Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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ACRGROUND OF T~ INVENTION
The present invention relates to an overhead support
system for TV monitors~ and more particularly relates to such a
support system which is particularly well-suited to support TV
monitors for viewing by passengers in motor homes and buses,
trains, boats, school buses and other forms of public transit.
Such a system is described and illustrated in my co-pending
Application Serial No. filed
entitled "Passenger Entertainment System for
Coaches".
O~ general background as describing and illustrating
suspension systems for TV monitors are U.S. Patent No. 4,836,478
issued June 6, 1989 of Sweere (requiring a pair of tracks on which
a support frame for the TV monitor can ride), U.S. Patent No.
4,338,626 of Weinblatt issued ~ay 17, 1983 relating to a frame
designed to sit over the backrest of the front seat of a car so
that the rear seat passenger can see a television; Gombroff U.S.
Design Patent No. 245,0~1 issued July 19, 1978 and Bsscacci U.S.
Patent No. 270,689 issued September 27, 1983, illustrating tray-
type supports for TV monitors. As well, U~S. Patent No. 4,756,528
of Omashankar issued July 12, 1988 describes and illustrates a TV
monikor which is supported in the back of a typical coach passenger
seat.
None of these constructions are particularly suitable
for mounting TV monitors in vehicles such as buses where only a few
monitors may be required to provide viewing for all of the
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passengers in the bus, and where such TV monitors, to be visible,
must be suspended from a relatively high position within the bus.
As well, because of the bumpy movement of the vehicle, it is
important that the TV monitor be firmly secured in position so that
it does not become loose and vibrate relative to the bus thereby
interfering with the operation and viewing of the monitor. Many of
the conventional systems for supporting monitors in buses and the
like require major modifications to the bus whereby the monitor is
virtually permanently secured to the bus frame to prevent its
vibration.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an
easily installed but secure system for overhead support of TV
monitors in buses and the like. It is a further object of the
present invention to provide such a system which is effective in
minimizing vibration during movement of the vehicle which might
otherwise interfere with the operation and viewing of the TV
monitor.
S~NMARY OF T~E INVEN~ION
In accordance with the present invention there is
provided an overhead support system for TV monitors for use on
buses and the like, comprising a shoe which carries cable means for
the TV monitor~ The cable means are electrically associated with
an electrical contact means exposed on an outer surface of the
shoe. The shoe has sides provided with a guide and support means
positioned to mateably slide in cooperatlng guide and support means
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in the upper part of a TV monitor housing, into seated position
with the shoe electrical contact means electrically engaging
corresponding electrical contact means on the TV monitor housing.
A support in the form of a pipe is secured at one end to and
upwardly extends from the shoe. The shoe cable means extends
through the pipe. The pipe is to extend through an aperture in an
overhead support frame. A shock absorbing means is supported on
the overhead support frame and also has an ~perture through which
the pipe is to extend. An anchor sits on the shock absorbing means
and releasably engages the other end of the pipe to hold the shoe
firmly in position on the overhead support frame.
In a preferred embodiment the shoe is provided with a
loc~ mechanism to cooperate with a lock mechanism on the TV monitor
housing to releasably secure the shoe in seated position with
respect to the TV monitor housing and prevent disengagement of the
TV monitor from the shoP when the lock mechanism is in locked
position.
The invention also relates to a TV monitor in combination
with this type of overhead support system. The TV monitor has a
housing which is modified, with respect to a conventional TV
monitor housing, by having a pocket in its upper portion to
releasably receive the shoe. The pocket has a guide and support to
cooperate with those of the shoe and an end with electrical contact
means to electrically engage the electrical contact means on the
shoe when the shoe is in seated position in the pocket.
The overhead support system in accordance with the
present invention is relatively easy to install for example on the
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overhead luggage rac~ of a bus. ~he shoe and pipe arrangement
provides a system which can effectively support a TV monitor in
position for easy viewing by passengers on a bus or the like, with
significantly reduced vibration of the monitor even during movement
of the bus. When the shoe is in seated position in the TV monitor
housing, it may be readily locked in place to prevent theft of the
monitor.
The system according to the present invention further
facilitates the installation and removal of a TV monitor on a bus
or the like, by providing, as a built-in element of the support
sys~em itself, proper wiring for the TV monitor so that when the
shoe is in position in the TV monitor housing, the monitor is
effectively plugged in and ready to operate.
