Abstract:
A support for an electronic display is provided. The support is movable through a panning motion by both manual manipulation and a motor. The support may include a clutch that facilitates both manual and motorized panning of the electronic display. The support is manually movable between a retracted position and an extended position. The support is also capable of supporting a relatively heavy load, such as a television or a computer monitor, and rotating the heavy load through a panning motion with a relatively small motor. The support may include a thrust bearing to facilitate panning of the heavy load. The support also includes a clutch that prevents stripping or damage of electrical components in the event panning motion is inhibited, such as by engagement of the electronic display with a wall. The support also includes a plurality of mechanical components that are removable as a single unit.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/872,696, filed Dec. 4, 2006, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to supports for televisions and other electronic displays and, more particularly, to motorized supports for televisions and other electronic displays. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In the past, televisions were supported either on a ground surface, such as a floor of a house, or by an entertainment system, which generally includes a plurality of support surfaces for supporting a television and a variety of other entertainment accessories, such as DVD players, VHS players, audio equipment, etc. Other electronic displays, such as computer monitors, were typically supported on a desk-top. 
     With the development of LCD, plasma, and other thin and lightweight electronic displays, such as, for example, televisions and computer monitors, the displays are capable of being supported in different manners. For example, these types of thin and lightweight display devices can be mounted directly to a wall of a house, office, or other structure. Also for example, a support may be connected directly to a wall and a electronic display may be connected to the support. Such supports enable the electronic display to be movable between a retracted position, in which the electronic display is near the wall, and an extended position, in which the electronic display is moved away from the wall. Also, such supports enable panning of the electronic display. 
     However, operation of such supports has been limited. More particularly, some of these supports are purely manual, thereby placing all the burden onto the user to move the support and connected electronic display. Also, some of these supports are purely motorized, thereby performing all movement of the support and connected electronic display by a motorized mechanism. Such completely motorized supports rarely position the support and connected electronic display in the exact desired location and oftentimes limit the number of positions in which a user can position the support and connected electronic display. Also, such completely motorized supports do not enable manual manipulation of the support or electronic display. Any attempt to manually adjust the support or electronic display will strip or otherwise damage the mechanical components within the support. Further, such completely motorized supports include a large quantity of moving parts, thereby elevating the consumer price of such supports and increasing the chance that malfunction will occur. When a malfunction does occur, the entire support must be taken apart or a professional must troubleshoot the issue, both of which create very high repair costs or at least are burdensome and time consuming to repair. Further yet, such completely motorized supports must occupy a particular extension distance from a wall before panning can occur. In other words, the panning motion is dependent on the extension position (i.e., distance from the wall) and cannot occur unless the support occupies the particular position. Again, these types of restraints limit the possibilities available to consumers. 
     SUMMARY 
     In some aspects, a motorized support is provided for supporting electronic display devices such as a television, a computer monitor, etc., and for moving the electronic display device through a panning movement. 
     In other aspects, a motorized support is provided for supporting electronic display devices on a substantially vertical surface and for moving the electronic display devices through a panning movement. 
     In still other aspects, a motorized support is provided for supporting electronic display devices on a substantially horizontal surface and for moving the electronic display devices through a panning movement. 
     In further aspects, a support for an electronic display is provided and includes a base, a bracket coupled to the base and operable to support the electronic display, and a motor coupled to the bracket, the bracket being rotatable through a panning motion both by manual manipulation and by the motor. 
     In still further aspects, a motorized support for an electronic display is provided and includes a base engagable with a support surface, a bracket coupled to the base and operable to support the electronic display, a motor coupled to the bracket for rotating the bracket through a panning motion, and a thrust bearing coupled between the base and the bracket. 
     In yet other aspects, a motorized support for an electronic display is provided and includes a base, a bracket coupled to the base and operable to support the electronic display, a motor coupled to the bracket for rotating the bracket through a panning motion, and a clutch coupled to the motor, the clutch having a first condition, in which the motor rotates the bracket through the panning motion when the motor is activated, and a second condition, in which the motor does not rotate the bracket through the panning motion when the motor is activated. 
     In yet further aspects, a motorized support for an electronic display is provided and includes a base, an arm rotatably coupled to the base, the arm being movable between a retracted position and an extended position and includes at least one intermediate position between the retracted position and the extended position, a bracket coupled to the arm and operable to support the electronic display, wherein the bracket is positioned a first distance from the base when the arm is in the retracted position and is positioned a second distance from the base when the arm is in the extended position, the second distance being greater than the first distance, and a motor coupled to the bracket for rotating the bracket through a panning motion, the motor being operable to rotate the bracket through the panning motion independent of the position occupied by the arm. 
