GB2296480A

GB2296480A - Tow ball cover with retainer

Info

Publication number: GB2296480A
Application number: GB9526005A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andre John Wooten
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-12-30
Filing date: 1995-12-20
Publication date: 1996-07-03
Also published as: GB9526005D0

Abstract

A tow ball cover 10 comprises a flexibly resilient main body 11 having retaining means 14 for resisting the removal of the cover from the ball. The retainer may be designed so that it can only be released by the use of a tool 18. An elongate member, which may be coiled, may connect the cover to the tow bar, or to another part of the towing vehicle, when the cover is removed. Lights may be included; either an additional brake light, or marker lights which are illuminated when the ignition is turned off, to help the owner find the vehicle. Part of the cover may be luminous. The cover may be of decorative design, e.g. in the shape of a penguin, or a rabbit (fig. 5). <IMAGE>

Description

A TOW HITCH COVER The present invention relates to an improved tow hitch cover.

Many vehicles are fitted with tow hitches, especially of the so-called ball-hitch type, to form a secure connection between a trailer and the vehicle to which the ball-hitch is fitted.

At present many tow hitches fitted to vehicles are devoid of any cover. The absence of a cover has the disadvantage that a person may stumble against a projecting tow hitch when negotiating the often restricted space between adjacent parked cars, especially at night, with the consequent risk of knocked shins and possible damage to clothing. Grease from a ball-hitch may also contaminate clothing unless the ball-hitch is covered. Because they are left uncovered many ball-hitch couplings are left 'dry' or ungreased and this detrimentally affects security by promoting more rapid wear during use.

However, apart from such safety considerations there is very often nothing to stimulate the purchase of this small but not insignificant protective item.

The present invention seeks to provide an improved tow hitch cover which has additional features for reducing the danger of a poor coupling between a trailer and its towing vehicle by promoting conditions in which the ballhitch may remain greased, while having means for reducing the ease with which it may be stolen as well as, in some embodiments, an increased attractiveness with an incentive to purchase and use such an item.

According to the present invention there is provided a tow hitch cover adapted to be fitted in use to tow hitch apparatus of the ball-hitch type, comprising a flexibly resilient main body having retaining means for resisting the removal of the cover from the ball-hitch.

The tow hitch cover may be releasably connectable to the tow hitch assembly. For example, the retaining means may comprise an elongate element embedded or otherwise securely fixed to the said cover at or adjacent one end thereof and securely fixable to the tow hitch apparatus or to a vehicle to which the tow hitch apparatus is mounted.

In an alternative embodiment the retaining means is operable by a tool to commute between an operative position and a release position.

In this alternative embodiment a tow hitch cover adapted to be fitted in use to tow hitch apparatus of the ball hitch type, comprises a flexible main body provided with retaining means for retaining the cover in place on the ball when fitted thereto and the retaining means is in a first or operative position, release of the said main body requiring displacement of the said retaining means to a second or release position, in which displacement of the retaining means at least from its operative position to its release position is possible only with the use of a tool for engagement therewith.

Once fitted the retaining means is moved to its operative position by use of a tool. The retaining means may move in such a way that it is extended so that it rests underneath the ball part of the tow hitch apparatus. In this position the retaining means serves as a block to any action to remove the cover from its position over the tow hitch apparatus.

Advantageously, there may be provided a plurality of retaining means, each extending along the underneath of the ball-hitch coupling components of the tow hitch apparatus when the cover is fitted thereon. Attempted removal or natural slipping off, when in use, of the cover is thus severely restricted by the presence of these retaining means.

The retaining means may be an inwardly projecting member and may be formed as part of the overall continuous shape of the cover. It preferably has an elongate shape, closed at one end and open at the other end, which is exposed on the outside face of the cover.

The inner surface of the retaining means, which defines a hollow area or niche, is formed so as to be secured to a complementary tool, which may be inserted into this hollow area of the retaining means.

