Tow-hook assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10112450-B2
Application number	US-201715416416-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2017
Priority date	Jan 26, 2017
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

A retractable tow-hook assembly may include a vehicle frame and a bumper arranged thereon, a cable attached to the vehicle frame, and a tow-hook arranged at an end of the cable and stored within the bumper during non-use and removed from the bumper and extendable via the cable during use.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A retractable tow-hook assembly, comprising:
a vehicle frame and a bumper arranged thereon;
a cable wound around a disk within the bumper and attached to the frame;
a tow-hook arranged at an end of the cable and stored within the bumper during non-use and removed from the bumper and extendable via the cable during use; and
a clip fixed to an interior surface of the bumper and configured to selectively receive and secure the tow-hook.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the clip is a hook.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the disk includes a torsion spring to retract the cable about the disk.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cable is attached to the frame by a ring.

5. The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the ring is welded to the frame.

6. A retractable tow-hook assembly, comprising:
a vehicle frame and a bumper arranged thereon;
a tow-hook assembly including a tow-hook and a cable, the cable attached to the frame and being wound around a disk within the bumper during non-use of the hook, the cable being releasable from the disk to permit the hook to be removed from the bumper; and
a clip fixed to an interior surface of the bumper, the clip configured to selectively receive and secure the hook to the bumper during non-use.

7. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the disk includes a torsion spring to retract the cable about the disk.

8. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the clip is a hook.

9. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the cable is attached to the frame by a ring.

10. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the ring is welded to the frame.

11. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the clip is a hook.

12. A retractable tow-hook assembly, comprising:
a vehicle frame and a bumper arranged thereon; and
a tow-hook assembly including a tow-hook and a cable assembly,
the cable assembly including a cable attached to the frame via a welded link and a disk, wherein the cable is wound around the disk, the tow-hook assembly being storable within the bumper during non-use via a clip fixed to an interior surface of the bumper and configured to selectively receive and secure the tow-hook to the interior surface, wherein the hook is releasable from the clip during use by releasing a tension on the cable to permit the hook to be removed from the bumper.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Farooq S M Iskander
• Muralidharan Nirmal
• Sundararajan Srinivasan
• Elbkaily Marwan Ahmad

Classifications

• B60D1/185 Primary

  comprising a cable or chain winding device (B60D1/38 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60D1/488

  mounted directly to the chassis of the towing vehicle · CPC title

• B60D1/54 Primary

  collapsible or retractable when not in use, e.g. hide-away hitches · CPC title

• B60D1/565

  having an eyelet · CPC title

• B60D1/56

  securing to the vehicle bumper · CPC title