Patent Application
20060071492
This invention relates generally to a device that aids a driver in locating vehicle extremities and in particular to a device that aids in locating the front fenders of a vehicle, and is more particularly directed toward a vehicle-mounted device that aids in locating vehicle front fenders both to facilitate parking the vehicle and positioning the vehicle properly in its traffic lane while in motion.
For many years, the prominent front-end decoration or “hood ornament” provided on automobiles not only served to identify the vehicle manufacturer, but also provided a reference point for the driver in determining the vehicle's position in the traffic lane while motoring. For many modern automobile models, the hood ornament has been dispensed with, and the loss of this valuable reference point has made the task of maintaining proper position in a traffic lane more challenging for many drivers.
It is not only the loss of the hood ornament that creates position problems for drivers. In the past, automakers sold cars with front fenders that could be seen by the driver. Today, many new car models, particularly mid-size and compact, are designed such that the vehicle front slopes sharply down and away from the driver. In some cases, the driver can only see the windshield wipers. Even for drivers of greater than average height, the leading edge of the vehicle hood cannot be seen at all from the driver's seat. To make matters worse, the front fenders of the car are also invisible. Without a visible marker indicating the center of the hood, and without the driver being able to determine with certainty the precise position of the vehicle fenders, keeping the vehicle centrally positioned within its traffic lane is largely based upon approximation, and parallel-parking the vehicle, even in a spacious parking spot, can be problematic.
There are a number of “fender guide” devices known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,834,682, issued Dec. 1, 1931 to Charles Colstad, describes a guiding attachment for automobiles. This particular type of fender guide is attached to the vehicle by clamping to a fender. The staff of the fender guide is mounted on a pivot so that the orientation of the staff can be adjusted to vertical no matter what angle the base portion makes with the fender. An indicator, such as a bird or an arrow, is screwed on to the top of the staff to make the fender guide easy to see for the driver.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,584,777 issued Feb. 5, 1952 to Mr. George S. Adolfson. Mr. Adolfson's invention is a clearance-indicating arm that is pivotally mounted to the interior of an automobile windshield by a suction cup. The arm is formed from clear plastic and is softly illuminated at night so it can be plainly seen by the driver. In operation, the guide is pivoted into a position parallel with the highway center line, and the operator uses the guide as an aid in preventing drifting of the vehicle across the center line.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,559,761 issued Jul. 10, 1951 to Frank F. Fulton, describes a tractor sight designed to make it easier for a tractor driver to drive the vehicle in a straight line when sighting on a distant indicator (generally a tall post). The sighting portion of Mr. Fulton's invention is generally circular in nature, and includes two spaced-apart vertical bars through which the distant post or marker is viewed by the driver for better alignment. Mr. Fulton's tractor sight uses a U-shaped bracket firmly mounted to the tractor hood, and includes a threaded stud protruding upwardly from the bracket. The vertical rod that supports the circular sight is manufactured in telescoping sections. The interior section is securely threaded onto the stud that projects upward from the mounting bracket, then the height of the circular sight portion above the tractor hood can be adjusted by moving the telescoping rod, then securing the outer-rod in place with respect to the inner rod with the aid of a winged set screw.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,753,439 issued Jul. 3, 1956 to Mr. Alec Greenfield. Mr. Greenfield's patent describes a vehicle clearance guide designed to be mounted directly to the frame surrounding the vehicle headlight. The mounting base is a clamping structure which, in one embodiment, has hook-like features that engage interior and exterior portions of the headlight lens frame. The clearance guide itself is a simple vertical rod fixed to the mounting base with a clamp that allows adjustment of the vertical extent of the rod itself. In another embodiment, the clearance-indicating rod has a light mounted at its top. An electrical connector is provided that is intended to be clipped onto the existing vehicle headlight connector.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,657,821, issued Apr. 25, 1972 to Peter A. De Nure, is directed toward a special vehicle orienting device that is designed to allow the vehicle operator to maintain the vehicle at a fixed distance from a reference line at the right-hand side of the roadway. This is a fairly simple plastic device, preferably spherical in design, that is simply attached to the vehicle hood close to the front of the vehicle. The precise position of this orienting device is dependent upon the particular vehicle operator and the desired distance the operator would like to maintain from the right-hand side of a roadway. The orienting device can also be illuminated by a lamp mounted underneath the vehicle hood, provided that an appropriate reflector and a second transparent opening in the hood are provided to direct light onto the orienting device.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,858,924 issued Jan. 7, 1975 to John F. Bores. This patent describes a truck bumper guide that can be mounted by a clamp-type mounting base that is easily affixed to the outward extremities of a truck bumper. The mounting base clamps a vertical mounting sleeve securely to the truck bumper. A vertical standard, including a light at the top for easy viewing by the driver, simply slides into the sleeve for proper mounting.