Hitch illumination apparatus

• US 6,886,968 B1
• Filed: 06/16/2003
• Issued: 05/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lawrence Robert Hamelink, Scott Thomas Williams
• Original Assignee: Lawrence Robert Hamelink, Scott Thomas Williams
• Inventors: Hamelink, Lawrence Robert, Williams, Scott Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRANSON JR, JAMES W
• Application Number:
  US10/462,321
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 362/485, 280/163, 280/491.2, 340/431
• US Class Current: 362/485
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/58 Auxiliary devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/305 Indicating devices for towed vehicles
• 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 hitch illumination apparatus comprising a hitch body assembly, a hitch attachment assembly and a hitch illumination assembly. The hitch body assembly includes a base member and at least one arm member. The base member includes a first end and a second end. The at least one arm member includes a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end is positioned proximate the first end of the base member. The at least one arm member is pivotable relative to the base member. The hitch attachment assembly includes a hitch attachment member and a hitch body attachment member. The hitch attachment member is capable of attachment to an existing hitch. The hitch body attachment member is capable of attachment proximate the second end of the base member. The hitch illumination assembly includes at least one lamp associated with the second end of the base member. The hitch illumination assembly includes at least one clamp that is associated with the second end of the at least one arm member.

Claims

1. A hitch illumination apparatus, comprising:

a hitch body assembly, the hitch body assembly including;

a base member having a first end and a second end; and

at least one arm member having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end positioned proximate the first end of the base member, and wherein the at least one arm member is pivotable relative to the base member;

a hitch attachment assembly, the hitch attachment assembly including;

a hitch attachment member capable of attachment to an existing hitch; and

a hitch body attachment member capable of attachment proximate the second end of the base member; and

a hitch illumination assembly including at least one lamp associated with the second end of the at least one arm member.

2. The hitch assembly of claim 1 wherein the base member further comprises:

a first component;

a second component, wherein the first component and the second component are telescopically associated with each other; and

a locking assembly capable of releasably locking the first and second components in a desired telescopic position.

3. The hitch assembly of claim 1 wherein the base member includes a conduit extending at least partially therethrough.

4. The hitch assembly of claim 1 wherein the cross-sectional configuration proximate the second end of the base member comprises a substantially uniform cross-section.

5. The hitch assembly of claim 4 wherein the cross-sectional configuration proximate the second end of the base member comprises a square cross-section.

6. The hitch assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one arm further comprises:

a proximal component;

a distal component, wherein the distal component and the proximal component are telescopically positionable relative to each other; and

a locking member capable of releasably retaining the proximal component relative to the distal component.

7. The hitch assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one arm further comprises a pair of arms.

8. The hitch assembly of claim 7 wherein the pair of arms are substantially identically configured.

9. The hitch assembly of claim 1 further comprising a positioning assembly associated with the at least one arm, the positioning assembly facilitating the positioning of the at least one arm at a plurality of rotatable positions relative to the base member.

10. The hitch assembly of claim 1 wherein the base attachment member further comprises a rotation facilitating member, which facilitates the rotation of the base member relative to the base attachment member.

11. The hitch assembly of claim 1 wherein the lamp includes a plurality of elements, at least one of the plurality of elements being electrically coupled with an existing indicator of a vehicle.

12. The hitch assembly of claim 1 further comprising remote viewing assembly associated with the hitch body assembly.

13. The hitch assembly of claim 12 wherein the remote viewing assembly comprises at least one of a mirror and a camera.

14. The hitch assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one lamp is tethered to the at least one arm.

15. The hitch assembly of claim 1 wherein the positioning assembly comprises a damper having a first end associated with the at least one arm, and a second end associated with at least one of the base member and the hitch attachment assembly.

16. The hitch assembly of claim 1 wherein the hitch attachment member includes a ball, and, wherein the hitch attachment member is structurally configured to couple with a ball attachment member of a conventional hitch.

17. A hitch illumination apparatus comprising:

a hitch body assembly, the hitch body assembly including;

a base member having a first end and a second end; and

at least one arm member having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end positioned proximate the first end of the base member, and wherein the at least one arm member is pivotable relative to the base member;

a hitch attachment assembly associated with the at least one base member, the hitch attachment assembly facilitating attachment to an existing hitch; and

a hitch illumination assembly including at least one lamp associated with the second end of the at least one arm member.

18. A hitch illumination apparatus comprising:

a hitch body assembly, the hitch body assembly including;

an attachment assembly;

a base member having a first end and a second end, the first end of the base member being coupled with the attachment assembly; and

at least one arm member having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end rotatably coupled with the attachment assembly, to, in turn, facilitate rotational movement of the at least one arm member relative to the base member;

a hitch attachment assembly associated with the at least one base member, the hitch attachment assembly facilitating attachment to an existing hitch; and

a hitch illumination assembly including at least one lamp associated with the second end of the at least one arm member.