Laser guided trailer alignment system

• US 7,354,057 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2005
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gary Milner, Martin Talley
• Original Assignee: Gary Milner, Martin Talley
• Inventors: Milner, Gary, Talley, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Hurley; Kevin
• Application Number:
  US11/136,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20060261574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: 280/477, 340/431, 332/64
• US Class Current: 280/477
• 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

The present invention is a laser-guided alignment apparatus for aligning various trailer hitches to a vehicle. The alignment apparatus can align trailers with either a bumper ball hitch, a gooseneck hitch, or a fifth-wheel hitch. The alignment apparatus of the present invention uses lasers that produce beams of light that produce reflecting points which are reflected on a target. These various reflecting points are aligned to indicate proper alignment of a trailer to a vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of aligning a vehicle to a trailer that has a hitch, the method comprising:

a) providing a vehicle having two sides, a center line equidistant between the two sides, and front and rear ends;

b) providing a trailer having front and rear ends and a hitch;

c) positioning the vehicle so that the rear end of the vehicle is adjacent to the front end of the trailer;

d) projecting a first beam of light parallel to the center line which strikes a target to form a first reflecting point;

e) projecting a second beam of light that will strike the target to form a second reflecting point; and

f) moving the vehicle so that the second reflecting point is aligned with the first reflecting point to indicate the alignment of the vehicle with the trailer and hitch.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the first and second beams of light are laser beams.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the first beam of light is continuous and the second beam of light is pulsed.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the first and second reflecting points are aligned when the second reflecting point is located on the same vertical axis as the first reflecting point.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the hitch is a gooseneck hitch.