Abstract:
A monitor-housing assembly designed to removably mount a video monitor to facilitate disengaging of the monitor from the vehicle backrest for storage or use in a different location thereby minimizing theft and maximizing monitor utility.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/330,696, filed Oct. 29, 2001. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    This invention relates to video monitors for vehicles such as automobiles and the like and relates more particularly to a system for removably mounting a video monitor in a fixed base secured in a rear side of a headrest of the vehicle.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Related Prior Art  
           [0005]    More frequently vehicles are being designed to accommodate. video monitors, such as TFT LCD screens and the like designed to enable passengers to watch television programs, prerecorded tapes or DVDs, or to play video games, or even to access the Internet during a trip. Currently, such video monitors come in different sizes, 5″, 5.6″, 7″, etc., and they may be mounted in the sun visor, the dash or on the ceiling, in a console between the seats of a mini-van, but most commonly are supported behind or in the rear of the headrest of the front seats to entertain or educate passengers seated in the rear seats.  
           [0006]    Moreover, such video monitors are often fixed in position in the vehicle, and generally difficult or impossible to remove. Thus, they commonly remain with the vehicle when the driver and passengers leave the vehicle, making them attractive targets for theft.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    It is a primary object of this invention to provide a vehicle monitor which is easy to install in, and remove from, a vehicle for viewing by passengers in the rear seats of the vehicle.  
           [0008]    Another object of this invention is to provide a vehicle monitor of the type described which can be temporarily mounted in the headrests on the front seats of a vehicle.  
           [0009]    A further object of this invention is the provision of a video monitor-housing assembly which is positionable in the vehicle headrest, providing an interconnection between the monitor and the housing to facilitate quick disconnection of circuitry between the two and easy reconnection of the circuitry.  
           [0010]    A still further object of this invention is to provide a monitor-housing assembly designed to removably mount a video monitor to facilitate disengaging of the monitor from the vehicle backrest for storage or use in a different location thereby minimizing theft and maximizing monitor utility.  
           [0011]    Yet another object of this invention is to provide a monitor-housing assembly for a video monitor to be used in a vehicle which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and highly versatile in use.  
           [0012]    Other and further objects of this invention will be readily understood by those of ordinary skill in the art with particular reference to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments in combination wit the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is an exploded view of one embodiment of a detachable vehicle monitor assembly according to this invention with a housing for receipt of a removably mounted video monitor shown, and the electrical and video connections shown extending from the housing.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is another exploded view of the detachable vehicle monitor assembly illustrating recessed portions of the video monitor for receipt of mating projections extending from an interior wall of the housing.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of FIG. 2.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the mating connection between an exterior sidewall of the video monitor and an interior sidewall of the housing.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a push-type release button for releasing the video monitor from its housing.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 6A is another embodiment of the connection between the video monitor and its housing by the use of a slide release switch.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6B is a plan view illustrating the operation of the slide release switch shown in FIG. 6A.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 7 is a rear view of the video monitor illustrating an opening for receipt of a biased bar and an electrical and video signal connector for interconnection with the housing for the video monitor. 
     
    
       [0021]    Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0022]    The foregoing descriptions and drawing should be considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. As noted, the invention may be configured in a variety of shapes and sizes and is not limited by the dimensions of the preferred embodiment. Numerous applications of the present invention will readily occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, it is not desired to limit the invention to the preferred embodiments or the exact construction and operation shown and described. Rather, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.  
         [0023]    Referring now to the drawings in general, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional headrest of a vehicle seat is shown in dotted lines at  20 . The nature of the vehicle seat itself or the headrest is not part of the instant inventive concepts. For all intents and purposes, however, substantially every front vehicle seat currently marketed carries a headrest. This invention takes advantage of this relatively universal headrest construction to provide a unique detachable vehicle monitor system.  
         [0024]    A detachable vehicle monitor assembly according to this invention is designated generally by the reference numeral  30  in FIG. 1 and is shown as including a video monitor  32 . As noted above, video monitors can be used for a variety of purposes. The video input can be fed from a separate DVD or tape player secured under the seat or elsewhere, and can even be received from a computer or the like. Similarly, the power source for the monitor is not a part of the instant inventive concepts and could be a battery of any sort, including the vehicle battery.  
         [0025]    According to the preferred embodiment of the instant inventive concepts, the video monitor  32  cooperates with a housing  34  so that the video monitor  32  may removably be fitted in the housing  34 . When the video monitor  32  is secured in the housing  34 , the video monitor  32  is interconnected with a female electrical I/O port  36  of the housing. The video monitor  32  also cooperates with a biased release mechanism  38  which assists in releasing the video monitor  32  from the housing  34  upon actuation of a release button  40 .  
         [0026]    When the monitor  32  and housing are engaged, video signals from input  42  are transferred through port  36  to the monitor  32 . Similarly, power from leads  44 ,  46  is transferred to the monitor  32 .  
