US 12,110,070 B2
Fifth wheel release arrangement
Nagendra Rao, Bangalore Karnataka (IN); and Rohith Mn, Bangalore Karnataka (IN)
Assigned to Volvo Truck Corporation, Gothenburg (SE)
Appl. No. 17/626,300
Filed by Volvo Truck Corporation, Gothenburg (SE)
PCT Filed Jul. 2, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/068676
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 11, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/013495, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 28, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 201941029954 (IN), filed on Jul. 24, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0266926 A1, Aug. 25, 2022
Int. Cl. B62D 53/08 (2006.01)
CPC B62D 53/0807 (2013.01) [B62D 53/0871 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fifth wheel release arrangement for releasing a trailer from a towing vehicle in response to a trigger signal, the arrangement comprising:
one or more externally threaded fasteners, and
one or more pinion nuts comprising internal threads for engaging the external threads on the threaded fasteners, thereby holding the fifth wheel in position with respect to a first bracket arranged attachable to a towing vehicle frame, wherein the externally threaded fasteners are arranged to be rotationally fixed when received by the pinion nuts,
wherein the pinion nuts comprise external teeth for engaging a toothed rack, the rack being movable by an actuator system, in response to the trigger signal, in a direction to rotate the pinion nuts, whereby the externally threaded fasteners are ejected from the pinion nuts upon moving the rack by the actuator system, thereby releasing the trailer from the towing vehicle.