Rail system for use in a vehicle

• US 20060044481A1
• Filed: 08/25/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audiovox Corporation (VOXX International Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Audiovox Corporation (VOXX International Corporation)
• Inventors: Schedivy, George C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,460,187 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/837
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0028 Ceiling, e.g. roof rails
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0084 with adjustment by linear movement in their operational position
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0085 with adjustment by rotation in their operational position

Abstract

A rail system for use in a vehicle comprises a rail mounted to an overhead portion of the vehicle, wherein the rail includes at least one track electrically connected to a vehicle power supply and at least one other track electrically connected to a media source, a support member removably mounted to the rail, and a console coupled to the support member, wherein the console is electrically connected to the at least one track for receiving power from the vehicle power supply and to the at least one other track for receiving data from the media source.

Claims

1. A rail system for use in a vehicle, comprising:

a rail mounted to an overhead portion of the vehicle, wherein the rail includes at least one track electrically connected to a vehicle power supply and at least one other track electrically connected to a media source;

a support member removably mounted to the rail; and

a console coupled to the support member, wherein the console is electrically connected to the at least one track for receiving power from the vehicle power supply and to the at least one other track for receiving data from the media source.

2. The rail system as recited in claim 1, wherein the media source includes at least one of a television tuner, a videocassette player, a digital videodisc player, a compact disc player, a video compact disc player, an AM/FM radio, a satellite radio, a video game player, and a digital video recorder.

3. The rail system as recited in claim 1, wherein the rail is electrically connected to a ground connection and the console is electrically connected to the ground connection through an electrical connection to the rail.

4. The rail system as recited in claim 1, wherein the data from the media source includes at least one of an audio signal and a video signal.

5. The rail system as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the support member includes a connector electrically connected to the console; and

the connector includes at least one contact positioned on the at least one track for receiving the power and at least one other contact positioned on the at least one other track for receiving the data.

6. The rail system as recited in claim 1, wherein the support member includes a connector positioned on the at least one track and on the at least one other track.

7. The rail system as recited in claim 6, wherein the rail includes at least a third track on which the connector is positioned.

8. The rail system as recited in claim 6, wherein the connector is electrically connected to the at least one track for receiving the power and to the at least one other track for receiving the data.

9. The rail system as recited in claim 8, wherein the connector is electrically connected to the console.

10. The rail system as recited in claim 6, wherein the support member includes an element for engaging the console to fix the console to the support member at a plurality of angles.

11. The rail system as recited in claim 1, wherein the console is a video display device for displaying a video program received from the media source.

12. The rail system as recited in claim 11, wherein the video display device includes one of a liquid crystal display and an organic electroluminescent display.

13. The rail system as recited in claim 11, wherein the console includes a media player.

14. The rail system as recited in claim 1, wherein the console includes a plurality of audio and video output ports for distributing at least one of audio data and video data received from the media source.

15. The rail system as recited in claim 1, wherein the console includes a plurality of audio and video input ports for receiving at least one of audio data and video data from the media source.

16. The rail system as recited in claim 1, wherein the console includes a wireless transmitter for wirelessly transmitting at least one of audio data and video data received from the media source to a receiver.

17. The rail system as recited in claim 1, wherein the media source includes at least one of a vehicle global positioning system providing position information to the console and a vehicle computer providing vehicle information to the console.

18. A rail system for use in a vehicle, comprising:

a rail mounted to an overhead portion of the vehicle, wherein the rail includes at least one track electrically connected to a vehicle power supply and at least one other track electrically connected to a media source;

a support member removably mounted to the rail; and

a video display console coupled to the support member, wherein the video display console is electrically connected to the at least one track for receiving power from the vehicle power supply and to the at least one other track for receiving at least one of audio and video data from the media source.

19. The rail system as recited in claim 18, wherein the media source includes at least one of a television tuner, a videocassette player, a digital videodisc player, a compact disc player, a video compact disc player, an AM/FM radio, a satellite radio, a video game player, and a digital video recorder.

20. The rail system as recited in claim 18, wherein the rail is electrically connected to a ground connection and the video display console is electrically connected to the ground connection through an electrical connection to the rail.

21. The rail system as recited in claim 18, wherein:

the support member includes a connector electrically connected to the video display console; and

the connector includes at least one contact positioned on the at least one track for receiving the power and at least one other contact positioned on the at least one other track for receiving at least one of the audio and video data.

22. The rail system as recited in claim 18, wherein the support member includes a connector positioned on the at least one track and on the at least one other track.

23. The rail system as recited in claim 22, wherein the rail includes at least a third track on which the connector is positioned.

24. The rail system as recited in claim 22, wherein the connector is electrically connected to the at least one track for receiving the power and to the at least one other track for receiving at least one of the audio and video data.

25. The rail system as recited in claim 24, wherein the connector is electrically connected to the video display console.

26. The rail system as recited in claim 22, wherein the support member includes an element for engaging the video display console to fix the video display console to the support member at a plurality of angles.

27. The rail system as recited in claim 18, wherein the video display console displays a video program received from the media source.

28. The rail system as recited in claim 18, wherein the video display console includes one of a liquid crystal display and an organic electroluminescent display.

29. The rail system as recited in claim 18, wherein the video display console includes a media player.

30. The rail system as recited in claim 18, wherein the video display console includes a plurality of audio and video output ports for distributing at least one of the audio and video data received from the media source.

31. The rail system as recited in claim 18, wherein the video display console includes a plurality of audio and video input ports for receiving at least one of the audio and video data from the media source.

32. The rail system as recited in claim 18, wherein the video display console includes a wireless transmitter for wirelessly transmitting at least one of the audio data and video data received from the media source to a receiver.

33. The rail system as recited in claim 18, wherein the media source includes at least one of a vehicle global positioning system providing position information to the console and a vehicle computer providing vehicle information to the video display console.

34. A rail system for use in a vehicle, comprising:

a rail mounted to an overhead portion of the vehicle, wherein the rail includes at least one track electrically connected to a vehicle power supply;

a support member removably mounted to the rail; and

a storage console coupled to the support member and electrically connected to the at least one track for receiving power from the vehicle power supply, wherein the storage console includes a compartment and at least one light powered by the power received from the vehicle power supply.

35. The rail system as recited in claim 34, further comprising a door covering the compartment, wherein the at least one light is activated when the door is opened.

36. The rail system as recited in claim 34, wherein the at least one light is positioned in the compartment.

37. The rail system as recited in claim 34, wherein the at least one light is activated when a vehicle door is opened.

38. The rail system as recited in claim 34, wherein the support member includes a connector positioned on and electrically connected to the at least one track.

39. The rail system as recited in claim 38, wherein the rail includes at least one other track electrically connected to ground, and the connector is positioned on and electrically connected to the at least one other track.

40. The rail system as recited in claim 38, wherein the connector is electrically connected to the storage console.