U.S. patent application number 09/837256 was filed with the patent office on 2001-10-25 for self centering trailer hitch.
Invention is credited to Melesko, Steven David, Winslow, Charles Allen.
Application Number | 20010033068 09/837256 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 22734607 |
Filed Date | 2001-10-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010033068 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Melesko, Steven David ; et
al. |
October 25, 2001 |
Self centering trailer hitch
Abstract
A self-centering trailer hitch includes first and second
telescopic arms, each of the telescopic arms having first and
second opposite ends. The first ends of the telescopic arms are
pivotally mounted to a hitch hood coupler for coupling the first
ends of the telescopic arms releasably to the hood of a trailer
hitch. The second ends of the telescopic arms are adapted to be
pivotally mounted to a rear end of a towing vehicle, mountable to
the vehicle forward relative to a hitch ball mounted to the
vehicle. The second ends of the telescopic arms when mounted to the
rear end of the vehicle are disposed on laterally opposite sides of
the hitch ball.
Inventors: |
Melesko, Steven David;
(Kelowna, CA) ; Winslow, Charles Allen; (Ashcroft,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ANTONY C. EDWARDS
BISHOP & COMPANY
SUITE 206, 347 LEON AVENUE
KELOWNA
BC
V1Y 8C7
CA
|
Family ID: |
22734607 |
Appl. No.: |
09/837256 |
Filed: |
April 19, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60198740 |
Apr 21, 2000 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
280/455.1 ;
280/479.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60D 1/363 20130101;
B60D 1/44 20130101; B60D 1/40 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
280/455.1 ;
280/479.3 |
International
Class: |
B60D 001/30; B60D
001/44 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A self-centering trailer hitch comprising a guide linkage, said
guide linkage comprising a hitch hood coupler and first and second
telescopic arms, each of said first and second telescopic arms
having opposite first and second ends, said first ends pivotally
mounted to said hitch hood coupler for releasably pivotally
coupling said first ends to a hitch hood, each said first and
second telescopic arms telescopically extendable and retractable
between fully extended and fully retracted positions, said second
ends pivotally mountable to an end of a vehicle, adjacent a hitch
ball mounted to the vehicle.
2. The device of claim 1 further comprising a ramp mountable to
said end of said vehicle, and when so mounted adapted to engage, at
a lower end of said ramp, said guide linkage and elevate said guide
linkage up said ramp as said hitch hood coupler is translated in a
first direction towards a retracted vertex position defined by the
position of said hitch hood coupler when said first and second
telescopic arms are in said fully retracted position, said
retracted vertex position coinciding with vertical alignment of
said hitch hood, when mounted to said hitch hood coupler,
vertically over said hitch ball, said guide linkage disengaging
from an upper end of said ramp as said hitch hood coupler is urged
into said retracted vertex position so as to drop said hitch hood
onto said hitch ball.
3. The device of claim 2 wherein said hitch hood coupler has a
lateral range of motion convergingly constrained, by stop means
cooperating with said first and second telescopic arms, from a
diverged range of motion defined between the radial arcs of said
first ends when said first and second telescopic arms are in their
fully extended positions to a converged range of motion which is
substantially zero at said retracted vertex position.
4. The device of claim 3 wherein said second ends are mountable
equally laterally spaced on either side of said hitch ball.
5. The device of claim 4 wherein first and second telescopic arms
have the same length when in said fully extended or said fully
retracted positions.
6. The device of claim 3 wherein said hitch hood coupler is a
U-shaped collar, snugly mountable onto a distal end of a hitch
hood, the U-shape of said U-shaped collar opening away from said
vehicle when said hitch guide is mounted to said vehicle.
7. The device of claim 2 wherein said first and second telescopic
arms are resiliently resistive cylinders.
8. The device of claim 2 further comprising a second ramp, said
first and second ramps mountable equi-distant on either side of
said hitch ball so as to engage said first and second telescopic
arms respectively.
9. The device of claim 2 wherein said ramp is a longitudinally
aligned elongate member.
10. The device of claim 9 wherein said elongate member is rigidly
supported by a mounting member mountable into a receiver hitch tube
on said vehicle.
11. The device of claim 6 wherein said first ends are pivotally
mounted to laterally opposite sides of said U-shaped collar.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority from United States
Provisional Patent Application No. 60/198,740 filed Apr. 21, 2000
entitled Self-Centering Trailer Hitch.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to the field of trailer hitch guides,
and in particular to a self-aligning trailer hitch guide employing
a pair of telescopic triangulating arms which guide a hitch onto a
ball by triangulated urging of the hitch into lateral alignment
with the ball and vertical alignment by means of at least one
ramp.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Applicant is aware of numerous references in the prior art
in an attempt to provide trailer hitch coupling guides, in
particular; U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,215 which issued to Wylie on Aug.
