Abstract
A connection system for use on a fifth-wheel coupling includes first and second connection units each including a carrier unit and a plug-in unit each having a coupling axis and mounted on the respective carrier unit so as to be able to pivot about a respective pivot axis, a, the first and second plug-in units respectively including a coupling region of an electrical line element and/or a fluid-conveying line, the second connection unit mounted on a semi-trailer to be pivotable about a pivot axis such that the second connection unit can be moved into a coupling position, wherein the second pivot axis extends parallel to the first pivot axis when the second connection unit is in the coupling position, and wherein the first coupling axis is essentially collinear with the second coupling axis if the first and second plug-in units are in the coupling position.
Claims
1.-15. (canceled)
16. A connection system for use on a fifth-wheel coupling, comprising: a first connection unit configured to be fixed to a towing vehicle; and a second connection unit configured to be fixed to a semi-trailer; wherein the first connection unit further comprises a first carrier unit and a first plug-in unit having a first coupling axis; wherein the first plug-in unit is mounted on the first carrier unit so as to be able to pivot about a first pivot axis; wherein the second connection unit comprises a second carrier unit and a second plug-in unit having a second coupling axis; wherein the second plug-in unit is mounted on the second carrier unit so as to be able to pivot about a second pivot axis; wherein the first plug-in unit and the second plug-in unit respectively comprise at least one coupling region of an electrical line element and/or at least one fluid-conveying line; wherein the second connection unit is mounted on the semi-trailer so to be able to pivot about a third pivot axis in such a manner that the connection unit can be moved into a coupling position, wherein when the second connection unit is in the coupling position the second pivot axis extends parallel to the first pivot axis; wherein the first coupling axis is oriented essentially in a collinear manner with respect to the second coupling axis if the first plug-in unit and the second plug-in unit are located in the coupling position.
17. The connection system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the first plug-in unit may be moved to an idle position, wherein a restoring member engages with the first plug-in unit and/or the center of gravity of the first plug-in unit is spaced apart from the first pivot axis such that a restoring force that leads to the idle position is prevailing at the first plug-in unit.
18. The connection system as claimed in 17, wherein the second plug-in unit may be moved to an idle position, wherein the first plug-in unit and/or the second plug-in unit are able to pivot with a maximal pivot angle of between 7 to 40 out of the idle position in at least one direction.
19. The connection system of claim 18, wherein the maximal pivot angle is 10 to 30.
20. The connection system of claim 19, wherein the maximal pivot angle is 10 to 20.
21. The connection system as claimed in claim 17, wherein a center of gravity of the first plug-in unit is spaced apart from the first pivot axis 0.1 to 0.5 times the maximal length of the first plug-in unit measured along the first coupling axis.
22. The connection system of claim 21, wherein the center of gravity of the first plug-in unit is spaced apart from the first pivot axis with a 0.1 to 0.3 times the maximal length of the first plug-in unit measured along the first coupling axis.
23. The connection system as claimed in one claim 16, wherein at least one of the plug-in units further comprises a delimited floating mounting arrangement.
24. The connection system as claimed in one claim 17, wherein when the first plug-in unit is in the idle position the first coupling axis is oriented parallel to a surface on which the towing vehicle is standing.
25. The connection system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the first plug-in unit further comprises at least one connector head that comprises an engagement member for engaging with the second plug-in unit, wherein the first connector head is pre-stressed by a restoring member with respect to a first base part of the first plug-in unit, and wherein the restoring member is configured to allow the first connector head to be displaced in a resilient manner along the first coupling axis relative to the first base part.
26. The connection system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the second plug-in unit is influenced by a restoring member with a restoring force which guides the second plug-in unit into an idle position relative to the second carrier unit, and wherein the second plug-in unit can be pivoted in both pivot directions about the second pivot axis against the respective restoring force of the restoring member.
27. The connection system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the first connection unit is fixed below the coupling plate of a fifth-wheel coupling, and wherein the second connection unit is fixed directly or adjacent to a kingpin of the semi-trailer.
28. The connection system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the second carrier unit comprises a guiding region that allows the second plug-in unit to be displaced in a transverse manner with respect to the second pivot axis along a guide path and secures the second plug-in unit against being displaced in a transverse manner with respect to the guide path.
29. The connection system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the guiding region is embodied as an elongated hole and the guide path is a straight line.
30. The connection system as claimed in claim 16, wherein an insertion aid is fixed indirectly or directly to the first carrier unit and/or to the second carrier unit and the insertion aid pivots the respectively opposite-lying plug-in unit during the coupling procedure such that the coupling axes move into collinearity with one another.
31. A connection unit for use on a fifth-wheel coupling, comprising: a carrier unit; and a plug-in unit; wherein the carrier unit is configured to be fixed to a towing vehicle or to a semi-trailer; wherein the plug-in unit is mounted on the carrier unit in such a manner as to be able to pivot about a pivot axis; wherein the plug-in unit comprises at least one connector head that is configured for coupling to a further plug-in unit and comprises at least one coupling region of an electrical line element and/or at least one fluid-conveying line; wherein the coupling region has a constant cross section along a coupling axis; wherein the coupling axis is perpendicular with respect to the pivot axis; and wherein the plug-in unit is fixed to the carrier unit in such a manner that the coupling axis intersects the pivot axis.