         [0027]    For the interconnection of the monitor  32  and housing  34 , reference is generally made to FIGS. 2 through 7 which illustrate the preferred interconnections between the monitor  32  and housing  34  as is generally shown in FIG. 2 and is specifically shown in further detail in FIG. 4. A side  32   a  of the video monitor  32  includes two recesses  48   a ,  48   b . As shown in enlarged detail in FIG. 4, with reference to recess  48   a , for example, the recess  48   a  is engaged by complementary shaped projection  50   a  projecting inwardly from interior sidewall  52  of housing  34 . The sidewall  52  extends downwardly from upper peripheral edge  34   a  of the housing  34 .  
         [0028]    Initially, the recesses  48   a ,  48   b  in sidewall  32   a  of the monitor  32  are engaged by the sliding of sidewall  32   a  of the monitor  32  into the interior of the housing in the direction of interior wall  52  with the monitor being inclined at an angle. After the recesses in sidewall  32   a  are engaged by the projections in sidewall  52  (represented by projection  50   a  in FIG. 4) then sidewall  32   b  is moved into the interior  34   b  of the housing so as to align sidewall  32   b  with sidewall  34   c  of the housing.  
         [0029]    Extending from the upper peripheral surface  34   d  in the encircled area  34   e  in FIG. 2 is a release switch  40 . Release switch  40  may take the form of a push-type release button  54  shown in FIG. 5 or slide release button assembly  56  as shown in FIGS. 6 a  and  6   b.  However, these are but exemplary embodiments and the release switch may take many different forms known to those of ordinary skill in the art.  
         [0030]    In the embodiment shown at FIG. 5, a push button  56  projects above wall  34   d  of the housing  34 . The button  56  is biased by spring  58  into the position shown in FIG. 5. A cooperating pin  60 , extending perpendicular to push button  56 , includes projecting portion  60   a  which extends beyond interior wall  34   c  of the housing as retained by flange  60   b.  Pin  60  is biased into the position shown in FIG. 5 by spring  62 .  
         [0031]    An angled surface  60   c  of pin  60  engages and cooperates with an angled surface  56   a  at an opposite end from button  56 . Upon depression of button  56 , in a direction along its longitudinal axis, inclined surface  56   a  engages inclined surface  60   c  to force projecting portion  60   a  of pin  60  against the bias force of the spring  62  to a position located within the interior of the sidewall of the housing. In this position, side  32   b  may be moved adjacent to side  34   c  of the housing so that a corresponding recess (not shown) in sidewall  32   b  of the monitor  32  is aligned with pin  60 . Upon release of button  56 , projecting portion  60   a  will be forced out of the sidewall of the housing and into the corresponding recess of the monitor  32  and sidewall  32   b . The cooperation of the projecting portion  60   a  and the sidewall of the monitor  32  will lock the monitor in place in the interior  34   b  of the housing  34 .  
         [0032]    An alternate arrangement of securing the monitor in the housing is shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. In this embodiment, slide switch  70  is movable in opening  72  in the direction of arrow  74 . Extending downwardly from the switch  70  is member  76  which cooperates with a slide member  78 , biased by spring  80  to project outwardly from interior sidewall  34   c  of the housing.  
         [0033]    As shown in plan view of FIG. 6B, the member  76  engages the sidewalls of a groove  82  of the slide member  78 . Upon sliding of the switch  70  in opening  72 , member  76  will engage the sidewalls of the recess  82  and force the slide member  78  rearwardly against the bias of the spring and into the interior of the sidewall of the housing. The monitor  32  may then be lowered into the interior  34   b  of the housing. Upon movement of the switch  70  in an opposite direction the member  76  will be withdrawn from the groove  82  and by the bias force of spring  80  projecting member  78   a  will extend into a corresponding recess (not shown) in the sidewall  32   b  of the monitor.  
         [0034]    When the monitor is fit into the interior opening  34   b  of the housing, male terminal I/O port  84  projecting from the rear surface  32   c  of the monitor  32  as shown in FIG. 7, will extend into and connect with port  36  on the interior of the housing.  
         [0035]    Simultaneously, release mechanism  38  having a bar  86  biased by spring  88  as shown in FIG. 3, will extend into an opening  90  in the rear surface  32   c  of the monitor. Rear surface  32   c  will force the bar  86  downwardly against the bias force of the spring  88 .  
         [0036]    When the monitor is to be removed from the housing, by actuation of either of switch assemblies  54  or  56 , the release of engagement of the sidewall  32   b  of the monitor will release the bias force of spring  88  so as to cause bar  86  to push the monitor  32  out of the interior  34   b  of the housing. This will slightly elevate or project the monitor out of the housing and facilitate grabbing of end  32   b  of the monitor. Continued inclination of the monitor will cause release the engagement of recesses  48   a ,  48   b  with projections  50   a,    50   b  in sidewall  52  of the housing.  
         [0037]    The use and operation of the detachable vehicle monitor assembly of this invention will now be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art. The video monitor can be readily removed from the monitor assembly for storage or use in another location. The housing of the monitor assembly itself is retained permanently in the headrest.  
         [0038]    It will now be seen that this application discloses a detachable vehicle monitor assembly for a video monitor to be used in a vehicle which satisfies all of the foregoing objects, and others, providing many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance. The foregoing descriptions and drawings should be considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Numerous applications of the present invention will readily occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, it is not desired to limit the invention to the preferred embodiments or the exact construction and operation shown and described. Rather, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.