Mounting system for car telephones

Abstract: The present invention concerns a mounting system for a car telephone apparatus, by the aid of which a holder of an operating means, a separate holder, etc. can be mounted on a vehicle without using any instruments. The system comprises a mounting shoe (1) provided with flutes (2,3) and a partly grooved centre part, and a mounting piece (6) provided with flanges (16,10) fitting said flutes (2,3), and a plate spring securing the coupling of the mounting shoe (1) and the mounting piece (6).

Description: The present invention concerns a system by the aid of which various car telephone apparatus can flexibly be deposited in and detached from a vehicle without using any instruments. The system is modular in that in the same attaching member can any means, if desired, be deposited. Usually a car telephone means, for instance the holder of an operating means, a hand-free loudspeaker housing, a car telephone rack, a separate holder or other means is mounted fixedly. On the holder affixed on the mounting surface, a car telephone or a separate holder is deposited with screw fastening, whereby detaching the means is difficult and time consuming. In certain situations it is necessary to detach all car radio telephone apparatus quickly from the vehicle. This is particularly the case when one desires to prevent the apparatus from being stolen; also in servicing quick detaching is advantageous. It would be advantageous to provide a depositing system which enables easy and quick depositing and detaching of a car telephone apparatus without using any instruments and which enables the use of identical components for different means. This problem has been addressed in JP-A-61122052 which discloses a mounting system for car telephone apparatus in which a car radio telephone means may be deposited to and detached from a vehicle without using any instruments. The disclosed arrangement comprises a mounting shoe for attachment to a car telephone apparatus or which is a part thereof, and having a rectangular planar surface, at least two sides thereof being provided with a straight flange section on at least a part of the length of one side. Also disclosed is a mounting piece for mounting upon a surface in a vehicle directly and which is provided with a rectangular planar surface, at least two sides thereof being provided with an edge portion which is flute like in cross section on at least a part of the length of one side, its plane being in parallel with the planar surface and projecting outwards from the edge of said surface. The flange parts of the mounting shoe in this arrangement can join the edge portions with the flute like edge portions during attachment of the mounting shoe to the mounting piece. In this arrangement attachment and detachment is achieved by operation of a hook and pawl arrangement. The present invention provides a mounting system for car telephone apparatus in which a car radio telephone means, for instance the holder of an operating means, a hand-free loudspeaker housing, a car telephone rack, a separate holder or equivalent may be deposited to and detached from a vehicle without using any instruments, the system comprising a mounting shoe for attachment to a car telephone apparatus or which is a part thereof, and having a rectangular planar shoe surface; a mounting piece for mounting upon a surface in a vehicle and which is provided with a rectangular planar mounting piece surface; said mounting shoe being attachable to said mounting piece; characterised in that said rectangular planar shoe surface is provided on at least two sides with an edge portion which is flute like in cross section, one branch thereof being perpendicular to the planar shoe surface, and the other branch being parallel with the planar shoe surface and at a position spaced thereabove, said planar shoe surface being further provided with ridges which are serrated in cross section and arranged parallel with a flangeless edge of the planar shoe surface, said ridges being substantially shorter than said flangeless edge and arranged to lie in a region of the planar shoe surface from adjacent said flangeless edge to adjacent an edge opposite thereof; said mounting piece surface being provided on at least two sides thereof with a straight flange section on at least part of the length of one side, its plane being in parallel with the mounting piece surface and projecting outwards from the edge of said mounting piece surface; said mounting piece being further provided with a plate spring having a resilient ridge arranged in parallel with a flangeless side of said mounting piece, said resilient ridge being substantially the same length as said ridges in said mounting shoe, and being arranged in a mid part of said mounting piece; whereby said flange section is intended to join the mounting piece with the flute like edge portions of the mounting shoes. The system comprises a mounting shoe, which may be a separate component to be attached to the means, or it may also be a part of its shell, a mounting piece, to which the mounting shoe is attached with one motion, and a mounting component, by means of which the mounting piece is affixed to the surface to be mounted. The mounting piece can be articulate so that it enables selection of a relative position of the mounting component in relation to the surface to be mounted. The mounting piece can be attached directly to the surface, also without a mounting component. The mounting shoe is a rectangular body with a planar section. The surface of said planar section is provided with grooves, or respectively, with parallel ridges protruding from the surface, said ridges forming a serrated configuration in cross-section. At least two sides of the planar section are provided with an L shaped part which is fluting in cross-section so that one branch of said flute is at right angles to the planar section, and the other branch, positioned in extension to it, is in parallel with the planar section and at a space thereabove. The mounting shoe may be fixed with screws to the means to be mounted or it may be produced as a part thereof, or the holder thereof. The mounting component to which the mounting shoe is attached is equally a rectangular piece provided with a planar section. At least on two sides thereof, a flange section protrudes at least partially the length of one side. The flange section protrudes on the outer edge of the planar section in the direction of said plane. On the surface of the mounting component, approximately in the middle of its planar section, is provided a plate spring. The spring has a ridge running transversally to its longitudinal direction. The mounting piece can be mounted on the surface to be mounted either directly with screws, or a separate mounting part, an intermediate part may be used, to which the mounting piece is fixed or which it is a part of. The intermediate part may be an articulated component, enabling the turning of the mounting piece, and hence, of the car telephone apparatus into any arbitrary position. The invention is described more in detail referring to the figures presenting an advantageous embodiment, in which Fig. 1a presents a mounting shoe in front view, Fig. 1b the same in elevational section along the line A-A, Fig. 2a the mounting piece in rear view, Fig. 2b an elevational view of the mounting piece, Fig. 2c elevational section of the mounting piece along the line B-B of Fig. 2d, Fig. 2d the mounting piece in front view, Fig. 2e an end view of the mounting piece, Fig. 3 shows a direct affixing of a mounting piece on the mounting surface, Fig. 4 shows a mounting component, and Fig. 5 presents a modification of the mounting component. In the mounting shoe 1 presented in Fig. 1a and b can be seen a rectangular planar section 5 with a ridged area 4 in the middle. The area could also be grooved. The cross-sectional view of Fig. 1b shows that the ridges form a serrated profile. On three edges of the mounting shoe 1 is provided a fluting part of L shaped cross-section, so that a first branch of the flute projects from the planar section 5 being consistent with the normal of the surface, and the second branch, being an extension to said branch, deflects in the direction of the surface thereabove and at a space therefrom. The flute may extend on the entire length of the three edges of the planar section or a flute is provided in a certain region of each edge. Fig. 1a shows a flute 3 on a short side and flutes 2 on the sides bordering thereon. The edge part between the flutes 2 and the flute 3 is provided with a closed margin. The purpose of said design is to secure that the mounting shoe is joined with the mounting piece in a right position. Figures 2a-2e present a mounting piece 6. It consists mainly of a rectangular planar part 7 of a given thickness. On two edges of said part is provided a flange 16 and one the third edge, a flange 10, said flanges extending outwards from the edge in parallel with the plane. The. thicknesses and projection of said flanges are equal to the depth and height of the flutes on the sides of the mounting shoe; similarly, the breadth of the flange on the shorter side is equal to the breadth of the flute 3. At one end of the flanges 16 are provided additional flanges 15, so dimensioned as to be able to enter the ends of the flutes 2 of the mounting shoe 1 when the mounting shoe is being urged into the mounting piece. In this manner they serve as limiters to the pushing motion. In the mid area of the planar part 7 of the mounting piece 6 is located a plate spring 8, which is produced while the mounting piece was made. The spring is somewhat bulged outwards and a crest 9 passes across the spring. When the mounting shoe 1 and the mounting piece are interconnected, the surface of the mounting piece 6 on which the spring 8 is located is placed against the crested surface of the mounting shoe. The mounting shoe is inserted into the mounting piece 6 in the direction of the edge on which a flange 10 is located. The flanges 16 enter the flutes 2 to guide the motion, and the crest 9 of the plate spring 8 slides from a mounting shoe ridge 4 to another. Finally, the flange 10 enters the flute 3, and at the same time, the additional flanges 15 become into contact with the end faces of the flutes 2. In this manner, the connection has been completed with a single motion. The mounting shoe and the mounting component remain reliably interconnected because of the joint operation of the flanges and the flutes, and any inadvertent detaching is prevented by the plate spring which with a sufficient force holds the crest disposed in the valley between the ridges 4. For affixing the mounting piece 6, said piece is provided with holes for fixing screws. The mounting piece may, e.g. with holes 11, be mounted directly to the mounting surface as is shown in Fig. 3. In Fig. 2c it is seen that the screws are affixed on the side facing the mounting shoe. For the heads of the fixing screws a recess has been provided on the surface. The mounting piece may also be attached to a separate mounting section, for instance to a connector 17 presented in Fig. 4, which in turn is attached to the mounting surface. The connector 17 is provided with slots 18 for four screws. These screws are on the side of the connector affixed to the mounting piece, which for said purpose is provided with recessed helical parts 13. The mounting piece may also be attached to the mounting surface by means of an articulated part which enables turning of the mounting piece freely relative to the mounting surface. A schematical presentation thereof is shown in Fig. 5. Hereby, a curved portion 19 is produced in the mounting piece 6, serving as a response surface for the articulated parts. Said articulated parts are described more in detail in EP-A-0384172. The mounting system enables a quick depositing of a car telephone apparatus and its detachment from a vehicle. The system may be made modular in that on all apparatus is mounted the above described mounting shoe in the plant already, or it can be produced to be part of the shell of the means. With a separate mounting component, by which a mounting piece has been attached to the mounting surface of the vehicle, the means is turnable while being mounted in place into ergonomically desirable position.

Claims: A mounting system for car telephone apparatus in which a car radio telephone means, for instance the holder of an operating means, a hand-free loudspeaker housing, a car telephone rack, a separate holder or equivalent may be deposited to and detached from a vehicle without using any instruments, the system comprising a mounting shoe (1) for attachment to a car telephone apparatus or which is a part thereof, and having a rectangular planar shoe surface (5); a mounting piece (6) for mounting upon a surface in a vehicle and which is provided with a rectangular planar mounting piece surface (7); said mounting shoe (1) being attachable to said mounting piece (6); characterised in that said rectangular planar shoe surface (5) is provided on at least two sides with an edge portion (2, 3) which is flute like in cross section, one branch thereof being perpendicular to the planar shoe surface (5), and the other branch being parallel with the planar shoe surface (5) and at a position spaced thereabove, said planar shoe surface (5) being further provided with ridges (4) which are serrated in cross section and arranged parallel with a flangeless edge of the planar shoe surface (5), said ridges (4) being substantially shorter than said flangeless edge and arranged to lie in a region of the planar shoe surface (5) from adjacent said flangeless edge to adjacent an edge opposite thereof; said mounting piece surface (7) being provided on at least two sides thereof with a straight flange section (10, 16) on at least part of the length of one side, its plane being in parallel with the mounting piece surface (7) and projecting outwards from the edge of said mounting piece surface (7); said mounting piece (6) being further provided with a plate spring (8) having a resilient ridge (9) arranged in parallel with a flangeless side of said mounting piece (6), said resilient ridge (9) being substantially the same length as said ridges (4) in said mounting shoe (1), and being arranged in a mid part of said mounting piece (6); whereby said flange section (10, 16) is intended to join the mounting piece (6) with the flute like edge portions (2, 3) of the mounting shoes (1). Mounting system according to Claim 1, characterised in that the plate spring (8) has been produced in making the mounting piece to be a part thereof or it is a separate metallic plate spring. Mounting system according to Claim 1, characterised in that the mounting piece (6) is attached to a separate mounting component which may be a bent metal plate (17) or an articulated component (20). Mounting system according to Claim 1, characterised in that the mounting shoe (1) and the mounting piece (6) are made of plastic material.

Inventors: KOTITALO JOUKO KALEVI, PESONEN ANTERO VILHO, KOTITALO, JOUKO KALEVI, PESONEN, ANTERO VILHO
Applicants: NOKIA MOBILE PHONES LTD, NOKIA MOBILE PHONES LTD.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B60R11
IPC codes: F16M13, B60R11