U.S. patent application number 10/120552 was filed with the patent office on 2002-08-22 for flat thin screen tv/monitor automotive roof mount.
Invention is credited to Chang, Chung L..
Application Number | 20020113451 10/120552 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26939731 |
Filed Date | 2002-08-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020113451 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chang, Chung L. |
August 22, 2002 |
Flat thin screen TV/monitor automotive roof mount
Abstract
A vehicle roof mounted video display is disclosed. The display
is rotatable 180.degree. about a first axis, between a stored
position within a housing and a second position in which the
display lies flat against the vehicle roof. The display is also
rotatable at least 60.degree., and preferably 90.degree., about a
second axis that intersects and is substantially perpendicular to
the first axis. Each axis includes self-tensioning hinges to hold
the display in any position. The display self aligns as it reaches
either of the first and second positions so that the display is
substantially parallel to the roof. When the display is in the
storage position, the display screen faces, and is safely enclosed
by, the housing. The invention also includes a number of built-in
features to provide passengers with a wide range of entertainment
options.
Inventors: |
Chang, Chung L.; (Diamond
Bar, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KNOBBE MARTENS OLSON & BEAR LLP
620 NEWPORT CENTER DRIVE
SIXTEENTH FLOOR
NEWPORT BEACH
CA
92660
US
|
Family ID: |
26939731 |
Appl. No.: |
10/120552 |
Filed: |
April 9, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10120552 |
Apr 9, 2002 |
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09717928 |
Nov 21, 2000 |
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6409242 |
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60248981 |
Nov 14, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
296/37.7 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R 2011/0087 20130101;
B60R 2011/0028 20130101; B60R 2011/0082 20130101; B60R 2011/0294
20130101; B60K 2370/771 20190501; B60R 11/0235 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
296/37.7 |
International
Class: |
B60N 003/12; B60R
005/00; B60R 007/00; B62D 043/00; B60R 009/04 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An assembly mountable on an inside surface of a vehicle roof,
the assembly comprising: a housing having a first side defining a
mounting surface and a second side opposite the first side defining
a storage location, the housing defining a first hinge portion; a
video display having a first face defining a video screen, the
video display defining a second hinge portion, the first hinge
portion and the second hinge portion cooperating to pivotably
connect the housing and the video display, such that the video
display is movable between a storage position and a viewing
position; and a microswitch selectively blocking power to the video
screen; wherein when the video display is in the storage position
the video display is at least partially disposed within the storage
location, and the microswitch is in an off position in which no
power may be channeled to the video screen.
2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein as the video display is moved
toward the viewing position the microswitch is moved to an on
position in which power may be channeled to the video screen.
3. An assembly mountable on an inside surface of a vehicle roof,
the assembly comprising: a housing; a video display secured to the
housing, the video display having a first face defining a video
screen; and a wireless earphone transmitter; wherein the
transmitter is configured to transmit an audio signal to
earphones.
4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the housing defines a first
hinge portion.
5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the video display defines a
second hinge portion, the first hinge portion and the second hinge
portion cooperating to pivotably connect the housing and the video
display.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of application Ser. No.
09/717,928, filed on Nov. 21, 2000, which claims priority to
provisional application Serial No. 60/248,981, filed on Nov. 14,
2000. The entirety of each of these applications is hereby
incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention relates to devices for mounting video displays
on the inside surface of an automobile roof. More specifically, the
device provides a vehicle mounted video display that incorporates a
wide range of entertainment options, is convenient to use and poses
little risk of harm to passengers.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art & Summary of the
Invention
[0005] Overhead consoles for vans and other large vehicles are well
known. One type of overhead console contains a video display screen
and other components to keep passengers entertained on long
journeys. These consoles are generally mounted near the center of
the transverse axis of the vehicle with the display screen facing
the rear. However, current overhead consoles for video display
screens include features that make them either unsafe or
inconvenient to use, or both.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,030 to Mola discloses a vehicle overhead
console with flip down navigation unit. The vehicle overhead
console assembly includes a console body with a door pivotally
attached to the console body. The door is pivotally movable between
open and closed positions. A navigation display unit is connected
to the door such that the navigation display unit is exposed for
viewing by a vehicle occupant when the door is in the open
position, and hidden from view when the door is in the closed
position. A groove in a substantially U-shaped flexible latch
member engages an edge portion of the console body for securing the
door in the latched position. The pins on which the door pivots
engage a plurality of detents to hold the door in the desired open
position.
