초록 ▼

This invention is related to a retractable hitch-ball mechanism adapted for coupling to a frame of a vehicle, such as a pickup truck. The mechanism includes a support structure that is secured to the frame by a mounting-frame assembly, a housing having a tubular sleeve, a hitch ball member slidably

This invention is related to a retractable hitch-ball mechanism adapted for coupling to a frame of a vehicle, such as a pickup truck. The mechanism includes a support structure that is secured to the frame by a mounting-frame assembly, a housing having a tubular sleeve, a hitch ball member slidably disposed within the tubular sleeve, a drive plate, and a linkage coupled to the drive plate at one end and having a user-engageable portion at an opposed end. Upon a user exerting force on the opposed end, the hitch ball member is selectively movable between an extended use position, wherein a portion of the hitch ball member extends upwardly from the tubular sleeve, and a retracted storage position, wherein the ball portion is substantially hidden. Selective adjustment is facilitated by an inclined edge on the drive plate that slidably engages at least a portion of the hitch ball member.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A retractable hitch-ball mechanism comprising: a housing; a hitch ball member that is slidably disposed within the housing and moveable therein between a first position and a second position, wherein the hitch ball member includes a capture groove provided with an angled port

What is claimed is: 1. A retractable hitch-ball mechanism comprising: a housing; a hitch ball member that is slidably disposed within the housing and moveable therein between a first position and a second position, wherein the hitch ball member includes a capture groove provided with an angled portion; a drive plate engaging at least a portion of the hitch ball member and being laterally movable between a first position and a second position, wherein the drive plate includes an inclined edge; and a linkage assembly mechanically coupled to the drive plate such that operation of the linkage assembly selectively moves the hitch ball member between the first and second positions of the hitch ball member via the drive plate, wherein the angled portion of the hitch ball member engages with the inclined edge of the drive plate during the selective movement between the first position and the second position of the hitch ball member. 2. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the housing is tubular and arranged in a substantially vertical orientation, wherein the hitch ball member is restricted to vertical movement. 3. The mechanism of claim 2, wherein the housing comprises a circumscribing wall defining a longitudinal axis, the wall having a pair of opposed arcuate slots therein orientated in a generally parallel-spaced relationship with the longitudinal axis. 4. The mechanism of claim 3, wherein the drive plate being received in the pair of opposed arcuate slots and is laterally moveable therein. 5. The mechanism of claim 3, wherein the wall of the housing further comprises a longitudinally-extending slot orientated in a generally parallel-spaced relationship with the longitudinal axis. 6. The mechanism of claim 5, wherein the hitch ball member includes a stop element extending outwardly therefrom, the stop element being received in the longitudinally extending slot. 7. The mechanism of claim 6, wherein the longitudinally-extending slot has an upper end and a lower end and wherein an upward vertical movement of the hitch ball member is restrained upon the stop element establishing contact with the upper end. 8. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the inclined edge engages in sliding contact with the angled portion provided within the capture groove of the hitch ball member such that the hitch ball member is moveable between the first and second positions of the hitch ball member coincident with the drive plate laterally moving between the first and second positions of the drive plate. 9. The mechanism of claim 8, wherein the drive plate further includes a lower edge, a proximal landing and a distal landing, wherein the inclined edge is intermediately disposed between the proximal and distal landings, wherein the proximal and distal landings are formed as substantially horizontal and parallel edges, wherein the proximal landing is capable of supporting the hitch ball member in the second position of the hitch ball member, and wherein the distal landing is capable of support the hitch ball member in the first position of the hitch ball member. 10. The mechanism of claim 9, further comprising a detent mechanism having a casing with an outwardly biased plunger, wherein the lower edge of the drive plate includes an indentation for receiving the plunger when the drive plate is in the first position of the drive plate, whereby the detent mechanism functions to resist lateral movement of the drive plate from the first position of the drive plate. 