Patent Publication Number: US-2012033371-A1

Title: Display Mounting Apparatus

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/370,945, filed Aug. 5, 2010 which is incorporated by specific reference in its entirety herein. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This present invention relates to display mounts. More particularly, the invention relates to adjustable flat panel display mounts. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Flat panel displays have become the most common type of display in homes and businesses, in part, because their thin profile allows them to be mounted on a wall. In homes, one common mounting location is above the mantel of a fireplace. In this configuration, the television can present the appearance of a piece of art, but the location is commonly several feet higher than a comfortable viewing height for a seated viewer causing neck strain and discomfort. 
     Prior art display mounts tilt, extend from a wall (so-called “articulating” mounts), or attach to a ceiling. No mount allows for a generally flat mount to a wall at an elevated position, such as above a mantel, and also allows for comfortable viewing for seated viewers. 
     Display mounts for computer monitors have allowed some degree of height adjustment, but none are suitable for displays that weigh more than approximately 11.3 kg-13.6 kg (25-30 pounds) and use manual adjustment mechanisms. Thus, they are particularly inappropriate for consumer televisions that can weigh 45 kg (100 pounds) or more. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention solves the above-described problems and provides a distinct advance in the art of flat panel display mounts. More particularly, the present invention provides a flat panel display mount that extends to a height that is comfortable for a seated viewer, can extend beyond a fireplace mantel, supports the weight of the display for easy adjustment, and retracts close to a wall for a pleasing appearance, similar to a piece of hung artwork, when not in use. 
     One embodiment of a display mounting apparatus broadly includes a wall mount, a support mechanism, a display support, and an electronics system. The wall mount fixably secures to a wall or other element of a structure, such as a home or building. The support mechanism includes an upper support arm and a lower support arm rotatably connected at a proximal end to the wall mount. The support mechanism may also include a lift mechanism. The display support removably attaches a display to the display mounting apparatus and is rotatably attached to the upper support arm and lower support arm at their distal ends. The electronics system signals to the lift mechanism to move the display mounting apparatus to an extended position or to a retracted position after receiving an external signal, such as an infrared signal from a conventional remote control. 
     Another embodiment of a display mounting apparatus broadly includes a wall mount, a support mechanism, and a display support. The display support further includes a rotating mechanism for rotating a display about a substantially vertical axis. 
     Another embodiment of a display mounting apparatus broadly includes a wall mount, a support mechanism, and a display support. The display support further includes a rotating mechanism for rotating a display about a substantially horizontal axis. 
     Another embodiment of a display mounting apparatus broadly includes a wall mount, a support mechanism, and a display support. The support mechanism further includes a folding support arm to prevent drooping of the display mount when the display mounting apparatus is in an extended position. 
     Another embodiment of a display mounting apparatus broadly includes a wall mount, a support mechanism, and a display support. The support mechanism further includes a cam and a spring at a distal end of the upper support arm and the lower support arm and the upper support arm is attached to the display mount with an elongated arcuate slot. The superior edge of the display mount is operable to follow the cam and, thus, tilt at a predetermined angle based on the cam profile. 
     Another embodiment of a display mounting apparatus broadly includes a wall mount, a support mechanism, a display support, and an electronics system. The wall mount includes a proximal rotation mechanism for rotating the support mechanism about a substantially horizontal axis. The support mechanism includes a single support arm. The display support includes a distal rotation mechanism for tilting the display support about a substantially horizontal axis. The electronics system directs the proximal and distal rotation mechanisms to rotate and, thus, moves the display mounting apparatus from a retracted position to an extended position. 
     Another embodiment of a display mounting apparatus broadly includes a wall mount, a support mechanism, a display support, and a shroud. The shroud is a tubular structure attached at a proximal end to the wall mount and at a distal end to the display mount for concealing the support mechanism from view, reducing noise, and providing a more aesthetic appearance. 
