Abstract:
An improved system for securing a display device mounting bracket to a surface mounting bracket in a mounting system. A fastener connects to a movable extension component that is movably engaged with the device mounting bracket. When a device mounting bracket has been correctly positioned relative to the surface mounting bracket, the movable extension component is moved until a portion of the surface mounting bracket is positioned between the device mounting bracket and the movable extension component, thereby preventing the device mounting bracket from moving away from the surface mounting bracket.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/791,063, filed Apr. 11, 2006 and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates generally to systems for mounting display devices such as flat panel televisions. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems for securing a mounting system&#39;s device mounting bracket in position during an installation process. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   In recent years, flat panel televisions have become enormously popular in both commercial and residential sectors. As the prices for plasma and liquid crystal display (LCD) flat panel displays have continued to fall, and the quality for the same devices have improved, more and more businesses and individuals have purchased such devices for both home and business entertainment purposes. 
   One of the advantages of flat panel televisions units that customers have found particular appealing is their relatively low thickness. Because conventional “tube” televisions have a relatively large depth, the display options for such devices are quite limited. In the residential setting, most users require a television stand or large entertainment center to store the television. Such stands or entertainment centers can take up significant floor space, which is often undesirable. In the commercial or educational setting, users will often install large overhead mounting systems that can contain the television. However these systems usually require professional installation. With flat panel televisions, on the other hand, users are presented with a relatively new option: mounting the television directly to the wall. By mounting the television to the wall, a person can eliminate the need to take up potentially valuable floor space. 
   Although the introduction of flat panel televisions on a wide scale has presented new opportunities to both residential and commercial customers, it has also presented new challenges. In particular, flat panel televisions, while usually having significantly smaller depth or profile than conventional “tube” televisions, tend to be quite heavy. Particularly for flat panel televisions with large screens, this weight can become also prohibitively great. With such large weights involved, it is especially important that users can easily, safely, and securely mount the devices without having to make substantial adjustments. 
   A number of conventional wall mounting systems involve the use of a relatively large wall mounting plate and a plurality of adapter brackets that are configured to attach to the back of a television or other display device. Each adapter bracket typically includes a screw or similar fastener that is used to secure the adapter bracket relative to the wall mounting plate. One such adapter bracket is shown at  100  in  FIG. 1 . The conventional adapter bracket  100  includes a pair of side portions which bound a mounting contact portion  102 . An upper hook  108  and a lower guiding portion  110  are located on each side portion  104 , which together define a receiving region  122  for the wall mounting plate. The upper hook  108  is formed on each of the side portions  104  at substantially the same position. Each upper hook  108  and/or lower guiding portion  110  may be formed as one piece with the rest of the adapter bracket  100  or, alternatively, each upper hook  108  and/or lower guiding portion  110  may comprise a separate component which is coupled to the adapter bracket  100  in the appropriate position. A plurality of openings  112  are used to connect the conventional adapter bracket  100  to a television or other flat panel display. 
   The lower guiding portion  110  includes a longitudinal surface  120 , through which a fastener may be threaded. When the conventional adapter bracket  100  has been correctly positioned relative to the wall mounting plate (with the conventional adapter bracket  100  already being coupled to a television or display device), the movement upwards relative to the longitudinal surface  120 , causes it to move through an opening in the longitudinal surface  120  and press against the wall mounting plate. This action impedes the conventional adapter bracket  100  from being pulled away from the wall mounting plate. 
   Although the system discussed in  FIG. 1  is useful, it relies upon the ability of an installer to access the fastener when the conventional adapter bracket  100 , which is attached to a television during installation, has been mated with the wall mounting bracket. However, when correctly positioned, the space between the television and the wall or other mounting surface is quite small, in the range of a few inches on occasion. When smaller televisions are being mounted, the conventional adapter bracket  100  does not need to be very long, and an installer may only have to place his or her hand in the open space. However, flat panel televisions are becoming increasingly large in size, now reaching or even exceeding 63″ in screen size. This increase in size inherently results in a substantial increase in weight for the unit. Because of this weight, the various mounting system components must also become larger in size. The end result of this increase in size is that the fastener on the conventional adapter bracket  100  becomes much more difficult to reach. For example, when a 23″ television is being mounted, the installer may only have to place his hand behind the television to reach the fastener. With a 63″ television on the other hand, the installer may have to place much, if not all of his entire arm behind the television before reaching the fastener. With the aforementioned small space between the television and the wall, this can become difficult or even impossible for the average person. 
