Stable mounting system for seatback shelving

This invention relates to a mechanism for attaching shelving, hooks, and organizers to a vehicle seatback. The attachment mechanism fits over the vehicle seat headrest posts, providing stability to the shelving, hooks, or organizers. The mechanism is formed as a single piece, thus it can be installed and removed without any additional components such as screws, bolts, straps, or other parts.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are a number of shelving and organizer systems available which mount to the back of the front seat of a motor vehicle. By way of example, these systems may allow a passenger in the back seat to watch a movie on a portable video player placed on a shelf mounted to the seatback, place food or beverages on a shelf mounted to the seatback, use such a shelf as a desktop or workplace, or attach storage or trash containers to the seatback.

There are a number of mechanisms for temporarily attaching these systems to the seatback without modifying the vehicle, including straps that wrap around the headrest, plastic or cloth cords that wrap around the headrest posts, and hooks that go over the seat itself. However, these mechanisms can loosen, they can interfere with the comfort of the front seat passenger, and since they are not fixed in place, they can move unexpectedly as the vehicle starts, stops, or turns sharply. One recent patent application (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/661,931) discloses a mechanism where two attachment members slip over the two headrest posts. Because each of the attachment members have at least two points of contact with the headrest post, the mechanism is less likely to move unexpectedly as the vehicle starts, stops, or turns sharply. However, this mechanism requires a number of additional parts—washers, nuts, bolts, and the like—in order to fix the position of the two attachment members. Not only do these additional parts lead to additional labor when installing and removing the system, they also can easily be dropped between seats or misplaced while not in use.

What is needed, therefore, is a mechanism for attaching shelving, hooks, and organizers to a seatback that provides stability, can be easily installed and removed, and yet uses a minimum of parts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention discloses a mechanism for attaching shelving, hooks, and organizer units to a seatback that provides stability, can be easily installed and removed, and uses a minimum number of parts. In one embodiment of the invention, the mechanism is formed as part of a single piece of material with varying thickness (height) characteristics. One end (the “attachment portion”) interfaces with the headrest post on the front seatback, the other end (the “utility portion”) provides shelving, organizer units, or other passenger amenities. In this embodiment, the attachment portion has a generally-round hole, the hole being slightly larger than the size of a seat headrest post. Adjacent to the hole, the attachment portion has a slot, substantially wider than the size of a headrest post in one dimension and slightly larger than the size of a headrest post in the other dimension. The slot is located at a distance from the first hole such that with the headrest removed, the attachment portion can accommodate the two headrest posts, with one post passing through the hole and the other post passing through the slot. Because one of the holes is about the size of the headrest post while the slot is substantially wider than the hole, the mechanism fits the headrest posts irrespective of the distance between the headrest posts. Further, because the first hole is only slightly larger than the headrest post, left-to-right and front-to-back movement is restricted. Further, because the attachment portion has thickness (height), movement around an axis between the headrest posts is limited. And finally, once the headrest is replaced, up and down movement is further restricted. The utility portion can be formed to accommodate various passenger access positions and, for example, a shelf for a portable DVD player. Thus, this embodiment provides a simple, stable, easily-installed, headrest-mounted shelf without the need for any components other than the shelf itself. Other variations are set forth in the Detailed Description of the Invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1shows a top view of Unit100in an embodiment of the present invention. The Attachment Portion101of Unit100is positioned with respect to the vehicle as indicated by the “front” arrow, and the Utility Portion102of Unit Dm is positioned with respect to the vehicle as indicated by the “back” arrow” (Utility Portion102is not shown inFIG. 1). Hole103is substantially round, about 0.70 in diameter, about 1.00 inch from the front of Attachment Portion101, and about 1.25 inch from the right side of Attachment Portion101. Hole103passes entirely through Attachment Portion101. Slot104is about 0.70 inch from front to back, about 5.00 inches wide, about too inch from the front of Attachment Portion101, and about 1.25 inches from the left side of Attachment Portion101. Slot104passes entirely through Attachment Portion101. Obviously, Hole103could be positioned on the left side of Attachment Portion101and Slot104could be positioned on the right side of Attachment Portion101without affecting the invention. Further, Hole103and Slot104could be larger or smaller to accommodate different sized and spaced headrest posts, with the width of Attachment Portion101varying to accommodate Hole103and Slot104.

FIG. 2shows a side view of Unit100in an embodiment of the present invention. Attachment Portion101is about too inch thick where Hole103and Slot104pass through Attachment Portion101(Hole103is shown in outline inFIG. 2). Utility Portion102is about 0.25 inch thick. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 2, Utility Portion102is bent in an “L” shaped, with the front of Utility Portion102being attached at a right angle to the back of Attachment Portion101; however, in other embodiments, Utility Portion102could be attached at any angle with respect to the back of Attachment Portion101. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 2, the Utility Portion102is parallel to Attachment Portion101; however, in other embodiments, Utility Portion102could be at a different angle to accommodate different functionalities. By way of example and not limitation, if Utility Portion102is to be used as a video player shelf, Utility Portion102could be angled to accommodate a comfortable viewing angle for the back seat passenger.

In another embodiment of the present invention, shown inFIG. 3, Unit100is made of a single piece of rigid plastic material. In this embodiment, the required thickness of Attachment Portion101is achieved by bending the plastic in a U-shape. Attachment Portion101is made of 0.25 inch thick plastic, but because of the U-shape, it is effectively about 1.00 inch thick where Hole103and Slot104pass through Attachment Portion101(Hole103is shown in outline inFIG. 3). This embodiment has the advantage of using a single piece of material rather than two pieces of material that need to be attached. However, depending on the materials and tooling costs, the manufacturing costs associated with forming the U-shaped bend may outweigh the costs of joining a separate Attachment Portion101and Utility Portion102.

In another embodiment of the present invention, shown inFIG. 4, Unit100is made of a single piece of molded rigid material. In this embodiment, the required thickness of Attachment Portion101is achieved by having a thicker portion of the mold, and the shape of Utility Portion102is achieved by using a mold shaped for the desired functionality.

In each of the foregoing embodiments, Unit100is made from any rigid material that can be manipulated in a manner suitable for the given embodiment. By way of example and not limitation, it could be made from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polycarbonate, acrylic, and the like. In those embodiments in which Unit100is made of multiple components, the components could be joined using methods known in the art, such as using a solvent or using welding methods. In addition to using rigid plastic materials, Unit100could be made of a composite material, such as fiberglass, that could be molded into the desired shape.

FIG. 5ashows an angled view of installation of Unit100over headrest Posts303and304(Headrest301, not shown, has been removed from Seat300). Unit100is aligned with the seat such that Hole103and Slot104align with Posts303and304, respectively, and Unit100is lowered with Posts303and304going through Hole103and Slot104until Unit100comes to rest against the top of Seat300.

FIG. 5bshows an angled view of Unit100after Headrest301has been place back over Posts303and304. Because Headrest301is pushed down over Unit100will not move significantly in the Z direction (although if Headrest301is raised, Unit100may move somewhat in the Z direction, but its movement will be limited by Headrest300). Because of the thickness of Unit100where Posts303and304pass through Hole103and Slot104, Unit100will not rotate significantly around the X axis (running parallel to Unit100between Hole103and Slot104). Because Hole103is roughly the same diameter as Post303, Unit100will not move significantly in the X direction. Because Hole103and Slot104are roughly the same width as Posts303and304, Unit100will not move significantly in the Y direction.

In each of the foregoing embodiments, installation of the unit requires that the consumer remove the headrest. However, in some vehicles, the consumer can raise or lower, but not remove, the headrest.FIG. 6shows an embodiment of the present invention suitable for such vehicles. In this embodiment, Attachment Portion401has a straight Slot404that opens on the right side of Attachment Portion401and a curved Slot403that opens on the front side of Attachment Portion401. In this embodiment, the consumer installs Unit400by sliding Slot404through the right headrest post at an angle until Slot403reaches the left headrest post; the consumer slides the left headrest post through Slot403until the post reaches the innermost portion of Slot403. Slot403is spiral-shaped to limit the amount of movement along the x- and y-axes.

FIGS. 7-10show a number of variations on Utility Portion102; these variations are shown using the first embodiment of Attachment Portion101, however, it should be clear that any of the embodiments of Attachment Portion101can be used.

InFIG. 7, Utility Portion102comprises a Shelf104, upon which the consumer could place an Entertainment System105such as a portable DVD player or video game display onto Shelf104, which could be angled so that Entertainment System105or would be at a comfortable viewing position for the back seat passenger (as suggested by the outline form of Entertainment System105).

InFIG. 8, Utility Portion102comprises a Slot106where the consumer could place Tablet Computer107into Slot106. Slot106would be angled so that Tablet Computer107would be at a comfortable viewing position for the consumer (as suggested by the outline form of Tablet Computer107).

InFIG. 9, Utility Portion102comprises a Hook108, from which the consumer could hang a backseat Organizer109, Backpack no or Handbag111(as suggested by the outline form of Handbag111).

InFIG. 10, Utility Portion102comprises Shelf112which comprises Lip113and Cup Holder114so that the consumer could place food and a beverage on Shelf112.