     This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description below. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
       Embodiments of the present technology are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a display mounting apparatus constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention showing a flat panel display, a wall mount, a support mechanism, and a display support, the display mounting apparatus in an extended position; 
         FIG. 2  is an isometric view of a display mounting apparatus of  FIG. 1  without the flat panel display and showing an attachment plate on the display support; 
         FIG. 3  is an elevation view from the top of the display mounting apparatus of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an elevation view from the left side of the display mounting apparatus of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an isometric view of a display mounting apparatus of  FIG. 2  without the attachment plate on the display support; 
         FIG. 6  is an elevation view of a distal side of the support mechanism of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 7  is an isometric view of the support mechanism of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 8  is an elevation view of the proximal side of the display support of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 9  is an isometric view of the proximal side of the attachment plate of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a block diagram of an electronics system that may be used with embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is an isometric view of the display mounting apparatus of  FIG. 1  in a retracted position; 
         FIG. 12  is an isometric view of the display mounting apparatus of  FIG. 1  between an extended position and a retracted position; 
         FIG. 13  is an isometric view of the display mounting apparatus of  FIG. 1  in an extended position; 
         FIG. 14  is an isometric view of a display mounting apparatus constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 15  is an isometric view of a display mounting apparatus constructed in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 16  is an isometric view of a display mounting apparatus constructed in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the invention showing the distal side of a display support and the distal side of a wall mount; 
         FIG. 17  is an isometric view of the display mounting apparatus of  FIG. 15  showing the proximal side of the display support and the proximal side of the wall mount; 
         FIG. 18  is an isometric view of a display mounting apparatus constructed in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the invention in a partially extended position; 
         FIG. 19  is an isometric view of the display mounting apparatus of  FIG. 18  in a almost fully retracted position; 
         FIG. 20  is an isometric view of a display mounting apparatus constructed in accordance with a sixth embodiment of the invention showing the distal side of a display support and the distal side of a wall mount; 
         FIG. 21  is an isometric view of the display mounting apparatus of  FIG. 20  showing the proximal side of a display support and the proximal side of a wall mount; and 
         FIG. 22  is an isometric view of a display mounting apparatus constructed in accordance with a seventh embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     The drawing figures do not limit the present invention to the specific embodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the technology. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following detailed description of various embodiments of the present technology references the accompanying drawings which illustrate specific embodiments in which the technology can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the technology in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice them. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the technology. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the present technology is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. 
     Note that in this description, references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” mean that the feature being referred to is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Further, separate references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” in this description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment; however, such embodiments are also not mutually exclusive unless so stated, and except as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description. For example, a feature, structure, act, etc. described in one embodiment may also be included in other embodiments. Thus, the present invention can include a variety of combinations and/or integrations of the embodiments described herein. 
     Turning now to the drawing figures and, in particular,  FIGS. 1-13 , a display mounting apparatus  10  for a flat panel display  12  is illustrated and broadly comprises a wall mount  14 , a support mechanism  16 , a display support  18 , and an electronics system  20 . 
     Turning particularly to  FIG. 6 , the wall mount  14  generally includes a main body  22  and attachment features  24 , and reinforcing features  26 . The wall mount  14  may be fabricated from steel, aluminum, an alloy, a composite material, or the like. In various embodiments, the wall mount  14  may be formed from a single piece of material. In other embodiments, the main body  22  and the attachment features  24  may be separately formed and attached with welds, fasteners, adhesive, or the like. 
     The main body  22  is generally planar and securely attaches the display mounting apparatus  10  to a wall or other fixed surface. In this embodiment, the main body  22  is generally rectangular, but the main body  22  may be any shape. Additionally, the main body  22  may include a plurality of attachment holes  28  distributed at various points along its surface for attaching the wall mount  14  to a wall or fixed surface with fasteners such as screws, bolts, pins, lugs, or the like. In this embodiment, the plurality of attachment holes  28  are arranged in substantially horizontal rows where each of the attachment holes  28  is uniformly spaced from each of its neighboring attachment holes  28 . The spacing between adjacent attachment holes  28  may be 1.27 cm (0.5 inch), 2.54 cm (1 inch), 5.08 cm (2 inches), or any other spacing as needed under the circumstances. Thus, the attachment holes  28  facilitate securely anchoring the wall mount  14  into regularly spaced wall studs, or the like. In other embodiments, the attachment holes  28  may be horizontally or vertically extended slots to facilitate adjustment of the display mounting apparatus  10  while enabling the fasteners to secure into wall studs, masonry, anchors, or the like, contained within the wall of a building or structure. In some embodiments, the main body  22  may further include an aperture  30  therein to facilitate cables to be passed through. 
     The attachment features  24  facilitate attaching the support mechanism  16  to the wall mount  14  and may comprise flanges, raised knuckles, raised portions of the main body  22 , or the like. In some embodiments, the attachment features  24  may include a plurality of spaced-apart flanges with a pin-receiving hole therethrough, like a clevis. The attachment features  24  may be formed integrally with the wall mount  14  or the reinforcing features  26 , or may be separately formed and secured thereto with welds, adhesives, screws, bolts, or the like. 
