A trailer electrical coupler with spring-stabilized pin alignment
A trailer coupler assembly that mechanically and electrically joins vehicle and trailer wiring using a pin extender and pin receiver kept aligned by four spring-loaded stabilizers. The design places electrical pins in one part’s pin slots and uses solid-headed stabilizers with springs in matching slots in the extender, receiver and housing so the pins stay engaged when the vehicle and trailer move. Intended users are vehicle and trailer manufacturers or aftermarket harness makers integrating trailer electrical connectors into hitch couplers.
(57) What the patent covered
The main independent claim covers a coupler assembly made of a pin extender with electrical pins and first slots, a pin receiver with pin slots and second and third slots, and a housing with fourth slots, with first stabilizers in the first and second slots and second stabilizers in the third and fourth slots; each stabilizer has a spring and a solid head, and the electrical pins sit in the pin slots.
The distinctive part: Using multiple spring-loaded stabilizers with solid heads arranged across matching slots in the extender, receiver and housing to hold electrical pins in their receiver slots against relative motion between vehicle and trailer.
Novelty 3/5. This is a practical improvement on familiar pin-and-socket trailer electrical couplers; spring stabilizers for alignment are a clever refinement rather than a wholly new kind of connector.
Making it
Stamped or machined metal pin/extender and receiver parts, plastic injection molded insulating housing, small steel coil springs, then subassembly by press-fitting pins and springs into slots and final hand or robotic assembly.
Materials: brass or copper alloy pins, stamped or machined steel/aluminum housing parts, steel springs (music wire), engineering thermoplastic insulator or overmold (likely nylon or PBT)
Manufacturability 4/5. Requires several stamped/machined parts plus small springs and an injection-molded housing; assembly is straightforward but needs accurate slot placement and spring seating.
Is anyone buying?
We haven't run a demand check on this one yet. Shoppers would likely search for trailer hitch electrical connector, spring stabilized trailer plug, pin-and-socket trailer coupler; the links on the right open those searches.
Who buys it: vehicle/trailer OEMs, trailer wiring harness suppliers, aftermarket hitch/electrical kit makers
Before you make it
We didn't find any related continuation or divisional patents still in force, although that doesn't rule out design patents, trademarks or unrelated patents covering the same product.
Practical risks include crowded market for standard trailer connectors and the need to meet electrical/contact durability and corrosion standards; patent has lapsed so no licensing but do not assume certification requirements are addressed.
Owners occasionally revive lapsed patents (about 1.5% are), and this page is a research lead rather than legal advice, so get a freedom-to-operate opinion before you manufacture anything.