Patent Publication Number: US-2022227311-A1

Title: Hood ornament mounting system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/138,639 filed on Jan. 18, 2021. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to the automotive arts and more particularly to a hood ornament mounting system. 
     Background Information 
     Many automobiles have hood ornaments depicting, for example, automobile manufacturer logos. Additionally, some automobile owners desirous to customize their vehicles may wish to change a stock hood ornament with a novelty hood ornament that represents a university, a sports team, organization, or characters, for example. 
     Additionally, hood ornaments are often targets of vandalism and theft. This is especially true for custom hood ornaments. Consequently, there is a need for a hood ornament mounting system to include anti-theft features. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to an aspect of the present invention, a hood ornament mounting system is provided. The hood ornament mounting system includes a ring member having a keyed structure along an internal perimeter of the ring member. The keyed structure includes dentations. The ring member also includes a pair of through channels formed along an outside perimeter of the ring member at opposite regions. The hood ornament mounting system also includes a base member having a generally circular cross section with a pair of recesses formed at opposite regions along a perimeter of the base member. A bottom surface of the base member is configured to contact a surface of an automobile and a top surface of the base member is dimensioned to fit within the internal perimeter of the ring member. Additionally, the base member has grooves formed on the perimeter of the base member. The grooves are configured to accommodate the dentations. 
     A locking pin is seated in each of the pair of recesses. The locking pin includes a spring exerting an outward force on the locking pin relative to the base member and configured to lockingly interact with the keyed structure. The locking pin provides an anti-theft mechanism. A threaded rod extends from the bottom surface of the base member. The threaded rod is configured to be inserted into a through hole formed on the surface of the automobile. 
     According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a hood ornament mounting system is provided. The hood ornament mounting system includes a ring member having a keyed structure along an internal perimeter of the ring member. The keyed structure includes dentations. The ring member also includes a pair of through channels formed along an outside perimeter of the ring member at opposite regions. The hood ornament mounting system also includes a base member having a generally circular cross section with a pair of recesses formed at opposite regions along a perimeter of the base member. A bottom surface of the base member is configured to contact a surface of an automobile and a top surface of the base member is dimensioned to fit within the internal perimeter of the ring member. Additionally, the base member has grooves formed on the perimeter of the base member. The grooves are configured to accommodate the dentations. 
     A locking pin is seated in each of the pair of recesses. The locking pin includes a spring exerting an outward force on the locking pin relative to the base member and configured to lockingly interact with the keyed structure. The locking pin provides an anti-theft mechanism. A threaded rod extends from the bottom surface of the base member. The threaded rod is configured to be inserted into a through hole formed on the surface of the automobile. Additionally, a key having protrusions configured to enter the through channels is included. Each protrusion engages with a respective locking pin to exert an inward force on the locking pin to unlock the locking pin from the keyed structure. 
     These and other features and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure will provide details in the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the following figures wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a hood ornament mounting system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is another exploded view of a hood ornament mounting system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an assembled view of a hood ornament mounting system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4A  illustrates an assembled view of a hood ornament mounting system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4B  illustrates a bottom view of the hood ornament mounting system shown in  FIG. 4A , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4C  illustrates a top view of the hood ornament mounting system shown in  FIG. 4A , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5A  illustrates a top view of the hood ornament mounting system shown in  FIG. 4A  with a key engaged, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5B  illustrates a side view of the hood ornament mounting system shown in  FIG. 5A , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5C  illustrates a cross sectional top view of the hood ornament mounting system shown in  FIG. 5A  taken along a top surface of the key, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a top view of the hood ornament mounting system shown in  FIG. 4A  showing locking pins engaged, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates an assembled view of a hood ornament mounting system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a cross section of the hood ornament mounting system shown in  FIG. 7  along cut line A-A, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a process for installing a hood ornament mounting system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     An embodiment of the present invention provides a mounting system to removably attach a hood ornament to an automobile hood. Also, the mounting system provides an anti-theft feature preventing removal of the hood ornament without the use of a key. 