     In some embodiments, the reinforcing features  26  support, or are integrated with, the attachment features  24  or improve the rigidity or strength of the wall mount  14 . The reinforcing features  26  may comprise raised knuckles, raised portions of the main body  22 , cut-out portions of the main body  22 , flanges, fluted portions, rounded portions, or various other structures that increase the strength or rigidity of the wall mount  14 . The reinforcing features  26  may be formed integrally with the wall mount  14  or the attachment features  24 , or may be separately formed and secured thereto with welds, adhesives, screws, bolts, or the like. 
     Turning particularly to  FIG. 7 , the support mechanism  16  pivotally connects the display support  18  to the wall mount  14  and includes a lower support arm  32 , an upper support arm  34  and, in some embodiments, the support mechanism  16  may further include a lift mechanism  36 . 
     The lower support arm  32  may be fabricated from various metals, alloys, composite materials, or the like. The lower support arm  32  includes a proximal attachment point  38  at a proximal end of the lower support arm  32  and a distal attachment point  40  at a distal end of the lower support arm  32 . Each lower support arm  32  is pivotally connected at the proximal attachment point  38  to a corresponding attachment feature  24  of the main body  22  with a fastener  42  such as bolts, pins, screws, lugs, or the like. Correspondingly, the lower support arm  32  is pivotally connected at the distal attachment point  40  to the display support  18  with a fastener  44  such as bolts, pins, screws, lugs, or the like. In some embodiments, the lower support arm  32  may further include a reinforcing structure  46  to improve the rigidity or strength of the lower support arm  32 . 
     The upper support arm  34  may be fabricated from various metals, alloys, composite materials, or the like. The upper support arm  34  includes a proximal attachment point  48  at a proximal end of the upper support arm  34  and a distal attachment point  50  at a distal end of the upper support arm  34 . Each upper support arm  34  is pivotally connected at the proximal attachment point  48  to a corresponding attachment feature  24  of the main body  22  with a fastener  52  such as bolts, pins, screws, lugs, or the like. Correspondingly, each upper support arm  34  is pivotally connected at the distal attachment point  50  to the display support  18  with a fastener  54  such as bolts, pins, screws, lugs, or the like. In some embodiments, the upper support arm  34  may further include a reinforcing structure  56  to improve the rigidity or strength of the upper support arm  34 . The upper support arm  34  may be the same length as the lower support arm  32  or it may be a different length. 
     In this embodiment, the lift mechanism  36  further comprises a weight balancing device  58  and an actuator  60 . 
     The weight balancing device  58  connects the support mechanism  16  to a lift attachment feature  62  that is removably secured to the wall mount  14  with screws, bolts, flanges, or the like. The weight balancing device  58  includes a first attachment point  64  and a second attachment point  66  at its distal ends. The first attachment point  64  connects the weight balancing device  58  to the lift attachment feature  62  with a fastener  68 , such as a bolt, a screw, a pin, a lug, ball joint, or the like, and the second attachment point  66  connects the weight balancing device  58  to the support mechanism  16  with a fastener  70 , such as a bolt, a screw, a pin, a lug, ball joint, or the like. The weight balancing device  58  may be a linear actuator, a gas spring, an air spring, an extension spring, a safety drawbar spring, a torsion spring, a polymeric band, or the like. In some embodiments, the weight balancing device  58  exerts a force on the support mechanism that substantially offsets a force of gravity exerted on the display support  18  by a flat panel display  12 . In some embodiments the weight balancing device  58  exerts a greater force greater than the force required to offset the force of gravity on the display support, and in others the weight balancing device  58  exerts less force. 
     The actuator  60  connects the upper support arm  34  to the lower support arm  32  for electronically controlling the position of the display support  18  with respect to the wall mount  14 . In this embodiment, the actuator  60  is rotatably secured at a first end  72  to the lower support arm  32  with a fastener  74  such as a screw, a pin, a lug, ball joint, or the like. The actuator  60  is rotatably secured at a second end  76  to the upper support arm  34  with a fastener  78  such as a screw, a pin, a lug, ball joint, or the like. 
     In some embodiments, the first attachment point  64  of the weight balancing device  58  connects the support mechanism  16  to a first location on the support mechanism  16  and the second attachment point  66  connects the weight balancing device  58  to a second location on the support mechanism  16 . For example, the first attachment point  64  may connect to a proximal portion of the lower support arm  32  and the second attachment point  66  may connect to a distal portion of the upper support arm  34 . In yet other embodiments, the first attachment point  64  connects to the support mechanism  16  and the second attachment point  66  connects to the display support  18 . In still other embodiments, the first attachment point  64  may connect to the wall mount  14  and the second attachment point  66  may connect to the display support  18 . 
     Turning particularly to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the display support  18  provides a secure attachment point for the flat panel display  12  and broadly includes a main body  80 , and a display attachment mechanism  82 . 
     The main body  80  is generally planar, supports, and further includes an upper support arm attachment point  84 , a lower support arm attachment point  86  and, in some embodiments, a securing device aperture  88  and a hole  90 . The main body  80  may be fabricated from various metals, alloys, composite material, or the like. In some embodiments, the main body  80  is separately formed from the upper support arm attachment point  84 , the lower support arm attachment point  86  and attached with welds, fasteners, adhesive, or the like. 
     The upper support arm attachment point  84  pivotally connects the distal attachment point  50  of the upper support arm  34  to the main body  80  of the display support  18  with a fastener  54  such as a pin, screw, lug, bolt, ball-joint, or the like. The lower support arm attachment point  86  pivotally connects the distal attachment point  40  of the lower support arm  32  to the main body  80  of the display support  18  with a fastener  44  such as a pin, screw, lug, bolt, ball-joint, or the like. 
     The display attachment mechanism  82  removably attaches the display  12  to the display support  18  and broadly comprises an attachment plate  92  and, in some embodiments, a securing mechanism  94 . 
     The attachment plate  92  is generally planar and further comprises a cable-routing aperture  96 , and a plurality of attachment holes  98  for removably attaching to a rear portion of the display  12  with fasteners such as screws, bolts, lugs, pins, or the like. In some embodiments, the attachment plate  92  may utilize spacers, stand-offs, washers, or the like, to extend the rear portion of the display  12  away from the attachment plate  92 . The attachment plate  92  may be fabricated from various metals, alloys, composite materials, or the like. 
     The securing mechanism  94  removably secures the attachment plate  92  to the main body  80 . In this embodiment, the securing mechanism includes a downward-facing flange  100  at the superior edge of the attachment plate  92 , and a hole  102 . The flange  100  enables the attachment plate to be slid over and down onto the main body  80  so the flange  100  matingly engages the aperture  88  and, thus, the attachment plate  92  may hang in place on the distal face of the main body  80 . The hole  102 , when the attachment plate  92  is in hanging on the main body  80 , is axially aligned with the hole  90  and, thus, a fastener  104  is operable to pass through the hole  90 . The fastener  104  may then be secured, removably attaching the attachment plate  92  to the main body  80 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 10 , the display mounting apparatus  10  may be equipped with an electronics system  20  that controls the position of the display support  18  relative to the wall mount  14  and broadly comprises a signal receiving subsystem  106 , a processing subsystem  108 , a sensing subsystem  110 , a motion-control subsystem  112 , and a video subsystem  114 . The various subsystems may be separate or combined, and may utilize or share data between subsystems. 
     The signal receiving subsystem  106  is operable to determine if an external signal is present. The external signal may be infrared (IR), 802.11 Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Radio Frequency (RF), 802.3 Ethernet, RS-232 Serial, USB, a DC voltage pulse, a DC voltage, or any other method of electronically signaling and/or protocol for interpreting a signal. The signal receiving subsystem may further include electronic components operable to receive and interpret the external signal. In one embodiment, the signal receiving subsystem includes an IR receiver, such as the TSOP853 from Vishay Semiconductors®. Thus, the signal receiving subsystem  106  can detect the presence of an IR command that can be used to retract or extend the display mounting apparatus  10 , for example. In some embodiments, the signal receiving subsystem  106  may interface with a home automation system such as Crestron®, AMX®, Z-Wave®, Insteon®, Control 4®, or the like. When the signal receiving subsystem  106  receives an appropriate signal from the home automation system, the control subsystem can signal the motion-control  112  subsystem to move the display mounting apparatus appropriately. 
     The processing subsystem  108  interprets and executes commands stored on a computer-readable medium. Some embodiments of the processing subsystem  108  may utilize a computer processor such as a central processing unit (CPU), microprocessor unit (MPU), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or the like, to control various subsystems, such as the motion-control subsystem  112 , the sensing subsystem  110 , or the like. The processing subsystem  108  may include a computer readable medium such as FLASH memory, EEPROM, a solid state drive, RAM, or the like. 
     The sensing susbsystem  110  detects the environment or the position of the display mounting apparatus  10  so the processing subsystem  108  can execute a particular action. In some embodiments, the sensing subsystem  110  may utilize an accelerometer, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a button, a potentiometer, a force sensor, a reed switch, a mechanical switch, a rotary position sensor, a rotary encoder, a capacitive sensor, an optical encoder, an ultrasonic rangefinder, a flex sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, or the like, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, a video camera may be connected to the sensing subsystem  110  to move the display mounting apparatus to a retracted position when a user makes a first predetermined movement. Similarly, the display mounting apparatus may move to an extended position when a user makes a second predetermined movement. 
     In some embodiments, the sensing subsystem  110  may monitor for certain conditions, such as heat, humidity, or pressure. The processing subsystem  110  may then signal the motion-control subsystem  112  to adjust the position of the display mounting apparatus  10 . For example, if the display mounting apparatus  10  is located over a fireplace mantel, extreme heat from a fire may damage the sensitive electronics of the flat panel display  12 . A temperature sensor placed on an inferior edge of the display mounting apparatus  10  may sense a temperature over a predetermined temperature threshold and signal to the motion-control subsystem  108  to retract the display mount to avoid damage to the flat panel display  12  caused by heat. In another example, embodiments of the present invention may be used on an outdoor patio. If a water or humidity sensor placed on an upper edge of the display mounting apparatus  10  senses water, elevated humidity, or barometric pressure changes consistent with precipitation, the sensing subsystem  110  may cause the processing subsystem  108  to signal the motion-control subsystem  110  to retract the display mounting apparatus  10 , and thus the display  12 , to minimize the chance of damage due to water. In yet another example, a pressure or contact sensor may be placed at various points around the display mounting apparatus  10  and/or flat panel display  12  to avoid incidental contact with objects or people in the immediate vicinity of the display mounting apparatus  10 . When retracting, the pressure or contact sensor may detect an object behind the display or display mount and signal to the positioning subsystem to stop retracting or to extending. Various other monitoring is also possible. 
     The motion-control subsystem  112  may utilize a high-current driving circuit, such as an H-bridge, or the like, to control the actuator  60 . In some embodiments, the motion-control subsystem  112  may be operable to adjust the speed of the actuator by pulse-width modulation (PWM), delta-sigma modulation, pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM), pulse-code modulation (PCM), pulse-density modulation (PCM), pulse-position modulation (PPM), frequency modulation (FM), amplitude modulation (AM), or the like, and as dictated by the circuit. Thus, the motion-control subsystem  112  can cause the lift mechanism  36  to extend the display mounting apparatus  10  or retract the display mounting apparatus  10 . When combined with data provided from the sensing subsystem  110 , the processing subsystem  108  can direct the motion-control subsystem  112  to change behavior based on the position of the display mounting apparatus  10 . For example, the processing subsystem  108  may direct the motion-control subsystem to reduce the speed of the actuator  60  when the lower support arm  32  or upper arm  34  is near a fully retracted position or near a fully extended position. 
     The video subsystem  114  can alter an external video signal, switch between several video signals, or generate a video signal. In one embodiment, the video subsystem  114  includes a plurality of inputs and a single output and the video subsystem  114  is operable to output a first signal from a first video input on the video output when the display mounting apparatus  10  is in a retracted position and is operable to output a second signal from a second video input on the video output when the display mounting apparatus  10  is in an extended position. Thus, the display mounting apparatus  10  may display family photos when retracted, and over-the-air (OTA) television when extended, for example. Additionally, the video subsystem may be operable to display text or an image on the flat panel display  12  when the display mounting apparatus  10  is extending or retracting. Alternatively, it may superimpose a warning over a video signal when the display mounting apparatus  10  is extending or retracting. 
     Turning to  FIGS. 11-13 , in use, the display mounting apparatus  10  is attached to a wall of a structure with one or more fasteners and the attachment plate  92  is attached to the rear side of a display  12  with one or more fasteners. The flange  100  of the securing mechanism  94  is positioned over the aperture  88  on the distal side of the main body  80  and the fastener  104  is placed through the hole  102  and hole  90  to the proximal side of the main body  80 . The fastener  104  may then be secured with a nut, or the like. Thus, the display  12  is removably secured to the display mounting apparatus  10 . 
     A user signals for the display mounting apparatus  10  to extend by pressing a button on a conventional infrared remote control, home automation system, or the like. The signal receiving subsystem  106  receives the signal. The processing subsystem  108  directs the motion-control subsystem  112  to extend or retract the actuator  60 . Because the weight balancing device  58  supports the weight of the display  12 , the actuator is operable to change the position of the display mounting apparatus  10  using only a minimal amount of force. As the length of the actuator  60  decreases, the support mechanism  16  rotates from a substantially vertical position at 0-degree extension, to a substantially horizontal position at 90-degree extension, or to a downward-tilting position at 120-degree extension. The sensing subsystem  110  utilizes a multi-axis accelerometer to determine the position of the support mechanism  16 . Thus, at a substantially vertical position the processing subsystem  108  directs the motion-control subsystem  112  move slowly. As the support mechanism rotates away from a substantially vertical position, the processing subsystem  108  directs the motion-control subsystem  112  to accelerate to a faster speed. As the support mechanism rotates near to its target extended position, the processing subsystem  108  directs the motion-control subsystem  112  to decelerate to a slow speed. At the target position, the processing subsystem  108  directs the motion-control subsystem  112  to stop. 
