US 12,759,353 B2Granted

Trailer hitch restrictor assembly

OwnerBobby Nolfinventor

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Abstract

A trailer hitch restrictor assembly includes an extension tube that is attachable to a hitch receiver of a tow vehicle. A pivot mount is positioned on the extension tube and the pivot mount includes a pair of pivot points and a plurality of stop points. A pair of arms is each pivotally attachable to a respective pivot point thereby facilitating each of the pair of arms to be positioned on either side of a hitch of a trailer being towed by the tow vehicle. A pair of bumpers is each pivotally attachable to a respective arm to abut the hitch of the trailer when the tow vehicle negotiates a turn thereby inhibiting the trailer from jackknifing on the tow vehicle. A pair of stops is each attachable to a respective stop point thereby inhibiting a respective one of the arms from pivoting toward the tow vehicle.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A trailer hitch restrictor assembly for inhibiting a trailer from jackknifing with a tow vehicle, said assembly comprising:

an extension tube being attachable to a hitch receiver of a tow vehicle;
a pivot mount being positioned on said extension tube, said pivot mount having a pair of pivot points and a plurality of stop points, said plurality of stop points being arranged to form an arc surrounding said pivot points;
a pair of arms, each of said pair of arms being pivotally attachable to a respective one of said pivot points of said pivot mount such that each of said pair of arms extends outwardly from said pivot mount at an adjustable angle in opposite directions from each other thereby facilitating each of said pair of arms to be positioned on either side of a hitch of a trailer being towed by said tow vehicle;
a pair of bumpers, each of said pair of bumpers being pivotally attachable to a respective one of said arms thereby facilitating a respective one of said pair of bumpers to abut said hitch of said trailer when said tow vehicle negotiates a turn that exceeds a pre-determined turn radius thereby inhibiting said trailer from jackknifing on said tow vehicle;
and
a pair of stops, each of said stops being attachable to a respective one of said stop points of said pivot mount thereby facilitating each of said pair of stops to inhibit a respective one of said arms from pivoting toward said tow vehicle such that said pair of stops facilitates said pair of arms to inhibit said trailer from jackknifing on said tow vehicle, each of said pair of stops being positionable at a respective location along said arc defined by said plurality of stop points thereby facilitating said pair of arms to be oriented at a variety of angles.

3 more elements

A trailer hitch restrictor assembly for inhibiting a trailer from jackknifing with a tow vehicle, said assembly comprising:

an extension tube being attachable to a hitch receiver of a tow vehicle, said extension tube having a first end and a second end, said extension tube being flared adjacent to said second end such that said second end has a larger perimeter than said first end, said extension tube having a pair of first holes each extending through said extension tube, each of said pair of first holes being positioned on opposite sides of said extension tube at a point located closer to said first end than said second end, said extension tube having a pair of second holes each extending through said extension tube, each of said pair of second holes being positioned on opposite sides of said extension tube at a point located closer to said second end than said first end, said first end being insertable into said hitch receiver of said tow vehicle;
a pivot mount being positioned on said extension tube, said pivot mount having a pair of pivot points and a plurality of stop points, said pivot mount comprising:
a central panel having a top edge, a bottom edge, a front surface and a back surface, said central panel having a hole extending through said front surface and said back surface, said hole being centrally positioned on said central panel, said first end of said extension tube being insertable through said hole, said hole having a bounding edge, said bounding edge having a plurality of intersecting sides such that said hole has a rectangular shape thereby inhibiting said central panel from rotating on said extension tube when said extension tube is extended through said hole;
and
a pair of pivot panels being perpendicularly oriented with said front surface of said central panel, each of said pivot panels being aligned with a respective one of said top edge and said bottom edge of said central panel, each of said pivot panels having a top surface, a bottom surface and an exposed edge extending between said top surface and said bottom surface, said exposed edge of each of said pivot panels being curved such that each of said pivot panels has a semicircular shape, each of said pivot panels having a pair of bolt holes each extending through said top surface and said bottom surface of said pivot panels such that each of said bolt holes in each of said pivot panels defines a respective one of said pivot points of said pivot mount, each of said bolt holes associated with a respective one of said pivot panels being positioned on opposite sides of a central axis of said respective pivot panel, each of said bolt holes in said respective pivot panel being positioned closer to said central panel than said exposed edge of said respective pivot panel, each of said pivot panels having a plurality of stop holes each extending through said top surface and said bottom surface such that each of said plurality of stop holes defines a respective one of said stop points of said pivot mount, said stop holes associated with each of said pivot panels being spaced apart from each other and being distributed along said exposed edge, said plurality of stop holes in each of said pivot panels comprising a set of first stop holes and a second of second stop holes each being positioned on opposite sides of said central axis;
a pair of arms, each of said pair of arms being pivotally attachable to a respective one of said pivot points of said pivot mount such that each of said pair of arms extends outwardly from said pivot mount at an adjustable angle in opposite directions from each other thereby facilitating each of said pair of arms to be positioned on either side of a hitch of a trailer being towed by said tow vehicle, each of said pair of arms having a first end, a second end, a top surface and a bottom surface, each of said first end and said second end of each of said pair of arms being rounded about an axis extending between said top surface and said bottom surface of said arms, each of said pair of arms having a pair of holes each extending through said top surface and said bottom surface of said arms, each of said holes in a respective one of said pair of arms being positioned proximate a respective one of said first end and said second end of said respective arm, each of said pair of arms being inserted between said pair of pivot panels such that a respective one of said holes associated with each of said pair of arms is aligned with a respective one of said bolt holes in each of said pivot panels;
a plurality of bolts, respective ones of said plurality of bolts being insertable through a respective one of said bolt holes in each of said pair of pivot panels and through said respective hole in said respective arm that is aligned with said respective bolt hole for pivotally attaching said respective arm to said pair of pivot panels;
a pair of bumpers, each of said pair of bumpers being pivotally attachable to a respective one of said arms thereby facilitating a respective one of said pair of bumpers to abut said hitch of said trailer when said tow vehicle negotiates a turn that exceeds a pre-determined turn radius thereby inhibiting said trailer from jackknifing on said tow vehicle, each of said bumpers comprising a bumper pad and a pair of lobes each extending away from a back surface of said bumper pad, each of said lobes associated with each of said bumpers having a hole extending through said lobes, said second end of a respective one of said pair of arms being positionable between said pair of lobes associated with a respective one of said pair of bumpers such that a respective one of said holes in said respective arm is aligned with said hole in each of said lobes associated with said respective bumper thereby facilitating a respective one of said bolts to be inserted through said pair of lobes of said respective bumper and said respective arm for pivotally attaching said respective bumper to said respective arm, each of said pair of bumpers being positionable to facilitate a front surface of said bumper pad associated with each of said bumpers to be directed toward the hitch of the trailer, said front surface of said bumper pad associated with each of said bumpers being comprised of a resiliently compressible material such that said front surface is inhibited from damaging said hitch of said trailer;
a pair of stops, each of said stops being attachable to a respective one of said stop points of said pivot mount thereby facilitating each of said pair of stops to inhibit a respective one of said arms from pivoting toward said tow vehicle such that said pair of stops facilitates said pair of arms to inhibit said trailer from jackknifing on said tow vehicle, each of said stops having a primary end, a secondary end, an upper surface and a lower surface, said secondary end of each of said stops being rounded about an axis extending through said upper surface and said lower surface, each of said stops flaring between said secondary end and said primary end such that said primary end has a greater width than said secondary end, each of said stops having a hole extending through said upper surface and said lower surface, said hole in a respective one of said stops being aligned with a respective one of said first stop holes, said hole in a respective one of said stops being aligned with a respective one of said second stop holes, a respective one of said bolts being insertable through said pair of pivot panels and a respective one of said pair of stops for attaching said stops to said pivot panels, each of said stops being positionable between said respective arm and said central panel of said pivot mount when to retain said pair of arms in a deployed position for inhibiting said trailer from jackknifing, each of said pair of arms being positionable between said central panel of said pivot mount and a respective one of said stops for retaining said pair of arms in a stored position thereby inhibiting either of said pair of arms from abutting said hitch of said trailer;
a pair of tethers, each of said tethers being coupled to and extending away from said primary end of a respective one of said stops, each of said tethers having a ring being disposed on a distal end of said tethers with respect to said primary end of said respective stop, said ring on each of said pair of tethers being aligned with a respective one of said bolt holes in a respective one of said pivot panels, a respective one of said bolts being extendable through said ring on a respective one of said tethers to inhibit said respective stop from being lost when said respective stop is not attached to said pivot mount;
and
a plurality of pins, a respective one of said pins being insertable through said pair of first holes in said extension tube for attaching said extension tube to said hitch receiver of said tow vehicle, a respective one of said pins being insertable through said pair of second holes in said extension tube for attaching a hitch ball to said extension tube, a respective one of said pins being insertable through respective ones of said first stop holes and a respective one of said stops, a respective one of said pins being insertable through respective ones of said second stop holes and a respective one of said stops.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.