Abstract:
A motorized mount for an electronic display includes a biaxially shiftable mount assembly including a positioning assembly being translatably shiftable in a plane and a rotator assembly operably coupled to the positioning assembly, the rotator assembly being rotatably shiftable about an axis, the axis being orthogonally disposed relative to the plane. A method of selectively positioning an electronic display is further included.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 60/755811, filed Jan. 3, 2006, and incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to mounting devices for electronic displays, and in particular, remotely selectively positionable mounting devices for flat panel electronic display devices.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Flat panel electronic display devices such as flat panel televisions and display monitors are becoming increasingly popular due to superior image quality, space utilization, and increasing affordability as compared with conventional CRT displays. These flat panel display technologies have proven especially well suited to screen sizes over 36 inches, above which the size and weight of a CRT device become prohibitive.  
         [0004]     In very large screen sizes, however, even flat panel electronic displays are heavy and difficult for an individual to manage. Further, it is often desirable to position a display to be in a better position for viewing. This typically involves moving the display away from a wall so the screen may be tilted from side-to-side over a wider range of motion. While this may be accomplished in some instances by mounting the display on a wheeled cart, this approach has drawbacks. One problem with such an approach is that the large mass of the flat panel display may make the combination top-heavy and prone to tipping. Another drawback is that the cart takes up floor space, thereby negating part of the space advantage of a flat panel display. Moreover, for full positioning capability, the cart must be remotely positionable as well as the display itself, making for a relatively complex position control system.  
         [0005]     Another approach is to mount the flat panel display from a wall or other structural element. Prior wall mounting devices have been developed that enable wall mounting of a flat panel display with remote positioning capability. These prior devices, however, have certain drawbacks. One such device is disclosed in published PCT application WO 2005/052435 A1. In this device, threaded rods are joined together in a rectangular configuration whereby each threaded rod supports a movable carriage including a linear actuator thereon. The flat panel display device is coupled with each carriage through a rigid tube. As the linear actuators are moved along the threaded rods as directed with the remote control, the screen of the flat panel display is moved outwardly from the wall and tilted from side-to-side and up-and-down. A drawback of this device, however, is the display device causes relatively large structural loads to be placed on the threaded rods, tubes and linear actuators when the display is cantilevered a significant distance from the wall. The size of these elements must be made correspondingly large to accommodate this loading, adding to the space demands, weight, and cost of the mounting device. Further, the device requires a relatively large number of actuators or motors, adding to the cost of the device and complexity of the control systems.  
         [0006]     Another prior remotely positionable mount is disclosed in US published patent application U.S. 2005/0179618 A1 entitled “VIEWING ANGLE ADJUSTMENT FOR A MONITOR.” In this device, a known swing arm type cantilever mount is modified with a rotary positioning motor at each arm connection. A drawback of this device, however, is that a relatively complex control system is needed to monitor and control the multiple positioning motors. Further, even with such a complex control system, the resulting positioning movement of the display is likely to be somewhat non-uniform and halting due to the need to assimilate position feedback signals in the control system.  
         [0007]     What is still needed in the industry is a wall mount for an electronic flat panel display device that exhibits good structural strength characteristics in a relatively simple design that is as well relatively lightweight and compact and that enables remotely controlled positioning of the display with a smooth motion.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     The present invention addresses the need of the industry for a flat panel display mount that exhibits good structural strength characteristics in a relatively lightweight and compact form, and that enables remotely controlled positioning of the display with a smooth motion. In embodiments of the invention, a motorized mount includes a wall interface assembly and a display device interface operably coupled by a scissor arm assembly. The scissor arm assembly is compounded for strength, each arm comprising two parallel arms. One end of one compounding arm of the scissor arm assembly is coupled to a positioning member threadedly engaged with a vertical screw in the wall interface driven by a motor, which the other end is pivoted to the display interface. One end of the other compounding arm is slidably received on a vertical shaft on the display interface, while the other end of the same arm is pivoted to the wall interface. When the motor is actuated, the positioning block is moved up or down on the screw, thereby causing the display interface to be moved closer to or away from the wall by the scissor arm assembly in a generally horizontal plane. A second positioning motor may be attached to the scissor arm assembly and coupled to the display interface through a geared arrangement to enable side-to-side rotation of the display interface about the shaft axis. Each motor may be remotely controlled using known remote control systems, including wired and wireless control systems.  
