US 6,974,148 B2Granted

Low-profile, hitch-concealing mount

AssigneeB & W Custom Truck Beds, Inc.

InventorsNewell Ryan Moss, Jack W. Bowers, H. Arthur Wing

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An apparatus for securing a towing vehicle to a towed vehicle is disclosed. The apparatus includes a base, a mount movably secured to the base and one or more hitches attached to the mount. The mount may rotate, pivot, translate, or otherwise move in relation to the base in order to move the hitch between various positions including one or more towing positions and at least one stored or stowed position. The hitch, or hitches, may also be movably secured to the mount for additional flexibility in configuring the apparatus in the towing and stowed positions. Additionally, when multiple hitches are provided, each of the multiple hitches may be configured as different size or style of hitch such that a user may select one of the hitches depending on the intended use thereof.

Claims32

Dependent claims

An apparatus for connecting a trailing unit to a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a trunnion sized and configured for coupling with a receiver of a vehicle;
a secured to the trunnion, the trunnion extending from the base in a first direction;
a mount selectively secured to the base between a first mount position, wherein the mount is juxtaposed with the trunnion, and at least a second mount position, wherein the mount extends from the base in a second direction substantially different from the first direction;
a first hitch connected to the mount sized and configured to engage with a trailing unit, the first hitch being selectively secured to the mount between a first hitch position rendering the first hitch inaccessible for engagement with a trailing unit and a second hitch position rendering the first hitch accessible for engagement with a trailing unit.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/163,086Filed 5 Jun 2002 · continuation in part
Priority: 27 Apr 2000
Published: US 2003/0052472 A120 Mar 2003
Granted: 13 Dec 2005
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

B60D 1/52
Characterised by the mounting: removably mounted
B60D 1/06
Traction couplings or hitches characterised by their type: ball-and-socket hitches
B60D 1/07
Traction couplings or hitches characterised by their type: multi-hitch devices, i.e. comprising several hitches of the same or of a different…
B60D 1/54
Characterised by the mounting: collapsible or retractable when not in use, e.g. hide-away hitches

Family

Application09/559,603Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 27 Apr 2000
Application09/699,279Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 26 Oct 2000
Application60/296,172Us provisional application · filed 5 Jun 2001
Application60/324,872Us provisional application · filed 25 Sep 2001
Application10/078,322Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 12 Feb 2002
US 6,460,870 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 8 Oct 2002
US 2003/0052472 A1Pre-grant publication · published 20 Mar 2003
US 6,712,381 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2002/0047247 A1Published application
US 2002/0113405 A1Published application
US 7,004,492 B2Related patent
US 6,974,148 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.