Joints and connections – Interfitted members – Lugged member – rotary engagement
Patent
1995-06-14
1997-05-06
Green, Brian K.
Joints and connections
Interfitted members
Lugged member, rotary engagement
2804161, 280504, 403319, 403326, B60D 156
Patent
active
056264356
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a coupling assembly with two coupling elements which can releasably be coupled with one another, in a coupling position the two coupling elements being in mutual abutment in a coupling plane with one contact face each, a first one of the coupling elements being provided on its contact face with a recess having at least one undercut and a second one of the coupling elements being provided on its contact face with a trunion having at least one locking projection, the locking projection in the coupled position positively engaging with a wall section that confines the undercut towards the coupling plane, and further, one of the two coupling elements being provided with a securing element which can be displaced between a securing position and a non-securing position and which in its securing position can secure the two coupling elements against uncoupling when the coupling elements are in the coupling position.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Such a coupling assembly is, e.g., known from DE 37 10 772 A1. This coupling assembly serves for coupling a trailer coupling part on the tractor vehicle side to a support plate mounted on the tractor vehicle. Using the known coupling assembly one and the same tractor vehicle may be equipped with different trailer coupling parts on the tractor vehicle side at different points of time, i.e. for example a jaw coupling and a ball end coupling may be exchanged. The known coupling assembly is constructed in the manner of a bayonet lock, i.e. in order to bring about coupling a trunion provided with arresting projections, which trunion is positioned on the trailer coupling part on the tractor vehicle side, is introduced into a recess in the support plate, the recess having undercuts, until the trailer coupling part and the support plate are in mutual abutment with respective contact faces, and subsequently, by rotating the trailer coupling part in a substantially orthogonal direction to the contact faces, the arresting projections are caused to positively engage with the wall sections of the support plate which confine the undercuts towards the contact face.
In order to be able to avoid self-actuated uncoupling of the two coupling elements, support plate and trailer coupling part on the tractor vehicle side the known coupling assembly is provided with a securing element in the form of a cap which may be folded over the two coupling elements manually after coupling. It is also possible not to fold this securing cap over the support plate and the trailer coupling part so that coupling can automatically be released when there is sufficiently high torque acting around a direction substantially orthogonal to the contact face.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
As opposed to that it is the object of the invention to provide a coupling assembly of the generic type, wherein self-actuated uncoupling of the two coupling elements is always reliably prevented after coupling of the two coupling elements.
This object is attained in that the securing element is biassed into the securing position and that the securing element can be transferred into the non-securing position by the other coupling element, when the two coupling elements are transferred from an uncoupled position into a ready-for-coupling position, and in that, when the two coupling elements subsequently move from the ready-for-coupling position into the coupling position, the securing element, essentially on reaching the coupling position, is automatically displaced into the securing position, owing to the bias.
In the case of the assembly according to the invention the operator, therefore, need no longer take care that the securing element is properly transferred into its securing position after coupling of the two coupling elements. Rather do the two coupling elements and the bias of the securing element act together during the coupling operation such that the securing element is automatically transferred into its securing position.
The transfer of the securing element into its unlocked p
REFERENCES:
patent: 2133065 (1938-10-01), Weber
patent: 3860209 (1975-01-01), Strecker
patent: 3891237 (1975-06-01), Allen
patent: 4836707 (1989-06-01), Myers
patent: 5088853 (1992-02-01), Reid
patent: 5297407 (1994-03-01), Tarr
Brochure of MFK Maschinenfabrick Kraeft GmbH #150.
Chop Andrea
Green Brian K.
Rockinger Spezialfabrik fur Anhangerkupplungen GmbH & Co.
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