Patent Publication Number: US-2020290414-A1

Title: Accessory for trailer towing vehicle

Description:
This application is based on Provisional Patent Application 62/818,179, entitled ACCESSORY FOR A TRAILER TOWING VEHICLE, filed Mar. 14, 2019, priority of which is claimed. 
    
    
     This invention relates to an accessory for a trailer towing vehicle that provides a USB port. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Trailer towing vehicles, such as trucks and SUVs, are equipped to pull trailers including such equipment as an electrical receptacle on the vehicle rear, usually on or near the bumper, into which a connection is inserted providing a cable connected to electrical components on the trailer. In this fashion, electrical power for the trailer is provided by the towing vehicle so trailers do not require a motor/generator set and battery and thus can be relatively cost efficient. 
     It occasionally occurs that it is desirable to use or charge a USB enabled device in unusual locations. Examples include working or partying off the end of a pickup truck or tailgate, parked in the outfield of a little league baseball game, on the beach, bird hunting, camping and the like. If batteries are low in a USB device or if DC current is needed for other purposes, the only common option is to use a cigarette lighter socket in the cab of the truck provided one has purchased a USB-to-cigarette lighter adapter which is not standard equipment for USB enabled devices. 
     It is known in the prior art to use a trailer connection as a source of electric power for a variety of purposes. Disclosures of interest are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,093,773 and 9,375,987. In addition, a commercially available device has one end insertable into the truck receptacle and a second end having a pair of cigarette lighter ports. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An accessory uses a vehicle mounted electrical receptacle normally used to supply power to a trailer. The accessory has one end configured to fit in and be powered by terminals in the vehicle&#39;s electrical receptacle. The accessory includes a second end having a USB port that can be used to provide electrical power to any USB enabled device such as a charging port for a cell phone. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a rear view of a trailer towing vehicle showing a more-or-less standard location of an electrical receptacle used to provide electrical power to a trailer; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of an accessory providing an electrical path transmitting power from an electrical receptacle to a USB port; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the accessory of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a view of the end of the accessory that is inserted into the electrical receptacle; 
         FIG. 5  is a view of an opposite end of an accessory, similar to  FIG. 4  but having a one piece housing, illustrating the USB port; and 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of the housing illustrating a guide rib orienting the accessory in a correct position in the trailer receptacle. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-6 , an accessory  10  is inserted into an electrical receptacle  12  mounted on or near the rear of a towing vehicle  14  such as a truck or SUV as shown in  FIG. 1 . The electrical receptacle  12  may be of conventional configuration, is commercially available at any major auto parts retailer and comes as standard equipment on most full sized pick up trucks and trailer towing equipped SUVs. The receptacle  12  includes a series of terminals (not shown) which supply power to a variety of devices on a trailer, such as lights, brake lights, signal lights and universally includes an electrically energized or hot terminal (not shown) and a ground terminal (not shown) at angular locations that are standard in the industry. The energized or hot terminal is a constant supply of power, meaning the vehicle engine does not have to be running or the key does not have to be in the “on” position. Details of the receptacle  12  may be found in the manuals of manufacturers. 
     The accessory  10  comprises, as major components, a housing  16 , a fitting  18  configured to fit into the receptacle  12  and electrically connect to the hot terminal and ground terminal of the receptacle  12  and an electronic module  20  electrically connecting the fitting  18  to one or more USB ports  22  on an exterior of the module  20 . The interior of the housing  16  is configured to receive, stabilize and captivate the fitting  18  and the electronic module  20  so they remain in position inside the housing  16 . 
     The housing  16  may be a multi-piece housing as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4  comprising mirror image halves secured together by suitable fasteners (not shown) or may be a one piece unitary housing, meaning the housing has no seams which are joined together, as suggested in  FIG. 5 . The housing  16  includes an external rib  24  orienting the housing  16  in a correct position to pass into the receptacle so the hot and ground terminals of the receptacle  12  align with and make electrical connection with conductive terminals  26 ,  28  in the fitting  18 . This provides electrical power to the module  20  as will be more fully apparent hereinafter. It will be seen that one end of the accessory  10  is compatible with the receptacle  12  in the sense that it fits snugly into the receptacle  12  and makes connection with the hot and ground terminals. The housing  16  may include wings  30 ,  32  allowing a user to pull the accessory  10  from the receptacle  12 . 
     The fitting  18  is made of an electrically insulating materials, typically plastic, and provides a lip  34  sized to snugly fit in a recess  36  at one end of the housing halves  28 ,  30 . The terminals  26 ,  28  extend inwardly of the housing  16  for connection to the module  20 . 
     The module  20  is of conventional design and includes electronic components  38  sufficient to convert an input of 12 or 24 volt dc into an output voltage which is compatible with commercially available USB enabled devices. Currently, the output voltage is 5 volts direct current but this may change as the industry evolves. The current passing through the electronic components is typically on the order of 1-5 amperes. The module  20  includes leads  40 ,  42  connected to the terminals  26 ,  28  as by soldering or the like. The module  20  is captivated and constrained against movement inside by the housing  16  by ribs or other projections  44 ,  46 . 
     In its assembled condition, the USB port  22  of the module  20  extends through a slot  48  in an end cap  50  which is conveniently molded into a single piece housing  16  as in  FIG. 4  or secured in any suitable fashion to separate housing pieces  16  as in  FIGS. 2 and 4 . It will be seen that the housing  16  is symmetrical about an axis extending from a first end received in the receptacle  12  and a second end including the slot  48 . It will also be seen that the fitting  18 , the module  20  and the slot  48  are in a line, i.e. linearly aligned. 
     To use the accessory  10 , the user plugs the fitting  18  into the electrical receptacle  12  on the back of the vehicle  14 . This secures the accessory to the receptacle  12  and also electrically connects the vehicle battery (not shown) to the terminals  26 ,  28  which in turn are connected to the USB port  22  through the electronic components  38 . 
     Although this invention has been disclosed and described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form is only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of operation and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.