BRIEF DB~;C~IP5~ION_OF ~HE DRA6qING:
These and other objects and advantages of the invention
will become apparent upon reading the ~ollowing detailed
description and upon referring to the drawings in which:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a part of the overhead
support system and a TV monitor in accordance with the present
invention in position on a bus; and
FIGUR~ 2 is an exploded side schematic view of a monitor
and monitor support system in accordance with FIGURE 1.
While the invention will be described in conjunction with
an example embodiment, it will be understood that it is not
intended to limit the invention to such an embodiment. On the
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contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications
and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of
the invention as defined by the appended claims.
DETAILE:D DE8CRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In the drawings, similar featurPs have been given similar
reference numerals.
Turning to FIGURE l there is illustrated an overhead
support system and TV monitor for use in buses and the like in
accordance with the present invention. Considering first the
monitor, and referring to FIGURE 1, to minimize head injuries as a
result of passengers coming in contact with monitor 2 and to
minimize vandalism, monitors 2, which are conventional TV monitors
modified to have internal D.C. - D.C. H.V. converters 3 so that
they will operate on D.C. current from the bus' battery, are
encased in a wraparound, moulded plastic housing 4 as illustrated.
The housing is moulded of three pieces, 6, 8 and 10, with front
piece 10 having its lower section 12 of a soft, resilient, more
rubbery consistency. No con*rols are normally exposed to avoid
vandalism and the like since the monitors are essentially mounted
in a public environment. Monitor 2 is wired so that its electrical
contacts 14 are at top, at the side of a pocket or depression 16
having side support and guide tracks I8 extending along opposite
sides for guiding and receiving the sides of a support shoe 20. At
end 22 o~ shoe 20 are mating electrical contacts 24 for monitor
contacts 14, so that one set of contacts may be plugged into the
other when shoe 20 is properly seated in shoe receiving pocket 16.
As well, a key operated lock means 26 is associated with monitor
housing 4 and cooperates with shoe 20 in a conventional manner so
that monitor 2 may be locked in position on shoe 20 to prevent its
unwanted removal. Lock means 26 may be of any con~entional
construction.
Shoe 20 is formed from a moulded polymer, with electrical
contacts 24 and square brackets 30 (which slide in guide tracks 18)
moulded into it on external surfaces. Also embedded in shoe 20 is
one end of pipe 34. Cable means in the form of wires 35 extend
from contacts 24 of shoe 20, through that shoe and up through pipe
34 to other parts of the monitor's power and control system (not
illustrated).
As can be seen in FIGURE 2, the upper end of pipe 34 is
provided with threads 36. Pipe 34 is flushly received in aperture
37 through luggage rack 38 as illustrated, on which luggage rack 38
sits shock mount 40 which again is provided with an aperture 42
aligned with that through luggage rack 38 for passage of the upper
end of pipe 34. Shock mount 40 is secured, for example by means of
self-tapping screws 42, to luggage rack 38. Shock mount 40 is made
of an appropriate resilient material such as rubber or the like.
A flange 44 is bolted by means of bolts 46 to shock mount 40 and
luggage rack 38, to hold shock mount 40 in position. Flange 44 has
a central aperture to threadably receive the upper threaded end of
pipe 34. A lock nut 48 is threaded to the upper end of pipe 34,
with keyed washer 50 positioned between lock nut 48 and flange 44
as illustrated. Bolts 46 pass through keyed washer 50 as well as
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flange 44. These cGmponents form an excellent shock mount assembly
for monitor 2 which ensure that monitor 2 is securely held in
position, suspended downwardly from luggage rack 38. Cap 52 rests
on rack 38 to cover the components of the support system extending
through or resting on rod 38.
It will be understood from this description that the
overhead support system in conjunction with the TV monitor
according to the present invention achieves safety, necessary since
the monitors are mounted overhead and might otherwise be prone to
being hit by a passenger's head. As well, it is very difficult for
monitors 2 to come loose and vibrate. Vandalism of the monitor,
which is an important consideration in its construction since the
monitors are essentially mounted in a public environment, is
achieved by exposing no controls to the public.
Thus it is apparent that there has been provided in
accordance with the invention an overhead support system for TV
monitors for use on buses and the like that fully satisfies the
objects, aims and advantages set forth above. While the invention
has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments
thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and
variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of
the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace
all such alternatives, modifications and variations as fall within
the spirit and broad scope of th~ invention.
