A BUMPER DEVICE

FIELD OF INVENTION

THIS INVENTION relates to a bumper device for use with a trailer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention there is provided a bumper device for use with a trailer, the bumper device including:

a bumper formation; and

mounting means which is connected to the bumper formation, for releasably mounting the bumper formation to the trailer in an arrangement wherein the bumper formation is disposed operatively in front of the trailer hitch of the trailer, thereby to prevent impact between the trailer hitch and a vehicle to which the trailer is to be hitched when hitching the trailer to the vehicle.

The mounting means may include a mounting formation which can be releasably mounted to the trailer hitch.

The bumper device may be configured for use with a trailer having a trailer hitch of a ball-and-socket type, wherein the trailer hitch defines a socket for receiving the ball of a tow bar, the mounting formation may define a ball formation that is securely locatable in the socket of the trailer hitch of the trailer.

The ball formation may define a recess in which a pawl of the trailer hitch is receivable to locate the ball formation in the socket of the trailer hitch and orientate the bumper device relative to the trailer hitch.

The bumper device may be configured so that a vehicle-contacting face of the bumper formation is spaced a predetermined distance from the mounting formation, thereby permitting the bumper device to be used as a spacer for optimally spacing the socket of the trailer hitch of the trailer behind the vehicle when hitching the trailer to the vehicle, in use.

The bumper formation and the mounting formation may be integrally formed.

The bumper formation may be of impact absorbing material.

The bumper device may be of plastics material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features of the invention are described hereinafter by way of a non- limiting example of the invention, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a bumper device in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 shows a schematic top plan view of the bumper device of Figure 1;

Figure 3 shows a schematic rear side view of the bumper device of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 shows a schematic end view of the of the bumper device of Figure 1 ;

Figure 5 shows a schematic perspective view of the underside of the bumper device of Figure 1 ;

Figure 6 shows a schematic perspective view of the bumper device of Figure 1 , mounted to the trailer hitch of a trailer, in use; and

Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the ball formation of the bumper device of Figure 1 mounted in the socket of the trailer hitch viewed from the underside of the trailer hitch.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to the drawings, a bumper device in accordance with the invention is designated generally by reference numeral 10. The bumper device 10 comprises a bumper formation 12 and mounting means in the form

of a mounting formation 14 for releasably mounting the bumper formation to a trailer.

The bumper device 10 is of plasties material, and more specifically, the bumper device 10 is of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) material.

The bumper formation 12 is in the form of a generally rectangular plate 16 having two sides 18 and 20. The side 20 defines a convexly-curved vehicle- contacting face 22. The plate 16 defines an elongate recess 24 therein which extends from the underside of the plate 16 into the plate. The recess 24 allows the side 20 of the plate 16 to flex, thereby absorbing impact, when impacted.

The mounting formation 14 comprises a horizontally projecting base formation 26, and a ball formation 32. The base formation 26 projects substantially perpendicularly with respect to the plate 16 from a lower portion of the side 18 of the plate 16 and defines a distal end 34. The base formation 26 has an upper side 36 and a lower side 38. The ball formation 32 comprises a dome 54 and a curved wall formation 56 which projects upwardly from the upper side 36 of the base formation 26 and extends between the base formation and the dome 54. The ball formation is located near the distal end 34 of the base formation 26. The ball formation 32 is spaced a predetermined distance from the vehicle-contacting face 22. The ball formation 32 defines a curved recess 44 in the wall formation 56 at the distal end 34 in which a pawl 52 of the trailer hitch 46 is receiveable, in use. Walls 50 define sides of the recess 44. A

material-saving cavity 42 is defined in the ball formation 32. The cavity 42

opens into the lower side 38 of the base formation 26. The base formation defines two finger holes 40 therethrough at opposite lateral sides of the ball formation 32.

With reference to Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings, the bumper device 10 is releasably attached, in use, to a ball-and-socket type trailer hitch 46 of a trailer 48, in an arrangement wherein the bumper formation 12 is disposed operatively in front of the trailer hitch 46. The bumper device 10 is releasably attached to the trailer hitch 46 by locating the ball formation 32 in the socket of the trailer hitch 46. The pawl 52 of the trailer hitch is received in the recess 44, thereby securing the ball formation 32 in the socket of the trailer hitch 46 and orientating the bumper device 10 relative to the trailer hitch 46. The walls 50 prevent the ball formation 32 from rotating in the socket of the trailer hitch 46 when the pawl 52 is received in the recess 44. The wall formation 56 of the ball formation 32 prevents tilting of the bumper device 10 in the trailer hitch 46. The bumper device 10 is removed by inserting a finger into each of the finger holes 40 and the cavity 42, from the lower side of the base formation 26, to grip the bumper device 10 and pull the ball formation 32 from the socket of the trailer hitch 46. The cavity 42 in the ball formation 32 also provides for limited deformation of the ball formation for assisting inserting and removing the ball formation 32 of the bumper device 10 from the socket of the trailer hitch 46.

The bumper device 10 protects the bodywork of the towing vehicle when coupling the trailer to the towing vehicle by providing a large impact absorbent surface area, in the form of the vehicle-contacting face 22. This prevents

impact between the trailer hitch 46 and the vehicle when hitching the trailer 48 to the vehicle. The bumper device 10 is used as a spacer for optimally spacing the socket of the trailer hitch 46 of the trailer behind the vehicle when hitching the trailer to the vehicle. In order to hitch the trailer 48 to the towing vehicle, the towing vehicle is reversed towards the trailer until the vehicle- contacting face 22 of the bumper device 10 contacts the rear bumper or tailgate of the towing vehicle. The Applicant envisages that the towing vehicle will be reversed so that the bumper device 10 contacts the rear bumper or tailgate to a side of the tow ball of the towing vehicle. The trailer hitch 46 and the towing vehicle will then be spaced the correct distance apart for hitching the trailer to the towing vehicle. It will be appreciated that use of the bumper device 10 obviates the need to align the tow ball of the towing vehicle and the trailer hitch. The bumper device 10 is then removed, the trailer hitch is swung across to a position above the tow ball of the towing vehicle and the trailer hitch is dropped onto the tow ball and hitched thereto. The bumper device 10 can also be used as a plug by locating the ball formation 32 in the socket of a trailer hitch to prevent foreign objects, such as sand, to enter into the socket of the trailer hitch 46 when the trailer is unhitched.