Patent ID: 7431318

Claim:
An alignment assembly for assisting a vehicle operator to align a trailer hitch with a vehicle hitch while the operator is seated within the vehicle, said alignment assembly comprising: first and second identification markers having elongated shafts provided with axially opposed end portions respectively, said first identification marker being directly seated on a rear portion of the vehicle hitch and spaced from a rear bumper of the vehicle, said second identification marker being directly seated on a proximal end of the trailer hitch that is directly conjoined to a distal end of the vehicle hitch; and means for locking said second identification marker at a static position when seated on the trailer hitch such that said second identification marker becomes securely attached to the trailer hitch during operating conditions; wherein the vehicle operator can accurately determine when the vehicle and trailer hitches are aligned in a linear relationship by aligning said first and second identification markers in a linear relationship during operating conditions; wherein each said first and second identification markers comprises a target zone directly connected to a top one of said shaft end portions, said target zones having annular shapes and being formed from reflective material; wherein one said shafts associated with said second identification marker has a longitudinal length greater than a longitudinal length of another said shafts associated with said first identification marker such that one said target zones associated with said one shaft is completely situated above and rearwardly disposed from another said target zones associated with said another shaft, said shafts maintaining a fixed spatial relationship during operating conditions, said base member associated with said one shaft being disposed at a higher elevation than said base member associated with said another shaft; wherein said second identification marker further comprises a mirror directly conjoined to one said shafts thereof, said mirror being oriented in such a manner that the vehicle driver seated in the vehicle can visually identify a relative position of said first and second identification markers; and a flashlight directly conjoined to said one shaft of said second identification marker, said flashlight being vertically registered below said mirror and emitting a light array vertically downwardly directly onto a ball section of the vehicle hitch.