[0007] The principal drawback of the '030 device is the hazard that
it poses to passengers. The device swings forward, from a stored
position, to a viewing position where the display screen is
substantially perpendicular to the roof of the vehicle. Due to the
design of the pivots and the obstruction posed by the console body,
the screen cannot swing forward any farther than this position.
Thus, it poses a significant obstacle for passengers moving within
the vehicle. A passenger who is thrown forward during a collision
could be seriously injured by striking the screen.
[0008] Another drawback of the '030 design is the limited range of
viewing positions available for the display screen. The screen may
only rotate about one axis, as described. The screen may not be
rotated to the left or right to accommodate viewers who are not
seated directly in front of the screen. This drawback is especially
acute if the display screen is an LED, which can only be seen from
a narrow range of angles in front of the screen.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,762 to Vitito discloses an overhead
console having a flip-down monitor. The console includes an
elongated console housing having a leading end and a trailing end,
a monitor mounted in the leading end of the console housing, and a
compartment for storing a source of video signals.
[0010] The '762 design flips downward from a storage position, in
which the screen faces the floor of the vehicle, to a viewing
position in which the screen faces the back of the vehicle. Like
the '030 design, the display may not be rotated farther than this
position in which the display is perpendicular to the roof of the
vehicle. Thus, the display of the '762 design poses a hazard to
passengers moving toward the rear of the vehicle. Neither may the
screen be rotated to the left or right, limiting the range of
viewing positions for passengers. Furthermore, the display screen,
which is typically glass, is always exposed to the interior of the
vehicle. Thus, inadvertent contact with the screen is potentially
hazardous to passengers even when the display is in a storage
position.
[0011] The invention provides a vehicle roof mounted video display.
The display is rotatable 180.degree. about a first axis, between a
stored position within a housing and a second position in which the
display lies flat against the vehicle roof. The display is also
rotatable at least 60.degree., and preferably 90.degree., about a
second axis that intersects and is substantially perpendicular to
the first axis. Each axis includes self-tensioning hinges to hold
the display in any position.
[0012] The display self aligns as it reaches either of the first
and second positions. Force acting on the edge of the display as it
approaches the roof or the housing causes the display to rotate
about the second axis until the display is substantially parallel
to the roof. The rotational capability of the display, 180.degree.
in one direction and between 60.degree. and 90.degree. in another,
allows the display to be easily displaced when contacted by a
passenger or other object. Thus, the display does not pose a
significant hazard to a passenger who inadvertently bumps into it,
either casually or during a vehicle collision.
[0013] When the display is in the storage position, the display
screen desirably faces, and is safely enclosed by, the housing. The
display screen is protected from damage in this position, and
passengers are protected from broken pieces of the display screen
as might result from a vehicle collision.
[0014] The invention also includes a number of built-in features to
provide passengers with a wide range of entertainment options. The
features include: A television antenna and tuner, A/V input jacks,
video-game input jacks, audio-out cables, an FM transmitter cable,
and wireless headphone transmitters.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of a vehicle
roof mount of the present invention disposed within a vehicle.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a preferred vehicle roof
mount of the present invention illustrating the display in a
viewing position.
[0017] FIG. 3 is a top view of the vehicle roof mount illustrating
the internal components.
[0018] FIG. 4 is a front view of the vehicle roof mount
illustrating the A/V input jacks.
[0019] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the vehicle roof mount
illustrating the display in its storage position.
[0020] FIG. 6 is a front view of the intersecting hinges of the
vehicle roof mount.
[0021] FIG. 6A is a top view of the vehicle roof mount hinge,
illustrating the positive stops.
[0022] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the vehicle roof mount
illustrating the ability of the display to rotate to the side while
in a viewing position.
[0023] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the vehicle roof mount
illustrating the ability of the display to rotate to the side while
in a viewing position.
[0024] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the vehicle roof mount
illustrating the display in its fully extended position,
180.degree. from its storage position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0025] The invention provides a vehicle roof mount 20 for a video
display 22, as illustrated in FIG. 1. It will be understood by one
of skill in the art that the invention may be used to mount, among
others, television monitors or navigation units that receive
airborne signals, as well as closed circuit monitors that receive
signals from a source within the vehicle. For the sake of
simplicity, the term "display" or "video display" will be used
throughout to refer to the visual display component of the
invention. No intention to limit the scope of the invention to any
particular type of visual display is implied.
[0026] The vehicle roof mount 20 of the present invention comprises
a housing 24 adapted to be secured to the interior of a vehicle
roof 26, and a video display 22 hingedly attached to the housing
24. FIG. 2 illustrates the display 22 in a viewing position. The
housing 24 features an integrated dome light 28 to facilitate
manipulation of the various controls of the invention, which are
described in detail below.
[0027] The invention has a wide range of capabilities to ensure
that passengers are entertained on even the longest of journeys.
The internal components that enable each of these capabilities are
illustrated in FIG. 3, which is a view of the inside of the housing
24 from an upper perspective. Through a UHF antenna 30 and
television tuner 32, the invention can receive and display
broadcast television signals. A/V input jacks 34 allow connection
of a VCR, DVD player, or other similar closed circuit video source.
The A/V input jacks 34, which protrude from the leading portion of
the housing 24, can be seen in FIG. 4. A multi-pin input jack 36
allows a video game unit to transmit audio and video signals to the
invention. If better sound quality is desired, the speakers
connected to the vehicle's stereo system can be used to broadcast
the audio from the unit 20 by connecting the unit's FM transmitter
38 to the stereo system. Alternatively, or in addition, audio
output cables 40 allow auxiliary speakers to be connected to the
unit 20. In order to reduce the level of disturbance to the driver,
wireless headphone transmitters 42 are provided to broadcast the
audio to headphones worn by the passengers.
[0028] Advantageously, the unit 20 is entirely self-contained and
is rather easily installed. Thus it is well adapted to be installed
in existing vehicles as a retrofit.
[0029] The housing 24 is preferably mounted on the vehicle roof 26
in an orientation such that the portion 44 of the housing 24 to
which the display 22 is attached faces the vehicle's forward
direction of travel. In this orientation, the display 22 is movable
from a storage position, in which it resides inside a recess 46 in
the housing 24, to a viewing position, in which the display 22
screen faces the rear of the vehicle.
[0030] In the storage position, seen in FIG. 5, the display 22
screen faces the housing 24, out of sight of the passengers. The
display 22 is held in the storage position by a slidable tab 48,
which engages a notch (not shown) on the housing 24. To conserve
power when the unit 20 is not in use, a micro-switch (not shown)
automatically shuts off the unit 20 when the display 22 is placed
in the storage position. With the display screen 50, which is
typically made of glass, stowed safely inside the plastic casing of
the housing 24, not only is damage to the screen 50 itself
minimized, but the risk of injury to passengers from broken glass
is largely eliminated.
[0031] Furthermore, with the display 22 disposed within the recess
46 of the housing 24, the unit 20 acquires a streamlined profile.
Advantageously, the height of the unit 20 in this position is less
than three inches. Thus it does not act as an obstruction to
passengers who are moving about within the vehicle. This
characteristic of the unit 20 is of course advantageous from the
standpoint of crash safety, but the advantage of the low profile
isn't limited to crashes and other emergency situations. This unit
20 is typically installed in vans and other large vehicles where
passengers tend to climb over seats and generally move around more
freely than they would in smaller vehicles. The unit's streamlined
profile provides greater safety to these passengers as well by
reducing the risk of inadvertent bumps against the unit 20.
[0032] As alluded to, the display 22 is connected to the housing 24
by hinges, which are illustrated in detail in FIGS. 6 and 6A. More
specifically, two hinges are provided so that the display 22 is
rotatable about perpendicular axes. The first hinge 52 is disposed
within the leading portion 44 of the housing 24 and defines a first
axis 54 that is substantially parallel with the roof 26 and
perpendicular to the direction of forward travel of the vehicle.
The second hinge 56 intersects the first hinge 52 and the display
22 in a manner that allows the display 22 to rotate about a second
axis 58 whose orientation is defined by the position of the display
22, but is always substantially perpendicular to the first axis 54.
The side-to-side rotational capability of the display 22 is
illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8.
[0033] Both hinges 52, 56 are self-tensioning. The first hinge 52
is essentially a cylindrical axle as shown in FIG. 6. The ends of
the first hinge 52 are disposed within the housing 24 and mounted
in such a way as to provide uniform resistance to rotation of the
hinge 52. The second hinge 56 is also a substantially cylindrical
axle that intersects the first hinge 52 through a bore 60 in its
center, and is held in place with a threaded nut 62. The second
hinge 56 and the bore 60 in the first hinge 52 are sized so as to
provide a friction fit between the two components. The friction fit
produces a uniform resistance to rotation of the second hinge
56.
[0034] The intersecting first and second axes 54, 58, and the
self-tensioning character of the hinges 52, 56, provide the
invention with two very important features. First, they enable the
display 22 to be positioned at a wide variety of viewing angles.
The display 22 may be rotated 180.degree. about the first axis 54,
from its storage position within the housing 24 to a point where it
lies flat against the roof 26 in front of the housing 24, as FIG. 9
illustrates. The leading portion 44 of the housing 24 is designed
so as not to interfere with the 180.degree. range of motion of the
display 22. The display 22 may also be rotated at least 30.degree.,
and preferably 45.degree., both to the right and to the left about
the second axis 58. Positive stops (FIGS. 6 and 6A) within the
housing 24 prevent the display 22 from being rotated any further.
This range of angles in two different directions, coupled with the
ability of the self-tensioning hinges 52, 56 to hold the display 22
in any position, accommodates a wide range of seating positions
within the vehicle.
[0035] The second important consequence of the two intersecting
axes 54, 58 is passenger safety. Whether a passenger is simply
adjusting his position within the vehicle, or flying through the
air as a result of a severe collision, any contact he makes with
the display 22 will simply push the display 22 harmlessly out of
the way. Whether the contact is made from the front or the back of
the display 22, the display 22 has the ability to swing toward the
roof 26, or toward the housing 24, until it lies flat against the
one or the other and poses no obstruction to passengers.
[0036] Even if the display 22 is twisted to the left or right when
the impact happens, it will still be pushed flat against the roof
26 or housing 24. As the display 22 nears the roof 26 or housing
24, the force of the roof 26 or housing 24 upon one edge of the
display 22 will cause the display 22 to rotate about the second
axis 58 until it aligns with the roof 26 or housing 24. And if a
passenger contacts the display 22 from the left or right side, the
rotation of the display 22 about the second axis 58 will deflect
the blow, resulting in little or no harm to the passenger.
[0037] The above presents a description of the best mode
contemplated for carrying out the present invention, and of the
manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear,
concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art
to which it pertains to make and use this invention. This invention
is, however, susceptible to modifications and alternate
constructions from that discussed above which are fully equivalent.
Consequently, it is not the intention to limit this invention to
the particular embodiments disclosed. On the contrary, the
intention is to cover all modifications and alternate constructions
coming within the spirit and scope of the invention as generally
expressed by the following claims, which particularly point out and
distinctly claim the subject matter of the invention.
* * * * *