To displace successfully the retaining means from its operative position to its release position and vice versa there is provided such a tool. The tool is appropriately formed so as to fit and attach to the inside of the retaining means. Once fitted and attached therein, the tool member may be pulled or pushed. On its movement, the tool brings with it the stop member such that the retaining means contract by concertina movement if the tool is pulled into its other release state and no longer prevents the removal of the cover, or the retaining means extends to its operative state if the tool is pushed.

The tool may then be released, with an appropriate action, from the retaining means.

In embodiments in which the retaining means comprise an elongate element or member this latter may be flexibly resilient to allow the cover to be removed from the tow apparatus but to be retained thereto held by the retaining means. It is preferred, in such an embodiment, that the flexibly resilient elongate retaining element has at least a part thereof formed as a helical coil.

According to another aspect of the invention a tow hitch cover as defined above is decorated with an attractive design of bright, luminescent material. The purpose of this aspect of the present invention is to encourage purchase of this safety cover and to facilitate finding and checking of the tow ball-hitch in conditions of reduced visibility. Such as at night.

The present invention also comprehends a tow hitch cover as defined above further including one or more illuminable elements and electrical connection means for connecting the illuminable elements to a source of electrical supply whereby to cause illumination of the said illuminable elements.

For example the illuminable elements may be connected in the brake light circuit so as to light up when the brakes are applied, in the manner of a repeater lamp.

Alternatively the illuminable elements may be very lowprofile lamps which are illuminated when the ignition is switched off whereby to assist location of the vehicle at night for example on camp sites or car parks.

Various embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a cross section through the cover of a first embodiment; Figure la is a cross section of the cover of Figure 1 with the retaining member in a release position; Figure 2 is a cross section through the cover of Figure 1, showing it in use, fitted onto tow hitch ball; Figure 3 shows an additional aspect of the invention as described in relation to Figure 1; Figure 4 is a cross-section of an alternative embodiment of the invention to that described in Figure 1; Figure 5 is a schematic view of a further embodiment of the invention, with Figures 5a, 5b and Sc illustrating various details thereof; Figure 6 is a side view illustrating the embodiment of Figure 5 in place on a ball-hitch; and Figure 7 is a schematic view of the assembly of Figure 6.

With reference first to Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings, a ball-hitch cover generally indicated 10 has a main body 11 of hollow generally spherical shape open at one end 13 to enable placement over tow hitch apparatus. At the said one end there is also shown an outwardly projecting annular lip 17 which extends from the opening 13 of the sphere shape. The cover further includes a retaining means 14 with a hollow region or niche 15 defined by an inner surface 16.

The cover is preferably made from a flexible but durable material such as rubber or a plastics material. The material must be strong enough to protect the ball-hitch, but flexible enough to enable it to be releasably connected any number of times without damage.

The cover defines a hollow sphere which is formed so that the cover fits snugly over the ball-hitch. The lip 17 facilitates the fitting and/or removal from the said ball.

The retaining means 14 are formed as part of the overall, continuous shape of the cover. It is situated at the point where the lip 17 begins to extend from the sphere end 13. At this point the retaining means 14, in its operative position, will sit below the ball-hitch (not shown) which is fitted into the hollow sphere shape defined by the cover. In its extended operative form the retaining means act to partially close the said one end 13 of the sphere with the ball-hitch (not shown) contained there in. The presence of the retaining means 14 therefore inhibit unwanted removal of the cover by acting as an opposite force against the ball-hitch (not shown).

In order to remove or fit the cover onto tow hitch apparatus the retaining means 14 are pulled into its other, release, state by means of a tool 18 as shown in Figure la.

In this embodiment the retaining means 14 of the cover 10 has a conical shape which is open at its base end forming part of the surface of the cover 10. The top end 19 of the conical shape is closed. The cover therefore extends inwardly towards the end 19 of the cone shaped retaining means, thus forming a hollow region or niche 15.

