1. An adjustable trailer hitch assembly for a towing vehicle comprising:
a) a post which is generally vertical, the post having a post diameter, the post having a top end and a bottom end, the post having a lock means for locking near the top end,
b) an arm which is generally horizontal, the arm attached at a first end to said bottom end of said post, the arm attached at a second end to a hitch ball,
c) a cylinder having an inside cylinder diameter, the cylinder having an upper edge and a lower edge, the upper edge having a lock groove, the lock groove having a size suited to receive said lock means, the cylinder attached by a securing means for securing to said towing vehicle, wherein the inside diameter of the cylinder is slightly greater than said post diameter, wherein said post is fitted inside the cylinder,
wherein the adjustable trailer hitch assembly has one or more of a free position, wherein the hitch ball may be moved simultaneously laterally and vertically, wherein the hitch ball may be moved laterally according to the post rotating within the cylinder, and the hitch ball may be moved vertically according to the post sliding axially inside the cylinder,
and wherein the adjustable trailer hitch has a locked position wherein the lock means is engaged within the lock groove, wherein the hitch ball is restrained from moving laterally, and wherein the hitch ball is restrained from moving downward.
2. The adjustable trailer hitch assembly of claim 1 wherein the lock means comprises a lock key.
3. The adjustable trailer hitch assembly of claim 1 wherein the lock means comprises a lock pin.
4. The adjustable trailer hitch assembly of claim 1 comprising:
d) a fixing pin, wherein the post has a fixing opening having a size suited to receive the fixing pin, wherein the fixing opening is located adjacent to the lower edge of the cylinder when the adjustable trailer hitch assembly is in the locked position, wherein if the fixing pin is fitted into the fixing opening, and if the post is moved upward, then the fixing pin would bear upon the lower edge of the cylinder before the lock means would disengage from the lock groove,
wherein the hitch ball is further restrained from moving upward.
5. The adjustable trailer hitch assembly of claim 1 wherein said securing means comprises a support bar attached to the cylinder and a receiver tube attached to the towing vehicle, wherein the receiver tube has an inside opening having a size suitable to receive the support bar in a telescoping manner, and wherein the support bar is fitted to the inside of the receiver tube.
6. The adjustable trailer hitch assembly of claim 5, comprising a slot pin and a holding pin, wherein the support bar has a slotted opening having a width suited to receive the slot pin and a holding hole of a size suited to receive the holding pin, wherein the receiver tube has a slot pin opening of a size suited to receive the slot pin, and a holding pin opening of a size suited to receive the holding pin,
wherein, if the slot pin is fitted through the slot pin opening and into the slotted opening, and if the holding pin is removed, then the support bar may be moved axially within the receiver tube,
and wherein, if the slot pin is fitted through the slot pin opening and into the slotted opening, and if the holding pin is fitted through the holding pin opening and into the holding hole, then the support bar may not be moved axially within the receiver tube.
7. An adjustable trailer hitch assembly for a towing vehicle comprising:
a) a post which is generally vertical, the post having a post diameter, the post having a top end and a bottom end, the post having a lock means for locking near the top end,
b) an arm which is generally horizontal, the arm attached at a first end to said top end of said post, the arm attached at a second end to a hitch ball,
c) a cylinder having an inside cylinder diameter, the cylinder having an upper edge and a lower edge, the upper edge having a lock groove, the lock groove having a size suited to receive said lock means, the cylinder attached by a securing means for securing to said towing vehicle, wherein the inside diameter of the cylinder is slightly greater than said post diameter, wherein said post is fitted inside the cylinder,
wherein the adjustable trailer hitch assembly has one or more of a free position, wherein the hitch ball may be moved simultaneously laterally and vertically, wherein the hitch ball may be moved laterally according to the post rotating within the cylinder, and the hitch ball may be moved vertically according to the post sliding axially inside the cylinder,
and wherein the adjustable trailer hitch has a locked position wherein the lock means is engaged within the lock groove, wherein the hitch ball is restrained from moving laterally, and wherein the hitch ball is restrained from moving downward.
8. The adjustable trailer hitch assembly of claim 7 wherein the lock means comprises a lock key.
9. The adjustable trailer hitch assembly of claim 7 wherein the lock means comprises a lock pin.
10. The adjustable trailer hitch assembly of claim 7 comprising:
d) a fixing pin, wherein the post has a fixing opening having a size suited to receive the fixing pin, wherein the fixing opening is located adjacent to the lower edge of the cylinder when the adjustable trailer hitch assembly is in the locked position, wherein if the fixing pin is fitted into the fixing opening, and if the post is moved upward, then the fixing pin would bear upon the lower edge of the cylinder before the lock means would disengage from the lock groove,
wherein the hitch ball is further restrained from moving upward.
11. The adjustable trailer hitch assembly of claim 7 wherein said securing means comprises a support bar attached to the cylinder and a receiver tube attached to the towing vehicle, wherein the receiver tube has an inside opening having a size suitable to receive the support bar in a telescoping manner, and wherein the support bar is fitted to the inside of the receiver tube.
12. The adjustable trailer hitch assembly of claim 11, comprising a slot pin and a holding pin, wherein the support bar has a slotted opening having a width suited to receive the slot pin and a holding hole of a size suited to receive the holding pin, wherein the receiver tube has a slot pin opening of a size suited to receive the slot pin, and a holding pin opening of a size suited to receive the holding pin,
wherein, if the slot pin is fitted through the slot pin opening and into the slotted opening, and if the holding pin is removed, then the support bar may be moved axially within the receiver tube,
and wherein, if the slot pin is fitted through the slot pin opening and into the slotted opening, and if the holding pin is fitted through the holding pin opening and into the holding hole, then the support bar may not be moved axially within the receiver tube.
