Accessory mounting system for a vehicle
First Claim
1. A method for mounting an accessory at a vehicular windshield, said method comprising:
- providing at least three individual fixing elements;
wherein each of the fixing elements comprises a base portion and an elongated portion that extends from the base portion;
wherein the base portion of each of the fixing elements has an attaching surface area that is larger than the cross sectional area of the elongated portion that extends from the base portion;
adhesively attaching the base portion of each of the at least three fixing elements at an interior cabin side of a vehicular windshield;
wherein, with the base portions of the fixing elements adhesively attached at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield, the fixing elements are spaced apart from one another at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield in a non-contiguous manner;
wherein, with the base portions of the fixing elements adhesively attached at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield, the elongated portions extend from the respective base portions in a direction away from the vehicular windshield;
providing a frame comprising a plurality of individual receiving portions, wherein the receiving portions are spaced apart from one another in a manner that corresponds with the spacing apart of the elongated portions of the fixing elements when the base portions of the fixing elements are adhesively attached at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield;
installing the vehicular windshield in a vehicle;
with the vehicular windshield installed in the vehicle, attaching the frame at the fixing elements via receiving the elongated portion of a respective and corresponding one of the fixing elements in a respective and corresponding one of the receiving portions of the frame;
wherein the elongated portions of said fixing elements, when received in the respective and corresponding ones of the receiving portions of the frame, cooperate with the receiving portions to attach the frame at the vehicular windshield via the fixing elements with the base portions of the fixing elements adhesively attached at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield;
providing a camera;
with the vehicular windshield installed in the vehicle, and with the frame attached at the fixing elements, disposing the camera at the frame so that the camera is received at structure of the frame;
wherein, with the camera received at the structure of the frame, the camera views through the vehicular windshield via an aperture existing in the frame;
wherein the aperture in the frame, with the frame attached at the fixing elements adhesively attached at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield, corresponds with a light transmissive aperture of a light absorbing layer of the vehicular windshield; and
wherein, with the frame attached at the fixing elements adhesively attached at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield, the camera views through the vehicular windshield via both the aperture in the frame and the light transmissive aperture in the light absorbing layer.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for mounting an accessory at a vehicular windshield includes adhesively attaching a base portion of each of at least three fixing elements at an interior cabin side of the windshield in a spaced apart non-contiguous manner. A frame includes a plurality of individual receiving portions. With the windshield installed in the vehicle, the frame is attached at the fixing elements via receiving an elongated portion of a respective and corresponding one of the fixing elements in a respective and corresponding one of the receiving portions of the frame. With the windshield installed in the vehicle, and with the frame attached at the fixing elements, a camera is disposed at the frame and received at structure of the frame, such that the camera views through the windshield via an aperture existing in the frame and a light transmissive aperture in a light absorbing layer of the windshield.
374 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method for mounting an accessory at a vehicular windshield, said method comprising:
-
providing at least three individual fixing elements; wherein each of the fixing elements comprises a base portion and an elongated portion that extends from the base portion; wherein the base portion of each of the fixing elements has an attaching surface area that is larger than the cross sectional area of the elongated portion that extends from the base portion; adhesively attaching the base portion of each of the at least three fixing elements at an interior cabin side of a vehicular windshield; wherein, with the base portions of the fixing elements adhesively attached at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield, the fixing elements are spaced apart from one another at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield in a non-contiguous manner; wherein, with the base portions of the fixing elements adhesively attached at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield, the elongated portions extend from the respective base portions in a direction away from the vehicular windshield; providing a frame comprising a plurality of individual receiving portions, wherein the receiving portions are spaced apart from one another in a manner that corresponds with the spacing apart of the elongated portions of the fixing elements when the base portions of the fixing elements are adhesively attached at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield; installing the vehicular windshield in a vehicle; with the vehicular windshield installed in the vehicle, attaching the frame at the fixing elements via receiving the elongated portion of a respective and corresponding one of the fixing elements in a respective and corresponding one of the receiving portions of the frame; wherein the elongated portions of said fixing elements, when received in the respective and corresponding ones of the receiving portions of the frame, cooperate with the receiving portions to attach the frame at the vehicular windshield via the fixing elements with the base portions of the fixing elements adhesively attached at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield; providing a camera; with the vehicular windshield installed in the vehicle, and with the frame attached at the fixing elements, disposing the camera at the frame so that the camera is received at structure of the frame; wherein, with the camera received at the structure of the frame, the camera views through the vehicular windshield via an aperture existing in the frame; wherein the aperture in the frame, with the frame attached at the fixing elements adhesively attached at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield, corresponds with a light transmissive aperture of a light absorbing layer of the vehicular windshield; and wherein, with the frame attached at the fixing elements adhesively attached at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield, the camera views through the vehicular windshield via both the aperture in the frame and the light transmissive aperture in the light absorbing layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method for mounting an accessory at a vehicular windshield, said method comprising:
-
providing at least three individual fixing elements; wherein each of the fixing elements comprises a base portion and an elongated portion that extends from the base portion; wherein the base portion of each of the fixing elements has an attaching surface area that is larger than the cross sectional area of the elongated portion that extends from the base portion; adhesively attaching the base portion of each of the at least three fixing elements at an interior cabin side of a vehicular windshield; wherein, with the base portions of the fixing elements adhesively attached at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield, the fixing elements are spaced apart from one another at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield in a non-contiguous manner; wherein, with the base portions of the fixing elements adhesively attached at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield, the elongated portions extend from the respective base portions in a direction away from the vehicular windshield; providing a frame comprising a plurality of individual receiving portions, wherein the receiving portions are spaced apart from one another in a manner that corresponds with the spacing apart of the elongated portions of the fixing elements when the base portions of the fixing elements are adhesively attached at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield; installing the vehicular windshield in a vehicle; with the vehicular windshield installed in the vehicle, attaching the frame at the fixing elements via receiving the elongated portion of a respective and corresponding one of the fixing elements in a respective and corresponding one of the receiving portions of the frame; wherein the elongated portions of said fixing elements, when received in the respective and corresponding ones of the receiving portions of the frame, cooperate with the receiving portions to attach the frame at the vehicular windshield via the fixing elements with the base portions of the fixing elements adhesively attached at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield; providing a camera; with the vehicular windshield installed in the vehicle, and with the frame attached at the fixing elements, disposing the camera at the frame so that structure of the camera is received at structure of the frame; wherein, with the camera received at the structure of the frame, the camera views through the vehicular windshield via an aperture existing in the frame; wherein the aperture in the frame, with the frame attached at the fixing elements adhesively attached at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield, corresponds with a light transmissive aperture of a light absorbing layer of the vehicular windshield; wherein, with the frame attached at the fixing elements adhesively attached at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield, the camera views through the vehicular windshield via both the aperture in the frame and the light transmissive aperture in the light absorbing layer; and wherein the light transmissive aperture in the light absorbing layer corresponds in position and shape to the aperture in the frame with the frame attached at the vehicular windshield via the fixing elements adhesively attached at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield. - View Dependent Claims (18)
-
-
19. A method for mounting an accessory at a vehicular windshield, said method comprising:
-
providing at least three individual fixing elements; wherein each of the fixing elements comprises a base portion and an elongated portion that extends from the base portion; wherein the base portion of each of the fixing elements has an attaching surface area that is larger than the cross sectional area of the elongated portion that extends from the base portion; adhesively attaching the base portion of each of the at least three fixing elements at an interior cabin side of a vehicular windshield; wherein, with the base portions of the fixing elements adhesively attached at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield, the fixing elements are spaced apart from one another at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield in a non-contiguous manner; wherein, with the base portions of the fixing elements adhesively attached at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield, the elongated portions extend from the respective base portions in a direction away from the vehicular windshield; providing a frame comprising a plurality of individual receiving portions, wherein the receiving portions are spaced apart from one another in a manner that corresponds with the spacing apart of the elongated portions of the fixing elements when the base portions of the fixing elements are adhesively attached at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield; installing the vehicular windshield in a vehicle; with the vehicular windshield installed in the vehicle, attaching the frame at the fixing elements via receiving the elongated portion of a respective and corresponding one of the fixing elements in a respective and corresponding one of the receiving portions of the frame; wherein the elongated portions of said fixing elements, when received in the respective and corresponding ones of the receiving portions of the frame, cooperate with the receiving portions to attach the frame at the vehicular windshield via the fixing elements with the base portions of the fixing elements adhesively attached at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield; providing a camera; with the vehicular windshield installed in the vehicle, and with the frame attached at the fixing elements, disposing the camera at the frame so that the camera is received at structure of the frame; providing a casing and, with the vehicular windshield installed in the vehicle and with the frame attached at the fixing elements, attaching the casing at the frame, wherein the casing, when attached at the frame, at least partially surrounds the frame and the camera; wherein, with the camera received at the structure of the frame, the camera views through the vehicular windshield via an aperture existing in the frame; wherein the aperture in the frame, with the frame attached at the fixing elements adhesively attached at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield, corresponds with a light transmissive aperture of a light absorbing layer of the vehicular windshield; wherein, with the frame attached at the fixing elements adhesively attached at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield, the camera views through the vehicular windshield via both the aperture in the frame and the light transmissive aperture in the light absorbing layer; and wherein the light transmissive aperture in the light absorbing layer corresponds in position and shape to the aperture in the frame with the frame attached at the vehicular windshield via the fixing elements adhesively attached at the interior cabin side of the vehicular windshield. - View Dependent Claims (20)
-
Specification