At the end 19 of the niche 15 there is provided a boss 20 to which a tool 18 can be connected upon insertion into the niche 15. The boss 20 projects from the end 19 into the niche 15. The tool 18 has a socket 21 at one end which corresponds in size to the boss 20, such that the boss 20 fits into the socket 21 of the tool when inserted into the niche 15. The tool 18 is secured in the niche 15 by fitting the tool socket 21 over the boss 20 and turning the tool clockwise or anti-clockwise. The boss has a prismatic cross section or a circular cross section with one or more flats so that turning the tool causes the corresponding surfaces of the boss 20 and niche 21 to press against one another thereby increasing the frictional forces between them. The tool 18 is maintained in its twisted position and the friction secures it at the end 19.In this twisted position the tool 18 can be pushed or pulled to force the retaining means from its contracted release position into its extended operative position or from this latter position to its contracted release position respectively.

Once the retaining means is in its selected position the tool 18 can be removed from the niche 15 by releasing the twisting force so that there is no longer any friction between the connecting surfaces of the boss 20 and the socket 21. Without friction holding them together, the niche 21 can come easily away from the boss 20, and the tool 18 can be removed from the niche 15 of the retaining member 14. In other embodiments not shown, alternating means by which the tool can be engaged on the boss 19 may be employed. For example the boss and the end of the tool may have a cooperating hook and loop or recess shape to permit positive interengagement upon turning the tool through a fraction of a turn.

Figure 2 shows how a cover 30 similar to that described in Figure 1 is fitted onto the ball-hitch part 29 of tow hitch apparatus of ball-hitch type. As can be seen, the ball-hitch 29 of the said apparatus fits into the spherical part of the cover 30. The lip 37 fits around the neck 33 of the ball-hitch 29. The retaining means 34 are then located below the base of the ball-hitch 29.

The retaining means 34 are shown in their extended operative position and therefore act to partially close the cover 30, around the base of the ball-hitch coupling 29.

Figure 3 shows an additional aspect of the invention applied to a cover as described in relation to Figure 1.

In this embodiment the cover 10 is decorated and shaped to represent an image, in this case a penguin although any number of images, shapes or patterns could be used.

The sphere shape of the cover 10 as described in Figure 1 provides the basis on which the body 41 of the penguin image is formed. The cover 10 is in this case appropriately coloured to represent the distinctive black and white markings of a penguin body. As an additional safety feature, any white markings are made of reflective (catadioptric) material. A resilient sphere, for example, a rubber ball 42 decorated or printed to represent a penguin head is fixed onto the top 43 of the cover 10. Likewise rubber wings 44 are fixed to the side of the body 41 to complete the overall penguin representation.

Figure 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the present invention to that described in Figure 1. The cover 50 has a main body 51 which is of a generally hollow sphere form open at one end 53 to enable placement over the ball-hitch component 54 of tow hitch apparatus 55 similar to that described in Figure 1. At the said one end 53 the cover is extended by a flexible skirt 56 of material.

The skirt 56 covers the rest of the tow hitch apparatus 55. The cover further includes a retaining means 14 as described in Figure 1.

The main body 11 of the cover 50 is preferably made from a flexible durable material such as rubber or plastics material. The material must be strong enough to protect and secure the tow hitch apparatus, but flexible enough to enable it to be releasably connected any number of times without damage. The skirt 56, however, should preferably be made of a flexible water resistant fabric.

The skirt 56 must be flexible enough to be easily lifted so as not to hinder further the releasable connection of the cover 50. The water resistance of the fabric will protect the tow hitch apparatus against atmospheric moisture and rust. To advantage the fabric is of a fluorescent or luminescent nature for safety reasons, such as to allow checking that the ball-hitch 54 is in place in conditions of poor visibility.

The function of the invention and the method of releasable connection of this embodiment are similar to that described in Figure 1 but with two (or more) retainers 14. This embodiment may also be decorated to represent a particular image or patterned for attraction and safety purposes.

