Patent Application
20210218934
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The disclosure relates to vehicle cameras and more particularly pertains to a new vehicle cameras for assisting tractor-trailer and RV towers while backing up.
The prior art relates to vehicle cameras, particularly for assisting drivers while backing up. Most existing backup cameras are designed for regular vehicles, and thus require permanent or semi-permanent installation in a central location of the rear of the vehicle. Hardwiring to the camera is typical, as is a fixed viewing monitor within the dashboard or rearview mirror. Large vehicles, specifically tractors-trailers and long-tow RVs that use and operate a 5th wheel mechanism, a gooseneck hitch, or any other hitch prone to sharp turning or jackknifing during reverse when towing, have a significantly larger blind spot on the rear passenger side. Drivers of such vehicles may have a different tow vehicle used with multiple trailers and thus do not want a permanent installation.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a camera housing and a camera coupled within the camera housing. The camera has a lens extending through a housing front side of the camera housing. At least one wide-angle light is coupled to the housing front side of the camera housing. A battery is coupled within the camera housing and is in operational communication with the camera and the wide-angle lights. A transmitter is coupled within the camera housing and is in operational communication with the camera and configured to transmit video to a personal electronic device. A ferrous plate is coupled within the camera housing adjacent a housing back side of the camera housing. A mounting bracket has a magnet coupled there within. The magnet is selectively engageable with the ferrous plate and is configured to selectively engage a trailer rear of a tractor-trailer or long-towed RV.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
At least one wide-angle light 20 is coupled to the housing front side 18 of the camera housing to provide more light than the vehicle reverse lights relied on by most backup cameras. The at least one wide-angle light 20 may include a pair of upper lights 22 and a medial lower light 24. Each wide-angle light 20 may have a cylindrical light diffuser 26 extending from the housing front side 18 and a conical recession 28 within the light diffuser 26 to create the widest possible illuminated area from a diode 30 behind the diffuser 26. A battery 32 is coupled within the camera housing 12 and is in operational communication with the camera 14 and the wide-angle lights 20. The battery 32 may be rechargeable and may have a charging port 34 extending through a housing bottom side 36 of the camera housing to make the apparatus 10 a portable rechargeable device.
A transmitter 38 is coupled within the camera housing 12 and is in operational communication with the camera 14 to transmit video to a personal electronic device 40. The transmitter 38 may operate using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, radio, or other wireless transmission technology to stream video to the personal electronic device 40. The personal electronic device 40 may utilize a proprietary application downloaded to the user's cellphone or tablet, or may be a dedicated monitor device. A distance laser 42 may be coupled to the camera housing 12 and extends through the housing front side 18. The distance laser 42 is configured to measure a distance to the nearest object and is in operational communication with the transmitter 38 to relay that information to the personal electronic device 40. The personal electronic device 40 may then create an auditory cue for the user when approaching an object and may display the exact distance until contact.
A ferrous plate 44 is coupled within the camera housing 12 adjacent a housing back side 45 of the camera housing. A mounting bracket 46 has a magnet 48 coupled there within. The magnet 48 selectively engages the ferrous plate 44 to secure the camera housing 12 to the mounting bracket 46. The magnet 48 is also configured to selectively engage a trailer rear 50 of a tractor-trailer 51 or long-towed RV 52. The magnet 48 may be positioned on a door hinge 53 of the trailer rear 50. The mounting bracket 46 is placed towards the lower right corner of the trailer rear 50 to position the apparatus 10 closest to the vehicle's largest blind spot. In case the mounting bracket 46 is to be placed on a non-ferrous portion of the trailer rear 50, an adhesive layer 54 may be coupled to a bracket back side 56 of the mounting bracket. The perimeter of the mounting bracket 46 may conform to the perimeter of the camera housing 12 to minimize the overall profile of the apparatus 10 when installed.
In use, the mounting bracket 46 is installed on the trailer rear 50 of the tractor-trailer 51 or long-towed RV 52 utilizing a fifth-wheel 58, a gooseneck hitch, or any other hitch prone to sharp turning or jackknifing during reverse. The mounting bracket 46 couples with either with the adhesive layer 54 or using the magnet 48. The ferrous plate 44 within the camera housing 12 is then engaged with the magnet 48. The user may then watch a live video feed from the camera 14 on the personal electronic device 40 from within the vehicle while backing up to prevent accidents. When finished driving, the user may remove the camera housing 12 for safekeeping, to be placed on a different trailer 52 or long-towed RV 52, or to charge the battery 32 via the charging port 34.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
