US-12617336-B2 - Tow light bracket configuration

US12617336B2US 12617336 B2US12617336 B2US 12617336B2US-12617336-B2

Abstract

A tow light bracket configuration includes a housing configured to house one or more lights and a camera, one or more upper bracket portions with respective rotating axes to permit the housing to maneuver to a position, and one or more lower bracket portions affixed to the upper bracket portions to provide a rotating axis for the housing to maneuver into the position. The one or more lights are on both sides of the camera.

Inventors

Joseph Wu
Adam Wu
Aaron Wu

Assignees

Master Tailgaters, LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20250115

Claims (10)

1 . A tow light bracket, comprising: a housing comprising one or more tow lights, a camera integrated with the one or more tow lights, and a wireless transceiver configured to transmit a wireless signal to, and receive the wireless signal from, a control interface of a vehicle, wherein the wireless signal is configured to activate and deactivate a camera, activate the one or more tow lights for traffic safety; and one or more brackets affixed to the housing and affixed to a mount, wherein the mount is affixed to a base, the one or more brackets are configured to pivot on a plane perpendicular to a plane of the housing, and the one or more tow lights, the camera, and the wireless transceiver are housed inside of the housing and operate via a battery within the housing.
2 . The tow light bracket of claim 1 , further comprising: one or more tow lights wired to a power source configured to remotely turn on or off.
3 . The tow light bracket of claim 2 , wherein the camera near the one or more tow lights configured to remotely turn on and off, and is connected to a power source.
4 . The tow light bracket of claim 1 , further comprising: one or more magnets underneath the base configured to affix the tow light bracket to a vehicle.
5 . The tow light bracket of claim 1 , further comprising: one or more suction cups underneath the base configured to affix the tow light bracket to a vehicle.
6 . The tow light bracket of claim 1 , further comprising: one or more suction cups comprising a corresponding one or more magnets underneath the one or more suction cups, wherein the combination of the one or more suction cups and the corresponding one or more magnets are configured to affix the tow light bracket to the vehicle.
7 . A tow light bracket, comprising: a housing comprising one or more lights, a camera integrated with the one or more tow lights, and a wireless transceiver configured to transmit a wireless signal to, and receive the wireless signal from, a control interface of a vehicle, wherein the wireless signal is configured to activate and deactivate a camera, activate the one or more tow lights for traffic safety; an upper bracket portion comprising respective rotating axes to permit the housing to maneuver from a first position to a second position; and a lower bracket portion affixed to the upper bracket portion to provide a rotating axis for the housing to maneuver into the position, wherein the one or more tow lights, the camera, and the wireless transceiver are housed inside of the housing and operate via a battery within the housing.
8 . The tow light bracket of claim 7 , wherein the upper bracket portion pivots the housing from a first angular position to a second angular position.
9 . The tow light bracket of claim 7 , further comprising: a mount affixed to the lower bracket portion, configured to pivot the housing from a first horizontal position to a second horizontal position.
10 . The tow light bracket of claim 7 , further comprising: a plurality of brackets within the upper bracket portion facilitating movement of the housing from the first position to the second position.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims the benefit of, and priority to, U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/627,694, filed on Jan. 31, 2024. The entirety of the subject matter of the earlier filed application is incorporated into this application. FIELD The present invention relates to a tow light and, more particularly, to a detachable tow light that is on a bracket and can be dynamically placed or removed from the rear portion of a vehicle. BACKGROUND The addition of a trailer or other type of vehicle may require a tow light be placed on the back of the vehicle to prompt other vehicles on the road about braking or other vehicle maneuvers. A tow light may be installed as a permanent fixture, however, the use of a tow light may be intermittent and may not require permanent installation in one location. Accordingly, an improved dynamic tow light configuration may be beneficial. SUMMARY Certain embodiments of the present invention may provide solutions to the problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully identified, appreciated, or solved by current surgical tow light technologies. For example, some embodiments of the present invention pertain to a dynamic tow light configuration. One example may include a housing configured to house one or more lights and a camera, one or more upper bracket portions with respective rotating axes to permit the housing to maneuver to a position, and one or more lower bracket portions affixed to the upper bracket portions to provide a rotating axis for the housing to maneuver into the position, and the one or more lights are on both sides of the camera. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the advantages of certain embodiments of the invention will be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings. While it should be understood that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 illustrates a pair of tow lights and a camera mounted on a single bracket according to example embodiments. FIG. 2 illustrates a single tow light and a camera mounted on a single bracket according to example embodiments. FIG. 3 illustrates a pair of tow lights and a camera mounted on a pair of brackets according to example embodiments. FIG. 4 illustrates a tow light installed on a bracket via a rotating axis with the light mounted on an opposite side of the bracket according to example embodiments. FIG. 5 illustrates a tow light installed on a bracket via a rotating axis with the light mounted on an adjacent side of the bracket, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates multiple components as part of a wireless communication system, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 illustrates a pair of tow lights on respective brackets, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrates a front view and a rear view of the tow light configuration, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 illustrating a tow light using cups and/or magnets, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrating a suction cup and magnet for tow light system of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Some embodiments may simplify the process of placing a light on rear area of a vehicle during a tow operation or related roadway use configuration. FIG. 1 illustrates a pair of tow lights 112, 114 and a camera mounted on a single bracket, according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, light and camera housing 110 includes a pair of lights 112 and 114, which are wired to a power source (not shown) via conduits that run inside camera housing 110 to an exit point or to a battery inside camera housing 110. Pair of lights 112 and 114 may have a camera 120 disposed between lights 112 and 114. In these embodiments, lights 112 and 114 may be wired via a conduit for power to a battery and may provide a content feed via one or more conduits disposed inside camera housing 110 or via a wireless transmitter. The content from camera 120 may be transmitted wirelessly to a receiver mounted in the tailgate control interface of the vehicle and/or a receiver disposed inside the vehicle near a monitor interface inside the vehicle. Housing 110 is affixed to a rotating axis of an upper bracket portion 132, which is affixed to a lower bracket portion of a mount bracket 130. Mount bracket 130 in these embodiments may be affixed to base 140. Housing (e.g., wireless tow light) 110 with brackets (130, 132) can rotate or pivot on an axis and may have no camera