Electronic device mount

• US 10,419,649 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2018
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arlo Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Arlo Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Gilbert, William A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Velez, Roberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Quan
• Application Number:
  US16/050,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20180367713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/041 Allowing quick release of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/14 with ball-joint ball-jointed hinges F16C11/06 ; adjustable mountings employing universal joints for lighting devices F21V21/26 - F21V21/30
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2078 with ball-joint ball-jointed hinges F16C11/06
• 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 2200/022 by friction
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/561 Support related camera accessories
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet

Abstract

A directionally adjustable mounting device is disclosed for use with a small electronic device such as a wireless camera. Also disclosed is a method of using the mounting device. The mounting device has a housing for receiving the camera extending from and rotatable about bearing. A socket of the housing is biased into frictional contact with the bearing by a spring to inhibit movement of the camera relative to the bearing. The mount is configured to receive an opposing force on the housing to overcome the spring force and allow the camera to be repositioned.

Claims

1. A directionally adjustable mounting device for an electronic device, comprising:

a housing having a socket and an aperture;

a bearing at least partially received within the housing;

a series of ribs that are immovably affixed to the housing, the ribs being radially disposed about the aperture within the housing and being configured to engage the bearing;

a mounting portion of the housing extending forwardly from the bearing and supporting an electronic device;

a spring disposed within the housing and configured to impose a biasing force on the housing of sufficient magnitude to force the socket into frictional engagement with the bearing with sufficient force to inhibit movement of the housing when the electronic device is received at the mounting portion; and

an axially movable seat disposed between the bearing and the spring and being movable relative to the housing and the ribs, axially of the spring; and

wherein the socket is moveable with the housing and the ribs rearwardly out of contact with the bearing to permit angular repositioning of the housing relative to the bearing upon imposition of an opposing force on the housing that is opposite the biasing force imposed on the housing by the spring and that is of sufficient magnitude to overcome the biasing force imposed by the spring.

2. The directionally adjustable mounting device of claim 1, wherein the socket comprises an annular surface adjacent the aperture of the housing.

3. The directionally adjustable mounting device of claim 2, wherein the bearing has a substantially spherical outer surface that engages the annular surface of the socket.

4. The directionally adjustable mounting device of claim 3, wherein the bearing and the annular surface of the socket have at least substantially the same curvatures throughout an area of mutual contact.

5. The directionally adjustable mounting device of claim 3, wherein a diameter of the aperture is less than a maximum diameter of the bearing.

6. The directionally adjustable mounting device of claim 3, wherein the biasing force imposed by the spring generates a frictional force between the outer surface of the bearing and the annular surface of sufficient magnitude to inhibit movement of the mounting device when the mounting device retains an electronic device.

7. The directionally adjustable mounting device of claim 1, wherein the axially movable seat comprises a first surface configured to engage a first end of the spring and a second, opposing surface configured to receive a front-end portion of the bearing therein.

8. The directionally adjustable mounting device of claim 1, wherein a second end of the spring engages a base, and wherein the base is located substantially opposite the aperture of the housing.

9. The directionally adjustable mounting device of claim 1, further comprising a mounting fixture mounted on a support, and a shaft extending rearwardly from- the socket and attached to the mounting fixture.

10. The directionally adjustable mounting device of claim 9, wherein the mounting fixture comprises a mounting plate removably affixed to a body of the mounting fixture.

11. The directionally adjustable mounting device of claim 1, wherein the mounting portion of the housing comprises a cavity disposed within the housing that is configured to receive the electronic device therein.

12. The directionally adjustable mounting device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a camera.

19. The directionally adjustable mounting device of claim 1, further comprising a tubular seat retention wall affixed to at least one rib of the series of ribs.

