Patent Abstract:
A mount for an appliance such as a TV monitor which includes a box-like frame having a catch part at the top of the frame. A swivel part which may be attached to either the ceiling or the wall is provided. The catch part has a slot into which the swivel part is fitted, thus engaging the catch part to support the frame and the appliance. The disclosed support provides for ease of assembly as the appliance is supported from the ceiling or wall by the mere placement of said swivel in the catch part, without requiring any other assembly. The appliance may be tilted or rotated in the support.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a mount for a positionable object and has specific but not necessarily limited application to a ceiling or wall mount for a TV or a similar monitor. 
     2. Discussion of the Prior Art 
     Heretofore, wall and ceiling mounts such as those manufactured by Peerless Industries, Inc. and OmniMount Systems, Inc., while permitting the relatively heavy monitor to be adjusted around vertical as well as horizontal axes of limited rotation, nevertheless have been of rather difficult installation. Normally, at least two individuals are required to suspend the monitor in the mount. One individual is needed to support the mount while the second individual secures the suspended mount in position. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In this invention, the TV monitor is supported within a box-like frame with the top of the frame connected to a swivel part which is attached to either the ceiling or the wall. The monitor within its support frame is suspended from the swivel by a sliding lateral movement in which the ceiling or wall mounted part of the swivel enters a receptive slot at the top of the support frame. In this manner, only one individual is required to appropriately suspend the monitor with the mount. 
     Once suspended, an adjustment screw secured to the mount frame within a yoke attachment allows the frame and the supported monitor to be pivoted about a horizontal axis for adjustment of position. A safe limited range of movement of the frame and monitor about the horizontal pivot axis is provided by the yoke in conjunction with the adjustment screw. 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a mount for a TV monitor of economical construction and ease of operation. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a mount which is for a monitor such as a television and which may be installed by one individual. 
     Still another object of this invention is to provide a monitor which is for a television or similar electronic apparatus and which may be mounted either to the ceiling or to the wall. 
     Other objects of this invention will become apparent upon a reading of the following description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of the mount of this invention showing the parts thereof with respect to one embodiment in separated form. 
         FIG. 2  is a view of the mount of  FIG. 1  shown assembled but with swivel components separated. 
         FIG. 3  is an assembled view of the mount of  FIG. 1  showing the swivel components connected. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the mount of  FIG. 1  showing the swivel components in secured form. 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded view showing components of the swivel in exploded form. 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of another embodiment of the mount of this invention. 
         FIG. 7  is an end view of the mount shown in  FIG. 6  but with the end plates removed. 
         FIG. 8  is a side view of the catch part of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 9  is a top view of the catch part shown in  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 10  is an end view of the catch part shown in  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  is a side view of the mount of  FIG. 1  shown supporting a monitor. 
         FIG. 12  is a side view of the monitor shown in  FIG. 11  but with the frame thereof tilted. 
         FIG. 13  is an end view in fragmentary form of the swivel and tilt components of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 14  is a fragmentary end view like  FIG. 13  but showing the frame of the monitor in tilted position. 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view of a ceiling support for the mount. 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective view of a wall support for the mount. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The preferred embodiments hereinafter illustrated and described are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. They are chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention so to enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention. 
     Mount  10  of this invention is shown in assembled form in  FIG. 4  and in an exploded disassembled form in  FIG. 1 . The mount includes a support frame  12  having sides  14 , bottom  16 , and top  18 . Sides  14 , bottom  16 , and top  18  are joined by suitable fasteners such as screws  20  and  20 ′ with a mounting plate  22  being connected to bottom  16  by fasteners  24 . A TV monitor  26  or a similar device is attached to mounting plate  22 . A particular component regarding frame  12  is catch part  28  which forms a part of the swivel  30  connecting frame  12  to the appropriate wall or ceiling attachment which will be later described. Catch part  28  forms a component of top  18  of the frame and includes upturned side walls  32  which parallel one another in a spaced-apart relationship. Extending between side walls  32  and forming a component of the catch part is retainer  34 . Retainer  34  includes an arcuate portion  36  which parallels the general transverse orientation of the frame. A slot  38  is formed in one of the catch part side walls  32  and extends into arcuate portion  36  of the retainer. 
     Swivel  30  includes in addition to catch part  28 , a barrel  40  suspended from a bolt or rotation member  42  retained within a cup part  44 . Bolt  42  extends through cup part  44  and is turned into a threaded bore  46  in barrel  40  and thereafter welded or otherwise fixedly secured to the barrel so that there is no rotative movement between the barrel and bolt  42 . A nut  48  previously turned upon bolt  42  is positioned between cup part  44  and barrel  40 . Nut  48  is tightened against the underside of cup part  44  once the frame and monitor is suitably oriented so as to secure the monitor and frame against pivotal movement about the vertical axis when in use. A key  50  is fixedly attached such as by welding to barrel  40 , extending the longitudinal length of the barrel. Key  50  includes an oval opening  52 . 
     Barrel  40  of swivel  30  may be suspended from a vertical stanchion  54  (see  FIG. 15 ) carried by a mounting plate  56  which is adapted to be secured to a ceiling through suitable fasteners turned into the ceiling through openings  58  in the mounting plate. The lower end of stanchion  54  is threaded which permits the internally threaded cup part  44  to be turned and threaded on to the stanchion and there held in place against a rotative movement by a set screw  60 . Alternatively, a right angle bracket  62  (see  FIG. 16 ) carrying a threaded stub  64  can be secured to a side wall  66  through lag bolts  68  or similar fasteners. Stub  64  is threaded in a fashion similar to stanchion  54  so as to allow cup part  44  to be turned upon the stub and secured in place by set screw  60 . 
     First, barrel  40  of swivel  30  is appropriately located and suspended through either stanchion  54  or bracket  62  depending upon the desired orientation and space availability of the room. With barrel  40  suspended and secured to either the ceiling or side wall mount, frame  12  and attached monitor can be picked up by one individual and moved over barrel  40  by having the barrel  40  fitted through slot  38  in catch part side wall  32  and retainer  34  with the barrel seating upwardly into the arcuate portion  36  of the retainer where it is nested. In this manner, a single individual can mount and support the frame with its monitor. A pair of end plates  70  are then inserted between the side walls  32  of catch part  28  and attached by a bolt  72  and nut  74  at each end of the barrel to anchor the barrel within catch part  28 . Nut  74  is preferably not tightened yet. 
     A bolt  76  is now fitted through an opening  78  in the forward positioned side wall  32  of catch part  28 . The bolt extends freely through opening  52  in key  50  secured to barrel  40 . A nut  80  is turned upon the extending end of bolt  76  and tightened against key  50 , as shown in  FIG. 11 . Insertion of bolt  76  and the application of nut  80  is accomplished by the installer once the frame and monitor have been suspended from barrel  40  and are freely hanging in a vertical orientation such as shown in  FIG. 11  and  FIG. 13 . The installer then turns bolt  76  while holding nut  80 , both being accessible from either end of catch part  28 , causing the frame and its supported monitor to be drawn into a tilted position such as illustrated in  FIG. 12 . In this manner, the angular position of frame  12  and the monitor can be set by the installer to accommodate the needs of the user of the monitor. The enlarged oval opening  52  in key  50  acts as a yoke and allows for a range of tilt of the frame while restricting the range within the confines of the area of opening  52 . In this manner, the frame with its limited range of tilt may be safely adjusted. At this time, nut  74  can be tightened upon bolt  72  to secure the end plates  70  in position within catch part  28 . The angular orientation of the frame, that is its position right or left relative to a vertical axis, is accommodated by the rotation of bolt  42  within cup part  44 . Once the frame and its monitor has been placed in its desired angular orientation, nut  48  is tightened against the bottom surface or base of cup part  44 , thus locking the frame and monitor against such a rotational movement relative to its attachment to the ceiling or wall. 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  depict a modified embodiment of the swivel connection. In this embodiment, cup part  44  is attached by bolt  42  and nut  48  to the catch part  28 ′. Catch part  28 ′ is a separate component and is in tubular form having a slotted opening  82  formed in one of its side walls. The frame  12 ′ (shown only partially for illustrative purposes) which supports the monitor includes a top  18 ′ having an upwardly extending stanchion  84 . Attached to the top of stanchion  84  is barrel  40  having its key  50  projecting upwardly. To hang or support frame  12 ′, the user lifts the frame carrying barrel  40  and the monitor with barrel  40  being inserted through slot  82  in catch part  28 ′ and lowered so that the barrel is seated upon the bottom wall  86  of catch part  28 ′. Slot  82  extends not only along the side wall of catch part  28 , but also in a narrow or restricted form along bottom wall  86 . This allows frame  12 ′ and barrel  40  to be seated within catch part  28 ′ and supported by having the opposite end portions of barrel  40  resting upon the unslotted portion of bottom wall  86  of the catch part. 
     Key  50  attached to barrel  40  in this embodiment has a slotted opening  88 . A side opening  90  is provided in catch part  28 ′ in the side wall opposite slot  82 . Bolt  76  is inserted through side opening  90  and opening  88  in the key with nut  80  being turned upon the bolt such as illustrated in  FIG. 12 . Again, this is accomplished preferably after the frame and monitor has been suspended in catch part  28 ′ with the length of the catch part being such that easy access to the interior of the catch part is provided for the installer to insert bolt  76  and to apply nut  80  upon the bolt. While holding nut  80 , bolt  76  can be turned by the installer causing the frame  12 ′ to be tilted relative to catch part  28 ′. Also, the angular orientation of frame  12 ′ relative to cup  44  can be adjusted by movement of catch part  28 ′ and suspended frame  12 ′ about bolt  42 . Bolt  42  can be tightened to draw catch part  28 ′ against the base of cup part  44  with nut  48  being welded or otherwise secured against rotation within the interior of the cup part. End plates  70  can now be placed at the ends of barrel  40  and secured by bolt  72  and nut  74 . 
     The invention is not to be limited to the details above given but may be modified in the framework of the following appended claims. For example, in the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1–5  and  8 – 16 , the barrel may be attached to support frame  12  and catch part  28  attached to the vertical stanchion  54 . Analogous shapes may also be substituted to perform the intended function such as a ball may be substituted for barrel member  54 . Also, the shape of the key and slot could be varied to any configuration that will draw the frame when the bolt is turned. Furthermore, numerous frame shapes may be substituted for support frame  12  in lieu of the sliding channel members disclosed.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5