Land vehicles – Wheeled – Articulated vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
2006-04-18
2010-06-29
Morris, Lesley (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Articulated vehicle
C280S478100
Reexamination Certificate
active
07744109
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for assisting a driver of a towing vehicle to reverse the vehicle into alignment and proximity with a trailer, so that the towing vehicle and the trailer can be easily hitched together. The invention includes a detachable alignment system with a signal device to show a stop point via side mirrors to the driver while he is reversing the vehicle toward the trailer. The invention includes two complementary units respectively releasably attached to the vehicle and trailer, each unit having equal-length transverse support beams that respectively extend beyond the sides of the vehicle and trailer and that have visible markers depending from their distal ends, whereby the markers are visible to the driver via the side view mirrors. Being of equal length, the distal ends of support beams on either side of the vehicle and trailer permit the end markers to visually line up or come together as viewed by the driver through the side view mirrors when a tow ball on the vehicle and a trailer hitch on the trailer are accurately lined up for a positive connection. The markers permit the driver to align the vehicle unit to the trailer unit while reversing the vehicle, and therefore align the tow ball to the trailer hitch as those units are mounted to these parts specifically and respectively. A trigger switch on the trailer unit may be deployed to activate a signal device, for example a light, when in contact with the tow ball.
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Adams Tashiana
Morris Lesley
Tease Antoinette M.
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