U.S. patent application number 12/428365 was filed with the patent office on 2010-10-28 for retractable monitor with adjustable pitch and yaw.
This patent application is currently assigned to SUNMAN ENGINEERING, INC.. Invention is credited to Allen Nejah.
Application Number | 20100270447 12/428365 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42991281 |
Filed Date | 2010-10-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100270447 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Nejah; Allen |
October 28, 2010 |
Retractable Monitor with Adjustable Pitch and Yaw
Abstract
An in-dash infotainment system includes a chassis, a monitor,
and three articulating arms each pivotably coupled to a side of the
monitor and slidably coupled to the chassis. The articulating arms
allow the monitor to stow horizontally within the chassis, and
extend and flip vertically for viewing. When extended, the first,
the second, and the third articulating arms also allow the pitch
and the yaw of the monitor to be adjusted.
Inventors: |
Nejah; Allen; (San Jose,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PATENT LAW GROUP LLP
2635 NORTH FIRST STREET, SUITE 223
SAN JOSE
CA
95134
US
|
Assignee: |
SUNMAN ENGINEERING, INC.
San Jose
CA
|
Family ID: |
42991281 |
Appl. No.: |
12/428365 |
Filed: |
April 22, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
248/205.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R 11/0223 20130101;
B60R 2011/0005 20130101; B60R 2011/0084 20130101; B60R 2011/0082
20130101; B60R 2011/0085 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
248/205.1 |
International
Class: |
A47B 96/06 20060101
A47B096/06 |
Claims
1. An in-dash infotainment system, comprising: a chassis; a monitor
comprising a first vertical side, a second vertical side, and a
horizontal side; a first articulating arm pivotably coupled to the
first vertical side of the monitor and slidably coupled to the
chassis; a second articulating arm pivotably coupled to the second
vertical side of the monitor and slidably coupled to the chassis;
and a third articulating arm pivotably coupled to the horizontal
side of the monitor and slidably coupled to the chassis.
2. The in-dash infotainment system, wherein: the first articulating
arm comprises first, second, third members, the first member being
slidably coupled to the chassis, the second member being pivotably
coupled to the first member about a first vertical axis, the third
member being pivotably coupled to (1) the second member about a
second vertical axis and (2) the first vertical side of the monitor
about a first horizontal axis; the second articulating arm
comprises fourth, fifth, and sixth members, the fourth member being
slidably coupled to the chassis, the fifth member being pivotably
coupled to the fourth member about a third vertical axis, the sixth
member being pivotably coupled to (1) the fifth member about a
fourth vertical axis and (2) the second vertical side of the
monitor about the first horizontal axis; the third articulating arm
comprises seventh, eighth, and ninth members, the seventh member
being slidably coupled to the chassis, the eighth member being
pivotably coupled to the seventh member about a second horizontal
axis, the ninth member being pivotably coupled to (1) the eighth
member about a third horizontal axis and (2) the horizontal side of
the monitor about a fifth vertical axis.
3. The in-dash infotainment system of claim 2, wherein the chassis
comprises first, second, and third tracks for slidably engaging the
first, the fourth, and the seventh members.
4. The in-dash infotainment system of claim 3, wherein the chassis
further comprises motors mechanically linked to the first, the
fourth, and the seventh members, respectively to extend and retract
the monitor.
5. The in-dash infotainment system of claim 4, wherein the first,
the second, and the third articulating arms allow a pitch of the
monitor to be adjusted about the first horizontal axis, and a yaw
of the monitor to be adjusted about the fifth vertical axis.
Description
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0001] This present disclosure relates to a retractable monitor
with adjustable pitch and yaw.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
[0002] Some in-dash receivers for motor vehicles include a monitor
that retracts into the receiver when the monitor is not used. Some
roof mount entertainment systems for motor vehicles include a
monitor that flips up when the monitor is not used.
SUMMARY
[0003] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, an in-dash
infotainment system includes a chassis, a monitor, and three
articulating arms each pivotably coupled to a side of the monitor
and slidably coupled to the chassis. The articulating arms allow
the monitor to stow horizontally within the chassis, and extend and
flip vertically for viewing. When extended, the first, the second,
and the third articulating arms also allow the pitch and the yaw of
the monitor to be adjusted.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrates perspective views of an in-dash
infotainment system; and
[0005] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a monitor of the
in-dash infotainnment system, all arranged in accordance with
embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0006] Use of the same reference numbers in different figures
indicates similar or identical elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0007] FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 illustrate an in-dash infotainment system
100 in some embodiments of the present disclosure. System 100 may
include, but is not limited to, a radio, a global positioning
system (GPS), a digital video disc (DVD) player, a general purpose
computer for running a web browser and other applications, a
wireless broadband adapter for accessing a network such as the
Internet, or any combination of these features.