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,653 issued Apr. 12, 1977 to Joseph E. Bartlett. This patent is directed toward another type of sighting device for a vehicle, which in this case is a telescoping shaft that is pivotally mounted at one end to the vehicle dashboard. The other end of this telescoping member supports a sight through which the operator can view the roadway centerline. The mounting shaft for this sight pivots and telescopes so that the position of the sight can be precisely adjusted.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,645, issued Jan. 24, 1978 to Mr. Jerome Oreluk, is directed toward a device designed for connection to the vehicle using the mounting holes for the front license plate. The device itself is a rod, mounted such that it extends slightly forward of true vertical. The device includes an electrical switch that is activated if the rod is moved toward the vertical position. The switch is normally coupled to the vehicle horn to give an audible indication of contact with a bumper of a vehicle in front. It can readily be appreciated that this device is intended to act as an aid in parking a vehicle when the precise location of the vehicle front bumper cannot easily be determined by the vehicle operator.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,393 issued May 29, 1990 to Wilbur Van Schaack. This patent is directed toward a lane marker steering guide designed to be mounted to the interior of a vehicle windshield using a suction cup. The operator of the vehicle simply sights along this indicator device to the road edge marker on the right-hand side of the highway, and maintains this position in order to keep the vehicle in the desire lane. There are a number of embodiments described, including the use of multiple suction cups and other adjustment features to allow the indicator to be repositioned for various drivers of the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,001 issued Mar. 10, 1992 to Rodney Fraser, and is directed toward a transversely extending sighting device designed to be mounted to the hood of a tractor. The horizontally disposed rod is telescopically extendable and includes sighting markers disposed along its length to assist in navigating various courses through a field.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,966 issued Oct. 27, 1998 to John Schwing. This particular patent is directed toward a lighted bumper guide that has a base portion designed to be affixed to the bumper of a vehicle. The base portion includes a light source, and the vertical portion that attaches to the base includes a fiber optic filament to direct illumination.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,218,486 issued Oct. 15, 1940 to Mr. William Storrie. This invention is a fender guide designed to be mounted to a vehicle fender so that it extends both vertically and in a forward direction from its mounting point. This forward inclination is incorporated so that an indicator at the top of the shaft (visible to the operator of the vehicle) will be positioned at a point that is directly above the forward portion of the vehicle that is furthest from the driver. This method of identifying the furthest extremity of the vehicle is particularly useful when parking the vehicle in a small parking place closely bounded by other vehicles.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,553,963 issued May 22, 1951 to Mr. William Dzus. This patent is directed toward yet another steering guide designed for vehicles. Rather than being mounted along the vehicle centerline at the front of the vehicle, this particular steering guide is mounted on the vehicle hood directly in front of the driver. The inventor asserts that this particular mounting arrangement makes it much easier for the driver to accurately control the vehicle's position along the roadway.
The fender guides and aiming devices of the prior art are difficult or impossible to mount on modern auto bodies, particularly those with a high plastic or composite content in the front bumpers and fenders, and, since most of the devices in the art were developed long ago, they would not be considered esthetically pleasing today. Consequently, a need arises for a device that will aid the driver in determining the precise extent of the vehicle when parking (and when driving, particularly when navigating along narrow thoroughfares), and that will help establish a reference to ease the task of positioning the vehicle properly within its traffic lane when driving down the highway. The device should be unobtrusive, relatively low in cost, and both efficient and inexpensive of installation.
These needs and others are satisfied by the fender finder of the present invention, which includes a vertical standard threaded over at least a portion of its exterior and designed for installation into a receiver portion threaded over at least a portion of its interior. In one form of the invention, the receiver portion is affixed by adhesive within an opening in the upper surface of a vehicle bumper or fender. The vertical standard is then threaded into the receiver portion. The vehicle operator can easily see the vertical standard on the right and left fenders or bumpers. Without the vertical standard, the vehicle hood and fenders are completely invisible to the driver. The fender finder informs the vehicle driver about the location of vehicle extremities, thus easing the processes of parking, driving along narrow thoroughfares, and positioning the vehicle within a traffic lane while cruising along the highway.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a locating device constructed and arranged for installation on a vehicle comprises an upright portion threaded along at least a part of its exterior surface and a receiver portion threaded along at least a part of its interior surface, the receiver portion designed to be affixed within an opening in the vehicle surface. The upright portion is screwed into the receiver portion to attach the upright portion and the receiver portion together, such that the upright portion is visible to the vehicle operator to aid in determining location of vehicle extremities.
