The present invention relates to hitch covers and, more particularly, to a hitch cover tube adapter.
Hitch covers are commonly used to cover hitch receivers on vehicles when the hitch receiver is not in use. Functionally, they cover and protect the hitch opening, and may be decorative in nature. Hitches may be used to couple vehicles to various structures for towing, such as, but not limited to, trailers, cargo carriers, and bicycle racks. Trailer hitch receivers are typically various sizes, including, but not limited to, 1.25 inches, 2 inches, and 3 inches.
When replacing vehicles, the vehicle owner may come to discover that the hitch cover being used on a previous vehicle is not properly sized for the new vehicle. For example, the hitch cover may be 1.25 inches, while the new receiver opening is 2 or 3 inches in size. Similar issues may occur when a vehicle owner purchases a new hitch cover, with the new cover being mistakenly improperly sized for the vehicle hitch receiver. Since, in many cases, the ornamentation of the hitch cover is important, being forced to replace the hitch cover with another (different in appearance) one is an undesirable, forced option.
As can be seen, there is a need for a hitch cover tube adapter that permits a hitch cover to be adapted to connect to various size receivers.
In one aspect of the present invention, a hitch system comprises: a hitch receiver configured to couple to a vehicle, the hitch receiver defining a receiver opening; a hitch cover comprising a tube portion and a cover portion that substantially covers the receiver opening; and at least one hitch insert coupled to the hitch receiver and the tube portion, the at least one hitch insert being shaped and dimensioned such that the at least one hitch insert fills a gap defined between the hitch receiver and the tube portion of the hitch cover, and the tube portion being coupled within the receiver opening such that the tube portion is at least partially retained in place by the at least one hitch insert.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method of coupling a hitch cover to a hitch receiver comprises the steps of: providing a hitch receiver configured to couple to a vehicle, the hitch receiver defining a substantially square-shaped receiver opening; providing a hitch cover comprising a tube portion and a cover portion that substantially covers the receiver opening; providing at least one hitch insert coupled to the hitch receiver and the tube portion, the at least one hitch insert being shaped and dimensioned such that the at least one hitch insert fills a gap defined between the hitch receiver and the tube portion of the hitch cover; and coupling the tube portion within the receiver opening such that the tube portion is at least partially retained in place by the at least one hitch insert.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.
The following figures are included to illustrate certain aspects of the present disclosure, and should not be viewed as exclusive embodiments. The subject matter disclosed is capable of considerable modifications, alterations, combinations, and equivalents in form and function, without departing from the scope of this disclosure.
The subject disclosure is described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure such that one skilled in the art will be enabled to make and use the present invention. It may be evident, however, that the present disclosure may be practiced without some of these specific details.
Broadly, one embodiment of the present invention is a foam adapter set that allows a hitch cover to be installed on larger size hitch receivers. As discussed, prior to the present invention, this was not possible. Owners and vehicle operators were otherwise forced to purchase a new hitch cover that was sized properly for the vehicle. Because of the present invention, a hitch cover can be adapted to be fit with virtually any larger size hitch receiver.
In certain aspects of the present invention, a hitch insert set is provided that includes: a first hitch insert that is substantially square-shaped with an opening being defined in a central portion thereof; a second hitch insert that is substantially square-shaped with an opening being defined in a central portion thereof; and a third hitch insert that is substantially square-shaped with an opening being defined in a central portion thereof. In the presently described embodiment, the second hitch insert nests in the first hitch insert and the third hitch insert nests in the second hitch insert. The outermost hitch insert (in the described embodiment, the first hitch insert) has peripheral edges that physically contact inner edges of a receiver opening that retains the hitch cover. The innermost hitch insert (in the described embodiment, the third hitch insert) includes inner edges that physically contact a tube portion of the hitch cover.
Referring now to
The hitch cover 18 is generally composed of a tube portion, that is inserted into the receiver (e.g., the 2.5-inch receiver 26, as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Various scenarios of how this set 10 may be used are shown in
The scenarios illustrated in
Those with skill in the art will appreciate that even further combinations exist and are in accordance with the present invention. Further, while only three inserts in a set 10 are described with respect to the figures, any number of inserts may be provided as nestable with one another to function as described. In all described and non-described scenarios, the insert set 10 functions to permit a single hitch cover 18 to be used with differently sized receivers. This results in many benefits, including providing an easy way to swap a hitch cover 18 from one vehicle to another.
Therefore, the disclosed systems and methods are well adapted to attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those that are inherent therein. The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the teachings of the present disclosure may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown, other than as described in the claims below. It is therefore evident that the particular illustrative embodiments disclosed above may be altered, combined, or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope of the present disclosure. The systems and methods illustratively disclosed herein may suitably be practiced in the absence of any element that is not specifically disclosed herein and/or any optional element disclosed herein.
While apparatuses and methods are described in terms of “comprising,” “containing,” or “including” various components or steps, the apparatuses and methods can also “consist essentially of” or “consist of” the various components and steps. All numbers and ranges disclosed above may vary by some amount. Also, the terms in the claims have their plain, ordinary meaning unless otherwise explicitly and clearly defined by the patentee. Moreover, the indefinite articles “a” or “an,” as used in the claims, are defined herein to mean one or more than one of the elements that it introduces. If there is any conflict in the usages of a word or term in this specification and one or more patent or other documents that may be incorporated herein by reference, the definitions that are consistent with this specification should be adopted.
Moreover, the use of directional terms such as above, below, upper, lower, upward, downward, left, right, and the like are used in relation to the illustrative embodiments as they are depicted in the figures, the upward or upper direction being toward the top of the corresponding figure and the downward or lower direction being toward the bottom of the corresponding figure.
As used herein, the phrase “at least one of” preceding a series of items, with the terms “and” or “or” to separate any of the items, modifies the list as a whole, rather than each member of the list (i.e., each item). The phrase “at least one of” allows a meaning that includes at least one of any one of the items, and/or at least one of any combination of the items, and/or at least one of each of the items. By way of example, the phrases “at least one of A, B, and C” or “at least one of A, B, or C” each refer to only A, only B, or only C; any combination of A, B, and C; and/or at least one of each of A, B, and C.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20230073025 A1 | Mar 2023 | US |