32. The connection unit as claimed in claim 31, wherein the connector head is pre-stressed with respect to a base part of the first plug-in unit by a first restoring member, and wherein the first restoring member allows the connector head to be displaced in a resilient manner along the first coupling axis relative to the first base par.
33. The connection unit as claimed in claim 31, wherein a stop is provided on the carrier unit, and wherein in its idle position the plug-in unit lies against the stop.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] Further advantages and aspects of the present invention emerge from the following description with reference to the attached figures. It goes without saying that individual features that are illustrated only in one of the figures can also be used in other embodiments insofar as this is not explicitly excluded or forbidden owing to technical conditions.
[0023] In the drawings:
[0024] FIG. 1 is an in-part sectional side elevation view of a connection system;
[0025] FIG. 2 is an in-part sectional side elevation view of a connection system in the coupled-together state;
[0026] FIG. 3 is a sectional side elevation view of a further embodiment of a connection system in the coupled-together state;
[0027] FIG. 4 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of a second connection unit;
[0028] FIG. 5 is a detailed view of a preferred embodiment of the second connection unit; and
[0029] FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of a plug-in unit.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0030] In the case of the preferred embodiment of the connection system in accordance with the invention illustrated in FIG. 1, a first connection unit 2 is fixed to a fifth-wheel coupling plate, not illustrated, of a fifth-wheel coupling, not illustrated, and a second connection unit 4 is fixed in the region of the kingpin, a section of said kingpin being illustrated in the figure. The first connection unit 2 comprises in this case a first carrier unit 21 to which a first plug-in unit 22 is fixed in such a manner that said first plug-in unit is able to pivot about a first pivot axis. The first plug-in unit 22 comprises a base section 26 and a connector head 24, wherein the connector head is pre-stressed along the first coupling axis K.sub.1 by means of a first restoring means 27. The first restoring means 27 is embodied in this preferred embodiment as a coil spring and is used in particular for the purpose of providing a spacing between the connector head 24 and the first base section 26. The first plug-in unit 22 comprises in this case its greatest extension and thus its length parallel to the first coupling axis K.sub.1. FIG. 1 illustrates the first plug-in unit 22 in this case in two positions: once in its idle position in which the first coupling axis K.sub.1 is oriented in an essentially horizontal manner and on the other hand in a pivoted position in which the coupling axis K.sub.1 is pivoted about an angle of approx. 20 to 30 upwards out of the horizontal position. A stop 6 is provided on the face of the first plug-in unit 22, said face being remote from the connector head 24 and the plug-in unit 22 comes to lie against said stop when said plug-in unit is located in its idle position. In the case of this preferred embodiment, the first plug-in unit 22 can thus not be pivoted downwards out of the horizontal position or it is held in an at least horizontal position. It is hereby particularly preferred that it is possible without a pivot movement to perform a horizontal coupling to a second plug-in unit 4 that is fixed to the semi-trailer B. Furthermore, the figure also illustrates the center of gravity P.sub.1 of the first plug-in unit 22 that in the figure is offset to the right spaced apart from the first pivot axis S.sub.1. The weight force of the first plug-in unit 22 is considered simply at this point and thus pivots the first plug-in unit 22 in the direction of its idle position, in other words in the direction of a horizontal position. The stop 6 is advantageously fixed to the first carrier unit 21 or is embodied as one piece with said first carrier unit. The second plug-in unit 42 is likewise illustrated in two pivot positions, wherein the section plug-in unit 42 can be pivoted both upwards and also downwards and the second plug-in unit 42 is adjusted into the idle position by way of a restoring element (cf. in this regard FIG. 5). A guiding geometric shape 46 is embodied on the second carrier unit 41 and said guiding geometric shape renders it possible for the second plug-in unit 42 to be displaced along a guide path F. In the present illustrated example, the guide path F is a straight line and the guiding geometric shape 46 is embodied as an elongated hole in the sheet metal-like vertically-oriented part of the carrier unit 41. The guiding geometric shape 46 renders it possible in this case for the second plug-in unit 42 to perform a transversal movement in an oblique manner upwards or in an oblique manner downwards, wherein in particular the vertical portion of this displacement contributes to the fact that the second plug-in unit 42 can be displaced relative to the first plug-in unit 22 in such a manner that the connector head 24 can engage with the second coupling region 45 on the second plug-in unit 42 without thereby considerable transverse forces occurring, in other words without forces occurring in a transverse manner with respect to the coupling axes K.sub.1 and K.sub.2. In the case of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the first pivot axis S.sub.1 is in this case preferably arranged at approximately the same height with regard to the horizontal as the second pivot axis S.sub.2. This leads to the fact that only a slight pivot movement of the first plug-in unit 22 and of the second plug-in unit 42 is necessary in order to realize a corresponding collinear orientation of the first coupling axis K.sub.1 with respect to the second coupling axis K.sub.2.