   It would therefore be desirable to provide an improved mounting system that allows an installer to quickly and easily secure the system&#39;s adapter brackets to the wall mounting bracket, even when very large televisions or other display devices are being mounted. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention comprises an improved system for securing a display device mounting bracket to a surface mounting bracket in a mounting system. A fastener connects to a movable extension component that is movably engaged with the device mounting bracket. When the device mounting bracket has been correctly positioned relative to the surface mounting bracket, the movable extension component is moved until a portion of the surface mounting bracket is positioned between the device mounting bracket and the movable extension component, thereby preventing the device mounting bracket from moving relative to the surface mounting bracket. 
   The present invention makes it much easier for an installer to secure the device mounting brackets to the surface mounting bracket than is otherwise possible in conventional systems designed to hold large screen flat panel displays. With the present invention, the fastener can be accessed at or near the bottom of the device mounting bracket, resulting in an easy installation process when mounting large flat screen televisions. 
   These and other advantages and features of the invention, together with the organization and manner of operation thereof, will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like elements have like numerals throughout the several drawings described below. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a conventional adapter bracket; 
       FIG. 2  is a first perspective view of a mounting system constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a second perspective view of the mounting system of  FIG. 2 , with the mounting system rotated about ninety degrees; 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of the mounting system of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a side view showing the interaction between a display bracket, an extender bracket, and a wall bracket when the mounting system is in a secured position; 
       FIG. 6  is an enlarged side view of a portion of the mounting system of  FIGS. 1-3 ; 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view showing a portion of the mounting system in a secure position; 
       FIG. 8  is a reverse perspective view of the mounting system portion of  FIG. 7 ; 
       FIG. 9  is a reverse perspective view of a mounting system portion constructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 10  is a flow chart showing a process for mounting a display device according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIGS. 2-8  show a mounting system  10  constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the mounting system  10  includes a surface mounting bracket  12  and a plurality of device mounting brackets  14 . In the embodiment of the invention shown in  FIGS. 2-8 , two device mounting brackets  14  are used. However, virtually any number of device mounting brackets  14  may be used depending upon factors such as the size and weight of the item to be mounted. The surface mounting bracket  12  is configured to be mounted to a wall or other flat surface via a variety of surface mounting bracket openings, while the device mounting brackets  14  are configured to attach to the back of a display unit such as a flat panel television. Like the conventional mounting system shown  10  in  FIG. 1 , the device mounting brackets  14  include an upper hook portion  108  for accepting an upper portion of the surface mounting bracket  12 . 
     FIGS. 3-5  and  7 - 8  show a portion of a device mounting bracket  14  and the surface mounting bracket  12 . As is shown in these figures, an extender member  18  is movably connected to a side surface  20  of the device mounting bracket  14  below the surface mounting bracket  12 . In one embodiment of the invention, the extender member  18  comprises an extender bracket. In other embodiments of the invention, items such as a rod or pin can be used instead of an extender bracket. Additionally, it is possible for the extender member  18  to be movably contained by the side surface  20  of the device mounting bracket  14  below the surface mounting bracket. In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 3-5  and  7 - 8 , a pair of extender member fasteners  22  pass through respective guide paths  24  in the extender member  18  and corresponding openings  26  in the side surface  20  of the device mounting bracket  14 . In this particular embodiment of the invention, the guide paths  24  comprise slots which permit the extender member fasteners  22  to slide therewithin. 
