Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for a pivoting trailer hitch, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on January 11th, 2021, published on July 14th, 2022, and assigned serial number 0219500.
The Ford Authority Take
In Europe, Ford offers tow bars for a variety of its vehicles on sale in that particular region, but in the U.S., the trailer hitch has long been favored when it’s time to tow something – unless a gooseneck is required. The humble tow hitch hasn’t changed much in a very long time, however, though that may change with this latest Ford patent filing that depicts a pivoting unit that could be useful for a number of reasons.
This particular Ford patent depicts a pivotable trailer hitch that utilizes a tube frame that could be coupled to a vehicle’s chassis, along with a hitch receiver for a traditional ball mount. The pivoting assembly is what makes it special, however, as that particular piece is attached to the frame as well. This would allow the hitch assembly to “fold” away when it’s not in use, which could be useful, particularly for those that routinely bash their shins on that apparatus or who simply don’t like the look of it.
This is a bit more convenient than having to remove the ball mount assembly and store it somewhere, particularly since those items are held in place by pins or even locks of different kinds. It’s far easier and quicker to simply fold the hitch ball out of the way, eliminating the need to constantly have to attach and detach it when it’s being used or not being used. This patent is obviously a pretty simple idea, but it’s also one that makes nearly too much sense for it not to actually come to life.
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Comment
I think this is clever. However it depends on the implementation and whether it is electronic and prone to fail or purely mechanical, etc. Maybe sliding in/out could also work (although the spare tire might disagree).
I thought the tailgate step was dumb when first seeing it, and now I use it all the time.