Low profile mounting system

• US 8,870,140 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2013
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Peerless Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Peerless Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Stemple, James Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): McKinnon, Terrell
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRESLIN, DANIEL J
• Application Number:
  US14/052,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20140034793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• Field of Search: 248/278.1, 248/282.1, 248/284.1, 248/276.1, 248/288.51, D14/452, D83/63
• US Class Current: 248/278.1
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/04 Means for attachment of apparatus; Means allowing adjustment of the apparatus relatively to the stand
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/10 around a horizontal axis F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/12 in more than one direction
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2014 around a vertical axis F16M11/2035 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/02 for supporting on, or attaching to, an object, e.g. tree, gate, window-frame, cycle
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/022 repositionable
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/065 with a special structure, e.g. reinforced or adapted for space reduction
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/068 being part of the undercarriage

Abstract

A device mount for affixing a device to a surface such as a wall. The device mount has a surface bracket, an articulation mechanism, and a device mount plate. In various embodiments, the device mount further includes a tilt assembly. The surface mount bracket includes an upper surface bracket, a lower surface bracket and a vertical support positioned there between and connected to the lower all bracket and the upper surface bracket. The articulation mechanism has an inner articulating arm pivotally connected to the surface mount bracket and an outer articulating arm is rotatably connected to the inner articulating arm such that it maybe disposed substantially within a void of the inner articulating arm. The tilt assembly is connected to the outer articulating arm and pivotally connected to the device mount plate that is adapted to have a device mounted thereto, such that the device mount plate is selectively tiltable. The tilt assembly may comprise at least one friction hinge that substantially maintains the tilt angle of the device mount plate. When in a collapsed position, the inner articulating arm is substantially disposed between the upper surface bracket and lower surface bracket and the outer articulating arm is substantially disposed within the inner articulating arm presenting a thin profile.

Claims

1. A device mounting system, comprising:

an arm having a distal end having an upper portion and a lower portion, the arm adapted to pivot in relation to a surface about a first vertical axis to a position substantially parallel to the surface;

a tilt assembly having an intermediate portion, a first end extending from the intermediate portion, and a second end extending from the intermediate portion and opposite the first end, the tilt assembly pivotally affixed to the distal end of the arm via a shaft extending from the upper portion to the lower portion through the intermediate portion of the tilt assembly and positioned at least partially within a relief of the arm defined by the upper portion and the lower portion, the tilt assembly adapted to pivot in relation to the arm about a second vertical axis, the tilt assembly further rotatable about a horizontal axis; and

a device mount plate adapted to have a device mounted thereto, the device mount plate affixed to the tilt assembly at the first end and the second end of the tilt assembly, the device mount plate being selectively tiltable about the horizontal axis via the tilt assembly,

wherein the tilt assembly is further adapted to pivot about the second vertical axis in relation to the arm to a first position such that at least a portion of the first end of the tilt assembly is received within the relief of the arm when the device mount plate is in a third position that is substantially parallel to the arm and the arm is substantially parallel to the surface, the second end extending away from the relief, and to a second position such that at least a portion of the second end of the tilt assembly is received within the relief of the arm when the device mount plate is in a fourth position that is substantially parallel to the arm and the arm is substantially parallel to the surface, the first end extending away from the relief.

2. The device mounting system of claim 1, wherein the portion of the first end of the tilt assembly substantially nests within the relief when the tilt assembly is pivoted to the first position, and wherein the portion of the second end of the tilt assembly substantially nests within the relief when the tilt assembly is pivoted to the second position.

3. The device mounting system of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second ends of the tilt assembly includes a hinge shaft having splines and a connector having a bore with grooves, wherein the splines engage the grooves to couple the connector and hinge shaft together, and wherein the bore and the hinge shaft define the horizontal axis.

4. The device mounting system of claim 1, wherein the intermediate portion of the tilt assembly includes a horizontally extending first pocket that receives a body of a hinge assembly such that the body is rotatable about the horizontal axis relative to the intermediate portion, wherein the intermediate portion further includes a vertically extending second pocket that receives the shaft, and wherein a locking element engages the shaft through a bore of the intermediate portion.

5. The device mounting system of claim 1, wherein the tilt assembly comprises a friction hinge assembly including a body disposed in a pocket of the intermediate portion and a shaft that extends from the body and is coupled to the device mount plate at a first location, and wherein the friction hinge assembly is configured to substantially maintain a tilt orientation of the device mount plate at a selected tilt angle.

6. The device mounting system of claim 5, wherein the selected tilt angle is non-zero.

7. The device mounting system of claim 5, wherein the friction hinge assembly includes a plurality of engagement features extending from the body in a mating arrangement with complementary engagement features of the intermediate portion that are disposed in the pocket.

