Visor clip for mounting radar detector

• US 4,887,753 A
• Filed: 11/21/1988
• Issued: 12/19/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Escort Acquisition Corp.
• Original Assignee: Cincinnati Microwave, Inc (Bel Tronics Ltd.)
• Inventors: Allen, Paul M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cusick, Ernest G.
• Application Number:
  US07/274,003
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• Field of Search: 224/273, 224/275, 224/42.01, 224/309, 224/311, 224/312, 224/42.42, 224/42.45 R, 224/42.46 R, 224/252, 224/151, 224/253, 455/344, 455/345, 455/346, 455/377, 455/351, 24/3 L, 24/327, 24/331, 24/67.11, 24/543, 24/544, 24/3 J
• US Class Current: 224/312
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0035 Sun visors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0059 using clips, clamps, straps or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0073 using key-type connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/929 Article carrier for electrical device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/1391 Article held by clip with spring [e.g., leaf, coil] member
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44752 Integral locking-means

Abstract

A visor clip for mounting a police radar detector to the visor of a vehicle having a parallelogram shaped linkage pivotally connected to the top of the detector supporting base. A clip arm is provided at the upper side of the linkage for engaging the top of a visor. The linkage is spring biased forward and downward. The clip arm is longer than the base so as to clamp the visor between the arm and the detector case, tightening the detector to the base to which the detector is removably attached. The tightening action of the arm operates to press against the detector case to hold the clip onto the detector when the combination is removed from the visor. Friction enhancing horizontal ridges on the underside of the forward end of the clip arm urge the linkage backward to raise the clip arm upward when the combination is pushed onto the edge of a visor.

Claims

1. The combination comprising:

a visor clip for securing a police radar detector to the underside of a visor of a vehicle of a thickness unspecified over a predetermined range;

a police radar detector having an upper planar surface, a front end disposed to be oriented toward the front of said vehicle, and a rear end;

said visor clip comprising a base removably securable on said upper surface of said detector, said visor clip having an outer surface and an inner surface;

said visor clip further comprising a parallel linkage assembly including a first leg and a second leg each having upper and lower ends, each said first and second leg extending upwardly from, and having its lower end hingedly connected to, said outer surface of said base, said first leg being connected to said outer base surface so as to pivot about a first horizontal axis parallel to said rear end of said detector, said second leg being connected to said outer base surface so as to pivot about a second horizontal axis located on said base a fixed distance forward of said first axis, said parallel linkage assembly also including a clamp arm having a forward tip and a back end, said clamp arm being hingedly attached at its back end to said upper end of said first leg and being hingedly attached to said upper end of said second leg at a point on said arm displaced forwardly of the back end of said arm a distance equal to said fixed distance, whereby a parallelogram is formed by said legs and said base and said arm with said arm being maintained in parallel relationship with said base as it is movable toward and away from said base.

2. The combination of claim 1 further comprising means for biasing said linkage assembly forward and downward toward said base.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said tip is angled forwardly and upwardly for causing said clamp arm to be urged backward and upward against the force of said biasing means when said combination is pushed forward onto said visor with said visor between said tip and the upper surface of said receiver.

4. The combination comprising:

a visor clip for securing a police radar detector to the underside of a visor of a vehicle of a thickness unspecified over a predetermined range,

a police radar detector having an upper planar top surface, a front end disposed to be oriented toward the front of said vehicle and a rear end, said surface extending the length of said detector between said ends,

said visor clip comprising a base removably securable on said upper planar top surface of said detector and having a front and a rear edge and inner and outer surfaces, said base being positionable on said top surface such that said edges lie between said ends and said top surface extends forward of said rear edge at least a predetermined distance;

said visor clip further comprising parallel linkage assembly including a first leg and a second leg each having upper and lower ends, each said first and second leg extending upwardly from, and having its lower end hingedly connected to, said outer surface of said base, said first leg being connected to said outer base surface so as to pivot about a first horizontal axis parallel to said rear end of said detector, said second leg being connected to said outer base surface so as to pivot about a second horizontal axis located on said base a fixed distance forward of said first axis, said parallel linkage assembly also including a clamp arm having a forward tip and a back end, said clamp arm being hingedly attached at its back end to said upper end of said first leg and being hingedly attached to said upper end of said second leg at a point on said arm displaced forwardly of the back end of said arm a distance equal to said fixed distance, whereby a parallelogram is formed by said legs and said base and said arm with said arm being maintained in parallel relationship with said base as it is movable toward and away from said base; and

wherein the combined length of said arm an one of said legs is less than the length of said detector, and wherein the length of said arm is greater than the length of said base, whereby the tip of said arm cooperates with the upper top surface of said detector to clamp a visor therebetween to support said detector on said visor.

5. The combination of claim 4 further comprising means for biasing said linkage assembly forward and backward against said base.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said tip is angled forwardly and upwardly for causing said clamp arm to be urged backward and upward against the force of said biasing means when said combination is pushed forward onto said visor with said visor between said tip and the upper surface of said receiver.

7. A visor clip for securing a police radar detector to the underside of vehicle visors of a variety of thicknesses over a predetermined range, and wherein said detector has an upper planar top surface, a front end disposed to be oriented toward the front of said vehicle and a rear end, said surface extending the length of said detector between said ends, said clip comprising:

a base removably frictionally adapted to connect onto said upper top surface of said detector and having a front and a rear edge, said base adapted to be positionable on said top surface such that said edges lie between said ends and said surface extends forward of said rear edge at least a predetermined distance;

a parallel linkage assembly comprising

first and second legs each having upper and lower ends, said first and second legs each hingedly connected at their lower end to and extending upwardly from an outer surface of said base, said lower end of said first leg being connected to said base at the rear edge thereof and said lower end of said second leg being connected to said base a fixed distance forward of said rear edge, and

a clamp arm having a tip and a back end and a length greater than the length of said base between said edges of said base, said clamp arm being hingedly attached near its back end to said upper end of said first leg and being hingedly attached to said upper end of said second leg at a point on said arm displaced forwardly of the upper end of said first leg a distance equal to said fixed distance forward of the back end of said arm, whereby a parallelogram is formed by said legs and said base and said arm with said arm continuously maintained in parallel relationship with said base; and

wherein the combined length of said arm and one of said legs is adapted to be less than the length of said detector and wherein the length of said arm is greater than the length of said base, whereby the tip of said arm is adapted to be cooperate with the upper surface of said detector to clamp a visor therebetween to support said detector thereon and to enhance said frictional connection between said base and said detector.

8. The combination of claim 7 further comprising means for biasing said linkage assembly forward and downward toward said base.

9. The combination of claim 7 wherein said biasing means is connected between said base and said first leg.

10. The clip of claim 9 wherein said tip is angled forwardly and upwardly for causing said clamp arm to be urged backward and upward against the force of said biasing means when said combination is pushed forward onto said visor with said visor between said tip and the upper surface of said receiver.

11. The clip of claim 10 further comprising a spring connected between said base and said linkage for urging said linkage forward and downward with respect to said base.