Acps Automotive Gmbh

Scambia Holdings Cyprus Limited

Scambia Industrial Developments Aktiengesellschaft

Oris Fahrzeugteile Hans Riehle Gmbh

Bosal Acps Holding 2 B.v.

Oris Fahrzeuteile Hans Riehle Gmbh

Wolfgang Gentner

Bernhard Rimmelspacher

Aleksej Kadnikov

Joerg Riehle

Hans Riehle

Emmerich Kleb

Bert Wegner

Stefan Naegele

Romeo Wieczorek

Dieter Reisinger

Martin Dreher

Bernd Noatsch

Ulrich Kleinhans

Alexander Kaufmann

Juergen Still

Guenther Mayer

Tobias Edelmann

Hans-Peter Beringer

Francois Capron

Pascal Wisirenko

Dirk Recker

Ivan Dubovik

Galib Krdzalic

Michael Schymkowski

Stefan Nägele

Jörg Riehle

Volker Burkhardt

Günther Mayer

Jürgen Still

Vincent Carrey

Ralph Urban

Trailer hitch

In order to improve a trailer hitch, comprising a ball neck, which is movable between a working position and a rest position and has a pivot bearing body arranged at a first end and a coupling ball arranged at a second end, a pivot bearing unit, which is arranged fixed to a vehicle and by means of which the pivot bearing body is received such that it is pivotal for the purpose of performing a pivotal movement about a pivot axis between the working position and the rest position, and a rotation-blocking device that is active between the pivot bearing unit and the pivot bearing body, it is proposed that there run between the working position receptacles and the rest position receptacles of the rotation-blocking device blocking faces against which rotation-blocking bodies of the rotation-blocking device are configured to abut, that rotation-blocking units of the rotation-blocking device and the working position receptacles and the rest position receptacles are arranged at angular spacings from one another around the pivot axis such that, in all the pivotal positions of the pivot bearing body that are provided, with the exception of the working position and the rest position, the rotation-blocking body of at least one of the rotation-blocking units lies opposite one of the blocking faces, and thus this blocking face blocks movement of the actuation body in the actuation direction.

In order, in the case of a trailer hitch, comprising a ball neck, which is movable between a working position and a rest position and has a pivot bearing body arranged at a first end and a coupling ball arranged at a second end, a pivot bearing unit, which is arranged fixed to a vehicle and by means of which the pivot bearing body is received such that it is pivotal for the purpose of performing a pivotal movement about a pivot axis between the working position and the rest position, and a rotation-blocking device that is active between the pivot bearing unit and the pivot bearing body, to achieve fixing of the rotation-blocking device in the release position in the simplest possible manner, it is proposed that there run between receptacles in the rotation-blocking device blocking faces against which the rotation-blocking bodies of the rotation-blocking device are configured to abut and from which the receptacles extend, that rotation-blocking units of the rotation-blocking device and the receptacles are arranged at angular spacings from one another around the pivot axis such that, in all the pivotal positions of the pivot bearing body that are provided, including the rest position and with the exception of the working position, the rotation-blocking body of at least one of the rotation blocking units lies opposite one of the blocking faces, and thus this blocking face blocks movement of the actuation body in the actuation direction.

The invention relates to a trailer hitch, comprising a ball neck, which is movable between an operative position and a rest position and has a trailer ball, a pivot bearing unit, which is arranged fixed to the vehicle, and a rotation-blocking device having at least two rotation-blocking bodies that are guided such that they are movable by means of a guide body in a guide direction having at least one component in the radial direction in relation to the pivot axis, and having an actuation body, which is arranged such that it is rotatable about the pivot axis and has a respective wedge face extending transversely to the guide direction for each of the rotation-blocking bodies and of which the rotary movement in an actuation direction causes the at least two rotation-blocking bodies to be movable and urgeable in the guide direction, wherein there is provided a release position latching device that, in a release position of the actuation body, is movable between a latch release position, which releases movement of the actuation body in relation to the guide body, and a latching position, which fixes the actuation body in relation to the guide body, and, at least in the release position of the actuation body, is urged in the direction of the latching position by a spring element.

