FIFTH WHEEL, FIFTH WHEEL COUPLING SYSTEM, COMMERCIAL VEHICLE, AND COMMERCIAL VEHICLE COMBINATION

Abstract

A fifth wheel includes a fifth wheel plate, a plug, a drive, and a guide arrangement for the plug, wherein the fifth wheel plate has a semi-trailer surface that has an outwardly pointing normal, that is parallel to a vertical direction wherein the fifth wheel plate has an insertion opening that extends in an insertion direction, wherein the plug is displaceable by the drive from a first, in particular retracted, position into a second position, in particular an extended position, wherein the plug is guided from the first position into the second position and/or from the second position into the first position by the guide arrangement, wherein an offset in the vertical direction and in the insertion direction is present between the first position and the second position.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A fifth wheel, comprising: a fifth wheel plate including a semi-trailer surface and an insertion opening, wherein the semi-trailer surface has an outwardly pointing normal that is substantially parallel to a vertical direction and wherein the insertion opening extends in an insertion direction; a drive; a plug displaceable from a retracted first position into an extended second position by the drive; and a guide arrangement, wherein the plug is guided by the guide arrangement from the first position into the second position and/or from the second position into the first position; and wherein an offset in the vertical direction and in the insertion direction is present between the first position and the second position.

17. The fifth wheel as claimed in claim 16, wherein the drive comprises an electric motor or a lifting cylinder.

18. The fifth wheel as claimed in claim 16, wherein the guide arrangement is fixedly connected to the fifth wheel plate and/or is fixed at the fifth wheel plate.

19. The fifth wheel as claimed in claim 16, wherein the guide arrangement includes a guide rail arrangement.

20. The fifth wheel as claimed in claim 16, wherein the plug includes a guiding device, and wherein the plug is guided at the guide arrangement via the guiding device.

21. The fifth wheel as claimed in claim 20, wherein the guiding device includes at least one support element, and wherein the support element includes a roller element.

22. The fifth wheel as claimed in claim 21, wherein the at least one support element includes at least three roller elements.

23. The fifth wheel as claimed in claim 16, wherein the plug has a connecting area, wherein the plug is connected to the drive via the connecting area, and wherein the connecting area includes an oblong hole.

24. The fifth wheel of claim 16, further comprising: a clamping device and/or a stop, wherein the clamping device and/or the stop is configured to fix and/or hold the plug in the vertical direction and/or in the insertion direction in the first position.

25. The fifth wheel as claimed in claim 16, wherein the plug has at least one guide prong, wherein the guide prong forms a distal end area of the plug in the insertion direction.

26. The fifth wheel as claimed in claim 16, wherein the guide arrangement has a gradient angle in a range from 0 to 25.

27. The fifth wheel of claim 26, wherein the range of the gradient angle is from 0 to 20.

28. The fifth wheel of claim 27, wherein the range of the gradient angle is from 0 to 16.

29. The fifth wheel as claimed in claim 16, wherein the plug has a cover.

30. A fifth wheel coupling system, comprising: the fifth wheel as claimed in claim 16; and a fifth wheel coupling partner comprising: a kingpin extending in a kingpin direction that is substantially parallel to the vertical direction in a coupled state; an extension arm arranged at the fifth wheel coupling partner so as to be pivotable about the kingpin; a complementary plug arranged at the extension arm, and configured to be insertable into a plug connection with the plug of the fifth wheel.

31. A commercial vehicle arrangement, comprising: a tractor that includes the fifth wheel as claimed in claim 16.

32. The commercial vehicle arrangement of claim 31, further comprising: one further commercial vehicle that includes a commercial vehicle trailer; and the fifth wheel coupling system as claimed in claim 30.

33. A fifth wheel, comprising: a fifth wheel plate including a semi-trailer surface and an insertion opening configured to receive a kingpin therein, wherein the semi-trailer surface has an outwardly pointing normal that is substantially parallel to a vertical direction; a plug configured to move in an insertion direction between an uninserted position where the plug is spaced from a complimentary plug and an inserted position where the plug is inserted into the complimentary plug; a drive configured to displace the plug along a guide path from a first position to a second position and move the plug from the uninserted position to the inserted position; and a guide arrangement configured to guide the plug along the guide path as the plug is displaced between the first and second positions; wherein a gradient angle between the insertion direction and the guide path is between about 0 and about 25.

34. The fifth wheel as defined in claim 33, wherein the insertion direction is substantially parallel with the semi-trailer surface.

35. The fifth wheel as defined in claim 33, wherein the gradient angle is between about 0 and about 20.

36. The fifth wheel as defined in claim 35, wherein the gradient angle is between about 0 and about 10.

37. The fifth wheel as defined in claim 33, wherein the first position includes a retracted position and the second position includes an extended position.