In one form of the invention, the upright portion is formed from a non-metallic material, such as polyvinyl chloride or fiberglass. The upright portion may also be threaded along substantially its entire length. Preferably, the receiver portion is installed within a vertically oriented opening in the vehicle surface, and fixed in position with an adhesive. In a typical installation, the receiver portion is installed within the opening such that the upper extremity of the receiver portion is substantially flush with the opening. In another form of the invention, the upright portion is removable and replaceable by a plastic cap that substantially covers the opening in the vehicle surface and the receiver portion.
In another aspect of the invention, the receiver portion comprises an L-shaped structure having a receiver arm and an installation arm, wherein the receiver arm is threaded along at least a part of its interior surface, and the installation arm is threaded along at least a portion of its exterior surface. The installation arm of the receiver portion is designed to be affixed within an opening formed in the vehicle sidewall. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the installation arm of the receiver portion is affixed within the opening in a substantially horizontal orientation by a pair of spacers having opposing planar surfaces that make an angle with respect to one another that is approximately equal to the angle between the vertical and the vehicle surface proximate the opening. The receiver portion is fixed in an installed position by a pair of opposing lock nuts with the spacers disposed therebetween. There may also be resilient washers disposed between each spacer and the vehicle surface.
Further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings.
There is described herein a fender finder that offers distinct advantages when compared to the prior art.
The bumper 104 is of the type commonly employed on automobiles manufactured in recent years. Generally, these bumpers 104 are non-metallic, plastic composite constructions that may have a substantial layer of a foam material surrounded by thin plastic. The plastic covering does not contribute materially to the structural integrity of the vehicle bumper 104, but is primarily present for appearance sake. The vehicle illustrated in
In any event, the color of the standard 201 is preferably white, or at least a light color so that the standard will be readily visible to the driver 201. If the standard 201 is plastic, it can be formed from a plastic material of the desired color. In the alternative, the standard 201 may be dipped, painted, coated, or otherwise imbued with any desired color, and a flag, pennant, or ornament may be affixed to the upper extremity of the standard at the user's discretion. An illuminated or reflectorized tip could even be added for enhanced visibility.
As noted with reference to
Of course, it may be advantageous to provide a ridge of material at the thread termination within the anchor body, to act as a stop for the standard (201 in
For ease of manufacture and cost considerations, the standard 201 itself is preferably cut to a length of 3 feet 6 inches. Of course, it is a simple matter to adjust the height of the standard 201 to suit a particular vehicle installation, by simply trimming off the excess. If the standard 201 is threaded throughout its length, then the threads themselves provide a convenient cut mark for any trimming that the installer may consider necessary.
After the hole in the bumper 104 has been prepared, a strong adhesive, such as an epoxy-based adhesive, is applied both to the outside of the receiver 202 and the interior of the hole in the bumper 104. The receiver 202 is inserted into the hole and the adhesive 801 is allowed to dry thoroughly before the standard 201 is threaded into place.
Of course, a powerful adhesive such as epoxy resin is nearly impossible to remove. Consequently, should the vehicle operator wish to discontinue use of the fender finder, the standard 201 may be unscrewed and removed. To cover the opening in the bumper 104, and the receiver 202 itself, cap 900 as illustrated in
In the mounting detail of
In operation, an opening is made in the vehicle fender 1101 and the horizontal portion of the receiver 1102 is inserted through the opening. Prior to inserting the receiver 1102, a lock nut 1105 is turned onto the threaded horizontal shaft, a specially cut spacer 1106 is placed on the horizontal shaft of the receiver, and these are followed by a sealing grommet or washer 1107. This grommet or washer 1107 may be formed from rubber or other resilient material so that the grommets 1107 provide a sealing action.
The spacer 1106, illustrated in greater detail in
After the horizontal portion of the receiver 1102 is inserted through the opening, another grommet or washer 1107, spacer 1106, and nut 1105 are placed on the horizontal shaft, and the whole is tightened firmly using the nuts 1105. Thus, the receiver 1102 is firmly fixed in position, and the standard 201 may be installed as described above for the prior embodiment.
There has been described herein a fender finder that offers distinct advantages when compared with the prior art. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited except as may be necessary in view of the appended claims.
