Display assembly having display supported on casing to be controllable in attitude

• US 6,633,347 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2001
• Issued: 10/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kitazawa, Akitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): HANSEN, JAMES ORVILLE
• Application Number:
  US09/753,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20020085129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 348/836, 348/837, 312/7.2, 312/223.1, 312/245, 248/918, 248/919, 248/920, 248/921, 248/922, 248/923, 248/278.1, 224/311, 296/37.7, 296/37.8, D14/132
• US Class Current: 348/837
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/771 on the ceiling
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0235 of flat type, e.g. LCD
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0028 Ceiling, e.g. roof rails
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0082 collapsible, e.g. for storing after use
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0087 around two axes
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/10 around a horizontal axis F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2014 around a vertical axis F16M11/2035 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/027 Ceiling supports
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/024 by positive interaction, e.g. male-female connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/64 Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers furniture aspects of television cabinets A47B81/06
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/919 Adjustably orientable video screen support

Abstract

A display assembly to be mounted on a ceiling portion of a space includes a casing having a downwardly directed face and a receptacle cavity of a substantially rectangular shape and opening into the face; and a display unit having a display screen to be received within the receptacle cavity. The display unit is connected to the casing so as to be controllable in attitude. The display assembly is provided with a rotary body rotatable about a first axis substantially perpendicular to the face of the casing. The display unit is supported on the rotary body for pivoting about a second axis extending perpendicular to the first axis. When the rotary body is placed at a predetermined rotational position, the display unit is pivoted relative to the rotary body to be received within the receptacle cavity.

Claims

1. A display assembly to be mounted on a ceiling portion of a space comprising:

a casing having a downwardly directed face and a receptacle cavity opening into said face;

a display unit having a display screen to be received within said receptacle cavity; and

connecting means for connecting said display unit to said casing to be controllable in attitude, said connecting means having a rotary body rotatable with respect to said casing about a first axis substantially perpendicular to said face of said casing, said display unit being supported on said rotary body for pivoting about a second axis extending perpendicular to said first axis, whereby when said rotary body is placed at a predetermined rotational position, said display unit is able to be pivoted relative to said rotary body to be received within said receptacle cavity;

wherein said receptacle cavity includes at least one inner side wall, and when said rotary body is placed at said predetermined rotational position, said rotary body has a wall surface that is substantially flush with one of the inner side walls of said receptacle cavity and said second axis becomes parallel to said one inner side wall of said receptacle cavity, to thereby enable said display unit to be received in said receptacle cavity; and

said easing is formed with a circular cavity formed to extend from said face of said casing to an inner bottom surface of said receptacle cavity, said rotary body is of a generally disc shape and has a first half-disc portion having a lower surface lying substantially flush with said face of said casing and a second half-disc portion having a lower surface lying substantially flush with said inner bottom surface of said receptacle cavity, said rotary body is rotatably supported within said circular cavity, and said first and second half-disc portions are arranged at opposite sides across a boundary wall lying therebetween and providing said wall surface of said rotary body.

2. The display assembly as set forth in claim 1, which is provided with a lock mechanism between said casing and said rotary body for stabilizing said rotary body at said predetermined rotational position, when said wall surface of said rotary body lies substantially flush with said one inner side wall of said receptacle cavity.

3. The display assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said display unit is supported on said rotary body so that said display screen of said display unit is permitted to pivot in excess of 90°

relative to said face of said casing.

4. The display assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said rotary body is formed with a recess formed by recessing said boundary wall toward said first half-disc portion, said display unit has a projection extending from one side thereof into said recess, said projection being pivotably supported on said rotary body within said recess by a horizontally extending shaft providing said second axis, and when said display unit is received within said receptacle cavity, said face of said casing, an outer surface of said display unit, said lower surface of said first half-disc portion of said rotary body and an outer surface of said projection provide a substantially flush surface.

5. The display assembly as set forth in claim 4, wherein said substantially flush surface is a curved convex surface protruding downwardly.

6. The display assembly as set forth in claim 4, wherein a detent mechanism is provided between said projection and said rotary body for selectively stabilizing said display unit at one of a plurality of pivoted angles.

7. The display assembly as set forth in claim 6, wherein said detent mechanism enables said display screen of said display unit to stabilize at pivoted angles including an angle at substantially 90°

and an angle in excess of 90°

with respect to said face of said casing.

8. The display assembly as set forth in claim 1, which is provided with a latch for latching said display unit to said casing when said display unit is received within said receptacle cavity.

9. The display assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said casing is formed with mounting holes opening into said inner bottom surface of said receptacle cavity and said casing is fixed by screws, which are inserted from said receptacle cavity through said mounting holes, to a bracket to be fixed to a ceiling portion in a passenger compartment of a vehicle.

10. The display assembly as set forth in claim 9, wherein at least one shim for setting a distance between said casing and bracket is provided between said casing and said bracket.

11. The display assembly as set forth in claim 9, wherein said bracket is to be fixed to a pair of ribs of the body of the vehicle, and said bracket is provided with adjusting means for adjusting a fixing distance adapting to the distance between said ribs.

12. The display assembly as set forth in claim 9, wherein a connecting portion between said display unit and said casing is located on the front side in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and said display screen of said display unit, when pivoted downwardly, is viewable from a rear seat of the vehicle.

13. A display assembly to be mounted on a surface comprising:

a casing having a face and a receptacle cavity opening into said face;

a display unit having a display screen to be received within said receptacle cavity; and

a connector connecting said display unit to said casing to be controllable in attitude, said connector having a rotary body rotatable about a first axis substantially perpendicular to said face of said casing, said display unit being supported on said rotary body for pivoting about a second axis, whereby when said rotary body is placed at a predetermined rotational position, said display unit is able to be pivoted relative to said rotary body to be received within said receptacle cavity;

wherein said receptacle cavity includes at least one inner side wall, and when said rotary body is placed at said predetermined rotational position, said rotary body has a wall surface that is substantially flush with one of the inner side walls of said receptacle cavity and said second axis becomes parallel to said one inner side wall of said receptacle cavity, to thereby enable said display unit to be received in said receptacle cavity; and

said casing is formed with a circular cavity formed to extend from said face of said casing to an inner bottom surface of said receptacle cavity, said rotary body is of a generally disc shape and has a first half-disc portion having a lower surface lying substantially flush with said face of said casing and a second half-disc portion having a lower surface lying substantially flush with said inner bottom surface of said receptacle cavity, said rotary body is rotatably supported within said circular cavity, and said first and second half-disc portions are arranged at opposite sides across a bounds wall lying therebetween and providing said wall surface of said rotary body.

14. The display assembly as set forth in claim 13, which is provided with a lock mechanism between said casing and said rotary body for stabilizing said rotary body at said predetermined rotational position, when said wall surface of said rotary body lies substantially flush with said one inner side wall of said receptacle cavity.

15. The display assembly as set forth in claim 13, wherein said display unit is supported on said rotary body so that said display screen of said display unit is permitted to pivot in excess of 90°

relative to said face of said casing.

16. The display assembly as set forth in claim 13, wherein said connector includes a detent mechanism for selectively stabilizing said display unit at one of a plurality of pivoted angles.

17. The display assembly as set forth in claim 16, wherein said detent mechanism enables said display screen of said display unit to stabilize at pivoted angles including an angle at substantially 90°

and an angle in excess of 90°

with respect to said face of said casing.

18. The display assembly as set forth in claim 13, which is provided with a latch for latching said display unit to said casing when said display unit is received within said receptacle cavity.