Abstract:
An improved tilt mounting system for mounting flat panel televisions and similar devices or displays. In various embodiments, at least one mounting bracket includes a plurality of guide mechanisms that are adjustable in orientation relative to each other. When the guide mechanisms are adjusted, the angle between guide structures contained therein changes. As the angle between the guide structures increases, the mounting system becomes more suitable for larger devices or display.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/899,071, filed Feb. 2, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to mounting systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to mounting systems that permit a device such as a flat panel display to be tilted at a variety of angles. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This section is intended to provide a background or context to the invention that is recited in the claims. The description herein may include concepts that could be pursued, but are not necessarily ones that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, what is described in this section is not prior art to the description and claims in this application and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section. 
     In recent years, flat-panel television units have become enormously popular in both the commercial and the residential sectors. As the prices for plasma and liquid crystal display (LCD) televisions have fallen, more and more businesses and individuals have purchased such devices both for business and home entertainment purposes. 
     One advantage of flat-panel television units 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 and, once the television is secured in the mount, it is often very difficult to access and adjust due to its height. With flat-panel televisions, however, users can simply mount the television directly to a wall or similar surface. Such arrangements eliminate the space-consuming floor stand and also take up less space than a ceiling mounted system, while also being more easily installable and adjustable by a user. 
     A number of adjustable flat panel wall mounting systems have been recently developed and commercialized, with such mounts enabling an attached flat panel television or similar display to tilt as needed. These mounts are typically manufactured in a variety of sizes, with smaller mounting systems being used to mount smaller devices and larger mounts being used to mount larger devices. However, this requires the manufacturer to design and develop mounts of multiple sizes, and installers and purchasers must choose the correct mount from several different mounts. This adds a level of complexity to everyone involved, while also increasing design and development costs for the manufacturer. It would therefore be desirable to provide a tilt mounting system that addresses these concerns. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Various embodiments of the present invention provide an improved tilt mounting system for mounting flat panel televisions and similar devices or displays. In various embodiments, at least one mounting bracket includes a plurality of guide mechanisms that are adjustable in orientation relative to each other. Each guide mechanism includes at least one guide structure therein, with each guide structure being oriented an angle relative to the other guide structure(s). When the guide mechanisms are adjusted, the angle between the guide structures changes. As the angle between the guide structures increases, the mounting system becomes more suitable for larger devices or display. 
     These and other 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 tilt mounting system constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of the tilt mounting system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the tilt mounting system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the mounting bracket in the tilt mounting system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of the mounting bracket of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a section side view of the device mounting bracket of  FIG. 4 , taken along lines  5 - 5  of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a side view of a device mounting bracket, in a first position, with the display portion removed; 
         FIG. 8  is a side view of the device mounting bracket of  FIG. 7 , in a second position, with the display portion removed; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the device mounting bracket of  FIG. 7 , with the display portion removed; and 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective, exploded view of a guide mechanism/drive pin subcombination. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIGS. 1-3  show a tilt mounting system  20  constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The tilt mounting system  20  comprises a surface mounting plate  22  and at least one mounting bracket  24 . Each mounting bracket  24  comprises an adapter portion  26  and a display portion  28  which is movably associated with the adapter portion  26 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the adapter portion  26  is configured to attach to the surface mounting plate  22 , which can be attached to a wall or similar surface. However, in other embodiments it is possible for the adapter portion  26  to be directly attachable to such a surface, or for the adapter portion  26  to be attachable to a larger support structure. Each display portion  28  is configured to attach to the back of a flat panel television or similar device or display unit via a plurality of openings  32  on the front surface thereof. A variety of types of fasteners may be used to couple the display portion  28  to the device or display via the openings  32 . 
       FIGS. 4-9  show the configuration of the mounting bracket  24  in greater detail. In the embodiments shown in the figures, the adapter portion  26  and the display portion  28  are associated with each other via a plurality of guide mechanisms  34 . Each guide mechanism  34  includes at least one primary guide structure  36  and at least one secondary guide structure  38 . In the embodiment shown in the attached figures, both the primary guide structure  36  and the secondary guide structure  38  comprise slots, although other mechanisms may also be used. In the embodiment shown in the Figures, the primary guide structures  36  comprise slots that are substantially straight in nature. These slots are configured such that, when considering both of the guide mechanisms shown in  FIGS. 4-9 , the substantially straight slots are oriented at an angle to each other. At least one primary follower  42 , each being a pin, for example, passes through each primary guide structure  36  and the display portion  28 , with the primary follower  42  capable of moving within the respective primary guide structure  36 . In the embodiment in the attached figures, the primary followers  42  are capable of rotating within display portion holes  40  formed within the display portion  28 . It should be noted that although display portion holes  40  are shown in the attached figures, it is not necessary for the primary followers  42  to entirely pass through the walls of the display portion  28 . For example, the inner walls of the display portion  28  could instead include channels within which the primary followers  42  rest. The movement of the primary followers  42  within the primary guide structures  36  permits the display portion  28  to tilt relative to the adapter portion  26 , resulting in a tilting action for any attached flat panel display or other device. 
