Vehicle seat mount equipment rack
First Claim
1. A removably mountable vehicle equipment rack for holding equipment between headrests within a vehicle that has a first and a second headrest on one or more seats, each headrest having at least one headrest post extending approximately vertically upward from the one or more seats;
- the vehicle equipment rack comprising;
a longitudinally extending hook bar assembly having a guide portion, and at least one longitudinally sliding portion telescopically engaged with the guide portion;
a generally planar equipment supporting shelf attached on the hook bar assembly such that the shelf intersects the hook bar assembly along a parallel longitudinal line and extends laterally from opposed sides of the longitudinal line;
two end hooks on distal longitudinally outward ends of the hook bar assembly, wherein one end hook is configured for hooking on a headrest post of the first headrest, and the other end hook is configured for hooking on a headrest post of the second headrest,thereby removably mounting the vehicle equipment rack between the first and second headrest posts, supported by the seat;
at least one of the two end hooks further comprising two planar inside hook walls fixed orthogonal to the plane of the attached equipment support shelf such that the two inside hook walls form an acute angled V-shape that opens in a longitudinally inward or outward direction;
generally rectangular cross-sections for the guide portion and the at least one sliding portion where they are telescopically engaged; and
a spring connected for longitudinally biasing the two end hooks with respect to each other, and in the direction of opening for the V-shape of the inside hook walls of the at least one end hook;
thereby biasing the V-shaped planar inside hook walls of the at least one end hook against a respective headrest post when the vehicle equipment rack is removably mounted thereupon, which causes the V-shaped planar inside hook walls to be biased into approximately vertical alignment with the respective headrest post, making the shelf approximately horizontal, andthereby opposing torque about a longitudinal axis of the hook bar assembly such as would be caused by weight of equipment supported thereabove on the shelf.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle equipment rack and methods for removably holding equipment on a shelf that is removably and preferably releasably mounted within a vehicle. A hook bar assembly has a guide portion, and at least one sliding portion telescopically engaged with the guide portion. The hook bar assembly is attached to the shelf. Two end hooks are on distal longitudinally outward ends of the hook bar assembly, and each end hook is configured for hooking on a headrest post of the vehicle. The end hooks may have hooks that open forward, rearward, or outward and are biased with respect to each other. Preferably, a hook portion is releasably attached to the hook bar assembly for releasing in response to a laterally directed force.
42 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A removably mountable vehicle equipment rack for holding equipment between headrests within a vehicle that has a first and a second headrest on one or more seats, each headrest having at least one headrest post extending approximately vertically upward from the one or more seats;
- the vehicle equipment rack comprising;
a longitudinally extending hook bar assembly having a guide portion, and at least one longitudinally sliding portion telescopically engaged with the guide portion; a generally planar equipment supporting shelf attached on the hook bar assembly such that the shelf intersects the hook bar assembly along a parallel longitudinal line and extends laterally from opposed sides of the longitudinal line; two end hooks on distal longitudinally outward ends of the hook bar assembly, wherein one end hook is configured for hooking on a headrest post of the first headrest, and the other end hook is configured for hooking on a headrest post of the second headrest, thereby removably mounting the vehicle equipment rack between the first and second headrest posts, supported by the seat; at least one of the two end hooks further comprising two planar inside hook walls fixed orthogonal to the plane of the attached equipment support shelf such that the two inside hook walls form an acute angled V-shape that opens in a longitudinally inward or outward direction; generally rectangular cross-sections for the guide portion and the at least one sliding portion where they are telescopically engaged; and a spring connected for longitudinally biasing the two end hooks with respect to each other, and in the direction of opening for the V-shape of the inside hook walls of the at least one end hook; thereby biasing the V-shaped planar inside hook walls of the at least one end hook against a respective headrest post when the vehicle equipment rack is removably mounted thereupon, which causes the V-shaped planar inside hook walls to be biased into approximately vertical alignment with the respective headrest post, making the shelf approximately horizontal, and thereby opposing torque about a longitudinal axis of the hook bar assembly such as would be caused by weight of equipment supported thereabove on the shelf. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
- the vehicle equipment rack comprising;
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18. A vehicle equipment rack for removably holding equipment on a shelf that is removably mounted within a vehicle that has a first and a second headrest on one or more seats, each headrest having at least one headrest post, the vehicle equipment rack characterized by:
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a hook bar assembly having a guide portion, and at least one sliding portion telescopically engaged with the guide portion, wherein the hook bar assembly is attached to the shelf; two end hooks on distal longitudinally outward ends of the hook bar assembly, wherein one end hook is configured for hooking on a headrest post of the first headrest, and the other end hook is configured for hooking on a headrest post of the second headrest; and
further wherein each of the two end hooks has a rearward opening hook with inside walls including;a longitudinally straight shank wall that extends longitudinally outward; and a straight finger wall that extends from the longitudinally outward end of the shank wall, and that is angled rearward and longitudinally inward relative to the shank wall; a spring connected for biasing the two end hooks with respect to each other; an anti-rotation bar extending longitudinally outward from the rearward opening hook such that a bar wall is parallel to, and approximately collinear with, the shank wall;
wherein;the anti-rotation bar is dimensioned to be long enough to reach at least longitudinally outward of an outside headrest post when the rearward opening hook is hooked on an inside headrest post.
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19. A vehicle equipment rack for removably holding equipment on a shelf that is removably mounted within a vehicle that has a first and a second headrest on one or more seats, each headrest having at least one headrest post, the vehicle equipment rack characterized by:
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a hook bar assembly having a guide portion, and at least one sliding portion telescopically engaged with the guide portion, wherein the hook bar assembly is attached to the shelf; two end hooks on distal longitudinally outward ends of the hook bar assembly, wherein one end hook is configured for hooking on a headrest post of the first headrest, and the other end hook is configured for hooking on a headrest post of the second headrest; a spring connected for biasing the two end hooks with respect to each other; a socket on the hook bar assembly that opens longitudinally outward; a latch hole in a lateral inside surface of the socket; a hook portion of the end hook; a peg portion of the end hook extending longitudinally inward from the hook portion wherein the peg portion is configured to fit within the socket; a flange of the hook portion where the hook portion joins the peg portion, wherein the flange is laterally dimensioned larger than the socket; a shoulder of the peg portion adjacent to the flange wherein the shoulder is laterally dimensioned to closely fit within the socket; a first lateral wall of the peg portion that is recessed relative to the socket; a peg spring extending from the first lateral wall, and configured for biasing apart the first lateral wall and the socket when the peg portion is positioned in the socket; and a protrusion extending laterally from a second lateral wall of the peg portion that is laterally opposed to the first lateral wall, wherein the protrusion is dimensioned and shaped for mating with, and catching in, the latch hole, and the latch hole is positioned to catch the protrusion when the peg portion is inserted into the socket such that the flange longitudinally abuts the socket. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification