Patent ID: 6880849
Filing Date: 2005-04-19
Classification: B60D

Abstract:
1. A universal trailer-hitch mirror system comprising: an attachment configuration having a system fastener for fastening the attachment configuration to a support object that is accessible for support of a mirror holder on which a system mirror is positioned for mirror-viewing of tow trailer-hitch components of a tow vehicle and for mirror-viewing of trailerable trailer-hitch components of a trailerable vehicle from a vehicle mirror; the tow vehicle being within hitching-steerable proximity to the trailerable vehicle; the mirror holder being attached orientationally to the attachment configuration with an orientation controller; the system mirror being attached orientationally to the mirror holder selectively with a system-mirror joint; the attachment configuration being articulated to be positioned in desired proximity to rear components of the tow vehicle, to front components of the trailerable vehicle and to objects proximate thereto selectively; the system fastener being articulated predeterminedly to attach the attachment configuration to the support object selectively; the orientation controller being articulated to orient the mirror holder controllably in a desired orientation of attachment to the attachment configuration; and the system-mirror joint being articulated to orient the system mirror in a mirrored line of sight from the vehicle mirror to the tow trailer-hitch components and the trailerable trailer-hitch components selectively, wherein the support object is a pickup-truck tailgate on the tow vehicle; the attachment configuration includes a tailgate bracket having two tailgate hooks extended in a direction that is outwardly from a rear surface of the pickup-truck tailgate; the orientation controller includes two pivot joints with which the mirror holder is attached orientationally and fixedly to the tailgate bracket; the tailgate hook is articulated and situated to hook-fasten the tailgate bracket to the pickup-truck tailgate of the tow vehicle; the mirror holder includes two mirror attachment rods that are attached to the two orientation controllers; the system-mirror joint is intermediate the two mirror attachment rods on the mirror holder; and the vehicle mirror is a rearview mirror having line-of sight vision through the tow vehicle to the system mirror.