U.S. patent application number 11/223040 was filed with the patent office on 2007-03-15 for angle-adjusting apparatus for a housing of headrest display.
Invention is credited to Fu-Ruei Huang.
Application Number | 20070057541 11/223040 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37854348 |
Filed Date | 2007-03-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070057541 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Huang; Fu-Ruei |
March 15, 2007 |
Angle-adjusting apparatus for a housing of headrest display
Abstract
An angle-adjusting apparatus for a housing of a headrest
display, comprising an external housing having an opening at the
outer side thereof, a cavity being formed and two sleeves being
symmetrically arranged at both sides thereof, a spring element
being provided at a top and a bottom side of the cavities, the
spring element having a first projecting rib longitudinally
extending at an internal side thereof; an internal housing having a
front and a rear portion with an internal room for installing a
display, a groove and two positioning sleeves corresponding to the
cavities of the external housing being disposed at both sides of
the internal housing, the internal housing further having a
plurality of second projecting ribs at a position corresponding to
the spring element; and a left link element and a right link
element formed in a symmetric manner and received within the
cavities of the external housing, respectively. Each of the left
and right link elements includes an external and internal link
portion both of which are locked on the external and internal
housings, respectively, for a pivotal connection. And the joining
end is limited to the lowest point so that a room is reserved to
install the display in the small headrest. Moreover, the contact at
both sides includes a plurality of engaging and positioning points
to allow for a precise angle-adjustment and to protect from
loosening due to the rocking action when driving. Accordingly, an
optimal view angle can be achieved.
Inventors: |
Huang; Fu-Ruei; (PingJen
City, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ROSENBERG, KLEIN & LEE
3458 ELLICOTT CENTER DRIVE-SUITE 101
ELLICOTT CITY
MD
21043
US
|
Family ID: |
37854348 |
Appl. No.: |
11/223040 |
Filed: |
September 12, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/217.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R 11/0235 20130101;
B60R 2011/0017 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/217.3 |
International
Class: |
A47C 7/72 20060101
A47C007/72 |
Claims
1. An angle-adjusting apparatus for a housing of a headrest
display, comprising: a) an external housing having an opening at
the outer side thereof, a cavity being formed and two sleeves being
symmetrically arranged at both sides thereof, a spring element
being provided at a top and a bottom side of the cavities, the
spring element having a first projecting rib longitudinally
extending at an internal side thereof; b) an internal housing
having a front and a rear portion with an internal room for
installing a display, a groove and two positioning sleeves
corresponding to the cavities of the external housing being
disposed at both sides of the internal housing, the internal
housing further having a plurality of second projecting ribs at a
position corresponding to the spring element; and c) a left link
element and a right link element formed in a symmetric manner and
received within the cavities of the external housing, respectively,
and each of the left and right link elements including; i) an
external link portion having a wider strip with a sleeve outwardly
projecting in the middle thereof, a plurality of axial insertion
slots being formed on the inner wall of the sleeve, the outer wall
of the sleeve including two first connection pieces each with one
fixing hole at one end thereof, the fixing holes corresponding to
the sleeves of the external housing such that the external link
portion can be fixed on the external housing by screws, a plurality
of third projecting ribs being disposed at a top and a bottom end
of the inner side of the wider strip of the external link portion;
and ii) an internal link portion having a narrower strip with an
external protrusion extending outwardly, the external protrusion
including a plurality of tongues that are correspondingly engaged
into the axial insertion slots of the external link portion
wherein, by turning the tongues at a certain angle, the internal
link portion is pivotally secured to the external side of the axial
insertion slots, and wherein the narrower strip is turned to an
upright position such that it rests on an internal side of the
wider strip, and wherein a fourth projecting ribs corresponding to
the third projecting ribs of the wider strip is longitudinally
formed on an external side of the internal link portion, and
wherein the narrower strip further includes a second connecting
piece perpendicularly extending from an internal side thereof, and
wherein a fixing hole is formed in the second connecting piece, and
wherein the second connecting pieces corresponding to the
positioning sleeves of the internal housing are fixed by screws on
the internal housing.
2. The angle-adjusting apparatus for a housing of a headrest
display as recited in claim 1 wherein a plurality of second
projecting ribs is disposed at both sides of the internal housing
in such a fan type that the external side is wide and the internal
side narrow, and wherein the gaps between every two adjacent second
projecting ribs are adapted to lock the first projecting rib of the
spring element in place.
