Patent Application
20090090756
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for mounting items to, and displaying items on, vehicles. More particularly, the invention relates to a rigid and versatile apparatus for supporting instruments or other items from available areas of vehicles, such as the area in front of and on top of the dashboard.
Many forms of personal transportation lack desired controls, indications, or accessories suited to the personal tastes of the individual or individuals using the transportation. Automobile manufacturers provide a basic level of indicators and displays (e.g., speedometer, engine temperature, and fuel level, with warning lights for various other indicators) and forego the addition of ancillary instruments and gauges to keep their costs low. Simple efforts at adding gauges and other instruments to a vehicle's interior often sacrifice the stability of the factory equipment to which the instruments are attached, and further sacrifice the safety of the passengers by not adequately supporting the added instruments.
These problems provide opportunities for creative after-market solutions. Because of the expense of design and production, after-market manufacturers try to design products applicable to a wide variety of makes or styles of vehicles. Therefore, it is important that after-market solutions be versatile, capable of suiting most drivers regardless of the vehicle. Ideally, the flexibility of orientation and location would help a variety of drivers of a single vehicle to achieve spatial compatibility with the installed indications. Such products should also be effective, safe, inexpensive, and easy for the driver to install.
Most vehicles feature some exposed, available surface. For example, vehicles used in motor sports are likely to provide roll over protection through tubular roll bars or cages; additionally, in some of these vehicles the A-pillar is also an exposed tube. Larger vehicles, such as boats and automobiles may have free surfaces on dashboards or consoles in front and below the driver's field of view, as well as on the windshield or on the roof in front and above the driver's field of view. Such spots provide an opportunity for mounting one or more gauges, controls, or accessories.
Different drivers, and even different positions of a single driver can require a broad range of adjustment to preserve spatial compatibility of an important gauge or indication. Additionally, items such as gauges typically must be connected by wiring to the equipment measuring the given vehicle performance or other parameter to be displayed by the gauge. This requires provisioning for wire hookup and discrete wire covering.
The present invention is directed to a dashboard gauge display apparatus for overcoming the above and other challenges. In one embodiment, the invention includes a rampart member having one or more gauge display frame elements and a parapet member providing an upper enclosure for the rampart member. The present invention can be mounted in the center of a vehicle dashboard between the driver and passenger cowls. The present invention can be used to mount one, two, three or more gauges therein, and the gauges can be angled towards the driver.
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The face portion 30 is formed with one or more substantially circular, part-cylindrical and/or other shaped gauge frame members 32 so as to provide one or more openings 35 therein (i.e., through the face portion), through which an installed gauge or other instrument may be viewed, for example. In one embodiment, a frame member edge 34 forms the perimeter of the respective opening 35 and the frame member body 32 and edge 34 are configured to receive and/or retain a portion of the gauge or instrument for display. In this way, the face of the gauge or other instrument can extend through the opening, with the remaining body portion of the gauge residing in the cavity created by the mating of the parapet member and the rampart member, supported in one embodiment at least in part by the frame member body 32. In the embodiments of the invention with gauge frame members, while the frame members can be constructed to lie in parallel planes, the invention can be constructed such that any two or more frame members can lie in parallel planes, or such that no two frame members lie in parallel planes. In another embodiment, the frame member is not provided in substantially circular or part-cylindrical form, but rather in another geometric form provided with an opening for housing an item which is not substantially cylindrical or circular in cross-section, for example.
The broader surface areas of rampart member and parapet member enable the mating of the rampart member with the parapet member through a variety of mating techniques, such as with glue, double-sided tape, hook-and-loop type fasteners such as Velcro™, screws, single-sided tape and other known adhesives. In one embodiment, a chemical comprising methylene chloride can be employed which acts to weld the members together.
When the rampart member is securely engaged with the parapet member, an opening 50 is created, as shown in
The combined parapet member and rampart member can be secured within a vehicle using a variety of attachment methods and devices. In one embodiment, an adhesive such as two-sided tape, hook-and-loop fasteners, glue or other suitable bonding adhesive can be placed on the dashboard and/or the back 44 and/or bottom 22 of parapet member, as well as bottom 16 and side beard portions 19 of rampart member to adhere the device to the dashboard. In another embodiment, a first bracket member (not shown) can be adhered to a dashboard while a cooperating second bracket member (not shown) is adhered to the back 44 of parapet member. Then, the brackets are cooperatively engaged to securely support the device on the dashboard of a vehicle. It will be appreciated that a combination of the above methods and devices may be employed as necessary.
When the assembly is secured within the vehicle, the surfaces 16, 19 and 22 of the apparatus 10 align with the dashboard or other support surface to provide a mating seam. In this way, the invention can provide an aesthetically appealing “factory look” while concealing unsightly wiring and other components maintained within the cavity of the assembly.
It will be appreciated that the gauge display assembly of the present invention may thereby be located at various locations within the vehicle depending upon the user's taste. In one embodiment, a kit can be provided in connection with the invention, including the gauge display member, rampart member, adhesive and/or other attachment mechanisms for securing the rampart member to the vehicle interior as well as for securing the rampart member to the gauge display member.
In constructing the present invention, the rampart member and parapet member can be formed by creating a mold out of urethane or similar material, and vacuum sealing ABS plastic or other suitable material about the mold. The plastic member can then be trimmed and cut to provide the desired edges and/or openings. It will be appreciated that the positioning and retaining of gauges within the cavity created by securing the parapet member and the rampart member, as well as the process steps of securing the assembly in place within a vehicle interior may occur in a variety of orders. For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, a stud plate and the dash surface are cleaned with alcohol or similar method. Next, the stud plate is bolted to the rampart member along the raised bottom platform 34. Double-sided tape can then be applied to the parapet member and other areas of the device. Next, the parapet member is placed on the dashboard so the back tabs 42 of the parapet member aligns with the vent holes in the original equipment dashboard. The back 44 of the parapet member is then flexed so that the back edge flaps or tabs 42 snap into place in the desired vent holes of the dash. With the parapet member in place, the front of the rampart member 15 is then lifted and the double-sided tape is exposed (e.g., by removing the tape liner), and the rampart member and parapet member are then pressed down onto the dash in order to engage the tape. The nuts are then removed from the stud plate and the rampart member is removed from the dash, leaving the parapet member in place. At this point, the parapet member can be pressed again downwardly onto the dash to ensure a good tape seal. Next, the gauges to be inserted in the rampart member can be wired and loosely placed between the dashboard and the parapet member. In one embodiment of the present invention, the wiring can be run through the back vent holes on the original equipment dashboard. The parapet bolts can be tightened by going through the left and right gauge openings in the rampart member. The gauges can then be press fit into the rampart member after the bolts are tightened.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the parapet member and rampart member may be secured together, and then gauges fed through openings 35, wiring first. Then the rampart member may be secured to the vehicle, such as against the dashboard, with the wiring extending through notches 39 and up against the dashboard or through the vent openings so as to effectuate concealment.
The particular dimensions of the parapet member and rampart member and their elemental components can, in one embodiment, be customized depending upon the target vehicle make and model and the desired location within the target vehicle.
It should be understood that the foregoing description and examples are only illustrative of the present invention; the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, including variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and the manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. Thus, various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variances that fall within the scope of the appended claims.
