Abstract:
A trailer tongue centering guide having a base with a first aperture through which a ball connector may be secured to a tow bar through the first aperture and a pair of guide walls rigidly secured perpendicular to the top surface of the base at oblique angles to the first aperture and defining a second aperture essentially perpendicular to the first aperture through which the tow bar may be inserted such that the tow bar is positioned parallel to the top surface of the base and the ball connector may be positioned over the first aperture.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/329,720, filed Oct. 16, 2001 and entitled “HIGH CENTERING GUIDE AND PROTECTION DEVICE,” incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    1. The Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    This invention relates to a center guide, and more particularly to an apparatus for centering a trailer tongue over a hitch.  
           [0004]    2. The Background Art  
           [0005]    Backing up a vehicle to align the tongue of a trailer with a hitch, such as a pin and aperture, pintle, or bal can be frustrating and cumbersome. Trailers are often heavy and unwieldy, and unless the vehicle is placed in precisely in the right place, people have to wrestle the tongue of the trailer into place and lower it onto the ball. Aligning a tow bar and ball beneath the accompanying tongue of a trailer can also be expensive if the vehicle overshoots its goal and the trailer impacts the bumper. This is especially true with today&#39;s plastic or rubber bumpers.  
           [0006]    There have been attempts to assist in the centering ofthe trailer tongue over the ball/tow bar assembly of a vehicle. Some attempts include side walls which guide the trailer tongue to a position over the ball as the vehicle, with its tow bar and ball, move towards the tongue ofthe trailer. Many of these attempts have significant shortcomings however. One such shortcoming is that the centering device is allowed to pivot relative to the vehicle. When the trailer tongue first engages these devices, the walls of such devices act as a lever, causing the device to pivot to move to a more perpendicular position relative to the trailer tongue, thus negating the device&#39;s ability to guide the tongue over the ball hitch. This can often occur even if the centering device is bolted down to the tow bar by the threaded ball joint.  
           [0007]    Another problem with many prior art centering devices is that they are cumbersome or difficult to use. For example, some prior art trailer tongue guides have multiple parts of substantial weight and complexity, which must be assembled and disassembled each time the device is used. These parts are susceptible to loss, misalignment, binding, and other mechanical failure modes. Either failures or even normal operations can add time to the process of centering the trailer tongue over the ball hitch. Other guides have portions that must be removed after the tongue is centered, but before the tongue can be secured to the ball. This complexity of use reduces the likelihood that the device will be used and adversely affects sales.  
           [0008]    Other guides are designed with multiple angles, folds, or creases in the guiding member, which decreases the ability ofthe device to smoothly guide the trailer tongue into position. Other devices have ramps, which increase the chance of damage should the vehicle move too quickly and the trailer tongue jump off the ramp and into the back of vehicle. Lifting the trailer off the ground also provides instability as the force of the trailer must rest on the guide device and a point of contact between the trailer and the ground is removed.  
           [0009]    Other guiding or centering devices are expensive to make because they include numerous parts to be fitted together. The price also increases because these multi-piece and complex designs require additional manufacturing steps. Still other designs are of insufficient strength to withstand the torque applied to the device by the weight ofthe trailer and the force ofthe vehicle when the trailer tongue engages a guide member causing the device to pivot. For example, without sufficient support offering resistance to rotational forces caused by a trailer tongue impinging on a single side of a centering system, a centering system bolted down by the mounting bolt of a ball hitch may simply rotate with the force and fail to operate properly.  
           [0010]    What is needed is a hitch centering or guidance system easily operable, preferably by a single individual, and effective to guide a trailer tongue to a hitch in a lateral direction, while a driver brings a vehicle and hitch into proximity in a longitudinal direction. Such a system should function to guide the tongue laterally with respect to the vehicle hitch, and capture the tongue in both lateral and longitudinal directions to register the tongue with the hitch. The system should accomplish this without requiring a vehicle operator to leave the vehicle more than once during the entire alignment sequence to make a comparatively gross determination and corresponding correction ofthe relative location of the trailer tongue and vehicle hitch.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    The present invention overcomes these and other problems in the art, and provides such a system as the one desired. Relative locations ofthe tongue and hitch are considered in all three dimensions. Lateral (side-to-side) gross alignment is controlled by vehicle steering, longitudinal (end-to-end) gross alignment is controlled by vehicle movement and braking, and transverse (up-and-down) gross alignment is controlled by the jack associated with support ofthe trailer tongue. Meanwhile, final alignment is controlled in the lateral and longitudinal directions by an apparatus in accordance with the invention, which places the tongue sufficiently close to the hitch to support engagement ofthe tongue and hitch. Final alignment in the transverse direction is controlled by lowering the jack to drop the tongue into engagement with the hitch.  