3. The angle-adjusting apparatus for a housing of a headrest
display as recited in claim 1 wherein a plurality of third
projecting ribs is disposed at a top and a bottom end of the
internal side of the external link portion in such a fan type that
the external side is wide and the internal side narrow, and wherein
the gaps between every two adjacent third projecting ribs are
adapted to correspondingly lock the fourth projecting rib of the
narrower strip in place.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates to an angle-adjusting apparatus for a
housing of a headrest display, and more particularly to a housing
that is adapted to the headrest in an automobile to allow for a
fine adjustment of the view angle.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] For the recent years, miniaturization features the
developments of the display. The LCD displays have been widely
installed in the automobiles. If the display is mounted at the
front side of the automobile, it usually mounted on the top of the
front panel of the car or embedded therein. The display is pulled
out when used. If the display is installed in the area of the rear
seat, it will be usually installed at the center handrail of the
front seat or under the roof, and the display can be pulled out of
the roof when used.
[0005] If the display is installed under the roof for the rear seat
passengers, the rearview mirror can't provide the driver with a
complete view of the area behind the vehicle when driving. If the
display is installed at the center handrail of the front seat, it
will make the limited space of the rear seat even smaller.
[0006] As shown in FIG. 1, TW 520723 discloses a headrest display
11 that is fixed on a headrest 13 of the front seat by a
positioning apparatus 12. Meanwhile, the view angle of the headrest
display 11 can be adjusted by an adjusting apparatus 14. However,
the headrest display 11 protrudes from the rear surface of the
headrest 13, thereby occupying much space and affecting the whole
appearance inside the car.
[0007] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,556 discloses
a display 21 that is embedded in the back rest 22. A shift plate 23
is provided within the back rest 22 for fixing the display 21 in
place. Both sides of the top of the shift plate 23 are pivotally
coupled to two projecting ears 24 within the back rest 22. Thus, an
angle adjustment of the shift plate 23 can be ensured by use of the
projecting ears 24 at the top side thereof. However, the adjustment
requires a built-in cable wire 25 and other components. Meanwhile,
the back rest 22 has to be tilted backward for angle adjustment of
the display 21. Therefore, the rear seat passengers can't directly
adjust the view angle of the display 21. So, this conventional
apparatus is more suitable for the application to the seats of
airplanes, but not for the seat of automobiles. Moreover, the
display 21 can't be removed for use elsewhere, thereby limiting the
range of its use.
[0008] The applicant of the invention discloses a similar apparatus
titled "VIEW ANGLE ADJUSTABLE DETACHABLE DISPLAY ASSEMBLY" in US
20050140845. It teaches a display installed at the rear side of the
headrest of the front seat. When the display is used by the rear
seat passenger, it doesn't occupy much space and won't affect the
view of the area behind the vehicle via the rear-view mirror. This
prior art comprises mainly an external housing, an internal housing
and a display. Meanwhile, it is characterized in that the internal
housing can be turned at an angle within the external housing.
Moreover, the display can be removed out of the internal housing.
However, the assembly and the space arrangement of the internal and
external housings leave still much to be desired. Accordingly, the
dimensions of the external housing can't be reduced for the
installation of the display on a smaller headrest in a European
automobile. In addition, means for adjusting the view angle by
turning the internal housing is too simple. After use for a certain
period, the mechanism is easily loosened, thereby affecting the
angle-adjusting precision and lowering the service life of this
apparatus.
[0009] In view of the foregoing shortcomings of the prior art, the
inventor of the present invention conducted extensive experiments
and tests to overcome the shortcomings and to achieve the
installation of the housing on the rear side of a small type
headrest.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] A primary object of the invention to provide an
angle-adjusting apparatus for a housing of a headrest display that
can be embedded in a rear side of a headrest and allow for a
convenient adjustment of the display upward or downward for
achieving an optimal view angle.
[0011] Another object of the present invention to provide an
angle-adjusting apparatus for a housing of a headrest display that
includes a plurality of positioning mechanisms to allow for an
accurate adjustment of the view angle. In addition, the apparatus
won't be loosened after used for a certain period or when driving
on an uneven road, thereby prolonging the service life of the
apparatus.