Referring now to Figures 5, 6 and 7, the alternative embodiments shown have a more extensive external configuration, for example in the form of an animal, in this case a rabbit. The tow hitch cover of this embodiment, generally indicated 60 differs from that of the embodiments of Figures 1 to 4 in that the lower perimeter, 61 is shaped such that it does not readily permit of the location of retaining means such as that described in relation to the embodiments of Figures 1 to 4, and is therefore provided with an alternative retaining means.

The body 60, as in previous embodiments, has a generally spherical socket or cavity 62 for receiving the ball of a ball-hitch (not shown) and is made of a sufficiently resilient and flexible material to allow the cover to be fitted over the ball and to be held in place against the normal forces experienced whilst the vehicle is in motion, by the resiliently flexible closure of a perimetral opening 63 through which the ball (not shown) of the ball-hitch is passed in order to enter the cavity 62.Because, as will be seen in Figure 5, the lower portion of the animal body 61 which surrounds the perimetral opening 63 has a shape which differs quite greatly from the external shape of the ball, the provision of retaining means such as that described in relation to Figures 1 to 4, would be difficult, and in this case, therefore, an alternative retaining means in the form of an elongate retaining member 64 is secured to the body 60.In this embodiment securement is achieved by embedding one end of the elongate member 64 in the material of the ball-hitch cover body 60, as can be seen in Figure 5a which shows, on an enlarged scale, the end 65 of the elongate member 64 which has been folded into a knot generally indicated 66 which, upon moulding of the body 60 with the knot 66 in the mould cavity, causes the material of the body 60 closely to surround the components of the knot embedding it securely in position such that the body 60 cannot be removed from the retaining member 64 except by destroying it. By suitable choice of elastomeric material for the body 60 the force required to separate the elongate member 64 from the material of the body can be made sufficiently great to resist the forces which can be applied manually.

The elongate member 64 may be made, for example, of flexible steel or other metal, and the broken portion Y may, as shown in Figure Sb incorporate a helical coil 67 for extending the flexible resilience such that the cover, when removed from a ball-hitch, can be displaced out of the location of the ball-hitch to allow a trailer coupling to be fitted to it, but may not be taken away altogether.

At its other end the elongate member 64 is secured to a coupling 68 in the form of an annular element with a central aperture 69 and a generally cylindrical welded, soldered or clenched connector 70 by which the element 68 is connected to the elongate member 64. By passing a bolt through the aperture 69 the element 68 may be secured permanently and effectively irremovably to a part of the vehicle to which the tow hitch apparatus is attached or to the tow hitch apparatus itself.

The tow hitch cover of the present invention is also provided with two illuminable elements 71, 72 in this case at the location of the eyes of the animals represented by the cover body 60, and these may be connected by an electrical connector (not shown) to a source of electrical supply in the vehicle. The electrical connectors may, if appropriate, pass through the interior of the member 64 or the connection may be made separately. The connection of the illumminable elements 71, 72 may be made via a selectively operable switch (not shown) mounted on the vehicle dashboard allowing the driver to illuminate the lamps 71, 72 at will, or may alternatively be connected to the lighting circuit such that the lamps 71, 72 are illuminated when the vehicle lamps are illuminated.As an alternative the lamps 71, 72 may be connected in circuit with the vehicle brake lamps so as to light up in the manner of a repeater lamp when the brake lights are illuminated.

As a possible further alternative the supply to the lamps 71, 72 may be connected only when the ignition switch is turned off. In such an arrangement, for which the lamps 71, 72 would need to be very low-power lamps, the function would be to enable location of the vehicle in conditions of low visibility, such as at night, and to provide a warning of the presence of the tow hitch by providing a faint glow in low illumination conditions.

The fact that the lamps are illuminated during the day, but are of sufficiently low power as not to be visible, is not detrimental. By choosing adequately low power lamps the consumption of current from the battery is sufficiently low as not detrimentally to affect the engine-starting performance of the battery.