     The display mounting apparatus  10  may be retracted using substantially the reverse steps. 
     Because the length of the upper support arm  34  and the lower support arm  32  are unequal and because the proximal attachment points  38 ,  48  and distal attachment points  40 ,  50  are not necessarily parallel to the wall mount  14  or to the display support  18 , the display support  18  can be parallel with the wall mount  14  at a retracted position and the display support  18  can be tilted downward at a fully-extended position. Various angles and tilts can be accomplished by adjusting the length of the upper support arm  34  and the lower support arm  32 , as well as by changing the location of the proximal attachment points  38 ,  48  and distal attachment points  40 ,  50 . 
     Thus, the display mounting apparatus  10  may be extended to lower the display  12  to use the display at a comfortable viewing height and may be retracted when the display  12  is not in use. For example, the display mounting apparatus  10  may be attached over a mantel of a fireplace to provide an improved viewing angle, and prevent neck fatigue, when extended and provide attractive positioning when retracted. The display  12  may be further fitted with a decorative frame around its peripheral edge to provide the appearance of hanging artwork when the display mounting apparatus  10  is retracted. 
       FIG. 14  illustrates another embodiment of a display mounting apparatus  200 . This embodiment is substantially similar to the embodiment described with reference to  FIGS. 1-13 , except as indicated. In this embodiment, the display support  202  further includes a rotating mechanism  204  for rotating a display about a substantially vertical axis. The rotating mechanism  204  includes a base  206 , a pivot  208 , a rotating plate  210 , and an actuator  212 . 
     The base is  206  is generally planar with upstanding flanges  214  at its superior and inferior edges and is operable to receive an attachment plate thereon, such as attachment plate  92  of  FIGS. 1-13 . Each of the upstanding flanges  214  further includes a pin-receiving hole  216  therethrough. 
     The pivot  208  is generally cylindrical and enables the rotating plate  210  to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the pivot  208 . In this embodiment, the pivot  208  is a pin, but in other embodiments, the pivot  208  may be a lug, a bolt, a bearing, a bushing, or the like. 
     The rotating plate  210  is generally planar with a flange  218  along its peripheral edge for supporting a display attachment mechanism thereon. The flanges  218  on the superior and inferior sides of the rotating plate  210  further include a pin-receiving hole  220  for receiving the pivot  208  therethrough. Thus, each pin-receiving hole  216 , the pivot  208 , and each pin-receiving hole  220  are axially aligned and allow the rotating plate to rotate about an axis A. 
     The actuator  212  is pivotally attached to the flange  218  of the rotating plate  210  and the base  206  to electromechanically pivot the rotating plate around the axis A. In this embodiment, the actuator is a linear electromechanical actuator but, in various embodiments, the actuator  212  may be a motor, a stepper motor, or various other devices capable of rotating the rotating plate  210  about the axis A. 
     In use, embodiments of display mounting apparatus  200 , further enable a display to pivot when the display mounting apparatus is in an extended position and to return to a position parallel to a wall mount  222 . 
       FIG. 15  illustrates another embodiment of a display mounting apparatus  300 . This embodiment is substantially similar to the embodiment described with reference to  FIGS. 1-13 , except as indicated. In this embodiment, the display support  302  further includes a rotating mechanism  304  for rotating a display about a substantially horizontal axis. The rotating mechanism  304  includes a base  306 , a pivot  308 , a rotating plate  310 , and an actuator  312 . 
     The base is  306  is generally planar with upstanding flanges  314  at its lateral edges and is operable to receive an attachment plate thereon, such as attachment plate  92  of  FIGS. 1-13 . Each of the upstanding flanges  314  further includes a pin-receiving hole  316  therethrough. 
     The pivot  308  is generally cylindrical and enables the rotating plate  310  to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the pivot  308 . In this embodiment, the pivot  308  is a pin, but in other embodiments, the pivot  308  may be a lug, a bolt, a bearing, a bushing, or the like. 