     In some aspects, a motorized support for an electronic display is provided and includes a base engagable with a support surface, an arm rotatably coupled to the base, a thrust bearing supported by the arm, the thrust bearing including a first portion, a second portion, and a plurality of ball bearings positioned between the first and second portions, the first portion being rotatable relative to the second portion and the second portion being supported by the arm, a bracket supported by the first portion of the thrust bearing and being rotatable with the first portion relative to the second portion of the thrust bearing, the bracket being operable to support the electronic display and including an aperture therethrough, a gear housing removably connected to the bracket, a motor supported by the gear housing, a gear assembly supported by the gear housing and coupled to the motor, a shaft extending through the aperture in the bracket, the thrust bearing being substantially concentrically positioned around the shaft, a transfer gear supported by the shaft and being substantially concentrically positioned around the shaft, wherein the transfer gear is fixed relative to the shaft and is coupled to the gear assembly, the arm being movable to position the bracket, and the electronic display when supported by the bracket, in any one of a retracted position, in which the bracket is positioned a first distance from the base, an extended position, in which the bracket is positioned a second distance from the base, and a plurality of intermediate positions between the retracted and extended positions, the second distance being greater than the first distance, and activation of the motor causes the bracket to rotate about the transfer gear and the shaft, thereby causing the bracket, and the electronic display when supported by the bracket, to rotate through a panning motion. 
     In other aspects, a motorized support for an electronic display is provided and includes a base engagable with a support surface, a bracket coupled to the base and operable to support the electronic display, a gear housing removably connected to the bracket, a motor supported by the gear housing and operable to rotate the bracket through a panning motion, and a gear supported by the gear housing and coupled to the motor, the gear being rotatable by the motor, the gear housing, the motor, and the gear being removable from the bracket as a single unit. 
     Independent features and independent advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the detailed description and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a front perspective view of a motorized support shown in a retracted position. 
         FIG. 1B  is a front perspective view of the motorized support shown in  FIG. 1A , shown in a fully extended position with a battery housing removed. 
         FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the motorized support shown in  FIG. 1A , shown in the retracted position. 
         FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the motorized support shown in  FIG. 1A , shown in a partially extended position. 
         FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of the motorized support shown in  FIG. 1A , shown with a gear housing removed. 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged front perspective view of a portion of the motorized support shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged rear perspective view of a portion of the motorized support shown in  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the motorized support shown in  FIG. 1A , particularly showing a portion of a second link arm and a thrust bearing. 
         FIG. 8  is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the motorized support shown in  FIG. 1A , particularly showing a first clutch. 
         FIG. 9  is another perspective view of the first clutch shown in  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 10  is an enlarged rear perspective view of a portion of the motorized support shown in  FIG. 1A , shown with the second link arm removed to expose a second clutch. 
         FIG. 11  is an enlarged perspective view of the second clutch shown in  FIG. 10 . 
         FIGS. 12-16  are various perspective views of an alternative embodiment of the motorized support shown in  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 17  is a front perspective view of the motorized support shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , shown in a fully extended position with a battery housing. 
         FIG. 18  is a top perspective view of the motorized support shown in  FIG. 1A , shown with a gear housing and associated components removed as a single unit from the remainder of the motorized support. 
         FIG. 19  is a bottom perspective view of a portion of the motorized support shown in  FIG. 18 , shown with the gear housing and associated components removed as a single unit from the remainder of the motorized support. 
         FIG. 20  is a bottom perspective view of the gear housing and associated components shown in  FIGS. 18 and 19 . 
     
    
    
     Before any independent features and embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B, and  17 , a motorized support  20  is illustrated and is operable to support electronic displays such as, for example, televisions, computer monitors, etc. Preferably, the motorized support  20  is used to support televisions. Hereafter, when referring to electronic displays, televisions will be cited for simplicity and consistency even though a wide variety of electronic displays are supportable by the motorized support  20 . The motorized support  20  includes a plurality of brackets  24  and adapter brackets or adapter plates  28  (hereafter referred to as adapter plates  28 ) for mounting televisions thereto. The brackets  24  and adapter plates  28  are adjustable in order to support a wide variety of televisions on the motorized support  20 . Alternatively, the motorized support  20  can include a wide variety of brackets  24  and adapter plates  28 , each set of brackets  24  and adapter plates  28  compatible with a different type of television. For example, a first set of brackets  24  and adapter plate  28  is operable to attach a television of a first manufacturer to the motorized support  20  and a second set of brackets  24  and adapter plate  28  is operable to attach a television from a second manufacturer to the motorized support  20 . The illustrated embodiment of the motorized support  20  is mountable to a wall or other substantially vertical support surface via a base or wall mount  32 . A plurality of fasteners are used in conjunction with the wall mount  32  to properly secure the motorized support  20  to the wall. 