[0031] FIG. 2 finally illustrates the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 of the connection system in accordance with the invention in the coupled-together state. In this case, the first coupling axis K.sub.1 is oriented in a collinear manner with respect to the second coupling axis K.sub.2 and the connector head 24 of the first plug-in unit 22 engages with the coupling region 45 on the second plug-in unit 42. The first plug-in unit 22 is advantageously located in this case in its idle position, in other words in the present example essentially in a horizontal position, and lies against its stop 6.
[0032] FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, wherein so as to couple the first plug-in unit 22 and the second plug-in unit 42 in particular an oblique orientation of the first coupling axis K.sub.1 and the second coupling axis K.sub.2 is provided. The first connection unit 2 is constructed and arranged in an identical manner in this case to the first connection unit 2 that is illustrated in the FIGS. 1 and 2. The second connection unit 4 comprises a second carrier unit 41 that comprises a shorter extension in the vertical direction. In the case of this embodiment, an insertion aid 5 is advantageously fixed to the second connection unit 4, in particular as one piece directly to the second carrier unit 41. During the procedure of coupling the fifth-wheel coupling pin of the semi-trailer B, the first plug-in unit 22 is pivoted upwards along the insertion aid 5 in such a manner that said first plug-in unit can engage with the second plug-in unit 42. A similar insertion aid is preferably also arranged on the towing vehicle A and ensures that the second plug-in unit 42 of the embodiments of the FIGS. 1-3 is pivoted accordingly downwards with the result that finally a collinear orientation of the first coupling axis K.sub.1 and the second coupling axis K.sub.2 is realized, and the first plug-in unit 22 and the second plug-in unit 42 can be inserted one inside the other in a low-resistance and low-stress manner as possible.
[0033] FIG. 4 illustrates a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the second connection unit 4, wherein it is apparent that the second connection unit 4 advantageously comprises three second plug-in units 42 that are each equipped with accordingly one coupling region 45. The second plug-in units 42 can in this case pivot preferably cohesively about the second pivot axis S.sub.2 and render it possible to produce multiple connections to the first connection unit 2 (not illustrated here) and to connect a multiplicity of individual line elements. It goes without saying that in addition to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, further embodiments can be preferred in which at least two, advantageously up to six, plug-in units can be provided both on the first connection unit and also on the second connection unit in order to be able to transmit a multiplicity of electrical signals, electrical signals and power, and also fluid pressure.
[0034] FIG. 5 illustrates a detailed view of a preferred embodiment of the second connection unit 4 in which the second plug-in unit 42 is pre-stressed and held in its idle position that is illustrated in FIG. 5 by way of a second restoring means 47, wherein a pivot movement of the second plug-in unit 42 is possible both upwards and also downwards and in this case the second restoring means 47 generates a corresponding restoring force. The second restoring means 47 supports itself advantageously in this case on the inner face of the guiding geometric shape 46 and transmits via two corresponding resilient sections in each case a restoring force to the schematically illustrated rectangular geometric shape of the second plug-in unit 42. In an alternative embodiment that is not illustrated here, the second restoring means 47 can also be embodied as a rubber element that comprises an elongated section that in turn engages with the guiding geometric shape 46 and accordingly generates a corresponding restoring force by way of an elastic deformation of the rubber element as the second plug-in unit 42 pivots relative to the guiding geometric shape 46 and thus relative to the carrier unit 41. A rubber element has the advantage that this can in addition still have a damping effect on a pivot movement of the second plug-in unit.
[0035] FIG. 6 illustrates a detailed view of the floating mounting arrangement on one of the plug-in units 22, 42. By way of example, this figure illustrates the first plug-in unit 22 that is arranged and fixed below the fifth-wheel coupling plate on the towing vehicle A. In this case, the connector head 24 illustrated in FIG. 1 that is mounted on the base part 26 (indicated by the broken line) by way of guide pins 28 is illustrated in this view as seen from above. In this case, a clearance of 1 mm to 5 mm is provided between the receiving bore holes on the connector head 24 and the guide pins 28, which renders it possible to offset the connector head 24 in a transverse manner with respect to the first coupling axis K.sub.1 and thus facilitates a coupling with the opposite-lying plug-in unit 42 if this is slightly oblique and/or offset. In this case, a slight rotation about the longitudinal axis of the towing vehicle can occur in the millimeter range, for example up to 2 deflection. Advantageously, the previously described delimited floating mounting arrangement on the plug-in unit, in the present example on the first plug-in unit 22, is realized by means of the connector head 24 being mounted in a floating manner.
TABLE-US-00001 Reference Numerals 2 - First connection unit 21 - First carrier unit 22 - First plug-in unit 24 - First connector head 25 - First coupling region 26 - First base part 27 - First restoring means 28 - Guide pins 4 - Second connection unit 41 - Second carrier unit 42 - Second plug-in unit 45 - Second coupling region 46 - Guiding geometric shape 47 - Second restoring means 5 - Insertion aid 6 - Stop A - Towing vehicle B - Semi-trailer F - Guide path K.sub.1 - First coupling axis K.sub.2 - Second coupling axis P.sub.1 - First center of gravity S.sub.1 - First pivot axis S.sub.2 - Second pivot axis S.sub.3 - Third pivot axis