           [0012]    The invention provides an improved hitch centering guide and protection device to aid in the coupling of a trailer to a motor vehicle. The trailer hitch centering guide has a base or base plate with a first opening through which a ball connector may be secured to a tow bar through the first opening and a pair of guide walls rigidly secured perpendicular to the top surface ofthe base at oblique angles to the first opening and defining a second opening essentially perpendicular to the first opening through which the tow bar may be inserted such that the tow bar is positioned parallel to the top surface of the base and the ball connector may be positioned over the first opening.  
           [0013]    This new centering guide provides a reliable mechanism for aiding the coupling of a trailer to a motor vehicle. The centering guide will help guide the tongue of a trailer onto the ball connector of a motor vehicle and provide needed and valuable protection to the motor vehicle. The centering guide will also be more durable and reliable than previous devices attempting to perform the same function because this new centering guide eliminates pivoting movement between the centering guide and the tow bar ofthe motor vehicle when the tongue ofthe trailer strikes the guide wall of the centering guide. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    The foregoing and other advantages and features ofthe present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are, therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope, the invention will be described with additional specificity and detail through use ofthe accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is a front plan view ofthe centering guide from rearward ofthe position where the centering guide would be mounted on a vehicle and a top plan view of the centering guide;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is a side plan view of an alternative embodiment ofthe centering guide of FIG. 1 showing a lip extension;.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 is a front plan view of a guide wall ofthe centering guide of FIG. 1 showing an opening to accommodating a tow bar and notches to facilitate assembly of the centering guide;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a base showing an opening to accommodate a hitch;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 5 a  is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment ofthe centering guide of FIG. 1; and  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 5 b  is atop plan view of another alternative embodiment ofthe centering guide of FIG. 1. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0021]    Reference is now made to the figures wherein like parts are referred to by like numerals throughout. With particular reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the invention relates to a novel guide or trailer tongue centering and protection device  10 . The invention includes a base  12  and a guide wall  14  extending upwardly from the base  12 . In one embodiment, the guide wall  14  may be integral to form a single guide wall  14 . The base  12  includes an opening  16  which allows a towing ball hitch  13  with a tow bar  15  to be adjustable within the opening  16 . This allows the device  10  to be slid forward and back until it is secured to the plate  12  at a desired position.  
         [0022]    The guide wall  14 , along with the base  12  defines an opening  18 . The guide wall  14  forms a wide “v” with a smoothly radiused curve connecting tangentially at the apex (vertex) ofthe “v.” The curve is positioned forward ofthe ball  13  between the ball  13  and the remainder ofthe vehicle. The curve preferably has radiuses larger than any radius ofthe tongue ofthe trailer, and thus has a diameter larger than the width ofthe tongue. The tongue contains a mating socket for the ball hitch. The lack of sharp angles allows the device  10  to more easily guide the tongue of a trailer into proper position. With the curved apex ofthe “v” forward ofthe ball, centering the tongue over the ball hitch  13  is easier.  
         [0023]    The guide wall  14  may be at a height to provide protection to the bumper ofthe towing vehicle. The opening  18  is positioned adjacent to the base  12  and has a height  20  that allows for a standard tow bar, to which the ball  13  is attached, to be positioned within the opening  18 . The opening  18  should also allow clearance for the upward curve of most standard tow bars  15  (see FIG. 2). The opening  18  is partially defined by a pair of edges  22 . The edges  22  are spaced apart at a width  23  just slightly wider than the width of the tow bar  15 .  
