Description:FORM 2
The Patent Act 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
The Patent Rules, 2005

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See Section 10 and Rule 13)

TITLE OF THE INVENTION
“TWO-WAY POSITIONABLE TOWING MECHANISM”

VE Commercial Vehicle Ltd.
of VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd, 102, Industrial Area
No. 1 Pithampur-454775, Dist. Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, India

The following specification particularly describes and ascertains the nature of this invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.
Field of Invention
[001] The invention relates to tow hooks provided on motor vehicles. It more particularly relates to tow hooks that can be adjusted to allow for different attachment positions of the attachment hook.
Background of the Invention
[002] In conventional tow hooks that are provided in buses, the problem of providing access to the tow hooks requires resolution in the form of openings in the front bumper that inevitably destroy the aesthetics of the vehicle. Covers for such openings restore the appearance to only a limited extent. Given that modern buses have lower ground clearance providing the two hooks at a position below the bumper’s height presents its own accessibility challenge for the engineers designing the vehicle.
[003] Given that providing capability of towing is a superior requirement than ensuring better aesthetics, the conventional towing mechanisms are either mounted directly through the bumpers or through an opening or by raising the hight of the vehicle under the position of the bumper. All these options give sub-optimal results at the front and rear bumpers as far as aesthetics are concerned. Even though the problem has existed for a very long time and multiple attempts have been made to resolve the issue, a satisfactory solution is still to be found for this problem. Therefore, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a tow hook mechanism that can perform its function without compromising upon the aesthetics of the vehicle.
[004] It is another objective of the present invention to provide a tow hook mechanism that can be adjusted to allow for allowing its access from below the bumpers if there are no openings in the bumpers provided on the vehicle.
[005] It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a tow hook mechanism that is durable, reliable and economical to provide.
[006] It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a tow hook mechanism that is strong and that can survive all usage conditions that may arise during the life of a typical vehicle..
Summary of the Invention
[007] An embodiment of the invention achieving the stated objective, that is the two-way positionable towing mechanism, comprises of, a bracket, and a tow hook attachment body. In the two-way positionable towing mechanism, the bracket is connected to the tow hook attachment body via said bracket’s downward vertical plate that is received in an upper cuboidal portion of the tow hook attachment body between the side walls and is fastened in its place by conventional fasteners passing through the holes given in the upper cuboidal portion of the tow hook attachment body.
Brief Description of Drawings
[008] The present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings that contain references numerals for indicating its various parts. The description of the present invention would therefore be better understood with reference to accompanying diagrams, wherein
[009] Figure 1 discloses the exploded view of the invention as per the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0010] Figure 2 discloses the preferred embodiment of the present invention as attached on the vehicle chassis.
[0011] Figure 3 discloses the top view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0012] Figure 4 discloses the side view of the bracket as provided in the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0013] Figure 5 discloses the bottom view of the preferred embodiments of the present invention.
[0014] Figure 6 discloses the isometric view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention as assembled in its first state.
[0015] Figure 7 discloses another isometric view of the preferred embodiments of the present invention as assembled in its second state.
Detailed Description of the Invention
[0016] Referring to the set of figures 1, 6 and 7, two-way positionable towing mechanism (100), comprises of, bracket (30), and a two hook attachment body (60).
[0017] The bracket (30) (refer to Figs 1, 6 and 7) is connected to the tow hook attachment body (60) via said bracket (30)’s downward vertical plate (30VP) that is received in an upper cuboidal portion of the tow hook attachment body (60) between the side walls (60SW) and is fastened in its place by conventional fasteners (35FB) passing through the holes (60SH) given in the upper cuboidal portion of the tow hook attachment body (60).
[0018] The bracket (30) (refer to Figs. 3, 4 and 5) has an upper vertical plate that extends above the horizontal plate (30HP) and also above the downward vertical plate (30VP) and gets subdivided into two vertical sub-portions (30VP1, 30VP2). The tow hook attachment body (60) has an arm that projects downwards from the upper cuboidal portion of said tow hook attachment body (60) and ends at the attachment ring (60R) provided at the bottom end of downward projecting arm (refer to Figs 1, 6 and 7).
[0019] The shape of the downward projecting arm of the tow hook attachment body (60) (refer to Figs 1, 6 and 7) is defined by its two side walls (60SW) that begin at the ring (60R) and end at the end of the upper cuboidal portion of the tow hook attachment body (60). The tow hook attachment body (60) is provided with an inclined ramp (60CR) that begins at the edge of the ring (60R) between the side walls (60SW) and ends at the plane where the downward projecting arm merges the upper cuboidal portion of said tow hook attachment body (60). The upper cuboid portion of the tow hook attachment body (60) is open from the top to allow the bracket (30) to be assembled and closed from the bottom front (in the side below the downward projecting arm), and bottom to form a strong structure for handling the loads imposed on said tow hook attachment body (60) during its working.