     The motorized support  20  is capable of performing a motorized panning motion of the television. A panning motion is known in the art as a left to right or right to left rotation of the television about a substantially vertical axis  34  (see  FIGS. 6-10 ,  13 ,  17 , and  18 ). In other words, when a user is looking at a television and the motorized support  20  performs a panning movement, the user will see the left edge of the television pivot forward toward the user and the right edge of the television pivot rearward away from the user, or vice versa. Manual manipulation is required to move the television between the retracted position shown in  FIGS. 1A and 2  and a fully extended position shown in  FIGS. 1B and 17 .  FIG. 3  shows the television in one of many intermediate positions between the retracted and fully extended positions. Manual manipulation is also required to tilt the television upward or downward about a horizontal axis (described in more detail below). 
       FIG. 2  illustrates the motorized support  20  in a retracted position, in which the television and motorized support  20  are as close to the wall as possible, and  FIG. 3  illustrates the motorized support  20  in an intermediate position, in which the television and motorized support  20  are partially positioned away from the wall. The motorized support  20  should be in at least an intermediate position to enable panning of the television, however, panning the support  20  is not dependent on a particular position of the support  20  away from the support surface. In other words, the support  20  can be panned with the support  20  in any of the intermediate or extended positions. 
     Referring particularly to  FIG. 2 , the motorized support  20  includes a first hinge  36 , a first link arm  40 , a second link arm  44 , a third link arm  48 , and a second hinge  52 . The first hinge  36  includes a hinge housing  56  rigidly connected to or formed with the wall mount  32 , and a hinge pin  60  extending through the hinge housing  56  and first ends of the first link arm  40  and the third link arm  48  to rotatably connect the first and third link arms  40 ,  48  to the wall mount  32 . The first hinge  36  enables the first and third link arms  40 ,  48  to pivot toward and away from the wall. The second hinge  52  includes a second hinge housing  64  and a second hinge pin  68  extending through the second hinge housing  64 , second ends of the first and third link arms  40 ,  48 , and an end of the second link arm  44  to rotatably connect the second link arm  44  to the first and third link arms  40 ,  48 . The second hinge  52  enables the second link arm  44  to pivot toward and away from the first and third link arms  40 ,  48 . A battery housing  72  is connected to the first link arm  40  and supports batteries used to power the motorized support  20 . Alternatively, the battery housing  72  can be supported by the second and third link arms  44 ,  48  or supported by any combination of the first, second, and third link arms  40 ,  44 ,  48 . As an alternative to battery power, the motorized support  20  can be powered by alternating current (AC) received from a wall outlet and power cord. In such a case, the motorized support  20  includes an AC adapter for receiving AC power from the wall outlet via the power cord. Also, in the alternative, the motorized support  20  can be hard wired with AC power (i.e., no AC plugs, adapters, or outlets required). 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 2 , the motorized support  20  also includes a rotary bracket  76  and a tilt bracket  80 . The rotary bracket  76  is coupled to the second link arm  44  (described in more detail below) and the tilt bracket  80  is connected to the rotary bracket  76 . The brackets  24  and adapter plates  28  are connected to tilt bracket  80 . The tilt bracket  80  facilitates forward and rearward tilting of the television about a horizontal axis. In other words, when a user is looking at a television supported by the motorized support  20  and the television is tilted, the user will see the top edge of the television move forward toward the user and the bottom edge of the television move rearward away from the user, or vice versa. The tilt bracket  80  includes a control knob  84  and arcuate grooves  88  (see  FIGS. 4 and 5 ) on sides thereof for receiving tilting pins  92  (see  FIGS. 4 and 5 ). A user loosens the control knob  84  to allow tilting of the television to a desired angle and tightens the control knob  84  to secure the television in the desired position. During tilting, the tilt  80  bracket pivots about the tilting pins  92 , thereby causing the tilting pins  92  to move within the arcuate grooves  88 . The shape and size of the grooves  88  limit the extent to which the television can tilt. 
