Patent ID: 7942459

Claim:
An apparatus for mounting a device into a vehicle, the apparatus comprising: a fixing block that is attachable to at least one surface of the device and having a portion that is contactable with a mounting surface of a vehicle component, the fixing block having a least one opening therein; at least one assembly comprising: a shaft portion, a clamping element comprising an opening; and a visual position element comprising an opening, wherein the visual position element orientation indicates an orientation of the clamping element, the shaft portion passing through the opening in the fixing block, the clamping element, and the visual position element, wherein the clamping element and the visual position element are axially displaced along the shaft portion, and the assembly being operable such that: the clamping element secures the device to a component of the vehicle when positioned in a first position, and releases the device when positioned in a second position, and the visual position element provides an indication of whether the clamping element is in the first or second position via a linkage mechanism between the clamping element and the visual position element that forces the clamping element or the visual position element to fixedly move with and when the visual position element or the clamping element, respectively, is moved; wherein: the fixing block further includes at least one recess substantially aligned with said at least one opening that is recessed in at least a first planar and a second planar surface of the fixing block, the visual position element being situated within the recess, the visual position element having a first planar surface that is essentially co-planar with a first planar surface of the fixing block at all times, and a second planar surface that is essentially co-planar with the second planar surface of the fixing block only when the clamping element is in the first position or the second position.