11. A retractable hitch-ball mechanism for assembly to a frame of a pickup truck, the retractable hitch-ball mechanism comprising: an adjustment-control mechanism that is adapted to move a hitch ball member between an extended use position and a retracted storage position, the adjustment control mechanism comprising: a support structure having a top surface; a housing having a tubular sleeve that is attached to the support structure in a generally vertical orientation; a hitch ball member slidably received in the tubular sleeve and moveable vertically therein between the use position and the storage position, wherein the hitch ball member includes a capture groove provided with an angled portion; a drive plate engaging at least a portion of the hitch ball member and laterally movable between a first position and a second position, wherein the drive plate includes an inclined edge; a linkage assembly mechanically coupled to the drive plate such that operation of the linkage assembly selectively moves the drive plate between the first and second positions of the drive plate, wherein the angled portion of the hitch ball member engages with the inclined edge of the drive plate during the selective movement between the use position and the storage position of the hitch ball member, wherein the hitch ball member is in the use position when the drive plate is in the first position, and wherein the hitch ball member is in the storage position when the drive plate is in the second position; and a mounting frame assembly adapted to fixedly secure the adjustment-control mechanism to the frame of the pickup truck. 12. The mechanism of claim 11, wherein the hitch ball member includes a ball portion and a body portion and wherein the ball portion is adapted to engage a releasable-coupling device secured to a tongue of a trailer, thereby hitching the trailer to the pickup truck. 13. The mechanism of claim 12, wherein the body portion of the hitch ball member has a outer periphery that generally corresponds in shape to an outer periphery of a passage through the tubular sleeve of the housing. 14. The mechanism of claim 11, wherein the linkage has an end mechanically coupled to the drive plate and a user-engageable end opposed thereto and wherein the user-engageable end is configured as a handle, thereby allowing a user to selectively actuate the adjustment-control mechanism remotely. 15. The mechanism of claim 14, wherein the handle of the linkage extends into a control location that is spaced apart from the hitch ball member, thereby providing the user unimpeded operation of the adjustment-control mechanism, and wherein the control location is in a wheel well of a truck. 16. The mechanism of claim 11, wherein the mounting frame assembly further comprises: one or more transverse rails extending laterally in relation to the bed frame of the pickup truck and wherein the one or more transverse rails is fixedly attached to the support structure of the adjustment control mechanism; and a pair of side-mounting brackets interconnecting the one or more transverse rails and the bed frame, wherein each of the pair of transverse rails includes a preformed hole pattern therein for facilitating mounting of the mechanism to the frame of the truck. 17. A retractable hitch-ball mechanism having a mounting frame assembly adapted to fixedly secure the retractable hitch-ball mechanism to the frame of a pickup truck, the mechanism comprising: a housing having a wall defining a generally vertical passage through the housing and a central longitudinal axis, wherein the wall has a pair of opposed arcuate slots therethrough, and wherein the pair of opposed arcuate slots are orientated in a generally parallel-spaced relationship with the longitudinal axis; a hitch ball member having a capture groove, the hitch ball member being slidably received within the passage and moveable therein between a use position and a storage position; a drive plate having a lower edge, a distal landing, a proximal landing, and an inclined edge, wherein the inclined edge is intermediately disposed between the distal and proximal landings, wherein the distal and proximal landings are formed as substantially horizontal and parallel edges, wherein the drive plate is partially received in the capture groove of the hitch ball member and is selectively movable between a first position and a second position, wherein the proximal landing is capable of supporting the hitch ball member in the storage position, and wherein the distal landing is capable of support the hitch ball member in the use position, and wherein the drive plate is received in the pair of opposed arcuate slots and is laterally moveable therein; and a linkage having an end mechanically coupled to the drive plate and a user-engageable end opposed thereto, the user-engageable end extending to a control location spaced from the hitch ball member providing a user remote operation of the mechanism. 18. The mechanism of claim 17, wherein the hitch ball member is moved from the use position upon a user manually pushing the user-engageable end of the linkage, thereby selectively moving the drive plate from the first position, whereby a portion of the capture groove is slidably engaged with the inclined edge. 19. The mechanism of claim 17, wherein the hitch ball member is moved from the storage position upon a user manually pulling the user-engageable end of the linkage, thereby selectively moving the drive plate from the second position, whereby a portion of the capture groove is slidably engaged with the inclined edge.