Abstract:
A fixing system suitable for use in a vehicle includes a main body portion and engagement means adapted for positive engagement, in use, with a part of a vehicle, wherein the engagement means comprises at least two rigidly spaced-apart engagement surfaces.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority from United Kingdom patent application No.: GB 1208362.2, titled FIXING SYSTEM, filed May 14, 2012, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This application is related to United Kingdom patent application No.: GB 1119669.8, titled (NON DAMAGE) HOOK SYSTEM TO ATTACH AN ITEM TO A VEHICLE AIR VENT OR FASCIA OR SURFACE, filed Nov. 14, 2011, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     FIELD OF DISCLOSURE 
     This invention relates to a fixing system, and in particular, but without limitation, to a dashboard mount suitable for use with mobile telephones, portable computers, tablet computers and the like. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Nowadays, it is quite common for users of motor vehicles to have mobile computing and telephony devices with them. For safety reasons, it is not recommended, or indeed legal, in many countries, to hold a mobile device whilst driving. In certain industries, however, in particular in delivery and logistics, it is often important for drivers to continuously use a mobile computing device. For example, a delivery driver may be issued with a personal, portable computing device that he or she uses as: a satellite navigation and positioning system (for plotting routes between delivery destinations and for relaying instantaneous tracking data to the depot); a package barcode scanner and inventory device; a point of delivery signature recorder, etc. Such devices often need to be dashboard-mountable so that the driver of the vehicle can easily view his or her itinerary, view messages from the depot, and utilize the satellite navigation interface of the device whilst on the move. 
     Many portable computing devices, such as those used by delivery drivers, can be quite heavy, so a mount for it needs to be robustly manufactured and securely affixable to the dashboard or other interior surface of a vehicle. 
     Known solutions to the problem of mounting handheld computing devices include: 
     Suction-cup type mounts, that comprise a suction cup that can be used to secure a device cradle to a surface of the vehicle. These devices need to be secured to flat surfaces, so cannot often be secured to dashboards and other surfaces having, cloth, leather, textured or decorative finishes. To overcome this, the suction cup can be affixed to the vehicle&#39;s windscreen, but this can obscure the driver&#39;s view of the road, which is undesirable. 
     An alternative device comprises a device cradle that is screwed to a surface of the vehicle. Whilst providing a secure location for the device, this solution suffers the disadvantage of damaging the vehicle&#39;s interior, which can be unsightly and/or reduce the vehicle&#39;s re-sale value. Moreover, if different drivers utilize different devices, it can be difficult to swap the mount for one of an appropriate type. 
     Other device mounts comprise cradles that clip to the louvres of the dashboard vents, but these mounts have a tendency to move with the louvres, and can damage the louvres. Also, because the louvres are not intended to be structural components they can easily break under the weight of the device, especially as the vehicle traverses bumps etc. in the road. Examples of mounts that clip to vents are well known, such as those disclosed in published patent document numbers: US 2005/0236541, U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,124, US 2009/0072106, U.S. Pat. No. 6,441,872, U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,724 and CN 101633341. 
     Other devices, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,733, US 2010/0090076 and DE 202004018904, and so on, teach ways of attaching devices to other parts of a vehicle&#39;s interior, such as its headrest posts, cigarette lighter socket etc. Whilst these devices may be satisfactory in certain situations, they do not readily place the device within eyesight of the driver under normal driving conditions. 
     SUMMARY 
     A need therefore arises for an improved type of mount for devices within a vehicle. 
     According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a ridged fixing system that causes no damage to the item to which it is attached. The invention preferably uses existing, unmodified parts of a vehicle internally or externally to attach the fixing system hooks to create anchor points for a ridged or adjustable plate that when fastened together forms a ridged and solid point to locate any practical item desired in or on the vehicle. The first aspect of the invention may conveniently provide a rigid fixing point for any item where no other existing system would allow such rigidity in or on a vehicle and to become a permanent or semi-permanent addition to a vehicle. The fixing system of the first aspect of the invention preferably comprises one or more plates with hooks that fold/wrap around an existing part of a vehicle. The hooks are preferably held in place by a plate or adjustable plate, which may be extendable. The extendable and/or adjustable plate, once attached, may advantageously restrain or restrict movement in the attachment and may rigidly fix the system in place to allow the stable attachment of any device as desired. 
     The fixing system of the first aspect of the invention may provide a system of hooks (i.e. multiple hooks) that insert or wrap around an area or that intrude in to an area to allow attachment of a plate or adjustable bar/plate to a vehicle&#39;s air vent, dashboard, fascia, door, door card, or indeed any other part of a vehicle to allow another item, for example, a portable computer or mobile telephone, to be attached without the need to use any pre-existing screw holes, or to create any screw holes. 
     According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a fixing system suitable for use in a vehicle comprising a main body portion and engagement means adapted for positive engagement, in use, with a part of a vehicle, wherein the engagement means comprises at least two rigidly spaced-apart engagement surfaces. 
     Because the engagement means are rigidly spaced apart engagement surfaces, the fixing system is not held in place by spring forces, which exert continuous force or pressure on a part of the vehicle. In other words, the fixing system can be held in place by dimensionally matching the spacing of the engagement surfaces to two or more mounting locations of a vehicle, stability being derived from dimensional constraints, rather than active force applied to one or more parts of the vehicle. Possible advantages of the invention include the fact that because there are clips or other spring-biased fasteners used to secure the fixing system to the vehicle, there is no force applied continuously to the mounting locations, nor is there any residual force when the fixing system is un-loaded. Such a construction may provide a considerably more rigid location to which a device can be mounted, may reduce loading on the mounting locations, and may improve the longevity of the mounting locations. 
     In a most preferred embodiment of the invention, the fixing system is adapted for connection to the periphery of the surround, rather than to the louvres, of a dashboard vent. Such an embodiment avoids loading or stressing the louvres, but rather transmits the weight of the fixing system and device held by it, to a rigid part of the dashboard or fascia. This spares the vent louvres, whilst at the same time, improving the stability of the fixing system and increasing its potential loading capacity. 
     The main body portion preferably comprises a substantially rigid plate to which the engagement means can be detachably affixed. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the engagement means comprise hook formations that are adapted to engage with the lip of a dashboard fascia or the surround of a dashboard vent. The hooks, where provided, are preferably manufactured by folding a relatively thin strip of metal into a U-cross-section profile, limbs of the U lying, in use, adjacent opposite sides of a fascia, and the bottom of the U engaging an edge of the fascia. 
     At least one of the engagement means is/are preferably detachably affixable to the main body portion, for example using screws. The main body portion may be provided with a number of spaced-apart screw holes to enable the spacing of the engagement means to be adjusted to suit differently-sized vent apertures of a dashboard. 
     The main body portion may be substantially flat, or it may comprise one or more dependent limb portions to which the engagement means are affixable. Such a configuration may allow the main body portion to be angled with respect to the engagement means and/or the vehicle&#39;s dashboard, for example, to present an attached device at an optimum viewing angle with respect to a driver. 
     A cradle may be affixed to the main body portion either permanently, for example, using an adhesive, semi-permanently, for example using screws, or detachably, for example, via a clip connector. The use of a clip connector interposed between the main body portion of the fixing system and the cradle is preferred as it may allow a common fixing system to be used with a variety of cradles for different devices, all sharing a common clip connector. 
     The main body portion is preferably manufactured from a strong, rigid material, such as folded, or press-formed, sheet metal. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       Preferred embodiments of the invention shall now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view from the front of a first embodiment of a fixing system in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view from the rear of the fixing system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIGS. 3 to 6  are a sequence showing how the fixing system of  FIGS. 2 and 2  can be affixed to a dashboard vent surround; 
         FIG. 7  is a side view of a second embodiment of a fixing system in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view from the front of a the fixing system of  FIG. 7 ; and 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view from the rear of the fixing system of  FIG. 7 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 6  of the drawings, a fixing system  10  comprises a main body portion  12  formed from a thin folded sheet of metal having a generally rectangular, planar fixing surface  14  to which a device can be affixed as described below. The planar fixing surface  14  is folded at opposite ends to form a pair of rearwardly, and substantially perpendicularly-extending limb portions  16 , which terminate in generally flat projection portions  18  to which dashboard engaging hooks  20  are affixed using screws  22 . 
     The limb portions  16  are generally wedge-shaped such that the plane of the main fixing surface  14  is angled with respect to the plane of the hooks  20 , which enables the fixing surface  14  to be angled towards a driver, when installed, and/or to compensate for curvature in a dashboard to which the fixing system  10  is affixed. 
     The hook  20  are formed from a sheet of folded metal, such as steel, and comprise a generally U-cross-section hook portion  22  having two spaced-apart limbs  24  interconnected by an engagement surface  26  at the base of the U. Pairs of hooks  20  are integrally formed from a single sheet of folded metal, and are joined by an integrally-formed interconnecting member  28  having through holes through which the fixing screws  22  extend to connect the hooks  20  to the main body portion  12 . 
     Installation of the fixing device  10  is illustrated in  FIGS. 3 to 6  as follows. First, the hooks  20  are separated from the fixing device and are installed in a dashboard vent aperture  30 . This is accomplished by pressing the hooks  20  such that spaced apart limbs  24  of each hook are positioned on opposite sides of the periphery of the vent aperture  30 . The hooks  20  are then slid, as indicated by arrows  34 , so that the engagement surface  26  of each hook  20  abuts the periphery  32  of the dashboard vent aperture  30 , as shown particularly, in schematic cross-section, in  FIG. 4 . The hooks  20  are temporarily retained in-situ by frictional forces. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 5 , the main body portion  12  is then offered up to the hooks  20  and the through holes of the main body portion  36  are aligned with those of the hooks  38 . The main body portion  12  is then secured to the hooks  20  using screws  22 , and optionally with gripping washers  40  too, that inhibit loosening of the screws  22 . The final assembly is shown in  FIG. 6 , whereby the fixing system  10  is securely affixed to the dashboard vent  30 . 
     The main body portion  12  has a number of pre-drilled holes  42  with which a cradle clip (not shown) can be screwed to the mount  10 . Alternatively, a clip (not shown) can be glued or otherwise affixed to the main body portion  12 . A device cradle (not shown) can then be detachably secured to the fixing system  10  with the minimal effort. 
     Stability of the fixing system  10  is achieved by ensuring that the lateral and vertical position of the hooks  20  rigidly corresponds substantially to the dimensions to the dimensions of the vent aperture  30 , which prevents sliding and rotation of the fixing system  10  relative to the dashboard. Forces on the fixing system  10  are transmitted directly to the dashboard fascia, rather than via the vent itself, which makes it much stronger and more rigid that a louvre-mounted design. In addition, the vent louvres  44  can still be manipulated, albeit to a limited extent, once the fixing system  10  has been installed, which would not normally possible were the fixing system  10  to be connected to the louvres, rather than to the vent surround. 
     In  FIGS. 7 to 9 , identical features have been identified by identical reference signs for ease of understanding. The main difference between the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 to 6  and  FIGS. 7 to 9  being the addition of a cable clip  50  formed integrally with the main body portion  12 , which can be used to retain a bight of a charging or data cable (not shown), and thus reduce loading on an electrical plug or other connector associated with the device (not shown). 
     In  FIGS. 7 and 9 , it can be seen that the mounting holes  42  of the main body portion lead to internally screw-threaded nuts  58 , which are affixed to the rear surface of the main body portion  12 . This enables fixing screws to be screwed directly into the main body portion, without having to use separate nuts on the rear surface. Also, it will be appreciated that a number of through holes  42  have been provided to facilitate connecting a range of cradle clips  52 . 
     In  FIG. 7  it can be seen that an industry-standard cradle clip  52  has been affixed to the fixing device, to which cradle clip  52 , a range of device cradles can be detachably affixed. Also, in  FIG. 7 , it can be seen that the vertical spacing  54  of the hook engagement surfaces  26  is rigidly fixed by the main body portion  12 , and that the lateral spacing is rigidly fixed by the cross member  28 . As such, the spatial positions and relationship between the hooks  20  is substantially rigidly fixed, and can be designed to substantially correspond to the dimensions of a given dashboard vent. 
     The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiments of the invention, which are merely exemplary. In alternative embodiments of the invention, there may be provided a number of set of through holes  36 ,  38  in the main body portion  12  or hook portions  20  to enable the fixing device  10  to be fitted to a range of vent apertures having different sizes. The shapes, dimensions and materials of construction are illustrative, and can be varied without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, a device cradle could be affixed to the main body portion without the use of an intermediate clip, also without departing from the scope of the invention.