VEHICLE MOUNTED DEVICES AND ARRANGEMENTS

• US 20100073478A1
• Filed: 03/10/2009
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Master Lock Company LLC (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Master Lock Company LLC (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kalous, D. Scott
• Application Number:
  US12/400,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20100073478A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/003 for viewing trailer hitches
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/28 with an adjustable field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 9/06 at vehicle front or rear rear luggage compartments within vehicle extensible externally of the vehicle body B60R5/041

Abstract

A trailer hitch mountable device for installation in a trailer hitch receiver tube includes a housing and a retainer bracket. The housing is sized to be received in the receiver tube and has an outermost wall including at least a first arcuate portion sized to align with circumferential edges of aligned mounting holes of the receiver tube when the device is installed in the receiver tube. The retainer bracket is secured to the housing and configured to engage an outermost edge of the receiver tube when the device is installed in the receiver tube. When the device is installed in the receiver tube and a receiver pin is inserted through the aligned mounting holes, the first arcuate portion prevents movement of the housing toward the outermost edge of the receiver tube, and the retainer bracket prevents movement of the housing away from the outermost edge of the receiver tube.

Claims

1. A trailer hitch mountable device for installation in a trailer hitch receiver tube having first and second side walls with aligned mounting holes, the device comprising:

a housing sized to be received in the receiver tube, the housing having an outermost wall including at least a first pin engaging surface positioned to align with circumferential edges of the aligned mounting holes when the device is installed in the receiver tube; and

a retainer bracket secured to the housing and configured to engage an outermost edge of the receiver tube when the device is installed in the receiver tube;

wherein when the device is installed in the receiver tube and a receiver pin is inserted through the aligned mounting holes, the first pin engaging surface prevents movement of the housing toward the outermost edge of the receiver tube, and the retainer bracket prevents movement of the housing away from the outermost edge of the receiver tube.

2. The mountable device of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a magnet positioned to secure the housing against movement with respect to the receiver tube when the device is installed in the receiver tube.

3. The mountable device of claim 2, wherein the magnet is disposed between a base portion and a bottom portion, thereby isolating the magnet from an internal cavity of the housing.

4. The mountable device of claim 1, further comprising a camera affixed to the retainer bracket and a wireless transmitter disposed within the housing and in electrical communication with the camera.

5. The mountable device of claim 4, further comprising a transmitter antenna extending from an innermost wall of the housing.

6. The mountable device of claim 1, wherein the retainer bracket is configured to pivot with respect to the housing.

7. The mountable device of claim 1, wherein the outermost wall of the housing further includes a second pin engaging surface adjacent to the first pin engaging surface, wherein the second pin engaging surface is sized to align with circumferential edges of aligned mounting holes of a second receiver tube dimensionally different from the first stated receiver tube.

8. The mountable device of claim 1, wherein the first pin engaging surface comprises an arcuate surface having a radius that substantially matches a radius of the aligned mounting holes.

9. An electrically operable trailer hitch mountable device for installation in a trailer hitch receiver tube having first and second side walls with aligned mounting holes, the device comprising:

a housing sized to be received in the receiver tube, the housing having a pin engaging surface configured to align with circumferential edges of the aligned mounting holes when the housing is received in the receiver tube, the housing further including an internal cavity;

an electrically operable device controller disposed within the internal cavity;

a retainer bracket secured to the housing and configured to engage an outermost edge of the receiver tube when the housing is received in the receiver tube; and

an electrically operable device interface secured to the retainer bracket and in electrical communication with the device controller;

wherein when the housing is received in the receiver tube and the pin engaging surface is aligned with the circumferential edges of the aligned mounting holes and a receiver pin is inserted through the aligned mounting holes, the pin engaging surface prevents movement of the housing toward the outermost edge of the receiver tube.

10. The mountable device of claim 9, wherein the device interface comprises a camera and the device controller comprises a wireless transmitter for delivering video signals to a remote video monitor.

11. The mountable device of claim 9, wherein the housing further comprises a magnet positioned to affix the housing against an internal surface of the receiver tube, the magnet being disposed between a base portion and a bottom portion, thereby isolating the magnet from the device controller.

12. The mountable device of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the device interface extends into the receiver tube when the device is installed in the receiver tube.

13. A trailer hitch mountable device for installation in either one of a first trailer hitch receiver tube having first and second side walls with aligned first and second mounting holes and a second trailer hitch receiver tube having third and fourth side walls with aligned third and fourth mounting holes, the first and second mounting holes being dimensionally different the third and fourth mounting holes, the device comprising:

a housing sized to be received in either one of the first and second receiver tube, the housing having an outermost wall including first and second pin engaging surfaces, the first pin engaging surface being sized to align with circumferential edges of the first and second mounting holes when the device is installed in the first receiver tube, the second pin engaging surface being sized to align with circumferential edges of the third and fourth mounting holes when the device is installed in the second receiver tube; and

a retainer bracket secured to the housing and configured to engage an outermost edge of the first receiver tube when the device is installed in the first receiver tube;

wherein when the device is installed in the first receiver tube and a receiver pin is inserted through the first and second mounting holes, the first pin engaging surface prevents movement of the housing toward the outermost edge of the first receiver tube, and the retainer bracket prevents movement of the housing away from the outermost edge of the first receiver tube;

further wherein when the device is installed in the second receiver tube and a receiver pin is inserted through the third and fourth mounting holes, the second pin engaging surface prevents movement of the housing toward the outermost edge of the second receiver tube.

14. The mountable device of claim 13, wherein when the device is installed in the second receiver tube and a receiver pin is inserted through the third and fourth mounting holes, the second pin engaging surface prevents movement of the housing away from the outermost edge of the second receiver tube.

15. The mountable device of claim 13, wherein the first receiver tube comprises a Class III receiver tube, and the second receiver tube comprises a Class II receiver tube.

16. The mountable device of claim 13, wherein the housing further comprises a magnet positioned to secure the housing against movement with respect to one of the first and second receiver tubes when the device is installed in the one of the first and second receiver tubes.

17. The mountable device of claim 13, wherein the retainer bracket is pivotable with respect to the housing.

18. The mountable device of claim 13, wherein the first and second pin engaging surfaces comprise first and second arcuate surfaces, the first arcuate surface having a first radius that substantially matches a radius of the first and second mounting holes, and the second arcuate surface having a second radius matching a radius of the third and fourth mounting holes, the first radius being different from the second radius.

19. A vehicle mounted video monitoring device comprising:

a housing sized to be received in the receiver tube, the housing having a pin engaging surface configured to align with circumferential edges of the aligned mounting holes when the device is installed in the receiver tube, the housing further including an internal cavity;

a transmitter disposed within the internal cavity;

a retainer secured to the housing; and

a camera secured to the retainer bracket and in electrical communication with the transmitter for delivering video signals to the transmitter;

wherein the transmitter is configured to deliver the video signals received from the camera to a video monitor in electrical communication with the transmitter;

further wherein when the device is installed in the receiver tube and a receiver pin is inserted through the aligned mounting holes, the pin engaging surface prevents movement of the housing toward the outermost edge of the receiver tube, and the camera is at least partially disposed within the receiver tube.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the transmitter comprises an antenna extending from a rear surface of the housing.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein the retainer is configured to pivot with respect to the housing, such that the orientation of the camera is pivotally adjustable.