Systems and methods for manufacturing a drop bar
Patent No. US7222510 (titled "Systems and methods for manufacturing a drop bar") on Feb 21, 2006. The application was issued on May 29, 2007.
What is this patent about?
'510 is related to the field of towing accessories, specifically to hitches used to connect a trailer to a vehicle. Traditionally, these hitches are made of steel, which presents problems such as rusting, potential fusing to the hitch adapter, and relatively high weight. The invention addresses these issues by using aluminum in the hitch construction.
The underlying idea behind '510 is to leverage the properties of aluminum to create a better hitch. Instead of fabricating a hitch from multiple steel components welded together, the patent proposes forming the hitch, or at least a substantial portion of it, from extruded aluminum. This allows for a lighter, stronger, and corrosion-resistant hitch component.
The claims of '510 focus on methods for manufacturing drop bars for towing using aluminum extrusion. The method involves extruding aluminum through a die to create a profile shaped like a drop bar, cutting the extruded profile into individual drop bars, and configuring the end of the drop bar for insertion into a hitch adapter with a coupling mechanism to secure it.
The manufacturing process starts with a billet of aluminum, preferably an alloy like 6061-T6 or 7075-T6 for high strength. This billet is forced through a die with the desired cross-sectional shape of the drop bar. After extrusion, the resulting profile is cut into individual bars. Machining operations, such as creating a radius on edges and drilling holes for attaching a ball mount and securing the bar to the hitch adapter, complete the process.
This approach differs from traditional steel hitches in several key aspects. The use of aluminum eliminates the problem of rust and the associated fusing to the hitch adapter. The extrusion process allows for creating complex shapes with uniform strength, potentially exceeding that of welded steel constructions. The resulting aluminum hitch is also lighter, making it easier to handle and potentially improving the towing vehicle's fuel efficiency. The extrusion process also allows for efficient mass production of hitch components with consistent dimensions and properties.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical Landscape
In the early 2000s when ’510 was filed, vehicle towing components were typically implemented using forged or fabricated steel at a time when heavy-duty hardware commonly relied on welded multi-part assemblies rather than monolithic extruded profiles. While aluminum alloys were available for various industrial applications, material and manufacturing constraints made the production of high-tensile towing hitches from non-ferrous materials non-trivial due to the structural requirements of the application. System architectures for hitches generally utilized standard steel stock that required secondary anti-corrosion treatments to prevent environmental degradation and mechanical fusion between mating components.
Prosecution Position
Following the filing of this application, the examiner issued a non-final Office Action in June 2006. Several claims were rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as being anticipated by prior art, while other claims were identified as allowable subject matter or objected to as being dependent upon rejected base claims. The prosecution record provided does not describe the specific technical reasoning or claim changes that subsequently led to the final allowance of the application.
Claims
This patent contains 17 claims, of which claims 1, 5, 9, 13, 15, 16, and 17 are independent. The independent claims generally focus on methods for manufacturing drop bars, particularly stepped drop bars, used in towing, involving extrusion, cutting, and machining steps to configure the drop bars for coupling to vehicles and hitch adapters. The dependent claims generally add further detail and limitations to the manufacturing methods described in the independent claims.
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US7222510
- Application Number
- US11358782A
- Filing Date
- Feb 21, 2006
- Publication Date
- May 29, 2007
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents