Abstract:
This invention is a wall support device for supporting a variety of commercially available flat panel television or video monitor wall mounts with related power and low voltage wiring access in a manner concealed from view.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/552,621, entitled “Wall Support Device for Video Monitor Mount,” filed Oct. 28, 2011 by the same inventors, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to mounting a flat panel television or video monitor on a wall with accessible low voltage wiring and power. More specifically, the invention is directed to a device installed on a wall and designed to support a video monitor mount and to provide a means for adjacent low voltage wiring and power. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Television monitors constructed with cathode ray tubes were typically placed on stands with one or more cables running from the back of the monitor to convenience outlets located near the baseboard of a wall used to power the monitor and provide coaxial cable connection. With the rapid advancement of flat panel technology, it has become popular to mount flat panel televisions and video monitors on walls. Advancements in technology has also caused an increase in low voltage wiring options to flat panel televisions and video monitors, including but not limited to HDMI, component video, S-video, DVI, digital optical, digital coax analog audio, composite video, and RGB/VGA. It has become desirable to discretely conceal low voltage wiring and power behind a wall mounted flat panel television or video monitor for aesthetic reasons. 
         [0004]    There are many commercially available wall mounts for flat panel monitors available in the market, including fixed mounts, tilt mounts, and articulated mounts. The selection of a wall mount may be based on many factors including price, appearance, compatibility, and optimal viewing angle. Fixed mounts are a simple and inexpensive solution for a fixed location with a low profile. Tilt mounts include a hinge mechanism that allows a tilt angle to provide parallel viewing on the same horizontal plane as the viewer. An articulated mount provides further flexibility typically with a folding arm mechanism connected via a series of joints to allow tilting and extension in situations where viewing area and configuration changes frequently. 
         [0005]    Most residential and commercial buildings are constructed under general parameters without considering the actual placement of a flat panel television or video monitor. Flat panel televisions and video monitors are typically installed after the construction process, final completion of wallboard installation, and all power and low voltage wiring installation. Typically after completion of construction, a homeowner, tenant, or professional installer begins planning a layout to mount a flat panel television or video monitor. This late planning execution creates an opportunity for conflicting power and low voltage wiring. A flat panel television or video monitor location is selected and a wall mount is chosen based on the location and viewing considerations. Before installation, an installer is faced with the daunting task to locate proper anchor support for the wall mount behind a finished wall and provide power and low voltage wiring to the flat panel television or video monitor from sources that may not be conveniently located near the location. During installation, the wall mount must be anchored to a framing member or wall stud to properly support the mount hardware and the monitor. An installer may have a difficult and frustrating time locating a wall stud that is concealed by wallboard and located in the wrong location to properly install the wall mount. This is particularly true in for an articulated mount in which the location of a single wall stud is crucial to precise installation. Installers routinely encounter problems in placing the wall mount in the optimum position. In addition to unsuitable wall stud location, an installer may be faced with mislocated or interfering power and low voltage wiring access as related to the anchored wall mount. If discrete concealment of low voltage wiring and power is required, an installer also faces the complicated task of relocating power and low voltage wiring which is typically installed at baseboard wall locations which may be unsuitable for a wall mount located near the vertical center of a wall. Installation of a wall mount after completion of construction often requires careful wallboard removal, blocking, and work to relocate low voltage wiring and power boxes, causing additional complication, time, and expense to hire power and low voltage electricians, painters, and wallboard repairmen, in addition to the installer. 
         [0006]    The market for new construction and remodels of residences, offices, retail sites, hotels, hospitals, and apartments continues to look for solutions to address and streamline the construction process as related to the installation of flat panel television and video monitors, including the concealment and convenience of power and low voltage wiring access. There exists a need to overcome the deficiencies and obstacles described above. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    It is an object of this invention to provide a wall support device for a wall mount attached to a flat panel television or video monitor to be installed on the framing members of a wall during the remodel or the rough-in phase of new construction. It is another object of this invention to provide a wall support device which supports a variety of commercially available wall mounts, including fixed mounts, tilt mounts, and articulated mounts. It is another object of this invention to provide configurable power and low voltage wiring access adjacent to the wall support device. It is another object of this invention to provide a wall support device and adjacent power and low voltage wiring access configured in a manner that may be concealed from view behind the flat panel television or video monitor. It is another object of this invention to provide a wall support device and adjacent power and low voltage wiring access in a manner that provides a flush border with and support for surrounding wallboard. 
         [0008]    To accomplish the above objectives and provide further related advantages, the present invention provides a wall support device incorporated on a finished wall for supporting a variety of commercially available flat panel television or video monitor wall mounts with related power and low voltage wiring access in a manner which may be concealed from view behind a flat panel television or video monitor. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  illustrates a front perspective of the back pan of the wall support device mounted vertically on two parallel wall studs. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  illustrates a side perspective of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  illustrates a front perspective of the wall support device mounted vertically on two parallel wall studs. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  illustrates a side perspective of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  illustrates a side perspective of the wall support device incorporated flush on a finished wall with provision for power and low voltage wiring. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  illustrates a side perspective of a fixed wall mount attached to the wall support device incorporated flush on a finished wall with provision for power and low voltage wiring. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0015]    The attached figures are examples of the wall support device in accordance with the present invention.  FIG. 1  illustrates a front perspective and  FIG. 2  illustrates a side perspective of the back pan  101  of one preferred embodiment of the wall support device mounted vertically on two parallel wall studs  103  with fastening screws  109 . The back pan  101  is mounted perpendicular to the wall studs  103  and parallel to the wall subsurface  105  behind the wall studs  103 . The back pan  101  is rectangular and constructed of a rigid sheet of material. Row of fastening holes  107  are present on the top and bottom edges of the rectangular back pan  101  to provide the ability to support the device on one or more wall studs  103 . As depicted on  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the back pan  101  is fastened to two parallel wall studs  103  with four fastener screws  109 . One skilled in the art will appreciate the positioning flexibility created by the rows of fastening holes  107 . Adjustable flanges  121  are attached to the back side of the back pan  101  with fasteners and fastener slots  123  to provide lateral adjustability. One skilled in the art will appreciate the lateral support for adjacent wallboard provided by the adjustable flanges  121 . 
         [0016]    As depicted in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , a rim  119  is provided along the perimeter of the back pan  101  to border adjacent wallboard. In one preferred embodiment, the rim  119  may consist of rigid material perpendicular to the edge of the back pan  101  with an outward dimension equal to the thickness of wallboard. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the rim  119  provides a guide and template for wallboard installers to follow during final construction of the subject wall. 
         [0017]    As further depicted in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , a wiring panel  111  is attached to the back pan  101  with fasteners and fastener holes  117 . The wiring panel  111  is rectangular and constructed of a rigid sheet of material of sufficient strength and thickness to support an outlet box  113  mounted in a rectangular cutout  123  and attached to the wiring panel  111  with outlet box screws  115  in preset holes. 
         [0018]      FIG. 3  illustrates a front perspective and  FIG. 4  illustrates a side perspective of the front pan  125  installed over the concealed back pan  101  of one preferred embodiment of the wall support device mounted vertically on two parallel wall studs  103 . The front pan  125  is nested within the back pan  101  perpendicular to the wall studs  103  and parallel to the wall subsurface  103  behind the wall studs  103 . The front pan  125  is rectangular and constructed of a rigid sheet of material of sufficient strength and thickness to support a wall mount including the weight of a flat panel television or video monitor. The front pan  125  includes a rim of slightly smaller dimension that the back pan rim  119  along the perimeter of the front pan  125  creating a cavity when nested in a reverse manner within the front pan  101 . A row of fastening holes  127  is present on the top and bottom edges of the back pan  125  to provide the ability to support the device on one or more wall studs  103 . As depicted on  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , the rectangular back pan  125  is fastened to two parallel wall studs  103  with four fastening screws  129 . One skilled in the art will appreciate the positioning flexibility created by the rows of fastening holes  127 . A wall mount may be attached to front pan  125  of the wall support device by using one or more keyhole vertical slots  131  in combination with one or more mount fasteners  133 . One skilled in the art will appreciate the array of keyhole vertical slots  131  to provide vertical and horizontal positioning flexibility when attaching a wall mount to the front pan  125  of the wall support device as depicted in  FIG. 6 . A frame  135  along the perimeter of the front pan  125  provides an overlap to cover the border between the rim  119  of the back board  101  and adjacent wallboard. One skilled in the art will appreciate the ability to conceal the border between the wall support device and adjacent wallboard provided by the frame  135 . As further depicted in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , a wiring panel  111  remains attached to the wall mount device with an outlet box  113 . 
         [0019]      FIG. 5  illustrates a side perspective of one preferred embodiment of the wall support device showing the front pan  125  installed flush with a finished wall  137  including an adjacent outlet box. The frame  135  along the perimeter of the front pan  125  provides concealment of the border between the wallboard and the back pan  101 . 
         [0020]      FIG. 6  illustrates a side perspective of one preferred embodiment of the wall support device showing a fixed wall mount  139  attached to the front pan  125  with four mount fasteners  133  on a finished wall  137 . The fixed wall mount  139  is similar to that known in the art. 
         [0021]    As further depicted in  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , an outlet box  113  is located below and adjacent to the front pan  25 . The outlet box  113  as drawn shows a two receptacle power outlet and HDMI connection similar to that known in the art. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the outlet box  113  may be concealed behind a flat panel television or video monitor of sufficient dimension. 
         [0022]    While the forgoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment and examples, but by all embodiments within the scope and spirit of the invention.