         [0024]    In one embodiment, the distance between a side ofthe tow bar  15  and a respective side wall  22  may be less than one quarter of an inch for each side. In another embodiment, the distance between respective sides ofthe tow bar  15  and a respective edges  22  may be less than one eighth of an inch. With the tow bar  15  positioned within the opening  18 , the base  12  is attached to an underside  17  ofthe tow bar. In this configuration, the edges  22  act as stops to prevent pivoting of the device  10  about the ball  13 . The integral nature ofthe guide wall  14  prevents shearing of the guide wall  14  under the torque of the rotating device  10  under the force of a trailer tongue impacting the guide wall  14 .  
         [0025]    Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the guide wall  14  includes a pair of notches  26  configured within a bottom edge  28  ofthe guide wall  14 . The notches  26  correspond to respective tabs  30  in the base  12  which act as keys to properly and consistently position the base  12  relative to the guide wall  14  during manufacture. With the tabs  30  positioned within the notches  26 , the guide wall  14  can be welded to the base  12 .  
         [0026]    Referring now to FIGS. 5 a  and  5   b , slots  32 , holes  34 , or other openings may be configured within the base  12  to allow case-hardened bolts, cotter pins, or other fasteners to be positioned within the slots  32  or holes  34 . In this way, if it is desired to attach the device  10  to a top side ofthe tow bar  15 , the bolts or other fasteners positioned within the slots  32  or holes  34  and extending beneath the base  12  would serve the same function as the edges  22  to prevent the device  10  from rotating. The angled slots  32  allow for fasteners to be positioned within the slots  32  close to the outer edges of the tow bar  15  for a variety of tow bar  15  widths. Likewise, a variety of holes  34  may be positioned to allow fasteners to extend beneath the device  10  and be closely positioned adjacent the edges ofthe tow bar  15  for a variety of standard bar sizes which are usually 2.5 or 3 inches wide. The holes  34  or slots  32  may also be positioned to accommodate non standard tow bar sizes.  
         [0027]    In assembly and in operation, the guide  10  may be formed of a base  12  shaped in a convenient manner to be a rectangle, diamond, triangle or the like. In certain embodiments, the base  12  may be provided with a lip  42  along an edge  44  configured to align the base  12  and secure the base  12  to resist rotation. Likewise, the edges  22  ofthe aperture  18  may fit in close proximity to the tow bar  15 . The lip  42  and the edges  22 , either individually or together, operate as stops effective to resist any substantial rotation ofthe base  12  in response to forces of a trailer tongue against the wall  14 .  
         [0028]    For example, a trailer tongue striking the left side wall  25   a  or side portion  25   a  exerts a force tending to rotate the wall  14  clockwise with respect to the hitch  13 , from a plan view. Such rotation or pivoting undermines the alignment effect ofthe wall  14 . Accordingly, the nut  46  may be tightened against the base  12  on the bolt  48 . However, the frictional effect of clamping the base  12  between the nut  46  and the tow bar  15 , to resist rotation about the bolt  46 , has a mechanical disadvantage compared to the trailer tongue striking a side wall  25 . Therefore, the friction imposed by the nut  46  is normally inadequate to maintain the position of the base  12  and wall  14  to effectively guide a trailer tongue.  
         [0029]    By contrast, a stop  22 ,  42  or registration member  22 ,  42 , such as the edge  22  or the lip  42  operates to provide a second location in addition to the bolt  48  through the aperture  16 . Thus, stabilized by two comparatively distant and comparative solid obstructions, the base  12  is unlikely to rotate out of its properly registered position for guiding the trailer tongue towards the hitch  13  in close proximity to the vertex  27  of the wall  14 .  
         [0030]    In alternative embodiments, slots  32  may receive studs, bolts or other fasteners, shared to rigidly fix the rotation ofthe base  12  with respect to the tow bar  15 . Similarly, rods  34 , studs  34 , pins  34 , bolts  34 , and the like, may protrude from the base  12  to engage the tow bar  15  to resist rotation there between. In yet another embodiment, the slots  32  may receive bolts, pins, U-bolts, brackets, or the like fitted to the base  12  and the tow bar  15 , yet permanently fixed to neither the base  12  nor the tow bar  15 . In general, registration members  22 ,  34 ,  42  may include any combination of edges  22 , apertures  32  pins  34 , lips  42 , or combinations thereof fixed or fastened, permanently or temporarily to the base  12 , or the tow bar  15 , in a way to engage the other ofthe tow bar  15  or the base  12 . Welding the base  12  to the tow bar  15  presents yet another embodiment. In order to provide an optional or after market apparatus  10  for use on a wide variety of tow bars  15 , a free base  12 , selectively securable and removable to the tow bar  15  by the nut  46  may provide great practicality and wide spread applicability.  