13. A directionally adjustable mounting device for an electronic device, comprising:

a housing having a socket and an aperture;

a bearing at least partially received within the housing;

a series of ribs radially disposed about the aperture within the housing and configured to engage the bearing;

a mounting portion of the housing extending forwardly from the bearing and supporting an electronic device;

a spring disposed within the housing and a configured to impose a biasing force on the housing of sufficient magnitude to force the socket into frictional engagement with the bearing with sufficient force to inhibit movement of the housing when the electronic device is received at the mounting portion; and

an axially movable seat disposed between the bearing and the spring and being movable relative to the housing axially of the spring;

a tubular seat retention wall that is sized to receive the seat therein such that circumferentially-spaced protrusions, extending outwardly from a peripheral edge of the seat, may engage an inner peripheral surface of the seat retention wall so as to maintain the seat in axial alignment with the seat retention wall and

wherein the socket is moveable with the housing rearwardly out of contact with the bearing to permit angular repositioning of the housing relative to the bearing upon imposition of an opposing force on the housing that is opposite the biasing force imposed on the housing by the spring and that is of sufficient magnitude to overcome the biasing force imposed by the spring.

14. The directionally adjustable mounting device of claim 13, wherein the mounting device is configured such that the seat can move axially freely relative to the seat retention wall absent a biasing force of the spring.

15. A directionally adjustable mounted camera system, comprising:

a mounting fixture affixed to a first end of a shaft;

a substantially spherical ball affixed to a second end of the shaft;

a housing defining a socket, wherein the housing is rotatable relative to the ball, the housing further defining an aperture located at a rear end of the socket-, wherein the ball protrudes from the socket, and the housing further defining a cavity located at a front of the housing;

a camera disposed within the cavity;

a spring disposed within the housing having a first end and a second end, the first end of the spring being configured to exert a biasing force on the housing that generates a frictional engagement force between the ball and the socket that is of sufficient magnitude to inhibit movement of the housing and the camera;

a seat disposed between the bearing and the spring; and

a tubular seat retention wall that is sized to receive the seat therein such that circumferentially-spaced protrusions extending outwardly from a peripheral edge of the seat may engage an inner peripheral surface of the seat retention wall so as to maintain the seat in axial alignment with the seat retention wall, and wherein the mounting device is configured such that the seat can move axially freely relative to the seat retention wall absent a biasing force of the spring; and

wherein

the housing is moveable rearwardly out of contact with the ball to permit angular repositioning of the housing and the camera relative to the ball upon imposition of an opposing force on the housing that is opposite the biasing force of the spring and that is of sufficient magnitude to overcome the biasing force imposed by the spring.

16. The directionally adjustable mounted camera system of claim 15, wherein a maximum inner diameter of the socket is less than a maximum outer diameter of the ball.

17. The directionally adjustable mounted camera system of claim 15, further comprising a mounting plate removably affixed to a body of the mounting fixture and configured for attachment to a support.

18. The directionally adjustable mounted camera system of claim 17, further comprising a fastener affixing the mounting plate to the body of the mounting fixture.

20. A method of positionally adjusting an electronic device relative to a support, the support comprising a mount fixture affixed to a supporting surface, a shaft extending forwardly of the mount fixture to a bearing affixed to an end of the shaft, the bearing being mounted in a housing that is routable about the bearing and being biased into frictional engagement with a socket via a biasing force exerted by a spring on an axially movable seat disposed between the bearing and the spring, thereby inhibiting rotation of the housing relative to the bearing, an electronic device being mounted on the housing, the method comprising;

applying a force on the electronic device and the housing toward the bearing against the biasing force of the spring, thereby disengaging the socket from the bearing;

while maintaining the applied force on the housing and its socket that is released from the bearing, altering an angle of the applied three as to alter an annular orientation of the electronic device and the socket relative to the bearing;

then

releasing the electronic device and the housing allowing the biasing force of the spring to force the socket back into frictional engagement with the bearing and to maintain the angular orientation of the housing in its then-present state unless and until the socket of the housing is again forced away from the bearing against the biasing force of the spring;

wherein the housing comprises a tubular seat retention wall that is sized to receive the seat therein such that circumferentially-spaced protrusions extending outwardly from a peripheral edge of the seat may engage an inner peripheral surface of the seat retention wall so as to maintain the seat in axial alignment with the seat retention wall, and wherein the mounting device is configured such that the seat can move axially freely relative to the seat retention wall absent a biasing force of the spring.