Land vehicles – Wheeled – Articulated vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
2003-09-03
2004-08-03
Lerner, Avraham (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Articulated vehicle
C280S432000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06769709
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to trailer/vehicle alignment systems and, more particularly, to an alignment system that may be utilized with gooseneck trailers with little or no modification to the trailers.
BACKGROUND ART
Connecting a gooseneck trailer to a pickup with a quad cab can be quite time consuming and difficult because the location of the hitch cannot be readily seen. The problem of alignment for a gooseneck trailer is perhaps enhanced because the trailer has to be aligned accurately before lowering the hitch connection to the ball joint. As discussed below, the basic problem of making connections to a trailer has been recognized in the past and many attempts have been made to solve the problem. However, for the most part, the trailer hitch alignment systems found in the prior art require significant modification of the trailer. Thus, if it is desired to utilize the alignment system with different trailers, it may be necessary to make numerous modifications and perhaps extensive recalibrations for each trailer. Thus, the prior art devices and methods have numerous drawbacks related to requiring time-consuming installation of the system in a particular trailer as well as the problem of operation if a different trailer is used. Patents related to such attempts include the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,178,650, issued Jan. 30, 2001, to J. Thibodeaux, purportedly discloses a trailer hitch positioning system that provides a visual and an audible indication to a vehicle driver of the position of the trailer ball with respect to the tongue of the trailer. The trailer hitch positioning system includes a pinpoint light source assembly, a light beam sensing array assembly, and a passenger compartment display unit wherein a pinpoint beam from the pinpoint light source assembly strikes and activates light beam sensors within the light beam sensing array assembly, the activations of the light beam sensors being detected by a digital controller within the display unit which then provides a corresponding positional information output to the vehicle driver through a LED display and an audible alerting buzzer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,100,795, issued Aug. 8, 2000, to Otterbacher et al., purportedly discloses a trailer hitch alignment system which allows a user to align a hitch of a vehicle with a trailer hitch. The inventive device includes a control that is mountable to a visor of the vehicle in view of the driver, a receiver unit attachable to the bumper of the vehicle and in communication with the control unit, a transmitter unit removably attachable to a trailer hitch that transmits a locating signal that is detectable by the receiver unit, and a storage case. Electronic circuitry within the control unit determines the position of the transmitter unit from the receiver unit from the reception of the locating signal. The control unit includes a turn right indicator and a turn left indicator for visually indicating to the user whether to turn left or right while backing toward the conventional trailer. The control unit also includes a buzzer and stop indicator light for indicating to the user when the ball hitch is positioned below the coupler of the trailer hitch. The control unit also includes a display screen that visually indicates the position of the vehicle with respect to the trailer hitch. If the user needs to turn left or right, either the turn left indicator or the turn right indicator will display various levels of lights indicating to the user that they must turn appropriately for proper alignment of the vehicle with the conventional trailer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,480,104, issued Nov. 12, 2002, to Wall et al., purportedly discloses a trailer alignment device for backing a tow-vehicle to a trailer. The device utilizes a number of ultrasonic transducers to gauge the location of the tow-vehicle to the trailer. This information is transmitted to a control unit that analyzes such data and creates a visual display for the operator to use in backing the tow-vehicle to the trailer.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,122, issued Feb. 10, 1976, to Jack E. Mangus, purportedly discloses a guidance device for the alignment of two separate objects at least one of which is movable with respect to the other such as, towing and towed vehicles, boats with a dock or trucks with loading docks. The device includes a flexible line connectable between desired points on the objects, such as the trailer hitch and the draw bar of the trailer, and means mounted on one of the objects for drawing in the line as the first object moves toward the second. A sensing means detects changes in the alignment of the two objects and an indicating means signals the changes to the operator whereby alignment may be determined and maintained. Additional indicating means may be provided to enable the operator to check the operability of various electrical components on board the vehicles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,187,494, issued Feb. 5, 1980, to J. W. Jessee, purportedly discloses a device to facilitate the positioning of a towing vehicle with respect to a towed vehicle whereby hitch components on the vehicles are properly positioned for articulately connecting the vehicles. The device includes a flexible tension member having one end connected with a spring wound reel on one of the vehicles and the other end connected with the other of the vehicles. A sensing device is associated with the tension member and the vehicles to indicate to the operator of the towing vehicle the manner in which the towing vehicle should be maneuvered to properly position the hitch components. The sensing means is actuated in response to angular and linear disposition of the flexible tension member which actuates a signal generating means which produces distinguishable audible and visual signals.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,908, issued Aug. 28, 1990, to J. A. Senner, purportedly discloses a trailer stability monitor for tractor-trailer vehicles including a motion sensor and signal responsive r.f. transmitter responsive thereto mounted on the trailer and a r.f. signal receiver coupled to alarm means and mounted on the tractor, preferably in the cab thereof, for receiving the signal from the transmitter and causing an alarm to warn the operator of the tractor-trailer of conditions conducive to rollover to permit remedial measures to be undertaken to avoid such incident. The motion sensor includes a pair of angular mounted normally open mercury switches arranged to detect lateral forces to the right or left to a degree conducive to rollover. A vertically oriented normally closed mercury inertia switch is connected in series with the pair of angular mounted parallel connected switches to momentarily disable the circuit to prevent spurious signals from bumps. The switch array is connected in series with a battery and a lower power r.f. oscillator transmitter which transmits a coded low power signal when the switch array is closed. The receiver/alarm includes a r.f. receiver which can detect the signal from the transmitter and activate an alarm of sufficient power to alert the operator. The signal can be transmitted air to air via an antenna or by superimposing the signal on a pair of the existing electrical lines of the tractor-trailer, using the lines as a r.f. line carrier.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,970,619, issued Oct. 26, 1999, to R. L. Wells, purportedly discloses a device for guiding alignment of a trailer hitch with a trailer cup attachment and a towing vehicle attachment. The trailer cup attachment adjustably clips over the trailer cup on the draw bar of the trailer. The trailer cup attachment has at least one vertical rod and an alignment indicator equipped with guide lights and a sound generator to indicate when the ball on the towing vehicle is in hitching position relative to the trailer cup. The towing vehicle attachment has a mounting base for removable temporary mounting on the towing vehicle. Telescoping rods are rotatably mounted in the mounting base. At the end of the telescoping rods is a fluorescent colored activating ball which is positioned directly a
Piper Alan L.
Piper Dean Alan
Lerner Avraham
Nash Kenneth L.
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