8. A device mounting system, comprising:

a surface mount configured to be operatively coupled to a surface;

an arm having a distal end having an upper portion and a lower portion, the arm operatively connected to the surface mount and adapted to pivot in relation to the surface mount about a first vertical axis to a position substantially parallel to the surface;

a tilt assembly having an intermediate portion, a first end extending from the intermediate portion, and a second end extending from the intermediate portion and opposite the first end, the intermediate portion of the tilt assembly at least partially received within a relief of the distal end of the arm, the relief defined by the upper portion and the lower portion, the tilt assembly pivotally coupled to the arm, the tilt assembly adapted to pivot in relation to the arm about a second vertical axis, the tilt assembly further rotatable about a horizontal axis; and

a device mount assembly including a device mount surface, the device mount surface adapted to have a device mounted thereto, the device mount assembly coupled to the tilt assembly via the first end and the second end of the tilt assembly, the device mount assembly being selectively rotatable about the horizontal axis,

wherein the tilt assembly is further adapted to pivot about the second vertical axis in relation to the arm to a first position such that at least a portion of the first end of the tilt assembly is received within the relief of the distal end of the arm when the device mount surface is substantially parallel to the arm and the arm is substantially parallel to the surface, the second end extending away from the relief, and to a second position such that at least a portion of the second end of the tilt assembly is received within the relief of the arm when the device mount surface is substantially parallel to the arm and the arm is substantially parallel to the surface, the first end extending away from the relief.

9. The device mounting system of claim 8, wherein the device mount assembly further includes a rotation assembly, the device mount assembly rotatable about a longitudinal axis relative to the tilt assembly, the longitudinal axis substantially orthogonal to the second vertical axis and the horizontal axis.

10. The device mounting system of claim 9, wherein the rotation assembly includes an arcuate opening.

11. The device mounting system of claim 9, wherein the rotation assembly includes a pair of arcuate openings.

12. The device mounting system of claim 8, wherein the intermediate portion of the tilt assembly includes a horizontally extending first pocket that receives a body of a hinge assembly such that the body is rotatable about the horizontal axis relative to the intermediate portion, wherein the intermediate portion further includes a vertically extending second pocket that receives the shaft, and wherein a locking element engages the shaft through a bore of the intermediate portion.

13. The device mounting system of claim 8, wherein the tilt assembly is configured to substantially maintain a tilt orientation of the device mount at a selected tilt angle.

14. The device mounting system of claim 13, wherein the selected tilt angle is non-zero.

15. A device mounting system comprising:

an arm having a first end having an upper portion and a lower portion and defining a relief, the arm adapted to pivot about a shaft extending through a second end of the arm, the shaft defining a first vertical axis, the arm adapted to pivot in relation to a surface about the first vertical axis to a position substantially parallel to the surface;

a tilt assembly having an intermediate portion, a first end extending from the intermediate portion, and a second end extending from the intermediate portion and opposite the first end, the intermediate portion of the tilt assembly at least partially received within the relief of the first end of the arm, the tilt assembly pivotally coupled to the arm, the tilt assembly adapted to pivot in relation to the arm about a second vertical axis, the tilt assembly further rotatable about a horizontal axis; and

a device mount assembly including a device mount plate and a rotation assembly, the device mount plate adapted to have a device mounted thereto, the device mount assembly coupled to the tilt assembly via the first end and the second end of the tilt assembly, the device mount assembly being selectively rotatable about the horizontal axis, the device mount assembly rotatable about a longitudinal axis relative to the tilt assembly, the longitudinal axis substantially orthogonal to the second vertical axis and the horizontal axis,

wherein the tilt assembly is further adapted to pivot about the second vertical axis in relation to the arm to a first position such that at least a portion of the first end of the tilt assembly is received within the relief of the arm when the device mount plate is substantially parallel to the arm and the arm is substantially parallel to the surface, the second end extending away from the relief, and to a second position such that at least a portion of the second end of the tilt assembly is received within the relief of the arm when the device mount plate is substantially parallel to the arm and the arm is substantially parallel to the surface, the first end extending away from the relief.

16. The device mounting system of claim 15, wherein each of the first and second ends of the tilt assembly includes a hinge shaft having splines and a connector having a bore with grooves, wherein the splines engage the grooves to couple the connector and hinge shaft together, and wherein the bore and the hinge shaft define the horizontal axis.

17. The mounting system of claim 16, wherein the tilt assembly is configured to substantially maintain a tilt orientation of the device mount at a selected tilt angle.

18. The mounting system of claim 17, wherein the selected tilt angle is non-zero.

19. The mounting system of claim 15, wherein the intermediate portion of the tilt assembly includes a horizontally extending first pocket that receives a body of a hinge assembly such that the body is rotatable about the horizontal axis relative to the intermediate portion, wherein the intermediate portion further includes a vertically extending second pocket that receives the shaft, and wherein a locking element engages the shaft through a bore of the intermediate portion.

20. The mounting system of claim 15, wherein the portion of the first end of the tilt assembly substantially nests within the relief when the tilt assembly is pivoted to the first position, and wherein the portion of the second end of the tilt assembly substantially nests within the relief when the tilt assembly is pivoted to the second position.