13. An adjustable trailer hitch assembly for a towing vehicle comprising:
a) a post which is generally vertical, the post having a post diameter, the post having a top end and a bottom end, the post having one or more of a lock opening near the top end, wherein each of the lock opening(s) has a size suitable to receive a lock pin,
b) an arm which is generally horizontal, the arm attached at a first end to said bottom end of said post, the arm attached at a second end to a hitch ball,
c) a cylinder having an inside cylinder diameter, the cylinder having an upper edge and a lower edge, the upper edge having a lock groove, the lock groove having a size suited to receive said lock pin, the cylinder attached by a securing means for securing to said towing vehicle, wherein the inside diameter of the cylinder is slightly greater than said post diameter, wherein said post is fitted inside the cylinder,
wherein the adjustable trailer hitch assembly has one or more of a free position, wherein the hitch ball may be moved simultaneously laterally and vertically, wherein the hitch ball may be moved laterally according to the post rotating within the cylinder, and the hitch ball may be moved vertically according to the post sliding axially inside the cylinder,
and wherein the adjustable trailer hitch has a one or more of a selected locked position wherein the lock pin is fitted into the selection of one of the lock opening(s), and wherein the lock pin is engaged within the lock groove, wherein the hitch ball is restrained from moving laterally, and wherein the hitch ball is restrained from moving downward.
14. The adjustable trailer hitch assembly of claim 13 comprising:
d) a fixing pin, wherein the post has one or more of a fixing opening, each having a size suited to receive the fixing pin, wherein a selected fixing opening is located adjacent to the lower edge of the cylinder when the adjustable trailer hitch assembly is in the selected locked position, wherein if the fixing pin is fitted into the selected fixing opening, and if the post is moved upward, then the fixing pin would bear upon the lower edge of the cylinder before the lock pin would disengage from the lock groove,
wherein the hitch ball is further restrained from moving upward.
15. The adjustable trailer hitch assembly of claim 13 wherein said securing means comprises a support bar attached to the cylinder and a receiver tube attached to the towing vehicle, wherein the receiver tube has an inside opening having a size suitable to receive the support bar in a telescoping manner, and wherein the support bar is fitted to the inside of the receiver tube.
16. The adjustable trailer hitch assembly of claim 15, comprising a slot pin and a holding pin, wherein the support bar has a slotted opening having a width suited to receive the slot pin and a holding hole of a size suited to receive the holding pin, wherein the receiver tube has a slot pin opening of a size suited to receive the slot pin, and a holding pin opening of a size suited to receive the holding pin,
wherein, if the slot pin is fitted through the slot pin opening and into the slotted opening, and if the holding pin is removed, then the support bar may be moved axially within the receiver tube,
and wherein, if the slot pin is fitted through the slot pin opening and into the slotted opening, and if the holding pin is fitted through the holding pin opening and into the holding hole, then the support bar may not be moved axially within the receiver tube.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of manufacturing non-backlighted illuminating keypad, comprising:
(a) preparing a transparent plastic thin plate;
(b) forming a plurality of keycaps on a top surface of the plastic thin plate;
(c) forming a light gathering layer corresponding to the keycaps on bottom surface of the plastic thin plate;
(d) attaching the plastic thin plate onto a top surface of an electronic ink layer;
(e) attaching a first elastic layer onto bottom surface of the electronic ink layer; and
(f) providing a light source located at a lateral side of the plastic thin plate, so that light emitted from the light source enters the plastic thin plate from the lateral side thereof and is gathered around the light gathering layer to illuminate the electronic ink layer.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step (b) comprises:
providing a transparent mold comprising a first mold cavity layer and a plurality of second mold cavity layers arranged in a matrix form;
filling ultraviolet-curing resin into the first mold cavity layer and the second mold cavity layers; and
attaching the transparent plastic thin plate onto the transparent mold and making the ultraviolet-curing resin in the first mold cavity and the second mold cavities adhered on the plastic thin plate.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step (b) further comprises:
irradiating ultraviolet light through the transparent mold to cure the ultraviolet-curing resin therein; and
removing the plastic thin plate with the plurality of keycaps formed thereon from the transparent mold.
4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the light gathering layer in step (c) is made of light gathering ink material comprising resin and titanium dioxide.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plastic thin plate in step (d) is attached onto the electronic ink layer through an adhesion layer, and the adhesion layer is arranged on the opposite surface of the plastic thin plate where the light gathering layer is not arranged.
6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the adhesion layer is adhesive agent or double-sided adhesive tape.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic ink layer comprises an electrode substrate and an electronic ink material printed on the electrode substrate in step (d).
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first elastic layer in step (e) is attached to the electronic ink layer by an adhesion layer.
9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the adhesion layer is adhesive agent or double-sided adhesive tape.
10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first elastic layer in step (e) comprises a plurality of protrusion portions respectively corresponding to the keycaps.
11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step (f) of arranging a switch board below the first elastic layer.
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the switch board comprises a printed circuit board, a second elastic layer arranged on the printed circuit board, and a thin film covered on the printed circuit board and the second elastic layer, wherein the thin film comprises a plurality of convex portion corresponding to the protrusion portions of the first elastic layer.
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the second elastic layer comprises a plurality of metal domes.
14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the light source is electrically connected to the printed circuit board.
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the light source is a light emitting diode.