       FIG. 1  shows an embodiment of the hood ornament mounting system  10  in an exploded view. The hood ornament mounting system  10  has a base member  15  having a generally circular cross section. The base member  15  includes a threaded rod  20  extending from a bottom surface of the base member  15 . Herein, the term “bottom” refers to a side of the base member  15  configured to face and/or contact a surface of an automobile hood when the hood ornament mounting system  10  is assembled on the automobile hood. The threaded rod  20  is configured to extend through the automobile hood such that a washer  35  and rubber washer  37  can be held on a top surface of the automobile hood, and a nut  40  can be seated on the threaded rod  20  on an opposite side of the automobile hood. The nut  40  has threads matching the threads  204  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) of the threaded rod  20 . Additionally, the washer  35  can be threaded  206  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) as well. In other embodiments, the washer  35  does not have threads. The rubber washer  37  can be provided as a protective barrier between the washer  35  and the surface of the automobile hood. The rubber washer  37  can prevent damage, such as scratches and dents, for example, to the surface of the automobile hood. Additionally, the rubber washer  37  can prevent water infiltration, thus reducing the likelihood of oxidation of the region of the automobile hood underlying the washer  35 . 
     The base member  15  has recess seats  15   b  formed in recesses  15   a  on at least two opposing sides along an outside perimeter of the base member  15 . Locking pins  30  are seated in the recesses  15   a . A spring  25  supported by the recess seat  15   b  in each recess  15   a  exerts an outward force on the locking pin  30  relative to the base member  15 . Thus, when in an assembled state, the locking pins  30  are biased by spring  25  in an outward direction (e.g., in a direction away from base member  15 ). The spring  25  can be a compression spring or other appropriate type of spring. 
     The locking pins  30  lockingly interact with a keyed structure. The keyed structure is formed on an internal perimeter of a ring member  50  and includes dentations  52 . The base member  15  can be inserted into a central opening defined by the internal perimeter of the ring member  50 . A quarter turn of the ring member  50  with respect to the base member  15  causes the locking pins  30  to rotate from their insertion position to a locking position within the ring member  50 . In other embodiments, more or less than a quarter turn of the ring member  50  causes the locking pins  30  to rotate from their insertion position to the locking position within the ring member  50 . 
     Once the locking pins  30  are engaged in the locking position, the ring member  50  cannot be rotated against the base member  15  back to the original, e.g., disengaging, position without use of a key  70 . Thus, embodiments of the present invention provide an anti-theft mechanism for the hood ornament. The dentations  52  is configured to slide into grooves  54 . With the dentations  52  engaged with the grooves  54 , the ring member  50  is securely held by the base member  15 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the key  70  includes protrusions configured to enter the through channels  202 . Each protrusion engages with a respective locking pin  30  to exert an inward force on the locking pin  30  to unlock the locking pin  30  from the keyed structure. 
     The ring member  50  can be formed as a part of a hood ornament  45  in some embodiments. In other embodiments, the ring member  50  can be embedded in the hood ornament  45 . In some embodiments, the base member  15  includes an electrical socket  55  configured to receive a light source  60 , such as a light emitting diode (LED) lamp or incandescent light bulb, for example. Electrical wires from the electrical socket  55  can be passed through a hole  402 , shown in  FIG. 4B , formed along a longitudinal axis of the threaded rod  20  and onward to a wiring harness or battery. In some embodiments, the light source  60  can be powered by a replaceable battery. The replaceable battery can be integrated with the hood ornament mounting system  10 . Alternatively, the replaceable battery can be housed in a separate casing and connected by wires to the light source  60 . In other embodiment, the light source  60  is coupled by wires directly to a fuse box of the automobile. 
     Turning to  FIG. 2 , the ring member  50  has a pair of through channels  202  formed on opposite sides of the perimeter of the ring member  50 . The through channels  202  are dimensioned to accept the key  70 . The key  70  when inserted into the through channels  202  in the manner shown in  FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C , compresses the locking pins  30  into the recesses of the base member  15 , thus allowing the ring member  50  to rotate back to an unlocked position. The unlocked position can be identified, in some embodiments, by a first indicia  220 A provided on the ring member  50  and a corresponding second indicia  220 B provided on the base member  15 . The ring member  50  is in the unlocked position when the first indicia  220 A and the second indicia  220 B are aligned.  FIG. 4C  shows a top view of an assembled hood ornament mounting system  10  with the first indicia  220 A and the second indicia  220 B aligned in an unlocked position. 