A device for pulling a trailer and/or retaining a load carrying unit that is mountable at the rear end of a motor vehicle body. The device comprises a supporting arm that is connected by a first end region to the motor vehicle body and is provided at a second end region with an element for attaching the trailer and/or for fixing the load carrying unit and furthermore which comprises sensors for capturing reversible deformations of the supporting arm caused by loads on the supporting arm. The device includes strain sensors which are affected by reversible deformations thereof are assigned to a supporting arm section of the supporting arm. For capturing at least one selected bending strain, at least one strain sensor is arranged on one side and at least one strain sensor on an opposite side of a surface region of a neutral reference surface assigned to the selected bending load. Each of the strain sensors are arranged at a distance from this surface region.

Device for pulling a trailer and/or retaining a load carrying unit

In order to provide a trailer coupling device for motor vehicles, comprising a rear-side cross member which is mountable on a vehicle body, a supporting unit provided on the cross member which holds a ball neck receiving sleeve having a ball neck receptacle in which a ball neck incorporating a coupling ball is insertable and fixable therein, in which the ball neck receiving sleeve is minimally visible and disturbing when the ball neck is not inserted, it is proposed that the supporting unit comprises a pivot bearing unit by means of which the ball neck receiving sleeve is pivotable from a working position in which the ball neck is insertable therein in order to use a trailer, into a rest position in which an insertion opening of the ball neck receiving sleeve is arranged outside a visible region.

Trailer coupling device for motor vehicles

In order to improve a holding device which is mountable on a tail region of the bodywork of a motor vehicle, comprising a swivel bearing unit which is mountable fixed to the vehicle on the tail region of a motor vehicle, in particular a passenger motor vehicle, by means of a support unit, on which swivel bearing a swivel element supporting an attachment element is mounted pivotable about a swivel axis extending transversely, in particular inclined, relative to a longitudinal central plane and is thereby pivotable from an operating position into a rest position and vice versa, such that a holding device is provided to which widely differing attachment elements are fixable, it is proposed that the swivel element is provided with an attachment element carrier having a plug-in receptacle, into which attachment element carrier an attachment element is pluggable with an end region and is fixable with positive engagement, and in that in the operating position, the plug-in receptacle extends with its central axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal central plane and, in the rest position, extends with its central axis transversely to the longitudinal central plane.

Holding device mountable on a tail region of a motor vehicle

In order for a trailer hitch, comprising a bearing unit mountable on a rear end portion of a vehicle body, in fixed relation to the vehicle, said bearing unit having a bearing base and a ball neck carrier supported for movement on the bearing base, and further comprising a ball neck which at a first end is fixedly connected to the ball neck carrier and at a second end carries a hitch ball and which is movable, by the movement of the ball neck carrier relative to the bearing base, between two final positions, one of which is an operating position and the other one of which is a rest position, to be improved such that the position of the ball neck can be detected as simply and unambiguously as possible, it is proposed that a sensor system be provided for detecting the position of the ball neck relative to the bearing base, which sensor system detects the positions of the ball neck relative to the bearing base mounted in fixed relation to the vehicle and generates position information representative of the respective position of the ball neck.

In order for a trailer hitch, comprising a pivot bearing unit mountable on a rear end portion of a vehicle body, in fixed relation to the vehicle, and a pivot element supported on the pivot bearing unit for pivotal movement about at least one pivot axis, said pivot element having fixedly connected thereto a ball neck carrying a hitch ball, said ball neck being pivotable, by pivoting the pivot element about the at least one pivot axis relative to the pivot bearing unit, between two final positions, one of which is an operating position and another one of which is a rest position, to be improved such that the location of the pivot element can be detected as simply and unambiguously as possible, it is proposed that a sensor system be provided for detecting at least one location of the pivot element relative to the pivot bearing unit with respect to the at least one pivot axis, which sensor system detects the locations of the pivot element relative to the pivot bearing unit mounted in fixed relation to the vehicle and generates position information representative of the respective location of the pivot element.

