KINGPIN ARRANGEMENT

Abstract

A kingpin arrangement for an automatic coupling system including a kingpin extending in a kingpin direction, a turntable mounted rotatably about the kingpin direction relative to the kingpin and mounted on a plain-bearing, the turntable having an opening, through which the kingpin extends, and a support structure extending in a radial direction, the support structure including a fastener for indirectly and/or directly fastening and/or for mounting a plug connector, the support structure being fixed indirectly and/or directly to an end of the turntable.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A kingpin arrangement for an automatic coupling system, comprising: a kingpin; a turntable; and a support structure; wherein the kingpin extends in a kingpin direction; wherein the turntable is mounted rotatably about the kingpin direction relative to the kingpin on a plain-bearing; wherein the turntable has an opening through which the kingpin extends; wherein the support structure extends in a radial direction; wherein the support structure comprises a fastener configured to indirectly and/or directly fastening and/or mounting a plug connector; and wherein a first end of the support structure is fixed indirectly and/or directly to the turntable; wherein the support structure includes two legs; wherein each of the legs is indirectly and/or directly fixed to the turntable; and wherein the kingpin is at least partially arranged between the two legs.

17. The kingpin arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the support structure projects beyond the turntable in the radial direction.

18. The kingpin arrangement according to claim 16, wherein a distance between the kingpin and the first end of the support structure is a maximum of about 35 mm.

19. The kingpin arrangement of claim 18, wherein the maximum of the distance is 10 mm.

20. The kingpin arrangement of claim 19, wherein the maximum of the distance is 5 mm.

21. The kingpin arrangement according to claim 16, wherein a ratio of a distance between the kingpin and the support structure to a maximum diameter of the turntable is in a range from about 0.002 to about 0.3.

22. The kingpin arrangement of claim 21, wherein the range is from 0.005 to 0.2.

23. The kingpin arrangement of claim 22, wherein the range is from 0.01 to 0.13.

24. The kingpin arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the support structure comprises a V-shape pointing towards the kingpin.

25. The kingpin arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the turntable has an outer diameter of less than or equal to 400 mm.

26. The kingpin arrangement of claim 25, wherein the outer diameter is less than or equal to 300 mm.

27. The kingpin arrangement of claim 26, wherein the outer diameter is less than or equal to 250 mm.

28. The kingpin arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the turntable at least partially comprises brass and/or bronze.

29. The kingpin arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the turntable has at least one aperture configured to receive cables and/or lines therethrough.

30. The kingpin arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the aperture opens between the two legs.

31. The kingpin arrangement according to claim 16, further comprising: a dome, wherein the kingpin is indirectly and/or directly attached to the dome, and wherein the dome has a mounting face configured to secure the dome to a trailer.

32. The kingpin arrangement according to claim 31, further comprising: an end plate, arranged indirectly and/or directly at the dome, and wherein the turntable is arranged at least in sections between the end plate and the dome, and wherein at least one bearing section of the turntable lying on the outside in the radial direction is arranged between the dome and the end plate, such that a displaceability of the turntable in the kingpin direction and in the radial direction is positively prevented by the dome and/or by the end plate.

33. The kingpin arrangement according to claim 32, wherein the turntable is mounted on a plain-bearing with respect to the end plate and/or wherein the turntable is mounted on a plain-bearing with respect to the dome.

34. The kingpin arrangement according to claim 32, wherein a slide ring is arranged between the dome and the turntable and/or between the turntable and the end plate.

35. The kingpin arrangement according to claim 16, wherein a wrap angle of the support structure measured from the kingpin direction and in a plane having a normal that is parallel to the kingpin direction is within a range of 70° to 190°.

36. The kingpin arrangement of claim 35, wherein the range is 90° to 150°.

37. The kingpin arrangement of claim 36, wherein the range is 110° to 140°.

Description

[0026] Further advantages and features of the present invention result from the following description with reference to the figures. Individual features of the embodiment shown can also be used in other embodiments, unless this has been expressly excluded. It is shown in:

[0027] FIG. 1 a perspective view of a kingpin arrangement;

[0028] FIG. 2 a view of a kingpin arrangement in kingpin direction;

[0029] FIG. 3 a sectional view through a kingpin arrangement.

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a kingpin arrangement 1. This kingpin arrangement 1 has a kingpin 10, a turntable 20 and a support structure 30. The kingpin 10 extends through an opening 22. The support structure 30 is reversibly fixed to the turntable 20 with a first end 34. At the other distal end of the support structure 30, the latter has fastening means 32 in the form of holes, by means of which fastening means a plug connector for an automatic coupling system can be fixed to the support structure 30. A V-shaped area extends between the first end 34 and the other distal end of the support structure 30. The support structure 30 is designed in such a way that it has two legs 36 which are connected to each other via intermediate elements.

[0031] FIG. 2 shows a view of a kingpin arrangement in the direction of the kingpin direction R10. This kingpin direction R10 is the direction in which the kingpin 10 extends and also, in particular, the direction about which the kingpin 10 is at least partially rotationally symmetrical. In addition to the kingpin, the kingpin arrangement according to the invention also has a turntable 20 and a support structure 30. The support structure 30 extends in the radial direction R and also has two laterally bordering legs 36, which are V-shaped at least in some areas. In FIG. 2 it can be seen that the V-shaped section is designed to face the kingpin 10. As can be seen from FIG. 2, the kingpin 10 is at least partially arranged between components of the support structure 30, because at least parts of the support structure 30 extend on both sides to the kingpin 10. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the support structure 30 is formed in such a way that each leg 36 forms a first end 34 which is fixed to the turntable 22. The turntable 20 has an aperture 24 which opens between the two legs 36. Cables are guided within or through this aperture 24. The turntable 20 is positively secured against displacement in the direction of the kingpin by the end plate 50. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the wrap angle W surrounding the support structure 30 is also visible.

[0032] FIG. 3 shows a sectional view through a part of a kingpin arrangement. The sectional plane is designed in such a way that it has a normal parallel to the radial direction R. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the kingpin arrangement has a dome 40, with the bearing section 26 of the turntable 20 being located between the dome 40 and the end plate 50. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the turntable 20 has an opening 22 through which the kingpin 10 extending in the kingpin direction R10 extends. The dome 40 serves to support the kingpin 10 as well as the turntable 20 and the end plate 50 with respect to a trailer or a base plate of a trailer.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0033] 1—kingpin arrangement [0034] 10—kingpin [0035] 20—turntable [0036] 22—opening [0037] 24—aperture [0038] 26—bearing section of the turntable [0039] 30—support structure [0040] 32—fastening means [0041] 34—first end [0042] 36—leg [0043] 40—Dome [0044] 50—end plate [0045] R—radial direction [0046] R10—kingpin direction [0047] W—wrap angle