SWINGING SUPPORT DEVICE

• US 20110253866A1
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takeuchi, Tomotaka, Maeda, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 8,979,057 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 248/291.1
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/10 around a horizontal axis F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/18 with mechanism for moving the apparatus relatively to the stand
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/027 Ceiling supports
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/923 Tilting

Abstract

A swinging support device is provided which includes: a display device 120 which is opened and closed between a stowage position 121 and a view position 122; an opening and closing mechanism 110 operable to open and close the display device 120; a retaining mechanism 130 for holding the display device 120 located at the view position 122 by switching between at least two levels of retaining forces; a first acceleration sensor 160 mounted to a top inner surface portion 190 of a movable carrier in the vicinity of the display device 120; and a second acceleration sensor 170 mounted to the display device 120.

Claims

1. A swinging support device, provided in a movable carrier, for supporting a subject article provided in the movable carrier to let the subject article swing between a use position and a stowage position, the swinging support device comprising:

a swinging mechanism for swinging the subject article;

a retaining mechanism for holding the subject article in the use position with at least two levels of retaining force;

an acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration of the movable carrier; and

a control unit for controlling, according to the acceleration of the movable carrier, the retaining mechanism to switch between the two levels of retaining force.

2. The swinging support device according to claim 1, wherein when the acceleration of the movable carrier is less than or equal to a threshold value, the control unit controls the retaining mechanism to hold with the lower of the two levels of retaining force.

3. The swinging support device according to claim 1, wherein when the acceleration of the movable carrier is greater than a threshold value, the control unit controls the retaining mechanism to hold with the higher of the two levels of retaining force.

4. The swinging support device according to claim 1, wherein:

the retaining force of the retaining mechanism is variable according to a voltage;

the retaining mechanism includes a voltage-variable circuit for varying the voltage; and

the voltage-variable circuit varies the voltage based on information from the acceleration sensor.

5. The swinging support device according to claim 1, wherein the swinging mechanism operates by electric power, and if supply of the electric power is interrupted, functions to stow the subject article.

6. The swinging support device according to claim 1, wherein the acceleration sensor is able to detect acceleration along horizontal and vertical axes relative to swinging movement of the swinging mechanism.

7. A swinging support device, provided in a movable carrier, for supporting a subject article provided in the movable carrier to let the subject article swing between a use position and a stowage position, the swinging support device comprising:

a swinging mechanism for swinging the subject article;

a retaining mechanism for holding the subject article in one of the use position and the stowage position;

a first acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration of the movable carrier;

a second acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration of the subject article; and

a control unit for controlling the swinging mechanism according to the acceleration of the movable carrier and the acceleration of the subject article.

8. The swinging support device according to claim 7, wherein when the acceleration of the subject article is greater than the acceleration of the movable carrier by at least a predetermined amount, the control unit controls the swinging mechanism to stow the subject article.

9. The swinging support device according to claim 7, wherein:

the retaining force of the retaining mechanism is variable according to a voltage;

the retaining mechanism includes a voltage-variable circuit for varying the voltage; and

the voltage-variable circuit varies the voltage based on information from the first acceleration sensor

10. The swinging support device according to claim 7, wherein the swinging mechanism operates by electric power, and if supply of the electric power is interrupted, functions to stow the subject article.

11. The swinging support device according to claim 7, wherein the first and the second acceleration sensors are each able to detect acceleration along horizontal and vertical axes relative to swinging movement of the swinging mechanism.