Mounting assembly for in-car video ststems

• US 6,619,605 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2001
• Issued: 09/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Portable Multimedia Limited
• Original Assignee: Graham Keith Lambert
• Inventors: Lambert, Graham Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAN, KO HUNG
• Application Number:
  US09/760,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20010008266A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 248/118, 248/229.17, 248/230.8, 248/220.21, 248/220.22, 248/176.1, 248/918, 248/917, 248/228.8, 248/200, 248/919, 248/205.2, 248/226.11, 224/275, 224/929, 297/188.01, 297/188.04, 297/188.05, 297/188.06, 297/391
• US Class Current: 248/226.11
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/72 Adaptations for incorporating lamps, radio sets, bars, telephones, ventilation, heating or cooling arrangements or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/723 with display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/879 with additional features not related to head-rest positioning, e.g. heating or cooling devices or loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/905 the head-rest or seat used as an anchorage point, for an object not covered by groups in B60N, e.g. for a canvas
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0235 of flat type, e.g. LCD
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0017 Head-rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0059 using clips, clamps, straps or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0063 using adhesive means, e.g. hook and loop fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0078 Quick-disconnect two-parts mounting means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0085 with adjustment by rotation in their operational position
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/929 Article carrier for electrical device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/919 Adjustably orientable video screen support

Abstract

A mount 10 for detachably mounting a screen of an in-car video entertainment system to the rear of a headrest of a vehicle comprises fixings 15 for engagement by the rear of the video screen. The mount 10 enables the video screen to be secured firmly in position against the rear surface of the headrest, so that rear-seat passengers can view the video output from a computer games device, video cassette/tape recorder or video disc player etc. The mount may be fitted to any existing headrest without any modification to the headrest being required.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle seat;

a headrest including a body portion with opposing front and rear faces, said headrest being attached to a top of said vehicle seat;

a video screen; and

,

a mount with said video screen being mounted to said headrest by said mount, said mount comprising;

a base plate having a front face and a rear face;

a resiliently deformable member on said rear face of said base plate;

means for adjustably attaching said base plate to said head rest; and

,

means for engaging and supporting said video screen on said front face of said base plate, said means for adjustably attaching including at least one strap having a length sufficient for embracing the headrest and being capable of being tensioned around the headrest when said base plate is attached thereto, so that said resiliently deformable member disposed between said rear face of said base plate and the rear face of the headrest is deformed for positioning said video screen at a desired viewing angle relative to said headrest.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said resiliently deformable member includes a sheet of a foamed plastic material.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said base plate includes a plurality of apertures through which said at least one strap is threaded.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said base plate includes opposing top and bottom sides and opposing left and right sides, said base plate top and bottom sides being joined together by said base plate left and right sides, said plurality of apertures being disposed in said base plate proximate to junctures of said opposing top, bottom, left and right sides, with pairs of apertures of said plurality of apertures being aligned with each other.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein said plurality of apertures are disposed parallel to said opposing top and bottom sides of said base plate and on opposite sides of said means for engaging and supporting said video screen.

6. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said at least one strap passes through said plurality of apertures and around said headrest when said base plate is attached to said headrest.

7. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein said base plate is rectangular.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising a plurality of straps capable of being independently tensioned, so that said resiliently deformable member disposed between said rear face of said base plate and said front face of the head rest is deformed for positioning said video screen at the desired viewing angle relative to the headrest.

9. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said means for engaging and supporting said video screen includes an engagement member projecting from said base plate and extending vertically along said front face of said base plate.

10. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said base plate is rectangular.

11. A method for mounting a video screen to the headrest of a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a mount comprising a base plate having a front face and a rear face, a resiliently deformable member on the rear face of the base plate and a strap;

positioning the mount against a rear surface of the headrest;

passing the strap of the mount around the headrest;

engaging the video screen with means for supporting the video screen on the front face of the base plate; and

,

tensioning the strap around the headrest for disposing the resiliently deformable member between the rear face of the base plate and the rear face of said headrest, the resiliently deformable member being deformed for positioning the video screen at a desired viewing angle relative to the headrest.

12. The method for mounting a video screen to the headrest of a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein said tensioning step is carried out by independently tensioning a plurality of straps around the headrest for disposing the resiliently deformable member between the rear of the base plate and the rear face of said headrest.