Vehicle telephone mounting system

A telephone mounting system includes a platform for receiving a cellular telephone handset. The platform is coupled to a bracket which pivots between a lowered position within a vehicle storage bin and an extended position from the storage bin and a mounting system coupling the platform to the bracket for rotating the platform as the bracket is moved from a stored to an extended position thereby rotating a telephone handset from a vertical stored position to a horizontal use position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a telephone mount for mounting a cellular 
telephone in a vehicle. 
The use of cellular telephones in vehicles has become commonplace. 
Frequently, such telephones are mounted on a pedestal stand between 
vehicle seats for convenient access. Unfortunately, such mounting 
arrangements do not allow the concealed mounting of telephones which makes 
them readily visible and subject to theft. In vehicles with consoles, 
systems have been proposed for mounting the telephone in a concealed 
manner within the consoles. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,640,542 and 5,524,050 
represent two such telephone mounting systems in which a cellular 
telephone can be mounted in a concealed manner when not in use and moved 
to a convenient position for use through the mounting mechanism. 
With the increasing downsizing of many vehicles, relatively large consoles 
are frequently not available. As a result, the unique mounting structures 
proposed in the past and as represented by the above identified patents 
are not suitable for relatively small consoles with little storage space. 
Accordingly, there exists a need for a concealed retractable telephone 
mounting system for relatively small storage spaces such as newer consoles 
which are relatively narrow. 
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
The system of the present invention provides a telephone mounting system by 
which a relatively thin rectangular cellular telephone handset can be 
mounted in a vertically stored position, that is, on edge for storage in a 
relatively narrow armrest storage compartment and, when extended from the 
storage compartment, rotated to a substantially horizontal position for 
easy access for use. Systems embodying the present invention include a 
platform for supporting a cellular telephone handset, said platform 
coupled to an arm which pivots between a lowered position within the 
vehicle storage compartment and a position extended from said storage 
compartment and means coupling said platform to said arm for rotating said 
platform as said arm is moved from a stored to an extended position for 
rotating a telephone handset mounted on said platform from a vertical 
stored position to a horizontal use position. 
In one embodiment of the present invention, the rotation of the platform is 
achieved by providing a telescopic tube within said arm which is coupled 
to said platform and which includes a cam slot cooperating with the cam 
associated with said platform for extending and rotating the telephone 
handset as it is extended from the storage compartment. In one embodiment 
of the invention also, a compression spring is employed for urging the 
telescopic tube to an extended and rotated position as the telephone is 
removed from the storage bin. With such a system, therefore, an easily 
operated, automatically rotated and extended telephone mounting system is 
provided which stores a relatively thin cellular telephone handset in 
vertical orientation within a somewhat narrow storage bin, such as an 
armrest or console, and rotates the handset to a generally horizontal use 
position automatically as it is extended from its stored position. 
These and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention 
will become apparent upon reading the following description thereof 
together with reference to the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown an armrest 10 for a 
vehicle, such as an automobile. Armrest 10 typically will be mounted 
between the front seats and can be moved from a horizontal use position, 
as shown in FIG. 1, to a vertically stored position when not in use. The 
armrest includes a lower housing 12 defining a storage bin 14 having a 
left sidewall 16, a right sidewall 18, front and rear walls 11 and 13, 
respectively, and a floor 15. Armrest 10 also includes a cover 19 for 
selectively covering bin 14 and for such purpose cover 19 can be pivotally 
mounted to the rear wall 13 utilizing a conventional pivot mechanism as 
well as including a locking latch (not shown) associated with the front 
wall 11 for latching the cover in a closed position. The outside of front 
wall 11 includes a generally horizontally extending ledge 11' which, as 
seen in FIG. 3, provides a support platform for the mounting assembly 20 
when the telephone handset is in a fully extended position. 
Mounted to the front wall 11 of armrest 10 is the telephone mounting system 
20 of the present invention for mounting thereto a cellular telephone 
handset 40, which can be any number of commercially available cellular 
telephones which have a generally thin profile but are sufficiently wide 
to allow ready access to the telephone number dialing keypad 42. As seen 
in FIGS. 1 and 2, the telephone handset 40 is stored vertically on its 
edge, thereby presenting the thinnest profile to the width "W" (FIG. 2) of 
the storage bin 14 associated with armrest 10. As a result, a relatively 
narrow armrest can accommodate a relatively wide cellular telephone 
utilizing the telephone mounting system 20 of the present invention. As 
the telephone handset is extended from its fully stored position, as shown 
in FIGS. 1 and 2, to its use position, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, it 
moves forwardly, as indicated by arrow B in FIG. 5, and simultaneously 
rotates, as indicated by arrow C in FIG. 6, while it moves from the 
storage position by swinging upwardly in the arc indicated by arrow A in 
FIG. 5. The unique mounting system 20 of the present invention 
automatically controls such movement such that it is only necessary for 
the user to grip the telephone handset and raise it from the storage bin 
for extending it into a readily accessible use position, as illustrated in 
FIG. 6. The unique telephone mounting assembly which accomplishes this 
motion and storage orientation for the cellular telephone handset is now 
described in detail in connection with FIGS. 3 and 4. 
Telephone handset 40 will typically include its own cradle 44 which allows 
the handset to be removably mounted thereto. The cradle 44 is mounted to a 
support platform 22 utilizing conventional fastening screws which extend 
through mounting apertures 21 in platform 22. Platform 22 is secured, such 
as by welding, to a cylindrical sleeve 24, as best seen in FIG. 4, near 
one edge of the platform 22 but extending in longitudinally parallel 
relationship near the left edge 23 of the platform. 
Assembly 20 further includes a telescopic tube 26 which extends within 
sleeve 24 and which has a pair of cam slots 28 on opposite sides which 
engage a cam pin 25 extending through an aperture 27 in sleeve 24. Cam pin 
25 anchors one end of a control cable 30 which end includes a mounting 
ring 31 through which cam pin 21 extends, thereby anchoring the end of 
flexible cable 30 within sleeve 24 under platform 22. A compression spring 
32 surrounds cable 30 and extends within telescopic tube 26 and sleeve 24 
to urge, as described in greater detail below, the sleeve 24 and platform 
22 attached thereto outwardly from telescopic tube 26 as the telephone 
handset is moved from a stored to an extended position. The cam slot 28 
curves around the wall of tube 26 approximately 90.degree. with a trailing 
edge 29 extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the 
tube, an intermediate radially extending curved section 33 which curves 
through an arc of approximately 90.degree. around the radius of the 
cylindrical tube 26 and a substantially longitudinally extending entry 
slot 35 which is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of tube 26 
but offset approximately 90.degree. from the position of trailing edge 29. 
Thus, as pin 25 within sleeve 24 moves from the telephone retracted 
position at the end of trailing edge 29 of slot 28 to the use position in 
the area of entry slot 35, the telephone platform 22 will rotate 
approximately 90.degree.. 
The telescopic tube 26 is secured to one end of a generally S-shaped 
bracket 36 which has a U-shaped cross section and which has a pair of 
spaced mounting flanges 38 and 46 at one end for pivotally mounting the 
bracket to a second mounting bracket 50 having a flange 52 with apertures 
54 therein for securing the bracket to the inside of the front wall 11 of 
storage bin 14. Bracket 50 includes an upstanding mounting post 56 over 
which the flanges 38 and 46 extend and are pivotally mounted thereto by 
means of a pivot pin 45. Cable 30 extends through telescopic sleeve 26 and 
around three pulleys 51, 53 and 57, which are mounted by associated axles 
51', 53' and 57' within apertures 37, 39 and 41, respectively, extending 
through bracket 36. The end 60 of cable 30 remote from end 31 is anchored 
to the underside of mounting bracket 50 by means of an anchoring screw 62 
and ring 64 (FIG. 4) such that as the telephone is moved from a position 
within the storage bin, as shown in FIG. 3, outwardly in the direction 
indicated by arrow A. The compression spring will urge the sleeve 24 
outwardly in the direction indicated by arrow B in FIGS. 3 and 5 expanding 
the spring and moving pin 25 along cam slot 28 to rotate the telephone 
handset from the vertically stored position to a horizontal use position 
as illustrated in FIGS. 3, 5 and 6. The anchor pin 62 for the end 60 of 
cable 30 is offset from the pivot pin 55 for the mounting assembly, as 
best seen in FIG. 3, thereby causing the cable to draw the sleeve 24 
rearwardly over telescopic tube 26 as the telephone is moved to a 
retracted position. For such purpose, the mounting post 56 of the bracket 
50 includes a cable guide 56' into which the cable extends, as seen in 
FIG. 3. The pulleys 51, 53 and 57 also serve to center and position the 
cable within the bracket 36. 
S-shaped bracket 36 includes thereon a support leg 65 (FIG. 3) having a 
cushioned pad 66 which rests upon the support platform 11' of the front 
wall 11 of storage bin 14, as best seen in FIG. 3, to position the 
telephone handset at an inclined angle with respect to the longitudinal 
axis of the armrest 10 but substantially horizontal in an inclined 
orthogonal plane for use, as seen in FIG. 6. The armrest cover 19 can be 
closed when the telephone is in the use position, as shown in FIG. 3. 
Thus, with the telephone mounting system of the present invention, a unique 
system for storing a telephone handset in a relatively narrow armrest is 
provided and one by which the handset, as its mounting cradle is grasped 
and removed from the storage bin 14 associated with armrest 10 to 
automatically extend and rotate the handset in the direction indicated by 
arrows B and C (FIGS. 5 and 6) such that it is conveniently positioned 
forward of the front wall 11 of the armrest 10 for use. The telephone 
handset is automatically rotated and the spring 32 compressed as the 
operator rotates the handset back into the armrest by pressing the bottom 
of the mounting platform 22 rearwardly. The telephone power, control and 
antenna cable can be trained adjacent the mounting bracket 36 utilizing 
conventional cable clamps or the like with sufficient cable slack to allow 
the flexing of the necessary interconnections of the phone to the antenna 
and the phone power supply and control circuit. Although shown in an 
armrest 10, the telephone mounting system can be mounted in a fixed 
console or other storage bin in a vehicle. 
It will become apparent to those skilled in the art that various 
modifications to the preferred embodiment of the invention as described 
herein can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the 
invention as defined by the appended claims. 
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or 
privilege is claimed are defined as follows.