Articulating mount for an in-vehicle display

• US 7,408,596 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2006
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lippert Components Manufacturing (LCI Industries)
• Original Assignee: Actuant Corporation
• Inventors: Kunz, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): PAPE, JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US11/351,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20060125268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 348/837, 348/836, 248/917, 248/919, 248/286.1, 248/278.1, 248/920, 248/921
• US Class Current: 348/837
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/0073 liftable above the desk top
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/34 the living accommodation being expansible, collapsible or capable of rearrangement B60P3/38 takes precedence; tents supported at least partially by vehicles E04H15/06
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/92 Angular and linear video display screen support adjustment

Abstract

The invention provides an articulating mount for an in-vehicle video display. A support member mounts the display to a guide fixed to a vehicle wall. The guide has a pair of vertically spaced horizontal tracks on which a pair of carriages travel on slides or rollers. The carriages mount at pivots to the top and bottom of one end of the support member. At one end of the tracks are two swing arms that pivotally mount to the top and bottom of the support member at an intermediate location between its ends. The support member and display can thus articulate with respect to the guide by the carriages translating one end of the support member along the tracks and pivoting the other end of the support member out away from the plane of the tracks.

Claims

1. An articulating mount for an in-vehicle video display, comprising:

a guide for being fixedly mounted to the vehicle, the guide having a pair of vertically spaced, essentially horizontal tracks;

a support member for mounting the display and articulating therewith; and

two carriages for mounting the support member to the guide such that the support member is free to move in translating and pivoting relation with respect to the guide.

2. The mount of claim 1, wherein each carriage engages an associated one of the tracks for translation along said track and wherein each carriage engages the support member at a pivotal connection.

3. The mount of claim 2, wherein one carriage is pivotally mounted to a top side of the support member and the other carriage is pivotally mounted to a bottom side of the support member.

4. The mount of claim 3, wherein the carriages are mounted to the support member about an essentially vertical pivot axis located along a first end of the support member.

5. The mount of claim 1, wherein each of the carriages has one or more glides in the form of one of a roller and a slider.

6. The mount of claim 5, wherein the glides define a v-shaped groove that mates with a v-shaped section of the associated track.

7. The mount of claim 1, further including a pair of swing arms, each swing arm being pivotally mounted between an associated one of the tracks and an associated top or bottom side of the support member.

8. The mount of claim 7, wherein first ends of the swing arms are mounted to the tracks to pivot about an essentially vertical first pivot axis at one end of the tracks and wherein second ends of the swing arms are mounted to the support member about an essentially vertical second pivot axis.

9. The mount of claim 8, wherein the second ends of the swing arms are mounted at an intermediate location of the support member between its ends.

10. An articulating mount for an in-vehicle video display, comprising:

a guide for being fixedly mounted to the vehicle;

a support member for mounting the display and articulating therewith;

a carriage for mounting the support member to the guide such that the support member is free to move in translating and pivoting relation with respect to the guide; and

a swing arm pivotally mounted between the guide and the support member.

11. An articulating mount for an in-vehicle video display, comprising:

a guide for being fixedly mounted to the vehicle;

a support member for mounting the display and articulating therewith;

a carriage for mounting the support member to the guide such that the support member is free to move in translating and pivoting relation with respect to the guide; and

an powered drive unit for articulating the support member with respect to the guide.

12. The mount of claim 11, further including a swing arm pivotally mounted to the support member and driven by the drive unit to pivot with respect to the guide and articulate the support member.

13. An articulating mount for an in-vehicle video display, comprising:

a guide for being fixedly mounted to the vehicle;

a support member for mounting the display and articulating therewith; and

a carriage for mounting the support member to the guide such that the support member is free to move in translating and pivoting relation with respect to the guide;

wherein articulation of the support member with respect to the guide includes translating the carriage and a first end of the support member from a first end of the guide toward a second end of the guide and pivoting a second end of the support member opposite its first end away from the second end of the guide.

14. An articulating mount for an in-vehicle video display, comprising:

a support member for mounting the display and articulating therewith;

a guide for being fixedly mounted to the vehicle, the guide having a pair of vertically spaced essentially horizontal tracks;

a pair of carriages, each carriage having glides translatable along an associated one of the tracks and engaging the support member at a pivotal connection about an essentially vertical pivot axis located along a first end of the support member;

a pair of swing arms mounted between an associated one of the tracks and the support member, each swing arm having a first end pivotally mounted to an associated one of the tracks about an essentially vertical first pivot axis and having a second end mounted to the support member about an essentially vertical second pivot axis; and

wherein articulation of the support member with respect to the guide includes translating the carriages and a first end of the support member from a first end of the guide toward a second end of the guide and pivoting a second end of the support member opposite its first end away from the second end of the guide.