17, 1993 for a Trailer Hitch Coupling Guide; U.S. Pat. No.
5,454,582 which issued to Rines on Oct. 3, 1995 for an Apparatus
for Hitching a Trailer Coupler to a Hitch Ball; U.S. Pat. No.
4,678,220 which issued to Danielson on Aug. 18, 1987, for Trailer
Hitch Coupling Device; U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,630 which issued to
Thompson et al on Dec. 16, 1997 for a Hitching-Apparatus; U.S. Pat.
No. 5,529,330 which issued to Roman on Jun. 25, 1996 for Hitch
Helper; U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,422 which issued to Austin on Apr. 2,
1996 for Hitch Alignment Apparatus and Method; U.S. Pat. No.
5,080,386 which issued to Lazar on Jan. 14, 1992 for Self-Aligning
and Self-Connecting Trailer Hitch; U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,606 which
issued to Ryan on May 20, 1997 for Trailer Hitch with Extensible
Throat; U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,042 which issued to McPhee et al on
Jan. 17, 1995 for Towing Device Support; U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,446
which issued to Hamel on Jan. 11, 1994 for Trailer Hitch Coupling
Device; U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,196 which issued to Ricles on Jul. 19,
1994 for Trailer Hitch Guide; U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,183 which issued
to Cook on Dec. 24, 1985 for Trailer Hitch Guide; U.S. Pat. No.
4,254,968 which issued to DelVecchio on Mar. 10, 1981 for Removable
Ball Guide Attachment for Trailer Hitches; and, U.S. Pat. No.
3,675,947 which issued to Blagg for Coupler-aligning Trailer
Hitch.
[0004] Because none of the above references describe self-aligning
trailer hitches having a coupling guide which includes a pair of
opposed telescopic arms, it is one object of the present invention
to provide same.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In summary, the self-centering trailer hitch of the present
invention includes first and second telescopic arms, each of the
telescopic arms having first and second opposite ends. The
telescopic arms are intended to include any form of extendible arms
which extend and retract between fully extended and fully retracted
positions. The first ends of the telescopic arms are pivotally
mounted to a hitch hood coupler for coupling the first ends of the
telescopic arms releasably to the hood of a trailer hitch. The
second ends of the telescopic arms are adapted to be pivotally
mounted to a rear end of a towing vehicle, mountable to the vehicle
forward relative to a hitch ball mounted to the vehicle. The second
ends of the telescopic arms when mounted to the rear end of the
vehicle are disposed on laterally opposite sides of the hitch
ball.
[0006] In one embodiment a ramp is mountable to the end of the
vehicle, and when so mounted is adapted to engage, at a lower end
of the ramp, the guide linkage made up of the first and second arms
and hitch hood coupler. The ramp elevates the guide linkage up the
ramp as the hitch hood coupler is translated in a first direction
towards a retracted vertex position defined by the position of the
hitch hood coupler when the first and second telescopic arms are in
their fully retracted position. The retracted vertex position
coincides with vertical alignment of the hitch hood, when mounted
to the hitch hood coupler, vertically over the hitch ball. The
guide linkage disengages from an upper end of the ramp as the hitch
hood coupler is urged into the retracted vertex position so as to
drop the hitch hood onto the hitch ball. In embodiments not using a
ramp, for example relying on a wheel on a telescoping support
mounted under the hitch hood arm of the trailer, once in the
retracted vertex position the wheel is retracted to lower the hitch
hood onto the ball.
[0007] Stop means on the telescopic arms limit the linear range of
telescopic motion available to each telescopic arm. The telescopic
arms thus form, when viewed in plan view, a triangle having its
vertice at the hitch hood coupling where the first ends of the
telescoping arms are mounted to the hitch hood coupling, the
remaining two vertices of the triangle being formed between the
second ends of the telescopic arms and the rear end of the towing
vehicle. When viewed this way, the position of the hitch ball falls
within the bounds of the triangle within the limits that, when the
telescopic arms are both fully collapsed against the stop means,
that the vertice of the triangle defined by the hitch hood coupler
coincides with the position of the hitch ball.
[0008] When the telescopic arms are fully extended, the vertice
defined by the hitch hood coupler is aligned longitudinally with
the hitch ball. When the telescopic arms are in between their fully
extended and fully retracted positions, the shape of the plan view
triangle formed by the telescopic arms may vary, and where the
hitch hood is being translated towards the hitch ball and is not
aligned longitudinally with the hitch ball, the plan view triangle
is non-isosceles, the vertice defined by the hitch hood coupler
being constrained by the lateral range of motion both telescopic
and angular of each telescopic arm, the limits of such ranges of
motion being constrained by the stop means of the telescopic arms
which prevent over-extension of the arms and over-retraction of the
arms. The result is that the available ranges of motion of the
hitch hood coupler are convergingly restrained as the telescopic
arms retract during translation of the hitch hood towards the hitch
ball, such convergence of the available ranges of motion
diminishing to substantially zero as the hitch hood coupler is
translated so as to be vertically aligned over the hitch ball.
