Card – picture – or sign exhibiting – Signs – Automotive vehicle carried
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-15
2002-10-15
Davis, Cassandra (Department: 3611)
Card, picture, or sign exhibiting
Signs
Automotive vehicle carried
C280S507000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06463686
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to towing hitches and, more specifically, to a cover for hitch receivers including adapter tubes allowing use with either large or small receivers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many vehicles have hitches installed for such uses as towing trailers. Typical hitches fit under the rear bumper of the vehicle and include a main portion which attaches to the vehicle frame or structure. This main portion has a rearwardly extending square tube, generally called a receiver. A square cross section hitch adapter slides into the receiver and includes a ball for attaching a trailer thereto. Often, owners of vehicles with hitches remove the adapter and ball portion when not using the vehicle for trailering. One reason for removing the adapter and ball is to avoid it being stolen out of the receiver. Also, when the adapter and ball are installed into the receiver, they extend beyond the rear bumper of the car. Therefore, by removing the receiver and ball when not in use, damage that may be caused by or to the adapter and ball are avoided.
With the adapter and ball removed from the receiver portion of the hitch, the vehicle is left with a rearward facing square opening located just below the rear bumper. There are a variety of covers available for this opening to avoid contamination from entering the opening. Some covers also provide aesthetic benefits by improving the appearance of the receiver. One type of hitch cover includes a decorative cover and a sleeve extending perpendicularly from the cover for insertion into the hitch receiver. This type of cover is typically formed as one integral piece, either out of metal or plastic. Its one piece construction makes these covers suitable for use with only one size of hitch receiver. Hitch receivers come in multiple sizes, depending on their application. Also, the construction of this type of cover makes it difficult to package. However, there remains a need for improved hitch receiver covers that provide cosmetic benefits, and overcome some of the shortcomings of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention improves on the prior art by providing a hitch cover wherein the decorative cover portion is selectively interconnectable with a mount. The mount has a tube portion for insertion into the receiving opening. The tube portion has a cross section smaller than the receiving opening in the hitch receiver. The mount also has an attaching portion interconnecting with the tube portion. A connector is provided for selectively interconnecting the cover with the attaching portion of the mount. In some embodiments, a second, differently sized mount is provided, with the first and second mount both interconnecting the with decorative cover using the same mounting holes. By providing two selectively interconnectable mounts, the cover system may be assembled so as to interconnect with hitch receivers of more than one size.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4040641 (1977-08-01), Reicke
patent: 4852902 (1989-08-01), Young et al.
patent: 5603178 (1997-02-01), Morrison
patent: D399805 (1998-10-01), Donalies
patent: D401194 (1998-11-01), Harwood
patent: D405744 (1999-02-01), Young et al.
patent: D415457 (1999-10-01), Young et al.
patent: 6007033 (1999-12-01), Casson et al.
patent: D419505 (2000-01-01), Deerman
patent: 6053627 (2000-04-01), Vo et al.
patent: D424485 (2000-05-01), Parker
patent: D424991 (2000-05-01), Young et al.
patent: 6079136 (2000-06-01), Kozlarek
patent: 6095546 (2000-08-01), Austin
Davis Cassandra
United Global Sourcing Inc.
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