ACCESSORY MOUNTING SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE
First Claim
1. An accessory mounting system suitable for use in a vehicle, said accessory mounting system comprising:
- a vehicle windshield;
a plurality of individual fixing elements adhesively attached at a surface of said vehicle windshield;
wherein said fixing elements are spaced apart from one another at said surface of said vehicle windshield;
wherein each of said fixing elements comprises a base portion that is adhesively attached at said surface of said vehicle windshield and an elongated portion that extends from said base portion in a direction away from said vehicle windshield;
a frame comprising a plurality of individual receiving portions;
wherein said receiving portions are spaced apart from one another in a manner that corresponds with the spacing apart of said fixing elements;
wherein each one of said receiving portions is configured to receive a respective and corresponding one of said fixing elements;
wherein said elongated portions of said fixing elements are at least partially received in respective and corresponding ones of said receiving portions of said frame and cooperate with said receiving portions to attach said frame at said vehicle windshield;
wherein said frame comprises structure for receiving an accessory thereat;
said accessory comprising a camera;
wherein, when said accessory is received at said structure of said frame, the line of vision of said camera passes through an aperture existing in said frame; and
wherein, with said frame attached at said vehicle windshield, the line of vision of said camera passes through said vehicle windshield.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An accessory mounting system for a vehicle includes spaced apart fixing elements adhesively attached at a surface of a vehicle windshield. A frame has receiving portions that are spaced apart from one another in a manner that corresponds with the spacing apart of the fixing elements, and each of the receiving portions is configured to receive a respective and corresponding one of the fixing elements. Elongated portions of the fixing elements are at least partially received in respective and corresponding ones of the receiving portions of the frame and cooperate with the receiving portions to attach the frame at the windshield. The frame includes structure for receiving an accessory thereat. The accessory includes a camera and, when the accessory is received at the structure of the frame, the line of vision of the camera passes through an aperture existing in the frame.
74 Citations
114 Claims
-
1. An accessory mounting system suitable for use in a vehicle, said accessory mounting system comprising:
-
a vehicle windshield; a plurality of individual fixing elements adhesively attached at a surface of said vehicle windshield; wherein said fixing elements are spaced apart from one another at said surface of said vehicle windshield; wherein each of said fixing elements comprises a base portion that is adhesively attached at said surface of said vehicle windshield and an elongated portion that extends from said base portion in a direction away from said vehicle windshield; a frame comprising a plurality of individual receiving portions; wherein said receiving portions are spaced apart from one another in a manner that corresponds with the spacing apart of said fixing elements; wherein each one of said receiving portions is configured to receive a respective and corresponding one of said fixing elements; wherein said elongated portions of said fixing elements are at least partially received in respective and corresponding ones of said receiving portions of said frame and cooperate with said receiving portions to attach said frame at said vehicle windshield; wherein said frame comprises structure for receiving an accessory thereat; said accessory comprising a camera; wherein, when said accessory is received at said structure of said frame, the line of vision of said camera passes through an aperture existing in said frame; and wherein, with said frame attached at said vehicle windshield, the line of vision of said camera passes through said vehicle windshield. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
-
-
62. An accessory mounting system suitable for use in a vehicle, said accessory mounting system comprising:
-
a vehicle windshield; a plurality of individual fixing elements adhesively attached at a surface of said vehicle windshield; wherein said fixing elements are spaced apart from one another at said surface of said vehicle windshield; wherein each of said fixing elements comprises a base portion that is adhesively attached at said surface of said vehicle windshield and an elongated portion that extends from said base portion in a direction away from said vehicle windshield; a frame comprising a plurality of individual receiving portions; wherein said receiving portions are spaced apart from one another in a manner that corresponds with the spacing apart of said fixing elements; wherein each one of said receiving portions is configured to receive the elongated portion of a respective and corresponding one of said fixing elements; wherein said elongated portions of said fixing elements are at least partially received in respective and corresponding ones of said receiving portions of said frame and cooperate with said receiving portions to attach said frame at said vehicle windshield; wherein the base portion of an individual fixing element has an attaching surface area that is larger than the cross sectional area of the elongated portion that extends from the base portion of that individual fixing element; wherein said frame comprises structure for receiving an accessory thereat; said accessory comprising a camera; wherein, when said accessory is received at said structure of said frame, the line of vision of said camera passes through an aperture existing in said frame; wherein said vehicle windshield comprises a light absorbing layer having a light transmissive aperture generally corresponding with said aperture in said frame when said frame is attached at said vehicle windshield; and wherein the line of vision of said camera passes through both said aperture in said frame and said light transmissive aperture in said light absorbing layer of said vehicle windshield when said accessory comprising said camera is received at said structure of said frame and with said frame attached at said vehicle windshield. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