[0020] The bracket (30) has up to two rows of openings on the vertical plate (30VP3) below the plane of the horizontal plate (30HP), either of which can be selected to align with the openings (60SH) given on the upper cuboidal portion of the tow hook attachment body (60) and can be fastened using the conventional fasteners (35FB). The bracket is provided with two rows of openings on the vertical plate extending above the horizontal plate (30HP) where the conventional fasteners (35FA) allow the bracket (30) to be attached to a vehicle chassis (200VF) (refer to Figs 1, 2, 6 and 7). The horizontal plate (30HP) has up to one row of openings where the conventional fasteners (35FC) allow the bracket (30) to be attached to a vehicle chassis (200VF).
[0021] When the driver or vehicle operator desires to use the two-way positionable towing mechanism (100), the tow hook attachment body (60) is assembled with the bracket (30) by aligning the desired row of holes given on the vertical plate (30VP3) and fastened in its position using the conventional fasteners (35FB). The option of two rows at different heights allows the invention to be assembled so as to be easily accessible from below the bumper when the need arises. The two-way positionable towing mechanism (100) so assembled is then positioned on the vehicle chassis aligned with the appropriate openings provided on said vehicle chassis (200VF) and then fastened along the rows provided on the horizontal plate (30HP) and on the rows above the horizontal plate (30HP) and on the vertical plates (30VP1, 30VP2) using conventional fasteners (35FA, 35FC). The conventional fasteners (35FA, 35FB, 35FC) so utilised on the two-way positionable towing mechanism (100) can be selected from nuts and bolts and other known fasteners with matching characteristics.
[0022] Given that the bracket (30) has at least two rows of openings on the vertical plate (30VP3) that can be aligned with the openings (60SH) provided on the upper cuboidal portion of the tow hook attachment body (60), there are at least two distinct states (refer to Figs 6 and 7) in which the disclosed invention can be attached to the vehicle chassis (200VF) along the front and rear of the vehicle chassis.
[0023] Technical advantages offered by the invention i.e., two-way positionable towing mechanism (100) are-
- It can perform its function without compromising upon the aesthetics of the vehicle.
- It can be adjusted to allow for allowing its access from below the bumpers if there are no openings in the bumpers provided on the vehicle.
- It is durable, reliable and economical to provide on the vehicle.
- It is strong and can survive all usage conditions that may arise during the life of a typical vehicle.
- It is light in weight and very easy to assemble.
- It is modular and hence very easy to fit and remove from the vehicles.
- It can be very easily replaced if it if it gets damaged for any reason.
[0024] The disclosed invention i.e. the two-way positionable towing mechanism (100) achieves all the set-out objectives.
[0025] It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the present invention has been herein described in terms of its preferred embodiment, those skilled in the art will recognize that the preferred embodiment herein disclosed, can be practiced with modifications within the scope of the invention herein described.
, Claims:We Claim,
1. A two-way positionable towing mechanism (100) comprising,
• a bracket (30), and
• a tow hook attachment body (60)
wherein,
- the bracket (30) is connected to the tow hook attachment body (60) via said bracket (30)’s downward vertical plate (30VP) that is received in an upper cuboidal portion of the tow hook attachment body (60) between the side walls (60SW) and is fastened in its place by conventional fasteners (35FB) passing through the holes (60SH) given in the upper cuboidal portion of the tow hook attachment body (60).
2. The two-way positionable towing mechanism (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein,
- the bracket (30) has an upper vertical plate that extends above the horizontal plate (30HP) and also above the downward vertical plate (30VP) and gets subdivided into two vertical sub-portions (30VP1, 30VP2); and
- the tow hook attachment body (60) has an arm that projects downwards from the upper cuboidal portion of said tow hook attachment body (60) and ends at the attachment ring (60R) provided at the bottom end of downward projecting arm.
3. The two-way positionable towing mechanism (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein, the shape of the downward projecting arm of the tow hook attachment body (60) is defined by its two side walls (60SW) that begin at the ring (60R) and end at the end of the upper cuboidal portion of the tow hook attachment body (60).
4. The two-way positionable towing mechanism (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein, the tow hook attachment body (60) is provided with an inclined ramp (60CR) that begins at the edge of the ring (60R) between the side walls (60SW) and ends at the plane where the downward projecting arm merges the upper cuboidal portion of said tow hook attachment body (60).
5. The two-way positionable towing mechanism (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein, the bracket (30) has up to two rows of openings on the vertical plate (30VP3) below the plane of the horizontal plate (30HP), either of which can be selected to align with the openings (60SH) given on the upper cuboidal portion of the two hook attachment body (60) and can be fastened using the conventional fasteners (35FB).
6. The two-way positionable towing mechanism (100) as claimed in claim 5, wherein,
- the bracket is provided with two rows of openings on the vertical plate extending above the horizontal plate (30HP) where the conventional fasteners (35FA) allow the bracket (30) to be attached to a vehicle chassis (200VF); and
- the upper cuboid portion of the tow hook attachment body (60) is open from the top to allow the bracket (30) to be assembled and closed from the bottom front, and bottom to form a strong enclosure for handling the loads imposed on said tow hook attachment body (60) during its working.
7. The two-way positionable towing mechanism (100) as claimed in claim 6, wherein, the horizontal plate (30HP) has up to one row of openings where the conventional fasteners (35FC) allow the bracket (30) to be attached to a vehicle chassis (200VF).
8. The two-way positionable towing mechanism (100) as claimed in claim 7, wherein, the conventional fasteners (35FA, 35FB, 35FC) can be selected from nuts and bolts and other known fasteners with matching characteristics.

Dated 27th day of January 2025

VIDIT CHOUBEY
(IN P/A 5566)
AGENT FOR THE APPLICANT(S)

To,
The Controller of Patents,
The Patent Office, at Mumbai