Radar hitch

• US 20050151631A1
• Filed: 11/24/2004
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James W. Honan III
• Original Assignee: James W. Honan III
• Inventors: Honan, James W. III
• Granted Patent: US 7,224,264 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/431
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/36 for facilitating connection, e.g. hitch catchers , visual guide means, signalling aids B60D1/465 takes precedence; vehicle signalling in general B60Q; optical arrangements specially adapted for viewing trailer-hitches B60R1/003

Abstract

A two part guidance system that can be added to any vehicle with a traditional ball hitch that provides guidance to the driver during the hitching process. A sensor plate holds multiple sensors in an orientation that surrounds the ball and the sensors provide position information regarding the trailer'"'"'s tongue to the driver via a display box in the cab of the vehicle. The display box preferably includes selectively illuminated arrows that indicate to the driver which direction to go in order to align the ball directly underneath of the tongue. Detection signals are sent to the display box through a cable or wirelessly. The display box can receive electrical power from the vehicle'"'"'s electrical system or from batteries.

Claims

1. A guidance system adapted to be attached to a towing vehicle wherein the guidance system provides visual and auditory signals to a driver of the vehicle that aids the driver in hitching a trailer to a rear of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle has a ball type hitch attached to the rear of the vehicle and the trailer has a tongue type hitch attached to a front of the trailer, the guidance system comprising:

a sensor plate, the sensor plate having at least one flat side, the flat side being designed to face toward the towing vehicle, the sensor plate also having a hole through a center portion of the plate, the hole being adapted for protrusion therethrough of a stem of the ball hitch, and plate being adapted to be secured to the rear of the towing vehicle by the stem, a bottom portion of the ball hitch and a nut capable of being screwed on to a bottom portion of the stem, wherein the sensor plate houses multiple sensors, the sensors being dispersed around a periphery of the sensor plate, wherein each sensor is capable of detecting when an object is above it, and wherein each sensor is electrically connected to a sensor plate cable that provides power to the sensors and receives detection signals from the sensors; and

,

a display box, the display box having multiple lights and a speaker, the multiple lights including at least four lights for indicating that the driver should move forward, backwards, left and right, respectively, wherein the display box is adapted to be electrically connected to a power source in the vehicle, and the display box is electrically connected to the sensor plate cable;

wherein, during a hitching procedure, when the tongue passes over any sensor the sensor sends a detection signal to the display box and wherein, the display box receives all detection signals and causes one or more of the lights to illuminate wherein the illuminated lights provide guidance to the driver for properly aligning the ball and the tongue.

2. The guidance system of claim 1, wherein the power source in the vehicle is a cigarette lighter or a fuse box.

3. The guidance system of claim 1., wherein the display box includes one or more batteries and the display box receives-electrical power from the one or more batteries.

4. The guidance system of claim 1, wherein the multiple lights on the display box include a left arrow, a right arrow, a backwards arrow, and a forward arrow.

5. The guidance system of claim 1., wherein the multiple lights on the display box include a large central light that lights up when the ball is properly aligned with the tongue.

6. The guidance system of claim 1., wherein the speaker in the display box provides beeps when the tongue has been detected by any of the sensors and a solid tone when the ball is properly aligned for hitching with the tongue.

7. The guidance system of claim 1, wherein the sensor plate houses 5 or more sensors.

8. The guidance system of claim 1, wherein the sensors are photoelectric sensors.

9. The guidance system of claim 1, wherein the sensor plate cable includes a quick disconnect coupler that allows the sensor plate to easily be electrically disconnected from, and re-connected to, the display box.

10. The guidance system of claim 1, wherein the sensor plate includes a radio transmitter and at least one battery that provides power to the sensors and the transmitter, the display box includes a radio receiver and wherein the sensor plate cable is replaced by a wireless connection between the sensor plate and the display box.

11. The guidance system of claim 1, wherein the display box includes mounting equipment that allows the display box to be at least temporarily mounted in the interior of the vehicle, including on a rearview mirror of the vehicle.

12. The guidance system of claim 1, wherein the sensor plate is either circular or rectangular in shape, and wherein the display box includes a remote display screen with multiple lights and the remote display screen is a rearview mirror.

13. The guidance system of claim 1, wherein the speaker of the display box provides verbal directions to the driver, including “

back up slowly”

, “

go right”

, “

go left” and

“

stop”

.

14. The guidance system of claim 1, wherein the sensor plate includes a first detection sensor that is angled towards the trailer so that the first detection sensor is able to detect the tongue of the trailer when the tongue is approximately two feet from the ball.

15. A guidance system adapted to be attached to a towing vehicle wherein the guidance system provides visual and auditory indications to a driver of the vehicle that aids the driver in hitching a trailer to a rear of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle has a socket attached to the rear of the vehicle and the trailer has a tongue hitch attached to a front of the trailer, the guidance system comprising:

a sensor plate assembly, the sensor plate assembly comprising a ball hitch, a support bar and a sensor plate, wherein a first end of the support bar is adapted to be inserted into the socket attached to the rear of the vehicle and the ball hitch and the sensor plate are permanently attached to a top of a second end of the support bar, the sensor plate being between the ball hitch and the support bar, wherein the sensor plate houses multiple sensors that are each capable of detecting objects within a specified range, a first group of sensors being dispersed around a periphery of the sensor plate and facing upward, and at least angled sensor that is angled back toward the trailer, wherein each sensor is electrically connected to a sensor plate cable that provides power to the sensors and receives detection signals from the sensors; and

,

a display box, the display box having multiple lights and a speaker, the multiple lights including at least one light for indicating that the driver should move the ball hitch forward, at least one light for indicating that the driver should move the ball hitch backwards, at least one light for indicating that the driver should move the ball hitch left, and at least one light for indicating that the driver should move the ball hitch right, wherein the display box is adapted to be electrically connected to a power source in the vehicle, and the display box is electrically connected to the sensor plate cable;

wherein, during a hitching procedure, the angled sensor detects the tongue when the tongue is approximately two feet from the ball and sends an initial detection signal to the display box, and when the tongue passes over any of the first group of sensors the sensor sends a detection signal to the display box, and wherein the display box receives all detection signals and causes one or more of the lights to illuminate wherein the illuminated lights provide guidance to the driver for properly aligning the ball and the tongue.

16. The guidance system of claim 15, wherein the sensor plate assembly and the display box each include at least one battery that supplies electrical power to the assembly and box respectively, and the display box is not electrically connected to a power source of the vehicle.

17. The guidance system of claim 16, wherein the sensor plate assembly includes a radio transmitter, the display box includes a radio receiver and the detection signals are sent from the sensor plate to the display box wirelessly.

18. The guidance system of claim 15, wherein at least some of the lights of the display box are adapted to be housed within a rear view mirror of the vehicle.

19. The guidance system of claim 15, wherein four or more sensors are used in the first group of sensors.

20. The guidance system of claim 15, wherein the support bar has a square shaped cross-section.