US Patent Issued to FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES on Nov. 4 for "Vehicle hitch integrated electrical connector" (Michigan Inventors)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Nov. 6 -- United States Patent no. 12,459,317, issued on Nov. 4, was assigned to FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC (Dearborn, Mich.).

"Vehicle hitch integrated electrical connector" was invented by Stuart Salter (White Lake, Mich.), Gabriella Jacobsen (Ferndale, Mich.), Arnav Wagh (Detroit), Daniel Heaton (Dearborn, Mich.), Brendan Diamond (Grosse Pointe, Mich.), Robert Vitali (Sterling Heights, Mich.), David Diamond (Canton, Mich.) and Kevin King (Detroit).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A hitch receiver for an automotive vehicle includes a receiver tube defining an open end and a cavity therein. The hitch receiver also includes an electrical connector, having a plurality of electr...