[0008] Referring to FIG. 1 unless otherwise specified, system 100
includes a chassis 102 and a retractable monitor 104. Chassis 102
includes an open end defined by a top, a left sidewall 106, and a
right sidewall 108, and a bottom 110. For clarity, the top of
chassis 102 and internal electronics and mechanical components are
not shown.
[0009] Monitor 104 has a first vertical side (left side) 112, a
second vertical side (right side) 114, and a horizontal side (top)
116 respectively linked by three articulating arms 118, 120, and
122 to chassis 102. Articulating arms 118, 120, and 122 allow
monitor 104 to be stowed horizontally within chassis 102, and to be
extended and flipped down for viewing. Once extended and flipped
down, articulating arms 118, 120, and 122 allow the pitch and the
yaw of monitor 104 to be manually or automatically adjusted.
[0010] First articulating arm 118 includes a first member 118A, a
second member 118B, and a third member 118C (FIG. 2). First member
118 is a slide that is slidably engaged to a track 124 on left
sidewall 106 of chassis 102. Second member 118B is pivotably
coupled to first member 118A about a first vertical axis 126. Third
member 118C (FIG. 2) is a bracket that is pivotably coupled to
second member 118B about a second vertical axis 128 (FIG. 2) and to
left side 112 of monitor 104 about a first horizontal axis 130
(FIG. 2).
[0011] Second articulating arm 120 includes a first member 120A
(FIG. 2), a second member 120B, and a third member 120C. First
member 120A is a slide that is slidably engaged to a track 132
(FIG. 2) on right sidewall 108 of chassis 102. Second member 120B
is pivotably coupled to first member 120A about a third vertical
axis 134 (FIG. 2). Third member 120C is a bracket that is pivotably
coupled to second member 120B about a fourth vertical axis 136 and
to right side 114 of monitor 104 about first horizontal axis
130.
[0012] Third articulating arm 122 includes a first member 122A, a
second member 122B, and a third member 122C (FIG. 3). First member
122A is a slide that is slidably engaged to a track (not shown) on
the top of chassis 102. Second member 122B is pivotably coupled to
first member 122A about a second horizontal axis 138. Third member
122C (FIG. 3) is a bracket that is pivotably coupled to second
member 122B about a third horizontal axis 140 and to top 116 of
monitor 104 about a fifth vertical axis 142 (FIG. 3).
[0013] A user may manually extend the horizontally stowed monitor
104 and flip down the monitor for viewing. Alternatively,
articulating arms 118, 120, and 122 may be motorized to
automatically extend the horizontally stowed monitor 104 from
within chassis 102 and to flip down the monitor for viewing. To
extend the horizontally stowed monitor 104, motors translate
articulating arms 118, 120, and 122 at the same rate. Once monitor
104 clears chassis 102, articulating arm 122 can translate faster
than articulating arms 118 and 120 to flip down monitor 104. The
process is reversed to stow away monitor 102 within chassis 104. A
motor 144 is mechanically linked by gears, belts, or other
conventional means to drive articulating arm 118, a motor 145 is
mechanically linked by gears, belts, or other conventional means to
drive articulating arm 122, and a motor 146 (FIG. 2) is
mechanically linked by gears, belts, or other conventional means to
drive articulating arm 120.
[0014] Once monitor 102 is flipped down in a vertical orientation,
the user may further adjust the pitch and the yaw of the monitor.
The pitch of monitor 102 may be adjusted about the first horizontal
axis 130, and the yaw of the monitor may be adjusted about the
fifth vertical axis 142 (FIG. 3). To adjust the pitch, the user
rotates monitor 102 about the first horizontal axis 130. In the
process, first member 122A of articulating arm 122 may translate
and second member 122B may pivot to accommodate the change in
pitch. To adjust the yaw, the user rotates monitor 102 about the
fifth vertical axis 142 (FIG. 3). In the process of yawing, first
member 118A of articulating arm 118 may translate, second member
118B may pivot, first member 120A of articulating arm 120 may
translate, and second member 120B may pivot to accommodate the
change in yaw.
[0015] Various other adaptations and combinations of features of
the embodiments disclosed are within the scope of the present
disclosure. For example, instead of locating articulating arm 122
on the top of chassis 102 and on top of monitor 104, the
articulating arm 122 may be located on the bottom of chassis 102
and on the bottom of monitor 104. Numerous embodiments are
encompassed by the following claims.
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