38. A fifth wheel coupling system, comprising: the fifth wheel as defined in claim 33; and a fifth wheel coupling partner, comprising: the kingpin, wherein the kingpin extends in a direction that is substantially parallel with the vertical direction when the kingpin is received within the insertion opening; an extension arm pivotable about the kingpin; and the complementary plug, wherein the complementary plug is arranged on the extension arm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] Further advantages and features of the present invention can be gathered from the following description with reference to the figures. Individual features disclosed in the embodiments shown can also be used in other embodiments, provided this has not been expressly ruled out. In the drawings:

[0038] FIG. 1 shows a side elevation view of a fifth wheel;

[0039] FIGS. 2 and 3 show side elevation views of sections from a fifth wheel;

[0040] FIG. 4 shows an exploded side elevation view of a fifth wheel and a fifth wheel coupling system;

[0041] FIG. 5 shows a side elevation view of a further embodiment of a fifth wheel coupling system; and

[0042] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a fifth wheel plate and of an extension arm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] A fifth wheel 1 is shown in FIG. 1. The fifth wheel 1 includes a fifth wheel plate 10, which forms a semi-trailer surface 12. The semi-trailer surface 12 has an outwardly pointing normal N12. This outwardly pointing normal N12 is parallel to the vertical direction H. The vertical direction H is perpendicular to the insertion direction E. The transverse direction is not shown in FIG. 1, the transverse direction being perpendicular to the insertion direction E and/or perpendicular to the vertical direction H. The insertion direction E is in particular the direction that a kingpin must take in order to be inserted into the insertion openings 14 (not visible in FIG. 1) of the fifth wheel plate 10 into the coupling position. The guide arrangement 20 is fixed at the fifth wheel plate 10. The plug 50 is guided by the guide arrangement 20, in particular via the rollers 54. The guide arrangement 20 is formed as a guide rail arrangement. In order to displace the plug 50 from the first position into the second position, the fifth wheel 1 has a drive 60, which is fixed at the plug 50 via the connecting area 56 of the plug 50. The plug 50 is used, in particular in the second position, for entering into a plug connection with the complementary plug 140. The plug 50 is mounted at the extension arm 120, wherein the complementary plug 140 is located at least in sections between the limbs 122 of the extension arm 120.

[0044] FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of a fifth wheel 1. In particular, the detail area shown in FIG. 2 can correspond to the area marked with the circle in FIG. 1. As is apparent in FIG. 2, the plug 50 has, in its connecting area 56, an oblong hole 58, by means of which the plug 50 can receive forces from the drive 60. The plug 50 is guided at the guide arrangement 20 via a guiding device. The guiding device includes at least three rollers 54, each of which has a running surface formed from rubber. The rollers 54 are used for supporting the plug 50 with respect to the guide arrangement 20. The guide arrangement 20 has two gradient angles W1. In the position shown in FIG. 2, the plug 50 is in the first position, and so the plug 50 is unable or not intended to enter into a plug connection with a complementary plug in this position. The plug 50 includes a cover 59 and laterally arranged guide prongs 70.

[0045] FIG. 3 also shows a detailed view of a fifth wheel 1, wherein the fifth wheel 1 is in the second position and the plug 50 of the fifth wheel 1 is in the second position. In other words, the situation represented in FIG. 3 can correspond to an inserted plug. As is apparent from the comparison of FIGS. 2 and 3, the plug 50 has been displaced from the first position into the second position in the vertical direction H and also in the insertion direction E. In principle, the situation represented in FIG. 3 can go along with the situation in FIG. 2 and/or the detail area from FIG. 1.

[0046] FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of a fifth wheel 1 according to the invention. The fifth wheel 1 also includes a fifth wheel plate 10, a plug 50, a drive 60, and a guide arrangement 20. The guide arrangement 20 is fixedly connected to the fifth wheel plate 10 and is fixed at the fifth wheel plate 10. The guide arrangement 20 can be made at least partially from sheet metal. The plug 50 also includes a cover 59, which is configured for being able to displace the cap 142 of the complementary plug 140. In FIG. 4, the plug and the fifth wheel 1 are in the first position.

[0047] FIG. 5 shows one further embodiment of a fifth wheel 1, which, in principle, can go along with the embodiments shown in FIG. 4, wherein, in FIG. 5, however, the plug 50 is in the second position, which in particular can also be referred to as an inserted position or as a plugged position.

[0048] FIG. 6 shows an isometric view of a fifth wheel plate 10 of a fifth wheel 1, wherein the extension arm 120 of the fifth wheel coupling partner is located in the insertion opening 14 of the fifth wheel plate 10. The insertion opening 14 extends in an insertion direction E. The extension arm 120 has two limbs 122, which are designed in the shape of a V with respect to each other in one section. The complementary plug 140 is located between the limbs 122 and is rotatorally mounted at the limbs 122.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0049] 1fifth wheel [0050] 10fifth wheel plate [0051] 12semi-trailer surface [0052] 14insertion opening [0053] 20guide arrangement [0054] 50plug [0055] 54roller [0056] 56connecting area [0057] 58oblong hole [0058] 59cover [0059] 60drive [0060] 70guide prong [0061] 120extension arm [0062] 122limb [0063] 140complementary plug [0064] 142cap [0065] Einsertion direction [0066] Hvertical direction [0067] N12outwardly pointing normal of the semi-trailer surface [0068] W1gradient angle