In order to connect a trailer hitch, comprising a ball neck, which is movable between an operative 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 the vehicle by means of a carrier that is configured to be secured to a vehicle body, wherein by means of the pivot bearing unit, which has a pivot bearing housing, the pivot bearing body is mounted such that it is pivotal about a pivot axis between the operative position and the rest position, and a rotation-blocking device that, in at least one rotation-blocking position, blocks a pivotal movement of the pivot bearing body about the pivot axis in relation to the pivot bearing unit and, in a release position, releases such pivotal movement, to the carrier in a manner that is stable and simple to assemble, it is proposed that the pivot bearing housing should pass through a receptacle in a bearing part of the carrier and in so doing be held by positively engaging elements such that it cannot rotate in relation thereto, and that on either side of the receptacle the pivot bearing housing should be fixed by support bodies that abut against the bearing part and are supported against both the pivot bearing housing and the bearing part.

In order to connect a trailer hitch, comprising a ball neck, which is movable between an operative 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 the vehicle by means of a carrier that is configured to be secured to a vehicle body, wherein by means of the pivot bearing unit, which has a pivot bearing housing, the pivot bearing body is mounted such that it is pivotal about a pivot axis between the operative position and the rest position, and a rotation-blocking device that, in at least one rotation-blocking position, blocks a pivotal movement of the pivot bearing body about the pivot axis in relation to the pivot bearing unit and, in a release position, releases such pivotal movement, to the carrier in a manner that is stable and simple to assemble, it is proposed that the pivot bearing housing should pass through a receptacle in a bearing part of the carrier and in so doing be held by positively engaging elements such that it cannot rotate in relation thereto, and that on either side of the receptacle the pivot bearing housing should be fixed by support bodies that abut against the bearing part and are supported against both the pivot bearing housing and the bearing part.

In order to improve an installation unit for a carrier unit that is mounted on a body of a motor vehicle, comprising a housing having a first housing portion that is supported on one side of the carrier unit, a second housing portion that passes through a receptacle in the carrier unit, and a mounting body that is opposite the first housing portion and is supported on the carrier unit on a side remote from the first housing portion and, when the installation unit is mounted on the carrier unit, is fixed by latching elements, wherein the mounting body has a base body to which the second latching elements are connected, and the mounting body cooperates with support elements that are supported against the carrier unit, in such a way that the connection between the latching elements is on the one hand stable over the long term and on the other can be released easily, it proposed that the second latching elements should be connected to the base body by latching element carriers, and that the latching element carriers should have, on a side facing the second housing portion, pressure faces by way of which the latching element carriers are configured to be urged such that the second latching elements are disengaged from the first latching elements provided on the second housing portion.

In order to improve an installation unit for a carrier unit that is mounted on a body of a motor vehicle, comprising a housing having a first housing portion that is supported on one side of the carrier unit, a second housing portion that passes through a receptacle in the carrier unit, and a mounting body that is opposite the first housing portion and is supported on the carrier unit on a side remote from the first housing portion and, when the installation unit is mounted on the carrier unit, is fixed by latching elements, wherein the mounting body has a base body to which the second latching elements are connected, and the mounting body cooperates with support elements that are supported against the carrier unit, in such a way that the connection between the latching elements is on the one hand stable over the long term and on the other can be released easily, it proposed that the second latching elements should be connected to the base body by latching element carriers, and that the latching element carriers should have, on a side facing the second housing portion, pressure faces by way of which the latching element carriers are configured to be urged such that the second latching elements are disengaged from the first latching elements provided on the second housing portion.

To improve a trailer device for a motor vehicle, comprising a holding unit for a crossmember mountable on a vehicle body on the rear-end side thereof and a ball neck receiving body having a ball neck receptacle, into which an insertion portion of a ball neck carrying a coupling ball is insertable and fixable, wherein the ball neck receiving body is arranged mounted on the holding unit so as to be pivotable at least between a working position, in which a ball neck is insertable by means of its insertion portion into the ball neck receptacle, and a rest position, it is proposed that the trailer device comprises a drive, which is coupled to the ball neck receiving body by means of a coupling unit which has a freewheel and which in particular comprises a plurality of coupling elements.

A trailer coupling mechanism includes a first end, a second end, a height adjustment assembly, a first swivel assembly, and a second swivel assembly. The first end is adapted to couple to one of a trailer and a vehicle. The second end is adapted to couple to the other of the trailer and the vehicle. The height adjustment assembly is coupled between the first and second ends and is operative to adjust the relative height between the first and second ends. The first swivel assembly is coupled between the height adjustment assembly and the first end and facilitates rotation of the first end with respect to the height adjustment assembly about a first axis. The second swivel assembly is coupled between the second end and the height adjustment assembly and facilitates rotation of the height adjustment assembly with respect to the second end about a second axis parallel to the first axis.

A trailer coupling mechanism includes a first end, a second end, a height adjustment assembly, a first swivel assembly, and a second swivel assembly. The first end is adapted to couple to one of a trailer and a vehicle. The second end is adapted to couple to the other of the trailer and the vehicle. The height adjustment assembly is coupled between the first and second ends and is operative to adjust the relative height between the first and second ends. The first swivel assembly is coupled between the height adjustment assembly and the first end and facilitates rotation of the first end with respect to the height adjustment assembly about a first axis. The second swivel assembly is coupled between the second end and the height adjustment assembly and facilitates rotation of the height adjustment assembly with respect to the second end about a second axis parallel to the first axis.

A hitch system includes an upper hitch portion that is configured to couple to a trailer coupler portion and to a vehicle coupler portion to provide multiple degrees of rotational freedom as well as longitudinal coupling for towing the trailer by the vehicle. A weight distributing lower hitch portion couples to the upper hitch portion about a transverse axis. The weight distributing lower hitch portion includes spring bars extending to rearward points on a frame of the trailer between a tongue of the trailer and the axle of the trailer. The upper hitch portion and lower hitch portion are biased away from each other and hence bias the spring bars away from the trailer frame. The spring bars may then be coupled to the trailer frame by using respective levers to transfer weight distribution.

A hitch system includes an upper hitch portion that is configured to couple to a trailer coupler portion and to a vehicle coupler portion to provide multiple degrees of rotational freedom as well as longitudinal coupling for towing the trailer by the vehicle. A weight distributing lower hitch portion couples to the upper hitch portion about a transverse axis. The weight distributing lower hitch portion includes spring bars extending to rearward points on a frame of the trailer between a tongue of the trailer and the axle of the trailer. The upper hitch portion and lower hitch portion are biased away from each other and hence bias the spring bars away from the trailer frame. The spring bars may then be coupled to the trailer frame by using respective levers to transfer weight distribution.

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.