     Referring now to FIGS.  2  and  4 - 6 , the motorized support  20  further includes a gear housing  96  and a motor  104 . The gear housing  96  is connected to the rotary bracket  76  via projections  100 . In some constructions, the projections  100  are press-fit into the gear housing  96 . The motorized support  20  also includes a gear assembly including a motor worm gear  108 , a first transfer gear  112 , and a second worm gear  116 . The motorized support  20  further includes a second transfer gear  120 . The motor  104  is powered by the batteries supported within the battery housing  72  or AC power, and is a bi-directional motor  104  operable to rotate the output shaft in either direction. The motor worm gear  108  is connected to the output shaft and engages the first transfer gear  112 , which engages the second worm gear  116  via a first clutch  124  (see  FIGS. 8 and 9 ). The second worm gear  116  engages the second transfer gear  120 , which is pinned to and substantially concentric with a shaft  128 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the first clutch  124  includes a clutch member or floating member  132  and a spring  136 . The floating member  132  includes a wavy surface  140  that engages a complimentary wavy surface  144  defined on the first transfer gear  112 . The spring  136  is compressed between the floating member  132  and the second worm gear  116 , and the spring  136 , the floating member  132 , and the second worm gear  116  rotate together. The first clutch  124  is intended to inhibit stripping of the gears when panning of the television is hindered (described in more detail below). 
     With reference to  FIGS. 18-20 , the motorized support  20  facilitates easy removal and replacement of mechanical components with very little effort. More particularly, mechanical components such as the motor  104 , the motor worm gear  108 , the first transfer gear  112 , or the second worm gear  116  may become damaged or inoperative for their intended purposes and replacement of one or all of these components may be required. To facilitate easy and efficient removal of damaged or otherwise faulty mechanical components, the motor  104  and the gear assembly (i.e., the motor worm gear  108 , the first transfer gear  112 , and the second worm gear  116 ) are all housed within and supported by the gear housing  96  and are all removable with the gear housing  96  as a single unit. The second transfer gear  120  and shaft  128  remain connected to the remainder of the motorized support  20 . A new gear housing  96  including a new motor  104  and new gear assembly (i.e., a new motor worm gear  108 , a new first transfer gear  112 , and a new second worm gear  116 ) may be connected to the top flange  152  of the rotary bracket  76  as a single unit in place of the removed gear housing  96  and associated mechanical components. This manner of removing mechanical components is much easier and efficient than individually disassembling, removing, and replacing the motor  104 , the motor worm gear  108 , the first transfer gear  112 , and the second worm gear  116 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , a thrust bearing  148  is disposed between a top flange  152  of the rotary bracket  76  and a top surface of the second link arm  44 , and is substantially concentrically positioned around the shaft  128 . The thrust bearing  148  includes a rotary portion  156 , a stationary portion  160 , and a plurality of ball bearings  164  disposed between the rotary and stationary portions  156 ,  160  to reduce friction when the rotary portion  156  moves relative to the stationary portion  160 . When a television is mounted to the motorized support  20 , the weight of the television is transferred through the tilt bracket  80 , through the rotary bracket  76 , through the thrust bearing  148 , and to the second link arm  44 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 7 ,  10 , and  11 , the motorized support  20  includes a second clutch  168 . The second clutch  168  includes a head  172 , a spring  176 , and a friction pad  180 . The head  172  is connected, preferably by threading, to the second link arm  44 . The spring  176  is connected to the head  172  at one end and to the friction pad  180  at a second end. The friction pad  180  engages the shaft  128 . Operation of the second clutch  168  will be described in more detail below. 
     Panning operation of the motorized support  20  will now be described. A user manually pulls the television away from the wall, decides in which direction panning is required, and then manipulates a remote control (preferably an infrared remote control, but other types of remote controls are acceptable) to activate the motor  104 . The motor  104  turns the output shaft in the desired direction, which turns the motor worm gear  108 , which turns the first transfer gear  112 , which turns the second worm gear  116 . The second transfer gear  120  is pinned to the shaft  128  so that the second transfer gear  120  does not move relative to the shaft  128 . Engagement between the turning second worm gear  116  and the second transfer gear  120  causes the television to pan. During this panning, the shaft  128 , the second transfer gear  120 , the stationary portion  160  of the thrust bearing  148 , and the second link arm  44  remain stationary, while the television, the tilt bracket  80 , the rotary bracket  76 , the gear housing  96 , the motor  104 , the motor worm gear  108 , the first transfer gear  112 , and the second worm gear  116  rotate around the shaft  128  and the second transfer gear  120 . 
