Electronic trailer hitching system

• US 6,222,457 B1
• Filed: 10/12/1999
• Issued: 04/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stephen Scott Keneally
• Original Assignee: Stephen Scott Keneally
• Inventors: Keneally, Stephen Scott, Mills, Gregory Taylor
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Application Number:
  US09/415,929
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 340/431, 340/686.1, 340/687, 340/691.6, 340/693, 280/477, 280/504, 332/64, 332/86, 250/491.1
• US Class Current: 340/686.1
• 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 trailer hitching system (10) and method is provided for facilitating an operator'"'"'s maneuvering of a towing vehicle hitch component (16) into alignment with a towed vehicle hitch component (18) to enable mechanical interconnection of the hitch components. The trailer hitching system (10) includes an alignment sensor (24) attached to either the towing vehicle (12) or the towed vehicle (14) for emitting a light beam over a field of view. A reflector (32) attached to the other of the towing vehicle (12) or the towed vehicle (14) is mounted at a predetermined location relative to the alignment sensor (24). The reflector (32) reflects a portion of the light beam emitted from the alignment sensor (24). An alarm (46) in the alignment sensor (24) emits an audible alarm in response to detecting a portion of the reflected light beam. The activation of the audible alarm indicates that the reflector (32) is within the field of view of the alignment sensor (24) and thereby the hitch components (16 and 18) are moving towards alignment.

Claims

1. A vehicle hitching system for facilitating an operator'"'"'s maneuvering of a towing vehicle having a vehicle hitch component to align that vehicle hitch component in co-operative arrangement with a trailer hitch component carried on a towed vehicle to enable mechanical interconnection of the hitch components, comprising:

an alignment sensor attached to one of the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle such that said alignment sensor emits a light beam over a field of view;

a light reflector attached to the other of the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle at a predetermined location relative to the alignment sensor, said light reflector for reflecting a portion of the emitted light beam back along a path that is substantially parallel to the emitted light beam;

said alignment sensor emitting a first audible alarm in response to detecting the reflected portion of the emitted light beam that is substantially parallel to the emitted light beam; and

whereby said first audible alarm indicates that the light reflector is within the field of view of the alignment sensor to indicate that the hitch components are moving towards alignment.

2. The vehicle hitching system of claim 1 wherein the alignment sensor is attached to one of the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle such that the field of view extends approximately in parallel with the hitch components when said hitch components are in co-operative alignment;

and

wherein the light reflector is attached to the other of the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle such that said reflector is approximately centered within the field of view of the alignment sensor when said hitch components are in co-operative alignment.

3. The vehicle hitching system of claim 2 wherein the alignment sensor further comprises an analog retro-reflective photoswitch for emitting the light beam and providing a variable output signal to the first alarm in response to detecting the reflected portion of the light beam that is substantially parallel to the emitted light beam, said reflected light beam having an intensity, wherein the variable output signal is proportional to the intensity of the reflected light beam;

whereby the first alarm provides a variable sound output representative of the intensity of the reflected light beam.

4. The vehicle hitching system of claim 3 wherein the first proximity sensor alarm is selected from the group of intermittent alarms, variable tone alarms, and variable pitch alarms.

5. The vehicle hitching system of claim 1 further comprising a proximity sensor attached to one of the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle for detecting the hitch component of the other of the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle;

and

said proximity sensor including a second alarm activable, in response to the proximity sensor detecting the hitch component of the other of the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle, for signalling that the towing vehicle hitch component is in co-operative alignment with the towed vehicle hitch component.

6. The vehicle hitching system of claim 5 wherein the proximity sensor is attached to said one of the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle such that the field of view extends approximately perpendicular to an axis through the hitch components when said hitch components are in co-operative alignment.

7. The vehicle hitching system of claim 5 wherein the alignment sensor further includes a digital retro-reflective photoswitch assembly for emitting the beam of light and controlling a light detect switch in response to detecting the portion of the reflected light beam that is substantially parallel to the emitted light beam.

8. The vehicle hitching system of claim 5 wherein the proximity sensor further comprises a diffuse photo-switch assembly for emitting a beam of light and controlling a light detect switch in response to detecting a reflected portion of the beam of light.