         [0009]     In an embodiment, the present invention includes a motorized mount for an electronic display, and includes a biaxially shiftable mount assembly including a positioning assembly being translatably shiftable in a plane and a rotator assembly operably coupled to the positioning assembly, the rotator assembly being roatably shiftable about an axis, the axis being orthogonally disposed relative to the plane. An embodiment of the present invention may further include a method of selectively positioning an electronic display. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a remote controlled mount according to an embodiment of the invention with a flat panel electronic display device mounted thereon;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the positioning assembly and scissor arm assembly of the mount depicted in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a fragmentary perspective view of another portion of the positioning assembly and scissor arm assembly of the mount depicted in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the rotator and slide assemblies of the mount depicted in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a fragmentary perspective view of another portion of the rotator and slide assemblies of the mount depicted in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of the mount and display depicted in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 7  is a rear elevation view of the mount and display depicted in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0017]      FIG. 8  is a top plan view of the mount and display depicted in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0018]      FIG. 9  is a side elevation view of the mount and display depicted in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 10  is a bottom plan view of the mount and display depicted in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0020]      FIG. 11  is perspective view of an embodiment of a remote controlled mount according to an embodiment of the invention; and  
         [0021]      FIG. 12  is a fragmentary view of a portion of the mount of  FIG. 11 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0022]     A motorized mount according to an embodiment of the present invention is depicted generally at  20  in the figures. Motorized mount  20  generally has three major components: wall interface assembly  22 , display device interface  24  and positioning assembly  26 , as depicted in  FIGS. 1 and 6 .  
         [0023]     The first component of motorized mount  20  is wall interface assembly  22 , shown particularly in  FIGS. 2, 3 ,  7 ,  11  and  12 . Wall interface assembly  22  generally includes housing  28  having a pair of laterally projecting flanges  30 . Housing  28  may have a width dimension W (see  FIG. 2 ) defined between the flanges  30  and selected so as to correspond with the spacing between adjacent studs of standard stud spacing in frame wall construction such stud spacing is, for example, 16 inches or 24 inches on center. Each flange  30  may have one or more apertures  32  for receiving fasteners  34  (see  FIG. 11 ) to attach wall interface assembly  22  to studs  36  in a wall  38 . Mechanism cover  40  (see  FIG. 12 ) may be provided to cover all or a portion of the interior of housing  28  when installed in the wall  38 .  
         [0024]     The second component of motorized mount  20  is display device interface  24 , shown particularly in  FIGS. 4, 5 , and  9 . Display device interface  24  generally includes interface plate  42  and fastening buttons  44 . Interface plate  42  has a plurality of apertures  46  defined therein for receiving fastening buttons  44 , which are attached to flat panel display device  48 . Various arrangements of apertures and fastening buttons that may be used to attach flat panel display device  48  to interface plate  42  are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/821,395 entitled FLAT PANEL DISPLAY MOUNTING SYSTEM, commonly owned by the owners of the present invention and hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. In other embodiments of the invention, display device interface  24  may include a perimeter frame structure  50  (see  FIG. 11 ) having inside dimensions slightly greater than the outside dimensions of a certain flat panel display device  48  and into which the flat panel display device  48  may be received. In these embodiments, flat panel display device  48  may be attached to frame  50  using any attaching means known in the art.  
         [0025]     The third component of motorized mount  20  is positioning assembly  26 , shown particularly in  FIGS. 2-5 ,  11  and  12 . Positioning assembly  26  generally includes means for shiftably translating the display device interface  24  in a plane that is substantially horizontal or parallel with a floor of a room in which the motorized mount  20  is mounted. Positioning assembly  26  generally includes screw drive assembly  52 , scissor arm assembly  54 , slide assembly  56  and rotator assembly  58 . Screw drive assembly  52  generally includes screw  60 , positioning block  62 , motor  64 , and thrust bearing assembly  66 . Screw  60  has a spiral thread  68  formed thereon and extending over its full length. Motor  64  is attached to inside surface  70  of housing  28  and has an output shaft  72  attached to one end  74  of screw  60 . Opposite end  76  of screw  60  is coupled to thrust bearing assembly  66  at thrust bearing  78 . Thrust bearing  78  is rotatably received in thrust bearing housing  80 , fixed to bottom wall  82  of housing  28 . Positioning block  62  has body portion  84  with a pair of cylindrical stub shafts  86  extending laterally, coaxially from each opposed side  87  of the body portion  84 . Bore  88  is transversely defined from top to bottom through positioning block  62 . Bore  88  has an internal thread (not depicted) formed therein corresponding with thread  68  of screw  60 , so that positioning block  62  is shiftably threaded onto screw  60 .  
         [0026]     Scissor arm assembly  54  of positioning assembly  26  is depicted in  FIG. 11  and generally includes first arm pair  90  and second arm pair  92 . As such, scissor arm assembly  54  is compounded with each arm pair  90 ,  92  comprising an arm of scissor arm assembly  54 . This is in distinction to the conventional construction of a scissor arm that has single bars pivotally coupled to each other. First arm pair  90  generally includes parallelly disposed arms  94 ,  96 , that in cooperation comprise a first arm of scissor arm assembly  54 . Each of arms  94 ,  96  have inwardly angled portion  98 ,  100 , respectively at an end thereof. Fastening tabs  102 ,  104  project from each angled portion  98 ,  100 , and each of the respective fastening tabs  102 ,  104  has a bore  105  formed therethrough. The respective bores  105  are in registry for receiving pivot axle  106  on respective opposed ends of pivot axle  106 . Opposite ends  108 ,  110 , of arms  94 ,  96 , have a bore  111  that receives bushings  112 ,  114 . Pivot axle  116  extends through a bore defined in positioning block  62  and is rotatably received at respective opposed ends thereof in bushings  112 ,  114 .  
         [0027]     Second arm pair  92  generally includes arms  118 ,  120 , that in cooperation comprise a second arm of scissor arm assembly  54 . Arms  118 ,  120  include at a first end inwardly angled portions  122 ,  124 , respectively. Each angled portion  122 ,  124 , has a fastening tab  126 ,  128  for receiving pivot axle  130 . Opposite ends  132 ,  134  of arms  118 ,  120  have apertures disposed in registry (not depicted) for receiving pivot axles  136 ,  138 . Bracket pairs  140 ,  142 , extend downwardly from upper wall  144  of housing  28 . Pivot axles  136 ,  138 , extend through arms  118 ,  120  and each bracket pair  140 ,  142  to pivotably mount arms  118 ,  120  to housing  28 . Each pivot axle  136 ,  138  has a respective head portion  146  and a respective opposing end  148 . Each respective opposing end  148  has an aperture for receiving a cotter pin  150  to secure pivot axles  136 ,  138  in place.  
         [0028]     Each arm pair  90 ,  92 , has an aperture (not depicted) intermediate the head portion  146  and the opposed end  148  for receiving central pivot axle  152 . Central pivot axle  152  extends through both arm pairs  90 ,  92 , and enables arms  90 ,  92 , to angularly pivot together in a compound scissors configuration, such pivoting acting to extend or retract the head portion  146  and the opposed end  148  relative to each other along an axis transverse to wall  38  and lying in a generally horizontal plane. Such extension and retraction acts to effectively lengthen and shorten the overall length of the scissor arm assembly  54 , thereby positioning the display device interface  24  transversely relative to the wall  38  in the plane noted above.  
         [0029]     Slide assembly  56  of positioning assembly  26  generally includes shaft  154  and slide  160 . Shaft  154  is fixed to interface plate  42  at bosses  156 ,  158 . Slide  160  is slidably received on shaft  154 . Pivot axle  130  extends through fastening tabs  126 ,  128 , and slide  160  to pivotally attach arms  118 ,  120 , to slide  160 .  
         [0030]     Rotator assembly  58  of positioning assembly  26  (see  FIGS. 8-11 ) generally includes means for shiftably rotating the display device interface  24  about an axis disposed orthogonally to the plane of actuation of the positioning assembly  26 , noted above. Rotator assembly  58  generally includes housing portion  162 , motor  164 , drive gear  166 , and positioning gear  168 . Housing portion  162  and positioning gear  168  are rotatably mounted on shaft  154 . Bearing portion  170  of positioning gear  168  bears against interface plate  42 . Pivot axle  106  extends through fastening tabs  102 ,  104 , and housing portion  162 , to pivotally attach arms  94 ,  96 , to housing portion  162 . Motor  164  is fixed to housing portion  162  and has its output shaft coupled with drive gear  166 , which is in turn, meshed with positioning gear  168 .  
         [0031]     Motor  64  and motor  164  may be electric motors with output shafts connected through reduction gear assemblies to provide a low speed bi-directional rotary output. Each motor is operable through a separate control so that each motor may be operated independent of the other.  
         [0032]     In operation, power is applied to motor  64 , causing it to rotate screw  60  in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. As screw  60  rotates, positioning block  62  moves vertically along the length of screw  60 , the direction of movement depending on the direction of rotation of screw  60 . The vertical movement of positioning block  62  causes scissor arm assembly  54  to move display device interface  24  either closer to, or further away from, wall interface assembly  22 , thereby retracting or extending flat panel display device  48  from the wall in the plane noted above.  
         [0033]     Power may also be separately applied to motor  164 , thereby causing it to rotate positioning gear  168  through drive gear  166  in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction through a known angle about an axis (the longitudinal axis of shaft  54 ) that is orthogonally disposed relative the plane of extension/retraction of scissor arm assembly  54 . Such rotation imposes opposing biases on the interface plate  42 . Bearing portion  170  selectively bears against interface plate  42  on one side or the other of the axis of rotation in the direction of gear rotation, thereby causing interface plate  42  to rotate on shaft  154  in a selected direction. Such rotation selectively positions the flat panel display  48  attached to interface plate  42  for better viewing as desired.  
         [0034]     In an embodiment of the invention, motor  64  and  164  may be controlled remotely through a receiver associated motorized mount  20  and a remote transmitter. The receiver and transmitter may be communicatively connected via hardwire or various wireless modes including modulated infrared signals where line-of-sight control is desired, or through modulated radio-frequency signals for greater range. In embodiments of the invention, remote control of mount  20  may be incorporated in the same transmitter with remote control of one or more of the flat panel television, satellite receivers, digital media players, sound systems, or other electronic devices associated with the flat panel television as is known in the art.  
         [0035]     Although a specific arrangement is disclosed above, it will be evident to those of skill in the art that other embodiments are encompassed within the scope of the invention. For example, in an embodiment, the positioning assembly may be located in the display interface, with the slide assembly located in the wall interface.