     Panning can be hindered in several manners such as, for example, the television engaging a wall. During normal panning operation of the motorized support  20  (i.e., when the television is free to pan without interference), the motor  104  rotates the motor worm gear  108 , which rotates the first transfer gear  112 . The spring  136  of the first clutch  124  biases the floating member  132  into engagement with the complimentary wavy surface  144  of the first transfer gear  112  and interlocks the complimentary wavy surfaces  140 ,  144 . The force of the spring  136  is sufficient to maintain interlocking of the wavy surfaces  140 ,  144  during normal panning operation of the motorized support  20 . This interlocking causes rotation of the first transfer gear  112  to be transferred to the floating member  132 , which causes the floating member  132 , the spring  136  and the second worm gear  116  to rotate, ultimately causing the television to pan. In the event the television abuts the wall or is otherwise prevented from panning, the first clutch  124  prevents the gears from stripping. When the television is prevented from panning, the force exerted on the gears is sufficient to overcome the bias of the spring  136 . In such an instance, the motor  104  is still operating, causing the motor worm gear  108  and the first transfer gear  112  to rotate. However, the floating member  132  is not allowed to rotate. Instead, the force exerted on the gears overcomes the spring  136  and causes the wavy surface  144  of the first transfer member  112  to ride along the complimentary wavy surface  140  of the floating member  132 , thereby forcing the floating member  132  against the spring  136  and away from the first transfer gear  112  along an axis  182  (see  FIGS. 4 and 5 ), which is also the axis  182  about which the first transfer gear  112  rotates. When the floating member  132  is moved in this manner, the floating member  132  is not interlocked with the first transfer gear  112 . As the wavy surface  144  rides along the wavy surface  140 , a clicking sound is generated to alert the user that the television has contacted an obstruction and the button of the remote control should be released. Upon movement of the television out of abutment with the wall, the force is removed from the gears and the spring force is once again sufficient to maintain interlocking between the floating member  132  and the first transfer gear  112  to facilitate panning of the television. 
     The motorized support  20  may also be rotated through a panning motion by manual manipulation. A user grasps the television or bracket and rotates the television and bracket about axis  34 . In addition, the support may be moved through a panning motion when a user is manually moving the support  20  between retracted and extended positions. In order to prevent stripping of the gears and motor during manual panning, the motorized support  20  includes the second clutch  168 . As indicated above, the friction pad  180  exerts a force on the shaft  128 . This force is sufficient to secure the second link arm  44  in a position relative to the shaft  128  during motorized panning of the television. In other words, when the motor  104  is driving the gears to pan the television, the television, the tilt bracket  80 , the rotary bracket  76 , the gear housing  96 , the motor  104 , the motor worm gear  108 , the first transfer gear  112  and the second worm gear  116  elements move relative to the second link arm  44 , the shaft  128 , and the second transfer gear  116 . In the event a user wishes to pan the television manually or if the motorized support  20  is being moved between extended and retracted positions, the force exerted on the shaft  128  by the friction pad  180  is easily overcome by a user and enables the user to pan the television without stripping the gears. During manual panning, the shaft  128  and second transfer gear  116  move with the components that move during motorized panning, and all move relative to the friction pad  180  and the second link arm  44 . In the event a user wishes to adjust the friction between the second clutch  168  and the shaft  128 , a user rotates the head  172  of the second clutch  168  in an appropriate direction to either increase or decrease the friction. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 12-16 , an alternative embodiment of the motorized support is illustrated. The motorized support  20 A illustrated in  FIGS. 12-16  is similar to the motorized support  20  illustrated in  FIGS. 1-11  and  17 - 20  except for the differences discussed below. Those elements of the motorized support  20 A illustrated in  FIGS. 12-16  that are similar to elements of the motorized support  20  illustrated in  FIGS. 1-11  and  17 - 20  are identified in the figures by the same reference number and an “A”. 
     Contrary to the motorized support  20  illustrated in  FIGS. 1-11  and  17 - 20  that is mountable to a wall or other substantially vertical support surface, the motorized support  20 A illustrated in  FIGS. 12-16  is supportable on or mountable to a substantially horizontal support surface. The motorized support  20 A includes a stand  184  for supporting the motorized support  20 A on a substantially horizontal support surface. The stand  184  includes an upright member  188  and a base  192 . The base  192  can either rest upon a substantially horizontal support surface or can be fastened to a substantially horizontal support surface. The mechanism used to pan the television is substantially the same as the mechanism used to pan the television in the embodiment corresponding to  FIGS. 1-11  and  17 - 20 . 
     The embodiments described above and illustrated in the figures are presented by way of example only and are not intended as a limitation upon the concepts and principles of the present invention. Although particular constructions of the present invention have been shown and described, other alternative constructions will be apparent to those skilled in the art and are within the intended scope of the present invention.