US 6,886,847 B2Granted

Trailer hitch alignment system and method

OwnerAlan L. Piper, Dean Alan Piperinventors

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Abstract

A trailer hitch alignment system provides a system that can be utilized with different trailers without requiring modification of the trailers or requiring minor modifications that require less than a minute or so to effect. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides two acoustic transceivers for directing acoustic signals towards and receiving reflected acoustic signals from a downwardly extending hitch assembly for a gooseneck trailer whereby this unique feature of the gooseneck trailer is utilized as a signal reflector. A timer is utilized to time the transmitted/reflected signals to determine at least two distances for determining a relative position of the downwardly extending hitch. A readout gives the driver ongoing feedback for aligning the gooseneck downwardly extending hitch with the hitch ball.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A method for aligning a vehicle with a gooseneck trailer, said gooseneck trailer having a downwardly extending hitch assembly for mating with a hitch ball mounted to said vehicle, said vehicle comprising a cab, a truck bed, and a bed box, said hitch ball being mounted within said bed box, said system comprising:

transmitting one or more acoustic signals in a direction of said downwardly extending hitch assembly;
receiving a first reflected signal from said downwardly extending hitch assembly;
receiving a second reflected signal from said downwardly extending hitch assembly;
determining a relative position between said downwardly extending hitch assembly and said hitch ball within said bed box from said steps of receiving said first reflected signal and said second reflected signal;
and
monitoring changes in said relative position between said downwardly extending hitch assembly and said hitch ball within said bed box while adjusting a relative position of said vehicle with respect to said gooseneck trailer to thereby align said downwardly extending hitch assembly with said hitch ball within said bed box.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.