Electricity: transmission to vehicles – Flexible extensions – Reels
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-23
2001-01-30
Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3613)
Electricity: transmission to vehicles
Flexible extensions
Reels
C191S012400
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179103
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an improvement in the method of connection of the electrical extension cords and trailer light connections to vehicles today. More specifically, to a method of making such connections to a point which is fixed on an existing component of the vehicle.
In the northern areas of the United States and most all areas of Canada many vehicles use engine and battery heaters and on board charging systems employed to make the engines of these vehicles easier to start during cold weather. Most of these accessories use 110-120 volt alternating currents for power. These accessories usually have a cord with a male connector that must be routed from the accessory to somewhere on the front end of the vehicle, which usually entails routing the cord through the grill, front bumper or under the hood.
There are numerous problems associated with these routing systems. Routing the cord out through the front grill is often difficult because there is very little room to get the cord end out of the existing grill openings. The amount of space is even so limited in some circumstances that the cord end must be cut off and a new one reinstalled after the endless cord is fed through the grill. Placing the cord end under the hood of the vehicle imposes the problem of having to open and close the hood each time the accessory is plugged in. An alternative variation on this approach is to leave a portion of the end of the cord hanging beneath the hood and in front of the grill. The problems that this creates are that it is not only unsightly, but also leaves the plug end free to move around in the wind and damage the grill or the painted surface of the vehicle. Further, ice and water may collect on the exposed male plug end and cause damage to the plug.
Another approach to mount the cord to an accessible part of the vehicle is to attach it somewhere on the lower surface of the front bumper. The problem with this is that it is very often difficult and cumbersome to reach the cord end to plug it in. This situation is worsened when there is snow and ice on the surface upon which the vehicle is parked (hardly a rare occurrence in the northern portion of North America during the winter months). Another common approach is to place the cord end at the rear of the hood near the windshield of the vehicle. The problem with this is that the area immediately behind the hood often fills with snow and ice making it difficult to effectuate the connection between the cord end and an extension cord. Lastly, a problem associated with all these methods of cord attachment is that they all require the use of both of the user's hands to make the connection.
A similar problem exists at the rear of the vehicle. Many vehicles use trailers to transport items that are too heavy or bulky to be moved by the vehicle itself. These trailers are required by law to be fitted with lighting systems and are also often equipped with electrical braking systems. The trailer wiring harness for these systems usually ends at the front of the trailer tongue near the hitch. The end of the wiring harness is equipped with a connector that is plugged into a corresponding connector that is wired into the vehicle's electrical lighting system. In many instances, the connector located on the vehicle is left to hang loose out beneath the rear bumper, through a hole in the bumper or any other number of unsuitable locations that are not conducive to the nature of the connection being sought by the user. In this type of connector installation the connector can also be damaged by excessive movement and exposure to road wear and adverse weather conditions. Finally, this also requires the use of both of the user's hands to make the connection between the trailer and the towing vehicle, as the user must grasp each end in a hand.
Prior art shows at least two devices, such as the Norwood U.S. Pat. No. 5,255,767 and the Kozakevich U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,698, that are made to mount behind a license plate in order to store an electrical cord to deal with many of the foregoing problems. These devices can be rather bulky and detract from the visual appeal of a vehicle. Further, the devices may be cumbersome to use as the operator must unwrap and wrap a cord after each use, thus, defeating the purpose of increasing the aesthetic appeal and convenience of attaching an electrical accessory on a vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a new and improved method for connecting electrical extension cords and trailer electrical connectors to a fixed point on a vehicle.
It is an additional objective of the present invention to provide a method for conveniently locating vehicle electrical connection systems which can be protected against exposure to the elements and damage to electrical connectors while further protecting the user from shock due to damaged connectors.
It is still a further objective of the present invention to provide a method for single-handedly attaching and removing a vehicle electrical connection system from an external electrical connector through a simple series of steps.
These objectives are accomplished by the use of an improved design in license plate brackets with electrical attachments. The apparatus consists of a bracket which is secured onto a vehicle bumper through tabs aligned over vehicle license plate attachment holes. A vehicle electrical connector lead wire is routed through a notch in the bracket where it resides in a wire channel molded to the rear bracket. The notch on a vehicle's accessory cord, electrical connector or a vehicle's electrical trailer connector and allows permanent fixation of either within an electrical connector housing molded to the front of the bracket. A connector cover is attached to the device housing to help prevent accidental shock and to protect the electrical connector from exposure and damage when the vehicle electrical attachment is not in use. The cover is easily swivelled during use through a compression spring and remains attached to the device housing preventing loss or damage to it. The preferred method of utilizing the apparatus allows the user to single-handedly connect or disconnect an external electrical attachment to the permanently fixated electrical attachment point upon the vehicle.
For a better understanding of the present invention reference should be made to the drawings and the description in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the present invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4160576 (1979-07-01), Vettori
patent: 4479693 (1984-10-01), Uyeda et al.
patent: 4613728 (1986-09-01), Lathrop
patent: 5056698 (1991-10-01), Kozakevich
patent: 5177889 (1993-01-01), Ching Hwei
patent: 5255166 (1993-10-01), Gonzalez
patent: 5255767 (1993-10-01), Norwood
patent: 5288094 (1994-02-01), Putnam
patent: 5669471 (1997-09-01), Unze
Harr Curtis
McCarry, Jr. Robert J.
Morano S. Joseph
LandOfFree
License plate bracket with electrical attachment does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with License plate bracket with electrical attachment, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and License plate bracket with electrical attachment will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2501771