   The extender member  18  is bounded by a lower contact portion  27  and an upper contact portion  28 . As is most clearly shown in  FIG. 6 , the upper contact portion  28  is shaped and sized to contact a lower mounting portion  30  of the surface mounting bracket  12  when the mounting system  10  is secure. In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2-8 , the lower contact portion  27  is formed as one piece with the rest of the extender member  18 , with the lower contact portion  27  being substantially perpendicular to the rest of the extender member  18 . It is also possible, however, for the lower contact portion  27  to be a separate piece that is connected to the rest of the extender member  18  via a conventionally known mechanism, such as welding. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 5 ,  7  and  8 , a lower portion of the device mounting bracket  14  includes a security fastener holder  32  for maintaining a security fastener  34 . In one embodiment of the present invention, the security fastener  34  comprises a screw that is capable of moving upwards or downwards within the security fastener holder  32  when rotated. In other embodiments of the invention, the security fastener  35  comprises items such as a ratchet, a plunger or a latch. In the embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 2-8 , the security fastener holder  32  comprises a flat surface that runs substantially parallel to the lower contact portion  27  of the extender member  18 . 
     FIG. 10  is a flow chart showing the process by which the mounting system  10  of the present invention is mounted. When a user desires to mount a display unit to a wall or other surface, he secures the surface mounting bracket  12  to the wall or surface (step  200 ), and also mounts the number of necessary device mounting brackets  14  to the display device (step  210 ). Either of steps  200  or  210  can occur first. At this point, the device mounting brackets  14  should be configured such that the security fastener  34  on each device mounting bracket  14  has been lowered by a substantial amount within the respective security fastener holder  32 . At step  220 , the user lifts the display unit, with the device mounting brackets  14  attached, over the surface mounting bracket  12  such that the upper hooks  108  are slightly over the upper surface of the surface mounting bracket  12 . At step  230 , the user then slowly lowers the display device until the upper hook  108  for each device mounting bracket  14  “catches” the upper surface of the surface mounting bracket  12 . At this point. The display device is not likely to fall off of the surface mounting bracket  12 , but the mounting system is not completely secure. To more adequately secure the mounting system  10 , the user proceeds to rotate the security fastener  34  on one of the device mounting brackets  14  at step  240 . This rotation causes the security fastener  34  to move upwards (whether in the form of a screw, latch, ratchet, or other similar item), which results in it acting against the lower contact portion  27  of the extender member  18  that is associated with the device mounting bracket  14 . This causes the extender member  18  to move upwards relative to the device mounting bracket  14  and the extender member fasteners  22  slide within the guide paths  24 . Ultimately, the rotation of the security fastener  34  will cause the upper contact portion  28  of the extender member  18  to contact the lower mounting portion  30  of the surface mounting bracket  12 . As can be clearly observed in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , when the upper contact portion  28  contacts the lower mounting portion  30 , a ridge  36  of the lower mounting portion  30  is positioned between the upper contact portion  28  and the device mounting bracket  14 . With this positioning, in combination with the upper portion of the surface mounting bracket  12  being positioned within the upper hook  108  of the device mounting bracket  14 , the device mounting bracket  14  is impeded from being moved away from the surface mounting bracket  12  when pulled in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface to which the surface mounting bracket  12  is secured. This process is then repeated for every other device mounting bracket  14  being used, and this repetition is represented at step  250 . 
     FIG. 9  is a reverse perspective view of a portion of the mounting system  10  as constructed according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 9 , a biasing member  50 , in the form of a tension spring in one embodiment of the invention, is attached to the mounting bracket  14  via a mounting bracket tab  52 . The biasing member  50  is also attached to the extender member  18  via an extender member tab  54 . The biasing member  50  biases the extender member  18  away from the surface mounting bracket  12  and towards the lower portion of the mounting bracket  14  and the security fastener  34 . This serves to aid the user in freeing the mounting bracket  14  (and associated device) from the surface mounting bracket  12  when necessary or desired. 
   A number of variations to the embodiment described in  FIGS. 2-8  may be implemented. For example, it is possible for the various components to be reversed, such that a single component is attached to the television or other display device while multiple components are attached to the wall or other surface. It is also possible to include security fasteners  34  and extender brackets  18  at the top of the device mounting bracket  14  instead of or in addition to the bottom of the device mounting bracket  14 . 
   The foregoing description of embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise form disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the present invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the present invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.