     In the embodiments shown in the attached figures, the secondary guide structures  38  formed within the guide mechanisms  34  comprise curved slots, each being substantially circular in nature. Once again, other types of mechanisms besides curved slots may also be used. At least one secondary follower  44 , also in the forms of pins in one embodiment, is movably located within each of the secondary guide structures  38 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 4-9 , two secondary followers  44  are placed within each secondary guide structure  38 , although other numbers of secondary followers  44  may also be used as necessary or desired. The secondary followers  44  also are associated with the adapter portion  26 . In the embodiment shown in the attached figures, the secondary followers  44  pass through adapter portion holes  46  formed within the adapter portion  26 . It should be noted, however, that other arrangements are possible. For example, the inner walls of the adapter portion  26  could instead include channels within which the secondary followers  44  rest. The combination of the guide mechanisms  34 , the primary followers  42  and the secondary followers thereby operatively and movably connect the display portion  28  to the adapter portion  26 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4-9 , the mounting bracket  24  also includes a drive mechanism for adjusting the orientation of the guide mechanisms  34  relative to each other. In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 4-9 , an adjuster  48 , a knob in this particular embodiment, is accessible by a user. The adjuster  48  is connected to a drive rod  50 , which passes through the inside of the adapter portion  26 , although the drive rod can be more closely associated with the display portion  28  as well. It is possible for the adjuster  48  and the drive rod  50  to be formed as one component or as separate components. The drive rod  50  passes through and interacts with drive pins  52 , each of which is positioned within a guide mechanism channel  54  inside a guide mechanism  34 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 10 , each drive pin  52  includes a threaded drive pin channel  56 . The drive pin channels  56  are sized to threadedly engage the drive rod  50 , which also is threaded along at least portions thereof. In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 4-9 , one of the two drive pin channels  56  is reverse-threaded relative to the other drive pin channel  56 . 
     The operation of the drive mechanism of  FIGS. 4-9  is generally as follows. When the user turns the adjuster  48 , the drive rod  50  proceeds to move about its major axis. This movement causes threaded portions of the drive rod  50  to interact with the threaded drive pin channels  56 . This threaded interaction causes the drive pins  52  to move either up or down against its respective guide mechanism channel  54 , causing each guide mechanism  34  to reorient itself either in a generally clockwise or generally counterclockwise direction. Because one of the drive pin channels  56  is reverse threaded relative to the threading of the other drive pin channel  56 , the movement of the drive rod  50  ultimately causes one of the guide mechanisms  34  to reorient itself in a generally clockwise direction when the other guide mechanisms  34  reorients itself in a generally counterclockwise direction and vice versa (depending upon the direction in which the adjuster  48  is turned). The same process is repeated for each mounting bracket  24  in the mounting system  20 . 
     In addition to the arrangement depicted in  FIGS. 4-9  and discussed above, a wide variety of mechanisms may be used to adjust the orientations of the guide mechanisms  34  relative to each other. For example, but without limitation, mechanisms such as worm gears, levers, latches and slides may be used to independently or in tandem to adjust the orientations of the guide mechanisms  34 . Other adjustment mechanisms may also be used. 
     By adjusting the orientations of the guide mechanisms  34  relative to each other, the angle defined by the primary guide structures  36  is altered. For example and in the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 4-9 , reorienting the higher of the two guide mechanisms  34  in the counterclockwise direction and the other guide mechanism  34  in the clockwise direction causes this angle to decrease, while the reverse reorientation of the guide mechanisms  34  causes the angle to increase. It has been determined that a smaller angle between the primary guide structures  36  provides improved continuous tilting capabilities for smaller flat panel displays and devices, while a larger angle between the primary guide structures provides improved continuous tilting capabilities for larger flat panel displays and devices. Therefore, when a user desires to mount a flat panel display or device to the mounting system  20 , he or she simply adjusts the adjuster  48  for each mounting bracket  24  so that the angle between the primary guide structures  36  provides for an improved degree of continuous tilt for the particular display or device being mounted. Thereby, the mounting system  20  of  FIGS. 1-9  is capable of being used to mount displays and devices of a wide variety of sizes. 
     In addition to the above, embodiments of the present invention can include a variety of features in addition to those discussed above. For example, in the event that an extra-large flat panel device or display is to be mounted, a number of extension brackets may be added to both the display portion  28  and the surface mounting plate  22 . Examples of such extension brackets are used in the ONEMOUNT™ mounting system currently sold by Peerless Industries of Melrose Park, Ill. Installation and assembly instructions for the ONEMOUNT™ mounting system can be found at www.peerlessindustries.com/pcattachments/INSTR%20SHEET-202-9167-1-3.PDF, and the content of this document is incorporated herein by reference. 
     Still further, various mechanisms may be used to impart friction on the mounting brackets  24 . For example, a nut can be positioned within a wall of either the display portion  28  and the adapter portion  26 , and pressure can be exerted on a washer, located on the outside of the other of the display portion  28  and the adapter portion  26  to increase the frictional resistance between the display portion  28  and the adapter portion  26 , thereby making it more difficult to adjust the display portion  28  relative to the adapter portion  26 . A screw or similar component can pass through the washer and nut in order to adjust the amount of frictional resistance that is being imparted. Other types of friction-inducing assemblies may also be used. Additionally, mechanisms such as pins and screws for selectively locking the position of the display portion  28  relative to the adapter portion  26  may also be incorporated to the mounting system  20  of  FIGS. 1-9 . 
     The foregoing description of embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The foregoing description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit embodiments of 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 various embodiments of the present invention. The embodiments discussed herein were chosen and described in order to explain the principles and the nature of various embodiments 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.