[0012] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, an
angle-adjusting apparatus for a housing of a headrest display
comprises:
[0013] a) an external housing having an opening at the outer side
thereof, a cavity being formed and two sleeves being symmetrically
arranged at both sides thereof, a spring element being provided at
a top and a bottom side of the cavities, the spring element having
a first projecting rib longitudinally extending at an internal side
thereof;
[0014] b) an internal housing having a front and a rear portion
with an internal room for installing a display, a groove and two
positioning sleeves corresponding to the cavities of the external
housing being disposed at both sides of the internal housing, the
internal housing further having a plurality of second projecting
ribs at a position corresponding to the spring element; and
[0015] c) a left link element and a right link element formed in a
symmetric manner and received within the cavities of the external
housing, respectively. Each of the left and right link elements
includes an external and an internal link portion both of which are
locked on the external and internal housings, respectively, for a
pivotal connection. And the joining end is limited to the lowest
point so that a room is reserved to install the display in the
small headrest.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGS
[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art in accordance
with TW 520723;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another prior art in
accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,556;
[0018] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the internal structure of
the prior art in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,556;
[0019] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the invention that is
embedded in a headrest of an automobile;
[0020] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an angle-adjusting apparatus
for a housing of a headrest display in accordance with the
invention;
[0021] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of an external and an
internal housing in accordance with the invention;
[0022] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a left link
element in accordance with the invention;
[0023] FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the left link
element in accordance with the invention that is seen from another
side;
[0024] FIG. 9 is a schematic drawing of the assembly of the left
link element in accordance with the invention;
[0025] FIG. 10 is a schematic drawing of the assembly of the left
link element in accordance with the invention while the internal
link portion is aligned with the external link portion;
[0026] FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the external and
internal housings in accordance with the invention that is seen
from another side;
[0027] FIG. 12 is a perspective assembly view of the external and
internal housings of FIG. 11;
[0028] FIG. 13 is a side view of the invention by turning the
internal housing at a certain angle relative to the external
housing; and
[0029] FIG. 14 is a side view of the invention by turning the
internal housing at another angle relative to the external
housing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0030] Referring to FIG. 4, a display module D in accordance with
the present invention includes an LCD display 40, an external
housing 50, and an internal housing 60 three of which are mounted
on a rear side of a headrest 30. The LCD display 40 has its
specific dimensions. The headrest 30 in the European car gets
smaller and smaller. In order to install the original LCD display
40 in the headrest 30 and have the function of adjusting view
angle, the key point of the improvement lies in the design of the
assembly of the internal and external housings. The invention is
characterized in the special turning type adjustment positioning
structure of the internal and external housings. In a following
embodiment, the external housing 50 and the internal housing 60
will be described in detail without the presence of the LCD display
40.
[0031] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the invention includes:
[0032] an external housing 50 having an opening at the outer side
thereof, a cavity being formed and two sleeves being symmetrically
arranged at both sides thereof, a spring element 53 being provided
at a top and a bottom side of the cavities 51, the spring element
53 having a first projecting rib 531 longitudinally extending at an
internal side of the spring element 53 (see FIG. 6);
[0033] an internal housing 60 consisting of a front and a rear
portion 61, 62, a recess 63 being formed in the front portion 61
for accepting the LCD display 40 (not shown in FIG. 6), a groove 64
and two positioning sleeves 65 corresponding to the cavities 51 of
the external housing 50 being disposed at both sides of the
internal housing 60, the internal housing 60 further having a
plurality of second projecting ribs 66 at a position corresponding
to the spring element 53, wherein the second projecting ribs 66 in
accordance with the embodiment are arranged in such a fan type that
the external side is wide and the internal side narrow, and wherein
the first projecting rib 531 of the spring element 53 of the
external housing 50 can engage into a gap between every two
adjacent second projecting ribs 66; and
[0034] a left link element 70L and a right link element 70R formed
in a symmetric manner and received within the cavities 51 of the
external housing 50, respectively, each of the left and right link
elements 70L, 70R having an external link portion 71 and an
internal link portion 72.
[0035] Since the left link element 70L and the right link element
70R have the same structure except that their opposite symmetric
positions are different, only the left link element 70L is selected
for further description with reference to FIGS. 7 through 10.
