APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR SUPPORTING AN ARTICLE

• US 20130078855A1
• Filed: 08/27/2012
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kustom Cycles Incorporated
• Original Assignee: iOmounts LLC
• Inventors: Hornick, David, Velasquez, Anthony, Kovacs, Tamas
• Granted Patent: US 8,900,009 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/571
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 1/00 Devices for securing together, or preventing relative movement between, constructional elements or machine parts
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2200/83 Use of a magnetic material
• 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 11/2007 comprising means allowing pivoting adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2092 comprising means allowing depth adjustment, i.e. forward-backward translation of the head relatively to the undercarriage
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/00 Other supports for positioning apparatus or articles heads thereof F16M11/02 ; undercarriages thereof F16M11/20 ; adapted to be stuck in the ground A45F3/44 ; sockets or holders for poles or posts E04H12/22; Means for steadying hand-held apparatus or articles supports for measuring instruments G01D11/30; supports for casings of remote control switching devices H01H9/025
• 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: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/0205 Magnetic circuits with PM in general
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/73 Means for mounting coupling parts to apparatus or structures, e.g. to a wall
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0204 Mounting supporting structures on the outside of casings

Abstract

A mount for supportably engaging an article. The mount includes a bulbous member that may include a convexly shaped surface area. The convexly shaped surface area may be supportively contactable with a first interconnect portion of a carrier member. An attachment member that is operatively associable with a device may be removably engageable with a second interconnect portion of the carrier member. The carrier member may be moved throughout a continuum of positions defined by the convexly curved surface area of the bulbous member. Additionally, the bulbous member may be supportably engaged by a variety of embodiments of support structures for supporting or mounting the mount.

Claims

1. A mount for supporting a device, the mount comprising:

a bulbous member that is supportably engageable with a base, the bulbous member comprising a convexly curved surface area, wherein at least a portion of the convexly curved surface area is unobstructed;

a carrier member comprising a first interconnect portion and a second interconnect portion, wherein the first interconnect portion comprises a concave surface area for conformal adjacent engagement with the convexly curved surface area, and wherein at least a portion of the concave surface area is supportively contactable with the convexly curved surface area, and wherein the concave surface area is selectively positionable with respect to the convexly shaped surface area throughout a continuum of positions across the unobstructed portion of the convexly shaped surface area; and

an attachment member operatively associable with a device, the attachment member being removably attachable to the second interconnect portion of the carrier member, wherein the device is supportably engageable with the second interconnect portion;

wherein the bulbous member, the carrier member, and the attachment member each comprises a magnetic portion, at least one of the magnetic portions comprise at least one magnet, wherein magnetic interaction between respective ones of the magnetic portions is operable to selectively establish the supportive contact between the convexly curved surface area and the concave surface area and the removable attachment of the attachment member to the second interconnect portion.

2. A mount according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic portion of the carrier member comprises the at least one magnet and each of the magnetic portions of the bulbous member and the attachment member each comprise magnetically interactive portions attractable to the magnet.

3. A mount according to claim 2, wherein the first interconnect portion is disposed on a first end portion of the carrier member and the second interconnect portion is disposed on a second end portion of the carrier member.

4. A mount according to claim 3, wherein the first end portion and the second end portion are disposed on opposite ends of the carrier member.

5. A mount according to claim 4, wherein the at least one magnet is disposed at least partially between the first end portion and the second end portion.

6. A mount according to claim 5, wherein the carrier member includes a first magnet disposed adjacent to the first interconnect portion and a second magnet disposed adjacent to the second interconnect portion.

7. A mount according to claim 6, wherein the first magnet and the second magnet produce magnetic fields with different properties at the first interconnect portion and the second interconnect portion.

8. A mount according to claim 6, wherein the second magnet is operable to register the attachment member relative to the second interconnect portion.

9. A mount according to claim 8, wherein the force required to remove the attachment member from the carrier member is less than the force required to remove the carrier member from the bulbous member.

10. A mount according to claim 9, wherein the strength of the magnetic field at the second interconnect portion is less than the strength of the magnetic field at the first interconnect portion.

11. A mount according to claim 10, wherein the static coefficient of friction between the attachment member and the carrier member is greater than the static coefficient of friction between the carrier member and the bulbous member.

12. A mount according to claim 11, wherein a force applied to at least one of the attachment member and the device comprising a force component tangential to the convexly curved surface area results in sliding relative movement between the carrier member and the bulbous member prior to sliding relative movement between the attachment member and the carrier member.

13. A mount according to claim 2, wherein the concave surface area remains stationary with respect to the convexly curved surface area upon attachment of the device to the second interconnect portion when the concave surface area is in supportive contact with the convexly curved surface area.

14. A mount according to claim 13, wherein the concave surface area provides for conformal surface to surface contact between the concave surface area and the convexly curved surface area across substantially all of the concave surface area.

15. A mount according to claim 14, wherein the magnetic interaction between the magnetic portions of the bulbous member and the carrier member maintains the concave surface area stationary with respect to the convexly curved surface area.

16. A mount according to claim 15, wherein an external force acting on the carrier member is required to move the carrier member throughout the continuum of positions of the convexly curved surface area

17. A mount according to claim 16, wherein the convexly curved surface area comprises an at least partially spherical surface.

18. A mount according to claim 17, wherein the bulbous member is substantially spherical and the unobstructed portion of the convexly curved surface area comprises at least a majority of the spherical surface area of the at least partially spherical surface.

19. A mount according to claim 18, wherein the second interconnect portion is substantially planar.

20. A mount according to claim 19, wherein the attachment member comprises an annular disk.

21. A mount according to claim 20, wherein the attachment member is operatively attached to a case engageable with the device.

22. A mount according to claim 20, wherein the device comprises an integrated attachment member.

23. A mount according to claim 1, wherein the supportive contact of the concave surface area with respect to the convexly curved surface area is established only by the magnetic interaction between the carrier member and the bulbous member.

24. A mount according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of attachment members operatively associable with a corresponding plurality of devices, wherein the plurality of devices are interchangeably retained by the mount by magnetic interaction with a respective one of the plurality of attachment members and the second interface portion.

25. A mount according to claim 1, wherein the attachment member comprises at least one electrical conductor portion, and wherein the carrier member comprises at least one electrical connector, and wherein the at least one electrical conductor portion establishes electrical communication with the at least one electrical conductor when the attachment member is attached to the carrier member.

26. A mount according to claim 25, further comprising:

a power source in operative communication with the electrical connector of the carrier member.

27. A mount according to claim 26, wherein the power source is in conductive communication with the carrier member.

28. A mount according to claim 27, wherein the power source is in inductive communication with the carrier member.

29. A mount according to claim 27, wherein the attachment member is in operative communication with a port of a device operable to charge the device.

30. A mount according to claim 29, wherein the power source is in operative communication with the port of the device when the attachment member is attached to the carrier member.

31. A method for supportably mounting a device, comprising:

attaching a first interconnect portion of a carrier member in supportive contact with a convexly curved surface area of a bulbous member, wherein the first interconnect portion comprises a concave surface area for conformal adjacent engagement with the convexly curved surface area;

positioning the concave surface area with respect to the convexly shaped surface area within a continuum of positions across an unobstructed portion of the convexly curved surface area;

connecting an attachment member to a second interconnect portion of the carrier member, wherein the attachment member is operatively associable with a device; and

supporting the device with respect to the bulbous member in response to the connecting, wherein the device is selectively removable from the carrier member by selective disengagement of the attachment member from the second interconnect portion;

wherein the bulbous member, the carrier member, and the attachment member each comprises a magnetic portion, and at least one of the magnetic portions comprise a magnet, and wherein the attaching, connecting and supporting are in response to magnetic interaction between respective ones of the magnetic portions.

32-60. -60. (canceled)