Electrical Mounting Bracket For Hitch
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An electrical mounting bracket comprising:
- a receiving tube opening sized and shaped to allow access therethrough to a hitch receiving tube;
a first flange for abutting a first flat of the hitch receiving tube;
a second flange opposing the first flange, the second flange for abutting a second flat of the hitch receiving tube;
a side arm extending in a cantilevered fashion away from the receiving tube opening; and
a mounting structure adapted for receiving an electrical socket of a towing vehicle electrical connection on the side arm at a cantilevered location relative to the receiving tube opening.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A mounting bracket cantilevers a support arm off the side of a receiver tube of a hitch, using flats on the receiver tube or receiver tube lip to support the cantilevered weight. The support arm is configured to receive and support one or more mating electrical connection structures, with a plug/unplug direction matching the fore/aft direction of the towing vehicle. Flanges of the mounting bracket are pulled toward each other around the receiving tube using mounting bolts which extend on right and left sides of the receiving tube. The mounting bracket is preferably formed from stamped and bent sheet metal.
-
Citations
18 Claims
-
1. An electrical mounting bracket comprising:
-
a receiving tube opening sized and shaped to allow access therethrough to a hitch receiving tube; a first flange for abutting a first flat of the hitch receiving tube; a second flange opposing the first flange, the second flange for abutting a second flat of the hitch receiving tube; a side arm extending in a cantilevered fashion away from the receiving tube opening; and a mounting structure adapted for receiving an electrical socket of a towing vehicle electrical connection on the side arm at a cantilevered location relative to the receiving tube opening. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A method of forming an electrical mounting bracket, comprising:
-
stamping a shape out of sheet metal, the shape defining; a receiving tube opening sized and shaped to allow access therethrough to a hitch receiving tube; a side arm extending away from the receiving tube opening; and a mounting structure on the side arm, the mounting structure adapted for receiving an electrical socket of a towing vehicle electrical connection on the side arm at a cantilevered location relative to the receiving tube opening; and bending the shape to define; a first flange for abutting a first flat of the hitch receiving tube; and a second flange opposing the first flange, the second flange for abutting a second flat of the hitch receiving tube.
-
-
17. A method of using an electrical mounting bracket, comprising:
-
placing and electrical mounting bracket onto a hitch receiving tube, such that a receiving tube opening of the electrical mounting bracket is positioned and sized to allow access therethrough to the hitch receiving tube, with a first flange of the electrical mounting bracket abutting a first flat of the hitch receiving tube and a second flange of the electrical mounting bracket abutting a second flat of the hitch receiving tube opposite the first flange, the first flange and the second flange interacting with the hitch receiving tube to support a moment of a side arm extending in a cantilevered fashion away from the receiving tube opening; tightening the electrical mounting bracket onto the hitch receiving tube using bolts extending through the first and second flanges on opposing sides of the hitch receiving tube; and securing an electrical socket of a towing vehicle electrical connection to a mounting structure on the side arm at a cantilevered location relative to the receiving tube opening. - View Dependent Claims (18)
-
Specification