Hitching guidance device
First Claim
1. A guidance apparatus to assist the operator of a towing vehicle when maneuvering the towing vehicle to align a hitch element of the towing vehicle with a hitch element of a towed vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
- electrical conductor line connectible between the two vehicles;
means, operatively associated with the line, for sensing the relative positions of the towing vehicle hitch element and the towed vehicle hitch element when maneuvering the towing vehicle to align the hitch elements; and
means for detachably mounting the sensing means directly on one of the hitch elements in such a manner that the sensing means will be properly positioned so that additional procedures will not be required to reference the relative positions of the sensing means and hitch elements before using the guidance apparatus, said mounting means comprising;
a platform base, which supports said sensing means, and which fits over and matingly engages one of the hitch elements; and
means for detachably securing said platform base to said one of the hitch elements.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved hitching guidance device to facilitate the coupling of towing and towed units is herein presented. Such a device is advantageous when the towed unit, with its hitch ball receiver cup, cannot be readily visualized by the operator of the backing unit. The apparatus mounts on the hitch ball and uses electrical contacts, acting as switches, to sense the spatial orientation of a fine braided steel wire. This wire is wound under spring tension on an automatic reeling device and is stretched between the hitch ball and the hitch receiver cup where the wire is in turn fixed to the hitch cup in an exact and known location on the cup by a unique universal adapter clamp. Information relative to the position of the wire, and therefore relative to the position of the ball and receiver cup and their relationship to each other, is transmitted to the drivers area by a 6 conductor wire. This information is displayed on a guiding light console, visible to the towing vehicle operator. By appropriate response to the information displayed visually and audibly from this guiding light console, an operator can, with utmost precision, position the hitch ball of virtually any towing vehicle under the receiver cup of the towed unit, even under the most vexing of circumstances.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A guidance apparatus to assist the operator of a towing vehicle when maneuvering the towing vehicle to align a hitch element of the towing vehicle with a hitch element of a towed vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
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electrical conductor line connectible between the two vehicles; means, operatively associated with the line, for sensing the relative positions of the towing vehicle hitch element and the towed vehicle hitch element when maneuvering the towing vehicle to align the hitch elements; and means for detachably mounting the sensing means directly on one of the hitch elements in such a manner that the sensing means will be properly positioned so that additional procedures will not be required to reference the relative positions of the sensing means and hitch elements before using the guidance apparatus, said mounting means comprising; a platform base, which supports said sensing means, and which fits over and matingly engages one of the hitch elements; and means for detachably securing said platform base to said one of the hitch elements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A guidance apparatus to assist the operator of a towing vehicle when maneuvering the towing vehicle to align a hitch element of the towing vehicle with a hitch element of a towed vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
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electrical conductor line connectible between the two vehicles; means, attachable to a hitch element, for providing different points to connect said line in order to accommodate hitch elements of different types and sizes while maintaining the accuracy of the guidance apparatus; and means, operatively associated with the line, for sensing the relative positions of the towing vehicle hitch element and towed vehicle hitch element when maneuvering the towing vehicle to align the hitch elements. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. A guidance apparatus to assist the operator of a towing vehicle when maneuvering the towing vehicle to align a hitch element of the towing vehicle with a hitch element of a towed vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
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electrical conductor line connectible between the two vehicles; and means, operatively associated with the line, for sensing the relative positions of the towing vehicle hitch element and towed vehicle hitch element when maneuvering the towing vehicle to align the hitch elements, the sensing means comprising at least a first horizontally positioned contact switch that is actuated when contacted by the line when the towing vehicle hitch element has passed through and beyond a position of vertical alignment with the towed vehicle hitch element. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A guidance apparatus to assist the operator of a towing vehicle when maneuvering the towing vehicle to align a hitch element of the towing vehicle with a hitch element of a towed vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
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electrical conductor line connectible between the two vehicles; and means, operatively associated with the line, for sensing the relative positions of the towing vehicle hitch element and towed vehicle hitch element when maneuvering the towing vehicle to align the hitch elements, the sensing means comprising at least a first horizontally positioned contact switch that is actuated when contacted by the line when the towing vehicle hitch element is in vertical alignment with the towed vehicle hitch element. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A guidance apparatus to assist the operator of a towing vehicle when maneuvering the towing vehicle to align a hitch element of the towing vehicle with a hitch element of a towed vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
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electrical conductor line connectible between the two vehicles; and means, operatively associated with the line, for sensing the relative positions of the towing vehicle hitch element and towed vehicle hitch element when maneuvering the towing vehicle to align the hitch elements, said sensing means comprising a pair of side by side contact switches positioned to form a laterally extending V-shaped aperture through which the line is received in decreasing spatial relation, the switches being actuated when contacted by the line, such contact occurring when the towing vehicle approach path towards the towed vehicle deviates laterally from a desired path that ensures successful alignment of the hitch elements, the V-shaped aperture providing for increasing sensitivity to lateral deviations as the towing vehicle approaches the towed vehicle.
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Specification