9. The vehicle hitching system of claim 5 wherein the proximity sensor further comprises an inductive proximity sensor assembly for emitting a magnetic field and activating the second alarm in response to detecting a variation in the magnetic field.

10. The vehicle hitching system of claim 1 wherein the alignment sensor is attached with a magnet.

11. The vehicle hitching system of claim 1 wherein the alignment sensor beam of light has a wavelength in the range from visible red to less than microwave.

12. The vehicle hitching system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle hitch component is a ball hitch.

13. The vehicle hitching system of claim 1 wherein the trailer hitch component is a ball-receiver hitch.

14. The vehicle hitching system of claim 1 wherein the light reflector is a retro-reflective reflector.

15. The vehicle hitching system of claim 5 wherein said alignment sensor is attached to the towing vehicle such that the field of view extends out over the towed vehicle hitch component;

said light reflector is attached to the towed vehicle such that said reflector is approximately centered within the field of view of the alignment sensor when the hitch components are in cooperative alignment; and

said proximity sensor is attached to the towed vehicle.

16. The vehicle hitching system of claim 15 wherein said alignment sensor is attached to the towing vehicle approximately above the towing vehicle hitch component.

17. A vehicle hitching system for facilitating an operator'"'"'s maneuvering of a towing vehicle having a ball hitch component to align that ball hitch component in co-operative arrangement with a ball-receiver hitch component carried on a towed vehicle to enable mechanical interconnection of the hitch components, comprising:

an alignment sensor magnetically attached to the towing vehicle such that said alignment sensor provides a field of view that extends approximately in parallel with the hitch components when said hitch components are in co-operative alignment, said alignment sensor including a retro-reflective photo-switch assembly for emitting a light beam across a predetermined field of view;

a reflector attached to the towed vehicle such that said reflector is substantially centered within the field of view of the first sensor when said hitch components are in co-operative alignment, said reflector reflecting a portion of the emitted light beam back along a path that is substantially parallel to the emitted light beam;

said alignment sensor further including a first alarm, responsive to said retro-reflective photo-switch assembly detecting the reflected portion of the emitted light beam that is substantially parallel to the emitted light beam, for sounding an audible alarm, whereby the alignment sensor audible alarm indicates that the reflector is within the field of view of the photo-switch assembly; and

a proximity sensor magnetically attached to the towed vehicle such that the proximity sensor provides a field of view extending approximately perpendicular to an axis through the hitch components when said hitch components are in co-operative alignment, said proximity sensor detecting the ball hitch component of the towing vehicle, said proximity sensor including;

a diffuse photo-switch for emitting a light beam and controlling a second alarm in response to detecting a portion of the light beam reflected from the ball hitch component of the towing vehicle, the second alarm sounding an audible alarm;

wherein the proximity sensor audible alarm indicates that the towing vehicle ball hitch component is in co-operative alignment with the towed vehicle ball-receiver hitch component.

18. A method of facilitating an operator manuevering a towing vehicle having a vehicle hitch component to position that component in co-operative alignment with a trailer hitch component of a towed vehicle so that mechanical interconnection of the hitch components is enabled, comprising the steps of:

attaching an alignment sensor on one of the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle;

orienting the alignment sensor to provide a field of view that extends approximately in parallel with the hitch components when said hitch components are in co-operative alignment;

attaching a reflector to the other of the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle;

orienting the reflector such that a second axis extending through the alignment sensor and the reflector is approximately in parallel with the hitch components when said hitch components are in co-operative alignment;

attaching a proximity sensor on the towed vehicle;

emitting a beam of light from the alignment sensor;

controlling a first audible alarm in response to detecting a portion of the beam of light from the alignment sensor that is reflected off of the reflector and travels back along a path that is substantially parallel to the emitted beam of light, wherein the first audible alarm indicates the reflector is within the field of view of the alignment sensor;

sensing the vehicle hitch component when it passes within a predetermined distance from the proximity sensor; and

controlling a second audible alarm in response to sensing the vehicle hitch component, whereby the second audible alarm indicates that the hitch components are in co-operative alignment.