     The rotating plate  310  is generally planar with an upstanding flange  318  along its peripheral edge for supporting a display attachment mechanism thereon. The upstanding flanges  318  on the lateral sides of the rotating plate  310  further include a pin-receiving hole  320  for receiving the pivot  306  therethrough. Thus, each pin-receiving hole  316 , the pivot  308 , and each pin-receiving hole  320  are axially aligned and allow the rotating plate to rotate about an axis B. 
     The actuator  312  is pivotally attached to the upstanding flange  318  of the rotating plate  310  and the base  306  to electromechanically pivot the rotating plate around the axis B. In this embodiment, the actuator is a linear electromechanical actuator but, in various embodiments, the actuator  312  may be a motor, a stepper motor, or various other devices capable of rotating the rotating plate  310  about the axis B. 
     In use, embodiments of display mounting apparatus  300 , further enable a display to pivot when the display mounting apparatus is in an extended position and to return to a position parallel to a wall mount  322 . 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 16 &amp; 17 , another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. This embodiment is substantially similar to the embodiment described with reference to  FIGS. 1-13 , except as indicated. The display mounting apparatus  400  broadly comprises a wall mount  402 , a support mechanism  404 , and a display support  406 . 
     The wall mount  402  includes a latch receiver  408  for securing the display support  406  to the wall mount  402  when the display mounting apparatus  400  is in a retracted position. 
     The support mechanism  404  includes a folding support arm  410  for supporting the display support  406  when in an extended position and to prevent drooping of the display support  406  over the life of the display mounting apparatus  400 . 
     The display support  406  includes a latch  412  for matingly engaging the latch receiver  408  and for securing the display support  406  to the wall mount  402  when the display mounting apparatus  400  is in a retracted position. 
     In use, embodiments of the display mounting apparatus  400  enable a user to position the display mounting apparatus without the use of an actuator or other electronic positioning device. When the display mounting apparatus  400  is in an extended position, the weight balancing device  414  exerts a force on the support mechanism  404  that causes the display support  406  to have an upward force exerted on it that is slightly less than the force of gravity on a display. Thus, in an extended position, a user needs to lift the display slightly to cause the display mounting apparatus  400  to transition from an extended position to a refracted position. In one embodiment, the display mounting apparatus  400  requires approximately 22 newtons (5 pounds) of force to begin to transition the display mounting apparatus  400  from an extended position to a retracted position. In other embodiments, the display mounting apparatus  400  requires approximately 44 newtons (10 pounds) of force to begin to transition the display mounting apparatus  400  from an extended position to a refracted position. 
     Because of the orientation of the weight balancing device  414 , the upper support arm  416 , and the lower support arm  418 , in a retracted position the weight balancing device  414  exerts an upward force on the support mechanism  404  that causes the force on the display support  406  to be greater than the force of gravity. Thus, the display mounting apparatus  400  will stay in a retracted position until the user pulls on the display or display support  406 . In one embodiment, the display mounting apparatus  400  requires approximately 22 newtons (5 pounds) of force to begin to transition the display mounting apparatus  400  from a retracted position to an extended position. In other embodiments, the display mounting apparatus  400  requires approximately 44 newtons (10 pounds) of force to begin to transition the display mounting apparatus  400  from a retracted position to an extended position. 
     Additionally, in a retracted position, the latch  412  matingly engages the latch receiver  408  and secures the display mounting apparatus  400  in a retracted position. To extend the display mounting apparatus  400 , the user must disengage the latch  412  and pull on the display support  406  or on the display. 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 18 &amp; 19 , yet another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. This embodiment is substantially similar to the embodiment described with reference to  FIGS. 1-13 , except as indicated. The display mounting apparatus  500  broadly comprises a wall mount  502 , a support mechanism  504 , and a display support  506 . 
     The support mechanism includes and upper support arm  508  and a lower support arm  510 . The upper support arm  508  further includes a cam  512  and a spring  514  at its distal end. Additionally, the upper support arm attachment point  516  is an elongated arcutate slot. The lower support arm  510  includes a lower support arm attachment point  518  at its distal end. The cam  512  is held in position so that its longitudinal axis is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the upper support arm  508 . 
     In use, the display support  506  is held against the cam  512  by spring  514  and pivots around the lower support arm attachment point  518 . That is, the superior edge of the display support  506  is in a cam-following arrangement. As the display mounting apparatus  500  is extended and retracted the display support is operable to tilt around an axis defined by the lower support arm attachment points  518 , as dictated by the shape of the cam  512 . 
