Laser guided trailer alignment system

• US 20060261574A1
• Filed: 05/23/2005
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gary Milner, Martin Talley
• Original Assignee: Gary Milner, Martin Talley
• Inventors: Milner, Gary, Talley, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 7,354,057 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/477
• 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

The present invention is a laser-guided alignment apparatus for aligning various trailer hitches to a vehicle. The alignment apparatus can align trailers with either a bumper ball hitch, a gooseneck hitch, or a fifth-wheel hitch. The alignment apparatus of the present invention uses lasers that produce beams of light that produce reflecting points which are reflected on a target. These various reflecting points are aligned to indicate proper alignment of a trailer to a vehicle.

Claims

1. An apparatus capable of aligning a trailer to a vehicle comprising:

a) a first light emitting device attached to the vehicle that projects a first beam of light towards a target attached to the trailer to form a first reflecting point reflected by the target;

b) a second light emitting device attached to the vehicle that projects a second beam of light towards the target to form a second reflecting point reflected by the target;

c) wherein the trailer is aligned with the vehicle when the second reflecting point is aligned with the first reflecting point; and

d) wherein these reflecting points are visible to a user operating the vehicle when the vehicle is still several feet away from the trailer.

2. An apparatus capable of aligning at least two different hitching mechanisms that secure a trailer to a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a) a first light emitting device attached to the vehicle that projects a first beam of light towards a target attached to the trailer to form a first reflecting point reflected by the target;

b) a second light emitting device attached to the vehicle that projects a second beam of light towards the target to form a second reflecting point reflected by the target;

c) a third light emitting device attached to the vehicle that projects a third beam of light towards the target to form a third reflecting point reflected by the target;

d) wherein one of the hitching mechanisms is aligned when the second reflecting point is aligned with the first reflecting point and another of the hitching mechanisms is aligned when the third reflecting point is aligned with the first reflecting point.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the first, second, and third light emitting devices are lasers.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the vehicle is comprised of two sides and a center line equidistant between the two sides wherein the first light emitting device is located on the center line and projects a beam of light substantially parallel to the two sides.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the second and third light emitting devices are located on one of the two sides.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising a control panel to operate the first, second, and third light emitting devices.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the first, second, and third light emitting devices are lasers.

9. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the target is attached to the trailer by a spring-mounted base.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the spring-mounted base is capable of moving the target from a stored position to an operating position.

8. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the first laser emits a continuous beam of light and the second and third lasers emit a pulsed beam of light.

11. An apparatus for aligning a trailer to a vehicle comprising:

a) a first laser attached to the vehicle that emits a first beam of light towards a target attached to the trailer to form a first reflecting point reflected by the target;

b) a second laser attached to the vehicle that emits a second beam of light towards the target to form a second reflecting point reflected by the target; and

c) a third laser attached to the vehicle that projects a third beam of light towards the target to form a third reflecting point reflected by the target.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the trailer is determined to be aligned with the vehicle when the second reflecting point is directly above or below the first reflecting point.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the trailer has a bumper ball hitch mechanism.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the trailer has a gooseneck hitch that has a reflective surface that functions as the target.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the gooseneck hitch is aligned when the third reflecting point is positioned directly above or below the first reflecting point.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the trailer has a fifth-wheel hitch that has a reflective surface that functions as the target.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the fifth-wheel hitch is aligned when the third reflecting point is positioned directly above or below the first reflecting point.

18. A method of aligning a vehicle to a trailer that has a gooseneck hitch, a bumper ball hitch, or a fifth-wheel hitch, the method comprising:

a) providing a vehicle having two sides, a center line equidistant between the two sides, and front and rear ends;

b) providing a trailer having front and rear ends and one of a gooseneck hitch, a bumper ball hitch, or a fifth-wheel hitch;

c) positioning the vehicle so that the rear end of the vehicle is adjacent to the front end of the trailer;

d) projecting a first beam of light parallel to the center line which strikes the target to form a first reflecting point;

e) projecting a second beam of light that strikes the target to form a second reflecting point or projecting a third beam of light that strikes the target to form a third reflecting point; and

f) moving the vehicle so that the second reflecting point is aligned with the first reflecting point to indicate the alignment of a trailer with a bumper ball hitch or moving the vehicle so that the third reflecting point is aligned with the first reflecting point to indicate the alignment of a trailer with a gooseneck or fifth-wheel hitch.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein the first, second, and third beams of light are laser beams.

20. The method according to claim 18 wherein the first beam of light is continuous and the second and third beams of light are pulsed.

21. The method according to claim 18 wherein the first, second, and third reflecting points are aligned when the second or third reflecting point is located directly above or below the first reflecting point.

22. The method according to claim 18 wherein the first, second, and third reflecting points are aligned when the second or third reflecting point is on the same horizontal axis as the first reflecting point.