       FIG. 3  shows an embodiment of an assembled hood ornament mounting system  10 . In the embodiment shown, a cap  302  can be placed over the electrical socket  55  instead of a light source  60 . The cap  302  can act as a protective cover preventing moisture and particulates from entering the electrical socket  55 .  FIG. 4A  shows an embodiment of an assembled hood ornament mounting system  10  with the light source  60  installed.  FIG. 4B  shows a bottom view of the assembled hood ornament mounting system  10  showing the hole  402  through which electrical wires (not shown) can be passed from the electrical socket  55  to a power source. 
       FIG. 7  shows the hood ornament mounting system  10  of  FIG. 3  with cut line A-A along which a cross section shown in  FIG. 8  is taken. 
       FIG. 9  illustrates a process for installing an embodiment of the hood ornament mounting system  10  on an automobile hood. Initially, the installation process begins by an installer opening a hood of the automobile at block  901 . The hood silencer pad is pulled away from behind tabs located on each side of the hood at block  903 . Using needle nose pliers, at block  905 , hood bumpers are removed. The nut  40  is unscrewed, at block  907 , from the threaded rod  20 . The nut  40  is removed at block  909  by sliding the nut  40  over wire connectors. The wire connectors are fed one at a time through a hole in the hood at block  911 . The wires are gently pulled at block  913  until the threaded rod  20  is through the hole. At block  915  the nut  40  is slid over the wire connectors, and the nut  40  is screwed onto the threaded rod  20  until tight at block  917 . The wires are pulled through the hood silencer pad at block  919 , and attached to wiring harness push pins at block  921 . The ground wire is connected to a ground bolt at block  923  using a 10 mm wrench. At block  923 , a grounding wire nut located on a side of the engine compartment adjacent to a fuse box is slightly loosened and the ground connectors are slid between the grounding wire nut and the bolt connected to the side of engine compartment. The grounding wire nut is securely tightened. At block  925 , the hood silencer pad is replaced behind the tabs on the underside of the hood. 
     While embodiments of the present invention are described hereinabove as being mounted to an automobile hood, embodiments of the hood ornament mounting system  10  can be mounted on any vehicle, such as motorcycles, boats, RVs, tractor trailers, ATVs, delivery trucks, mail carrier vehicle, emergency vehicles (police, fire, ambulance), construction equipment, bus (school and public transit), tractors, personal watercraft, trains, snowmobile, taxi, for example. Moreover, some embodiments can be applied to other areas of a vehicle other than a hood. In still other embodiments, the ornament mounting system, including anti-theft features, may have applications other than for vehicles, such as home décor, residential and commercial lighting applications. 
     In other embodiments, the hood ornament mounting system  10  can include a Bluetooth® transceiver configured to provide wireless control of the light source  60  via a mobile device. The Bluetooth® transceiver can be configured to turn the light source  60  on/off, change the light intensity, or change the light color (e.g., wavelength) of the light source  60 . In other embodiments the hood ornament mounting system  10  can include a light sensor configured to activate the light source  60  when ambient light falls below a threshold. In other embodiments the hood ornament mounting system  10  can include a motion sensor configured to activate the light source  60  when the vehicle is in motion. 
     Reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present invention, as well as other variations thereof, means that a particular feature, structure, characteristic, and so forth described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment”, as well any other variations, appearing in various places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. However, it is to be appreciated that features of one or more embodiments can be combined given the teachings of the present invention provided herein. 
     The foregoing is to be understood as being in every respect illustrative and exemplary, but not restrictive, and the scope of the invention disclosed herein is not to be determined from the Detailed Description, but rather from the claims as interpreted according to the full breadth permitted by the patent laws. It is to be understood that the embodiments shown and described herein are only illustrative of the present invention and that those skilled in the art may implement various modifications without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Those skilled in the art could implement various other feature combinations without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Having thus described aspects of the invention, with the details and particularity required by the patent laws, what is claimed and desired protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.