     Additionally, cam  512  is operable to be changed as desired. For example, one cam may be operable to position the display support  506  in a parallel orientation with regard to the wall mount  502  when retracted and to position the display support  506  in a 5 degree forward tilt when the display mounting apparatus  500  is extended position. Another cam may be operable to position the display support  506  in a 10 degree forward tilt when the display mounting apparatus  500  is in an extended position. 
       FIGS. 20 &amp; 21  illustrate still another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is substantially similar to the embodiment described with reference to  FIGS. 1-13 , except as indicated. The display mounting apparatus  600  broadly comprises a wall mount  602 , a support mechanism  604 , and a display support  606 . 
     In this embodiment the wall mount  602  further comprises a proximal rotation mechanism  608  substantially at or near its inferior edge. The proximal rotation mechanism  608  supports the proximal end of the support mechanism  604  and can cause the support mechanism  604  to rotate about a substantially horizontal first axis C. In this embodiment, the proximal rotation mechanism  608  is a stepper motor, but in other embodiments the proximal rotation mechanism  608  could be a motor, a linear actuator, or the like. In some embodiments the proximal rotation mechanism may further include a gearbox capable of reducing a drive speed, and increasing a torque, of a motor, such as the stepper motor shown in  FIGS. 20 &amp; 21 , or the like. 
     The support mechanism  604  includes a support arm  610  that is fixably disposed at its proximal end on a rotating portion of the proximal rotation mechanism  608 . Thus, the proximal rotation mechanism  608  is operable to rotated the support arm  610  from a substantially vertical position, to a substantially horizontal position, and to a downward angled position. In some embodiments, the support mechanism may further include a lift mechanism, such as lift mechanism  36  of  FIGS. 1-13 . 
     The display support  606  further includes a distal rotation mechanism  612  substantially at or near its superior edge. The distal rotation mechanism  612  supports the display support  606  at the distal end the support mechanism  604  and can cause the display support  606  to rotate about a substantially horizontal second axis D. The support arm  610  is fixably disposed at its distal end on a rotating portion of the distal rotation mechanism  612 . Thus, the distal rotation mechanism can cause the display support  606  to tilt at various angles relative to the wall mount  602  and the support mechanism  604 . In this embodiment, the distal rotation mechanism  612  is a stepper motor, but in other embodiments the distal rotation mechanism  612  could be a motor, a linear actuator, or the like. In some embodiments the distal rotation mechanism  612  may further include a gearbox capable of reducing a drive speed, and increasing a torque, of a motor, such as the stepper motor shown in  FIGS. 20 &amp; 21 , or the like. 
     In use, the proximal rotation mechanism  608  and distal rotation mechanism  612  each independently rotate to move the display mounting apparatus  600  from a retracted position to an extended position as directed by an electronics system  614 , such as electronics system  20  of  FIGS. 1-13 . Because the proximal rotation mechanism  608  and distal rotation mechanism  612  are independently operable, in some embodiments, the distal rotation mechanism  612  may cause the display support  606  to be generally parallel with the wall mount  602  during the transition from the retracted position to the extended position. In other embodiments, the distal rotation mechanism  612  may cause the display support  606  to be tilted with respect to the wall mount  602  during the transition from the retracted position to the extended position. Once in an extended position, the distal rotation mechanism  612  is operable to tilt the display support  606 , and thus any attached display, to nearly any angle. 
       FIG. 22  illustrates another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is substantially similar to the embodiment described with reference to  FIGS. 1-13 , except as indicated. The display mounting apparatus  700  broadly comprises a wall mount  702 , a support mechanism (not shown), a display support  704 , and a shroud  706 . 
     The shroud  706  is a tubular enclosure to improve the appearance of the display mounting apparatus  700 , to hide the support mechanism, and to reduce any noise created by the display mounting apparatus  700 . The shroud  706  is attached at its proximal end to the peripheral edge of the wall mount  702  with fasteners such as buttons, hook-and-loop fasteners, clips, hooks, or the like. The shroud  708  is attached at its distal end to the peripheral edge of the display support  704  with fasteners such as buttons, hook-and-loop fasteners, clips, hooks, or the like. The shroud  708  may be fabric, paper, plastic, elastomeric material, or the like, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the shroud  708  may be constructed from pleated layers of cloth and cardboard, like the bellows of an accordion. Thus, the shroud  708  extends easily and folds neatly when the display mounting apparatus  700  is in a retracted position. Additionally, the folded shape of the shroud  708  acts as a baffle to reduce noise caused by motors or actuators. Noise absorbing material may also be used, particularly as a lining of the shroud  708 , to further reduce noise. 
     Although the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment illustrated in the attached drawing figures, it is noted that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims.