Abstract:
An assembly for attaching gauges or other accessories to vehicles provides a rampart member for securing the assembly to a vehicle surface and a gauge display member secured to the rampart member for receiving and displaying gauges and other instruments.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for mounting items to, and displaying items on, vehicles. More particularly, the invention relates to a rigid and versatile apparatus for supporting instruments or other items from available areas of vehicles, such as the areas surrounding the typical rear view mirror location. 
   BACKGROUND 
   Many forms of personal transportation lack desired controls, indications, or accessories suited to the personal tastes of the individual or individuals using the transportation. Automobile manufacturers provide a basic level of indicators and displays (e.g., speedometer, engine temperature, and fuel level, with warning lights for various other indicators) and forego the addition of ancillary instruments and gauges to keep their costs low. Simple efforts at adding gauges and other instruments to a vehicle&#39;s interior often sacrifice the stability of the factory equipment to which the instruments are attached, and further sacrifice the safety of the passengers by not adequately supporting the added instruments. 
   These problems provide opportunities for creative after-market solutions. Because of the expense of design and production, after-market manufacturers try to design products applicable to a wide variety of makes or styles of vehicles. Therefore, it is important that after-market solutions be versatile, capable of suiting most drivers regardless of the vehicle. Ideally, the flexibility of orientation and location would help a variety of drivers of a single vehicle to achieve spatial compatibility with the installed indications. Such products should also be effective, safe, inexpensive, and easy for the driver to install. 
   Most vehicles feature some exposed, available surface. For example, vehicles used in motor sports are likely to provide roll over protection through tubular roll bars or cages; additionally, in some of these vehicles the A-pillar is also an exposed tube. Larger vehicles, such as boats and automobiles may have free surfaces on dashboards or consoles in front and below the driver&#39;s field of view, as well as on the windshield or on the roof in front and above the driver&#39;s field of view. Such spots provide an opportunity for mounting one or more gauges, controls, or accessories. 
   Different drivers, and even different positions of a single driver can require a broad range of adjustment to preserve spatial compatibility of an important gauge or indication. Additionally, items such as gauges typically must be connected by wiring to the equipment measuring the given vehicle performance or other parameter to be displayed by the gauge. This requires provisioning for wire hookup and discrete wire covering. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to an improved gauge mounting assembly for overcoming the above and other challenges. In one embodiment, the invention includes a gauge display member having a face portion, a beard portion and an interior wall. The face portion is provided with a substantially horizontal top edge lying in a substantially horizontal plane when the mount is in an upright position, and the beard portion can be integrally formed with the face portion. The beard portion extends outwardly from the side and lower edges of the face portion, and the face portion includes at least one opening through which a gauge or other instrument may be viewed. The invention further includes a rampart member securable to the interior wall of the gauge display member. In one embodiment, the rampart member is secured to the gauge display member by means of a lip portion extending along a lower inner portion of the rampart member, which provides a flat surface of sufficient surface area to securely mate with the gauge display member interior wall. When the gauge display member and the rampart member are secured, an opening is created through which gauges, instruments and wiring may be positioned and maintained. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the gauge mount assembly of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the gauge display member and rampart member of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a rear elevational view of the rampart member of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is an illustrative schematic view showing the gauge frame member being installed in a vehicle interior. 
       FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the embodiment of the gauge mount assembly shown in  FIG. 1 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   With reference to the drawings, as shown in  FIGS. 1 through 5 , there is provided a gauge mounting assembly  10  having a gauge display member  15  and a rampart member  20 . The rampart member  20  secures the assembly of the present invention to a mounting surface of a vehicle as described hereinafter. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  5 , the gauge display member has a face portion  40 , a beard portion  42  and an interior wall  44 . The face portion  40  has a substantially horizontal top edge  46  lying in a substantially horizontal plane when the mount is in an upright position as shown in  FIG. 1 . The beard portion  42 , which may be formed integrally with the face portion  40 , for example, extends outwardly from the left  48  and right  49  edges of the face portion  40 . In one embodiment, this extension is such that the beard portion  42  extends at least partially higher than the plane of the face portion top edge, as indicated at  50 , for example. In this way, the beard portion can mate in a substantially flush relationship with external vehicle components such as a windshield, roof or headliner, for example. This assists in the stability and the overall aesthetics of the device of the present invention. Further in this embodiment, the beard portion can adequately cover the elements maintained within the pocket formed by the gauge display member and rampart member, as discussed hereinafter. As further shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the beard portion  42  also extends downwardly from a front lower edge  52  of the face portion  40 . The downward extension of the beard portion  42  is adequate to mate with a bottom external support surface, e.g., a windshield. 
   The face portion  40  is formed with one or more substantially circular, part-cylindrical and/or other shaped rings  54  so as to provide one or more openings  55  therein, through which an installed gauge or other instrument may be viewed, for example. In one embodiment, each ring edge  58  forms the perimeter of the respective opening  55  and the ring body  59  and edge  58  are configured to receive and/or retain a portion of the gauge or instrument for display. In this way, the face of the gauge or other instrument (shown in dashed lines in  FIG. 5  and at  75  in  FIG. 4 ) can extend through the opening, with the remaining body portion of the gauge residing in the cavity created by the mating of the gauge display member and the rampart member, supported in one embodiment at least in part by the ring body  59 , and discussed more completely elsewhere herein. In one embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , one or more of the rings  54  can be offset such that a portion  56  of the ring extends outwardly from the face portion  40  and a portion  57  of the ring extends into the face portion. In another embodiment, the rings  54  can extend perpendicularly outwardly from the face portion. In another embodiment, the rings  54  can be flat against front wall  40 . In the embodiment of the invention with multiple rings, while the rings may be constructed to lie in parallel planes, the invention may be constructed such that any two or more rings can lie in parallel planes, or such that no two rings lie in parallel planes. In another embodiment, the ring member is not provided in substantially circular or part-cylindrical form, but rather in another geometric form provided with an opening for housing an item which is not substantially cylindrical or circular in cross-section, for example. 
   As further shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the face portion left  48  and right  49  edges extend upwardly and outwardly from a lower edge  52  of the face portion to the top edge  46 . In this way, when the beard portion  42  is formed or secured to the face portion, the edges  60  of the beard portion can more naturally flow to the external support surface (e.g., the windshield  70  in  FIG. 4 ). The shape of the face and beard portion thus provide aesthetically pleasing lines which may be consistent with the vehicle&#39;s internal lines, for example, while further functioning to assist in the mating of elements so as to enclose interior items (gauges, wiring, etc.) from view when installed. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1 through 3  and  5 , the rampart member  20  has a substantially flat section  22  with an upper edge  23  and left  24  and right  25  edges. In one embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the rampart member upper edge  23  extends substantially horizontally in a plane which is above and substantially co-planar to the top edge of display member  15 . The rampart member  20  further is provided with a lip portion  26  extending from the left edge to the right edge along a lower inner portion  27  of the flat section  22 . The lip portion  26  has an internal face  28  and an external face  29 , wherein the external face can be mated with the interior surface  44  of the gauge display member  15  to form a tight seal. The broader surface area of external face  29  of lip portion  26  enables the mating of the rampart member with the gauge display member through a variety of mating techniques, such as with glue, double-sided tape, hook-and-loop type fasteners such as Velcro™, screws, single-sided tape and other known adhesives. In one embodiment, a chemical comprising methylene chloride can be employed which acts to weld the members together. 
   As further shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the rampart member  20  can be provided with a notch  31  which may be used to guide wires associated with the instrument(s) to be enclosed within the gauge mounting assembly. A ridge  32  can also be provided for use as a guide or a means to accommodate a rear view mirror support, for example. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the ridge  32  provided in rampart member  20  meets with a back groove  33  formed by the creation of lip portion  26 , which may be employed to facilitate wire concealment in one embodiment. 
   When the rampart member is securely engaged with the gauge display member, an opening  62  is created, which leads to a cavity portion  64  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 5 . In operation, gauges and other instruments may be positioned within the cavity portion prior to or after the sealing of rampart member with gauge display member, and any wiring from the gauge(s) or instrument(s) is channeled through notch  31  and subsequently above a headliner or along the interior line where the windshield and roof of a vehicle meet, indicated generally at  65  in  FIG. 4 , and finally attached to the instrument or other device for which a connection is required. It will be appreciated that references herein to the term “gauge” or “instrument” can mean any of a variety of gauges, instruments, displays, lights, dials, needles, indicators or other item that can be used to reveal a characteristic, status, property, measurement or reading which a driver or passenger of a vehicle may find desirable to gain knowledge of or obtain. This should not be limited to vehicle performance gauges such as a tachometer and similar items. For example, in one embodiment of the invention, an instrument such as a wireless or satellite radio may be retained within the assembly of the present invention. It will further be appreciated that the term “gauge display member” should not be limited to a member for displaying only gauges. 
   The combined gauge display member and rampart member can be secured within a vehicle using a variety of attachment methods and devices. In one embodiment, an adhesive such as two-sided tape, hook-and-loop fasteners, glue or other suitable bonding adhesive can be placed on the windshield and/or the back of rampart member flat section  22  to adhere the device to the windshield. In another embodiment, a first bracket member (not shown) can be adhered to a windshield while a cooperating second bracket member (not shown) is adhered to the back of rampart member flat section  22 . Then, the brackets are cooperatively engaged to securely support the device on the windshield of a vehicle. In another embodiment, the top edge of rampart member is snugly engaged between elements of the vehicle, such as the roof and the headliner of the vehicle as indicated at  67  of  FIG. 4 . It will be appreciated that a combination of the above methods and devices may be employed as necessary. As shown in  FIG. 4 , when the assembly is secured within the vehicle, the bottom, left and right edges of the beard portion  42  of gauge display member  15  align with the windshield or other support surface to provide a mating seam. In this way, the invention can provide an aesthetically appealing “factory look” while concealing unsightly wiring and other components maintained within the cavity of the assembly. 
   It will be appreciated that the gauge display assembly of the present invention may thereby be located at various locations within the vehicle depending upon the user&#39;s taste. In one embodiment, a kit can be provided in connection with the invention, including the gauge display member, rampart member, adhesive and/or other attachment mechanisms for securing the rampart member to the vehicle interior as well as for securing the rampart member to the gauge display member. 
   In constructing the present invention, the gauge display member  15  and rampart member  20  may be formed by creating a mold out of urethane or similar material, and vacuum sealing ABS plastic or other suitable material about the mold. The plastic member can then be trimmed and cut to provide the desired edges and/or openings. It will be appreciated that the positioning and retaining of gauges within the cavity created by securing the gauge display member and the rampart member, as well as the process steps of securing the assembly in place within a vehicle interior may occur in a variety of orders. For example, the gauge display member and rampart member may be secured together, and then gauges fed through openings  55 , wiring first. Then the rampart member may be secured to the vehicle, such as against the windshield, above the headliner or both, with the wiring extending through notch  31  and up along or behind the headliner so as to effectuate concealment. Alternatively, gauges and wiring may be placed in the gauge display member as it is placed in position within the vehicle interior. Then, the rampart member may be brought into position such that the lip portion external surface mates with the gauge display member interior wall, thereby retaining the gauges and wiring within the formed cavity. The wiring may then be brought up through the opening  62  and notch  31  for feeding along ridge  32  and back groove  33  as described earlier. The rampart member can then be secured to the gauge display member and the assembly can then be secured to the vehicle interior in any of the manners described or the equivalents thereof. In one embodiment, the gauge display member itself can be secured to the vehicle without the use of the rampart member, such as by glue or other adhesive along the edges of the gauge display member. The particular dimensions of the gauge display member and rampart member and their elemental parts can, in one embodiment, be customized depending upon the target vehicle make and model and the desired location within the target vehicle. 
   It should be understood that the foregoing description and examples are only illustrative of the present invention; the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, including variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and the manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. Thus, various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variances that fall within the scope of the appended claims.