Tow ropes are useful instruments for getting automobiles unstuck whereas off-roading, however Toyota could have discovered a method to enhance them.

In a patent software revealed by the USA Patent and Trademark Workplace (USPTO) Aug. 1, 2023, Toyota describes a retractable tow rope that rolls out from a reel put in on a car—a bit like a winch.

Such a system would enable drivers to regulate the size of the tow rope by reeling it in or out, eliminating slack and creating the strain wanted to tow one other car. With typical tow ropes, slack is taken out by driving the towing car ahead till the rope achieves stress, however this is not all the time potential in tight areas, Toyota notes within the software.

As described within the patent software, the tow rope, which Toyota says will be both heavy-duty material like nylon and polyester or a metal cable, has notches for adjustability. These can be utilized to safe the rope to the tow hitch of the towing car, as soon as it is reeled out to the optimum size, whereas a hook or different connector on the finish of the rope is fixed to the car being towed.

Within the software, Toyota says the reel would seemingly be housed in a rear wheelwell. This does not seem to be the simplest location to entry, however the software additionally states that the reel might be designed to be retrofitted to current automobiles, and even to be detachable.

Patent purposes do not all the time preview production-ready options, however the timing of this one is fascinating. It is surfacing simply as Toyota is including Trailhunter variants of its off-road fashions, catering to overlanding lovers. The automaker first confirmed a Tundra Trailhunter idea on the 2022 SEMA present, and confirmed earlier this yr {that a} Trailhunter grade might be a part of the redesigned 2024 Tacoma lineup. The Land Cruiser can be returning to the U.S. for the 2024 mannequin yr, offering yet one more potential software.