[0036] The external link portion 71 includes a wider strip 711 with
a sleeve 712 outwardly projecting in the middle thereof. A
plurality of axial insertion slots 713 is formed on the inner wall
of the sleeve 712 while the outer wall of the sleeve 712 includes
two first connection pieces 714 each with one fixing hole 7141 at
one end thereof. The fixing holes 7141 correspond to the sleeves 52
of the external housing 50; therefore, the external link portion 71
can be fixed on the external housing 50 by screws 73, as shown in
FIGS. 5 and 6. FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate how the other right link
element 70R is secured to the external housing 50 and the internal
housing 60. Referring back to FIGS. 7 and 8, the internal link
portion 72 includes a narrower strip 721 with an external
protrusion 722 extending outwardly. The external protrusion 722
includes a plurality of tongues 723 that are correspondingly
engaged into the axial insertion slots 713 of the external link
portion 71. Moreover, the narrower strip 721 further includes a
second connecting piece 724 perpendicularly extending from an
internal side thereof. A fixing hole 7241 is formed in the second
connecting piece 724. Meanwhile, a fourth projecting rib 725
corresponding to a plurality of third projecting ribs 715 of the
wider strip 711 is longitudinally formed on an external side of the
internal link portion 72.
[0037] Further, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the internal link
portion 72 is inclined in such a manner that its tongues 723 can
engage into the axial insertion slots 713 of the external link
portion 71. By turning it at a certain angle, the internal link
portion 72 is pivotally secured to the external side of the axial
insertion slots 713. Thereafter, the narrower strip 721 is turned
to an upright position such that it rests on an internal side of
the wider strip 711. After assembly, the left link element 70L and
the right link element 70R are illustrated in FIG. 6.
[0038] Still, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the joined link elements
are fitted to both sides of the internal housing 60. FIGS. 11 and
12 illustrate only the right link element 70R. The left link
element 70L corresponds to the right link element 70R in a
symmetric manner so that no further descriptions are given
hereinafter. First of all, the second connecting piece 724 of the
internal link portion 72 is locked by screws 74 in the groove 64
and the positioning sleeves (not shown in FIG. 11) of the internal
housing 60. Then, the internal housing 60 is tilted in such a way
that the left link element 70L and the right link element 70R fit
into the cavities 51 of the external housing 50, respectively.
Finally, the first connection pieces 714 are locked by screws 73 on
the sleeves 52, respectively. In this way, the internal housing 60
is pivotally coupled to the inside of the external housing 50.
[0039] As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, three positioning and adjusting
mechanisms are present between the internal housing 60 and the
external housing 50. The first positioning mechanism is that the
external protrusion 722 of the internal link portion 72 locked
within the internal housing 60 fits into the sleeve 712 of the
external link portion 71 locked within the external housing 50. By
turning the tongues 723 at one angle to engage on the external side
of the axial insertion slots 713, the external link portion 71 and
the internal link portion 72 are joined in place. The second
positioning mechanism is that the gaps between the adjacent third
projecting ribs 715 at the inner side of the wider strip 711 of the
external link portion 71 are adapted to accept the longitudinal
fourth projecting ribs 725 of the narrower strip 721 of the
internal link portion 72, thereby creating a multi-stage
positioning mechanism. The third positioning mechanism is that the
second projecting ribs 66 are disposed at the top and bottom sides
of the internal housing 60 in such a fan type that the external
side is wide and the internal side narrow. Meanwhile, the gaps
between every two adjacent second projecting ribs 66 can be used to
lock the first projecting rib 531 of the spring element 53 on the
external housing 50 in place. Thus, the above-mentioned positioning
mechanisms can simultaneously work when the angle adjustment of the
internal housing 60 receiving the display is made relative to the
external housing 50. In this way, a high stability is ensured and a
shaking action is avoided. Besides, the whole link structure is
skillfully disposed within a space between the external housing 50
and the internal housing 60, thereby minimizing the dimensions of
the whole structure for a smooth insertion of the display into the
rear side of the headrest 30. In addition, the sample of the
invention can be exactly fitted to the rear side of the headrest
30, thereby creating a convenient view angle adjusting
mechanism.
[0040] Many changes and modifications in the above-described
embodiment of the invention can, of course, be carried out without
departing from the scope thereof. Accordingly, to promote the
progress in science and the useful arts, the invention is disclosed
and is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended
claims.
* * * * *