The technology relates to autonomous vehicles having hitched or towed trailers for transporting cargo and other items between locations. Aspects of the technology provide a smart hitch connection between the fifth-wheel of a tractor unit and the kingpin of a trailer. This avoids requiring a person to make physical pneumatic and electrical connections between the fifth-wheel and kingpin using external hoses and cables. Instead, the necessary connections are made internally, autonomously. For instance, the fifth-wheel may provide air pressure via one or more slots arranged on a connection surface, and the trailer is configured to receive the air pressure through one or more openings on a contact surface of the kingpin. An electrical connection section of the fifth-wheel may also provide electrical signals and/or power to an electrical contact interface of the kingpin. Rotational information about relative alignment of the trailer to the tractor unit may also be provided.

A coupling system includes a coupling plug and a coupling receptacle, wherein the coupling plug and the coupling receptacle engage with one another in such a way that the first coupling part makes fluid-tight contact with the first receiving part, the second coupling part makes fluid-tight contact with the second receiving part and the third coupling part makes fluid-tight contact with the third receiving part, and wherein the contact surfaces of the coupling parts and the receiving parts are substantially rotationally symmetrical about the first axis.

The technology relates to autonomous vehicles having hitched or towed trailers for transporting cargo and other items between locations. Aspects of the technology provide a smart hitch connection between the fifth-wheel of a tractor unit and the kingpin of a trailer. This avoids requiring a person to make physical pneumatic and electrical connections between the fifth-wheel and kingpin using external hoses and cables. Instead, the necessary connections are made internally, autonomously. For instance, the fifth-wheel may provide air pressure via one or more slots arranged on a connection surface, and the trailer is configured to receive the air pressure through one or more openings on a contact surface of the kingpin. An electrical connection section of the fifth-wheel may also provide electrical signals and/or power to an electrical contact interface of the kingpin. Rotational information about relative alignment of the trailer to the tractor unit may also be provided.

A connection device for connecting of electrical and pneumatic lines between a tractor and a trailer having a first end, a second end, and at least two lines connecting the two ends, wherein at least a first pneumatic plug element and at least a first electrical plug element is arranged at the first end and wherein a first plug-in unit is arranged at the second end, having at least a first pneumatic connecting element and at least a first electrical connecting element.

A system and method for operation of an autonomous vehicle (AV) yard truck is provided. A processor facilitates autonomous movement of the AV yard truck, and connection to and disconnection from trailers. A plurality of sensors are interconnected with the processor that sense terrain/objects and assist in automatically connecting/disconnecting trailers. A server, interconnected, wirelessly with the processor, that tracks movement of the truck around and determines locations for trailer connection and disconnection. A door station unlatches/opens rear doors of the trailer when adjacent thereto, securing them in an opened position via clamps, etc. The system computes a height of the trailer, and/or if landing gear of the trailer is on the ground and interoperates with the fifth wheel to change height, and whether docking is safe, allowing a user to take manual control, and optimum charge time(s). Reversing sensors/safety, automated chocking, and intermodal container organization are also provided.

An automated trailer coupling arrangement includes a receiver member supported on a towed vehicle and including pneumatic and electrical couplers, a shuttle member including pneumatic and electrical couplers configured to couple to pneumatic and electrical supply sources and a control arm assembly supported on a towing vehicle and including a carrier member configured to operably couple and uncouple with the shuttle member, and an actuator coupled to the carrier member configured to move the carrier between a first position where the carrier member is coupled with the shuttle member and the shuttle member is spaced from the receiver member, and a second position where the second pneumatic coupler is coupled with the first pneumatic coupler and the second electrical coupler is coupled with the first electrical coupler and the carrier is uncoupled and spaced from the shuttle member.

Kingpin assembly for a semitrailer of a road train, including a king pin defining an axis of rotation (A), a pivot bearing arranged around the axis of rotation (A), and a holder connected to the pivot bearing and pivotable around the axis of rotation (A) for indirectly or directly holding an electrical and/or electromagnetic and/or pneumatic and/or hydraulic connecting means wherein the king pin includes a king pin flange for mounting the king pin indirectly or directly to the semitrailer, wherein the pivot bearing includes a fixed bearing ring or a fixed bearing ring segment relative to the king pin and a bearing ring or a bearing ring segment rotatable relative thereto, wherein the holder is fixed to the rotatable bearing ring and wherein a support element, which is axially spaced from the rotatable bearing ring and abuts directly against the king pin, is connected to the holder and is adjustable in length in the radial direction (R) with respect to the axis of rotation (A).

The invention relates to a system (400) comprising a vehicle (402), an arm assembly (408), first and second cable portions (410a, 410b), at least one cable actuator (406), and an air supply line. The vehicle has a pneumatic source of pressurized air. The arm assembly has an end effector releasably coupled to an end of an axially-extendable arm coupled to the vehicle. The end effector has a gladhand coupling portion. The air supply line can be coupled to the end effector and can deliver pressurized air from the pneumatic source to a braking system of the trailer when the gladhand coupling portion is coupled to the gladhand receptacle of a trailer. After coupling to the gladhand receptacle, the end effector can be disconnected from the arm assembly to allow the remainder of the arm assembly to be stowed.

A system and method for automatically coupling at least one of an air line or an electrical line of a tractor to a trailer that is configured to be pulled by the tractor. A moveable arm is mounted to the tractor and is configured to exhibit at least one degree of freedom (DOF) of motion relative to the tractor. The moveable arm carries at least one of an air line connector or an electrical connector. A trailer coupling head is mounted to the trailer and carries at least one of an air line connector or an electrical connector that are configured to be connected to the at least one of an air line connector or an electrical connector of the tractor. The trailer coupling head can be moved in at least a vertical DOF relative to the ground by the automatic coupling system.

A connecting system and a method for connecting a towing vehicle to a semitrailer includes a first plug unit configured to be fixed to a rotor of a semitrailer unit rotatably mounted on the semitrailer unit about an axis of rotation and having a first coupling portion, and a second plug unit having at least one mounting portion configured to be attached to a coupling plate of a commercial vehicle and a second coupling portion, wherein the first and second coupling portions are configured to be coupled together along a coupling axis such that the coupling axis is substantially parallel to the axis of rotation and spaced from the axis of rotation, and such that the first coupling portion is displaceable relative to the rotor and/or the second coupling portion is displaceable relative to the mounting portion along the coupling axis to engage or disengage the respective opposite coupling portion.