Figures 6 and 7 are a side view and rear view respectively of the tow hitch cover body 60 in place on a ball 73 of a ball-hitch 74 mounted by means of a mounting bracket 75 to a corresponding mounting plate 76 on a vehicle bracket (not shown) by means of a bolt 77 fixed by a nut 78. As can be seen in Figure 6 the connector element 68 is clamped in position between the head 79 of the bolt 77 and the mounting bracket 75 and is therefore securely fixed in a manner which is difficult to remove. The retaining member 64 is again illustrated with a break to represent the provision of, for example, a helical coil such as the coil 67 shown in Figure 5b by means of which the mobility of the cover 60 is increased.

In a further embodiment (not shown) the retaining means comprise a split or otherwise separable ring or multiple component annular element which can snap shut by the action of cooperating elements and which can be released by means of a tool which enables the snap-engagement force to be overcome. In such an embodiment the cover may even be rigid and formed in two or more parts which fit together to enclose a ball and interengage by snapfitting being releasable as described above. For this purpose a tool-operated toggle linkage may be employed to ensure that it is not possible for casual passers-by to remove the tow hitch cover by use of manually-applied forces.

Claims

1. A tow hitch cover adapted to be fitted in use to tow hitch apparatus of the ball-hitch type, comprising a flexibly resilient main body having retaining means for resisting the removal of the cover from the ball-hitch.

2. A tow hitch cover as claimed in Claim 1 in which the retaining means comprise an elongate element embedded or otherwise securely fixed to the said cover at or adjacent one end thereof and securely fixable to the tow hitch apparatus or to a vehicle to which the tow hitch apparatus is mounted.

3. A tow hitch cover as claimed in Claim 2, in which the elongate element is flexibly resilient to allow the cover to be removed from the tow hitch apparatus but to be held thereon, retained by the said retaining means.

4. A tow hitch cover as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the retaining means is operable by a tool to commute between an operative position and a release position.

5. A tow hitch cover adapted to be fitted in use to tow hitch apparatus of the ball-hitch type, comprising a flexible main body provided with retaining means for retaining the cover in place on the ball when fitted thereto and the retaining means is in a first or operative position, release of the said main body requiring displacement of the said retaining means to a second or release position, in which displacement of the retaining means at least from its operative position to its release position is possible only with the use of a tool for engagement therewith.

6. A tow hitch cover as claimed in Claim 5, in which the retaining means is displaceable to an extended position in which it lies underneath the ball part of the tow hitch apparatus.

7. A tow hitch cover as claimed in Claim 5 or Claim 6, in which there are provided a plurality of retaining means, each extending beneath the ball-hitch coupling components of the tow hitch apparatus when the cover is fitted thereon.

8. A tow hitch cover as claimed in any of Claims 5 to 7, in which the retaining means comprise an inwardly projecting member formed as part of the cover.

9. A tow hitch cover as claimed in Claim 8, in which the inwardly projecting member of the retaining means has an elongate shape, closed at one end and open at the other, which is exposed on the outside face of the cover.

10. A tow hitch cover as claimed in Claim 9, in which the inner surface of the retaining means, which defines a hollow area or niche, is formed so as to be attachable to a complementary tool, which may be inserted into the hollow area of the retaining means.

11. A tow hitch cover as claimed in Claim 3 or any claim dependent thereon, in which the flexibly resilient elongate retaining element has at least a part thereof formed as a helical coil.

12. A tow hitch cover as claimed in any preceding claim, further including a decorative element having a component of luminescent material.

13. A tow hitch cover as claimed in any preceding claim, further including one or more illuminable elements and electrical connection means for connecting the illuminable elements to a source of electrical supply whereby to cause illumination of the said illuminable elements.

14. A tow hitch cover as claimed in Claim 13, in which the said illuminable elements are connected in the brake light circuit so as to be illuminated when the brakes are applied.

15. A tow hitch cover as claimed in Claim 14 or Claim 15, in which the illuminable elements are low-profile lamps illuminated when the ignition is switched off whereby to assist location of the vehicle in conditions of low visibility.

16. A tow hitch cover as claimed in any of Claims 13 to 16, in which the said illuminable elements are selectively switchable between illuminated and nonilluminated conditions.

17. A tow hitch cover substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.