Rolling trailer hitch cover assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9776465-B2
Application number	US-201514943537-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2015
Priority date	Nov 17, 2015
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A trailer hitch cover assembly is provided. That trailer hitch cover assembly includes a roller and a flexible cover that is received on the roller. The flexible cover is displaceable between a retracted position wherein the flexible cover is wound onto the roller so as to provide access to a hitch receiver and a deployed position wherein the flexible cover extends from the roller so as to conceal the hitch receiver.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A trailer hitch cover assembly, comprising:
a roller;
a flexible cover received on said roller and displaceable between a retracted position wherein said flexible cover is wound onto said roller so as to provide access to a hitch receiver and a deployed position wherein said flexible cover extends from said roller so as to conceal said hitch receiver;
a guide track for engaging and guiding said flexible cover as said flexible cover is displaced between said retracted position and said deployed position; and
a spring biasing said roller and said flexible cover into said deployed position.

2. The trailer hitch cover assembly of claim 1 , further including a drive motor connected to said roller for displacing said cover between said retracted position and said deployed position.

3. The trailer hitch cover assembly of claim 2 , including a controller for controlling operation of said drive motor.

4. A motor vehicle, comprising:
a bumper fascia with a hitch opening;
a hitch receiver carried in said hitch opening;
a trailer hitch cover assembly including a roller and a flexible cover received on said roller and displaceable between a retracted position wherein said cover is wound onto said roller and said hitch opening is open and a deployed position wherein said cover extends from said roller, closes said hitch opening and conceals said hitch receiver, wherein said trailer hitch cover assembly further includes a guide track for engaging and guiding said flexible cover as said flexible cover is displaced between said retracted position and said deployed position, and wherein said guide track comprises a first channel and a second channel; and
a spring biasing said roller and said flexible cover into said deployed position.

5. The motor vehicle of claim 4 , wherein said first channel is opposed to said second channel and said flexible cover includes a first margin received and held in said first channel and a second, opposite margin received and held in said second channel.

6. The motor vehicle of claim 5 , wherein said first margin includes a first guide wire received in said first channel and said second margin includes a second guide wire received in said second channel.

7. The motor vehicle of claim 5 , further including a drive motor for driving said roller and displacing said flexible cover between said retracted position and said deployed position.

8. The motor vehicle of claim 7 , including an actuator connected to said drive motor.

9. The motor vehicle of claim 7 , including a controller connected to said drive motor.

10. The motor vehicle of claim 9 , wherein said controller includes a human interface.

11. The motor vehicle of claim 10 , wherein said human interface is a touch screen display.

12. The motor vehicle of claim 4 , further including a latch mechanism for holding said cover in said retracted position.

13. A method of covering a hitch receiver on a motor vehicle, comprising:
winding a cover onto a roller to expose and allow one to access said hitch receiver;
unwinding said cover from said roller to cover and conceal said hitch receiver; and
biasing said cover toward a closed position covering and concealing said hitch receiver by means of a spring.

14. The method of claim 13 , including driving said cover between a retracted position and a deployed position by means of a drive motor.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Merino Almeida Carlos Emilio
• Leff Yaffe Jonatan
• Rodriguez Vazquez Jorge Manuel

Classifications

• B60D1/56

  securing to the vehicle bumper · CPC title

• B60D1/60 Primary

  Covers, caps or guards {, e.g. comprising anti-theft devices} · CPC title

• B60D1/54

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

• B60D1/605 Primary

  Protection caps · CPC title