         [0031]    As a practical matter, the wall  14 , may be aligned with the base  12  by registering the tabs  30  with the slots  26 . The tabs  30  and slots  26  may be reversed with respect to the base  12  and wall  14 , if desired. Structural integrity may best be served by a welding bead  50 , run along the edge  28  ofthe wall  14  and the edge  29  ofthe base  12 . Alternatively, other fastening systems such as bolts, screws, flanges, brackets, and the like may serve adequately. However, welding provides substantially reduced sizes with increased structural integrity by comparison with other fastening mechanisms.  
         [0032]    In certain embodiments, the base  12  may fit below the tow bar  15 . The placement ofthe base  12  below the underside  17  ofthe tow bar  15  places the edge  22  ofthe wall  14  in a position to bear directly against the tow bar  15 . Accordingly, the load of a trailer tongue striking the wall  14  provide a moment about the bolt  48 , resisted by the edge  22  through the solid contiguous material ofthe wall  14 . The impact ofthe edge  22  comes directly from the wall  14  and the trailer tongue impinging thereon. Thus, the structural integrity and the resistance to impact load is improved. The base  12 , being captured within the wall  14  likewise exerts a force against the wall  14  directly to maintain the couple (rotational force) about the bolt  48 . Thus the weld  50  is not severely loaded.  
         [0033]    To accommodate the forgoing structure, it may be convenient to leave open a region between the vertex  27  or center portion  27  ofthe wall  14  and the rear edge  29  ofthe base  12  to form an aperture  52  in the base  12 . This aperture  52  is not required but may be convenient, to enlarge the aperture  18  during installation and sacrifices little structural integrity since the edge  29  of the base  12  cannot weld to the edge  28  of the wall  14  under the vertex  27  anyway.  
         [0034]    The aperture  52  combines with the aperture  18  to form a suitable opening to receive the tow bar  15 . The combination may be referred to as the aperture  18  as a practical matter. The aperture  18 , thus is a closed aperture, thus maintaining better structural integrity under load and complete capture during assembly (installation on a vehicle), as well as providing proper alignment.  
         [0035]    Without closure ofthe aperture  18 , the edges  22  might deflect and deform at lower loads. Thus, although the apparatus  10  is selectively removable from a tow bar  15 , installation may effectively be substantially permanent for a user. This degree of selective permanence provides convenience for a user by not requiring repeated handling, manipulation for installation and removal, or storage.  
         [0036]    Handling (carrying, lifting, etc.) the apparatus  10  as well as manipulating (adjusting, sliding, shifting, rotating, fitting, etc.) a large, rusty, dirty, greasy, heavy apparatus  10 , several years after purchase, loses a lot of its initial charm, its utility notwithstanding. Finding storage space and moving the apparatus  10  to and from that storage space only further complicates ownership and use ofthe apparatus  10 .  
         [0037]    In this embodiment, the user simply backs the hitch  13  and guide  10  toward a trailer tongue. The trailer tongue is captures between the sidewalls  25   a ,  25   b , each providing a force, as appropriate urging the trailer tongue there along toward the vertex  27 . Any comparatively large lateral motion ofthe trailer tongue between the walls  25   a ,  25   b  results in impingement ofthe trailer tongue against the opposite wall  25   b ,  25   a . Once captured, the trailer tongue either slide along a wall  25   a ,  25   b , or possibly dithers between the walls  25   a ,  25   b  as it move inexorably forward toward alignment with the hitch  13  near the vertex  27 . At the this point, the trailer tongue may be lowered over the hitch  13  without any further manipulation.  
         [0038]    The simple design is stronger than prior art designs and less expensive to manufacture. It is also easier for a consumer to use. The device  10  does not have to be removed before securing the ball  13  to the trailer tongue or before securing the ball hitch to the receiver. The high guide wall  14  also provides protection for the vehicle.  
         [0039]    It should be appreciated that the apparatus ofthe present invention is capable of being incorporated in the form of a variety of embodiments, only a few of which have been illustrated and described above. The invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.