In order to improve a trailer device for motor vehicles, comprising a crossmember, which is mountable on a vehicle body at the rear-end side thereof, a holding unit, which is provided on the crossmember and which carries a ball neck receiving body comprising a ball neck receptacle, into which receiving body an insertion portion of a ball neck supporting a coupling ball is insertable and fixable therein, in such a way that the ball neck receiving body is both visible and intrusive to the least possible extent when the ball neck is not inserted, it is proposed that the holding unit comprises a pivot bearing unit, by means of which the ball neck receiving body is movable from a working position, in which the ball neck is insertable into said receiving body for trailer operation, into a rest position, and that at least one stop element fixedly connected to the holding unit is provided, which stop element has a first support surface, which, in the working position, abuts against the insertion portion with the insertion portion inserted into the ball neck receptacle and thus blocks a pivoting of the ball neck receiving body in at least one pivot direction.

Trailer device

The invention provides a trailer coupling including a ball neck movable between an operative position and a rest position. A coupling ball and a pivot bearing unit are fixed to the vehicle. A rotation blocking arrangement has at least two rotation blocking bodies. An actuating body has a respective cam face that runs transversely to the guide direction for each of the rotation blocking bodies arranged to be rotatable about the pivot axis. As a result of the rotary movement in a direction of actuation the at least two rotation blocking bodies are movable in the guide direction. A release position latching arrangement is movable between a latch release position and a latching position that fixes the actuating body in relation to the guide body.

Trailer coupling

In order to provide a coupling unit for a trailer coupling of a motor vehicle comprising a coupling ball and a coupling ball carrier carrying the coupling ball with the aid of which the loads effective thereon when in use can be detected in a reliable and simple manner, it is proposed that the coupling unit comprise a load-bearing structure which engages around a channel extending parallel to an axis, and that a reference finger extending from a first end to a second end in a longitudinal direction approximately parallel to the axis be arranged in the channel, wherein said finger is fixed at the first end such as to be static relative to the load-bearing structure and extends such as to be free from deformations of the load-bearing structure up to the second end, and wherein the second end cooperates with a sensor unit which detects a relative position of the second end relative to a region of the load-bearing structure engaging around it.

Coupling unit

In order to improve a trailer coupling for motor vehicles comprising a ball neck, which is mountable at a first end on a rear part of a motor vehicle to be fixed to the vehicle by means of a ball neck holder and which carries a coupling ball at a second end, in such a manner that load carriers can be mounted and securely held in a simple manner, it is proposed that at least one positioning body is arranged on the ball neck at a defined spacing from the coupling ball to position a load carrier holding arrangement attachable to the coupling ball and the ball neck.

Trailer coupling and load carrier arrangement for a trailer coupling

In order to improve a trailer coupling for motor vehicles, including a ball neck which is mountable on a rear part of a motor vehicle so as to be fixed to the vehicle by means of a ball neck carrier by way of a first end and on a second end carries a coupling ball, in such a manner that load carriers can be mounted and held securely in a simple manner, it is proposed that, for positioning a load carrier holding device, which is loadable onto the coupling ball and the ball neck, at least one first positioning body is arranged on the ball neck at a defined spacing from the coupling ball, that the at least one first positioning body is arranged on a ball neck portion of the ball neck which adjoins a ball attachment of the ball neck which carries the coupling ball and in particular, proceeding from the ball attachment, extends along the ball neck over a distance which corresponds to a maximum of one and a half times the diameter of the coupling ball, and that the at least one first positioning body extends transversely with respect to a development of the ball neck portion which carries said positioning body and away from said ball neck portion.

Growing community of inventors

Steinheim, Germany

Wolfgang Gentner