Abstract:
A mounting apparatus comprising a surface fixture, at least one support arm coupled to the surface fixture, and a display bracket. The display bracket is hingedly coupled to the support arm and is adapted to be affixed to a flat panel display. The display bracket is pivotable, relative to the support arm, between a closed position and an open position and is biased toward the closed position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Priority  
         [0002]     Priority is claimed to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/535,029, filed Jan. 7, 2004. The disclosure of this priority document is incorporated herein by reference.  
         [0003]     2. Field of the Invention  
         [0004]     The field of the present invention is devices and method of mounting flat panel displays to vertical surfaces.  
         [0005]     3. Background  
         [0006]     Devices for mounting flat panel displays to vertical surfaces, such as walls, should serve two important functions. First, the device should facilitate mounting of flat panel display to the wall or other vertical surface. Second, the device should facilitate access to the rear of the flat panel display, where cables that provide power and video to the display are connected, without requiring removal of the display from the surface to which it is mounted. Much of the prior art fails to meet one or both of these two criteria.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The present invention is directed towards an apparatus and method for mounting a flat panel display. The apparatus comprises a surface fixture, at least one support arm coupled to the surface fixture, and a display bracket. The display bracket is adapted to be affixed to a flat panel display and is hingedly coupled to the support arm. Optionally, one end of the display bracket may be hingedly coupled to an end of the support arm. The display bracket is pivotable, relative to the support arm, between an open position and a closed position. The display bracket may be optionally biased toward the closed position, and when the display bracket is in the closed position, it is preferably substantially parallel to the support arm. As an additional option, the surface fixture includes a mounting bracket and a rail affixed to the mounting bracket, with the support arm coupled to the rail.  
         [0008]     The method comprises separately affixing the surface fixture to a vertical surface and affixing the display bracket, which is hingedly coupled to the support arm, to the flat panel display. Next, the support arm is suspended from the surface fixture. The flat panel display is thereafter pivoted away from the vertical surface. Finally, the support arm is secured to the surface fixture.  
         [0009]     Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved apparatus and method for mounting a flat panel display. Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]     In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to similar components:  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a side elevation view of a mounting apparatus;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a partially exploded view of the mounting apparatus of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a partially exploded view of an alternative embodiment of a mounting apparatus;  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is a flow chart showing the process of securing a flat panel display to a surface using the mounting apparatus of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the device of  FIG. 1  shown with a wire frame representation of a flat panel display affixed thereto and in the vertical position; and  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the device of  FIG. 1  shown with a wire frame representation of a flat panel display attached thereto and in the horizontal position. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0017]     Turning in detail to the drawings,  FIG. 1  illustrates a mounting apparatus  10  for a flat panel display (not shown), which advantageously allows the flat panel display to be mounted to a vertical surface such as a wall. The mounting apparatus  10  has a three-piece surface fixture, which includes two mounting brackets  12  and a rail  14  affixed to and extending between the mounting brackets  12 . Four support arms  16  are secured to the rail  14 . The support arms  16  are grouped in pairs, with each pair being hingedly coupled to a display bracket  18 .  
         [0018]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the couplings between each of the various parts of the mounting apparatus are illustrated. The mounting bracket  12  includes holes  20  for affixing the mounting bracket  12  to a support surface (not shown) and an outward extending shoulder  22  which includes an upturned flange  24 . The rail  14  includes a complimentary hooked flange  26  extending from the backside thereof. The shoulder  22  and flange  24  on the mounting bracket  16  engage and interlock the hooked flange  26  of the rail  14 , such that rail  14  may be suspended from the mounting bracket  12  during installation. The rail  14  also includes a lower shoulder  28  with an outward extending flange  30  The rail  14  is further secured to the mounting bracket  12  by a cleat  32  that is directly secured to the mounting bracket  12  with two screws  34 . The secured cleat  32  extends across the shoulder  28  and flange  30  of the rail  14  and includes a complementary groove  36  to receive and interlock with the flange  30 .  
         [0019]     The top of each support arm  16  has a hooked flange  38 . This flange is extendable over the top edge of the rail  14 , thereby enabling the support arms  16  to be suspended from the rail  14 . The front side of the rail  14  includes a channel  40  to receive strips  42  for further securing the support arms  16  to the rail  14  using the screws  44 .  
         [0020]     The display bracket  18  is disposed between a pair of support arms  16 . Two pins  46 ,  48  extend between the support arms  16 , one pin  46  above and one pin  48  below the hinged connection with the display bracket  18 , to help maintain the positioning of the two support arms  16  relative to each other. Each support arm  16  includes a cylindrical cavity  50  into which a raised shoulder  52  on the display bracket  18  is inserted. The cylindrical cavity  50  also houses a spring  54 . Each end  56 ,  58  of the spring is bent in an axial direction. One end  58  of the spring  54  is inserted into a hole  60  appropriately positioned in the display bracket  18 . A cap  62  is placed over the cylindrical cavity  50  to enclose the spring  54  therein. The other end  56  of the spring  54  is inserted into a hole  64  the cap  62 . The cap  64  also has a ridged outer surface  66  around its perimeter. A brake  68  is affixed to the support arm  16  near the edge of the cap  62 . The brake  68  includes a complementary ridged surface  70  to maintain the rotational position of the cap  62  relative to the support arm  16 . A hinge pin  72  passes through an axial hole  74  in the cap  62 , through the center of each spring  54 , through an axial hole  76  in the display bracket  18 , and is secured, after passing through the second support arm  16  and cap  62 , with a threaded nut  78 . Configured in this manner, the springs  54  bias the display bracket  18  in an upright or vertical position that is substantially parallel with the support arms  16 .  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  illustrates some optional modifications that may be made to a mounting apparatus. This embodiment of the mounting apparatus  150  includes mounting brackets  152  which have an upper shoulder  154  and a lower shoulder  156 . The upper shoulder  154  is formed as previously discussed in relation to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 . The lower shoulder  156  includes an upturned flange  158  which is formed to receive the lower edge of the rail  160 . With the lower edge of the rail  160  engaging the lower shoulder  156  and the upturned flange  158 , the rail is secured to the mounting bracket  152  using a set screw  162 . Other additions to this embodiment of the mounting apparatus  150  include an end cap  164  which is placed over the ends of the rails to cover potentially sharp edges. Finally, a cylinder  166  is inserted into cylindrical cavity  168  of the support arm  170  to help maintain the positioning and shape of the spring  172 .  
         [0022]     Referring to  FIG. 4 , when affixing a flat panel display to a vertical surface, the mounting brackets and the rail are affixed  100  to the surface, such as a wall, and the display bracket and the support arms are separately affixed  102  to the flat panel display. Next, the flat panel display is suspended  104  from the rail by placing the hooked flange at the top of each support arm over the top of the rail. At this point, the flat panel display and mounting apparatus will be as shown in  FIG. 5 , with the flat panel display being in a vertical position. Next, the flat panel display is pivoted downward  106  to the position shown in  FIG. 6 , which is horizontal or nearly horizontal. With the flat panel display in this horizontal position, the support arms are secured  108  to the rail as is shown above in  FIG. 2 . Also, power, video, and audio cables may be connected when the rear of the flat panel display is conveniently exposed by pivoting the flat panel display away from the surface to which it is mounted. Finally, the flat panel display is pivoted  110  back to the vertical position where it is ready for use.  
         [0023]     Thus, a device and method for mounting a flat panel display are disclosed. While embodiments of this invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the following claims.