-
-
78. An accessory mounting system suitable for use in a vehicle, said accessory mounting system comprising:
-
a vehicle windshield; a plurality of fixing elements adhesively attached at a surface of said vehicle windshield; wherein said fixing elements are spaced'"'"'apart from one another at said surface of said vehicle windshield; a frame comprising structure for receiving an accessory; wherein said accessory comprises a camera and wherein said structure is configured for receiving said camera at said frame; wherein said camera comprises a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) imager; wherein, when said accessory is received at said structure of said frame, said camera has its line of vision through an aperture existing in said frame; wherein said vehicle windshield comprises a light absorbing layer having a light transmissive aperture generally corresponding with said aperture in said frame when said frame is attached at said vehicle windshield; and wherein the line of vision of said camera passes through both said aperture in said frame and said light transmissive aperture in said light absorbing layer of said vehicle windshield when said accessory comprising said camera is received at said structure of said frame and with said frame attached at said vehicle windshield. - View Dependent Claims (79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90)
-
-
91. An accessory mounting system suitable for use in a vehicle, said accessory mounting system comprising:
-
a vehicle windshield; a plurality of individual fixing elements adhesively attached at a surface of said vehicle windshield; wherein said fixing elements are spaced apart from one another at said surface of said vehicle windshield; wherein each of said fixing elements comprises a base portion that is adhesively attached at said surface of said vehicle windshield and an elongated portion that extends from said base portion in a direction away from said vehicle windshield; a frame comprising a plurality of individual receiving portions; wherein said receiving portions are spaced apart from one another in a manner that corresponds with the spacing apart of said fixing elements; wherein each one of said receiving portions is configured to receive a respective and corresponding one of said fixing elements; wherein said elongated portions of said fixing elements are at least partially received in respective and corresponding ones of said receiving portions of said frame and cooperate with said receiving portions to attach said frame at said vehicle windshield; said frame comprising structure for receiving an accessory; wherein said accessory comprises a camera and wherein said structure is configured for receiving said accessory at said frame; wherein said camera comprises a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) imager; wherein, when said accessory is received at said structure of said frame, said camera has its line of vision through an aperture existing in said frame; wherein said vehicle windshield comprises a light absorbing layer having a light transmissive aperture generally corresponding with said aperture in said frame when said frame is attached at said vehicle windshield; wherein the line of vision of said camera passes through both said aperture in said frame and said light transmissive aperture in said light absorbing layer of said vehicle windshield when said accessory is received at said structure of said frame and with said frame attached at said vehicle windshield; and an outer casing that covers said frame and said accessory received thereat. - View Dependent Claims (92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101)
-
-
102. An accessory mounting system suitable for use in a vehicle, said accessory mounting system comprising:
-
a vehicle windshield; a frame adhesively attached at said vehicle windshield; said frame comprising a site configured for modular location of an accessory at said frame; wherein said accessory comprises a camera; wherein said camera comprises a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) imager; wherein, when said accessory is located at said site at said frame, said camera has its line of vision through an aperture existing in said frame; wherein said vehicle windshield comprises a light absorbing layer having a light transmissive aperture generally corresponding with said aperture in said frame when said frame is attached at said vehicle windshield; wherein the line of vision of said camera passes through both said aperture in said frame and said light transmissive aperture in said light absorbing layer of said vehicle windshield when said accessory is located at said site at said frame and with said frame attached at said vehicle windshield; and wherein at least one of (i) said camera comprises a part of a collision avoidance system of a vehicle equipped with said accessory mounting system and (ii) said camera provides a feed for at least one of (a) a visual warning, (b) an audio warning and (c) a braking system. - View Dependent Claims (103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114)
-
Specification