification:

B60D 1/00

US Classification:

2804461, 280449, 280450, 280451, 280486

Abstract:

An energy-absorbing trailer hitch assembly is provided that includes a receiver tube and an insertion tube. The receiver tube is typically fixedly attached to a motor vehicle and has a set of apertures that affords for a pin to pass therethrough. The tube also has a set of slots adjacent to the apertures, with protrusions between each aperture and its adjacent slot. The insertion tube serves as a trailer hitch and has a set of apertures that align with the set of apertures in the receiver tube. Placement of the insertion tube within the receiver tube affords for a pin to pass through and be held within said apertures. In this manner a trailer may be attached to the trailer hitch and pulled by the motor vehicle. When the trailer is impacted, for example by a rear-end collision, deformation of the pin and/or the protrusions of the receiver tube allow the pin to travel in a forward direction, thereby absorbing energy from the collision. A second embodiment of the invention provides for an energy-absorbing trailer hitch assembly wherein the apertures, slots and protrusions therebetween are located within the insertion tube instead of the receiver tube.