[0009] As the hitch hood coupler is translated towards the hitch
ball, with the corresponding retraction of the telescopic arms as
the available ranges of motion converge, at least one inclined ramp
engages either the hitch hood coupler or a corresponding one of the
telescopic arms, in one embodiment a pair of such inclined ramps
disposed oppositely on either side of the hitch ball engaging both
of the telescopic arms, so as to elevate the hitch hood coupler
over the hitch ball as the hitch hood coupler approaches vertical
alignment with the hitch ball. Once the hitch hood coupler becomes
vertically aligned over the hitch ball, the telescopic arms or the
hitch hood coupler itself, depending on the location of the ramp,
fall off the uppermost end of the ramp or ramps so as to fall under
the force of gravity onto the hitch ball, thereby completing the
coupling of the hitch hood onto the ball.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is, in perspective view, the self-centering trailer
hitch guide of the present invention mounted between a trailer
hitch and a vehicle bumper, the trailer hitch guide in its extended
position.
[0011] FIG. 2 is, in perspective view, the self-centering trailer
hitch guide of FIG. 1, with the trailer hitch guide in its
retracted position so as to align the trailer hitch over the
ball.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The problem addressed by the present invention is that
encountered when backing a vehicle so as to align a trailer ball,
rigidly mounted to the vehicle, with a corresponding hitch on a
trailer. Typically, the view behind the vehicle is obscured so that
a driver has only an approximate idea of the alignment of the
trailer ball with the hitch. The result is that often the hitch
does damage to the bumper of the vehicle as the vehicle is
misaligned and backed into the hitch.
[0013] As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, it is desired to place the end of
hitch 12 (shown in dotted outline) onto hitch ball 14. To
accomplish this, a coupling 16 is releasably mounted onto hitch 12.
Coupling 16 may take many forms such as a vertical pin or a
"U"-shaped clamp such as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. Struts or rods 18
are releasably pivotally coupled onto coupling 16. The opposite
ends of struts 18 are slidably, for example telescopically, mounted
within tubes or hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders 20. Cylinders 20
are rigidly mounted to swing arms 22 which themselves are pivotally
releasably mounted to the vehicle frame or bumper or other rigid
member 24 rigidly mounted to the vehicle (not shown). Hitch ball 14
is also rigidly mounted to the frame 24 directly or indirectly via
the hitch, as are ramp members 26.
[0014] Thus, with struts 18 releasably coupled by coupling 16 to
hitch 12, as the vehicle is driven in reverse so as to translate
hitch 12 in direction A in relative motion relative to ball 14,
struts 18 or cylinders 20 engage ramp surfaces 28 on ramp members
26 and slide upwardly in direction A' along ramp surfaces 28 so as
to elevate hitch 12 relative to ball 14. As hitch 12 is elevated
over ramp surfaces 28, struts 18' telescopically retract into
cylinders 20 relative to swing arms 22, and swing arms 22 pivot in
directions B relative to rigid member 24. Thus as struts 18 or
cylinders 20 come clear of the uppermost ends of ramp surfaces 28
as hitch 12 is translated in direction A', hitch 12 drops
downwardly in direction C so as to engage ball 14.
[0015] Stops may be rigidly mounted to swing arms 22 so as to stop
the sliding telescopic travel of the cylinders or struts as swing
arms 22 pivot in direction B, that is, as hitch 12 approaches
alignment over ball 14. Alternatively the stopping function may be
provided by the cylinder stroke bottoming-out. The stopping
function ensures that hitch 12 urged towards lateral alignment over
ball 14 as hitch 12 approaches ball 14 in direction A'. Such urging
is the result of the range of motion available to hitch 12, when
viewed in plan view, being constrained to converge from a wide
range of motion D governed by the fully extended stroke of the
telescopic arms and a narrowing or converging range of motion D' as
hitch 12 approaches ball 14, as converging constrained by the
corresponding motion paths E and E' of the ends of struts 18, shown
by way of example only to be linear. Once hitch 12 is laterally and
vertically longitudinally aligned over ball 14, it is free to drop
down onto ball 14 as struts 18' or cylinders 20 clear ramp surfaces
28 in direction A'. Once so coupled, struts 18 are uncoupled from
hitch 12 by releasing coupling 16.
[0016] In an alternative embodiment, ramps 26 are replaced by a
skid plate 30 under the leading edge of coupling 16. Thus, instead
of the cylinders or struts riding up over the ramps, skid plate 30
slides up over hitch ball 14.
[0017] As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light
of the foregoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are
possible in the practice of this invention without departing from
the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the
invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance
defined by the following claims.
* * * * *